Drivers Want to Downsize Gas-guzzling SUVs to Cars with Better Mileage

Everybody is Getting Pinched: From the pizza delivery Guy, Home Builders, Construction Workers, Farm Workers to Real Estate Agents

I read with great delight that some company stocks are going up. Apple is doing well. So are Wal-Mart and countless others. Luxury home builder Toll Brothers reported a 3 % increase in net income for the second quarter. Just like any other company, oil-derived materials such as PVC pipes and other building products costs went up. Even the trucks that used to deliver the products start charging more. It has been noted that investors have become pessimistic about the housing market. In some California towns, they pull out completely. As the market slows down, builders will have to start devising gimmicks and incentives to get this rich niche of buyers. Everyone knows that luxury homes are a discretionary product. Those who are on the market specifically for such homes can afford to wait for better deals. Investing their money in those homes will have to see that home builders want to sweeten the deals.

Companies as well as individuals are looking for ways to cut costs: Honda, Toyota, Kia, Nissan & Chevrolet Offer Econoboxes

The 2007 Honda Fit Sport 5-door Sedan is a great little car that will help save gas and money. It is not like a marketing gimmick used by GM for the 2006 and 2007 model year vehicles. GM is saying that if you have Onstar and agree to sign up for the fuel protection program, you will save more than $100 per month. By the way, you have to drive a certain amount of mileages.

Why should you buy one of these little, itzy bitsy cars such as the Fit?

For one thing, you don't have to worry about parking and cutting down on your lunch meals because you have to save for gas. In these times of unstable gas prices, owning a gas guzzling vehicle will surely create a huge dent in your pocket. That is where the Fit comes in handy. Keep in mind that the concept of small cars has been very popular in Asia and Europe for a long time. American consumers have been used to the bigger-is-better-attitude had a hard time to let go.

The Honda Fit Sport is the type of upright boxy-looking car you on the streets of Paris, London, Madrid and some Asian countries. It is a good little car for city dwellers, empty nesters and first-car buyers. This 13-foot-long econobox from Honda will meet your needs. The good thing is that the Fit is not expensive. For $15,970, it can be yours. It is equipped with five-speed automatic transmission, 15-inch alloy wheels. If you want to pay less, then you are going to have a Fit with 14-inch alloy wheels. The 15-inch wheel Fit also has upgraded paddle shifting derived from race cars. The Fit is only 157 inches long. It will fit in any parking lot. It will fit like a Mini. The interior of the car will handle five people. Depending on the size of the passengers, let us say that four people will fit easily. The Fit is somewhat tall. It is 60 inches tall or 4 inches taller than many sedans. It has 42 cubic feet of cargo room with back seats down. You can raise the rear seats' cushions to a near-vertical position, clamped against the front of the seat backs. You will have 50 inches of vertical room for tall cargo. The only downside is that the ride may not be comfortable. If you are looking for comfort, you may think about a bigger vehicle. The ride can be jerky and rough. There is road noise to deal with. So far, the Fit is rated the best little car by Car and Driver Magazine which did a comparison test of seven tiny cars. It rated the Suzuki Reno, Dodge Caliber SE, Hyundai Accent GLS, Toyota Yaris S, Kia Rio5 SX, Nissan Versa and Honda Fit Sport.

In these times of high gas prices, you may want to feel less pain. The SUV and minivans may be parked in the driveway for some time. Drivers are taking shorter trips. They are traveling less than before. It is time to have a small car.

Posted by Fashionista Shopping Analyst at 8:31 PM PDT

Updated: Thursday, 25 May 2006 8:33 PM PDT

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If you want to buy a luxury car, you must to Palm Bluffs which has become one of the fastest-growing commercial developments in the Fresno area. Do you want a BMW? How about a Mercedes-Benz? How about this great Acurat TL or RL? Well, you may want the Acura MDX. But you may find what you are looking right at Lexus next door after stopping by the Starbucks.

Now, CarMax is coming to town. It is a publicly held company that specializes in the used car market. Industry insiders say that CarMax is in a growth mode. One of its representatives said that the company likes being close to Wal-Mart and Lowe's. In fact, right next to what will be CarMax is a booming hot Wal-Mart store. It is a great way for cottong cooperative, Calcot, to develop the land. I personally thought that this land was very precious. It is a gold mine due to its prime location. The same goes for Wal-Mart that is blanketing the Valley with supercenters. It wa sa few weeks ago that a new supercenter was open in Dinuba. This week, Wal-Mart opened a new supercenter in Handord, CA. Supersized Wal-Marts are here to stay. More are on the way. Maybe CarMax also has a plan to build more in the Valley. At least for now, CarMax and Wal-Mart appear to be bed fellows. It remains to be seen what the local businesspeople will do in terms of competition. Who can compete with the low prices offered by Wal-Mart?

