THE AUBURN CREED

I believe that this is a practical world and that I can count only on what I earn. Therefore, I believe in work, hard work.

I believe in education, which gives me the knowledge to work wisely and trains my mind and my hands to work skillfully.

I believe in honesty and truthfulness, without which I cannot win the respect and confidence of my fellow men.

I believe in a sound mind, in a sound body and a spirit that is not afraid, and in clean sports to develop these qualities.

I believe in obedience to law because it protects the rights of all.

I believe in the human touch, which cultivates sympathy with my fellow men and mutual helpfulness and brings happiness for all.

I believe in my Country, because it is a land of freedom and because it is my own home, and that I can best serve that country by "doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with my God."

And because Auburn men and women believe in these things, I believe in Auburn and love it. - George Petrie

2008 the best year ever?

I think 2008 has had more incredible, thrilling, memorable, uncomparable competitions than any other year I can think of. To name a few:
1) Giants over Patriots in Super Bowl
2) Nadal over Federer at Wimbledon
3) Woods over Mediate in Golf US Open
4) Kansas over Memphis in NCAA Basketball tourney
5) Cook over Archuleta in American Idol

And we're only half way through the year...

Hypermiling

Hypermiler is a term coined by Wayne Gerdes to describe a driver who strives to exceed their vehicle's EPA fuel economy rating. In conventional vehicles they can often match the mileage of an average person driving an equivalent hybrid. Hypermilers driving hybrids tend to achieve tremendous mileage, with some even exceeding 100 MPG.
- http://www.cleanmpg.com/cmps_index.php?page=hypermiling

On my Miata, I currently average 30mpg. Following the techniques on this site:
http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1510

My goal is to squeeze 40mpg. Apparently, it is not out of the question, and it actually quite reasonable. With gas at $4/gallon, it is now really worth changing my driving habits.

With 30mpg:
12,000 miles/year / 30 mpg = 400 gallons/year * 4 dollars/gallon = $1,600 year

With 40mpg:
12,000 miles/year / 40 mpg = 300 gallons/year * 4 dollars/gallon = $1,200 year

$400 savings is nothing to sneeze at - I'll post update again in a few weeks.

Vijay

Man Cuts Off, Microwaves His Own Hand

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/01/09/national/a072610S47.DTL&tsp=1

Who says hermenutics aren't important? What else can I say...

ATMs

If I am in a foreign country, I use the ATM to get cash.

- ATMs are faster than standing in line at an exchange center
- Most ATMs internationally don't charge a fee, so you only have the fee at your own bank. The $2-3 will probably be less than the fee/commission at a currency exchange place.
- You will get a better exchange rate in most cases. If you are getting $100 or more equivalent, the savings will probably pay for the $2-3 ATM fee.
- Most ATMs are in English also, so language would not be a problem.

Widespread ATM networks are a relatively recent development (Last 15-20 years), but it is the future. I've done this all over and it has worked perfectly.

Its about the same

 One of my burning questions has been - Is the sushi in Japan the same or better than what I get in the USA?

Well, here in the Tokyo airport I had a chance to find out. I ordered a few things to get a sampling: Fatty Tuna, Salmon, and Yellow Tail. It was excellent for sure - The fish was fresh and the rice was soft and sticky. The ginger was smooth and the wasabi was, well, it was wasabi.

Overall, this experience was comparable to a high quality US Sushi bar. (Safeway need not apply)

CaringMeals.com

I have been working on this for sometime now, and it is finally ready:
One Sunday, we were passing around a sheet of paper and a pen in our Sunday School to organize meals for a member in need. The difficulties are plenty:

• Constant phone calls and emails to recruit meal bringers
  
• Frequent phone calls to remind people to bring meals
  
• Risk of losing the sheet
  

CaringMeals was designed to make it easier to organize meals for your family and friends in need.

• Birth
  
• Illness or Injury
  
• Bereavement
  
• Need for encouragement and support
  

CaringMeals.com free. So far it has been used by over 25 people to organize meals for 2 families. If you or your group have someone in need, give it shot!