Sunday, April 8, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
New car
This morning the transmission went out on my old 1997 Suburban. Not good!!! So I finally took the plunge and bought our very first brand new car. We bought a 2012 Jeep Compass. It seems nice I like it. Now if we can just make the payments. I'm sure we will be fine. All I know is we really needed it!!!!!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Oil and Gas Prices in the United States
Oil and Gas Prices in the United States
Crude oil is a commodity that is traded in global markets. The prices are determined by supply and demand in the global economy. The United States produces and supplies 8.91% of the world's oil supply [Wikipedia, "List of countries by oil production"] and consumes 22.6% of the global demand [NationMaster.com]. Recent large increases in demand have come from emerging economies such as China and India, but the United States still consumes more than the next three largest oil consumers combined (China, Japan, and India).
Oil prices are very much demand-driven. A recent study by economists at the St Louis Federal Reserve Bank looked at four components of oil prices: global supply, global demand, inventory demand, and speculation. The study concluded that changes in demand accounted for about 40% of the price changes over the past decade. The second largest contributing factor was speculation at 15%, with changes in inventories the third largest factor, and changes in supply the smallest factor.
The changes in demand largely stem from growth in the emerging economies of China and India. The global economic downturn in 2008 accounted for a large decrease in demand.
What are the actual price changes for gasoline in the United States in recent years? Consider the following three charts, which track monthly price changes since the year 2000:
The first chart shows changes in an index of gasoline prices since the year 2000. The second chart shows the core inflation numbers (which is "all items less food and energy"), as measured by the CPI, for the same time period. The third chart shows the combined CPI, which includes all items.
The most obvious conclusion to be drawn from these charts is that gasoline prices are extremely volatile compared to the CPI. Normal inflation (CPI) has been particularly stable during this time period. Prices tend to go up, slowly but in a stable manner. Gasoline prices, on the other hand, have had many wild swings, both up and down. These wild swings have a direct impact on the overall economy.
Another conclusion that can be drawn from these charts is the overall, long term trend. Putting the wild swings aside for a moment, look at the long term trend in gas prices, as indicated by the white line on the first chart above. The long term trend is upward. Long term, gasoline prices do continue to increase. The rate of increase, as measured by the slope of the white line, is slightly higher than the rate of increase of prices in general, as measured by the slopes of the lines in the second and third charts.
Actually, the second chart, which shows changes in the CPI, includes an upward bias that is not present in the first chart of gasoline prices. The CPI does not take into consideration product improvements, including technological advances. This upward bias is probably relatively small when looking at month to month changes, but it means that the line on the graph would be flatter without it. No such upward bias exists in gasoline prices, since gasoline doesn't tend to come in new models every year.
Back to the issue of the price volatility of gasoline, the wild up and down swings. If you look at the price changes in percentage terms, you will see that a somewhat regular pattern exists. Here is a chart showing the percentage change in gasoline prices for the same time frame as the first three charts:
Notice here that an apparently normal business cycle emerges, with peaks and troughs in gas prices occurring roughly once every quarter. Notice also that the degree of volatility, as measured by the length of the up and down movements, has apparently diminished somewhat since the beginning of the economic recovery in 2009. The obvious abnormality is the large drop in 2008. That corresponds to the global financial crisis and Great Recession.
While doing the research needed to create these graphs, it was discovered that the degree of volatility in gasoline prices increased tremendously with a spike in 1999, and continued through 2008. What is the cause of this? I don't know, but I believe it is something that needs to be looked into. Here is the entire trend, starting in 1978 with the earliest data available from this data source. Notice the difference between the degree of up and down movement prior to 1999, compared with after 1999:
What impact does all of this have on the overall economy?
Gasoline prices, and prices of other oil derivatives used for fuel, affect the cost of almost everything. Anything that requires fuel for shipping and / or storage will have cost increases when the price of fuel goes up. On the other hand, they will have cost decreases when the prices go down. The overall, long term trend is that prices for gasoline increase faster than the average of other prices in the economy, but not by much. The long term trend probably is not a large factor. The short term volatility, though, means less business and consumer confidence, less risk taking in investments, and therefore less production is likely to occur.
Different classes of individuals and companies will be affected differently, depending on the degree to which they depend on gasoline for their livelihoods. Gasoline tends to be very inelastic (meaning that people will pay a higher price to purchase roughly the same quantity) compared to most products, but some people have demands that are more inelastic than other people's demands. When costs go up more than incomes, consumption of other goods and services, and savings both decrease.
What are the policy implications of gas prices? What can our politicians do about the problems?
