I have my HD partitioned into two partitions, one for data, and one for the OS and programs. Most of my computers I don’t have set up this way, but my main work computer I do, since I store more data on it than any other machine, and it makes it easier to reformat.

I was cleaning up my data partition, and saw that there were some system files on the root.  I used to have my Documents and Settings folder on the data drive, but on my last reformat I made the OS partition a little bigger and just kept the D&S on that partition, so I figured the system files on the data partition were just leftovers.  I deleted them, finished up what I was doing, then rebooted, and it turns out those system files weren’t leftover.

So I learned (step by step) what the XP boot order is.  After the machine POSTs, it looks on the boot drive for the active partition.  It then executes ntldr, then NTDETECT.com.  After those, it looks in the boot.ini file, which points it to the partition that has your Windows installation.  Since (evidently) my data partition for some reason is set as my active partition, I have to keep those three files on it in order to boot my machine.  Maybe next time I reformat I’ll try to address that issue as well.

Just:
1) Open a new Student Checking Account (with a $50 minimum opening deposit) between 6/16/08 and 8/29/08
2) Open a new No Annual Fee Credit Card
3) Enroll in online banking

Then wait for your free iPod to arrive in the mail!  I did a similar promotion at KeyBank last summer, so I know that this is legit.  The only catch is that you you can’t have opened a KeyBank checking account in the last 12 months.  Additionally, you have to keep the account open for 6 months, or they charge you a $25 early closing fee.  But for a free iPod, $50 in the bank for 6 months is a pretty good deal.

Fuel saving tips that just don’t work.

Note that some of them include items mentioned in my previous post.

It is important that we take this step now because of the amount of time that it will take to build the necessary infrastructure to successfully extract American oil for Americans to use. “If we were to drill today, realistically speaking, we should not expect a barrel of oil coming out of this new resource for three years, maybe even five years, so let’s not kid ourselves,” said Fadel Gheit, oil and gas analyst with Oppenheimer & Co. Equity Capital Markets Division.  It would take ten years to get the necessary infrastructure in place to safely extract oil from the Arctic Refuge in Alaska.  The longer we wait to begin using the energy sources that we have here within our own borders, the longer we will leave our economy in the hands of foreign rulers, both friend and foe.

Of course, that’s not how the Democrats want to spin it.  “After eight years, President Bush and [Vice President] Dick Cheney have turned the GOP into the Gas and Oil Party. That’s the legacy that they are going to leave,” said Rep. Edward Markey of Massachusetts.  He would rather leave the American economy and their pocketbooks in the hands of the leaders of OPEC nations (which include Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Libya, Algeria, Nigeria, Angola, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Indonesia).  But, as Barack Obama explained, “It’s another example of short-term political posturing from Washington, not the long-term leadership we need to solve our dependence on oil.”

The benefit of drilling today is that, if like many of the Democrats in Congress claim, the price of oil is largely being driven up by speculators, then they will see that the long term direction of oil is not up, but down, which will lead to reduced interest and thereby lower prices for oil.  In reality, there are a number of factors affecting the price of oil, which include speculation, depreciation of the dollar, developing nations, increased demand, and insufficient supply, to name a few.

In 2007, the US consumed 20.7 million barrels of oil per day (see EIA).  According to CNN.com, the White House estimates that there are 18 billion barrels of oil offshore that have not been exploited because of state bans, 10 billion to 12 billion in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and 800 billion barrels of recoverable oil in the Green River Basin.  Doing some simple math, that oil alone would provide enough oil for the U.S. to COMPLETELY sever itself from dependence on foreign oil for over 100 years!  And that’s just the resources that we know about.  (Now, of course I am a proponent of the global economy, and bettering everyone’s standard of living through specialization – basic macroeconomic principles – but this statistic proves the point that the U.S. has a lot of currently unused oil).

