Econoboxes: Then and Now

I don’t know who coined the term econobox, but I remember when they first started appearing on the roads of America. For those who don’t recognize it, the word refers to a small, boxy car that gets good gas mileage, you know, the kind that can go from zero to sixty in just under half an hour.

Here is a modern example of one, the Honda Fit:

It all started when gasoline suddenly became hard to find in the 1970s, just as I was old enough to drive. The Arab oil cartel decided the US didn’t need so much oil, so there were shortages of gasoline, and fuel economy became a selling point for cars. Up to that time, gas mileage was measured in gallons per mile, rather than miles per gallon.

American car makers were way behind the Germans and Japanese, which spelled the berginning of the demise of Detroit as the car capitol of the world. Volkswagen, Toyota, Datsun (later Nissan) and Honda got a huge share of the American market by selling cars that got 30 or more mpg. GM, Ford and Chrysler couldn't get their small cars produced fast enough, being used to the large cars they made. So along came such long-term big sellers as the Ford Pinto, the Chevy Chevette, and the Chevy Vega. Oh, you’ve never heard of those? That’s because they were ugly, badly made and as safe as riding a bicycle on ice in heavy traffic. Here are what they looked like:

Ford Pinto

Chevy Vega

Chevy Chevette

As you can see, they didn’t really amount to much more than a 4 cylinder engine surrounded by some steal, with a cabin big enough for two adults or four children. And they had little sound proofing, so one heard a lot of wind as one tried to drive at highway speeds. One strong wind and these babies might get up to 50mph. No problem, though. Uncle Sam thought we could save fuel by lowering speed limits to 55mph. I guess it was so those drivers who wanted to save money on gasoline could keep up with those of us who wanted to get where we were going without feeling like we were in a noisy wind tunnel. And they felt like a big car, with terrible stearing. I remember an ad for one of the foreign cars that mocked these by saying “Look, America, we made a big car small and a small car big!” I think they were also referring to the Mustang II, the downsized version of the muscle car. The one that caused everyone to go away from the mustang and made the Chevy Camaro a more popular car.

Anyway, now that President Obama and the environmentalists want us togo back in time, more and more people are buying small cars with high gas mileage. So, a short comparison:

• Modern versions are safer than the 1970s’ models;
• They get even better mileage with hybrid technology;
• They can actually drive at highway speeds! 
• They are much more comfortable and quiet;
• They offer many of the extras that bigger cars do, like entertainment options;
• Four adults can actually fit in them.

But there are still a couple of things that haven’t changed:

• They still get crushed in an accident by bigger vehicles (it seems the smaller the cars are getting the bigger the pickup trucks are getting);
• And they still are ugly.  

But then, most cars are uglier now than in the 70s.

One last thing. Does anyone else remember the first tiny car Honda brought to America? I present you with the car my brother said would get blown off the road by a VW Beetle:

The Honda 600 Sedan

Politics asside

Here a few non political thoughts.

• Why was Sandy called a “Super Storm” since it was only a category 1 hurricane. Is it because it was 1,000 miles across instead or 2 or 3 hundred?

• And why do the big three networks have to spend entire newscasts on one storm for a whole week? Aren’t there other newsworthy stories in the world, more important than interviewing all the victims? Yes, the storm is of national significance, but the sorrowful  stories are more local, aren’t they?

• Why it that people who don’t want to work drive like maniacs to get there on time? Why not leave a few minutes earlier and relax, rather than stressing out the other drivers (me) on the road by tailgating and cutting in between a inches to spare while going 10 mph over the limit?

• Why do advertisements for furniture stores have to have the announcer yelling at us? Do they think we’re deaf? Don’t they know that some of us change the channel or turn down the volume so we can’t hear them anyway?

• Since no one uses the old 5.25 and 3.5 inch floppy disks anymore, why not make computer flash drives the A or B drive, instead E, F or G?

Well, enough for now.  Let’s hope the Chinese let us keep our blogs when they take us over so we can continue with such important questions as these.

Leap Day

I don’t have much to say, but I wanted a post on February 29.  So here it is!

