Sunday, December 03, 2006
The Hybrid Plunge
We did it. We bought a car. It is a used car (per our policy). It is new and familiar all at the same time. We have purchased a Honda Civic (my second), but this one is a Hybrid. Eighteen years after beginning to drive my first Civic (a 1988 DX with manual transmission) I am now about to start driving my second Civic (a 2004 Hybrid with manual tranmission).
Thanks to my wife, we got a good deal. She is the negotiator. I'm just the one who always says "We aren't going to talk about how we'll pay for this car until after we agree on a price." That's been my one useful contribution to our past two car purchase conversations.
Our new garage tennant is "Opal Silver Blue Metallic" which means "light blue" with a gray interior. It is quiet (very quiet). So much so that if not for the illumination of the dashboard lights, I wasn't sure that the car was even started. Its coolest feature is being a hybrid, which mean good gas mileage (estimated at 46 city/51 highway...but I'll let you know if that is reality or not after a few tanks). It also means that the car actually turns off the engine under certain conditions (low speeds, shifted into neutral, stopped at a light) and then turns it on when you put the car into gear. It also tracks real-time mpg, so you can see when you are coasting downhill that you get 120 mpg and accelerating uphill is 35 mpg. You also get an eye-catching little gauge that tells you when the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) battery is charging and when it is working.
I found an article that gave me a taste of the driving experience and some information about hybrids that I have posted here. I also found a photo of a 2004 Civic Hybrid that is the same color as ours, so I tagged that here, too. We are excited to have a car that is newer and will (we pray) require less maintenance than our 1993 Camry. I hope that it will take us well into the next decade before I get to write one of these entries again. Maybe by then, we'll all be laughing at the pitiful 50 mpg that our old Civic got with its "ancient" hybrid technology. I hope so.
Article about driving a Civic Hybrid:
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/other/2003-civic-hy.ars
Photo of a "Opal Silver Blue Metallic" (light blue) Civic Hybrid:
http://www.edmunds.com/media/advice/specialreports/hybrid/04.honda.civic.hybrid.500.jpg
Thanks to my wife, we got a good deal. She is the negotiator. I'm just the one who always says "We aren't going to talk about how we'll pay for this car until after we agree on a price." That's been my one useful contribution to our past two car purchase conversations.
Our new garage tennant is "Opal Silver Blue Metallic" which means "light blue" with a gray interior. It is quiet (very quiet). So much so that if not for the illumination of the dashboard lights, I wasn't sure that the car was even started. Its coolest feature is being a hybrid, which mean good gas mileage (estimated at 46 city/51 highway...but I'll let you know if that is reality or not after a few tanks). It also means that the car actually turns off the engine under certain conditions (low speeds, shifted into neutral, stopped at a light) and then turns it on when you put the car into gear. It also tracks real-time mpg, so you can see when you are coasting downhill that you get 120 mpg and accelerating uphill is 35 mpg. You also get an eye-catching little gauge that tells you when the Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) battery is charging and when it is working.
I found an article that gave me a taste of the driving experience and some information about hybrids that I have posted here. I also found a photo of a 2004 Civic Hybrid that is the same color as ours, so I tagged that here, too. We are excited to have a car that is newer and will (we pray) require less maintenance than our 1993 Camry. I hope that it will take us well into the next decade before I get to write one of these entries again. Maybe by then, we'll all be laughing at the pitiful 50 mpg that our old Civic got with its "ancient" hybrid technology. I hope so.
Article about driving a Civic Hybrid:
http://arstechnica.com/reviews/other/2003-civic-hy.ars
Photo of a "Opal Silver Blue Metallic" (light blue) Civic Hybrid:
http://www.edmunds.com/media/advice/specialreports/hybrid/04.honda.civic.hybrid.500.jpg
Thursday, June 22, 2006
US looked Confident in Defeat
Today, Landon Donovan is proud to be an American. Not because he represented his country in the World Cup in their pivotal match against Ghana (he did). Not because he established himself as a force on the world's biggest stage (he didn't). Not because he instrumental in setting up the winning goal for the glorious US win (he didn't and they didn't). No, he should be glad he is an American because his team's flop in the World Cup will raise the ire of relatively few of his countrymen. Landon need not go into hiding. He is an American, and Americans don't take soccer that seriously.
