...there are Passengers and there are Drivers.

Of Diesels and Other Things Volkswagen

I've been casually looking at cars for quite some time, figuring if something worked out, it'd be better to bite the bullet at my convenience rather than when I was desperate and had to take just anything. My goal was to find something more fuel efficient than the Jeep Grand Cherokee I had been driving. It was running OK, but making a few noises, dropping in fuel economy (at trade-in, it was down to less than 15 MPG) and, not being mechanically inclined, it seemed best to trade it in while it would provide some value.

I looked at a few different cars. The new 2007 Jeep Compass was intriguing, but disappointing; one I looked at cost more than a 2006 Liberty ($19k) despite having manual windows (though the sticker did note that this nearly two and quad-zeroes car did have an A/C). Given that it isn't off road capable, I'm not sure why the model I looked at was so pricey. It is also rather ugly, losing much of the charm of the typical Jeep. It's cheaper cousin and heir to the Neon's job, the Dodge Caliber, looks nicer and was nicely equipped for about three thousand less. It was tempting and not at all unpleasant. I think “Dr. Z,” as current Chrysler Group promotions refer to DaimlerChrysler's Dr. Dieter Zetsche, has given the Star-marquees a touch of German engineering that is really nice, although not as nice as a pure German car.

Drivers Wanted. I'm a Volkswagen man, so I was strongly leaning toward some kind of VW. Primarily it was between a Jetta and a New Beetle. When my parents were looking for a car this spring, I managed to coax my dad into looking inside a 2006 Passat, and despite his dislike of Volkswagens, he saw how nice it was in comparison to the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. It begs to be compared more to the likes of this, only for thousands less. Obviously, then, I really admire the Passat, but it was more than I wanted to spend, and I really don't need that large of vehicle. I did end up test driving a left over demonstrator of the 2005 Passat which was dramatically reduced in price, but I opted against that (in part because of how much I think the all new 2006 model is improved).

The Beetle has been floating through my mind as a car I've wanted to own since the Concept 1 awed everyone in 1994. Call me odd; while most kids dream of getting some kind of muscle car when they finally got their licenses, I dreamed of a Bug. Having grown up riding around in my mother's bright orange 1971 Super Beetle, I am thoroughly a Beetle fan, and (unlike most of my peers) not just from hearing about them: I experienced the real thing. The world's best selling car (ignoring the Corolla which is really a bunch of different cars that have carried the same name) is truly an amazing thing and a pleasure to ride in; although my mother's VW was wrecked probably a decade ago and has been patiently waiting its slow restoration since then, I did not forget.

Nevertheless, I did seriously consider the Jetta. It's a bit more expensive than a Beetle, but better at hauling more than two passengers and features some of the extra bells and whistles of the Passat. I test drove one after I drove a New Beetle, but while it is an amazing car, everything good about Beetles came to mind and won out over the next few days. Volkswagen's 2006 literature calls the New Beetle a “peace pod on wheels” and a “force of good,” and those are good descriptions. Many cars get the attention of people, the Beetle just quietly makes everyone smile. There's something to be said for being in a car that seems to have built in rose colored glasses. Perhaps it is like Steve Job's RDF (Reality Distortion Field).

The Diesel Dilemma. Having settled on the “force of good,” I next had to decide about diesel. One dealer in town had several Beetle's with Volkswagen's amazing TDI diesel technology. If you judge diesels by the old 1980's American diesels, you are getting the wrong picture. The TDI is a turbocharged, finely tuned machine that gives 44 MPG on the highway and provides very good acceleration without making a racket. While its horsepower looks meager (100 versus the gas engine's 150), more torque makes up for the difference. The problem is that people really want these puppies. While I wanted to put my money where my mouth is and support what I think is the best alternative fuel option, I couldn't justify the cost. The TDI only costs $1,200 more than the 2.5L 5-cylinder that comes standard in the Beetle or Jetta, but unlike the 2.5 models, dealers won't negotiate on the TDI. So while you can get a 2.5L for invoice price, you pay the higher sticker price for the diesel. I had figured that at a $1,200 difference, a TDI would pay for itself in two years, but when the difference shot up to almost $3,000, the fuel economy no longer was worth paying for.

Having tried to deal with a dealer farther away that had TDI's, I returned to my local dealer, which I really like and ended up with my car. (If you live in the area and go to buy a VW, Hyundai, Isuzu or Suzuki, ask for Kip Rodgers and tell him Tim Butler sent you — Kip likes to play the negotiating game, but he's also a pleasure to deal with and very, very helpful.) I've always liked beige interiors (as well as the Gecko Green exterior) and the decision on my Bug was aided by the fact that the one other Beetle they had included the sizably more expensive leather package as opposed to leatherette. I liked both Beetles at St. Charles VW better than the configurations at the aforesaid other dealer.

