The price of gasoline in Florida rose by nearly a dime a gallon this past week, possibly propelled by a rise in wholesale prices since late July. ...more

August 11, 2009

Most of my working years were spent in big-box retail stores. If the stores' cost of replenishing basic items went up, the increase was not reflected in the cost to the customer until new merchandise arrived at the store. This is standard procedure in any retail establishment. ...more

June 18, 2009

Backyard grillers may get a little steamed this holiday weekend when buying refilled propane tanks: They will be getting less fuel for their money than last Memorial Day. ...more

May 23, 2009

Not long ago we had a bunch of aspiring pols begging for our votes and promising to give us the world in a hand basket if we would vote for them, right? Well guess what? We voted them into the place of their dreams so wouldn't it seem fair that in exchange for our little efforts, some of them should now come out of hiding and listen to us poor saps that listened to them? My question is this, why is it that when I look at the daily market reports on the price of oil, I see it dropping almost every day, but when I go to fill up at our local pumps the price jumps a little bit almost every day! Something is wrong in Denmark, was an old saying. Something is wrong in Highlands County should be the new saying. ...more

February 7, 2009

The extraordinary profit for Exxon Mobil may be over for now, but opportunities abound even in a year that is expected to be miserable for the entire oil and gas industry. ...more

January 31, 2009

As I sit here typing this little epistle my TV tells me that the price of crude oil on the market is below $40 per barrel. This tells me that the price at the local pumps should be dropping, right? I was right, the price has dropped at some pumps in Avon Park and maybe elsewhere in the county but not in good old Sebring. ...more

January 11, 2009

No year that saw a 778-point single-day stock market drop, the price of oil fluctuate by more than $100 a barrel and the death of Irvine Robbins - the inventor of Jamoca Almond Fudge ice cream - can be called good. But the election of Barack Obama as president made 2008 important. ...more

January 4, 2009

In September, a continuing decline in the price of oil bolstered consumers' outlooks. In October, news of the potential for a collapse of worldwide financial markets brought despair. ...more

December 28, 2008

In September, a continuing decline in the price of oil bolstered consumers' outlooks. In October, news of the potential for a collapse of worldwide financial markets brought despair. ...more

December 27, 2008

After weeks of steady decline, gasoline prices in Florida and elsewhere have flattened as millions prepare to travel this holiday weekend. ...more

December 23, 2008