Out of Season

I went out last night to buy new gym shorts. I had been wearing casual shorts to the gym and wanted something more comfortable on an exercise bike. Lucky for me the things I wanted seemed to be out of season and on sale, so I got 2 pairs of shorts and a Linen "summer" shirt all for less than $18, at the local Target.

Honda n Toyota

In other news I think people are rushing to buy stock in companies producing hybrid cars. Toyota is up about 25% since I bought it, and Honda is up over 17% since I bought it.

Also see this article, which has the following quote:

In the end, Hurricane Rita released its fury on the Gulf of Mexico drilling area, damaging more offshore rigs than any storm ever, before hitting four refineries on the Texas/Louisiana border.

While damage to rigs, which drill for oil, will drive up future fuel prices, the damage to refineries on top of the run on petrol in the evacuation is likely to have an immediate impact at a time when Americans already are seeing petrol for $3 per gallon at the pump.

Invest in CFLs

Last night I worked through the calculations on savings using compact fluorescent lights and posted them over on poorbenjamin. If you read that and think great if I replace 10 bulbs this will save me only $70 a year, consider this line of thought. Buying 10 compact fluorescent lights at the local big box home improvement store will cost a little over $20. For that $20 investment you will get $70 in return per year.
If you read yesterday's post, to get $70 a year in interest at 4% will take just under a $2000 investment.

Interest Rate War

In a follow up to my post on the 23rd. I just saw an add for EmigrantDirect.com where they are advertising 4% interest, with no minimum. That makes me think we might be approaching the limits of the rate war. I personally will be surprised if they can reach 5% interest without some increases in mortgage rates. Apparently Emigrant isn't a recent start up, from their website:

Emigrant Savings Bank was founded by Irish emigrants as a mutual savings bank in 1850. By the 1920's it had grown to become the largest savings bank in the nation.
Today, Emigrant has $10 billion in assets and more than $1 billion in net worth. It operates as a full service bank through 36 branches in the New York metropolitan area, and through EmigrantDirect.com on the internet.

Although I suppose I should try to verify that.

Update: Supporting links for Emigrant's history.

• Emigrant Bank's records are being used to research the history of Irish emigrants to New York. A similar page is here.
• Here is an interesting article the meaning of which is beyond me.

Interest Rates

Looks like a war of savings account interest rates is starting.... Orange Account at ING Direct, MBNA has an account, but according to Money magazine myBankingDirect.com is the top of the list. And UFB Direct's High Yield Money Market Savings account makes you wonder why any one would open a Premier Money Market account. All of these are paying over 3% interest.

MPG

My Honda Accord got its worst milage on around town driving, 22 mpg. That was over just 91 miles, to which I attribute its poor performance. It normally manages 28 mpg for the urban mix of driving I normally do. It can also manage 32 mpg on long highway trips.

Solar Heating Options

Here is an interesting link, about a solar house built in 1976. The part I find most interesting is the back up heat source is a conventional gas fired hot water heater. Wheels spin....

I'm wondering if an over sized solar hot water heater could be used to boost the heat in a house primarily heated by a heat-pump.

Carrot Flavored Oatmeal

Yuuuum, carrot flavored oatmeal. while the rest of us might not find oatmeal and puréed carrots that appetizing. Baby girl loves it, or she did today. You can tell because she isn't completely covered in food.

Baby Magic

Well our little girl is going to have a mouth full of teeth very soon. I counted 6 teeth just on the top either through the gums or visible through a small layer of gums. Her desire to bite off fingers or try to take a bite out of your head, neck, or thigh makes me think she will be a carnivore pretty soon. We joke that she is the vampire baby.

If I were a better writer I might try to write a book or short story about the Vampire Baby based on her. I might still if I find the time to try it. Good night all....

Labor day Movie

I wanted to share a link I found this morning of a story that I first read a year or two ago in Vanity Fair. This story will soon be in the movie Grizzly Man, put out by Lions Gate Films. A company whose stock I bought back just before they helped release Fahrenheit 9/11, knowing that anything that controversial would make a lot of money.

Lawn mower

I now need to go work on my battery operated lawn mower. I've had it for 5 or 6 years and the batteries now need replacing. Other than sharpening the blades 3 times this will be the first service I have had to make to a mower that starts every time at the push of a button! :-)