DON'T BE A FUEL!

What are YOU doing to save gasoline?

Driving one of the hybrids? Conserving fuel by driving less?
Or just making an effort to quit making those 'jack-rabbit' starts?

It 's not important WHAT you're doing, but for god's sake -
do SOMETHING!

Rising gas prices are impacting Americans' lifestyles, leading many car owners to adjust travel plans, tighten their budgets, and lean toward purchasing small, fuel-efficient vehicles. These are the findings of a recent online survey conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

The responses also show that most drivers have accepted the new reality of $3-a-gallon gasoline. In fact, 72 percent of respondents expect fuel costs to be even higher in a year and 50 percent are prepared to pay $4 a gallon, according to the survey that included 2,459 adult drivers and was conducted from May 3-5, 2006.

PRICES IMPACT LIFESTYLE
In the past five years, gasoline prices have jumped 250 percent, according to data from the U.S. Department of Energy. The financial impact on our survey group is significant, based on their average of 13,199 annual miles driven and 21.9 miles per gallon. At current prices, their driving behavior translates to an average annual gasoline bill of $1,780, or $1,000 more than what the bill would have been five years ago ($710).

In the short-term, consumers reported little flexibility to reduce their driving related to commuting or personal/family transportation. So to compensate for higher fuel bills, drivers are adjusting their lifestyles and household budgets in a variety of ways:

42 percent of respondents strongly agreed that they will drive less
39 percent will change vacation plans
38 percent will spend less money in restaurants and on entertainment
38 percent will drive more smoothly to increase fuel mileage
36 percent reported that they will have more difficulty paying for essentials like food and health care. Despite the hit to the wallet, few claimed they would seek alternative transportation, such as bicycle, carpool, or public transit.

Overall, 84 percent of consumers indicated that they took action in the last month to compensate for the elevated gasoline prices. Two-thirds shopped around for better prices at the pump, with 31 percent choosing a lesser-known petroleum brand. Almost as many, 28 percent, used the Internet to compare gas prices.

Last Chance to Win Free Atrisan Crafted Jewelry . . .

* Drawing will be on June 21st, the Summer Solstice

* Three people will win.

All you need to do is sign up for our mailing list to enter at http://EEJA.org

MEMORIAL FUND - PLEASE READ!

Etsy’s Eclectic Jewelry Artisans are helping out and so can you!

We are donating jewelry items to help raise money for the Brynn Proctor Suddes Memorial Fund, which helps young artists go to art school.

When you purchase an item from http://brynnalex.etsy.com, 100% of the profit goes to the memorial fund.

So, check out some artisan crafted jewelry, note cards by Brynn and other fine gifts.

To learn more, please visit http://beheartstrings.com

You can always make a cash donation via PayPal to: jsuddes@telus.net Please note that EEJA sent you.

And to learn more about EEJA, please visit EEJA.org

WHAT'S YOUR LUCKY NUMBER?

This guy just found out what HIS is . . . 249!

PAW PAW, Mich. A 21 year old man in a wheelchair pulled in front of the truck at a gas station, and it somehow became lodged by its handles to the front grille.

He was taken on a wild ride in the grille of a semitrailer and was accidentally pushed down a highway for four miles at about 50 mph, authorities said. He had been secured to his wheelchair by a seat belt, so the story had a happy ending. Apparantley, the only complaint out of this fella is that he spilled his soda pop!

About 4 p.m. Wednesday, a caller told police dispatchers, “You are not going to believe this: There is a semi truck pushing a guy in a wheelchair on Red Arrow Highway,” state police said in a release. Authorities initially wondered whether the report was a prank call until others called with similar reports.

Officers stopped the truck — wheelchair still attached — at a trucking company. The driver didn’t believe officers until he stepped from his cab and saw for himself.

Who said nothing much ever happens "way down yonder in the Paw Paw Patch"?

THE CURIOS LORE OF BIRTHSTONES

WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT JUNE?

PEARLS!

Pearl is the official birthstone for the month of June and is also the birthstone for the Sun Signs of Gemini and Cancer. Fresh water pearls are given on the 1st, 3rd, 12th and 30th anniversaries.

An organic gem, pearls are formed inside mollusks such as oysters and mussels. They are formed when an irritant such as a tiny stone or bit of sand gets inside the mollusk's shell. A shiny substance, called nacre, is secreted around the object to protect the soft internal surface of the mollusk. As layer upon layer of nacre coats the irritant, a pearl is formed. Light that is reflected from these overlapping layers produces an irridescent luster. This process of building a solid pearl can take up to seven or eight years.

The most valuable pearls are perfectly symmetrical, relatively large, are naturally produced and have a high degree of iridescence. The main oyster beds are in the Persian Gulf, along the coasts of India and Sri Lanka, and in the Red Sea. Chinese pearls come mainly from freshwater rivers and ponds and Japanese pearls are found near the coast in salt water. Freshwater pearls occur in the rivers of Scotland, Ireland, France, Austria, Germany, and the USA (Mississippi). The coasts of Polynesia and Australia produce mainly cultured pearls.

There are many types of pearls:

* Natural pearls - made without human interference

* Cultured pearls - This method was first used in 1893. A foreign substance, often a small piece of shell, is intentionally inserted into a living oyster.

* Keishi pearls - formed when the oyster rejects the inserted substance. The resulting keshi pearl is 100% nacre. This gives it an especially lustrous and shimmering surface quality.

* Baroque pearls - pearls that have irregular shapes

* Biwa pearls - an irregular shaped pearl which forms in the freshwater of Lake Biwa, Japan

* Freshwater pearls - pearls which form in fresh water mollusks and resemble puffed rice

* Blister pearls - pearls which grow attached to the inside of the shell * Mabe pearls - cultivated blister pearls

* Seed pearls - small, tiny pearls used in Victorian jewelry and sewn on clothing, often wedding gowns

Pearls are usually white, but may also be black, gray, silver, cream, lavender, peach or pink depending on the type of mollusk and the water it lives in. They are now being dyed a rainbow of other colors and are used in fashion jewelry.

Because the nacre is organic, pearls are very sensitive to heat, cosmetics, hair products and humidity. Care should be taken when wearing and storing them.

LORE:

Pearls were once thought to be the tears of God. The ancient Greeks believed that wearing pearls ensured a happy marriage. Pearl is often referred to as the "Queen Gem"; Diamond is referred to as the King Gem. Cleopatra was said to have dissolved a pearl in wine and swallowed it to seduce Mark Anthony because it was thought to be a powerful aphrodisiac, and to attract love. They were prized by royalty, both male and female, and were even worn by knights who went into battle in the Middle Ages, believing that pearls would protect them from harm. As an emblem of modesty, chastity and purity, the Pearl symbolizes love, success, and happiness. In many countries they are used as a wedding gift and still symbolize a happy marriage.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Pearl of Allah, the largest pearl on record, was recovered from a giant clam on May 7, 1934, off the coast of Palawan Island, Philippines. The pearl is 9.4 inches long and weighs about 14 lbs. According to the "Guinness Book of Records," the San Francisco Gem Laboratory has valued the pearl at $40 million. The Muslim diver who found the pearl said its surface bore the image of a turbaned face, and he named it the Pearl of Allah.

Victor Barbish, who owns 66 percent of the pearl on behalf of his daughter, told WorldNetDaily he received an offer in 1999 from individuals who said they represented Osama bin Laden. They tried to purchase the pearl for $60 millionas gift to Saddam Hussein "to unite the Arab cultures," and Hussein was prepared to accept, according to the pearl's owner.