The report from the Pentagon comptroller was requested as a part of Obama administration's reconsideration of Afghanistan strategy. The price comes as a result of an investigation into why it costs approximately $1 billion a day to send every 1,000 troops into Afghanistan.

Now, there's a lot baked into that $400 a gallon price. Consider that in addition to the basic extraction and refinement costs of normal military fuel, priced at $2.78, it has to be sourced from secure facilities with high security to prevent sabotage, it must be transported across the regions difficult terrain and to remote locations using overland or air transit, and it must be guarded from attack at all times. It's also a variable price, and is not standard for all regions of Afghanistan, some areas are cheaper, and believe it or not, some are even more expensive, ranging up to $1,000 a gallon. Still, the $400 price is nothing short of breathtaking. To put things in even more sobering terms, the report goes on to state the Marines alone, in one day in Afghanistan, consume an average of 800,000 gallons of fuel. [The Hill]

Photo Credit: LIU JIN/AFP/Getty Images

An as-yet-unidentified system glitch resulted in the $81 billion charge which was only discovered after Zamora was informed his credit car had been maxed out, a couple billion times over. After arguing with Paypal's broken-English service division in India, Zamora was eventually able to convince the creditors he hadn't filled his Camaro up more than 3.1 billion times (or alternately gas hadn't gone to $5,920,060,866 a gallon) the charge was removed. Juan's moral of the story: "Pay cash." [Consumer Energy Report]

We make no allusions to intimately knowing the intricacies of the global oil production system and the resultant pricing flim-flam, but recent pricing has given us pause. The price of a barrel of oil closed below $34 yesterday, which strikes us as odd since in the late 1990's, such prices correlated to per-gallon prices at the pump between $1.25 and $1.50.

When we fueled up yesterday, prices for regular unleaded where between $1.89 and $2.00 — depending on what state we were in. Now, we aren't saying there's some kind of grand conspiracy to bilk the consumer by desensitizing them to high prices and then leaving prices at artificially high levels once oil prices fall, but the historical record makes it hard to not be suspicious. [Graph courtesy pf SeekingAlpha]

Jalopnik Snap Judgment: Obviously, gas falling below $4 a gallon is having some effect — unleaded suddenly seems like a bargain, and the short-sighted are likely convinced the energy crisis is over. But we think it's pretty humorous that Lutz is touting the recovery of the truck and SUV market just as GM is in the midst of a huge and well-advertised "employee pricing for everyone" sale. Of course sales are seeing an uptick; that's what incentives do. So, while we're happy for GM that they're able to clear some excess inventory, we're not quite ready to say the truck and SUV sales slide has bottomed out. [Bloomberg]

That's right, for every extra smug mile you travel on a gallon of gas, that's less money going into the federal highway coffers. And you bicycle riders...don't even get us started. If you're not going to buy gas, even just to squirrel away, Unabomber-style, then you shouldn't be riding on public roads. You gotta pay to play, boss. So don't complain when your Honda Fit falls into a pothole and we gotta come haul you out with our asphalt-financing Expedition EL — "Extra-Long" — because we just like what that says about us. You gotta burn gas to lay pavement, and if you don't like it then just swim your ass back to Russia, ya commie. [Green Car Congress; Photo Credit: Free-StockPhotos.com]

5. Less Congestion
Higher gas prices mean fewer people driving and more people taking public transit or telecommuting. The most obvious benefit for the real driver is that it opens up the road to those who travel for fun by removing those who merely commute out of necessity. This results in less traffic and, not surprisingly, fewer traffic fatalities, thanks in part to people keeping their Suburbans in the garage. Safer, emptier roads are something all drivers want, but real drivers need.

4. Better Cars
After years of racing to see who could build the largest vehicles, automakers are finally looking to see who can build more efficient vehicles. The technologically advanced Fisker Karma could only exist in the land of expensive gas, and the same is true for the beautiful and powerful Audi R8 diesel. The new Eco Elise not only gets better mileage that a stock Elise, it's also faster. Those are only a couple of examples. There's more on the way, if what Wert had to say at Popular Mechanics a couple months ago is any indication.

3. Better Roads
Owls aren't the only thing in danger of extinction. Cheap energy has meant more driving road-gutting sprawl, which leads to more stoplights and four-lane freeways. Most drivers have had the experience of pulling up to their favorite stretch of asphalt only to find a CVS and a lighted intersection suddenly under construction. Thankfully, the price of commuting is pushing families to move back into the cities and encouraging developers to focus on density with their new projects and leaving the remainder of great driving roads alone and safe from earth movers.

2. Cheaper Insurance
Assuming you become one of those people that takes the train or bus to work, you can adjust your insurance classification to "pleasure driver," which has the dual benefits of sounding awesome and saving you money. Depending upon your current insurance level, you could end up saving 10% to 15% on your premium. That's more money you could put into gas, tires, oil and everything else you need to enjoy the newly emptied roads.

1. Fewer Fatties
According to one economist's doctoral thesis, a $1 increase in the price of gas equates to a 10% decrease in the obesity rate, as people dine out less and walk/bike more. While this has a few boring side effects — fewer health-related deaths and lower health care costs, for example — the benefit to the driver is that your co-pilot is less likely to add sprung weight to your car. We're pretty sure it's the same reason Colin Chapman became a vegan and John DeLorean made sure all his women were coked-out anorexics.

