Starting today, motorists and bicyclists will find a new feature on St. Claude Avenue; the city’s first striped bike lanes. A ribbon cutting ceremony marked the opening of the St. Claude Avenue bike lanes covering a three-mile stretch, eastbound and westbound, between Elysian Fields Avenue and the St. Bernard Parish line.
The lanes are part of a $3.7 million Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) project to resurface and improve the St. Claude Avenue corridor and came about as part of a successful collaboration between the City of New Orleans, the Regional Planning Commission (RPC) and DOTD. In addition to the bike lanes, improvements have been made to crosswalks and sidewalk ramps at intersections along the corridor.
The bike lanes are 5 feet wide and located between the parking lane and the outside travel lane except across the St. Claude Avenue Bridge where bicyclists and motorists will share the lane due to size constraints on the bridge. The lanes will be identified with both signage and pavement markings to alert both motorists and bicyclists to their presence. Shared-lane markings, like those found on Robert E. Lee Boulevard, will be used on the St.ClaudeBridge.
60% of all car crashes in Louisiana involving pedestrians and 50% of all car crashes involving bicyclists occur within the five parish metro region. Every day, an average of 3.6 crashes is reported involving a bicyclist or pedestrian in Metro New Orleans.
Motorola
Motorola presened a check for $50,000 to rebuild the ChalmetteHigh School technology infrastructure that was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Archie Manning, former quarterback of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, joined Motorola and Cox New Orleans executives to kick-off the project that includes upgrading the high-speed data and video offerings for the high school.
The new state-of-the art campus, set to open in Fall 2009, will allow teachers and students access to rich multi-media experiences, enhancing their curriculum and studies.
Screenvision
Screenvision, which engages in cinema advertising, continues to expand their exhibitor network by signing an exclusive deal with New Orleans-based Southern Theatres L.L.C., marking the 5th new exhibitor deal Screenvision has signed in 1st half of 2008. Under this agreement, Screenvision will hold exclusive on-screen advertising selling rights and selling rights for promotions for all 18 locations and 268 screens. Additionally, Screenvision will digitize all of Southern Theatres’ locations, increasing Screenvision’s overall digital screen count to close to 7,000 and allowing for presentation of alternative content offerings. Southern Theatres L.L.C. develops and operates The Grand Theatres and Amstar Cinemas, all state-of-the-art multiplex stadium seating movie theatres across 15 DMAs including Houston, Orlando, Charlotte and Greenville.
Auto Insurance
Higher costs for auto insurance?Probably due to higher liability limits.The Louisiana House of Representatives voted to raise the minimum level of required automobile liability insurance.Last year Governor Blanco vetoed the legislation.
I figured out how to get gasoline money real easy.... I just go to a gas station, and walk up to a frustrated motorist that is getting ready to pump gas while wearing a sign around my neck that says; "KICK ME IN THE BALLS FOR 2 BUCKS!!!" It is great, it releaves a lot of frustration for motorists at a very reasonable price, and I am able to supplement my meager income..... I am not sure how long I will be able to keep this up, but my left bawl is still intact and good for at least 200 more miles..... Of course retreads are always an option, or some teflon Titalist implants.... Ehhh,,, it's a living I suppose................... Written by ........Gasp!!!!>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
on 5/22/2008
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Yes, I remember the “oilfield-bust” of the 80’s. That was proportionate to supply and demand, and actually oil was selling for around $17.00 - $19.00 per barrel. At the same time Bullwinkle, Ursa, Mars, and Auger were also in the preliminary design/construction phases… But to bring it back to the early 1900’s, oil and the ability to refine was so common that the prices went down to pennies for a barrel. Enter Getty………………………. And then after that enter monopoly laws….. But all that is ancient history. It is interesting to note that during WWII the Saudi’s would no longer accept American dollars for oil, and demanded payment in the form of gold bullion. It was commonly accepted by boilermaker unions back in the mid seventies that the last of the big jobs had been done (new oil refinery construction), and no more were going to appear on the horizon non too soon, hence I never became a boilermaker….. But interesting to note, and you just have to love redneck union workers, they can be pretty shrewd sometimes, the common understanding of Domestic reserves versus foreign reserves was “We are going to use all their oil up first, and then use