With all the oil refineries in the Gulf a hurricane hitting this area means a disruption in production. The Minerals Management Service, a division of the Department of the Interior which manages mineral resources (such as oil and natural gas) on the outer continental shelf, reported that as of 12:30pm EST a total of 23 oil rigs and platforms in the gulf had been evacuated. Because of this, 6.62% of the 1.3 billion barrels of oil produced each day in this region has been stopped. More evacuations are expected as Hurricane Gustav nears. It is this disruption which led to an increase in oil prices. News reports put the increase at around $1.80 to about $117.00 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

The Governor of Louisiana, Bobby Jindal has alerted 5000 Louisiana National Guardsmen to be ready to mobilize. 1500 are ready to move into New Orleans as soon as this afternoon to help secure the city, and help with evacuations. The mayor of New Orleans, who took part in Katrina remembrances today, is urging residents to get prepared for Gustav. The Governor of Mississippi declared a preemptive state of emergency on Thursday, as did the Governor of Texas. Preparations are underway across the Gulf Coast to evacuate citizens if needed, and the Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff met with the President of the American Red Cross Gail McGovern and FEMA Administrator David Paulison to discuss coordination and preparations.

The recall involves vehicles with heated windshield wiper fluid system, which can apparently cause a short in the wiring and lead to fires. The affect vehicles are the 2008 Buick Enclave, 2006-2008 Buick Lucerne, 2006-2008 Cadillac DTS, 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade, 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade ESV, 2007-2008 Cadillac Escalade EXT, 2007-2008 Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado, Tahoe and Suburban, 2007-2008 GMC Acadia, Sierra, Yukon and Yukon XL, 2006-2008 Hummer H2 and 2007-2008 Saturn Outlook.

If you are wondering if your car has a recall notice, use InsWeb's Auto Recall Tool to check for any recalls that apply to you.

Not everyone can afford a brand-new Toyota Prius. But don't fret--if you can afford a 1987 Honda CRX, you too can join the green revolution!

With gas prices soaring and most hybrid vehicles still unaffordable, a growing number of drivers are flocking to fuel-efficient old clunkers to save money. And for good reason.

Try this on for size: the 1987 Honda Civic CRX gets an astonishingly-efficient 57 miles per gallon on the highway. Yes, seriously! Not even the Toyota Prius, a hybrid vehicle, can come close to that.

Sure it only has 62 horsepower and two seats, but it has a sporty look and plenty of legroom. And with plenty still cruising the roadways today, they were extremely well-built. On top of that, it draws a near-perfect score in greenhouse gas emissions from FuelEconomy.gov. Great gas mileage, environmentally-friendly and affordable--how can you go wrong?

Another fuel-efficient beacon of yesteryear is the 1994 Geo Metro. It isn't very stylish, and its 0-60 time is just over three-and-a-half hours, but getting nearly 60 miles per gallon on the highway is all the style most folks need.

Before you tear off to the local junkyard, though, keep something in mind: it's a Geo Metro. Getting behind the wheel of this sardine can is like taking your life in your hands. If you're comfortable driving a car that has less interior space than an airplane restroom, this one's for you. Can you believe a '93 Metro with 22,000 miles sold for over $7k in a recent online auction?

Here are some other junkers that might be worth digging up:

1982 Chevy Chevette: 40 mpg city, 55 mpg highway

1983 Volkswagen Rabbit: 48 city, 61 highway

1984 Ford Escort: 46 city, 68 highway

1984 Nissan Sentra: 50 city, 66 highway

1985 Suzuki SA310: 47 city, 53 highway

1986 Chevy Sprint ER: 55 city, 60 highway

1994 Geo Metro: 53 city, 58 highway

Source: www.mpgomatic.com

Anyone have a time machine I can borrow?