So that's the story of my Bug, which like any New Beetle should, has been given a name. “June Bug.” (it was made in June.) So far, I absolutely love it. I really admire the German engineering that VW puts into all of their cars, from the low end Rabbit (a.k.a. Golf for those of you across the pond, $14,990) through the absolutely stunning Phaeton, which I have had a chance to sit in (starts at $66,700). I could easily be a VW salesman, having admired Ferdinand Porsche's legacy since I was a little boy. There is a different feel to driving and riding in a German car; it rides smoothly, but you “feel one” with the road. It may not be for everyone, but I love it.

By the way, if you connect this post's title to my first post about car buying, you'll notice you will get most of Volkswagen's slogan. Yes, being the devious guy that I am, I included a hint in the title of my post that asked for guesses of what I bought. On the road of life there are passengers and there are drivers. Drivers wanted.

It'll Have to Wait

I kept getting sidetracked today, and did not make it through the comments. In addition, I still do not have my car post written (good thing I just gave up and posted a photo!).

Tomorrow, tomorrow, there's always tomorrow…

Late Night Post

Well, I ended up spending a late night at a client's home who is using his home as an office while his real office remains without power after last week's storm. As such, I have not had a chance to read the comments on the “Power Grid” or “Soda” posts; I'm not ignoring those comments, though. Tomorrow hopefully.

I'll also write the very late post on my new vehicle tomorrow. But, since I keep promising it, I'll at least provide pictures (if you click the photo it'll take you to an album that also has a few neat sunset photos, along with car photos).

The Gecko Green Bug, a.k.a. “June Bug”

I'm going to give the asisaid points (10 each) to Christopher and Mike. Mike has tried various creative ways to figure out what kind of car I was talking about, and he picked up on my clue about Germany too. He even mentioned a TDI Beetle. I'll also give him 10 extra points for the said creativity. Christopher earns twenty for guessing a VW Beetle, albeit in black.

Irrational Behavior and the Power Grid

According to KMOX 1120 AM, the Rev. Al Sharpton is coming in to St. Louis today to protest the fact that minorities are still without power in St. Louis after the storm that hit last week. He joins a growing faction that is angry at Ameren for its “slow” repair of the power lines.

Let me get this straight. A storm with 90+ MPH hurricane force winds hits six days ago and knocks out almost 600,000 customers' power — the worst damage in the power company's history. The power company gets over 100,000 of those lines restored only to have a storm on Friday morning push the number back up to almost 600,000. Nevertheless, using over 4,000 Ameren and other power utility workers from all across the midwest, the number is inching down to 235,000, as of yesterday afternoon, and someone still has the nerve to suggest that Ameren is discriminating against minorities!?! Last I checked many non-minority areas in St. Charles were out of power all weekend, and St. Charles has the advantage of newer infrastructure with less large trees. St. Louis too is getting most of its power up, but there is a price to living in older areas, whether one is a minority or not.

People need to get a grip. Ameren has done an amazing job dealing with an “act of God” and to say otherwise is only to demonstrate one's lack of connection to reality. This isn't discrimination, its life after a major storm.

Weighing in on Soda

About two years ago, Kevin started me thinking about soda. At the time, I was drinking six to eight liters of Coca-Cola a week at home, and usually ordered a Coke or Dr. Pepper when I was eating out. I drank a lot of water too, but soda was, at the very least, a close second in my total liquid consumption. Kevin at the time decided to cut back, or maybe quit, drinking soda. I thought it sounded like a worthy thing to consider, and started cutting back a bit myself. Cutting back a little meant there wasn't always an open two liter in the fridge, making drinking soda less convenient. I was particularly busy at the time this all started, and before I knew it, that slight decrease in convenience meant I wasn't drinking any soda at all. Then I started ordering iced tea (no sugar — coffee and tea are meant to be black — thank you very much) or water at restaurants.

I essentially quit drinking the sweet stuff without really thinking about it much.

Now, I drink just a little soda. An energy drink-type soda once or twice a week, a Coke on a rare occasion, a Dr. Pepper if I go to Taco Bell (since their iced tea isn't so great)… that kind of thing. When I combined this with trying to be just a small bit more active, stuffing myself just a bit less at dinner and so on, I essentially ended up going on a painless diet. I went from hovering at somewhere around 275-280 lbs. (127 kg) down to somewhere slightly under 195 lbs. (88 kg). That took me from being considered obese according to the NIH through the realm of being overweight and, in the last six months or so, into the territory of “normal weight.”

