I think if you read my message in it's entirety you would understand that this suggestion is an alternative to Phillip Hollsworth’s idea to not buying gas on a certain day. One that “makes much more since” Perhaps I should have made my point clear that, In my opinion, one should only buy gas from their local chains and small mom and pop stores rather then the big companies like Exxon. Yes, it is a bit lofty to think that the price of gas will go down to $1.50 a gallon . And yes I know I cannot do anything about the cost gas companies pay for their oil. However it IS in the power of the consumer to influence the cost WE pay for gas. If it became a popular and wildly practiced trend for Americans to purchase their gas from small chains then the big guys would be forced to lower their prices in a desperate attempt to gain back business. And at the very least we would be putting money back into local economies. Something most Americans do not think about and is a very real problem in our country. As a resident of Maryland who currently lives in Annapoils but has spent most of her life in the Baltimore metro area I am very aware of the mass transit system. And forgive me if there my husband doesn’t walk the 50 miles it takes for him to get to work In the DC metro area. And no there is no direct line of public transit from Annapolis to DC or is their a proposal for one (it was denied about 10 years ago) For him to take the bus to the train to another bus would be 4 hours out of his life a day. And yes he is on a carpool list waiting for others going his particular route matching his schedule. While public transportation is great for some it is not a practical option for everyone. Especially those in the Baltimore/ DC metro area. I will not take my 5 year old daughter and 2 year old son to the bus stop in Annapolis. I have been held up a gun point. I find it insulting that you would write a post such as yours without even reading mine. Perhaps it is my fault for simply reposting another’s bulletin. But I found the information worthwhile and something comparable to my beliefs. Despite the fast that it was not written in the most concise way I figured the members of this forum would also appreciate it. Perhaps it is something that would make complete sense to the people here. Something that they just haven’t thought about before? Who wouldn’t want to support small businesses? Who doesn’t want cheaper gas? Who wouldn’t want more money going back into their community? Money that they need to spend anyway. Gas is a necessary commodity. We can do what we can to reduce our reliance on it but the need will not go away. I know many people (especially those here) would rather buy goods from mom and pop stores. May people don’t because we cant afford it when the big box stores sell things so much cheaper. How often it is that something we need and want is actually cheaper from a small chain!? I know this post may be a little long to read but perhaps you will do more then just skim it through ? Respectfully, Annette

Just thought I'd share more specifics of what I found when I ran different brands' gasolines in my '93 B&S. I had been using 76 mid-grade for the longest time before I discovered Chevron, and while it is a TOP TIER fuel, it produced way too much exhaust. I'm guessing the age of the engine might have been a factor for the excessive emissions. Shell mid-grade was almost just as good as Chevron for me; it just humored me how the exhaust scent slightly resembled that of diesel fumes. Chevron is by far the best for me; I think its additive helps to produce a somewhat "sweet" exhaust scent, and there's very little "after-scent" once you're done mowing, on regular. It's quite difficult to tell one has even mowed the lawn using a gas engine! One thing I know for sure: I would definitely recommend against going with ARCO. Using virtually any other brand's regular would be better than using their mid-grade. It does kinda go back to the "you get what you paid for" mantra. Even with lawnmowers, I believe that additives do matter... especially if you want to make sure that your lawnmower stays with you a couple more years.

I received this email today and figured it was another urban legend, so I checked it out on Snopes. Unfortunately, it's the truth. It's enough to keep me out of Dollar Stores forever. I've got enough junk as it is. Investigating Dollar Stores A news investigation on dollar stores (including Dollar Tree and others): They discovered the Crest, Colgate and other brand name toothpastes weren't the same as from drug, and grocery stores etc. The toothpastes were manufactured in many other countries and are not approved by the American Dental Association (ADA). There was even some from South Africa and the fluoride is ten times stronger than what we're allowed in the U.S. (prescription strength). They're allowed stronger because they don't have fluoridated water (like we do). So if we (or our kids) use it often and occasionally swallow it, we could be poisoning ourselves. The dollar stores declined to comment and a full investigation has begun. So stick to paying full-price at your grocery store, drug store, and send this e-mail to anyone who MIGHT shop at dollar stores. This is a true story. It has been confirmed on Snopes. http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/toothpaste.asp This is also true of food products, cake mixes, cereal, etc. Here is a link that might be useful: Dollar Store junk on Snopes

All of our pumps in Newfoundland are pump then pay. I never hear of gas and go (not paying). It's very rare that it happens. I was really annoyed with the pay then pump stations (every station I went to) in California and Nevada this September & November. I couldn't use my credit card because it asks for a US zip code. So I would always have to go in, figure out how much I wanted to put in (I never knew because it was a rental) and then go pump. You guys must have a lot of criminals down there for every station to be pay then pump, LOL.