Sunday, June 24, 2007 - 7:01:42 PM [View Comment or Post a Comment]

"We grant you..."

[thump-boom sound, as if echoing from a great distance]

"...TARDIS!"



I'm sure you can guess what show this is from, but bonus points if you know the exact source of the quote above.

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saving on gas (Monday, May 21, 2007 - 12:16:03 PM) [Post a Comment]

Now that I have this more fuel-efficient car, I'm much more aware of how much gas I use. Here is the usage I've tracked since I got it. I wrote down the info each time I filled up the tank, then calculated mileage based on the difference in miles divided by the gallons filled.

UPDATE [5/25/2007]: Added the most recent data.

Date	Price	Gallons	Odometer	Miles	MPG
5/3/2007			312
5/7/2007	$31.50	10.435	686	374	35.84
5/11/2007	$33.00	10.930	1111	425	38.88
5/15/2007	$33.75	10.820	1541	430	39.74
5/20/2007	$34.51	10.654	1975	434	40.73
5/24/2007	$34.00	10.594	2411	436	41.15

I had a major jump in mpg on the second tank, which was expected since that was after the break-in period. After that, I've had a steady increase of 1 mpg on each tank. I don't think that will continue; the car will settle out at some point. Also, summer is coming and I'll need to use the A/C more often.

Here are some gas-saving tips I've gathered from around the web and/or heard in various places. With all these tips, the goal is to keep the engine from working harder than it has to.

• Turn off the A/C - I know that this is next-to-impossible during the oppressive summer heat down here in the south, but you should try to turn it off whenever possible. Running the air conditioner compressor makes the engine run harder, therefore using more gas.
• Leave windows rolled UP - This is a peeve of mine: I hate it when someone in the car I'm in rolls down a window. The wind messes your hair, you can't hear the radio, and it makes conversation impossible. It also increases the air resistance drag on your car, making the engine work harder.
• Overfill your vehicle's tires - Engineers are known for putting a wide margin into the things they make. You can usually put in 5 psi more than the tires are rated. This increases the friction your tires have on the road and makes it easier for the engine to turn the tires against the road. This has the effect of making the ride a little bumpier, but it's more than worth it. I wouldn't recommend doing this during the worst heat of the summer, or if you have really old tires, or if you drive a Ford Tire Exploder.
• Drive slower - I heard in an NPR news story that (for some vehicles) if you drive 65 mph instead of 75 mph, you can save up to 20% on gas. I tried this during the last tank, but only continued to gain mpg on a steady curve. As a general rule, though, this is true. Don't have a lead-foot when driving and don't do jack-rabbit starts and stops in traffic.
• Reduce the weight - The less you carry in your vehicle, the less the engine has to work. Also, health-related, make sure you don't weigh more than you have to, either.
• Get a fuel-efficient car! - Very, very few people can ever convince me that they need an SUV. The vast majority of you just DON'T. Even a car like mine has more than enough room in the back seat for a couple of kids and their [school/sports/fun] gear. You can rent a car for the rare occasion where you might need to carry more people or stuff.

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my new car! (Sunday, May 6, 2007 - 5:23:22 PM) [Post a Comment]

I present to you, my new 2007 Toyota Yaris hatchback:



I think I'll call it the ZugBug.

I picked it up from the dealership this past Thursday afternoon, but took this picture up at Carolaina's Grannie's house up in Melbourne, AR. We drove there on Friday to attend a memorial service for Carolaina's uncle who died the day before. Between that and a trip to the airport to pick up her sister, the car got just over 200 miles put on it when this picture was taken. I did a rough back-of-the-envelope calculation and got an estimate of 37 miles-per-gallon!

I love my new car.

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astronomy anaglyphs (Friday, April 6, 2007 - 5:24:59 PM) [Post a Comment]

I've always been fascinated by anaglyphs--red & blue shifted "double" photos that look 3D when you use red/blue glasses to view them. Every so often, someone will create one with astronomy photos. Here are some of them. Most are from the Astronomy Picture of the Day.

http://www.sungazer.net/3dsun.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap040106.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap020828.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap970716.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap070318.html
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap060804.html
http://www.astronomywa.net.au/education/multimedia/3D.html

For a little history of anaglyphs, how they work, and even a tutorial on how to make your own, visit this site:
http://www.cc.gatech.edu/classes/AY2002/cs4451_spring/groups/group8/tutorial.html

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weight loss (Thursday, March 29, 2007 - 5:37:43 AM) [Post a Comment]

On the day of my birthday, I was going through files on my work computer and came across some photos I had saved out from my webcam. They really show the difference in how I looked before my weight loss and now.

Before

After

The before picture must have been taking sometime during the summer or spring of 2005, right before I started the diet. At the time, I weighed nearly 260 pounds, down from my highest of 293. After finishing the diet and the majority of the weight loss a year ago, I've been hovering around 150 pounds ever since.

All this week (and the whole month, really), I've been gearing up to go back on the diet. It's not obvious from this (or any) photo, but I still have some lingering weight around the middle that I want to get rid of. One good month on the diet should help me get rid of these final 10 pounds.

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