From gasoline prices to decoupage, we’ve got a little bit of everything.

First, let’s start with gas prices. Yes, they’ve been coming down a bit lately, but gas prices are on a roller coaster, and the ride isn’t likely to end anytime soon.

“By participating in this global market for oil and gas, we have hitched our economy to a roller coaster ride that we don’t have any control over. We’re all part of one big market, and a policy change in Beijing or a war in Europe, those have the same effects on our prices as if something had happened here in the U.S.,” said Clark Williams-Derry, an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

But what if there’s a way off this ride? Is there another way to put our energy economy together that doesn’t take consumers for a spin and shields us from the whims of the global market?

On the show today, the economic and geopolitical forces behind gas prices and why pivoting to renewables might be the only way out.

In the News Fix, we’ll discuss the actions the Biden administration is considering to fight climate change. We’ll also check in on an unusual economic indicator: What’s Apple up to?

Later, if you’re an ’80s music fan, you’ll love this hack a listener shared that he uses at the grocery store checkout line. And, what would you do with old, worthless baseball cards? Help out a fellow “Make Me Smart” listener, will ya? Plus, decoupage, anyone?

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “What gas prices do — and don’t — tell us about the economy” from Vox
• “State Department adviser expects gas prices to fall to $4 a gallon” from Axios
• “Iran and Russia’s Gazprom sign primary deal for energy cooperation” from Reuters
• “Biden eyes climate emergency declaration as Democrats demand swift action” from The Washington Post
• “Secret Service cannot recover texts; no new details for Jan. 6 committee” from The Washington Post
• “Apple to Slow Hiring and Spending for Some Teams Next Year” from Bloomberg
• Video: Tommy Tutone — “867-5309/Jenny“
• “Tips, Tricks, and Advice for Decoupage” from the Spruce Crafts

If you’ve got a hack you’d like to share, email us at [email protected] or leave us a voice message at (508) 827-6278 or (508) U-B-SMART.