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Giving Up Custody

Jamin Bradley — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:35:53 +0000

From “The Adventures of Working in a Tux” comes a life lesson.

I know what you're thinking: “...eh?”

Well, I work at a hotel meeting place where people schedule all sorts of kinds of types of different kinds of types of events to take place. The most consistent type of event would have to be wedding receptions, but last night I was in for something quite different and unexpected. You see, in little ol' Chelsea, Michigan there is some kind of event going on right now called EMF.

Oh right, before I get too far into that— I basically have to wear a tux (with a vest rather than a jacket), hence “The Adventures of Working in a Tux.”

.....

Okay, not very creative or funny in the least bit.

Whatever.

Moving on—

As I was saying, an event called EMF was going on. I don't have the slightest idea what that stands for, but it has something to do with old fashioned cars. A good amount of fairly old people pulled up to the conference center in their Model-T-ish looking cars and came inside for the event.

I'm not really sure of what went on at the event, for I had the task of setting up tables for the weekend wedding in the room next door. But I could hear a little bit through the wall. I continued to pay no attention to their event when suddenly I had an interesting thought hit me. You see, some older fella had gone up front to sing some hymnish sounding music to a piano that had been recorded on a cassette tape that sounded as though it had been taken from an old school record. In other words, it sounded old.

Really old.

And after about 10 minutes of music, it struck me.

These people were singing a lot of songs of, about, or relating to cars.

These people were having church! They were worshipping the good ol' automobile.

The only lyrics I can remember is something along the lines of “16 miles an hour.”

A common possession/obsession/love had brought these people together. They gave lessons, sang songs, and who knows, maybe even a testimony or two.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that cars are evil or anything like that, but it was really weird for me to hear people sing about a car for a half an hour or however long they continued. Sometimes just the worship leader would sing, but sometimes all the people were all singing together in beautiful monophony. Oh, and there was much more clapping and cheering after the song than you will find in some churches as well.

These people had found joy in something. So much joy that they found themselves singing about it.

And that made me wonder...

What are the possessions I own that I love so much I would sing aloud my love with many others?

We're a worldly people. Needless to say, we like stuff. We put our lives into stuff. We would much rather store up treasures here on earth than in Heaven, because it brings us joy and happiness. And apparently, it can bring us so much joy that we could sing about it with a bunch of other people whom it also brings joy.

I've been thinking a lot lately about giving stuff up after reading Francis Chan's book “Crazy Love.” Having nothing has never sounded more appealing and even more so—

convicting.

We all have our treasures don't we?

She loves music

He loves sports

She loves reading

He loves video games

We can make idols out of ANYTHING. We're experts at it, especially here in America. I'm not much of a model to look at, so I pray that we work on this together. Let's learn what it's like to lose those things. My band recently wrote a song called “Custody” which refers to giving God the keys to everything we own. It was a hard song to write, because it's really hard to say at times.

And therefore, I leave you with these lyrics:

Verse 1

Being a pack rat is never

What I meant to be

Holding treasures at my side

And I never meant to

Let them get here in the way

Let them take over my life

Chorus

And all

All I have

Is under your control

Please take it back

And make me me without it

So I

I won’t need

These materials defining me

Your heart is what I long for

Verse 2

All the things I needed most

Were here where nothing is

But Your will to give me aim

I’m proceeding to proceed

Into where love abounds

If I leave my life of shame

Chorus

Listen to Custody here>

www.reverbnation.com/thenewfangledsequence

Elite Auto, mandataire automobile, vente voiture neuve

Buzz marketing — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:45:10 +0000

Buzz, communiqués de presse.

Elite Auto, mandataire automobile, vente voiture neuve

Elite Auto

Le groupe Elite-Auto c’est un nouveau client toutes les 4 minutes en moyenne.

Avec plus de 30.000 nouveaux clients rien qu’en 2007, le groupe Elite-Auto reste le leader incontestable de la profession des mandataires automobiles.