In a remarkably candid statement revealing where dealerships actually make their money, Poncho Redfern, president of San Francisco-based Thomason Auto Group, said

"...you can't outrun it in F&I. There's only so much you can honestly earn in that department. This wreaks havoc on the bottom line. We see people with $10,000 in negative equity.

A dealer does not have enough room to help the customer out of it."

6. Fit A Locking Gas Cap

Instructions: Drive an older vehicle with a gas cap and fuel door that don't lock? Aftermarket replacements that do lock are available from most car part stores. Make sure you select one that's designed for your vehicle; this is crucial for safety, security and emissions. Can't find one? Rivet a hasp and padlock onto the fuel door.
Pros: Cheap, simple and effective at making lazy gas thieves think twice about choosing your vehicle for fuel pilfering.
Cons: Doesn't protect you from a thief who isn't lazy and happens to be handy with a lock pick.

5. Swap Diesel And Gas Badges

Instructions: Drive a gasoline-powered car? Swap out all the exterior clues for diesel badges, and don't forget the sticker inside the fuel door. Some vehicles may require a different colored fuel filler. Own a diesel? Do the opposite.
Pros: Cost efficient. Could permanently disable thief's vehicle, encouraging them to go straight.
Cons: Bad for forgetful people. Lending your car to friends could prove expensive. You lose all the cache the original stickers brought. Getting the goo off can be a bitch when it comes time to sell.

4. Don't Use Gas At All; Buy An Alternative Energy Vehicle
Instructions: Segway, Tesla, bicycle: pick your poison. By choosing a means of transportation that doesn't use gas, not only do you become immune to fuel theft, but rising prices too.
Pros: Not having gas that can be stolen eliminates risk of fuel theft. Hippie chicks will dig you.
Cons: Thieves may just steal your vehicle instead. May lower street cred. Hippies don't shave.

3. Remove Your Gas At Night, Store Inside
Instructions: Simply siphon or drain your fuel into jerry cans every time you park. An empty tank means thieves will have no fuel to steal. Store in a safe — and preferably — well ventilated area.
Pros: Sleep safe in the knowledge that your gas is where it's safest: underneath your mattress.
Cons: Sleep may last a very long time due to fumes. Siphoning or draining each and every night can be time intensive. Thieves attempting to drill an empty tank may encounter an explosive surprise.

2. Booby Trap Your Car
Instructions: Mad Max got a lot of things right: First and foremost is a man's right to protect what's his by any means necessary. Wire dynamite to explode should your vehicle be tampered with, but don't forget to include a secret switch to disarm the explosives. Keeping a machete strapped near the switch can provide a way out should you be forced to disarm the booby trap at gunpoint. A "This vehicle is booby-trapped" sticker may be a good idea.
Pros: Really sticks it to the thieves. Street cred.
Cons: Total vehicle loss is an expensive theft deterrent. Risk of accidental detonation is high. Possible legal and liability concerns.

1. Up-Armor Your Vehicle
Instructions: Gather large amounts of thick metal plate (3/4" should do) and liberally weld it all over your vehicle. Don't forget to cover the underside, and leave slits for vision and/or chainsaws.
Pros: In addition to protecting your gas tank, you'll be protecting yourself from IEDs. Deters tailgaters.
Cons: The extra fuel needed to haul around all the armor plate may negate any savings. Negative impact on resale value.

There you have it. We've showed you how to take someone else's gas and how to protect it once you pour it into your tank. You'll probably be okay as long as you practice the basics: Park in a well-lit area at night. Don't drive around with the fuel door open and gas cap missing. And remember that no system, however ill-conceived, can stop a determined thief.

Ordinarily, we wouldn't have given SwiftFuel a second glance due to the snake-oil style claims it makes. But in this case, the information came with a whiff of credibility thanks to a writeup by columnist Robert X. Cringely at PBS.org, including an interview with Mary Russek, half of the husband and wife team behind the company. Factor in the company's web site and a mention on Slashdot, and that's four different places you can find SwiftFuel on the internet. But is there any real information?

First, we looked at Swift Enterprises' claims about SwiftFuel, which are easy to spot thanks to the light-blue 20-point text on their MySpace entry:

• 
  
• Completely renewable with no petroleum: Fair enough, it's 100% ethanol based, so that claim seems plausible enough.
  
• 50% improvement in mileage over E-85 and 10-15% improvement over gasoline: I grouped these together since the math is basically the same. Still, this is a huge claim, considering that ethanol has only 75% of the energy density of gasoline. To achieve the required energy density, one would need to boost ethanol with another chemical or create a new hydrocarbon from the ethanol base stock.
  
• 20% fewer emissions than gasoline: You had me at "a 15% improvement in mileage." But the global warming benefits are certainly icing on the cake, and seem to point toward an oxygenate in the fuel.
  
• No engine modifications, additives or stabilizers are needed: In other words, you don't need a FlexFuel engine to run SwiftFuel, nor do you have to dump a quart of STP in the tank to keep from burning a valve. So, whatever they're using is chemically inert.
  

So is SwiftFuel real? To paraphrase legions of X-Files fans, "We want to believe!" But we don't. When Robert Cringely and the Ruseks swing by our office with a jerrycan full of SwiftFuel for us to test, we'll bring you more. Until then, SwiftFuel belongs in the same category as Water 4 Gas and the Tornado.
[Slashdot]