ours”…………… And so, OPEC was born, because they have some smart fellers over there thanks to Cambridge, or Oxford, or Princeton, or Yale, wutever, anyways, “Gee!!!!! Oil is disappearing!!!!!!!” was the rally cry of the early 70’s so that people would understand why oil was, and did shoot up from .15 cents a gallon to a quarter a gallon to .50 cents a gallon, finally to rest around .75 cents a gallon……. Well, the U.S. just ‘had’ shut down viable exploration territories in the United States. Sierra Club, Green Peace, yaddy yadda yadda. I am sure some of their points had substance, but a lot of it, weeelllllllllllllllllllll, OPEC knew it, enter the 80’s and our answer to them was deep water production facilities….. To accommodate that, yes, oil did have to go up in price, and it did, and gas rose to $1.85 within a decade…… But first we had to thin the fields, cull the crop so to speak…… to make this a viable pursuit……… Ahhhhh, here comes pesky cost again………………………. Deeper water, all that crap………………… Well, actually, production costs came back down, and tapered off at the profitable range of $20+ per barrel…. Huhhhhhhh!?!??!?!?!?!??? You may ask. Yes it costs a lot to drill a hole in deep water, and it costs a lot to drill a lot of holes in deep water, at different locations, but the cumulative costs are brought back into check when multiple holes are drilled and increased production capabilities are realized at ONE location. Hence, multi template production facilities………………………….. As in dozens and dozens per location…. Ahhhhh, but a crisis like Ursa, knock that down and up to 15% of Gulf production can be affected… Sort of like putting all your eggs in one basket I suppose……… But the excuse for escalating prices is established….. Thank God George Bush didn’t sign the Kyoto accord…. Very smart of him, and only one out of a number of very shrewd considerations he has made during his terms as President. We can at least use coal and not have Koffee Anan threatening us with North Korean occupation forces if we don’t cease and desist from such moves…… Anyways, most people don’t realize it, but Russia has the largest oil and gas reserves on the face of the earth (suspected, highly educated guess) according to ‘folks in the know’……. So, what is going on now is China is investing in oil futures, and trying to push the United States into an oil shortage……… Sure, there is plenty of oil, they just aren’t going to let us have any at a reasonable price…. They have a lot of our money, and what we are in the midst of right now is an “economic battle”……. In other words, they expect us to beg them to finance our domestic oil and gas production industry……… After they bankrupt us……. In other words, they know that we are not going to use everyone else’s oil up first, because they know that their ‘friends to the North’ have tremendous reserves…….. So the only way to cut off the head of the snake is to allow ourselves to drowned ourselves in debt, and then come to the rescue. In other words, a reversal of current roles on a Global scale……. I find it interesting that Russia is trying to ‘Lay claim’ to the North Pole…….. My theory? I believe there are oil and gas deposits beneath the polar ice back as a result of Continental Drift that are going to prove to be more than mankind can utilize in 2 thousand years…. We still have Baltimore Canyon to think of, we still have the west coast, and of course, and you never hear much about it, but, mining for methane hydrocarbons off the continental shelf…….. KPF, this discussion can go on and on and on….. My crazy prediction for November? Oil, $45 - $65 per barrel……… It is possible…. Probable? Well, I do not know. But I do know this much, it is in the interests of Axis countries overseas (Basically everything except for U.K. and a good many European countries) that Democrats get elected to office in November………. It is not oil, it is economy, and ultimately government that is at stake here…….. Don’t be fooled by the Cheshire cat…. Peace out hombre Written by
on 5/22/2008
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Yes, on my recent trip to New Iberia I picked up both pork and crawfish boudin at Legon's. Since I froze some of it then "yes", I've "got boudin." "Kellys" and "turntables" are for the muscular dudes who work (they actually do manual labor, day in and day out, poor b@$tards) in Drilling - never been there myself. I used to "work" in Production. It's different from most work as it more resembles watching T.V., reading, napping, getting a good tan, etc. then most "work" one may have seen (but don't quote me on that). That was in the past, now I "work" in an office (in fact I "work" so durned hard I'm surprised I find the time to check out the buzzy boards). I don't know jack about no stinkin' accountants but I do know that if some schmuck owns a biddness then whatever he hasta pay out to get his product to the market he'll need to get that back from the consumer before he can realize any profit. Then he'll need to make more profit then simply investing his money with "Chuck" would bring back - or if not - why go to all the trouble (I've never had my own biddness but it looks like those who do are willing to give up the rest of their existance to make it profitable, sounds like "trouble" to me). I don't get no stinkin' discount at the pump so I don't like the high prices either but if the Big Earl companies have the power to control prices a they did a really bad job of it back in the nineties (that NINETEEN nineties) when the price of a barrel of oil was less than $15 dollars a barrel and poor hard working offshore oil field workers (and Production hands as well) were being laid off. Written by kpf
