Brace Yourself For a Major Gasoline Price Hike!

Courtesy of Reuters
U.S. average retail gasoline prices have reached a new high of almost $3.20 per gallon and will likely jump another 20 to 30 cents in the next month, worsening the pain of consumers struggling to make ends meet in an economic downturn.
Gasoline prices are rising sharply as refiners, who have kept prices down in order to compete for sales, become more willing to pass on their higher costs of crude oil, according to an industry analyst on Sunday.
The national average for self-serve regular unleaded gas was nearly $3.20 a gallon on March 7, up about 9.44 cents per gallon in the past two weeks, according to the nationwide Lundberg survey of about 7,000 gas stations. The price has risen 64 cents per gallon in the past 12 months.

How To Handle The Daylight Savings Time Switch

Courtesy of Yahoo! Health.
It's time to change the clocks once again, in preparation for this coming Sunday morning when Daylight Saving Time kicks in.
That means we'll have one less hour this weekend between the time we usually go to bed Saturday night and our usual wake-up time Sunday morning. Sadly, many of us already don't get enough sleep on a regular basis, so the time change this weekend could increase our sleep-deprivation backlog even more.

Most adults need between 7 and 9 hours of sleep daily to feel fully awake and alert during their waking hours. Teenagers should have about 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep each night, and younger children require 9 to 11 hours.

How can you minimize the effects of giving up that precious hour of sleep this weekend?
Easy: the combination of getting to bed earlier Saturday night and getting up later Sunday morning should help most people achieve more sleep and prevent potentially dangerous sleep loss. Or, if you can't get enough sleep at nighttime, consider taking a nap.
Finally, be cautious driving to work on the Monday following the time change, since you and the drivers around you may not be as bright-eyed and vigilant as usual.