Bank deposit accounts

Generally, deposit accounts at banks insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) are insured up to $100,000 per depositor per bank. FDIC insurance covers checking, NOW, and savings accounts; money market deposit accounts; and time deposits, such as certificates of deposit (CDs). It does not cover money market mutual funds, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, life insurance policies, annuities, or other securities, even if they were bought through an FDIC-insured bank.

You cannot increase your protection simply by opening more than one account in your name at the same bank (for example, splitting the money between a checking and a savings account, or opening accounts at different branches of the same bank). However, deposits that represent different categories of ownership may be independently insured. For example, a joint account qualifies for up to $100,000 of coverage for each person named as a joint owner of the account. That coverage is in addition to the $100,000 maximum coverage for individual accounts for each person. For example, a married couple with three accounts at one bank--they each have $100,000 in an individual account, and they also have $200,000 in a joint account--would qualify for FDIC coverage of the entire $400,000.

The limit on the amount protected in one or more retirement accounts is $250,000; this is separate from the $100,000 coverage of individual accounts. (Remember, however, that FDIC insurance applies only to deposit accounts, not to any securities held in an IRA or other retirement account.)

Your bank may have additional protection. For example, in some states, a state-chartered savings bank must carry additional insurance to cover potential losses beyond the FDIC limits. Some banks also may participate in the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (CDARS), which enables a bank to spread large CD deposits among multiple banks while keeping the amount at each individual bank, including itself, within FDIC insurance limits.

An online calculator available at the FDIC's web site ( www.fdic.gov/edie/) can help you estimate the total FDIC coverage on your deposit accounts.

Credit unions

Member share accounts at most credit unions are insured by the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund (NCUSIF). It is administered by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), which is an independent agency of the federal government and is backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. (Some credit unions are not federally insured but are overseen by state regulators; they typically have private credit insurance.)

NCUSIF insurance is similar to FDIC insurance. It covers single-owner accounts up to $100,000 per customer per institution. Retirement accounts such as IRAs and Keoghs have separate coverage up to $250,000. As with bank deposit accounts, independent coverage may be available for different categories of ownership. You can estimate your existing coverage by using the calculator at the NCUA's web site at http://webapps.ncua.gov/ins/.

Brokerage accounts and SIPC

Most brokerage accounts are protected by the Securities Investor Protection Corp (SIPC). Unlike the FDIC, the SIPC is not a governmental agency but a nonprofit corporation funded by its membership, which is comprised of broker-dealers registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. (Any broker-dealer that is not an SIPC member must disclose that fact to customers.)

SIPC was created by Congress in 1970 to help return customer property, including both securities and cash in brokerage accounts, if a broker-dealer or clearing firm experiences insolvency, unauthorized trading or securities that are lost or missing from a customer's securities account. Many brokerages also carry additional private insurance to extend coverage beyond the SIPC limits. Should a SIPC member firm become insolvent, SIPC would request a court to appoint a trustee to supervise transfer of customer securities and cash.

For individual accounts, SIPC covers a maximum of $500,000 per customer (including up to $100,000 in cash) at a given brokerage house or clearing firm. As with banks, total coverage can be higher for multiple accounts at one institution, depending on how they're held. For example, a married couple could have two individual accounts with $500,000 of coverage each, plus a joint account that would bring their aggregated coverage for that firm to $1.5 million. Each of your retirement accounts at a given firm also is generally eligible for an additional $500,000 of SIPC coverage (including up to $100,000 in cash) in the event securities in your account are lost or stolen.

It's important to remember that SIPC does not protect against market risk or price fluctuations. The value of securities at a failed institution is determined as of the date upon which a trustee is appointed. If shares drop in value before a trustee is appointed, that loss of value is not covered by SIPC. In general, SIPC covers notes, stocks, bonds, mutual funds and other shares in investment companies. It does not cover investments that are not registered with the SEC, such as certain investment contracts, limited partnerships, fixed annuity contracts, currency, gold, silver, commodity futures contracts or commodities options.

You can check the status of any liquidation proceeding and if necessary, get a claim form, at http://www.sipc.org.