Elite-auto.fr est le seul distributeur de voitures neuves en partenariat avec le Club-auto plus qui fait référence en matière d’exigence.

Le mandataire de voitures neuves Elite-auto.fr propose 38 marques et plus de 6500 modèles issus à 99% du réseau Français .

Le client à la possibilité de choisir un véhicule sur stock avec en moyenne + de 1800 voitures disponibles sous 48 heures ou bien le configurer à la carte selon ses besoins.

99% des véhicules qui sont présentés sur le site du mandataire Elite-auto sont issus de distributeurs officiels Français.

Les clients sont livrés en concession, dans un centre livreur agréé iso 9001 (12 au total) ou bien auprès de notre entreprise à Coignières.

La clientèle a également le choix d'opter pour un location avec option d’achat de son véhicule avec ELITE-LEASE.

Cela permet à la clientèle de restituer la voiture en fin de contrat et cela sans avoir à vous souciez de la revente.

Si vous avez un véhicule à reprendre, Elite-auto.fr a négocié avec son partenaire Autonaute la reprise de votre ancien véhicule.

Contact Presse :

Elite Auto

S.A.S au capital de 38112.25 €

95 Route nationale 10

78310 COIGNIERES

Téléphone : Numéro Indigo ( valable en France)

RCS Versailles B 400 850 046

TVA : FR 224 008 500 46

APE 501 Z

Communiqué de presse pour : Elite Auto

M&M to speed up e-vehicles, launches CNG variant of Bolero

ibsgroupb — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 17:22:04 +0000

M&M to speed up e-vehicles, launches CNG variant of Bolero
18 Jul, 2008, 1031 hrs IST, ET Bureau

NEW DELHI: Aiming to expand its fleet of environment-friendly vehicles, homegrown utility vehicle major Mahindra & Mahindra plans to introduce an array of alternative fuel variants including CNG and hybrid versions of its flagship SUV Scorpio, besides plans to introduce electric vehicles.

M&M launched a CNG variant of its one tonner pick-up vehicle Bolero on Thursday, priced at Rs 5.42 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The vehicle will offer 40% saving on operating cost compared to a similar diesel vehicle. The company has already launched CNG variants of its Champion and Alfa three-wheelers in the market.

M&M marketing vice-president Vivek Nayer said: “As an automotive company, we are exploring all options and over time new vehicles with alternative fuels should happen. We have undertaken a sustainable mobility solution programme to explore various fuel options—hybrid, hydrogen, electric and eco-fuels—in the near future.

As the availability and infrastructure improve, we will be there.” The company is also looking at the electric vehicles for its commercial and passenger vehicle range. Without confirming any timeline for the launch Mr Nayer said: “The technology is already with us and we are capable of doing it. Availability of the right infrastructure is the challenge as you will need proper facilities to charge your vehicles while running across the city and more distant destinations.”

Mini Cooper S : Sport. Courage. Savon.

metabisulfide — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 16:43:12 +0000

Les campagnes publicitaires Mini sont toujours aussi décalées et recherchées avec cette fois-ci l'agence helvétique LOWE qui s'y colle. On reste toujours dans le même concept de base (fond noir, véhicule bien mis en évidence, …) et ça fonctionne toujours aussi bien avec des slogans évocateurs mettant en évidence la puissance de la voiture :
- "Courage. Take a test drive" (Courage. Faites une conduite d'essai),
- "Soap car fun with 175 HP" (Amusez-vous avec une caisse à savon de 175 chevaux).
A noté que le second slogan possède une pointe d'auto dérision qui montre bien que Mini joue désormais dans la cour des Grands…

Press Release, John McCain: John McCain's Plan to Support Innovation in the Automobile Sector

Paul Zannucci — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 13:21:51 +0000

For Immediate Release
July 18, 2008

Contact: Press Office
703-650-5550

John McCain's Plan to Support Innovation in the Automobile Sector

Today, John McCain Addresses His Plan For Creating Jobs And Ensuring America's Energy Independence. At the General Motors Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, where GM is developing the Chevy Volt -- the next generation of electric vehicle -- John McCain highlighted how his Lexington Project will encourage ingenuity in America's automobile industry.

