May Insurance Newsletter

Always working to protect your assets and financial future!

Inside This Issue…

• Drowning in Oil … Page 1
• Celebrity Buzz … Page 2
• Kitchen Sink Composting … Page 2
• Somewhere in the World: France … Page 2
• Beat This Trivia Question and Win Free Tickets to the Movie … Page 3
• Did You Know … Page 3
• Recipe of the Month… Page 3
• Tip of the Month… Page 4

 Big Lake 763-263-0785    Elk River 763-390-4872

Despite the mad dash to create and market the fully electrical car, the American populace is still mainly driving gasoline-driven vehicles. With the current political and social unrest in the Middle East, many Americans are seeing rising costs at the pump. With leaders toppled in Tunisia and Egypt, is it only a matter of time before insurrection sparks fly in other Gulf countries?

Bottom line is this: The rise in the price of oil is mainly due to buyer panic and market forces, both of which the average consumer can do nothing about. In fact, the price of a barrel of oil has no real direct connection to how much it costs to produce it. It goes back to simple economics. Buyers start to panic when they see the unrest in the Middle East and they start buying up oil, thinking they are guarding against future spikes in price. Ironically, this increased flurry of demand only serves as a catalyst for inflating the prices of oil.

Are we really that dependent on the Middle East to feed our oil consumption? They, and the media, would like us to believe so. But let’s get one thing straight: The U.S. has plenty of oil. Today, we are sitting on a 727 million barrel supply.

As far as the U.S. is concerned, we import roughly 19 million barrels of oil per day. To satisfy that demand, the U.S. imports 9 – 12 barrels of oil per day from the following countries:

1. Canada
2. Mexico
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Venezuela
5. Nigeria
6. Angola
7. Iraq

Yes, it is true. Iraq is sitting on the 2nd largest natural reserve of oil. But the fact still remains—there are plenty of other players who are willing to provide oil for the time being. And it might be just enough time for the electric car to make it way back onto the highway and into the American mainstream home.

Celebrity Buzz

Riding right on the tails of the SAG awards, the Oscars sweep in and dole out even more trophies. Let’s see who came out on top:

Best Picture
The King’s Speech

Best Actor
Colin Firth (The King’s Speech)

Best Actress
Natalie Portman (Black Swan)

Best Director
Tom Hooper (King’s Speech)

Best Original Song
“We Belong Together,” Toy Story 3

Best Visual Effects
Inception

Kitchen Sink Composting

Spring is upon us, and the longer and sunnier days are a welcome change. If you are a gardener, you are also thinking about how you will plant your garden. For a couple of years now, there has been much ado about the benefits of recycling your biodegradable kitchen food scraps instead of sending them to the landfill.

If you are interested in trying this, do the following: Buy an enclosed compost bin and place it outside. Add to it over the winter with all of your biodegradable kitchen scraps. In the spring, when the compost starts to thaw, add a three-gallon bucket full of last fall’s shredded leaved to help balance out the ingredients.

Now you have great composting at your fingertips, rich in all the ingredients you need to seed and grow your favorite organic vegetables. Happy gardening!

Somewhere in the World: France

For many people, France is an intoxicating European destination. Not only do you have excellent French cuisines—the bread, pastries, wine and cheese are all of highest quality—you are also surrounded by great history, art, landscape and architecture.

Even though the famous cities, like Paris, have much to offer, the outer provinces also have rich history to explore alongside a vibrant landscape filled with verdant, rolling hills, picturesque farmhouses and the small-town farmers markets filled with fresh and local produce and wares. A trip to France is not complete unless one has explored both the coastlines and the cities.

Famous Sites & Destinations

• Rouon. This small, little town, nestled between rolling hills and quaint farmhouses, is situated in northern France along the River Seine. In it’s day, it was once one of the largest and most prosperous cities in Medieval Europe. It was here that Joan of Arc was burned at the stake, but don’t let that gruesome detail deter you. This quaint city, called “the city of a hundred spires” by Victor Hugo, boasts a church on virtually every corner.
• Etratat. Located on the coast, this small tourist and farming town is best known for its striking white cliffs, including the famous natural arch that has been immortalized in oils by artists like Claude Monet, Eugene Boudin and Gustave Coubet. The waters, although chilly, are a refreshing blue-green that lap against white pebble beaches. Don’t miss out on the cliff walk where you will be rewarded with amazing views of the three famous arches and the great blue sea beyond.
• Beaches of Normandy. The Normandy beaches encompass nearly 360 miles of dramatic coastline, including the landing beaches for the Allied invasion during WWII.
• Mont Saint Michel. The Abbey of Mont St Michel dominates this little island. Surrounded by massive walls, the Abby can only be reached by a steep climb up winding streets. Separated from the mainland by a small strip of land visible only during low tide, Mont St. Michel is the second most visited place in France after the Eiffel Tower.
• Paris. Of course, you cannot see France without spending some time in this wonderful world of cuisine and art. Don’t miss the Musee D’Orsay, a once grand train station turned into art gallery. Visit the small Rodin museum and wander in the lush, sculpture-studded gardens. Stand at the massive doors of Notre Dame and visit Sainte-Chapelle—a small, but beautiful church dripping with intricate stained glass work and the perfect light. See where Napoleon is buried in this coffin that resembles nesting Russians dolls.

Thought of the Month

"Never reach out your hand unless you’re willing to extend an arm."

– Pope Paul VI

Did You Know …

Henry Ford dreamed of creating a car that was reasonably priced, reliable and efficient. In 1941, a new type of car was born—one that would be made of hemp and run on biofuels.

The original car body was constructed from biodegradable cellulose fibers derived from a combination of hemp, sisal and wheat straw. Not only would it be more efficient, it was 10 times stronger than steel. True to his dream, Ford designed the car to run off of hemp ethanol.

In 1925, Ford said: “The fuel of the future is going to come from fruit . . . There is fuel in every bit of vegetable matter than can be fermented.” He wouldn’t know it then, but his futuristic dreams would be fulfilled to some degree almost 75 years later—today ethanol holds 1-7% of the fuel market.

Referral Corner …

I want to thank you for your referrals over the years. We always tell our clients that if they can just refer one client per year, it will help us immensely. We are grateful to everyone who has referred someone our way, and we always love to have new people become part of our inner circle of friends and family.

Simply have your referrals bring this newsletter in to the agency or call, and we will give you a thank you and a gift.

"Who Else Wants to Win a Target Gift card?"

The Question of the Month:

The fabulously sculpted Gates of Hell are displayed at what Parisian museum?

(A) Rodin Museum (B) The Louve (C) Musee D’Orsay

email tim@istmn.com to Answer …

The 7th person with the correct answer to the Question of the Month will receive a Target gift card–just for reading this newsletter.

Many times the actual answer will be IN the newsletter so read the whole thing to make sure you have the correct answer.