Obviously I am also a proponent of developing new technology in order to make our reserves last even longer, or to completely overcome our need for oil as an energy source at all.  However, unlike Barack Obama and others, I don’t think we should put the economy on the chopping block in exchange.  According to his campaign, presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama wants to invest $150 billion over the next 10 years to establish a green energy sector, create a national low-carbon fuel standard to ensure that the fuel is more efficient, and invest in clean energies like solar, wind and biodiesel.  He thinks that a windfall profits tax would ease the burden of energy costs on working families. Maybe it’s because I’m a young and inexperienced in politics , but I don’t understand how levying a 25% tax on the oil companies (like the bill that the Democrats tried to push through Congress a few weeks ago) is going to drive the price of oil (and consequently gas) lower for working class families, or for anyone, for that matter!

The development of new energy sources, alternate modes of transportation (electric cars, improved public transportation), improved technology (new refineries that extract more gallons of gas per barrel of oil, more efficient engines), and other developments that will ultimately reduce world dependence on oil as a sole source of energy will not benefit us, but they may benefit our grandchildren and their posterity.  However, these technologies will take even longer to develop and implement than merely drilling the existing oil in North America.  Rather than solely focus on one or the other, it is important to focus on solving today’s problems and looking forward to even better solutions for tomorrow.

Sources:
McCain wants to lift ban on offshore drilling
Bush asks Congress to clear way for offshore oil drilling
Bush Says Dems to Blame for High Gas Prices
Energy Information Administration

Why Guys Marry Some Girls

1. Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold.  Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening….your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role.

2. A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

3. When you’re filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has 3 stages: low, middle, and high. You should be pumping on low mode, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while yo u are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some of the liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you’re getting less worth for your money.

I’m don’t really understand the reasoning he gives here on number 4.  I’ve heard that it is better to fill back up at half tank before, but I don’t get what he’s saying here.  Feel free to enlighten me on the comments.

4. One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL. The reason for this is the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.

5. Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up; most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom.

Another aspect that is key in eBay’s success is their effort to continually improve.  They recently came out with a newer “Trust and Safety Center”, which is where buyers and sellers alike can go to find a mediator in case they are dissatisfied with a particular transaction.  Their newest development, which is actually what inspired me to write this post today, is their updated feedback policy.  In the past, it used to be that if you (as a buyer) had a bad experience, while you could leave negative feedback, it was a risky proposition, because often the seller merely retaliated by leaving you negative feedback (even if you didn’t deserve it).  As any regular eBay user knows, once you leave feedback, it can’t be withdrawn.  And a 99.9% positive can never become 100% again.  I myself have carefully guarded my feedback rating, and as a result, have had several times where I have opted to just not leave feedback, rather than risk getting negative feedback myself.  However, when I logged into my eBay account to leave feedback for an item I purchased last week, the following screen popped up:

What an amazing move by eBay!  Now, if I really do have a bad experience, I can leave negative feedback without fear of ruining my own feedback rating!  This is an excellent example of the continued evolution that any company needs to experience in order to continue to be successful, as I believe eBay will do far into the future.

This Guy Can Get 59 MPG in a Plain Old Accord. Beat That, Punk.

However, the newest development announced by American Airlines today left my jaw hanging open in disbelief at the complete and utter lack of respect that the company has for their customers (read the article here: American Airlines to slash jobs, charge for bags). They are going to start charging $15 per bag on the first piece of checked luggage. What a horrible idea. The small amount of added revenue will come nowhere close to the amount of lost business that American will experience through such alienation of their customers. Customers around the world have been dealing with more and more injustices just to have the privilege to fly. Enough is enough already. Just a month ago American canceled 3300 flights, leaving a quarter million passengers stranded, due to negligence on their part in meeting a federal aviation safety requirement (read the article here). I myself, when flying home for Christmas last year, waited in the airport for 6 hours worth of delays, then another hour after landing to deboard, and another two hours to get my bags. Needless to say, I was not pleased with my flight experience that day.

American needs to reconsider its motto: “We know why you fly, we’re American Airlines.” At its annual shareholders meeting on Wed 21 May 2008, CEO Gerard Arpey explained, “The industry will not and cannot continue in its current state.” That’s a no brainer. But I (along with the countless investors who dumped the stock on Wed, resulting in its 24% one-day decline) don’t think that nickel-and-diming loyal customers is a step in the right direction.