on 5/22/2008
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I hear you KPF, and that is exactly what I said, only you took longer to say it.... And then you took the side of the accountants stating baseless value added claims... Or costs....... Because this all equates to accepted industry accounting practices....period..... oil in the ground = $ 0.... why? It is useless, If you do not believe me, take some oil from one of your rigs, pour it in your gas tank, and see how far your car will go..... Refined oil at the pump i.e. $4.27 or better. Why? It has realized value.... It is refined...... Oil production 15 years ago..... Profitable @ $18.00 a barrel..... You say $300,000 a day for a 'floater'? Big deal..... Auger platform, 100,000 barrel production per day.....day in day out, easy......... @ 135. per barrel? $13,500,000.00 per day,,,, divided by $300,000.00? 45 days!!!!!!!! So in other words, that rig can sit around for 1 year doing nothing and it only takes one day more than a week of production to cover that cost......... leaving a little bit more than 50 weeks in the year to make a profit..... KPF, stick to the kelly or the turntable, you are probably a master on that aspect of oil exploration/production....... Now, according to Rep John Peterson, R-Pennsylvania, LPG goes for approximately $12.50 per mcf in the United States..... Trinidad?... Approximately $1.00 per mcf........ China/Russia?...... Approximately $2.00 to $3.00 per mcf....... It is all in cost accounting shifting................... Then add speculation,,,,, what the market will bear,....... or WHAT IT IS WORTH.... In other words, putting the screws to us, and extracting every dime that can possibly be extorted, all other industries be damned........ No matter what the consequences....... Because it is protected.......... By whom,,,, for what???? Dollars - power - control.......................... Sort of like keeping strongconcrete flood protection mediums off the market... There you go............. Dayammmmmm, and I wrote that whole dissertation without misspelling one word!!!!!!!! I HAVE IMPRESSED MYSELF………. And time for you to start impressing me again,,,, you have been fairly right on with most of your observations in the past………………………………… Written by .... Pssssssssstttttt,,, GOT BOUDAN????
on 5/22/2008
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I've only dealt with the raw product (crude oil and natural gas) but if it is true that the cost of 100,000 btu's worth of marketable product burns 130,000 btu's then the cost of those btu's and ANY other costs (labor, costs due to governmental regulations, "dry holes", weather delays - for say a $300,000 a day vessel to sit <okay... "float"> around doing nothing other than waiting for good weather - and EVERY SINGLE other cost) must be added together AND PAID BY THE END USE CONSUMER to have the producer simply break even. So WHATEVER it costs PLUS the profit will be paid by the end use consumer. I assume this is true not only in the oil industry, but also in private education, uh.... construction, concrete biddness, etc. The end use consumer pays for EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR OF TAXES THESE OIL COMPANIES pay to the Federal and state governments. IN fact, the taxes I pay are part of my compensation from my employer (a major oil co.) and the end use consumer ALSO pays this expense. One reason I cannot champion the liberal economic theory of "tax the rich" is that the cost of taxes, "feel good" environmental regulation and every other cost will ALWAYS be paid by the end use consumer - in the case of oil companies, the poor schmuck filling up the family car at the pump. Written by kpf
on 5/22/2008
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I hear the arguments already.... What does the BTU's have to do with the price of a barrel of oil in the first place, some smooth genius will want to shout... Simple,,, it is called a closed loop market..... You know, producer, refiner, transporter, marketer....... And so #2 charges back to #1 that charges back to #3 that charges back to #1 to charge back to #4 and round and round and round until final 'retail' prices are established.......... Then you have overall profitiablility of the Mobiles, the Shells, the Chevrons, etc., etc., etc. Written by
on 5/21/2008
