$5.00 a Gallon?

Have you enjoyed watching gas prices fall over the last few weeks? Well, don't get too attached to the sight.

Hurricane Gustav is currently churning in the southern Caribbean and on its way to the warm waters in the Gulf of Mexico. Current forecasts have the storm passing through the center of the Gulf on Sunday, at which time it will likely intensify into a category 4 or 5 hurricane.

Now here's the fun part: If Gustav maintains its current heading, its center will pass slightly to the west of New Orleans, whereas Katrina actually passed slightly to the east. These distinctions are important because the strongest, most destructive part of a hurricane is the northeast quadrant. In other words, Gustav may well dwarf Katrina in its effects on New Orleans.

Mindful of what happened in the wake of Katrina, members of the Bush administration have already begun sticking their thumbs up their asses.

But Gustav will likely effect us all. As we learned three years ago, much of the nation's oil production is centered along the Gulf coast. Should supplies again be seriously interrupted, expect serious spikes in the price of gas. Indeed, the cost of crude oil has already begun rising, and Gustav is still five days away from Louisiana.