Everything's quiet here. The overnight price rise in the US hasn't really made a dent on the local media, but then Oz is usually takes a while to catch up to the US - well, it has in the past. And from the sounds of things, the media over there aren't making much of a big deal, anyway. But then they didn't make much of a deal of $67 a barrel a short while ago, which last year would have sent alarm ripples everywhere. Now it's just - expected, nothing unusual! How high can it go before there are runs on gas stations? Where will the shortages start? We can't know at this stage, but if the warnings are true, it can't be long.

This article freaked the hell out of me though - this happened in the early hours of the morning on 29th April:

OAKLAND, California (AP) -- A gasoline tanker crashed and burst into flames near the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on Sunday, creating such intense heat that a stretch of highway melted and collapsed...

... Nearly 75,000 vehicles use the portion of the road every day. But because the accident occurred where three highways converge, authorities said it could cause commuting problems for hundreds of thousands of people....

...In preparation for rush hour, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger authorized funding so that ferries, buses and the rail system could carry commuters free of charge during Monday's commute...

...State officials said motorists who try to take alternate routes Monday instead of relying on public transportation would face nightmarish commutes.

As I have friends in the Bay Area I am curious what effect this will have - will the timing mean it's even worse, or will people be turning to other forms of transport than the car almost immediately, because the traffic will be unbearable any other way? The timing is uncanny - almost as if the truck driver responsible knew what was coming, perhaps???? Maybe this is an attempt to artificially reduce demand locally in the Bay area?

Thoughts, anyone? Is it just me, or is the coincidence just damn eerie????