Wifi, Car Insurance and Oil

The City of Houston is making lemonade out of lemons in its plan to provide free WiFi internet access. The settlement with Earthlink will enable Houston to build bubbles of WiFi in less-affluent neighborhoods.

Meanwhile, the fine upstanding citizens of Sebastopol, just north of San Francisco, is rejecting free citywide wireless internet service--they're afraid the radio signals will make them sick.

What is this, 1930??
Maybe they can offer complimentary tin hats for everyone who signs up…

Just enough is not enough if you’re buying car insurance in Texas. Starting next week, you’ll have to pony up for more coverage if you buy just the state-required minimum because the Legislature is increased the liability insurance limits. Those changes are going into effect now—you’re looking at an increase of less than $25 on your premium…

Oil is above $102 a barrel this morning thanks to a strike disrupting operations at a French oil refining hub, along with the weakening U.S. dollar… A strike at French ports is blocking two oil tankers and four chemical cargo ships. There’s also a work stoppage at a 60-thousand barrel a day refinery in Africa…and a Typhoon churning towards Australia that petroleum operators are watching carefully.

It’s all supply and demand, folks.
And a fair amount of fear.

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez says his country’s relations with Washington could worsen if Republican candidate John McCain wins this year's presidential election. Don’t know how much worse they could be.

What are you going to do, Hugh, declare war on us?
Attack Pearl Harbor?

Chavez hopes the United States and Venezuela can work better together when President George W. Bush, leaves the White House next year, but says Sen. McCain seems "warlike."
Yeah, being captured and imprisoned by the Vietnamese will do that to you.

This may actually be a boost to McCain’s popularity: Someone who can let the air out of this Venezuelan wind bag once and for all.