As it turned out, the US team didn't either. They seemed scared and tentative in the first game. The Czechs scored early and the Americans were back on their heals the entire game. As a result, they seemed content to control the ball without any apparent burning desire to advance it. If the US had scored on every shot they took on goal in their 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic, they still would have lost 3-1. One game, one shot on goal.
Against Italy, they struggled. They struggled to win the ball, they struggled to navigate poor officiating, and they struggled with 9 men against 10 for the Italians. This time, the US scored on 100% of their shots on goal. Zero for zero. Actually, division by zero causes an error, but you get the picture. Only Italy's hospitable own goal gift gave the US the tie. After the game, Donovan went on about outplaying the Italians 11 v. 10, 10 v. 10, and 9 v.10. He hustled and played hard, but to pretend that one team outplays another while taking no shots on goal is crazy. Finishing is part of playing. It seems that US got their moral victory, but this time it was only worth one point.
Against Ghana, the US almost looked cocky. Like the rest of the tournament, they appeared to need an invitation to shoot, and only perfect circumstances would warrant a shot. In desperation, they mustered some offense, but in a game they knew they must win to have any hope of advancing, they still only had 4 shots on goal. They seemed to play as if time was on their side until the final 20 minutes of the second half. Many will question the call on the penalty kick that beat the US. I question the USA's defense for playing with the ball in its own end in extra time of the first half. Kick the ball over the sideline and away from the penalty area and the foul cannot be called. The US would have gone into the locker room tied and been ready to push for a single goal to put them up and into the round of sixteen. As it was, they found themselves faced with the daunting task of scoring three goals in a game when they had only made one in the entire tournament. It didn't happen, and the US was soundly bounced from the Cup.
I could not have played better, but it seemed that an essential element was missing. To score, you must shoot, and to shoot, you must push the ball into the offensive zone. The more times, the better your chances. That aggressiveness was missing. The US seemed content to play ball-controlling favorite in a field where the other teams' desire outweighed their conditioning and youth. The US seemed to believe that it belonged and that was enough. Earning it seemed to be beneath them. The Czechs hustled and pressed the ball. The Italians attacked the vigor. Ghana was aggressive to a man. The US seemed to be taking their time. Only down a man to Italy and in the closing half hour of the match against Ghana did the US win challenges. The rest of the time, they seemed content to give up field position for possession. They are a talented bunch, but what they had in talent, they lacked in drive. They appeared uninspired, and uninspired teams go three and out in the World Cup. The only consolation is that Brazil will not have the chance to run all over this US team. Instead, the US will return stateside in comfort, watch the remainder of the games on their HD TVs, and go back to their MLS or world league teams once the Cup is over. They are proud to be Americans. Let's hope that next time around, their play can make us proud to be American soccer fans.
As it turned out, the US team didn't either. They seemed scared and tentative in the first game. The Czechs scored early and the Americans were back on their heals the entire game. As a result, they seemed content to control the ball without any apparent burning desire to advance it. If the US had scored on every shot they took on goal in their 3-0 loss to the Czech Republic, they still would have lost 3-1. One game, one shot on goal.
Against Italy, they struggled. They struggled to win the ball, they struggled to navigate poor officiating, and they struggled with 9 men against 10 for the Italians. This time, the US scored on 100% of their shots on goal. Zero for zero. Actually, division by zero causes an error, but you get the picture. Only Italy's hospitable own goal gift gave the US the tie. After the game, Donovan went on about outplaying the Italians 11 v. 10, 10 v. 10, and 9 v.10. He hustled and played hard, but to pretend that one team outplays another while taking no shots on goal is crazy. Finishing is part of playing. It seems that US got their moral victory, but this time it was only worth one point.
Against Ghana, the US almost looked cocky. Like the rest of the tournament, they appeared to need an invitation to shoot, and only perfect circumstances would warrant a shot. In desperation, they mustered some offense, but in a game they knew they must win to have any hope of advancing, they still only had 4 shots on goal. They seemed to play as if time was on their side until the final 20 minutes of the second half. Many will question the call on the penalty kick that beat the US. I question the USA's defense for playing with the ball in its own end in extra time of the first half. Kick the ball over the sideline and away from the penalty area and the foul cannot be called. The US would have gone into the locker room tied and been ready to push for a single goal to put them up and into the round of sixteen. As it was, they found themselves faced with the daunting task of scoring three goals in a game when they had only made one in the entire tournament. It didn't happen, and the US was soundly bounced from the Cup.
