Georgia Governor Extends Gas Tax Suspension Again

Georgia drivers will continue to get a break at the gas pumps for a little longer.  Governor Brian Kemp signed an executive order this morning extending the state's gas tax suspension through November 29.  The current suspension was supposed to end November 12.

Kemp issued a State of Emergency in September due to uncertain economic conditions and rising gas prices.  The governor is allowed to suspend the collection of taxes during an emergency, provided state lawmakers approve it the next time they meet.  The next session will be November 29, when lawmakers are scheduled to redraw the state's congressional and state legislative districts.

By temporarily suspending the state gas tax, Kemp said drivers will save 31.2 cents per gallon on gas and 35 cents per gallon for diesel fuel.  He said that should help Georgians with high food and travel costs through the Thanksgiving holiday.

Georgia's state average gas price today is $2.89 a gallon, 51 cents below the national average.  The state average price in South Carolina today is $3.19 a gallon.  With the suspension of taxes in Georgia, Kemp said the state has some of the lowest gas prices in the country.

"I'm proud this action has helped keep millions of dollars in hardworking Georgians' pockets and look forward to continuing to see that impact with the Thanksgiving holiday approaching.  I'm also grateful for the partnership of the General Assembly as it prepares to enter a special session where legislators will be called on to ratify this measure," said Kemp.

State officials say the state can afford to give Georgians the tax break.  The state currently has $16 billion in its reserve funds.

Kemp and lawmakers rolled back the gas taxes for 10 months in 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic.  That cost the state an estimated $1.7 billion in revenue from March 2022 to January 2023.  Kemp started waiving the gas tax again in September this year

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Best Buy has announced that starting in 2024, following this holiday season, they will discontinue the sale of DVDs, Blu-rays, and 4K Ultra HD discs, both in their physical stores and online. They have said the reason for this decision is due to the increasing popularity of streaming services.  This move aligns with the prevailing trend, as more people turn to streaming for their entertainment needs.

Physical media does come with certain inconveniences, such as taking up space and limited mobile accessibility. But there are still people who appreciate the more traditional way of enjoying movies and music. There are some advantages of owning Blu-rays and DVDs. These include owning what you buy and having bonus content you can't get anywhere else.

In the '90s, owning a pager was considered a status symbol and a fashion statement. Today, it's even possible to purchase a fully functional vintage Motorola pager from online marketplaces like eBay.

With the widespread use of mobile phones and free calling applications that offer unlimited calls via Wi-Fi, traditional landlines may eventually become obsolete. However, the complete phasing out of this technology may take some time. This is because certain regions or countries still contend with unreliable internet or cellular coverage. As of August 2023, Community Phone reports that approximately 40.35 million households in the United States still maintain landline phones, and 38.1 million households have both a landline and a cell phone.

For some people, "new" technology doesn’t always mean "better." On Reddit, a user started a discussion thread asking, “What outdated or obsolete tech are you still using and are perfectly happy with?” The thread received more than 16,000 responses from people who shared the outdated everyday items they still happily use. Check some of them out below.

You probably haven't seen a calculator in ages, but a Reddit user chimed in to say that, for them, the old-school scientific calculator beats the one on your phone or any app. They simply put it like this, "Honestly, a standard scientific calculator is just easier to use than your phone's built-in scientific calculator." It could be the fun button-tapping sound or the nostalgic thrill of typing in cheeky words with numbers that makes this person prefer calculators.

Smartwatches may pack in loads of features, but there's a catch - they need regular charging and maintenance, and their battery life is shorter. On the flip side, traditional watches are a low-maintenance choice with longer battery life. In fact, a Redditor mentioned they still rock a "a lovely, inexpensive, bombproof, analog, big face Casio." They also pointed out that smartwatches aren't allowed at their job, so their trusty Casio gets the job done.

If you've put a ton of effort into collecting CDs and vinyl records, and creating some killer playlists, why ditch them, right? One person told their story about growing up in the '90s, building a massive CD collection, and stashing them all in one of those Case Logic CD binders. They fondly shared, "I still keep it with me in my car and it’s a wonderful trip down memory lane every time I open it. I laughed and cried a little when my kids friend asked me what it was and I said, 'CDs' and they followed up with, 'What’s that?'" But also: not everything is available on streaming services.  That obscure soundtrack or tribute album from the '80s? Licensing issues may have prevented it from hitting the streamers.  Love Joni Mitchell? Well, Spotify doesn't have her catalog. Sure, you can subscribe to another service, but if you kept your old vinyl and have a turntable, you can listen to it the old school way.

You have people who can't stand a tangle of wires in their tech setup, and then there's that Reddit user who's all about the wired life. They firmly believe that wired networking is "not obsolete or outdated." According to them, it's superior in every aspect, except for the mobility it lacks compared to wireless. They put it simply, "Wired is the ideal, you only go wireless if running cable is unfeasible for the situation.

A regular doorbell does its job well. It lets you know someone's at the door. On the other hand, a video doorbell does the same but with the perk of letting you see and hear the person at your door, even if you're not home. Someone mentioned they'd be up for a smart doorbell if it kept the data local. They said, "I don't want anything being sent online, so I might need to set up my own system... I'll just stick with the traditional kind."

A Redditor shared their affection for good old physical buttons, arguing that not everything needs to go the touchscreen route. They stressed the importance of having car radios equipped with buttons rather than screens, believing it's a safer choice. They explained, "It’s easier for me to push a button to change the music while keeping my eyes on the road/ I can’t do that if my car has a screen. It increases distracted driving incidents."