In order to truly deal with the problem, facts must me separated from fiction; reality must be separated from rhetoric. This will not be easy to accomplish, because of the polarized political climate in the United States. Policy positions are being developed on the right and on the left that rely as much on rhetoric as on reality, that appeal to party bases and emotions. What follows here is an attempt to deal with the facts only. It will completely satisfy neither the right nor the left. It will agree with neither party's position on the issue.
What can and should policy makers do about the price of gasoline?
Take a look at the four factors of oil prices listed by the St Louis Fed's economists:
Global supply
Global demand
Oil Inventory demand
Speculation
Global Supply: It has been noted above that the United States produces 8.91% of the world's oil supply, and that prices are determined in a global market. What can policy makers do about this?
Can the United States government increase the global supply of oil, enough to create a significant drop in the global price? To a large extent, oil companies have access to the known oil reserves. They extract what is economically feasible. In order to induce them to drill more, the prices would have to rise, not fall, significantly. A higher price for gasoline would be the cost of a larger supply. This wouldn't solve the price problem, and the higher price necessary would mean a lower standard of living, but it would increase the availability of fossil fuels. The higher price would be an incentive to speed up development of alternative energy sources.
What about concentrating on a large increase in domestic production to decrease domestic prices?
The markets would still be global. Any increase in production would have to be large enough to affect the global price. Can, and should, United States policy be designed to accomplish this? As noted above, the United States produces 8.91% of the world's oil supply. But we only have about 1.6% of the world's known oil reserves. We are already drilling a larger percentage of our reserves than the rest of the world. Much of what we have available is already controlled by oil companies, and will only be extracted if the long term price increases significantly, or if technological advances make drilling more economical. The oil reserves that would require additional government approval make up a small amount of known feasible reserves, and cannot possibly be enough to lower the global price significantly. Tapping into this area would require significant compromises regarding the political hot topic of external (environmental) costs.
Just as importantly, the St Louis Fed study found that changes in supply account for a very small portion of changes in price. The industry is demand driven. The political slogan "drill, baby, drill" is not a reality based solution. It is pure rhetoric that cannot solve our current problems.
What about supply from sources outside the United States? Can the U.S. government influence that? It is worth making every diplomatic attempt to make sure that the fair trade practices are observed, including the prices of exports to the United States. The question then would become, can we do more in this regard than we are already doing? I'm not in a position to give a valid answer to that question. I am not convinced that free trade today is all that free. This is definitely something to look into.
Global Demand: It has been noted above that the United States consumes by far the largest share of oil, but that increases in demand have come from China and India. However, demand is by far the most significant factor in oil prices, so a change in global demand would be a logical place to look for ways to cut prices.
What could policy makers do in this regard? Convince people to cut back on energy use, and at the same time encourage the production of alternative energy sources. Both of these ideas have political drawbacks. Laws have been passed requiring higher fuel standards; people have been encouraged to demand vehicles with higher fuel mileage - these ideas have been scoffed at for being too "liberal". But it cannot be denied that anything that increases demand also increases price. If you choose to consume more energy, you are contributing to increases in energy prices.
Oil Inventory Demand: I mention this because it is one of the factors in the pricing of oil. But I have seen no stories, no studies, to indicate that this is an area that needs "corrected". So I will pass on making any suggestions.
Speculation: It has been noted that speculation accounts for about 15% of the price changes in oil. The way that speculation works: investors buy futures contracts in the anticipation of prices increasing in the future. They can turn around and sell these contracts in order to trade them for contracts that go further into the future. This puts upward pressure on current prices as well. When more speculators sell than buy, the prices go back down. It appears that this speculation not only increases prices, but also increases the volatility of prices. The argument for legal speculation usually includes the idea that speculators provide the service of decreasing volatility; it appears that this argument is not valid when it comes to speculating on commodities such as crude oil.
Policy makers can put restrictions on speculation, or pass laws to discourage the activity. But keep in mind, speculation is a relatively small (15%) part of the price equation. Such policy changes may help, but probably not as much as some people (largely left of center politically) would expect.
The bottom line: policies that are designed to increase domestic production will fail to achieve a goal of decreasing gasoline prices.
In order to significantly increase supplies, either prices will have to be increased significantly or trade needs to be made less "free" and more "fair".
Prices can be decreased with a decrease in demand. There is plenty of leeway in demand to accomplish this economically. But perhaps not politically. It seems that politics is the stumbling block here.
What about a completely different approach? What about the idea of "following the money"? A lot has been made, especially from those on the left end of the political spectrum, that large profits for oil companies are "obscene" when prices are high and people are suffering as a result. What about taxing these profits?