John McCain Has Outlined A Clean Car Challenge That Will Increase Access To Zero Emission Cars. John McCain will issue a Clean Car Challenge to the automakers of America, in the form of a single and substantial tax credit for the consumer based on the reduction of carbon emissions. He will commit a $5,000 tax credit for each and every customer who buys a zero carbon emission car, encouraging automakers to be first on the market with these cars in order to capitalize on the consumer incentives. For other vehicles, a graduated tax credit will apply so that the lower the carbon emissions, the higher the tax credit.

John McCain Has Proposed A $300 Million Prize To Improve Battery Technology For Full Commercial Development Of Plug-In Hybrid And Fully Electric Automobiles. A $300 million prize should be awarded for the development of a battery package that has the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars. That battery should deliver a power source at 30 percent of the current costs. At $300 million, the prize is one dollar for every man, woman and child in this country -- and a small price to pay for breaking our dependence on oil.

John McCain Supports Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) And Believes They Should Play A Greater Role In Our Transportation Sector. In just three years, Brazil went from new cars sales that were about 5 percent FFVs to over 70 percent of new vehicles that were FFVs. American automakers have committed to make 50 percent of their cars FFVs by 2012. John McCain calls on automakers to make a more rapid and complete switch to FFVs.

John McCain Believes Alcohol-Based Fuels Hold Great Promise As Both An Alternative To Gasoline And As A Means of Expanding Consumers' Choices. Some choices such as ethanol are on the market right now. The second generation of alcohol-based fuels like cellulosic ethanol, which won't compete with food crops, are showing great potential.

Click Here To Learn More About The Lexington Project

Transport Technologies and Policy Scenarios to 2050

nicebooks — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 06:00:14 +0000

Transport is one of the major global consumers of energy and therefore has an important role in meeting the primary objective of the World Energy Council, sustainable energy for all. Transport is the only energy sector in which the energy itself is mobile during consumption, rather than being delivered for use at a fixed location. For this reason, energy for transport is dominated by petroleum, which is widely available, relatively inexpensive and from which easily transportable liquid fuels of high energy density such as gasoline and diesel are made.
The sustainability of petroleum and other fossil fuels within the timeframe of this study, to 2050, has been put into question by scientists, policymakers and other stakeholders. Sustainability is measured in terms of the 3 A’s criteria of accessibility, availability and acceptability, differentiating between the relative importance of different regions. Sustainability of fuels brings into question the sustainability of the associated vehicle technologies. In this study, existing and potential fuel and vehicle technologies are assessed both qualitatively (by the 3 A’s criteria) and quantitatively (by the contribution to reduced consumption) to determine a roadmap for technologies which can help meet the objective of sustainable energy. Other non-technical measures are also considered. The roadmap of technologies and measures is put into a practical context by considering the policies necessary to ensure that the objectives are met in the most efficient and effective way possible.

Download Link:

http://rapidshare.com/files/61966856/transportation_study.zip

YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT THE FIRST OWNER OF THIS BMW

mrod — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 05:07:28 +0000

My "FAKE" warning is going off, but either way this is a brilliant BMW print ad for its used car division. Talk about managing your brand!

[Via]

Funny Driver’s Review Form

gamefreek — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 03:10:32 +0000

Is there someone that you are forced to drive with and you often fear for your life? Let them know in a subtle way by printing out this Driver's Review Form and giving it to them:

Driving Review

To: ___________ Date:_______________

I recently had the (circle one: thrilling  mind-numbing  hair-raising) experience of driving with you. I was so (circle one: excited  appalled  frightened) that I wanted to inform you immediately of your performance.