Thanks to guest Blogger John Carter, CPA, RIA, CMA

Here near Sacramento, Calif., we are lucky enough to be the location of our state's fair. In the spirit of saving some dough, my friends and I visited the fair instead of taking longer vacations, and found the savings well worth it. Not only did the fair have more fried food then you can shake a stick at (a guilty pleasure at fair time), but this year's theme of "Hollywood" had exhibits with costumes and props from some of our favorite movies (Talladega Nights, Batman Begins), and the DeLoren from Back to the Future. Us city girls got to see baby pigs, sheep, cows and quail, see the horse that played Seabiscuit, and pet chinchillas. The fair had art shows, car shows, floriculture and forestry exhibits, free concerts and of course the Midway rides for adults and kids. There was even one kiddie ride powered by cow methane. We did have to deal with sweltering heat, but we're used to it being natives of the Golden State.

All in all, we each paid about $20 for entry fees, parking, gas and some food. Rides would have cost us more, and if you have kids most likely you won't escape the fair without at least letting them ride the tilt-a-whirl. Had we gone away, say to the Calif. coast we would have had to pay for a hotel, filling up the gas tank at least twice, food for multiple days not to mention attractions or entrance fees. $20 could easily have become $100 (or more).

Take some time to use the Internet and find out what kinds of fun attractions are nearby. There could be historic places, parks, hiking, rivers or lakes. You can save money by getting a group of friends or family together at a local park for a BBQ and picnic. You will save on gas, lodging, and food expenses and still be able to enjoy that last free weekend before the school bell rings.

Right away, I start to think that we are going to be paying an arm and a leg for car insurance. Then I start to think back to my work and realize, "I know how people can save on their car insurance, so I should be one of them!" Luckily, both Jackie and I are going to be over 25 when we take the plunge; I say luckily because, historically drivers 16 to 25 pay more for their car insurance.

Also, we both drive safe cars which should keep our premiums manageable. Both our cars have noisemaker alarms as well. Safety features and anti-theft devices can lead to car insurance savings depending on who your car insurance provider is. You can also find additional savings if you don't drive a lot to and from work, which she and I will be able to carpool, leading to saving money gas and possible savings on car insurance.

The best way to keep your car insurance premiums manageable is to avoid tickets and accidents. We both have a couple of black spots on our driving records but overall have relatively clean driving record. So while I can get all caught up in how much we are going to be paying for car insurance and she worries about what our wedding colors are going to, I can find solace in knowing that we can also find savings on our car insurance. This means we are getting another tier added to our wedding cake!

What is Measles?
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, measles are
A: an acute contagious disease that is caused by a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus (species Measles virus), that commences with catarrhal symptoms, conjunctivitis, cough, and Koplik's spots on the oral mucous membrane, and that is marked by the appearance on the third or fourth day of an eruption of distinct red circular spots which coalesce in a crescentic form, are slightly raised, and after the fourth day of the eruption gradually decline -- called also rubeola:
B: any of various eruptive diseases (as German measles).

What that translates to is measles are a potentially life threatening disease and can lead to diarrhea, ear infections, pneumonia, encephalitis, seizures, and death. The symptoms of measles according to the CDC are rash, high fever, cough, runny nose, and red, watery eyes (lasts about a week).

Measles Vaccinations
While measles isn't a common disease in the U.S, it is still widespread around the world. If you have children that are going back to school, it's a wise idea to make sure your child has their measles vaccination. Of the 131 patients, 112 were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. According to the CDC, measles is consistently one of the first diseases to reappear when immunization coverage rates fall. Increases in the proportion of the population declining vaccination for themselves or their children might lead to large-scale outbreaks in the U.S.

But according to Florida law, the hurricane deductible only applies to damage from named Hurricanes--Fay is but a Tropical Storm. Insurance companies were told they must apply the deductible that is unrelated to hurricane, generally referred to as the "all other perils deductible" or "other than hurricane deductible."