I could not have played better, but it seemed that an essential element was missing. To score, you must shoot, and to shoot, you must push the ball into the offensive zone. The more times, the better your chances. That aggressiveness was missing. The US seemed content to play ball-controlling favorite in a field where the other teams' desire outweighed their conditioning and youth. The US seemed to believe that it belonged and that was enough. Earning it seemed to be beneath them. The Czechs hustled and pressed the ball. The Italians attacked the vigor. Ghana was aggressive to a man. The US seemed to be taking their time. Only down a man to Italy and in the closing half hour of the match against Ghana did the US win challenges. The rest of the time, they seemed content to give up field position for possession. They are a talented bunch, but what they had in talent, they lacked in drive. They appeared uninspired, and uninspired teams go three and out in the World Cup. The only consolation is that Brazil will not have the chance to run all over this US team. Instead, the US will return stateside in comfort, watch the remainder of the games on their HD TVs, and go back to their MLS or world league teams once the Cup is over. They are proud to be Americans. Let's hope that next time around, their play can make us proud to be American soccer fans.
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Asking the Right Question
Have you ever had one of those moments when you realized that you have been on the wrong path? I know that we've all had at least a few "AH HA!" moments when clarity of purpose was grasped. It's like pulling and pulling on a door, maybe getting frustrated with the lack or results only to lean against it out of exhaustion only to find it open when you leaned against it. Moments like that -- only less embarrassing -- are fantastic. They redirect us, they teach us something about life that perhaps we hadn't grasped before. Moments like that lend understanding and often teach us that things aren't as difficult as we thought because of our own wrong thinking, not because of the weight of the problem.
I had one of those moments recently. In all honesty, I had grousing about my job. It was oppressive, and management is short-sighted, and no one understands how to communicate. My talents are underused and no one cares about the employees there.
I was on the verge of a job hunt, a task that I only grudgingly began to undertake after finally overcoming all of my own objections. I wanted out and I wanted to go to an employer that provided me with a sane and secure place to use my skills and grow with the company. Still a bit conflicted about switching jobs for the fourth time in my life, I was searching an making notes of companies, looking at web sites and company financials trying to come up with the ideal workplace. One that would inspire me, not drain me.
In the midst of this, I prayed some about the job situation. Not a lot, because I was really going through a very dry time spiritually. I wanted to grow, but I felt like the obligations of life kept crowding out time to grow spiritually. When I did have time, it was often book ended with activities. Now that the girls are down for nap time, I have exactly 90 minutes before I have to go get showered and dressed for the Christmas party. Oh, and I have to iron...make it 80 minutes. And I have to finish the wrapping...make it 70 minutes. Okay, now I have 70 minutes to grow spiritually. Go.
Understandably, I was very unfocused and uninspired. For me, these things tend to spiral. I do have any growth so I try to force it, which leads to no growth but plenty of frustration, which makes me not want to try as hard, which leads to no growth causing further frustration. Downward it goes.
I did, however, find some time to pray about the job situation. Lord, open a door and close a door until I understand clearly which way to go.
That leads me to my epiphany.
I was headed to the church library to look for a small group study since my efforts to come up with a study based on my knowledge of what was available was going nowhere. While in the library, I saw three people: a woman who works with the children's ministry and worked in the Kindergarten room that I help with on Sundays, a woman who co-leads the small group with my wife and I, and my sister-in-law. With a church the size of ours where close to 4000 people go through the doors on a typical Sunday, it was quite comforting to go 3 for 3 with encounters for the day. I should come over here more often, I thought. I started to look through some materials, found some promising ones, and started to check them out of the library.
Then, it hit me. Maybe I was asking the wrong question.
I shouldn't be looking for a job, I should be looking for a purpose. By seeking a purpose, a usefulness for my living, perhaps I would actually be working on the right problem. Finding a new job would not make me any happier than the other three job changes I had made. However, finding the purpose that God has for me now would make the other concerns less of a burden. My employer is still short-sighted, but instead of letting that consume me, I can let it roll off my back because I am pursuing something greater than financial gain. I am seeking to serve a big Big BIG God who wants to use me and sees the big picture. He knows of my usefulness and has plans for my growth. No one cares more about me than He does.
In that light, I realized for the first time in two years that my present work location is close to my church. I knew that as a matter of fact, but I didn't grasp it as a matter of lifestyle. I could visit the church during my lunch hour. I could use the library, talk to people, coordinate activities, even volunteer my time. I could work on and towards my purpose rather than being stagnant and grumpy.
