OK Folks, it is movie time again!  As many of you might remember I entered the Saint Louis Post Dispatched Movie Contest last year.  My entry was this gnome movie.  I did not win, but I think that I did have some influence on the contest.  Last year, I used the front page of the go! section, it had a gnome on it so I ran with it.  The requirement last year was to just feature a copy of the newspaper in the video.  This year the requirement is to use the front page of the go! section, just like I did last year.  .  I have a concept of what I want to produce.  Submissions are due Monday morning.  Wish me luck!

Today at work I came upon two fellow engineers in conversation.  The engineer of interest was describing how he had converted his Volkswagen diesel to run on cooking oil.  He can get his VW to run on one-third diesel and two-thirds cooking oil.  He gets about forty-five miles per gallon regardless.  Since he only has to pay for the diesel, he figures his gas mileage at about 135 MPG.  He is Catholic, as many in Saint Louis are.  So he collects most of his cooking oil from Knights of Columbus fish fries.  When asked it there fishy smell, he replied, “No, it smells more like chicken.”  He did say that cats seemed to follow him around, but I think at this point he was just pulling my chain.  He plans a road trip next year to Florida.  He’ll fill up his trunk with cooking oil and head down to the Keys.

I have a bet with a third engineer at work.  It has to do with gas, but it has more to do with economics.  The bet is for a gallon of gas.  If gas first hits five dollars a gallon, he will buy me a gallon of gas.  If gas first hits $1.50 a gallon then I have to buy him a gallon of gas.  My fellow gambler is a bit of a bear, as in the stock market connotation.  He thinks that we are on the brink of the next great depression.  This last year has only been a prelude of worst to come.  I’m betting that he is wrong.