A few random thoughts, though:

• I’m glad the Republican presidential race is going on. I hate it when the choice is made in January, and we have to wait until August to make it official.
• Why do weather forecasters say we are going to have a little weather when there is a storm approaching? Don’t we have weather 24 hours a day, every day, whether it is clear or raining?
• Gas prices are climbing again.  Politicians are claiming ways to lower the prices.  I have one: Stop buying it from the Arabs and use what we have!

Enjoy what’s left of 2012.  All 10 months of it.

Post 101

I just realized that I have reached a “milestone”: I have 100 posts! To celebrate (which I should have done on my last post, since it was #100) here are not-quite 100 unrelated thoughts.

1. Since baseball is not a timed game, why is it called a “time out” when the coach wants to talk to the pitcher?
2. When the “occupy” protesters are done complaining about not having a job, will they refuse to clean up the mess they are making in various city parks, even if they are offered an hourly wage to do so?
3. And why are they protesting at Wall Street, when it is all the corporations represented on Wall Street that provide jobs?  Perhaps they should go to Washington and tell the Congress and President to remove hindrances to jobs, like over-regulation and high corporate taxes.
4. Why does the President think he needs to go give a speech to promote his economic recovery plan, when doing so costs millions of taxpayer dollars? A word to the press: point out to him that he could cut his own budget by those millions by staying in the White House and speaking from there. 
5. Why do so many people complain about colder weather in the fall, when they were looking forward to it in August?
6. And why do these same people blame the TV weather person for weather the latter cannot control?
7. And why does the TV weather person take credit for good weather?
8. Also, why do TV weather personalities act like nannies?  They tell us, “Put on your coat since it is cold.” Or, “Grab your umbrella, it’s going to rain today.” We can decide for ourselves.
9. Has anyone missed the NBA, since it is not playing ball this season because of a lockout?  I didn’t either.
10. Is it hockey season too?  Hmm, baseball ending, hockey starting, football half-way through. It must be October.

Okay, so I only could muster 1/10 of 100 thoughts. But hey, Game 7 is on now.

I'm still here

I’m still here, just not as active on this blog as I thought I would be.  Life is busy, time seems short, but all is well.


Some tidbits:

• Our granddaughter will be a big sister in June.
• I like the fact that the World Series has two teams that are not from New York or Los Angeles.  Of course, I don’t really care who wins it this year.  
• I am glad that election day is this week.  Not that I am that excited about voting, but the ads will finally cease!  Every year they get worse.  With all the politicians seeming not to like the negative ads, you would think they could tell their supporters not to air them.
• School this year is going fast.  Not that I am complaining, mind you.

Since I really do not have much to say, I might as well end this.  Thank you for taking a few seconds to stop by.  Please leave a message so I know you were here.

Kitchen: The Final Frontier

After a long delay, the final step in the kitchen redo has begun!  We got it painted, and though it does not look professional, we are all satisfied with the results.  Now, the flooring people are here, tearing out the old carpeting and getting things ready for the vinyl floor tiles.  Last night, three of us moved all the appliances and other things out of the way.  I think an appliance dolly will be a good thing to have when the floor is done.

Stay tuned...

More progress

 The kitchen work proceeds slowly.  Here I am beginning the painting.  Notice the tie-dyed shirt.  That way I can make a mess and no one will notice!

We also hired a painter to do the outside gable ends.  They were white and have needed a paint job for years.  While we were at it, we had the painter redo the shutters, which had faded to grey.  I include a "before" picture for comparison (taken last winter from a different angle). 

                 Before                                                    After

                  

New Kitchen- Phase 2

The kitchen remodel shows progress.  The new cabinets are in:

Here are the base cabinets before the countertop was installed.

Little P having a little fun.  Gotta get that girl a hobby!

The finished product.  Still need to paint, though.

And a new floor covering!

Someday we'll get the blue plastic wrap off the dishwasher.

New Kitchen - Phase 1 continued

The kitchen remodel shows progress.  Here are a few more destruction pics:

The base cabinets were harder to get out.  We needed a plumber to disconnect the water pipes.

The old sink and counter top out in the yard.

More of the wallpaper coming off.  Little P counldn't reach that high.

A new kitchen @ 3rd & College

We are in the process of redoing our kitchen.  What we had was here when we bought the house 6½ years ago.  Below are pictures from the first step: taking out the old cabinets and working on getting the wall paper off.  That part is easy; something we know-nothings can handle.  We hired an out-of-work friend to do the the real work.