McCarty also pointed out that damage caused by flooding typically is not covered by the standard homeowners policy and that flood insurance is purchased through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). You can purchase flood coverage for future storms with the help of an agent or by contacting the NFIP directly. In most cases, there is a 30-day waiting period before flood insurance takes effect.

This is a good reminder for all of us to read and understand our homeowners insurance policies. If you are worried about the amount and type of coverage you have on your home, check out InsWeb.com for information and homeowners insurance policy rates.

Well, InsWeb (www.insweb.com) has a lot data that can help answer that question. At InsWeb, we see over 100,000 consumers complete our auto question set every month. That's a lot of consumers. They come from all over the US, with no particular geographical bias (i.e. the population tends to be distributed similar to the US population). There is, however, an age bias. Since InsWeb redirects consumers who tend to have non-standard risk profiles to insurance companies that focus on that type of consumer, the population completing the InsWeb question set tends to be slightly older. That being said, however, there are very valuable insights we can gain as to who drives (or is interested in) BMW's and who drives (or is interested in) Mercedes Benzes.

Here are some basic facts:

From January 1 through July 23, 2008, there were more than 2.4 million consumers completing the InsWeb auto question set. Of these, 42,836 consumers, slightly less than 1.8% of the total, indicated that they either drove, or were interested in a BMW or Mercedes-Benz.

The number of consumers indicating that they either drove, or were interested in a BMW was 24,471.

The number of consumers indicating that they either drove, or were interested in a Mercedes-Benz was 18.365.

So it seems that, all else being equal, consumers tend to prefer (or, are more likely to be able to afford) a BMW by about a 4:3 ratio (57% of the time) versus a Mercedes-Benz.

As for demographic differences, there are a few, most notably, one's age. The average age of a person driving, or interested in a BMW was 41 versus 48 for a Mercedes-Benz. It should not be a surprise then, that 53% of BMW owners said they owned their home, whereas 66% of Mercedes-Benz owners said they owned their home. What was surprising was that 32% of those who drove, or were interested in a BMW were women, compared to 36% of those who drove, or were interested in a Mercedes-Benz. The ownership/interest differences are particularly interesting when looked at by age-group and gender, as shown in the chart below:

At every age group, for both men and women, there is a decreasing propensity to own/preference for a BMW versus a Mercedes-Benz. The drop-off is more pronounced for men.

What about your occupation? Does what you do tend to influence your preference. Well, maybe. Obviously, given the chart above, if you said you were retired, then you tended to prefer a Mercedes-Benz 62% of the time. Conversely, if you indicated that you were a student, then you preferred a BMW 70% of the time. How about occupations that were less tied to age? If you were an accountant or an architect, your preference was a BMW 67% of the time. Similarly, if you were into mathematics or computers, or you were an engineer, you preferred a BMW 64% of the time. If, on the other hand, you were an educator, a homemaker, or a healthcare professional (therapist, counselor, etc), then you indicated that a BMW was your preference about 51% of the time. Keep in mind that 66% of those in these fields were women (remember earlier I mentioned that women tended to be less biased towards a BMW than men).

How about where you live? It does have a slight impact in terms of your preference. People living in the Northeast and Midwest preferred BMW's 60% of the time, as compared to those in the South and West (56% of the time). If you lived in Massachusetts, your preference was a BMW 64% of the time.

If you lived in Florida, your preference for a BMW declined to 53% (where, not too surprisingly, 17% indicated they were retired, as compared to 8.8% everywhere else).

So, there you have it. There does tend to be some slight biases/preferences depending on whether you are a man or a woman, how old you are, what you might be doing for a living, or where you live. And, there are plenty of people who buck the trend. Of the two, I am partial to Mercedes-Benzes myself (I don't own either).

So, what's your preference?

5. Ford Pinto
This vehicle had it all: whitewall tires that stained brown at the drop of a dime, a bland reddish-orange stock paint, and a spinoff station wagon model that was as long as a bus.

