I love him

hypermilling

my mom forwards me all kinds of links on my email, about everything that she thinks is interesting or could help me. it's so funny. My grandmother (her mother) used to tape segments of tv shows like Oprah and send them in the mail to her, and she used roll her eyes about it! now she kind of does the same thing, only in an updated, 21st-century form. I love it.

anyway, a few months ago, when we were deep in the gas crisis, my mom forwarded me something that has kind of got an underground following - hypermilling. I had never heard of it before. It's a set of driving techniques to save on gas, and they really work.

It's all about using hills for coasting to your advantage and stuff like that. Some of them can be dangerous, though (FYI), like turning off your engine when stopping at red lights and tailgaiting semi trucks on the freeways because their large size cuts wind resistance for your car, causing less gas needed to propel it along. The hardcore hypermillers actually go into their cars and put stuff into their engines. It's crazy. You can Google it, really, but I will share with you, my friends, my knowledge.

Some things that I can remember are (and what I've learned myself):

1.) Don't Brake!

Brakes are gas-wasters. Yes, they are there to save your life if you need to stop or avoid something suddenly, but other than that, they WASTE GAS! Your car will slow down if you stop pressing the gas pedal - USE that to your advantage. Look to see what's coming ahead of you, especially if you know your route. If you drive the same way to work every morning, you know where the stop lights are, so be smart about that. Stop pressing the gas as soon as you get the red light in sight. Most people keep going with the gas pedal and only hit the brakes at the last minute, about 15-20 feet before they have to stop - waste of gas! You have to slow down anyway, so if you let up on the gas way in advance and avoid using the brakes until you absolutely have to - to not hit someone, it really does save gas.

Same goes for stop signs and any other time where you know you have to stop. Hypermilling sites recommend timing your commute to hit all the green lights but that's too complicated for me. But I do know where the longest stop lights are in town are and avoid them as much as possible. The longer your car idles... you guessed it... more gas is burned.


2.) Don't press the gas pedal that much

In line with that thought, most people are in the habit of just pressing on the gas pedal the whole time you are driving, unless it's time to stop. Zooooooom-STOP-Zoooooooom-STOP... etc. Well, This next trick takes some getting used to. Your car will keep going at the same speed for several seconds if you let up off the gas.... newer cars go for longer than older ones. So, with that in mind, let up off the gas every few seconds. Go until you start to slow down below the speed limit. Be careful that when you press the gas again, that you are very gentle - you don't want to come down heavily with your foot and zoom forward, wasting gas and defeating your purpose. I guess it helps if you know how to drive a stick shift, you know the motions of fluidity with the pedals.

Anyway, driving this way can be kind of annoying, but trust me, it is worth it. and you will get used to it.


3.) Hills are your friend

Hypermillers call them "road-candy." Where I live there are a lot of hills, and it helps. You can coast for a long time if you get a good enough start up the hill, and there's no traffic slowing you down in front of you (which is a big problem - we get EXTREMELY slow drivers who go 10 miles below the speed limit - it kills me).


4.) Go the speed limit

This one pains me to no end, and I don't know how much I believe it. I speed. I love it. I do it unconsciously and have a great need for speed. My Alpha Phis know this about me all too well. Anyway, the theory on this one is that it takes less gas to go slow and more to go faster. MY theory is that the faster you go, the less time it takes for you to get where you're going, and your engine is running for less time overall, therefore consuming less gas as a whole.

but the Technique #2 as described above has helped me to slow down a bit.


Ok, that's all I've got for now, there's a LOT of other things you can do. But let me tell you, I have saved a lot of gas. I notice a big difference. Everytime I fill my tank, I reset my odometer to "0" on one of the trip settings to see how many miles I can get out of a total tank (until the Empty light comes on). An average mile amount for me is about 275... but I recently got 285 miles... that's 10 more miles! That's several trips from work, school and home for me. Once, when I wasn't careful, I only got about 175 miles from a whole tank - that's HORRIBLE!! I'm soembarrassed about how wasteful I was. So now you see.

Let me know if this works for you, I'm interested in other people's experiments in this!