Before.  We are not sure how old these cabinets are, but the ½ inch particle board shelves are bowed.

Here I am taking down the last wall cabinet.  I had to improvise as the screw heads were stripped, and I don't have a lot of  tools.  So I drilled around them and pulled them out with vice grips.

Even 15 year olds like to have fun!

H enjoying a new toy: it is called the Paper Tiger.  It has wheels with blades to tear up the wall paper.

Stay tuned for updates.

Various meanderings of the mind

Okay, so it has been a long while since I posted here.  I probably don't even have any more followers!  (Or they have found someone else to read who is more active.)  So this post will have a few thoughts on some of my "labels".

• Politics- It looks like a lot of Democrats are getting out of Congress.  This is good news and bad.  Good, because it will mean fresh blood.  Bad because the ones dropping out are ones a good Republican (or third party candidate) could defeat, while the Democrats nominated in their places have a better chance of winning.  That means the Republicans will not gain as many seats.
• Pondering- While the future looks bleak from a human standpoint, it is good to know God is in control.
• Peeve- The politicians and the lapdog media that do not want us to see that America is slowly becoming a second rate nation. 
• Praises- God is in control!!!
• Pastimes- Baseball season began last weekend.  I just don't get as excited as I used to.  Not having a son at home who listened to every Cardinals' game may have something to do with that.
• Provoking mirth- April Fool's day came and went without anyone really pulling a major prank on me.  But then, I think the current administration believes us all to be fools. 
• Poetry- 

It's Spring again as all can see.

A long winter past, from snow we're free.

The grass is green, the sky blue;

My heart yearns for fresh air true.

But summer draws near humid and hot.

Soon I'll look for a shady cool spot.

Then autumn will arrive and the trees turn red,

Then winter again, and all will seem dead.

So, on life goes, the years pass by.

And then some day, so will I die.

In that day, when in heaven I wander

No bad weather will be there to ponder.

Oh well, I guess poetry will have to do without my efforts.  Perhaps that should be under "Provoking mirth"!

Driver’s education

Youngest daughter turned 15 last month. She now has a learner’s permit to drive. Of course, that means dad is a driver’s ed teacher for the next 12 months. So far, no accidents. Just some frayed nerves. Like when she was taking a turn on a gravel road with the rear tires spinning and the nose headed for the ditch. Or when she made a left turn onto a highway and we both forgot to look the second time. There was suddenly a car in the rear-view mirror with one unhappy looking driver.

Thank the Lord for traveling mercies.

It doesn't happen often

It only happens twelve times per century, to be exact. I am referring to the date and time stamp on this post. It happened on morning of January 1 of 2001, then again on February 2 of 2002. Then, every 13 months and one day since then. The last time will be early afternoon on December 12, 2012. Have you figured it out? Look carefully at the date and time stamp. September 9, 2009 at nine minutes, nine seconds past nine o'clock in the morning.

Okay, perhaps is not as obvious to some: 09/09/09 09:09:09, or the moment when the month, day, year, hour, minute and seconds are identical. I say in the morning, because on the 24 hour clock, 9:09 PM is 21:09. 12:12 AM is 00:12.

Another year of school has begun

Here goes. Ready or not it is here. Last Monday, the bell rang at 8:10AM, and thus began another year of school. I get Freshman 7th hour this year- 21 of them, along with 8 other students. It is the first time I have 14 year olds in the afternoon for six years. So far so good. They are eager and cooperative. It must be the water. Of course, not the water at the school. The drinking fountain down the hall has rusty pipes, and for the first several days the water came out brown or yellow. Not very inviting.

It is strange starting the year two weeks before Labor Day. But then, we started about the same time this year, but Labor Day is later.

The school schedules early release days for the first week since it is usually too hot in our non-air-conditioned building. But the Lord had other plans this week. Thursday was the only "hot" day (85° and humid). The rest were low 80s, and today was 70! Now that we start our regular schedule on Monday, it will probably get too hot. But looking at the forecast, I guess I don't have to worry.

Personal blogging dead? I doubt it.

