With all the talk about high gas prices lately, it’s amazing to hear or read many stories about how everyone’s trying to hold onto the very last drop. The sudden increases over the past few months have even convinced a few to either shelve or unload their gas guzzlers for more fuel-friendly modes of transport. However, a story released in Science Today shows that just trading up to a car with a higher MPG doesn’t always translate into huge savings. Another thing I noticed that wasn’t in the article is driving fewer miles doesn’t always improve fuel economy.
To prove my theory, I closely measured the fuel consumption in my 2000 Mazda Protege for the past two weeks. One week of travel consisted of a mix of city and highway driving, while the second week was mostly on the urban thoroughfares. Even though I didn’t log as many miles this past week as I did the week before, the numbers do tell quite a tale. For instance, I drove around 260 miles and consumed 8.4 gallons on week one, giving me an MPG of 31.2 and a GPM (gallons per 100 miles) of 3.21. Assuming that I paid $4 for a gallon of gas, I averaged a cost of $12.84 per 100 miles. On week two, I drove 190 miles and consumed only 6.5 gallons of gas. However, my MPG was only 29.1 and my GPM 3.43. The 100 mile cost for that week was $13.72, or an increase of 6.8 percent from the previous week.
Still, I gotta admit that even though the increase was a bit of a surprise, at least I’m doing a much better job of maintaining fuel efficiency than I would otherwise. Had my numbers followed the official recommendation, my GPM would’ve been a 4.0 (not GPA for those of you smarty-pants out there), meaning that my true cost per 100 miles would be $16.00, or a whopping 17.5 percent increase. Whoa!
This sort of information is enough to make me to look more like a nerd or a hypermiler, which I can assure you that I am not. I have a history of driving smaller cars and making the most out of every drop of gas. At least I’ve managed to remain consistent over the years in terms of maintaining optimum fuel consumption. My advice for weathering the gas crisis is pretty simple; just ease off the gas pedal a little and don’t overdo it. That way you won’t be left stranded on the side of the road with an empty gas can in your hand.
Which, by the way, has never happened to me. At least not yet, since I intend to keep my Cal Ripken-like streak of not running out of gas intact (20 some-odd years and counting).
We’re already into summer, and somehow I still can’t escape it. Whenever news of something good (or bad) is happening to a member of the Duke or UNC basketball teams, talk of The Rivalry and its intensity ensues. In this case, it appears the Tarheel faithful have plenty of reason to cheer now that their best players are coming back. All three went through the pre-draft camps before deciding that one more season on the Hill is more desirable than cashing in on all that maah-neey. Which is more than good news for them since it looks like they’ll be headed to Detroit come April.
Which leaves the Blue Devil fans pretty much on the outside looking in. Sure, our roster will remain stacked with talent as always. But somehow, it doesn’t really matter that much anyway. The feeling is kinda like watching that other kid get the shiny new toy you always wanted. Dejected is one good word to describe it.
Hopefully that feeling won’t last too long, at least until February.
Over the past several months, my church had an entire sermon series devoted to this one epistle, originally written as a letter to the church in Colossae by the apostle Paul. While that in itself may not seem all that meaningful, at least on the surface level, having studied this book of the Bible in my life group as well has helped me gain additional insight into who God is and what it means for me to be a follower of Christ. I kind of likened the experience to hitting the rewind and fast-forward buttons in a sequence so I could view replays of wisdom over and over again. And it was amazing.
The main point Paul was trying to get through to the people of Colossae was to warn them about reports of false concepts or ideas running counter to the traditions or practices of the body as a whole. In a way, Paul was trying to remind his audience not to get all caught up in the so-called prerequisities of happiness and self-fulfillment that the world has to offer, that Christ is the provider of all our needs.
That message has had a profound impact on my life in terms of shaping my overall mindset. While my life may not always have followed according to plan, it has progressed in a manner that is quite extraordinary. Granted, I’ve dealt with my share of pain, heartache, struggle, and despair over the course of time. There have been those opportunities I’ve either squandered or let pass by. I may not have always been the best family member, friend, classmate, neighbor, or co-worker that I could have been. I may not be living the so-called “American dream” that many desire as a means of personal satisfaction, or be reaching the proverbial “brass ring” as a means to attain the ideal of success or accomplishment.
But I do have something that truly does matter – a personal relationship with my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is the anchor that keeps me grounded when everything else around me is in chaos. Even though that reassurance alone may not solve all the problems that I’m facing, at least it does serve as a tool to guide me along the way. Taking “the easy way out” might be a better option in dealing with all matters great and small, the result doesn’t always provide the desired result. As Paul writes in his letter concerning this:
Then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. – Colossians 2:6-10 NIV
Something to think about indeed when it comes to the art of living, and not just living well.
In honor of this year’s NBA Finals, I’m offering yet another one of my world-famous video essays. The footage came from the Easter Festival which was held at my church this past March. Our outdoor basketball court featured a number of pickup games with kids of all ages. But it was this particular group of youngsters that really caught my attention. I’m pretty sure I saw a future LeBron, Kobe, or KG somewhere in the bunch. The inspiration for my latest creation came from a sports-related feature that NBC-17 did a while back.
Speaking of the Finals, I’m actually stoked that the Celtics and Lakers will be competing against each other. Both teams were dominant throughout the 80s (when yours truly came of age), having met in the championship series three times that decade. Okay, so we won’t see another epic Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird battle, but at least the intensity both squads have to offer will make it worth watching.
At least I won’t have to see the players wearing short shorts this time, unlike a previous matchup earlier this season. Talk about a throwback to the future …
