Humorous round up of 2008 and 10 Gadling posts connected to this year’s news

Here’s a humorous round-up of news stories that made it big in 2008. Uncle Jay, whoever he is, sings a medley of carols with the words changed to offer a unique twist in the explanation of some of this year’s major events. His cast of characters and happenings include Barack Obama, Sarah Palin, gas prices, the economy , the Olympics and more. While watching the video, I thought of Gadling posts that also made reference to the themes of these stories.

Here are 10 Gadling posts by 10 different bloggers that have related to the news. There are scads of other posts. This is merely a sampling.

The cheapest gas ever. How about less than 50 cents a gallon?

The gas station sign might have touted $3.43 a gallon for premium, but the pump had other ideas.

According to this msnbc article, customers at a Citgo station in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin hit pay dirt when they put the nozzle in place and depressed the lever to let the gas flow.

Instead of the pricey amount they were expecting, customers were treated to a $.349 cents a gallon. That’s right. Less than one quarter and one dime.

One customer, who usually spends $100 to fill her gas tank, drove away after only spending $8.85 for 25.36 gallons.

At first, the gas station attendant had no idea why there was the sudden interest in the gas station. The party ended after 90 minutes of a pumping flurry.

At least the economy worked in some people’s favor this week, although, I’m sure the gas station owner is not too happy. I’m wondering, though, why no one told the attendant that something was amiss–or is it that people became confused and thought that gas prices were behaving just like the Dow Jones?

Are Gas Prices Really Dropping?

You’ve heard the rumors. Gas prices appear to be on the way down. It’s hard to come to that conclusion when you’re still paying more than $3.50 per gallon and fondly remembering all those misspent $1.50 gallons of your youth.

But it’s true. Gas prices are indeed heading downward ever so slowly. The buck-fifty days are gone forever unless you have a VW that can run on vegetable oil. But CNN recently reported that a survey of credit card use at pumps around the nation revealed an 8 day slide in gas prices. The current average is $3.65. New Jersey had the cheapest prices at $3.43.

The easing of pain at the pump is mainly because crude oil prices have dropped significantly over the past month. Now analysts are talking about when they will hit $100 per barrel instead of when they will rise above $150. The reason for the drop? Worries about a lack of demand and the relatively calm hurricane season. So if you are looking to hit the road this fall, you might be spared from the $4 per gallon price tag.

Staying Home for Labor Day

After reminding themselves that three-and-a-half dollars is still a lot to pay for a gallon of gas, many Americans have decided to stay near home instead of hitting the road during the Labor Day holiday.

The staying at HQ thing is nothing new. The number of people on the road was significantly down during both Memorial Day and July 4th. AAA did the math and predicted a 1% drop in auto travel over Labor Day and an even more significant 4.5% drop in air travel compared to last year. But there was good news for train and bus companies, the new dynamic duo of travel. According to AAA’s survey, the ridership on these modes of transit will rise more than 12%.

Many people will just be staying at home, opting for a barbecue and a soak in their kids’ inflatable pool. I guess people will just have to look towards Thanksgiving and the New Year for a better travel climate. Right?
According to Farecast, airline tickets will be 35% more expensive this holiday season than the 2007 holidays. Looks like the trend of staying home isn’t going to go anywhere.

Gas give-a-ways that ease summer travel–a bit

Perhaps you’ve noticed the gas-give-away promotions popping up at various locations in the U.S. this summer. As a boost to help folks pile into that family car for a vacation, several hotels are offering gas card rebates.

Steve Stephens, head of the travel section of the Columbus Dispatch, outlines several gas card deals in his column Ticket to Write. As he points out, one reason for the gas rebates is a psychological one to appeal to travelers looking to make ends meet when working out a monthly budget.

When you figure in the increase on gas prices to summer destinations, it may not be all that much, particularly if you’re not going all that far. Knowing that it may cost you $20 more than it has in the past may keep you from getting behind the wheel. That rebate gets you to change your mind.

Here are deals that Stephens lists and suggestions for finding others.

  • Park Inn hotels are offering a $20 rebate if you stay for two nights in a row. Check out www.parkinn.com
  • www.Expedia.com is offering a rebate deal also if you book your hotel through the Web site. A two-night stay gets you $25 and a three-night or more stay gets you $50.
  • At www.Hotels.com you can find a gas rebate as a prepaid MasterCard, as well, if you book for three or more nights.

Other deals can be found at www.BedandBreakfast.com and www.BnBFinder.com.

There are several deals in Ohio and the region including West Virginia. Check out Stephens’ article to see what they are.