Taxing oil company profits will not decrease prices. It may or may not increase prices, depending on many factors that I don't want to take the time to go into here, but there definitely will be no forces for lower prices unleashed by higher taxes. It is true, however, that oil company profits increase when prices increase. Does that mean that oil companies are responsible for the higher prices? Let's see the proof of that before blaming them. But in the meantime, here is an idea that might help: Since oil company executives have gone before Congress and publicly stated that they are not responsible for higher prices, and since they do indeed receive windfall profits from higher prices, why can't those Congressional hearings be designed to convince the oil company executives to give back their windfall profits, or at least to turn down the subsidies (negative taxes) voluntarily? They just might do that as a result of such a public hearing. They wouldn't just go out and do such a thing on their own, but if they publicly state that they get these profits but don't earn them, perhaps Congress can convince them to give them back. This will not lower gasoline prices, but it could take away unearned profits and give the money back to the American people.
[A note on the difference between oil prices and gasoline prices:
Oil, in the context of gasoline, refers to crude oil. Crude oil, or unrefined oil, is also known as petroleum. When petroleum is refined, it is converted into a number of petroleum-based products. Each product is sold in a separate set of markets. Some of these products are used as fuel, some are not. The largest share is used for fuel products, and gasoline comprises a large share of the fuel products.
Crude oil and gasoline, therefore, have different markets, and therefore different pricing trends. The prices should be closely related, since crude oil is the major resource used in the production of gasoline, and since gasoline comprises such a large percentage of the uses of crude oil. Still, there will be differences due to changes in demand for each market, changes in inventories, and speculation in the commodities markets.
The analysis in this blog largely applies to both crude oil and gasoline. Some of the statistics presented are based on oil, some on gasoline. But the difference should not factor into the conclusions.]
Oil prices are very much demand-driven. A recent study by economists at the St Louis Federal Reserve Bank looked at four components of oil prices: global supply, global demand, inventory demand, and speculation. The study concluded that changes in demand accounted for about 40% of the price changes over the past decade. The second largest contributing factor was speculation at 15%, with changes in inventories the third largest factor, and changes in supply the smallest factor.
The changes in demand largely stem from growth in the emerging economies of China and India. The global economic downturn in 2008 accounted for a large decrease in demand.
What are the actual price changes for gasoline in the United States in recent years? Consider the following three charts, which track monthly price changes since the year 2000:
The first chart shows changes in an index of gasoline prices since the year 2000. The second chart shows the core inflation numbers (which is "all items less food and energy"), as measured by the CPI, for the same time period. The third chart shows the combined CPI, which includes all items.
The most obvious conclusion to be drawn from these charts is that gasoline prices are extremely volatile compared to the CPI. Normal inflation (CPI) has been particularly stable during this time period. Prices tend to go up, slowly but in a stable manner. Gasoline prices, on the other hand, have had many wild swings, both up and down. These wild swings have a direct impact on the overall economy.
Another conclusion that can be drawn from these charts is the overall, long term trend. Putting the wild swings aside for a moment, look at the long term trend in gas prices, as indicated by the white line on the first chart above. The long term trend is upward. Long term, gasoline prices do continue to increase. The rate of increase, as measured by the slope of the white line, is slightly higher than the rate of increase of prices in general, as measured by the slopes of the lines in the second and third charts.
Actually, the second chart, which shows changes in the CPI, includes an upward bias that is not present in the first chart of gasoline prices. The CPI does not take into consideration product improvements, including technological advances. This upward bias is probably relatively small when looking at month to month changes, but it means that the line on the graph would be flatter without it. No such upward bias exists in gasoline prices, since gasoline doesn't tend to come in new models every year.
Back to the issue of the price volatility of gasoline, the wild up and down swings. If you look at the price changes in percentage terms, you will see that a somewhat regular pattern exists. Here is a chart showing the percentage change in gasoline prices for the same time frame as the first three charts:
Notice here that an apparently normal business cycle emerges, with peaks and troughs in gas prices occurring roughly once every quarter. Notice also that the degree of volatility, as measured by the length of the up and down movements, has apparently diminished somewhat since the beginning of the economic recovery in 2009. The obvious abnormality is the large drop in 2008. That corresponds to the global financial crisis and Great Recession.
While doing the research needed to create these graphs, it was discovered that the degree of volatility in gasoline prices increased tremendously with a spike in 1999, and continued through 2008. What is the cause of this? I don't know, but I believe it is something that needs to be looked into. Here is the entire trend, starting in 1978 with the earliest data available from this data source. Notice the difference between the degree of up and down movement prior to 1999, compared with after 1999:
What impact does all of this have on the overall economy?