Posted by Fashionista Shopping Analyst at 7:08 AM PDT

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Mood:  celebratory

Based on its FTX concept, Toyota Engineering produces the 2007 Toyota Tundra which shows a combination of styling, brute power and bold design. The 2007 Toyota Tundra made its recent Texas debut in Austin. What was clear is that the company kept its FTX design concept. So far, the company officials are proud of their latest output. They are recognizing that all the cars they built before were just rehearsals for this one. More importantly, they want true truck buyers to consider the 2007 Tundra because it has everything that they want in a truck. They are counting on its assets such as looks, size, power, capability, reliability and quality.

Jim Press who is Toyota Motor Sales president and chief operating officer is not hiding the news. He wants truck buyers to take a look at the new Tundra. The 2007 Tundra fits the image that true truckers want. "This is the most exciting and important product in our history," he said in Austin, Texas. He is the guy who said that the previous trucks were just warm-ups for this one. He is providing us with more secrets now. He reported that the Tundra team spent seven years working on the truck, concentrating on a key part of the segment it labels "true truckers." For the people who use trucks mostly for work and other activities, he has this to say, "You will not be sorry." He also targets the female drivers who want the power and reliability of Toyota. This truck is American as apple pie. To meet the needs of the American consumers, styling and engineering took precaution to have the latest details done in the USA. Built exclusively in the US, the Tundra will soon be coming out of the San Antonio and Princeton assembly lines.

What are the size and models like?

Toyota Motor company will produce the B Cab first. It is an extended cab with bonus room in the back but without the doors. Then, you will have the four-door C Cab which is an Access Cab replacement that is closer in size to Toyota's current crew cab, the Double Cab. With this truck, Toyota will offer a larger Double Cab with four doors and great roominess. Also, the three grades of Base, SR5 and Limited will be available.

The 2007 truck comes equipped with a new 5.7-litter i-Force V-8 engine that Toyota reports allows a towing capacity in excess of 10,000 pounds. Jim Press said that it is one of the largest engine the company has ever built. It has a six-speed automatic which provides power and smoothness. With the 5.7 liter, the 2007 Tundra will be offered with a 4.0-liter V-6 engine and updated version of the current 4.7-liter V-8.

Rest assured that the new truck will give you more shoulder and hip room. The command and control center is designed to give the trucker a clear view of the instrument panel and convenient access to knobs and switches.

Posted by Fashionista Shopping Analyst at 3:12 AM PDT

Updated: Wednesday, 10 May 2006 3:35 AM PDT

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Who was not attracted to the flair of former television host Luis Rukeyser's use of the English Language and his explanations of complex financial matters? For many years, he was a regular commentator of PBS. He was in our living room distilling financial wisdom to millions of the the country's bright and intelligent financial managers and regular folks. He did it in an easy way. He shows how finance and economics could merge. He brought finance and economics to ordinary viewers and investors, and was rewarded with the largest audience in the history of financial journalism.

Luis Rukeyser was a pioneer in economic reporting. He brings to the tube a blend of warmth, wit, irreverence, thrusting intellect and large doses of charm, plus the credibility of a Walter Cronkite," Money magazine wrote in a cover story." Furthermore, he received all kinds of accolades from all sources. He was clear in his mission, "Our prime mission is to make previously baffling economic information understandable and interesting to people in general," he once said in an interview with The Associated Press."

Luis Rukeyser got into the hairs of Maryland Public Radio, producer of the show when he allegedly used Wall Street Week to complain about his producers. He did not think they could fire him because he was never on their payrol. He was fired. Less than a month after his firing, he started Luis Rukeyser's Wall Street for CNBC and other PBS stations.

Luis Rukeyser is survived by his wife, children and grand children and Bud Rukeyser. He lived in Connecticut.

Posted by Fashionista Shopping Analyst at 7:19 AM PDT

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Big Gas-guzzling SUVs Cede Place to high-mileage, Fuel-efficient Hybrid Cars

At a time when oil prices are surging above $73 a barrel, consumers are feeling the pain at gas stations. Each time we drop by to fill up, we think about the money that is leaving our pockets and going to the rich coffers of Big Oil. There are talks of refunding us $100.00 to offset our costs as senators are paying attention to our pain. For those of us who depend on our vehicles to make a living, we feel that we are being taxed way beyond. Most people are making money over the scarcity of oil. Exxon Mobil, Chevron and ConocoPhillips are reporting huge profits. Hedge funds managers and speculators are rolling in money on Wall Street. What is in it for us, fuel consumers?

