Oil Price Above $100 On US Heating Fuel Demand

The price of oil extended gains above $100 a barrel Monday as the cold weather in the United States increased demand for heating fuels and solid Chinese credit numbers eased concerns over the world’s number 2 economy.

By early afternoon in Europe, benchmark U.S. crude for March delivery was up 49 cents to $100.79 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Friday, the Nymex contract fell 5 cents to close at $100.30.

Read more: http://www.pottsmerc.com/general-news/20140217/oil-price-above-100-on-us-heating-fuel-demand

Local Artist Featured In ArtFusion Solo Exhibit

Pottstown, PA –A Tribute to My Youth: The Artwork of Richardson Comly will run in ArtFusion’s main gallery from November 12 through November 30. Richardson is a local Pottstown artist and University of the Arts graduate with a BFA in animation. He mainly creates in acrylic paints but has also experimented with oil and watercolors. Richardson also likes to craft some of his own frames, and works with his stepdad, who is a carpenter by hobby, in creating them.

This show will feature original artwork that he created for the Weyerbacher Brewing Company select beer labels, classic pieces from his personal collection as well as all new artwork created just for his ArtFusion show. Richardson describes his artistic process: “My art is an expression of my subconscious. Almost every step of my creative process is left to ideas arriving by chance. I’ll do research on the painting’s subject and even sometimes create multiple thumbnails and sketches. These aren’t necessarily ideas that I will use for the painting, but more an exercise for my brain. Some artists sketch out their ideas, do their research, and reference their subject before starting a painting. I do it during. I become comfortable with what I am painting as I paint from background to foreground.”

ArtFusion will host an opening reception for this show on November 15 from 7-9pm. This free event is open to the public. Musicians Josh Jones (Univox) and Brandon Morsberger will be performing live.  Weyerbacher Brewing Company will host a beer pouring, and the Sunflower Truck Stop food truck will be parked in front of the ArtFusion building, open for business. Sunflower Truck Stop is a mobile cafe operated by Shorty’s Sunflower Cafe, a local Pottstown institution. Complimentary wine and light refreshment will be served in the gallery. The artist will also be on hand to answer questions about his work. RSVPs to 610-326-2506 are appreciated.

ArtFusion 19464 is a 501(c)3 non-profit community art center located at 254 E. High St. in downtown Pottstown. The school offers day, evening and weekend classes to all ages. The goal of these classes is to help students develop their creative skills through self-expression and independence. ArtFusion’s gallery hosts rotating shows featuring local artists. The gallery also sells handcrafted, one-of-a-kind gift items. The gallery is open Tuesday through Friday from 10am-5pm and Saturday 10am-3pm. The gallery is closed Sunday and Monday.

More Expensive Gas Pushes US Consumer Prices Up

WASHINGTON (AP) – Higher gas costs drove up U.S. consumer prices in September for the second straight month.  Outside energy, there was little sign of inflation.

The Labor Department said Tuesday that the consumer price index rose a seasonally adjusted 0.6 percent last month, matching the August increase.  In the past 12 months, prices have increased 2 percent.  That’s in line with the Federal Reserve’s inflation target.

Excluding volatile food and energy costs, prices rose just 0.1 percent.  In the past year, so-called core prices have increased 2 percent.

Read more: http://business-news.thestreet.com/the-times-herald/story/more-expensive-gas-pushes-us-consumer-prices/1

Will Gas Pump Prices Keep Rising?

Prices at the pump have been inching higher all month, but don’t expect the trend to continue, according to AAA.

The summer driving season spikes demand and tends to push prices higher, and the recent rise may have been partly fueled by concerns about a possible confrontation with Iran over its nuclear program, according to the drivers’ association.

The outlook, though, is for prices to stay level through Labor Day.

At the end of June, a gallon of regular averaged 3.40 a gallon in the five-county Philadelphia area.

Read more:  http://www.philly.com/philly/business/homepage/20120730_Will_gas_pump_prices_keep_rising_.html

New Gallery Opening On First Friday In Downtown Lancaster

Northumberland County couple hang shingle on Water Street

They were only supposed to be visiting for the day.

In early June, Jody and Cheryl Fallon came to Lancaster to see a friend’s art exhibit on Gallery Row.

The Fallons, married artists who live about two hours north of Lancaster, walked around town and wound up in a gallery on Water Street.

