20080610

With the advent of AJAX and the rise of the dorkily named and rather ambiguous Web 2.0, we have a phenomenal means of tracking real historical change over short increments of time. Case in point. Last week I was in Laguna Beach for an appointment. I decided to fill up at a gas station at 120 PCH right in the middle of the city. I paid an almost unbelievable $4.65 per gallon. I mean, really. Wow.

Anyway, I was thinking about it and I thought I'd check to see what the price of gas was about six months ago at the same station. So I did. My first and only stop? Google Maps. The first time I saw PCH in Laguna featured on their street view mode was made last fall or so. It certainly wasn't summer or there'd be more people out, wandering the sidewalks, dodging bums with open guitar cases fiddling their saxaphones for a buck or three.

Anyway, I quickly discovered the gas station in question.

And with a little google zooming...

$2.91. Wow, I remember back when that was a lot. Actually, who doesn't? It was, after all, less than a year ago. Go America!! Go Google!! Go Web 2.0!!