This is interesting. Yes, I've tried to quit eating a whole 12” pizza when a little over a half will fill me. Yes, I don't always supersize my french fries. But, by and large, I've not really changed my eating that much. I still eat unhealthily. And, while I've tried to walk and do other healthy activities a bit more, I still spend more time reading, listening, writing, driving, computing or otherwise sitting than moving. While I knew I drank a lot of soda, I never thought I drank that much! Calorie percentage wise, I don't think I really have lowered my intake that significantly. What maybe 300 or 350 calories a day? It makes me wonder what's in that stuff.

Food, or drink, for thought.

Sunday Miscellany

Well, I said in the comments of my car post that I'd post the answer to what kind of car I traded up to, but I think I'll wait until tomorrow. If anyone else wants to take a guess and try for some asisaid points, now's the time. Perhaps I'll give points for the best or most amusing guess, if no one gets it right. If nothing else, I find it interesting to see how my writing impacts what y'all think I'll putt around in.

I had a pleasant surprise this morning. Last week, I went to Oak Hill Presbyterian Church to hear Dr. Alan Meyers, my professor in times past as well as present day advisor and friend, preach. Dr. Meyers is just as wonderful at preaching as teaching (which I've talked about before), providing interesting reflections and connections that draw out the meaning of whatever passage he happens to be preaching on.

He's the parish associate that fills in when the regular pastor is otherwise occupied. Their pastor was on vacation still today, so he was suppose to preach again, but I was not sure exactly what was up with the service today since the church is located in one of the hardest hit areas of St. Louis city from last week's storms. I should have called him to see if he was preaching rather than e-mailing, but I didn't, and so I did not know as of this morning whether there would be a regularly scheduled service this morning or not. I suspect perhaps his Internet is down, which would explain why I did not hear back from him.

As such, I returned to my church instead, rather than venturing 45 minutes to downtown only to discover that the power was out and the service canceled. While it is disappointing that I likely missed out on Dr. Meyers preaching, Greg, our youth and contemporary worship pastor, was manning the pulpit at my church, which was a very nice surprise. Greg just graduated from seminary and moved up from being our youth minister to this new, full time pastoral job. He has one of the best gifts for preaching I've ever heard — he is both captivating and sincere. I was glad I did not miss one of the rare occasions that he puts his talents to use.

All in all, that made for a good start to the morning!

I'm working on a computer for a friend who plans to give it to his son to use for web surfing and the like. It is an old, 1998-era Compaq, which is in fairly good condition, except that when it was purchased used it came with a pirated (and thus unupdateable) copy of Windows XP. I'm trying to install a new copy of Windows XP, but the system is too old to boot off a CD-ROM. Apparently Windows XP requires six diskettes in order to attempt to start setup via diskettes, so I need to stop by the office store to get some new diskettes tomorrow.

It just amazes me how little use I have for those once essential small black squares. My primary computers for the last two years have not even included a diskette drive! And I don't recall whether I bothered using the diskette drive in the computer before that either.

Quiz Redux: I'm Germany

Interesting; several years ago when I took this same quiz, I was Japan. Now I'm Germany. What country are you?

Which Country of the World are You?
Germany - Despite a controversial recent history, it has had a tough and powerful history. A modern-day technological and cultural beacon, it is still target to stereotypes and antiquited thoughts.

Positives:
Technologically Advanced.
Culturally Admired.
Global Power.

Negatives:
Target of Historical Fervor.
Constant Struggle.
Funny-Looking Ethnic Clothing.

Take this quiz!

TQ: Religion in Four Points

My answer to this week's meme from Mark.

1. What was your very first relgious experience that you can remember.
Anyone who answers Baptism, or equivalent for other faiths, will be sacked.

Baptism. Well, actually, that might be quite true, if I was a Baptist. Aside from being ornery, that would depend. Do you mean the first religious ritual I participated in in a meaningful way? I guess that would probably be a Christmas Eve or Good Friday service at some point; the candle light and darkness probably caught my attention in such a service long before regular Sunday services meant much.

2. What was the one event in your life where you made the conscience decision to explore your faith because you wanted too, not because someone told you too.

I don't think I've spent a lot of time not exploring my faith since Confirmation, which was probably the last time I was semi-forced to explore it (though after awhile that too was something I enjoyed). I'm just a curious guy, I suppose.

3. Was there ever a time in your life when you questioned if you had it right? If yes, what was that event?

Sure. Lots of times there are little nagging doubts, although not significant ones. Probably the last really significant time was one Easter evening a few years back — a dark cloud of doubt came over me, but only for the evening. Over the last few years I've picked up what a friend and mentor of mine calls the “nonchalance of faith,” I think. I don't generally question whether my basic beliefs about God are right, even if I question and explore some of the specific doctrines.