Gasoline prices, and prices of other oil derivatives used for fuel, affect the cost of almost everything. Anything that requires fuel for shipping and / or storage will have cost increases when the price of fuel goes up. On the other hand, they will have cost decreases when the prices go down. The overall, long term trend is that prices for gasoline increase faster than the average of other prices in the economy, but not by much. The long term trend probably is not a large factor. The short term volatility, though, means less business and consumer confidence, less risk taking in investments, and therefore less production is likely to occur.
Different classes of individuals and companies will be affected differently, depending on the degree to which they depend on gasoline for their livelihoods. Gasoline tends to be very inelastic (meaning that people will pay a higher price to purchase roughly the same quantity) compared to most products, but some people have demands that are more inelastic than other people's demands. When costs go up more than incomes, consumption of other goods and services, and savings both decrease.
What are the policy implications of gas prices? What can our politicians do about the problems?
In order to truly deal with the problem, facts must me separated from fiction; reality must be separated from rhetoric. This will not be easy to accomplish, because of the polarized political climate in the United States. Policy positions are being developed on the right and on the left that rely as much on rhetoric as on reality, that appeal to party bases and emotions. What follows here is an attempt to deal with the facts only. It will completely satisfy neither the right nor the left. It will agree with neither party's position on the issue.
What can and should policy makers do about the price of gasoline?
Take a look at the four factors of oil prices listed by the St Louis Fed's economists:
Global supply
Global demand
Oil Inventory demand
Speculation
Global Supply: It has been noted above that the United States produces 8.91% of the world's oil supply, and that prices are determined in a global market. What can policy makers do about this?
Can the United States government increase the global supply of oil, enough to create a significant drop in the global price? To a large extent, oil companies have access to the known oil reserves. They extract what is economically feasible. In order to induce them to drill more, the prices would have to rise, not fall, significantly. A higher price for gasoline would be the cost of a larger supply. This wouldn't solve the price problem, and the higher price necessary would mean a lower standard of living, but it would increase the availability of fossil fuels. The higher price would be an incentive to speed up development of alternative energy sources.
What about concentrating on a large increase in domestic production to decrease domestic prices?
The markets would still be global. Any increase in production would have to be large enough to affect the global price. Can, and should, United States policy be designed to accomplish this? As noted above, the United States produces 8.91% of the world's oil supply. But we only have about 1.6% of the world's known oil reserves. We are already drilling a larger percentage of our reserves than the rest of the world. Much of what we have available is already controlled by oil companies, and will only be extracted if the long term price increases significantly, or if technological advances make drilling more economical. The oil reserves that would require additional government approval make up a small amount of known feasible reserves, and cannot possibly be enough to lower the global price significantly. Tapping into this area would require significant compromises regarding the political hot topic of external (environmental) costs.
Just as importantly, the St Louis Fed study found that changes in supply account for a very small portion of changes in price. The industry is demand driven. The political slogan "drill, baby, drill" is not a reality based solution. It is pure rhetoric that cannot solve our current problems.
What about supply from sources outside the United States? Can the U.S. government influence that? It is worth making every diplomatic attempt to make sure that the fair trade practices are observed, including the prices of exports to the United States. The question then would become, can we do more in this regard than we are already doing? I'm not in a position to give a valid answer to that question. I am not convinced that free trade today is all that free. This is definitely something to look into.
Global Demand: It has been noted above that the United States consumes by far the largest share of oil, but that increases in demand have come from China and India. However, demand is by far the most significant factor in oil prices, so a change in global demand would be a logical place to look for ways to cut prices.
What could policy makers do in this regard? Convince people to cut back on energy use, and at the same time encourage the production of alternative energy sources. Both of these ideas have political drawbacks. Laws have been passed requiring higher fuel standards; people have been encouraged to demand vehicles with higher fuel mileage - these ideas have been scoffed at for being too "liberal". But it cannot be denied that anything that increases demand also increases price. If you choose to consume more energy, you are contributing to increases in energy prices.
Oil Inventory Demand: I mention this because it is one of the factors in the pricing of oil. But I have seen no stories, no studies, to indicate that this is an area that needs "corrected". So I will pass on making any suggestions.
Speculation: It has been noted that speculation accounts for about 15% of the price changes in oil. The way that speculation works: investors buy futures contracts in the anticipation of prices increasing in the future. They can turn around and sell these contracts in order to trade them for contracts that go further into the future. This puts upward pressure on current prices as well. When more speculators sell than buy, the prices go back down. It appears that this speculation not only increases prices, but also increases the volatility of prices. The argument for legal speculation usually includes the idea that speculators provide the service of decreasing volatility; it appears that this argument is not valid when it comes to speculating on commodities such as crude oil.