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Speaking of driving around on the taxpayer’s dime and the cost of gas……………. Folks are still stabbing at the air trying to figure out why gas costs so much? Well, the fundamental cornerstone of this is accounting practices………….. You know, “2 + 2 = 8” kind of thinking……………………………………… Way back when before God Bless him Henry Ford, gasoline was considered to be a nuisance ‘byproduct’ of oil refining….. At first, up there in Pennsylvania, oil was refined for kerosene that was an alternative to the dwindling and very costly whale oil that was used to fuel peoples lamps (if they could afford those in lieu of common candles) so that they could see in the dark. Gasoline was really volatile and had no known commercial use, and as it was ‘cracked’ out of solution it floated off before the kerosene which is a more dense fuel grade, and the final desired product along with grease farther down the refining process line. Being a lighter element and considered unusable it was usually dumped in river beds and streams due to the convenience in being able to do so……. But anyways, back to accounting…. I do not know the validity of this equation but I heard that it requires approximately 130,000 BTU’s. of energy to extract “refine” 100,000 BTU’s worth of gasoline. An oil refinery is really a technologically advanced still… Sort of like the thing you use to distill water, or make moonshine…… When oil is being refined first the lighter elements or distilled ‘spirits’ separate and float off the top because ‘cracking’ involves ‘cracking’ the hydrocarbon molecules during a ‘cooking process’ to let other elements ‘break free’. First you have the lighter elements ‘floating off’ like the helium’s, then the hydrogen’s, and acetylenes and butanes (gases) and then the naphtha’s, and the gasoline, and then the kerosene grades, then the diesels, then the oils, you know 10, 20, 30, 40, 50’s etc., etc., then you get the greases, then the sludge, and in there are the paraffin’s and other stuff…. That is what a barrel of oil is pretty much made of….. So anyways, if it takes 130,000 BTU’s. to do the ‘work’ and 100,000 BTU’s where gasoline is concerned would be product, for book keeping purposes, because fuel was used for heat, it is considered a market loss, or a ‘revenue loss’ instead of equating out at 100,000 BTU’s worth of a marketable product, it is actually calculated as 230,000 BTU’s of marketable product….. I guess that would be sort of like harvesting an acre of corn, holding back some of it for seed, sending the rest to market, and then the next year adding the cost of the seed in potential market revenue terms to the amount harvested so that a person can have its cake and eat it too…….. When in the first place the oil has no value, it is simply black stuff in the ground…. It is not until after it is refined that it becomes a commodity that can command an asking price…… Ehhhh, business practice is what business practices are, but to be charged extra for ‘lost marketing opportunities and revenue’ when there would be no market opportunity in the first place without fueling the fire is sort of ridiculous… I guess it all just amounts to practices people use to justify their actions when extracting dollars from the consumer, because gasoline is not the product dollars are in this new age economy. And product is exchanged for what? Written by
on 5/21/2008
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Ehhhhh, I suppose these bicycle lanes are futuristic thinking in one way or another, who can afford the gas these days anyways? Oh, I know, the government employees driving around in their air conditioned state owned cars powered by the tax payers dollars...... On their way for a Happy Meal.......... Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm,,,, McDoogles!!!!!!!!!!!!! Written by
on 5/21/2008
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You see some fat bald-headed guy riding his bike in Gentilly on the "wrong side" of the street - or perhaps the sidewalk - that could be me. When I was young we were taught to ride against traffic - now one is supposed to ride with traffic. Auto insurers here charge more for insuring motorists due to the high percentage of inebriated drivers - but I'm suppose to trust EVERY driver as they approach me from behind at high speed when I'm on a bicycle. Don't think so. Many will say "it's the law" or "this is what they do in Europe" (for some reason that means "something" to certain America-hating liberals.... beats me... “Europe”... the Inquisition... Nazis...pathetic dependence on government.... I'm not impressed). Well, perhaps you saw the report on TV, which stated N.O. is one of the worst cities in the country as far as bicyclists being hit by cars? Kind of like "Natural Selection" at work here. Written by kpf
on 5/21/2008
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I was just on St. Claude Saturday, driving between the Quarter and Holy Cross. While I have nothing against bike lanes, I have to say the street has rather more pressing needs. Written by David (neither Vitter nor Duke)
on 5/20/2008
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