4. What is your biggest pet peeve with “religous” folk? General answers please, nothing personal or specific.

I think I most dislike what I'd call an overly strong air of “religiousness.” I become disturbed by people that always seem to jam a bunch of pious sounding words in their phrases (especially when it comes to group prayer) — it seems to me usually these people only sound “highly religious” and that they lack the substance of faith. Often they are self-serving too; for example, using the phrase “it's not about us, it's about God” to a complaint often means “I don't care if you disagree with this, I'm right” or “I know I'm stepping on you, but you should 'turn the other cheek.'” I should be careful here, because I'm sure I've been guilty of this too, but this would be my biggest pet peeve of those who are “religious” (be they actually believers or just people joining the “Sunday morning social club”).

Among believers, I would say my biggest pet peeve is anti-intellectualism. Christians are so worried that scholars are out to destroy the church (which may be true of some, but certainly not all), that many opt to basically reject any attempt to facilitate a dialogue or synergy between intellectual, secular pursuits and faith. In not so many words, the rule is that faith must either dominate the other pursuits (hence “fixing” the results because the answer is already known and thus no investigation ought to be done) or the other scholarly tasks should be forgotten altogether. This is hogwash. That's not to say that the Bible is not the final authority, but if it is truly correct (and I believe that it is), we do not need to force everything else to affirm it. We should simply accept that eventually mutual affirmation will come about without any need of us “helping God win.”

I believe that lack of faith in the idea that fully independent means will eventually corroborate God's Truth (or at least never contradict it) has much to do with the modern caricature of Christians as lemmings without curiosity. If at times we were willing to honestly say, “Such and such is a mystery, and while we cannot explain how this works in God's plan right now, at least it encourages us to dig further into understanding God,” I think the world would gain a much greater respect for the Church in a way that is good. That is, it would not be the church compromising to the world, but rather the world seeing that yes, they too can become Christians without taking their minds off at the door to faith.

Note: I don't direct this at any of my blog readers. Really.

Note: The questions on this page written by Mark are governed by the Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 2.5 license. I believe my responses are allowed under fair use and therefore are not licensed under the Creative Commons license (I don't want people messing with adapting my personal opinions, thank you very much).

Ding Dong the Wiz was Here...

Last Friday, I made the annual pilgrimage to St. Louis's municipal outdoor theater, the Muny, to see the Wizard of Oz. I wasn't quite sure what to expect in a musical drawing off of the 1939 MGM film, but I did expect to see something fairly good. The movie, I think most people will agree, belongs to that mystical canon known as The Classics ™. When filmography is looked back on much as literature is now, Oz will surely hold a spot in the realm of film-ature.

To me, that made it harder to imagine as a live performance work. While many musicals go the opposite direction from play to film, or films move from dramas to live musicals, it seems a bit less common for a musical film to move to the stage. As far as I can tell, while other stage adaptations of the story have existed, the MGM film has claim to a different sound track, one that this play used. And, for that matter, used very well.

The main characters in this production all seemed to have had spots on the Muny roster from last year (and, in particular, from the two plays I saw: Jesus Christ Superstar and Mame). While they were up against difficult acts from the original, they did a great job with all of the songs, keeping the flavor close to the movie without seeming like they were merely providing stale imitations.

The sets were well thought out, as always, and I was pleased to see that they managed one of the most memorable parts (at least for me): Miss Gulch/the Wicked Witch of the West flies at the beginning while riding on her bicycle. There were some changes to get the work on stage, for example, pyrotechnics were the preferred means of dramatic entrances or exits, and I would say those alterations were really great. Because they weren't used entirely consistently, the fireworks' shooting up managed to add surprise to several scenes.

Probably the one who really stole the show was none other than Toto, Dorothy's dog. This was one well trained pooch, barking at just the right times, tolerating lots of commotion and just acting rather adorable (and I'm not even fond of dogs, typically). He got a very healthy applause at the end.

As a whole, I'd say the Wizard was not as good as the Music Man or Jesus Christ Superstar at the Muny, but it was well worth seeing, and, if it were still possible, I would say you should go see it.

Rating: ***1/2

The Road of Life...

Before going to the Muny last Friday, I traded in my Jeep Grand Cherokee. My aunt had sold it for a good price when she was getting ready to trade up to a new Jeep a number of years back, but it was starting to exhibit some problems, such as a shifter that was sticking, some odd noises in the engine and plummeting fuel economy. It still had some trade-in value — though not much — so I decided it was a good time to take advantage of that.

I was going to say what I traded up to, but that wouldn't be any fun, now would it? Instead, I'll offer 10 asisaid points, toward the next iteration of the Challenge (coming soon), to the poster who can guess correctly what I traded my trusty Jeep in for. If you can guess the right color, I'll also offer 10 points. If you can guess both correctly together, I'll give you 10 extra points for a total of 30.