Gas prices became relevant...

... when I started paying more than $30 to fill my compact 1994 Nissan Altima.

It's actually not much, but comparatively, it makes a big difference. And I don't have my parents paying for gas (or insurance, after the first 6-month payment) so I kind of keep track of these things. My heart literally skips a beat when I see that gas prices are continuing to rise dangerously. But I will stop driving before I fill my car with approximately 11 gallons of gas from the Artic National Wildlife Refuge.

From Reuters Business Channel:

Oil prices fell from a record peak on Tuesday as dealers took profits, but tensions in the Middle East and a flurry of refinery problems in the United States kept losses in check......

"By far the biggest jolt to the markets has come from the geopolitical front," said Edward Meir, an analyst at brokers Man Energy. "We think that the bigger source of tension is emanating from the Iranian situation," he added in a report.

Anybody else feel enslaved to the oil-rich countries and consequently entangled in their affairs?