But people usually didn't notice these little setbacks after spotting the Pinto's most glaring flaw: mass amounts of rust spreading across the vehicle like the plague. That and the exploding gas tank.

One final note: Ford's decision to cut the back window in the shape of a massive trapezoid didn't exactly capture the essence of sexy car design. Maybe a rhombus would have been more stylish.

4. Renault Fuego
The Renault Fuego isn't the ugliest car ever to hit the U.S., but it's close. The tires were grossly undersized, the shiny exhaust pipe stuck out like a sore thumb, the black stripe across the body was gaudy and distracting, and the huge back window made the vehicle look like a space pod. Even on the showroom floor this car looked outdated by at least 10 years.

The most laughable thing about the Fuego is that it ran worse than it looked. I'll spare you all the technical mumbo jumbo, but so much went wrong with this vehicle that the mechanic's manual could have been thicker than a phone book--enough said.

The only thing saving this vehicle from being the ugliest in history is its plainness. The color schemes (guacamole green and black, off white and black) were absolute nightmares, but bland enough to keep it from earning the top spot.

3. Subaru Baja
It's a car--no wait, it's a truck, I think? Nevermind, it's just ugly. The Subaru Baja looks like a cross between the back end of an '82 Chevy Pickup and the front half of a cheap pair of Velcro sneakers.

The first thing you notice about the Baja, if your eyes can stand the shock, is its blindingly-bright, incredibly-tacky yellow and gray color scheme. Like a truck, it has an extended bed, but unfortunately it's too short to be of any real use. And if the stock Baja isn't lame enough, Subaru offers a mini camper shell that makes it look like a hybrid between a yellow hearse and a 70's station wagon. Cool, huh? It's marketed as a sporty off-road type vehicle, but by the looks of the undersized tires, you'd be better off going 4-wheeling in a Honda Civic.

The silver lining: it has all-wheel drive, so you won't run it off the road when you're rushing to the dealership to buy something decent.

2. AMC Gremlin
I know what you're thinking: what happened to the back half of that Gremlin? Looks like someone took a huge axe and chopped the back off. Or maybe it got rear-ended by a semi-truck--at a very strange angle.

It was one of the tiniest little deathtraps of its time, with the engine taking up nearly half the vehicle's total area. If you were taller than 4'6'', you could forget about fitting into the back seat. The optional gold and purple color scheme, which was probably stylish to a select few 35 years ago, wasn't enough to save this vehicle from complete aesthetic disaster.

This first subcompact model of this little beauty was introduced on April Fool's Day, 1970. How fitting.

On a positive note, you could slap at least two dozen bumper stickers on its gigantic wrap-around rear bumper.

1. AMC Pacer Hatchback

Some said it looked like a fishbowl. Others thought it resembled a pregnant roller skate. Nicer folks affectionately referred to it as a "human terrarium." Whatever the opinion, the AMC Pacer is the ugliest, most disgusting vehicle ever to hit the roadways.

The biggest problems? A tiny hatchback shouldn't be surrounded by six massive windows. No side door should cover nearly half the side of the vehicle. And a car seat should never be woven from the same fabric as a pair of blue jeans. The one saving grace for hatchback Pacer owners was that the station wagon model looked even worse. It was longer, had larger back windows, and introduced the fake wood paneling that brought to life the notoriously-putrid yellow and brown color scheme.

With this little monstrosity leading the AMC fleet, it's no wonder they couldn't sell enough vehicles to stay in business.

Honorable mentions:

The Smart Car

My viewpoint: If it can't hold a week's worth of groceries, it isn't a car. I absolutely love the idea of living 'green' and maximizing fuel efficiency, but driving a vehicle that looks like a golf cart with doors just isn't my bag. It's a sad period in time when a Dirt Devil with wheels becomes a status icon. Parallel parking would be a breeze, though.

Would you believe some police departments in Europe are using these as squad cars?

