Milkin' It

It still holds true that man is most uniquely human when he turns obstacles into opportunities.
--Eric Hoffer
Filled up the Silver Bullet last night for $3.12 a gallon at Kroger. Bought a few groceries while I was there…Milk was $3.29/gal for skim.

The irony struck me in the parking lot: high-test premium gasoline is still cheaper by the gallon than unleaded milk. That could change by the middle of the summer—or next weekend, ahead of the Memorial Day highway driving frenzy.

Lots of you are swapping out your trucks and SUV’s for hybrids. Do the math before you leap: What’s the differential between what you’d pay in fuel costs with your present car vs what you’d pay for running a car that uses less fuel—plus the increased payments on that new vehicle?

Here’s another interesting little phenomenon about We the People—what’s the first thing you do when you get a new car?

Road Trip, right?

Lot’s of folks actually drive more in a new car because it’s new, and more fun, and smells great on the inside…and the net result is you burn more fuel running around, looking snappy in that new car, than you would have over the next year in that three-year old SUV.

How many of you are willing to make that leap—from a traditional to a hybrid automobile? What are you willing to pay for the newer technology?

Lexus this week is rolling out its most-plush, most-expensive hybrid sedan yet—and I’ve gotta tell you, if you came to me and told me that I could only buy one more car for the rest of my life—it’d probably be a Lexus.

I’m not sure I’d go with the Lexus LS600-H, which is going to sticker-out at $125,000…but, doing the math again, $125K amortized over the rest of my life might be doable…

We’ll talk about that, maybe, when the network does my tribute show at 80 or 90…

Did you happen to catch that Bob Barker send-off show last night? Great film clips from past shows of Truth or Consequences and The Price is Right…surprise guest appearance by Adam Sandler…

Tonight, CBS is doing a special on Walter Cronkite at 90. Don’t know if that’s going to be “must see TV,” but the history is tempting…