All we can do is to start buying fuel-efficient cars. So far, many people are trading in their SUVs, Chevrolets, Fords, Yukons for the more fuel-efficient Toyota Prius and Honda Hybrids. If they can not afford the hybrids, they will settle for Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and other smaller cars made by Kia, Huyndai, Chevrolet, Mazda and other companies. According to the Power Information Network, a division of J.D. Power and Associates, consumers, drivers are making changes to their habits and driving lifestyles. More than any other car companies, Toyota stands to make lots of money from the sales of its Toyota Prius. So does Honda with Honda Civic and the other fuel-efficient vehicles it has on the market. Nothing could make car buyers change from yesteryear's image-making SUVs to this year's small-is-good attitude. We are drivers who are also paying attention to geopolitical events. We know that Iran is OPEC's second-largest oil producing country. It is monitoring our reaction in the West as it is dealing with its desire and ambitions to have enriched uranium. We also know that that Iran may use the fluctuations of rising oil prices to its advantage. Feeling cornered by the decision of the U.N. Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency, many commodities traders and speculators predict that Iran may cause the prices of oil to go even higher. The U.S. which is one of the major consumers of oil would not appreciate any disruption specifically at a critical time such as the Summer holidays. The current administration is putting pressure on Iran's leaders to stop their quest of enriched uranium. At the same time, consumers also know that fossil fuel is a finite product. There are so many barrels that Saudi Arabia can produce. There is so much of it left to be explored. Renewable and alternative fuels have become the center points of the American fuel policies.

In the near future, consumers have to brace themselves for higher fuel costs. There are ongoing talks to start exploring and pumping the oil that is in the tundras off Alaska coasts. Until some solutions are found, hybrid cars will continue to be hot sellers. The Honda Civic hybrid and the Toyota Prius are presold by most dealerships. There are not too many of them to go around. Are hybrids always a money-saving deal? Consumers have the choice between other brands such as Lexus RX 400h.

Find more car reviews at Fixwhatsbroken Car Reviews Creative

Posted by Fashionista Shopping Analyst at 6:56 AM PDT

Updated: Wednesday, 3 May 2006 7:28 AM PDT

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If you have a diesel engine in your car, then you can have a spanking brand new source of fuel. You can say bye bye to gas prices. All you need is to have a conversion kit from Greasecar Vegetable Fuel Systems. The kit will your diesel car to run on vegetable oil. That is right. You are talking about the same olive oil waste that was used in frying your meals at the local restaurants. Now, you do not have to go buy all kinds of canola, coconut, soybean and peanut oils yet. Make arrangements with some local restaurants who will be all too happy to let you have the waste. Otherwise, they will have to pay an cooking oil waste company to transport somewhere else. Now may be the time to have it free. Once the genie is out of the box and the nascent technology catches up, the cooking oil waste may become a product you will buy.

In the Central Valley of California, and precisely two professors of FPU have gained some experience converting their and family members' cars. In an effort to raise money for Mennonite Central Committee, they will go on a cross-country trek in a rebuilt Jetta retrofitted to use the vegetable oil. That is the new local buzz according to startribune.com from Minneapolis and Minnesota or the Twin Cities. Now if you want to give kudos to these guys or help raise money for MCC which is involved in international development projects, go to "Fritter-Fried Journey" to do so. Ken Friesen and Marshall Johnston have a great sense of humor. They want to show that there are alternative to fossil fuels. They are ready to take the trip and raise money for a good cause. Call them crazy, but figure out that they tap into something that most of us should do. Buy a diesel car and convert the gasoline fossil fuel guzzler to vegetable oil! The good thing about driving a vegetable oil-fueled car is that it pollutes less the environment. Here is what you will read on the site, "...diesel cars can run on used deep-fry oil from any Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant, or McDonalds french frier. The result is an engine that uses only recycled, renewable fuel, and runs cleaner and more efficiently than one using fossil-fuel (and smells like whatever was cooked in the oil!)."

Professor Johnston is influencing many other people as he drives his cool Jetta to campus. He teaches history and classics while Ken Friesen teaches political science and history at Fresno Pacific. Now these are two guys who can get their fingers dirty despite their huge brain! D'Oh, it takes brain to figure out this can be done too!

What if these two teachers get so much work that they decide to quit FPU! No. They can hire some guys to do it while keeping their teaching jobs. Any way, give your support to Friesen Fritter Fired Fossil Fuel Free Drive!

