Gas Tax: Prices are so high no one will notice

The Washington gas tax will go up 1.5 cents tomorrow to make the tax 37.5 cents a gallon according to the Associated Press. DOL spokesman Brad Benfield was quoted saying the tax was not going to be “real noticeable” because it’s such a small fraction of the overall price of gas.

Yes it’s true that people probably won’t notice the extra 1.5 cents because gas prices are already so ridiculously high right now, but I think people would notice if there were no gas tax at all and we weren’t paying an extra 37.5 cents a gallon for gas. The gas tax had to be created because a horse’s ass (I-831 may not have passed Congress but it passed in my heart) Tim Eyman fought so successfully to lower the price of Washington state car tabs on vehicles and putting a cap on the price of tabs at $30 even instead of paying 2.2% of the value of your car. So now we have this regressive tax that is affecting a lot of people more than the Motor Vehicle Exise Tax.

For example, my car is valued at about $5,000. If the MVET were still around that would mean I would pay $110 a year in taxes. Those who had more valuable cars obviously would pay more. Now lets break down the gas tax. Since I hardly use my car any more lets say I fill up 3 times a month. Since my car holds 13 gallons that means I purchase around 39 gallons of gas each month. and 37.5 cents a gallon in taxes, I’m paying $14.63 a month or $175.50 a year in taxes. And that’s underestimating how much I drive. If I fill up four times a month that means I’m shelling out $234 a year – more than double what I would pay if Washington still had MVET.

And if Benfield thinks that the tax isn’t really that noticeable, according to the AAA the average price for a gallon of gas in Washington is $4.34. In case doing the math is too hard, the average price of gas would be $3.97 a gallon without the tax.

On a side note: Spokane has the lowest average of gas prices in Washington’s metro areas with an average of $4.09 a gallon. I like it here.

Blast from the past

I’m sitting in class right now looking at annual reports and surfing the Internet.
Something possessed me to look at past McDonald’s and Burger King advertising campaigns and I got one fond memory of the Burger King Kids Club shown on the left.

And then I looked at the Wikipedia entry about Ronald McDonald and I now know why so many children are afraid of clowns.

See the most terrifying image in the world after the jump …

Grad Salute

Last week I attended the Grad Salute held by Josten’s at WSU and I learned a few interesting things:

1. WSU needs to update its graduation gowns
2. Josten’s has a cruel and vicious monopoly on the graduation market.
3. Graduation announcements are the second-biggest rip-off of the graduation scene
4. A $140 diploma frame is THE biggest rip-off in the graduation scene.
5. The majority of peers are not smart enough to spot a rip off as many of them purchased announcements and frames

Phishing Scam …

I went to check my e-mail today and found this in my inbox:

It is my pleasure to inform you that you are being considered for inclusion into the 2008-2009 Princeton Premier Business Leaders and Professionals “Honors Edition” section of the Registry.

The 2008 / 2009 edition of the Registry will include biographies of the world’s most accomplished individuals. Recognition of this kind is an honor shared by thousands of executives and professionals throughout the world each year. Inclusion is considered by many as the single highest mark of achievement.

You may access our application form using the following link:

http://app.formassembly.com/forms/view/11970

Upon final confirmation, you will be listed among other accomplished individuals in the Princeton Premier Registry.

For accuracy and publication deadlines, please complete your application form and return it to us within five business days. There is no cost to be included in the Registry.

 	On behalf of the Managing Director, we wish you continued success.

 	

	Sincerely, 

 	Jason Harris 

Managing Director

Princeton Premier

Needless to say I was surprised because I am not a business leader and never have accessed abnything to do with Princeton affiliates.

Don’t know how to spot a phishing scam?

Check out this Web site to learn more.

Learn how to spot

Breaking up is hard to do

We all hate having to break up, but what could be more humiliating than to get dumped on one of the most popular Web sites in the world. Yesterday Wikipedia founder Jimbo Wales announced he is no longer seeing conservative talk show pundit Rachel Mardsen via Wikipedia. What a great guy to handle such a delicate situation with grace and class. Actually, the statement he has on his Web site is rather boring except for the comments that he’s still married, but considers himself single. What a champ.