On my usual perusal of World Magazine on line, I found an interesting post about personal blogging “going the way of the rotary dial phone.” So I followed the link to Wired.com. The premise is that writing a personal blog has become “so yesterday”, and now the fad is Facebook or Twitter. I have only gone to Facebook once in my life, and have never visited Twitter. So, here I am behind the times again, along with my email and land line phone. I actually have a cell phone, but I only use it to make and, rarely [hint to my away-from-home children], receive calls. I would rather email someone or leave a voice mail than text, as the thumbs are not made for pushing tiny buttons several times just to get one letter. Usually I don’t get the button pushed fast enough, so I get the wrong letter and have to go back and delete. Or I push too many times and have to repeat.

But I digress. I post this comment to ask my few readers (and those I invited from Worldmagblog, to tell me your thoughts on this trend. Is our society so fad based that we have to go from one form of communication to another, just so we can keep in touch? Are we so technologically bound that we cannot keep a good thing going anyway? Is the day of posting pictures of the family for all to see now going to Facebook and its kind? I have nephews who post family pictures on blogs, and I like them, as I do not have to log in every time I want to see what the latest happenings in their households are. Since I do not live in the same town, I can see how their children are doing with the click of a mouse (1960s’ technology, BTW). If I want to comment, I can use my QWERTY keyboard (1800s’ technology) and post something. And if I actually want to talk to them, or get them some message “for their ears/eyes only”, I can pick up either phone and call (19th or 20th Century technologies), or send an email (1980s) or even get out paper and pen and send a letter (B.C. “technology”), put it in an envelope, get a stamp (1800s) and send it by postman (predates Ben Franklin in the 1700s, but he was the founder of the Postal Service, you know).

Anyway, is the personal blog a thing of the past? Or will those of us who prefer this form keep it going (at least until the Internet providers make it impossible, as the phone companies have done with rotary/pulse tone phones)? Please comment (but don’t let moderation stop you, it prevents the trolls and spammers, who, according to Wired.com article, are the only ones who will read this).

Year-end ramblings

The end of another year is upon us. This arbitrary calendar date always gets us in either a nostalgic or anticipatory mood. Either we reminisce (Thank you, Lord, for spell check!) about what has happened in our lives over the last 12 months, or we look ahead to what might come our way in the next. Newspapers and magazines remind us of the “top ten” stories, which are nothing more than the editors’ way of rehashing their own opinions on the readers. Radio stations play the “top” songs, or at least the ones that sold the most copies or got the most airplay. I often wonder who chooses these. When I was in radio, many times I didn’t like the “hit” song on an album, but preferred one of the other cuts, so it would get more airplay on my shift. Now, I don’t like buying albums (or whatever they are called now-a-days), as there might be one or two songs I like, and the rest are fillers.

So, what has happened at 3rd and College to make 2008 special? Let’s see. We celebrated a college graduation of our second child (oldest daughter). Now she is engaged to be married in March. How soon before I become “grandpa”? It is scary to think of my children starting married lives.

Daughter 2 turned 21 this year. Another scary thought: I have three children over 21 years of age! They do grow up fast, don’t they?

In the next year, other than the wedding, another milestone will take place: oldest child (the son) will hit the ripe old age of 25! To think I was his age when I wed. Was I so inexperienced as he? And youngest daughter will start high school and be old enough to get her permit to drive. More gray hair as I teach another to drive.

Small things in the great scheme of life, but daunting none-the-less. Lord, help me know and Your will.

Autumn is near...

And I cannot wait. Yes, the cooler weather is great. But what a fall it is going to be! The presidential election looks like it is going to be electric with Sen. McCain picking Gov. Palen as his running mate. The World Series looks to have at least one of my teams this year, with my favorite Diamondbacks in the hunt for another division crown, and the Cubs, Mets and Cardinals also most likely going on to the post season. Too bad only one of the four can go to the series. I suppose since the Cubbies have waited so long, I’ll pull for them. At least then all the Cubs fans will be happy. (But then, what will Chicagoans have left to hope for?)

Various ramblings

So, I get on here and see it has been almost a month since I last posted. Therefore, it is time to again put something here so I don’t lose my two or three readers. After all, with 13 million blogs, and only 39 million bloggers, I need to do my part to keep the few dedicated friends happy! (I remember reading those numbers somewhere, but of course my forgetful self forgot the source.)

Here then are a few ramblings on various subjects in my mind.

