The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Greetin's to ever one in western Illinois and all readers of The Quill. Here's hope'n ya has started your New Year off good.
Luella Fudpucker, Elmer's wife off to my east, was a come'n home on the train from a hard day of shopp'n in Chicago recently. She was bone tired and just wanted to settle in her seat, close her eyes, and unwind.
Cell Phone Etiquette
As the train rolled out of the station, the guy sitting next to her pulled out his cell phone and started talking in a loud ? voice: "Hi sweetheart. It's Eric. I'm on the train. Yes, I know it's the six thirty and not the four thirty, but I had a long meeting.
"No, honey, not with that blonde from the accounts office. With the boss. No sweetheart, you're the only one in my life. Yes, I'm sure, cross my heart."
Fifteen minutes later, he was still talking loudly, when out of frustration Luella Fudpucker sitting next to him had enough and leaned over and said into the phone, "Eric, honey, turn that phone off and hurry to come right back, to bed."
Eric doesn't use his cell phone in public any longer!
Well, thats my neighbor Luella fer ya. Nobody catches her up short.
Debunking Fox News
Recently, I'm told by Buster Jigs, Fox News aired a video full of misinformation on E15 that unfairly represented the fuel and rural America's friend-the ethanol industry. He checked with the folks over at Big River Resources and the myth followed by the truth was given to him as follows:
Myth: E15 and ethanol can damage car engines.
These are blatantly false claims that lack any scientific backing.
E15 boosts engine performance, increases horsepower and runs cleaner through engine valves by removing deposits created by lower-quality gasoline.
Modern day fuels contain waxy solvents that leave deposits that can reduce power and efficiency within 10,000 miles. Ethanol keeps engines cleaner by helping dissolve deposits in critical parts-like the pistons, fuel intake valves and ports.
Myth: Phase separation with ethanol results in engine damage.
Fuels containing ethanol are able to better prevent engine damage by assisting in absorbing water found in the fuel supply.
Phase separation, a rare situation, can occur with any fuel using an oxygenator-including other petroleum products. The situation is dependent on a number of conditions, including temperature and moisture.
In the off chance that phase separation does occur, it does not pose a serious threat to the vehicle; claims of engine damage are greatly exaggerated as no damage occurs to the engine, and the impact is a slight, normally undetectable mileage change.
Like any potential engine concern-like a flat tire-maintaining your vehicle and servicing your engine regularly will prevent any potential irregularities.
Gasoline is by its nature is a lower octane fuel. In order to bring fuels into spec, oxygenators must be added to bring the octane level up to an acceptable range. Ethanol is the lowest cost oxygenator available and when added to gasoline it improves engine performance. It is used to replace some of the more expensive components, such as harmful aromatics benzene, toluene and xylene.
Myth: The government pushed for E15 without conducting proper testing. Using E15 invalidates car warranties, and many major car companies refuse to cover damage claims associated with ethanol.
E15 is the most tested fuel blend in history.
Repeated evaluation studies showed no statistically significant loss of vehicle performance (emissions, fuel economy, and maintenance issues) attributable to the use of E15 fuel in MY2001 and new vehicles.
In a specific study performed by the U.S. Department of Energy in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 86 vehicles, representing all makes and models, were driven more than 6 million miles on E15 with zero issues.
Myth: Ethanol is so corrosive it has to be delivered in stainless steel tanks.
Outlandish statements on the delivery mechanism for ethanol do not provide any factual evidence or correlation to potential damage.
All fuels and chemicals should be transported through safe methods-the ethanol industry prides itself on maintaining high safety and transportation standards.
Myth: The government is pushing for increased ethanol usage for monetary reasons like fulfilling corn subsidies.
The American ethanol industry is a critical component of our rural infrastructure and national economy.
The ethanol industry supports more than 400,000 domestic jobs and contributes more than $40 billion annually to the U.S. gross domestic product.
Ethanol has created a steady market for corn and other grains worldwide, which has increased the economic incentive to produce in the global agriculture market.
E15 provides economic benefits across the board; investment in our rural communities; lowers costs for consumers at the pump; and, helps reduce our nation's dangerous - and expensive - dependence on foreign oil.
Myth: E15 will cost consumers more in the long run - damage caused by ethanol can cost you hundreds to thousands in engine repair. Further; there is less than 1/3 energy per galloon with E15 as opposed to regular gasoline, so you have to fill up more frequently.
These ill-founded statements are blatantly false. Repeated testing by the DOE continues to prove the high-performance and durability of blended fuels like E15. It is dangerous to make baseless assumptions by alleging E15 could result in costly repairs.
The cost-benefit analysis favors E15 - numerous studies have shown that ethanol saves consumers at the pump, and increasing the blend to 15 percent further reduces prices at the pump.
From 2007-2011, ethanol has enjoyed a price advantage over regular gasoline, with ethanol blends running 15-75 cents cheaper on a yearly basis.
Ethanol is a high-octane fuel, and substantially increases performance, durability and horsepower.
Myth: Farmers are planting more corn to produce ethanol instead of food crops, thus driving up the price of food.
The price of food is driven up by transportation, and packaging.
For every $1 spent at a grocery store, 84.2 cents to to marketing share, which includes labor, transportation, energy and packaging.
Just 15.8 cents are associated with farm costs - of that, only 3 cents are associated with the value of corn.
Transportation costs - specifically the price of oil - have a strong impact on increasing food prices.
The average food item travels, 1,500 miles from farm to grocery store in the U.S. - the fact is, food prices rise when oil prices rise.
American corn growers have demonstrated they have more than enough capacity to satisfy all demand for livestock feed, exports and ethanol.
In fact, the United States corn growers were capably producing 11-13 billion bushels of corn annually to satisfy domestic feed, industrial milling use and export demand for many years, resulting in steady surpluses.
The production of ethanol contributes to the feedback loop.
Distillers grains, a high-protein livestock feed, are created as co-product when ethanol is made.
More than one-third of the corn used in ethanol production goes right back into the food chain in the form of these nutrient-rich grains.
The USDA forecasts that the price of food will increase by 3.5 percent in 2013, just slightly above historical inflation averages of approximately 3 percent per year.
Because of new technologies that allow farmers to grow more crops on fewer acres of land; corn farmers are poised to increase plantings even more to take advantage of the growing market for renewable liquid fuels.
We can protect consumers from price shocks at the grocery store and at the pump by diversifying our fuel supply with homegrown renewable fuel.
Myth: E15 reduces miles per gallon
Ethanol is approximately 40 cents a gallon cheaper than gasoline, thus helping lower the costs at the pump. Many factors go into mileage and there have been zero studies conducted that demonstrate that E15 reduces mileage.
NASCAR has driven more than 3 million miles on Sunoco Green E15, repeatedly validating the fuel's durability and performance capabilities across the toughest conditions.
NASCAR drivers applaud the fuel's high-performance, and note an increase of up to 10+ horsepower.
Indy 500 successfully uses ethanol in cars at their race track.
Thar ya has it then, just as it was given me with the request ta pass it on. Thank ya much, Buster, fer your research effort and fer pass'n the results along.
If'n "Big Oil", "Greedy Grocer Manufacturers", and Some "National Big Corporate Livestock Organizations" has their way our "Rural Economy" will be in shambles!
Where ever ya is, whatever ya be a do'in, Be A Good One.
Hope to see you'ns in church this come'n weekend. Also a hope'n ya doesn't catch that nasty flu bug thats a go'n around these parts.
Keep on Smile'n
Catch ya Later
Barnyard Bruke