Oh, what a burden lifted! Oh, what a joy to feel free of the exhaustion of trying to pull the door open only to lean on it and have instant access to the other side! All of the concerns I had before my trip to the library are still there. Not one of them has been solved. My work environment is still substandard, but instead of being mired in the muck, I am soaring above it. I have the hope that perhaps, God willing, some day before my life ends, my job and my purpose will become intertwined. My profession and my purpose will intersect. That would greatly please me. In the meantime -- and that is where we spend most of our days is in the meantime -- I will quietly rejoice that my work and my purpose may be geographically close. Being this close to defining my purpose is invigorating. A tiny grain of understanding of God's purpose for your life can lift a downcast heart to new heights.
I had one of those moments recently. In all honesty, I had grousing about my job. It was oppressive, and management is short-sighted, and no one understands how to communicate. My talents are underused and no one cares about the employees there.
I was on the verge of a job hunt, a task that I only grudgingly began to undertake after finally overcoming all of my own objections. I wanted out and I wanted to go to an employer that provided me with a sane and secure place to use my skills and grow with the company. Still a bit conflicted about switching jobs for the fourth time in my life, I was searching an making notes of companies, looking at web sites and company financials trying to come up with the ideal workplace. One that would inspire me, not drain me.
In the midst of this, I prayed some about the job situation. Not a lot, because I was really going through a very dry time spiritually. I wanted to grow, but I felt like the obligations of life kept crowding out time to grow spiritually. When I did have time, it was often book ended with activities. Now that the girls are down for nap time, I have exactly 90 minutes before I have to go get showered and dressed for the Christmas party. Oh, and I have to iron...make it 80 minutes. And I have to finish the wrapping...make it 70 minutes. Okay, now I have 70 minutes to grow spiritually. Go.
Understandably, I was very unfocused and uninspired. For me, these things tend to spiral. I do have any growth so I try to force it, which leads to no growth but plenty of frustration, which makes me not want to try as hard, which leads to no growth causing further frustration. Downward it goes.
I did, however, find some time to pray about the job situation. Lord, open a door and close a door until I understand clearly which way to go.
That leads me to my epiphany.
I was headed to the church library to look for a small group study since my efforts to come up with a study based on my knowledge of what was available was going nowhere. While in the library, I saw three people: a woman who works with the children's ministry and worked in the Kindergarten room that I help with on Sundays, a woman who co-leads the small group with my wife and I, and my sister-in-law. With a church the size of ours where close to 4000 people go through the doors on a typical Sunday, it was quite comforting to go 3 for 3 with encounters for the day. I should come over here more often, I thought. I started to look through some materials, found some promising ones, and started to check them out of the library.
Then, it hit me. Maybe I was asking the wrong question.
I shouldn't be looking for a job, I should be looking for a purpose. By seeking a purpose, a usefulness for my living, perhaps I would actually be working on the right problem. Finding a new job would not make me any happier than the other three job changes I had made. However, finding the purpose that God has for me now would make the other concerns less of a burden. My employer is still short-sighted, but instead of letting that consume me, I can let it roll off my back because I am pursuing something greater than financial gain. I am seeking to serve a big Big BIG God who wants to use me and sees the big picture. He knows of my usefulness and has plans for my growth. No one cares more about me than He does.
In that light, I realized for the first time in two years that my present work location is close to my church. I knew that as a matter of fact, but I didn't grasp it as a matter of lifestyle. I could visit the church during my lunch hour. I could use the library, talk to people, coordinate activities, even volunteer my time. I could work on and towards my purpose rather than being stagnant and grumpy.
Oh, what a burden lifted! Oh, what a joy to feel free of the exhaustion of trying to pull the door open only to lean on it and have instant access to the other side! All of the concerns I had before my trip to the library are still there. Not one of them has been solved. My work environment is still substandard, but instead of being mired in the muck, I am soaring above it. I have the hope that perhaps, God willing, some day before my life ends, my job and my purpose will become intertwined. My profession and my purpose will intersect. That would greatly please me. In the meantime -- and that is where we spend most of our days is in the meantime -- I will quietly rejoice that my work and my purpose may be geographically close. Being this close to defining my purpose is invigorating. A tiny grain of understanding of God's purpose for your life can lift a downcast heart to new heights.
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