We all know that major corporations place all kinds of stuff in movies and TV shows. But this one takes the cake.

Will.I.Am's new "One More Chance" video looks like it was completely directed by RIM the maker of BlackBeryy phones ;-)

The Fed's continual decrease in interest rates has NOT been reflected in mortgage rates offered by banks. Can you say Sub-Prime mess? ;-(

Read: Voice of San Diego

Stunning June 2008 Car Sales Data:

Ford Down 28%

GM Down 27%

Ford SUV's Down 50%

Chrysler Minivans Down 46%

After being #1 (for ever, years and years) the Ford F series truck sales finished at #5!

Read: June Vehicle Sales
.
Finance: GM Stock
Finance: Ford Stock

A few days ago I posted 2008 Most Fuel Efficient Cars. And here is another way of looking at the numbers:

.
Now lets look at it this way; on average we may drive 10,000 miles per year (50% City & 50% Highway), and let's just average out gas at $4/gallon (Current in my city it is $4.69). So the yearly numbers become:
.

Toyota Prius Hybrid / City: 48 mpg / Highway: 45 mpg
Yearly Fuel Cost: $860

Typical Small Car / City: 30 mpg / Highway: 35 mpg
Yearly Fuel Cost: $1,238

Typical Large Car / City: 20 mpg / Highway: 30 mpg
Yearly Fuel Cost: $1,666

Typical Mini-Van / City: 18 mpg / Highway: 25 mpg
Yearly Fuel Cost: $1,911

Typical Large SUV / City: 12 mpg / Highway: 20 mpg
Yearly Fuel Cost: $2,666

With these simple parameters; if you switch from a large SUV to a Toyota Prius, and even if you drive a modest 10,000 miles per year, you'll save about $1,800 per year.

Home prices here in San Diego have drastically come down.

The accompanying chart attempts to answer this question using the three tiers of the Case-Shiller home price index in addition to the overall index for San Diego. To find the appropriate months, I just took the March value of each index (the most recent available, unfortunately) and noted what prior month was closest to the March figure.

Read: Voice of San Diego

Also Read: LA Times: In Escondido: Buy one (house), get one free.

Ever wondered about the cost difference between in-home photo printing and your typical "Costco" type printers?

Here is a great article which covers this subject in detail:

Red River Paper always assumed and communicated with customers that $1.00 worth of ink per 8”x10” print was to be expected. At current ink prices, that is probably an overestimate. However, given potential sources of error, using the $1 figure could be applicable for those pessimistic of our calculations.

What does this mean then to the photographic community at large? In our opinion it is and always has been up to the end user. The value one places on print quality, convenience, speed, control, and media availability is what determines if inkjet is right for them. Given that the quality of the average $700 inkjet printer rivals or may exceed a $50,000 photo lab printer, the typical inkjet user indeed has a great tool at their disposal.

Read: Red River Paper

Recently, I've been reading about Electric Vehicle Technologies. More and more I'm realizing the "in-wheel-motor" is the future. Potentially, we could keep our current cars, and just install some batteries in trunk, and add these custom wheels! The conversion could only take a few hours, and we could double or triple the car's MPG.

(Direct Link: YouTube )

(Direct Link: YouTube )

The working men and women of the Writers Guild of America and the reasons whey they are striking.

(Direct Link: YouTube )

What do the writers of the Daily Show think of the ongoing writers' strike? If only there were some way to find out like, I don't know... clicking on the image to your left. It's so crazy, it might just work!

(Direct Link: YouTube )