Find about Flex-fuel, bi-fuel, EVs Vehicles

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Posted by Fashionista Shopping Analyst at 8:53 PM PDT

Updated: Friday, 21 April 2006 7:24 AM PDT

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Petroleum engineers, Geologists and Geosciences Graduates Are Offered Lots of Money and Signing Bonus

Looking for the last drops of oil in remote places

Big Oil is coming to your campus. If your college or university confers degrees in petroleum exploration, geology and geosciences, then you do not have to lift a finger to get the big bucks this graduation year. According to geoscience programs such as Texas, Massachussets Institute of Technology, Jackson School of Geosciences and Colorado School of Mines, there is a high demand for graduates coming from the big oil companies. Exxon Mobil Corporation and Royal Dutch Shell PLC will continue to have a hiring binge in the next 10 years. They have to recruit new employees because their workforce has reached the age of retirement. Petroleum engineers average $63,3400 a year. New graduates are making more than $56,000 a year. A lot of these new graduates do not have a master's degree yet. So a geoscience degree may be worth more than a computer science one. The needs of the current market must be met. High prices (up to $70 per barrel), demographics, aging workforce and a small pool of trained workers cause the petroleum industry to look for talent. So this is a good field to enter right now.

Find about Flex-fuel, bi-fuel, EVs Vehicles

Posted by Fashionista Shopping Analyst at 7:36 PM PDT

Updated: Friday, 21 April 2006 7:25 AM PDT

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Summer has not arrived yet, but a gallon of gas at any local gas station is already sky high. Many families will probably not take this annual trip to see the country. Many employers are taking measures to limit their driving. But goods have to be delivered. Parents have to go shopping, take their kids to school and practice. We have been conditioned to buy gas no matter how high it is. What if there was an alternative to gas?

Well, Brazil is way ahead with its sugar cane-based fuel. People may be laughing about eating a piece of cane while feeding the rest to their cars. In the case of misbehaving cars, drivers can blame it on the high content of alcohol that is in the reservoir or tank. What is clear is that Brasil is way ahead of many countries with gasoline problems. Instead of relying on the pricey gas from the Middle East, Venezuela and other petroleum-rich countries, Brasilian government has taken matters into their own hands. At one point, they subsidized farmers who planted huge sugar cane fields. Now, they are harvesting enough cane to produce the much needed fuel that is in most flexible vehicles. Flex cars are common over there.

Posted by Fashionista Shopping Analyst at 7:31 PM PDT

Updated: Sunday, 16 April 2006 8:02 PM PDT

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How far does Toyota have to go to get the title of number 1 automaker in the world? Maybe not much. Based on its recent sales worldwide, industry insiders are forecasting that the title may come sooner than expected. And in view of all the problems faced by the major American automakers, it may not be a long time before the Toyota Way becomes the top way. In the meantime, Toyota is spreading its way all over the world and specially in the United States. Well, it seems that Toyota's competitors are not going to play roll over just like that. They will make the Japanese automaker work for it. Based on the recent speech by Bill Ford of Ford Motor company, Toyota's world domination may be delayed. It is a fight for the survival of the fittest. In a recent article in an automotive magazine, Ford has already accused Toyota of withholding battery production in hybrid technology. General Motors, Ford and Chrysler have a few punches under their sleeve too. E85 also called flex-fuel is found in millions of these companies' vehicles. Now they just have to wait and see whether E85 will be largely used by the mass.

What Toyota may soon find out is that once you become the top dog, you can get challenged or picked on. Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia are attacking Toyota. Have you seen the recent vehicles these companies put out? Imitation is such a flattery for Toyota. There is trouble in paradise when it comes to the selection of Hyundai Azera over Toyota Avalon.

Posted by Fashionista Shopping Analyst at 7:30 PM PDT

Updated: Friday, 21 April 2006 7:26 AM PDT

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Blockbuster Sued for Alleged for Patent-infringement by Dallas-based Netflix

What goes around comes around. Blockbuster used to make millions from charging its own consumers late fees. Before Netflix, the online DVD rental service, consumers had to put up with the greed managed by Blockbuster. If you are late to return the video, you are going to pay some fees. That was Blockbuster's deal.

Enters Netflix Inc. The online company rents a DVD for an unlimited time without incurring late fees. For seven years, it has been like this with Netflix.com. Consumers embraced this business move which gave it a competitive edge over Blockbuster. In front of the record profit made by Netflix, Blockbuster decided to drop the late fees. Now Netflix is charging Blockbuster illegally copied its ideas. So it filed a lawsuit in U.S. district court in San Francisco. Netflix accuses Blockbuster of stealing the idea of renting a DVD for an unlimited time without incurring a fee. Netflix thinks it is a patent-infringement case.

Posted by Fashionista Shopping Analyst at 11:31 PM PDT

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