Policy makers can put restrictions on speculation, or pass laws to discourage the activity. But keep in mind, speculation is a relatively small (15%) part of the price equation. Such policy changes may help, but probably not as much as some people (largely left of center politically) would expect.
The bottom line: policies that are designed to increase domestic production will fail to achieve a goal of decreasing gasoline prices.
In order to significantly increase supplies, either prices will have to be increased significantly or trade needs to be made less "free" and more "fair".
Prices can be decreased with a decrease in demand. There is plenty of leeway in demand to accomplish this economically. But perhaps not politically. It seems that politics is the stumbling block here.
What about a completely different approach? What about the idea of "following the money"? A lot has been made, especially from those on the left end of the political spectrum, that large profits for oil companies are "obscene" when prices are high and people are suffering as a result. What about taxing these profits?
Taxing oil company profits will not decrease prices. It may or may not increase prices, depending on many factors that I don't want to take the time to go into here, but there definitely will be no forces for lower prices unleashed by higher taxes. It is true, however, that oil company profits increase when prices increase. Does that mean that oil companies are responsible for the higher prices? Let's see the proof of that before blaming them. But in the meantime, here is an idea that might help: Since oil company executives have gone before Congress and publicly stated that they are not responsible for higher prices, and since they do indeed receive windfall profits from higher prices, why can't those Congressional hearings be designed to convince the oil company executives to give back their windfall profits, or at least to turn down the subsidies (negative taxes) voluntarily? They just might do that as a result of such a public hearing. They wouldn't just go out and do such a thing on their own, but if they publicly state that they get these profits but don't earn them, perhaps Congress can convince them to give them back. This will not lower gasoline prices, but it could take away unearned profits and give the money back to the American people.
[A note on the difference between oil prices and gasoline prices:
Oil, in the context of gasoline, refers to crude oil. Crude oil, or unrefined oil, is also known as petroleum. When petroleum is refined, it is converted into a number of petroleum-based products. Each product is sold in a separate set of markets. Some of these products are used as fuel, some are not. The largest share is used for fuel products, and gasoline comprises a large share of the fuel products.
Crude oil and gasoline, therefore, have different markets, and therefore different pricing trends. The prices should be closely related, since crude oil is the major resource used in the production of gasoline, and since gasoline comprises such a large percentage of the uses of crude oil. Still, there will be differences due to changes in demand for each market, changes in inventories, and speculation in the commodities markets.
The analysis in this blog largely applies to both crude oil and gasoline. Some of the statistics presented are based on oil, some on gasoline. But the difference should not factor into the conclusions.]
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
Sick of the whole thing......
Just venting, I am about sick of people at my job thinking I can make miracles happen day after day. Working in a rush order from time to time I can handle that. But its got to the point that almost every order that comes through the shop is a rush. I think that the people that work for the company that I work for don’t even realize what all goes into printing an order of shirts. it’s a complicated and time consuming process to print an order of shirts. Lets say if it’s a four color print I first have to complete the artwork and divide it into four separate pieces of velum or film. Then I have to burn four screen one for each color this process takes 20 min. a screen. Next you have to wash the image out of each screen 5 min. a screen tops. Then you must wait for each screen to dry this time varies depending on how hot or cold it is in the shop. After all the screens are dry you have to set each one up one at a time. This can take a few min. or maybe up to 30. The registration must be perfect. Now say you have 100 shirts. You will print your first color then flash dry it then the next color and flash dry it and so on and so forth. If the shirts are a dark color each color must be put on two or maybe even three time to assure good coverage and no bleeding like white on red shirts sometimes must be hit three to four times so that it doesn’t turn pink. Any way I think people think they are printed right off the computer and think we should be able to do a hundred shirts is a few min. people just don’t get screen printing unless they have done it I guess. I’m so sick of everyone sending orders out that only give me a day or two to get them done. My boss any time I try to explain it to him he just gets all upset and basically says I don’t know what to tell you, you just need to get the orders done. I have just about had it with screen printing I have been doing this for 12 years. I think I am about burned out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Gratitude...
Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
It turns what we have into enough, and more.
It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity.
It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.
Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
UPDATE....
Hey what’s up??? I know I have been out of pocket for awhile. Just the life stuff keeping me busy. I wanted to say Happy birthday to my awesome wife. Ha Ha she is only 4 years younger than me now. Well at least for a little while.
Not really anything new with Jimmy-Ray. We wont know until his next check-up. He seems like he is progressing really well however. No complaints of pain or anything.
