My friend from church Mike asked me if I was ready for a new car yet today in an e-mail. I knew he was joking. He was the one who hooked me up just last November with my current car, a used 2000 Acura TL 3.2. That car is pure awesome. I really don’t want…
Keep It Green: Higher MPGs Without Voiding Your Warranty
These days, the fuel prices just keep rising. I find myself constantly checking the gas price comparison web sites to figure out which station to go to next. I’m no mechanic, but I understand basic concepts like fuel octane numbers and Miles Per Gallon (MPG). My car is technically supposed to take premium gas only,…
Buying a car in the UK? Check Out NetCars
Again, keeping a global perspective on who might be out there reading my blog, I’ve come across a pretty neat UK automotive website, NetCars.co.uk. Their site is pretty comprehensive, including the ability to read reviews on cars, check values, find cars for sale, a place to sell my car, and even a blogs area where…
Christmas 2007 Survived! (Part 2)
So I promised I’d also brag about the gifts that I got, so here’s the lowdown on my gift-getting this year: St. John’s Bay “Puffer” Vest – This thing is uber-comfortable material, and keeps me warm without overheating – a common problem amongst heavier people like me when people crank the heat up in the…
Five Hour Drives
Tomorrow evening after work, I have a five hour drive most of the way across North Carolina to go home to see my parents and family for the holidays. I have a whole week off work, which is nice. I just wish I could instantly teleport there. That’d be nice. Santa, as a Christmas gift…
Inventory & Dealer Software
Every business that sells anything tangible needs inventory management. You can’t possibly expect to keep up with demand for your product, ship orders, and know when you need to order more product or supplies to make your product if you don’t know what inventory levels are at. You need reporting, charts, and alerts to keep…
Nix that Expensive Car Loan
Today’s economy boggles my mind. We are simultaneously one of the largest countries in the world and simultaneously the national deficit is probably one of the largest. What are we at now? A couple trillion in debt? Most of that seems to come from effective management and leverage of our debt. I think we probably…
My Near-Death Experience
Today on the way to work, this jerk pulled out from a side street and was 3/4 of the way in the road trying to cross when I was only about 15 feet from him. He must have been completely oblivious to me until it was too late. He had completely pulled out without looking.…
Drive Brighter: HID (Xenon) Headlights
When I bought my Acura last year about this time, one of the first things I noticed when I drove it is that the headlights were particularly bright. Most of the time, you’ll notice headlights are incandescent bulbs that give off a yellowish hue. These lights are pretty bright, but compared to the bright white…
Gearheads, Greasemonkeys, and Fonzies
Yes, I did really just make reference to “the Fonz” in my title. I told you, I’m getting old. Actually, I’m not that old at all. Incidentally, I find it kind of funny that you can order car parts online. It’s a neat combination of two social groups: the geeks, and the mechanics. These two…