Website Update & Bug Report
First of all – I want to tell you how happy I am that FuelClinic.com is being so well received by users. Membership is up over 200% in the last 2 weeks. It’s so satisfying to see that people are finding value in the website.
Here are some problems that people have found, that are currently in development or testing, in order of priority:
- Some users are not receiving their emails from FuelClinic – including the “New Account Information” message, and the “Password Reminder” message.
- This is a thorny problem, related to spam blockers on comcast.net and several other networks.Â
- I am developing several methods to work-around this problem, but it will be several weeks before they are tested and deployed.
- In the mean time, I am personally re-sending bounced messages I find, or helping users who are missing password messages in other ways.Â
- Metric units are not working in the Fuel Receipt form.
- There is a problem with the Fuel Receipt form, and the underlying XML that is used to build and control that form.
- Â A fix is currently in testing with one minor bug to fix. Once I’m confident that it’s working properly, it’ll go to production – probably over the weekend when traffic is lower.
- There is no way to remove a vehicle from your account.
- This is a problem for several users. A solution is in the works, and should be online within a week.
- If you prefer, email me with the name of the vehicle you want to remove, and I’ll do that for you immediately (within a few hours).Â
If you have any problems, ideas, complaints, or suggestions regarding the FuelClinic.com website, please send them to me thru e-mail at feedback@fuelclinic.com
Thank you! – Doc
Fuelishness! Feed
The internet is saturated with fuel-related news. Here are a few links for today.
- If Congress really cared about the economic well-being of American citizens, it would stop fulminating against IOCs and reverse current policies that discourage, indeed prohibit, the production of domestic oil and natural gas. Â
- America’s leading commodities regulator has launched an unprecedented investigation into possible market manipulation in the US crude oil market amid record prices which continue to cripple various parts of the global economy.
- The federal government has offered four-day workweeks to eligible employees for years as part of a flexible work program that also includes telecommuting.
- Americans expect gas will only get more expensive, with 78 percent anticipating $5 a gallon next year, according to a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released this month. Sixty percent of the more than 1,000 adults contacted April 28-30 said fuel costs have caused them hardship.
For something completely unrelated, but too interesting not to mention:
- One of South America’s few remaining uncontacted indigenous tribes has been spotted and photographed on the border between Brazil and Peru.
Every $0.01 Increase = $1.42 Billion more a year for Gas
Source: NY Times
“Every one-cent increase in gasoline prices means Americans pay $1.42 billion more a year for gas, according to Stephen P. Brown, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. Nearly two-thirds of that goes to foreign producers.â€
“For many people, higher energy costs mean fewer restaurant meals, deferred weekend outings with the kids, less air travel and more time closer to home. Big box retailers are suffering as customers balk at driving to the mall, airlines have slapped on steep fuel surcharges and carmakers have seen their sales slump. On Thursday, the Ford Motor Company announced production cuts because of sharply lower demand for sport-utility vehicles and pickups.â€
A lot of other parts of the article mention how people need and are beginning to change their fuel habits.
Hat Tip: “Anonymous” FuelClinic Operative
Maxine Waters threatens to socialize… err… “nationalize” America’s oil industry
Whoah.
Link: sevenload.com
“And guess what this member* would be all about? This member would be all about socializing — er, uh. [Pauses for several moments] …. would be about … [pause] … basically … taking over, and the government running all of your companies.â€
Found At: Hot Air
It’ll never happen in America, but it has happened all over the world in recent years:Â
First Russia. Then Venezuela. Now Bolivia.
Soaring energy prices are fueling a global wave of natural-resource nationalization that is souring the investment landscape for international oil companies and reshaping energy politics for years to come.
While it is anyone’s guess as to which energy-rich developing nation will be next to assert greater state control over its oil or natural gas assets, analysts say it is only a matter of time before the actions of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez and Bolivia’s Evo Morales inspire a copycat.
More about Chavez of Venezuela in particular:
From: Wikipedia
2007 On May 1, 2007, Venezuela stripped the world’s biggest oil companies of operational control over massive Orinoco Belt crude projects, a controversial component in President Hugo Chavez’s nationalization drive.
Police changing how they do business, in response to surging fuel prices
No more take-home cruisers, officers told to turn their engine off if stopped for more than a minute, stick to your designated patrol area – unless responding to an emergency.
Source: My Way News
In Newberry, population 10,000, Chief Jackie Swindler is telling his officers to turn off the ignition whenever they are stopped for more than a minute or so, and to get out and walk around more.
“It’s not a rolling office that you stay in all day,” Swindler said. “You still need to get out and interact with the public.”
Jonathan Taylor, a rookie officer in Newberry, said walking the beat in the region’s oppressive summer heat may be a drag, but he added: “We’re police officers. It’s not supposed to be a comfortable job. If getting out and walking helps me do the best job I can, I’m all for it.”
Demand for gasoline in US dips slightly at $4/gal
Reuters says “it’s starting”. People are feeling the crunch of $4+ gasoline and beginning to change their habits. Â (Today’s news of $140/bbl oil futures isn’t going to help.)
Source: ReutersÂ
…Private spending data supports the poll’s finding on gasoline demand. U.S. drivers pumped nearly 7 percent less gasoline for the week ending May 16 than they did the same week last year, Mastercard Advisors said this week.
Year-to-date, American consumers have bought 1.4 percent less gasoline than they did last year, said Mastercard Advisors, , a unit of MasterCard Inc, that estimates weekly demand based on sales in its payments system.