Fiat Multipla

This car is a toss up. I'm not sure what it resembles more: a bizarre insect with a large body, tiny eyes, and a drooping head, or Duckman? With four huge doors, an unbelievably massive front window and a drooping engine bay, this is by far the strangest car I've ever seen.

Staring directly into the Multipla is like looking at an optical illusion: it's too abnormal to be hideous--or is it?

Take fencing for example. At the writing of this, the USA has won 1 Gold, 1 Silver, and 2 Bronze medals in this sport. Sword fighting is all great when it is done by Jonny Depp, but in the Olympics? Why not do something a bit more modern and have a gunfight? Something in the mode of a good Sergio Leone movie? They do have shooting as an Olympic sport--India took home the gold in the 10-meter air rifle.

And why is it that every time I turn on the TV there is synchronized diving? Not to down play the amount of skill and athleticism that diving involves, I certainly couldn't do it, but what's next: synchronized canoeing? The announcer even said that the divers are scored more for their synchronization then on how well they execute their dive (so if the divers were to belly flop in unison, could they still get 8s?).

And how about baseball and softball? The International Olympic Committee announced in July that they have kicked out these sports in the 2012 London Summer games because they are too American for an international sports stage. Yet these same people have kept ping-pong (oh, I'm sorry, "table tennis")and badminton--games which most people only play in their back yards or are forced to learn in gym class. Hopefully baseball and softball will make a comeback in 2016, when they are allowed to reapply.

How do some of these sports get chosen for the Olympics? I'm going to campaign for bocce ball next time around, but it will be hard to beat out horseshoes.

My Top 10 Cars for Movies and TV

10) 1968 Mustang GT 390, "Bullitt"
Just an awesome car that was in one of the, if not the greatest, movie car chases of all time.

9) 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, KITT from "Knight Rider"
On board computer to help chase down the bad guys, took GPS and OnStar to a whole new level.

8) 1998 Audi S8, "Ronin"
Sleek performance car with a lot of luxury. It's a good thing Sean Bean's character didn't throw up in it after the arms deal went bad.

7) 1959 Cadillac Ambulance, "Ghostbusters"
Who doesn't love Ecto 1? With the incredibly annoying siren and extravagant amount of lights on top of it, it was awesome.

6) 1967 Shelby Mustang GT 500 - Eleanor, "Gone in 60 Seconds"
One sweet looking Mustang. I am partial to Mustangs though...

5) 1975 Lotus Esprit, "The Spy Who Loved Me"
It's a Lotus that is also a submarine, has surface to air missiles, and more than likely a champagne bottle in the glove box.

4) 1969 Dodge Charger, General Lee, "Dukes of Hazard"
Can't go wrong with the General Lee. Even though the car was made for the streets, it worked well cutting through fields too.

3) 1981 DeLorean DMC-12, "Back to the Future"
One feature set this car apart -- Flux capacitor. That and I thought it was the coolest looking car when I was a kid because the doors flipped up when they were opened.

2) 1974 Dodge Monaco, with police package, "Blues Brothers"
"It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?"

1) EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle, "Stripes"
Any RV that can infiltrate hostile countries and take you on a weekend getaway is definitely #1. Add in the extra safety features of bulletproof glass, tons of armor, and of course some defensive armament and you have one top of the line military/recreational vehicle. I wonder if defensive armament equals car insurance savings?

Here are some other cars that were definitely popular, but couldn't quite crack my top 10.

1963 Volkswagen Beetle, "Herbie"
The only car that somehow had a personality, that wasn't because of an on-board computer but lost major points because it is still a beetle.

Batmobile, from the original TV series
Definitely had some upgrades but the flame shooting out of the back seems too much of a safety hazard.

Customized Paragon Panther, "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; if you remember the song, I bet this will be in your head for a long time...

While many people watched the Dukes of Hazard and Knight Rider, I am sure that many people never thought about how much the car insurance on K.I.T.T or the General Lee was. Besides, Boss Hog would probably have tampered with the local Hazard insurance agents.