How $1,500 Becomes $50

Just three days ago I was lamenting the high cost of what should have been a cheap automotive repair. Well, today the price came back down to normal.

But the reason was a little disconcerting.

It seems that as they began to take the head off the engine to see if they could get the spark plug out from underneath, they noticed a crack in the head. That means that the head probably has some kind of warp and would have to be replaced anyway (even without the crack). Since the ability to determine what caused the crack/warp is limited, it is uncertain that there are not also problems with the block.

The result is a new engine covered by the extended warranty. $50 total cost to me. Now I can give the car the bath and thorough interior cleaning it needs. And my son’s 67,000 mile car has the engine of one right off the assembly line.

Sweet.

The $1,500 Spark Plug

For the first half of my life, I was a do-it-yourself kind of guy when it came to many automotive repairs. I wouldn’t tackle transmissions or body work, but I have done almost everything else you can do.

Now everything is so interdependent and complicated. And they tell you that you don’t have to have a tune up for 100,000 miles. That last one has never proven true. Generally, by around 60,000 miles or so, the spark plugs, at the least, should be changed. It’s been done on my car and both of my sons cars. Mine was running like a dog. Seems a bad tank of gas fouled the plugs.

Even changing the spark plugs yourself has changed. First, there is typically a small screw or bolt holding each cap in place. Then the plugs are often deeper inside. But most significant change is the price. In the 70s, they were about $2 each. Now the cheap ones are $10 each and the ones they recommend are $40 each.

The day after Thanksgiving, my younger son set out to change his.

Have Faith

I promised not to speak about the election after it was over. So, to be clear, this is not about the election, but about what legitimately follows.

Today begins the preliminary creation of Obama’s presidency. He has already picked someone to manage his transition team. We will begin to hear the names of nominees for various cabinet posts. We may even begin to see some of the first salvo of bills revealed in draft format.

We Have Met the Enemy...

I have been a participant in an online forum for about three years. It is essentially an apologetics forum dedicated to the analysis of a group that many of us have had some experience with in years past, and that many now call a cult. And I actually agree with that label. It is not non-Christian. In fact, it is mostly quite evangelical. Nor is it about to drink Kool-Aid. But the label still applies.

Those who frequent the forum are quite an interesting collection of people. There are many ex-members. There are a few current members, and there are a few who are part of a splinter group that has begun to see at least some of the errors of the main group’s ways. This has carried on for several years within a larger forum that discusses many such groups. Recently, due to excessive meddling of the forum “owners,” we moved to a new location dedicated to only this one group.

And the fall began.

Freedom

No checkpoints to pass through on the way across town. Seldom a significant change in the pavement as we rush along at 70 mph across state lines. Arizona may still try to keep infested produce out, but has no authority to do so with the people. Pack your belongings in San Diego and transport them to a new home in Bangor. There is no risk that somewhere along the way authorities will deny you progress for lack of proper paperwork permitting the move.

But so often we cheapen the word when we apply it to actions that carry responsibility. We say we have freedom to drink, but take no responsibility for our actions due to intoxication. We want everyone to be tolerant of our behavior, but are intolerant of those who speak out concerning that behavior.

It is in these times that we demand our “rights.” We want our right to free speech. Our right to assembly. But what about those who would speak in a manner that is contrary to our “rights” or that group meeting down the street that speaks differently — that opposes what you hold dear?

Where Do We Go From Here?

This was asked in song by Chicago many years ago. I don’t recall if they had any answers. But I’ve been “searching so long to find an answer” and will not stop with just the question.

I started this thing about a year and a half ago. Besides rattling off eight posts in the first three months, I’ve been rather silent, especially over the past year.

Pod People

My first introduction to Pod People was not a horror flick. Just after high school, I met someone who had a “music chair” (or something like that). It looked like a giant egg sitting upright. You nestled yourself into a bean-bag-like seat inside and the world went away. Hidden behind black cloth lining the inside were two speakers at just about ear level. The volume was really quite low, but once you were inside, you almost couldn’t hear anything from the outside. I thought it would be neat to have one, but it was probably pretty expensive.

Fast forward 35 years and everyone has the equivalent without the bulk. Just stick those two little earbuds in and listen to your iPod. It’s a lot cheaper. Whatever you spent ($150 to $300 or so) is a lot less than what that egg cost in Dark Ages dollars.