Thurs, Sept 25 Gallery 51

Playlist Sept. 08

* LES Artistes - Santogold
* Starstruck - Santogold
* The Feel Good Drag - Anberlin
* Undead - Hollywood Undead
* All I Want - Toad the Wet Sprocket
* Let It Die - Food Fighters
* Bullet Proof Skin - Institute
* Sing the Sorrow (album) - AFI

tough love

I got some tough love the other day. it was hard.

I've gotten in the habit of just writing whatever I think and feel on this page, and also I thought that no one reads it. I guess that's not true! So, I apologize for that. I'll save it for a diary!

I've been meaning to get back to posting my Top 10 lists and my Playlists. more on that later.

recommendations

hello.
I've been thinking a lot about this subject lately, as I've had to ask several people to write me recommendations for my study-abroad application. I hate having to ask people for them, really. It's really asking them to write nice things about me, and I don't like it because I feel like I am fishing for compliments. I wonder if anyone has ever read a recommendation that says, "I think this person is great but I don't think they're right for this position"? You might get that when you put someone down for a reference but not a recommendation ... And it's awkward when I get turned down... which has happened a few times for this application. (Though I have learned the situation is generally as awkward as you make it.) I didn't mind asking my high school teachers for recommendations for my college applications. This time it's been stressful for me but it's done now.... and now I just have to wait.... I feel as though I've spent most of my life waiting....

I couldn't have said it better myself

I am really scared for this election.... Obama is what we need and can do wonderful things...

McCain is so shady and the person he chose as VP was clearly done for publicity. She's all over shows like Entertainment Tonight and magazines like US Weekly and People.

I'm sorry, I do not want an overnight media sensation to win the ticket.

And I do not want this woman, who prides herself on being a mother, to lead the country. She exposed her own daughter to the mediahounds when there was clearly no need.... it should be private family business. What kind of mother does that? She should protect her underage daughter who got herself in trouble, not share it with the world. It's deplorable.

I just have one thing to say

if you read this blog, great. thanks! but if you have something to say about what I post on here, be an adult and talk to me about it, not my mother. I myself am an adult who can handle what you may have say, and you do not need to tattle. If you do feel that need, stop reading! and do not create more problems for me. it's that simple.

I love this song. The beat is different, and sort of catchy. But the lyrics really are great.

L.E.S. Artistes Santogold

What I'm searching for
to tell it straight, I'm tryin to build a wall
Walking by myself
down avenues that reek of time to kill
If you see me keep going
be a pass by waver
Build me up, bring me down
just leave me out you name dropper
Stop tryin to catch my eye
I see you good you forced faker
Just make it easy
You're my enemy you fast talker

Chorus:
I can say I hope it will be worth what I give up
If I could stand up mean for all the things that I believe

What am I here for
I left my home to disappear is all
I'm here for myself
Not to know you
I don't need no one else
Fit in so good the hope is that you cannot see me later
You don't know me I am an introvert an excavator
I'm duckin' out for now
a face in dodgy elevators
Creep up and suddenly
I found myself an innovator

Chorus

Change, change, change,
I want to get up out of my skin
tell you what if I can shake it
I'm 'a make this something worth dreaming of

Sometimes, karma really is a bitch

here I go again

School starts tomorrow. And I guess I'm ready to hit the ground running. I think by the end of the week I will be taking over 20 credits. I have nothing to say about that other than I hope winter break comes quickly. Then, my life can start.

Tomorrow is going to be a difficult day. It will be the one-year anniversary of a friend's death. It feels like forever, but the pain feels like just yesterday. The events of this past year have been with me every day. In a month there will be another one-year anniversary. I can't believe it's been that long.

Edinburgh was really amazing for me. I knew I would have a good time, of course, but getting away, completely away really helped me and I do feel so much better (despite the previous 2 paragraphs). I saw and experienced so much that there is no photograph for. It's funny- all the best times I had no cameras were allowed (performances) or I was too busy. oh well. I have albums on my facebook, and I posted a video I made below.

I think about my times in Europe everyday. I am hoping so bad I can go back in the spring.

ok, sorry for this cliche-ridden entry! I'm too tired to be more original today.