He is not a complainer though. He seems to be a peaceful warrior. He is doing great in school and I’m really proud of him. Garrett is also doing awesome in school. He is a little bit of a class clown but the teachers seem to love him. My oldest son Dallas-Dalton 19 works with me and every since he moved out we get along 100% better than we have since he was a little shit. He is also doing a good job juggling collage and work. He is a great worker! My daughter Lindsey 22 got married and her a her awesome husband Anthony bought a house in Whitewright really close to us.
They are both doing great. I am so proud of those kids!!!
Jesse-James lives with his mom but he is such an awesome dude. He is really into sports and I think he is going into the NAVY….
I will check in soon….
Not really anything new with Jimmy-Ray. We wont know until his next check-up. He seems like he is progressing really well however. No complaints of pain or anything.
He is not a complainer though. He seems to be a peaceful warrior. He is doing great in school and I’m really proud of him. Garrett is also doing awesome in school. He is a little bit of a class clown but the teachers seem to love him. My oldest son Dallas-Dalton 19 works with me and every since he moved out we get along 100% better than we have since he was a little shit. He is also doing a good job juggling collage and work. He is a great worker! My daughter Lindsey 22 got married and her a her awesome husband Anthony bought a house in Whitewright really close to us.
They are both doing great. I am so proud of those kids!!!
Jesse-James lives with his mom but he is such an awesome dude. He is really into sports and I think he is going into the NAVY….
I will check in soon….
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Thinking out loud!!!!!!!!!!!
Everyday is a new journey that I face with eyes open.
Most days when my alarm clock goes off I grip my pillow tight and hit snooze.
Wishing that I didn’t have to get up and start my day so early.
However I always seem to manage to tow myself from the gravitational pull of the warm bed.
Once on two feet my blood begins to travel trough my body and the coffee helps this process.
Now I gather all the things I need to help me through my day.
Phone, keys, knife, coffee, tea, lunch, sunglasses, etc.
I start my car and make my way on my one hour ride to the shop.
I flip stations on the radio and try not to spill my coffee in my lap.
Hoping not to get behind a rock truck or a slow driving motorist.
Eventually I make it to my second home the shop
that keeps me away from home and my family.
Even though I hate the place I also love it at the same time.
I think about all the out of work people that would love to trade places with me.
Especially considering how awesome my wife and kids are.
We also aren’t really hurting for anything.
Sure I have a lot of wants but not a lot of needs.
Everything I need I already have.
Before I know it I’m back home with the ones I love.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Cholesterol and its Effect on Health
Cholesterol is a type of fat made in the liver and found in animal foods.
CHOLESTEROL IS NEEDED FOR IMPORTANT BODY FUNCTIONS. Such as...
* Building cell walls
* Protecting nerves
* Making hormones.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF CHOLESTEROL.
* THE GOOD. (HDL or High Density Lipid)
* THE BAD and the UGLY!! (LDL or Low Density Lipid..)
A higher level of HDL is needed to carry LDL from the BLOOD back to theLIVER to be ELIMINATED from the body.If there is a higher level of LDL cholesterol in the BLOOD this may:
* Cause high blood pressure!
* Raise your risk of heart attack!
* Raise your risk of stroke!
* Cause the kidneys to fail!
Cholesterol is broken down into LDL which is needed by the body cells. Once the cells are satisfied the unused LDL remains to become what is known asblood cholesterol.The main danger of high blood cholesterol is that fatty plaques may formwhich will decrease the diameter of blood vessels. This leads to arestriction of the flow of blood and oxygen to the tissues of the body.
* If an artery supplying blood to the HEART becomes blocked you may have aheart attack!
* If an artery supplying blood to the BRAIN becomes blocked you may have aStroke!
* If an artery supplying blood to the kidney becomes blocked you may sufferkidney failure.WHAT CAUSES HIGH BLOOD
The main causes are:
* Eating too much high saturated fat. i.e. fat found in butter and dairyproducts, cakes biscuits and take away foods.
* Being overweight..* Not exercising.
WHAT CAN ONE DO TO LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL?
Eat more of:
* Fruits and vegetables.
* Oily fish (tuna, mackeral and herring).
* Skinless chicken.
* Fibre rich foods, e.g. oats and wholemeal bread.
Eat less of:
* Fried take away fast foods.
* High fat dairy products and eggs.
* Saturated fats and oils.
* Biscuits, cakes and pastries.
USE:
* Unsaturated margarine instead of butter.
* Unsaturated oils (olive oil) instead of lard.
* Low fat cooking methods: steaming, grilling and microwaving.
* Make exercise a part of your day. (Walking is good).
