Midwestchasers.com

Finally went through my 4th fireworks shots and found three that I like.

I received this in a an email and i have tried some of them and its seems to make a difference

I have slowly filled my tank, it takes a while but if I can get 100 miles before the needle even budges I think it may make a difference.

TIPS ON PUMPING GAS

I don’t know what you guys are paying for gasoline…. but here in California we are also paying higher, up to $3.50 per gallon. But my line of work is in petroleum for about 31 years now, so here are some tricks to get more of your money’s worth for every gallon..

Here at the Kinder Morgan Pipeline where I work in San Jose, CA we deliver about 4 million gallons in a 24-hour period through the pipeline. One day is diesel the next day is jet fuel, and gasoline, regular and premium grades. We have 34-storage tanks here with a total capacity of 16,800,000 gallons.

Only buy or fill up your car or truck in the early morning when the ground temperature is still cold. Remember that all service stations have their storage tanks buried below ground. The colder the ground the more dense the gasoline, when it gets warmer gasoline expands, so buying in the afternoon or in the evening….your gallon is not exactly a gallon. In the petroleum business, the specific gravity and the temperature of the gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, ethanol and other petroleum products plays an important role.

A 1-degree rise in temperature is a big deal for this business. But the service stations do not have temperature compensation at the pumps.

When you’re filling up do not squeeze the trigger of the nozzle to a fast mode. If you look you will see that the trigger has three (3) stages: low, middle, and high. In slow mode you should be pumping on low speed, thereby minimizing the vapors that are created while you are pumping. All hoses at the pump have a vapor return. If you are pumping on the fast rate, some other liquid that goes to your tank becomes vapor. Those vapors are being sucked up and back into the underground storage tank so you’re getting less worth for your money.

One of the most important tips is to fill up when your gas tank is HALF FULL or HALF EMPTY. The reason for this is, the more gas you have in your tank the less air occupying its empty space. Gasoline evaporates faster than you can imagine. Gasoline storage tanks have an internal floating roof. This roof serves as zero clearance between the gas and the atmosphere, so it minimizes the evaporation. Unlike service stations, here where I work, every truck that we load is temperature compensated so that every gallon is actually the exact amount.

Another reminder, if there is a gasoline truck pumping into the storage tanks when you stop to buy gas, DO NOT fill up–most likely the gasoline is being stirred up as the gas is being delivered, and you might pick up some of the dirt that normally settles on the bottom. Hope this will help you get the most value for your money.

DO SHARE THESE TIPS WITH OTHERS!

WHERE TO BUY USA GAS, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT TO KNOW. READ ON

Gas rationing in the 80’s worked even though we grumbled about it. It might even be good for us! The Saudis are boycotting American goods. We should return the favor.

An interesting thought is to boycott their GAS.

Every time you fill up the car, you can avoid putting more money into the coffers of Saudi Arabia. Just buy from gas companies that don’t import their oil from the Saudis.

Nothing is more frustrating than the feeling that every time I fill-up the tank, I am sending my money to people who are trying to kill me, my family, and my friends.

I thought it might be interesting for you to know which oil companies are the best to buy gas from and which major companies import Middle Eastern oil.

These companies import Middle Eastern oil:

Shell……………………… 205,742,000 barrels

Chevron/Texaco……… 144,332,000 barrels

Exxon /Mobil…………… 130,082,000 barrels

Marathon/Speedway… 117,740,000 barrels

Amoco…….. ………………..62,231,000 barrels

Citgo gas is from South America, from a Dictator who hates Americans. If you do the math at $30/barrel, these imports amount to over $18 BILLION! (oil is now $90 - $100 a barrel )

Here are some large companies that do not import Middle Eastern oil:

Sunoco………………0 barrels

Conoco………………0 barrels

Sinclair……………..0 barrels

B P/Phillips…………0 barrels

Hess…………………..0 barrels

ARC0………………..0 barrels

If you go to Sunoco.com , you will get a list of the station locations near you.

All of this information is available from the Department of Energy and each is required to state where they get their oil and how much they are importing.

If you want to research yourselves, go here:

Bob and I caught a storm coming in on shore near.

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I’m not a huge listening to this style of music but I found a that i was able to listen to the word with out hearing about bling bling and booty calling, and pimpin rides.

Check It

Yesterday was really nice. Lots of small flooding and i was soaked to the bone at work. Got home and decided to head out for the second round. Our power was out from the first and was out from 4pm-6:30am. I decided to head west and caught the second wave of storms, and then dropped south with the storm. Stopped at D ave north of Kazoo and got bombarded by lightning. Dropped south and stopped just north of I-94 were i captured some of the best lightning of the year. These were dropping in precip free air right out of the anvil. I wound up going as far south as Three Rivers. Met another weather enthusiast named Charles. Enjoy the show

Click on images to enlarge

Watched some brief weak thunderstorms roll through Caledonia, MI this evening. And the following day (Sat) watched a bright rainbow with some nice color.

This was a non severe thunderstorm. However, It was a photo-op and was very beautiful, and a great reminder that I am in Gods hands and he is bigger than the world we see.

Enjoy the shots.

Click picture to enlarge 800×600.

Finally getting to posting this. Work has been exhausting and I really dont feel like going into deatail about where i was and how i got there and what we saw. However I will tell you David Diehl and I met up with Bob Hartig, the Osterban brothers, Jason Harris, and Mike K. and his wife. Chased in Nebraska witnessed a few supercells and saw the TIV. NO tornadoes. But there were some nice colors and scenes to shoot. enjoy the shots once again.

Click on Pics to enlarge 800×600px:

I almost went after the earlier event to the south near the MI/IN border. Around 8pm I was watching new development to the north moving ESE. Then i noticed Development over Lake MI. This was what caught my attention since it was closer and the sun was hitting it just right. God painted some really beautiful sky’s last night. Nice bright moon as well.

Click on Pics to enlarge 800×600px:

I finally decided to head a few mile south of home near East Paris and 68th street. Found a nice open field.

Moved south to East Paris and 92nd got a nice moon shot, with a very faint bolt.

And finally found another open field near East Paris and 140th street, SW of Middleville, MI. I was able to catch a few distance but descent bolts of Lightning. I was still far enough away that I did not hear the thunder.

Not much to say for this day. I drove east to stay ahead of this line. Was hoping for some daytime lightning and did not see any until after the line went over me in Charlotte, MI. This was my stopping point i was not going to go any further east unless something looked good which it did not the shelf had some great striations to it, but the fell apart before it got to I-69.

As I left Grand Rapids i witnessed some mammatus.

Then on the way east i found my self on many detours because of many roads under water from the previous nights heavy rain. I found a few large wash out along some gravel roads but nothing to major as the days that followed later in the week.

I let the Shelf catch up to me in Vermontville and traveled east with it toward Charlotte were i let it over take me. Here are some shots as I meandered east to I-69.

The one with the barn is my favorite:

I took M-50 M-66. One the way there were several large trees down within a 5 mile stretch over the south bound lane. The shelf was better that i had expected over all it was descent outing did not see anything severe until after the storm had passed (aftermath damage).