Zogby said respondents have been sensitive to the $4.00 per gallon gasoline mark in previous polls.
“People have been saying that once prices hit $4.00, they are going to adjust their lifestyles and cutting back driving is one way they are doing it,” he said…Â
Is it possible that the normal checks of an open marketplace are beginning to work in the fuel markets. If we can continue to encourage conservation, and have enough consumers joining the effort to buy less gasoline than they used to buy, market demand will come down, and with it – so will fuel prices. (Before we get too excited, remember that there was similar push back at $3.00/gal just a few months ago, but once it was an “accepted” fact of life, demand recovered and grew.)
Least Suprising News of the Day
Guess what - the price of oil went up again - now over $130/bbl.
Energy Dept. will not renew oil contract
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D90MRT580&show_article=1Â
The Energy Department said it will not sign contracts for new shipments of 76,000 barrels of oil a day for the six-month period beginning July 1. President Bush had opposed halting the shipments, arguing that such a relatively small amount of oil would not influence prices. Current shipments will continue. The reserve is 97 percent full, holding 701 million barrels of crude.
Latest potent biofuel made from Sweet sorghum sap
Source: APÂ
Ethanol made from the stalk’s juice has four times the energy yield of the corn-based ethanol, which is already in the marketplace unlike sweet sorghum. Sweet sorghum produces about eight units of energy for every unit of energy used in its production. That’s about the same as sugarcane but four times as much as corn.
…
Sweet sorghum growers in South Texas and South Florida can get two crops a year because of their tropic-like weather. The crop, though, can be grown as far north as Canada. It grows in dry conditions and tolerates heat well.
In Texas and Florida, the second crop doesn’t need to be planted; it sprouts from the first harvest. “We’ve found the contents are as good as the first crop,” Coniglio said.
Sweet sorghum also spares the environment. Less fertilizer is needed than with corn and as a result there is less water contamination, Coniglio said.
FuelClinic.com Launch
FuelClinic.com is getting pushed out the door today. I believe the mantra “Launch Early – Launch Often” for small web projects like this – and, although this isn’t really that “early” – it’s at least a start. This will also motivate me to make the website a priority among my various projects and finally finish the phase-1 functionality.
I’ve begun a small online advertising campaign, and will be writing a press release over the weekend. I’ll run it past a few people who understand press releases better than I do, and if it looks good – I’ll be pushing that out the door next week sometime.
I hope that the website will be useful to people. There is a core set of beta testers who continue to use the site, kicking the tires, and telling me what they think about the site. With additional exposure, and user feedback, I’ll continue to plan and develop the phase-2 requirements. There are some really great ideas floating around in the notes.
Let the adventure begin!
2% Reduction in Demand = 10% Reduction in Fuel Price
Source: WCBSTV.com
…Researchers say today’s cars are most fuel efficient at speeds between around 30 and 60 mph, and mileage drops sharply at speeds above 65 as engines work harder to overcome wind resistance that rises exponentially. If drivers were forced to slow down—and lower speed limits were enforced—the thirst for fuel could be significantly reduced, which could ease prices.
Recent surveys show that many drivers have changed their habits to cut fuel costs, but the changes tend to be ones that bring immediate gratification—such as using the Internet to find stations with the lowest prices and putting less gas in the tank instead of filling up, said Larry Compeau, executive officer of the Society for Consumer Psychology and an associate marketing professor at Clarkson University.
“If you buy a more fuel-efficient car or find cheaper gasoline, those things are right in front of you,” Compeau said. “Whether you do 65 or 55 is much more nebulous. There’s no way for you to immediately see the impact.”
Based on recent highway traffic volume trends, throttling back to 60 mph from 70 mph would likely reduce gasoline usage between 2 percent and 3 percent, which is about what happened when the 55-mph limit was imposed in the 1970s, said David Greene, a senior researcher at the U.S. Energy Department’s Oak Ridge National Lab.
“We’re talking about a 2-to-3 percent reduction in demand, which would mean a much larger percentage reduction in price, maybe 10 percent,” Greene said.
Death of the SUV
“It’s an irrational vehicle. It’ll never come back.” – High fuel prices have started a re-alignment, and quite possibly the death of the SUV.
…Americans are turning away from the boxy, four-wheel-drive vehicles that have for years dominated the nation’s highways. Sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks – symbols of Americans’ obsession with horsepower, size, and status – are falling out of favor as consumers rich and poor encounter sticker shock at the pump, paying upward of $80 to fill gas tanks.
The sale of new SUVs and pickup trucks has dropped precipitously in recent months amid soaring gas prices and a weakening economy: SUV sales for the month of April alone fell 32.3 percent from a year earlier and small car sales rose 18.6 percent. This fundamental shift comes against a backdrop of relentless gas increases, and growing concerns over the environment and US oil consumption, according to auto analysts and car dealers.
“The SUV craze was a bubble and now it is bursting,” said George Hoffer, an economics professor at Virginia Commonwealth University whose research focuses on the automotive industry. “It’s an irrational vehicle. It’ll never come back.”
With stocks of unwanted new SUVs and pickups piling up at dealerships across the country, automakers are offering unprecedented promotions. Incentives for large SUVs, including cash rebates, topped $4,000 in March, or more than double those offered in March 2002, according to Edmunds.com, which monitors the motor industry.Â
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