* Not smoke
* Drink more water.
THE LINK BETWEEN BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVELS AND HEART DISEASE IS CLEAR.STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT IF AN AVERAGE MAN CAN REDUCE HIS BLOOD CHOLESTEROLBY ONLY 10% HE CAN REDUCE HIS RISK OF HEART ATTACK BY UP TO 50%!!
CHOLESTEROL IS NEEDED FOR IMPORTANT BODY FUNCTIONS. Such as...
* Building cell walls
* Protecting nerves
* Making hormones.
THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF CHOLESTEROL.
* THE GOOD. (HDL or High Density Lipid)
* THE BAD and the UGLY!! (LDL or Low Density Lipid..)
A higher level of HDL is needed to carry LDL from the BLOOD back to theLIVER to be ELIMINATED from the body.If there is a higher level of LDL cholesterol in the BLOOD this may:
* Cause high blood pressure!
* Raise your risk of heart attack!
* Raise your risk of stroke!
* Cause the kidneys to fail!
Cholesterol is broken down into LDL which is needed by the body cells. Once the cells are satisfied the unused LDL remains to become what is known asblood cholesterol.The main danger of high blood cholesterol is that fatty plaques may formwhich will decrease the diameter of blood vessels. This leads to arestriction of the flow of blood and oxygen to the tissues of the body.
* If an artery supplying blood to the HEART becomes blocked you may have aheart attack!
* If an artery supplying blood to the BRAIN becomes blocked you may have aStroke!
* If an artery supplying blood to the kidney becomes blocked you may sufferkidney failure.WHAT CAUSES HIGH BLOOD
The main causes are:
* Eating too much high saturated fat. i.e. fat found in butter and dairyproducts, cakes biscuits and take away foods.
* Being overweight..* Not exercising.
WHAT CAN ONE DO TO LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL?
Eat more of:
* Fruits and vegetables.
* Oily fish (tuna, mackeral and herring).
* Skinless chicken.
* Fibre rich foods, e.g. oats and wholemeal bread.
Eat less of:
* Fried take away fast foods.
* High fat dairy products and eggs.
* Saturated fats and oils.
* Biscuits, cakes and pastries.
USE:
* Unsaturated margarine instead of butter.
* Unsaturated oils (olive oil) instead of lard.
* Low fat cooking methods: steaming, grilling and microwaving.
* Make exercise a part of your day. (Walking is good).
* Not smoke
* Drink more water.
THE LINK BETWEEN BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVELS AND HEART DISEASE IS CLEAR.STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT IF AN AVERAGE MAN CAN REDUCE HIS BLOOD CHOLESTEROLBY ONLY 10% HE CAN REDUCE HIS RISK OF HEART ATTACK BY UP TO 50%!!
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
McDonald's drops use of gooey ammonia-based 'pink slime' in hamburger meat or so they say!!!
McDonald's drops use of gooey ammonia-based 'pink slime' in hamburger meat
KSDK-TV
Treating scrap meat with ammonium hydroxide creates a pink goo that is used to extend meat products like chicken and beef and to kill bacteria.
McDonald's confirmed that it has eliminated the use of ammonium hydroxide — an ingredient in fertilizers, household cleaners and some roll-your-own explosives — in its hamburger meat.
The company denied that its decision was influenced by a months-long campaign by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver to get ammonium-hydroxide-treated meats like chicken and beef out of the U.S. food supply. But it acknowledged this week that it had stopped using the unappetizing pink goo — made from treating otherwise inedible scrap meat with the chemical — several months ago.
Besides being used as a household cleaner and in fertilizers, the compound releases flammable vapors, and with the addition of certain acids, it can be turned into ammonium nitrate, a common component in homemade bombs. It's also widely used in the food industry as an anti-microbial agent in meats and as a leavener in bread and cake products. It's regulated by the U.S. Agriculture Department, which classifies it as "generally recognized as safe."
McDonald's decision was first reported this week by the Daily Mail, a blaring British tabloid, which trumpeted it as a victory for fellow Brit Oliver against the monolithic U.S. food industry.
Oliver's campaign began in April, when he included a segment on what he called "pink slime" on his TV show, "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution"
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Big Time Diet For Me!!!!!!!
Well I got my results back from my check-up lab work. I have high cholesterol... I have to go on a non fat diet.