Have you ever noticed that the “Yard of the Week” that smaller towns have are usually the same yards year after year? At least that is my theory. It is also my theory that the yards are owned by people with a lot of extra time on their hands, or enough money to hire a gardener. I barely have time in a week to mow the lawn, let alone plant pretty flowers and shrubs. If it were not for previous owners planting peonies and irises, our yard would be nothing but grass (or should I say, various weeds and grasses that look nice when mowed). Nor do I have the money to buy all those landscaping necessities (nor time to put them in the yard). I do not begrudge those who have a green thumb and like to use it. Neither do I begrudge them the honor of having their picture in the newspaper and a sign in the yard. As Jesus said, “They have their glory in full.” (I know that is not the context of that scripture, but it fits anyway.)

I believe it is time for the newspapers to honor those of us who keep our yards free of clutter and junk cars, mow the grass when needed and don’t let it get out of hand. How about a weekly “Normal Person’s yard of the Week”?

Speaking of lawns, this summer has been a lot wetter than the last few years. Normally I do not have to mow as much this time of year, as there is usually just a few weeds growing. One recent summer, I did not have to mow from early July to the middle of August, as it was so dry even the weeds couldn’t grow. Last year I had July grass in June (almost brown with green weeds). This year I have May grass in August (thick, wet, green grass).

This week was the Missouri state-wide primary election. I live in a rural, Democratic county. There are so few Republicans, that the GOP does not even run candidates for the local offices! However, most of the voters lean conservative. That is seen in the general election, especially in a Presidential race. You drive through the countryside and see yard signs for Democrats at all levels, except for president.

On the same subject, I am glad there are only a few more months until the November election. I got tired of the Presidential race last November, with all the caucus and primary elections news. Of course, the way it has been the last few cycles, the 2012 campaign will probably start November 6th!

All for now. Thank you for taking time from your busy schedule to stop by 3rd and College. At least leave me a note so I know you were here. (Since I moderate all comments, you can tell me if you do not want your note published.)



Addendum: At the request of a cousin, here are two pictures of my yard.

This is the day

Random thoughts on a winter’s day.

David said: “This is the day the LORD has made. Let us and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) I often have to be reminded of that. Here in Missouri, winter seems to linger on and on. We have days of below freezing with some snow and ice, followed by a day or two of warm (or relatively warm) weather. Of course, it is hard to enjoy the warmth when the forecast calls for another round of winter weather!

I was reading to my youngest the other day, and came across this quote (a father telling his daughter why she should not use improper grammar, even in informal settings): “Language is the clothing for your thoughts, my dear. A thought surely deserves to be dressed in its very best when it enters the world.” I whole-heartedly agree. I find it hard to write an email or IM note without using correct punctuation and grammar. It must be the teacher in me.

The school year is getting long. February and March are always the hardest months. Grey, cold days; long stretches with no holidays; students who give up and let their grades slide. I tell them the third quarter is the hardest, both because of the dreariness of this time of year, and the fact the material gets tougher. They never believe me until a week or two before report cards come out and their grade is not as high as they would wish. I had a prof in grad school who theorized that once a student gets half way though a term, that the grade is pretty much what it will be at the end, and there is not much one can do to change it. Try telling that to an almost 16-year-old who has been told he cannot get his driver’s permit if he has any poor grades!

Satisfied?

“I can’t get no satisfaction ... And I try, and I try, and I try, and I try...”
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones

Well, another Christmas has come and gone, and Madison Avenue is still trying to get us to buy whatever it is we don’t need but think we want. The buying binge most Americans go through each December is another refrain of the Rolling Stones’ song. Every year, December 26 sees long lines at retailers of people returning those items they did not like, that they did not need, or both. The wrong size/color/style is often the excuse, but I believe most of the dissatisfaction stems from the fact that we are supposed to surprise each other, and many times are not accurate in our guess as to what the other person wants. Why not do what many folks did this year and give a gift card? Then the recipient can pick out whatever is wanted. But will that satisfy?

I cannot say for sure, but I don’t think Mr Jagger ever has gotten satisfaction. The key being that he tried. The Christian believes that we can never be satisfied through our own efforts. True satisfaction only comes from God. A pastor I know puts it this way: We will only be content based on the content of our soul. I think 1 John 2:15-17 sums it up best:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.