He also stated he had only dated her for a month, well then who cares? Why are you posting this on your Web site? No one knows who you are and no one would be talking about this if you would just not even mention it on one of the most widely used sites in the known world. I mean, while I’m trying to read up on the history of Comic Sans and press random post I get taken to your page. But had you kept your mouth shut this never would have been an issue.

So Mr. Jimbo, congratulations on your failed relationship with a hot conservative pundit. I hope your three-week relationship served you well.

Oh nos! Monosodium Glutamate!

I’ve always wondered why Asian restaurants put a “No MSG” disclaimer on their menus. I never realized MSG was still a problem in foods until I started this Asian diet. When I started the diet earlier this week I went to Safeway to pick up some quick-fix supplies. One of the items I grabbed was a box of instant Golden Curry sauce. Since my boyfriend has always been worried about how much sodium he consumes, he’s even got me to flipping labels to check the amount of sodium and the ingredients list. The second-to-the-last ingredient listed on the back was monosodium glutamate. Now I’ve heard lots of rumors about MSG from “it can give you cancer” to “it makes you addicted to the food, causing you to eat more,” but what does it really do?

A Google search of “MSG” will bring up Web sites such as msgmyth.com and one titled “MSG – Slowly Poisoning America” show up before the FDA Web site of MSG. The FDA Web site states: “People sensitive to MSG may have mild and transitory reactions when they eat foods that contain large amounts of MSG … FDA believes that MSG is a safe food ingredient for the general population.” So according to the FDA MSG is safe to consume, unless you are someone who is sensitive to MSG consumption. If you are, you should probably avoid MSG and look for the little disclaimer in Chinese restaurants, this is not unlike having a food allergy. If something makes you feel sick, don’t eat it, but don’t set up Web sites claiming the compound will give you Alzheimer’s. The FDA Web site states:

“Studies have shown that the body uses glutamate, an amino acid, as a nerve impulse transmitter in the brain and that there are glutamate-responsive tissues in other parts of the body, as well. Abnormal function of glutamate receptors has been linked with certain neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease and Huntington’s chorea. Injections of glutamate in laboratory animals have resulted in damage to nerve cells in the brain. Consumption of glutamate in food, however, does not cause this effect. “

This means that you cannot get adverse health through oral consumption of MSG. Period.

Key ingredients for a Japanese diet

Japanese food is relatively simple and easy to make, but you can come into problems if you aren’t stocked with the base ingredients. Luckily you can make most of the Japanese recipes if you keep a full stock of these ingredients. Some of them you may have to get at a grocer that specialises in Asian foods, but most you can pick up in the Asian section of your local supermarket. These arealongside other foods you should be stocking your pantry and refridgerator with anyway such as eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables, flour, sugar, and other every-day spices.

Basic Japanese Ingredients

• Short grain rice: I’m partial to the Nishiki brand, but you can try any brand.
• Dashi soup stock: This is one you’ll have to travel to an Asian grocer for, or you can make your own using kelp. This is the base soup stock for most soup dishes, and the base for some of my favorite dishes like okonomiyaki and takoyaki.
• Noodles There are so many noodlesused in Japanese dishes I can’t list them all quickly. Udon, somen and chukamen noodles are the most common noodles.
• Tofu Whether you’re just eating it plain or adding it to miso soup or yakisoba, this is a great way to get low-fat protein in a number of recipes.
• Nori Also known as seaweed. This is used in many soups, noodle dishes and as a garnish for tons of Japanese foods. It gives a light salty flavor to the food without a lot of sodium.

Am I a writer?

Yesterday I went and listened to a speech by author Jess Walters. It was really inspiring and made me want to start writing again. I’ve been knocking around a few ideas in my head for the past couple of months I even have a chapter written for a story I’ve been thinking about for a while. I don’t want to call it a “novel” because that sounds so pretentious. What kind of a novel writer would I be anyway? I’ve also been looking at some internships at publishing companies. I figured I could use my talents as an editor to work as either an agent or a publisher. It would be an interesting field to break into. It would give me more time to read, and also to help people find their voice or help tell their stories.