No more fried foods or to much red meat. I can only have two eggs a week! I also have to start eating more fruit and veggies. Something like this.... What a drag!!!!!! I guess you have to do what you have to do....
eat. It is found in the greatest amounts in foods from animals, such as fatty cuts of meat, poultry with the skin, whole-milk dairy products, lard, and in some vegetable oils like coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils. The best way to reduce your blood cholesterol level is to choose foods low in saturated fat. One way to do this is by choosing foods such as fruit, vegetables, and whole grain foods naturally low in fat and high in starch and fiber. This sort of lower-fat diet will also help you to lose weight, and remember: obesity is a definite risk factor for both heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
Because fat contains more than twice the calories of carbs or protein, this sort of lower fat diet will also help you to lose weight, and remember: obesity is a definite risk factor for heart disease. Eating too much fat, no matter what kind, can make you put on excess weight. Excess dietary fat can also increase your risk of certain types of cancer, such as breast or colon cancer.
This sort of diet will also help you to lose weight, and remember: obesity is a definite risk factor for both heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
Following a low cholesterol diet will help you to reduce calories, lose weight and reduce obesity. Good news for your weight and your arteries!
If you are overweight, losing even a little weight can help to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. You don't need to reach your desired weight to see a change in your blood cholesterol levels.
No more fried foods or to much red meat. I can only have two eggs a week! I also have to start eating more fruit and veggies. Something like this.... What a drag!!!!!! I guess you have to do what you have to do....
Follow a Diet Low in Saturated Fat
All foods that contain fat are made up of a mixture of saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fat raises your blood cholesterol level more than anything else that youeat. It is found in the greatest amounts in foods from animals, such as fatty cuts of meat, poultry with the skin, whole-milk dairy products, lard, and in some vegetable oils like coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils. The best way to reduce your blood cholesterol level is to choose foods low in saturated fat. One way to do this is by choosing foods such as fruit, vegetables, and whole grain foods naturally low in fat and high in starch and fiber. This sort of lower-fat diet will also help you to lose weight, and remember: obesity is a definite risk factor for both heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
Follow a Diet Low in Total Fat
Since many foods high in total fat are also high in saturated fat, eating foods low in total fat will help you eat less saturated fat. When you do eat fat, you should substitute unsaturated monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat for saturated fat. Examples of foods high in monounsaturated fat are olive and canola oils, those high in polyunsaturated fat include safflower, sunflower, corn, and soybean oils.Because fat contains more than twice the calories of carbs or protein, this sort of lower fat diet will also help you to lose weight, and remember: obesity is a definite risk factor for heart disease. Eating too much fat, no matter what kind, can make you put on excess weight. Excess dietary fat can also increase your risk of certain types of cancer, such as breast or colon cancer.
Follow a Diet with Plenty of Starch and Fiber
Foods high in starch and fiber are excellent substitutes for foods high in saturated fat. These foods - breads, cereals, pasta, grains, fruits, and vegetables - are low in saturated fat and cholesterol. They are also usually lower in calories than foods that are high in fat. Foods high in starch and fiber are also good sources of vitamins and minerals. Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and high in fruits, vegetables, and grain products - like oat and barley bran and dry peas and beans - may help to lower blood cholesterol. The antioxidant properties in certain (eg. brightly colored) fruits and vegetables can reduce the effects of cholesterol. Point is, to damage artery walls, cholesterol must first be chemically changed through a process called oxidation. Antioxidants help prevent cholesterol from being chemically changed and help prevent cholesterol from moving out of the blood and into the lining of the blood vessels.This sort of diet will also help you to lose weight, and remember: obesity is a definite risk factor for both heart disease, diabetes and some cancers.
Follow a Diet Low in Cholesterol
Dietary cholesterol also can raise your blood cholesterol level, although usually not as much as saturated fat. So, it is important to choose foods low in dietary cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is found only in foods that come from animals. Many of these foods also are high in saturated fat. Foods from plant sources do not have cholesterol but can contain saturated fat.Following a low cholesterol diet will help you to reduce calories, lose weight and reduce obesity. Good news for your weight and your arteries!
Increase Your Exercise and Fitness
Exercise goes hand-in-hand with healthy diet. Physical exercise can raise HDL cholesterol and may lower LDL cholesterol. Being more active can also help you lose weight, lower your blood pressure, improve the fitness of your heart and blood vessels, and reduce stress.If You are Overweight - Reduce Weight
People who are overweight tend to have higher blood cholesterol levels than people of desirable weight. Furthermore, overweight people with an "apple" shape - excess fat around their abdomen and central organs - tend to have a higher risk for heart disease than those with a "pear" shape - bigger hips and thighs. Abdominal fat is a type of fat distribution that is now believed to carry significant additional risks of heart disease and other illness.If you are overweight, losing even a little weight can help to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. You don't need to reach your desired weight to see a change in your blood cholesterol levels.
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