They noticed the space next door was vacant and learned it was for rent. They looked at each other, Jody Fallon recalled, and an idea formed.

Read more: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/696570_New-gallery-opening-First-Friday.html#ixzz227PgVsv7

Gas Prices’ Earliest-Ever Rise Above $3.50 A Bad Sign For Motorists

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American motorists have seen the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline rise above $3.50 a gallon on just three occasions, but it has never happened this early in the year. Analysts say it’s likely a sign that pain at the pump will rise to some of the highest levels ever seen later this year.

In 2008, average gasoline prices had hit inflation-adjusted records nationally by the summer, but they didn’t climb above $3.50 a gallon across the U.S. that year until April 21, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. It happened again last year, but not until March 6.

But $3.50 a gallon gasoline is already here in 2012, weeks before refineries typically shut down for springtime maintenance, and weeks before the states switch from their less expensive winter blends of gasoline to more complicated and pricier summer blends.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/business/mc-gas-prices-20120214,0,2776477.story

Sweeping Changes At Sunoco

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Upset but not surprised.  That’s how union leaders characterized their reactions to the news of Sunoco, Inc.’s sweeping changes to its business structure, including the departure of Chief Executive Officer Lynn Elsenhans.

“It’s not surprising that she is moving on. I was expecting it, anyway. She doesn’t run refineries, she just dismantles them and moves on,” said Dave Miller, president of United Steelworkers Local 10-901 representing the Marcus Hook Sunoco workers.

“I’m curious to see where she is going next. I’d be the first one to call them and give them a heads up: Better get your affairs in order.”

After arriving at Sunoco in 2008 and subsequently dismantling the company’s Marcus Hook refinery operations, Elsenhans announced during Thursday’s fourth-quarter earnings conference call that she is stepping down as the company’s chief executive officer and board chairman at the end of the month.

Read more: http://www.dailylocal.com/articles/2012/02/04/news/doc4f2d4944180db147941261.txt

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Funds Cut

The federally funded LIHEAP provides cash grants to help income-eligible homeowners or renters pay for home heating fuel.  The state Department of Public Welfare expects the LIHEAP funding from the federal government to be cut in half. Last year, the state received $326 million in funding.  The expectation for this winter is $163 million, said Carey Miller, the department’s spokeswoman.  Thus, the department has changed the eligibility levels for funding, as well as the maximum amounts people can receive.

Read more: http://www.yorkdispatch.com/news/ci_19621104

The Arrogance Of British Petroleum

Check out this jackalope from British Petroleum’s asinine statement regarding his company’s perpetration of an ecological disaster of biblical proportion.

British Petroleum (BP) rep Randy Prescott made a comment to those worried restaurateurs facing rising prices for shrimp and oysters, “Louisiana isn’t the only place that has shrimp!” His office phone number is (713) 323-4093; his email is randy.prescott@bp.com.  Give Randy a call or send an email and give this insensitive clod a piece of your mind.  Snopes.com is confirming this is a true statement.   Getting seafood from further away will cost restaurants more money AND the fact that seafood is available from places other than Louisiana does not help all those out of work fishermen.  Now does it Randy!

No matter in what “context” this remark was made, it is just more evidence that British Petroleum is not putting this disaster in perspective.  If it was an American company that did this in the North Sea and oil was all over England, Scotland and Wales, we would be the great capitalist Satan etc…

Plug the damn hole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gulf Oil Spill, One Month Later

So guess what??  BP still has not contained the gushing oil that continues to pour into the ocean for a month now!  The oil is moving its way inland and up the delta of the Mississippi River.  Now Florida is possibly threatened.  BP says it could be (sit down please) August until this thing in capped but “not to worry” because BP COO Doug Suttles is optimistic that the Gulf “will make a full recovery.”  Well thanks Doug – we can all sleep better knowing that.  Did you call Dionne Warwick and the Psychic Friends Network to get that info Doug????  Y’all have lost all credibility with me.

There has been a lot of finger-pointing and blame game but nobody, including the US Government, has done anything remotely close to stopping the oil spilling into the Gulf of Mexico.  IMHO this is an environmental disaster of epic proportions and the US Government should be diverting any and all resources necessary to shut the oil off!  Tell BP to go back to Britain.  We’ll fix it ourselves and send those knuckleheads the bill!

Somebody better light a fire under some one or some thing before it’s too late.

Full recovery my patoot!