General driving skills:
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10) circle one

Comments:
Upon entering the car, I immediately (circle one: relaxed  found something solid to grab onto  attempted to escape through the sunroof). At times, I felt (circle one: comfortable enough to nap like calling 9-1-1  as if I were in a car chase scene from a movie). Getting out of the car was (circle one: a bummer  a surprise  a miracle)

Car condition:
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10) circle one

Comments:
Stepping into the car, I noticed (circle one: a pleasant berry scent  a sweaty baboon odor  the stench of an old burrito). The area near my feet (circle one: had ample leg room  was a cushion of garbage  was so sticky that I lost a shoe).

 Car Entertainment:
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10) circle one

Comments:
The entertainment during the drive consisted of (circle one: sing-alongs to the radio  dull family discussions  enforced silence). As a result, I was (circle one: pleased  bored  driven to tears).

 Navigational Skills:
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10) circle one

Comments: The driver generally (circle one:  found his or her destination  took the scenic route  needed a police rescue). After a wrong turn, the driver would (circle one:  ask for directions  Keep driving, only faster  burst into tears). My feeling is that this driver (circle one:  deserves an award  should only take cabs  will be getting a GPS as a birthday gift).

 Overall Rating:
(1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10) circle one

Comments:
Overall the mood was (circle one: cheerful  nerve-racking horrifying). I'd give the ride a (circle one:  G for Great  B for Boring  DD for Death Defying). I will always (circle one: cherish this trip  be haunted by the memories  be surprised and thankful to still be alive).

Car trouble?

jspeer1130 — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:46:00 +0000

[caption id="attachment_103" align="aligncenter" width="413" caption="mercury Comet hiding in the bushes!"][/caption]

So a few weeks ago a neighbor had told me about how our local mechanic that we both go to had found a good stop leak type fluid to put in with the refrigerant in a cars air conditioning system. Since my car had been without A/C for almost a year I decided it was finally time to do something about it and gave my mechanic a call to see what he could do for me. Of course the stop leak additive did not fix my A/C and he said it was simply the receiver/drier which was bad but he couldn't get the part for a few days and then he was off last week. So I take my cruiser back a second time to have this part put in and when I call to see how it's going he says I'm going to have to bring it back the next day for a compressor as well! After replacing most if not all of the parts I have spent just over a thousand dollars BUT I do finally have ice cold air conditioning in my pt cruiser!

Unfortunately the Comet did decide to die on me when I had it out on Tuesday. Fortunately it was sitting in the parking lot at my mechanics. When I tried to fire it up to leave it did not want to start, it would crank fine but it didn't even try to catch and eventually I ended up wearing the battery down. After a couple of minutes investigation my mechanic diagnosed that the alternator was the culprit and for a fee he could replace it for me so for another $100 I now have a brand new alternator in the Comet which watching the ammeter even just idling seems to be charging the battery much more effeciently than the previous one. Only time will tell if I will be able to leave the battery connected for more than a few days without the battery going dead on me again.

Mercedes ne veut plus de pétrole en 2015

buzzermoi — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:15:49 +0000

Herbert Kohler (Directeur RD Mercedes) a déclaré officiellement que la politique énergétique de Mercedes allait changée.

Petit à petit, l'entreprise va abandonner l'utilisation de pétrole moyennant un investissement de 10 milliards d'euros.

Dans un 1er temps, ils adopteront le système "Start&Stop" déjà présents sur certains véhicules puis dans un 2nd temps, les moteurs bio carburant feront leur apparition suivis des piles à combustion et de l'hydrogène.

L'investissement sera lourd mais il est largement apprécié par les consommateurs de plus en plus soucieux de l'environnement.

Source : Crowded

Automobile: China and US

robinthieu — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:04:01 +0000

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Source: http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/08_30/b4093062857546.htm?campaign_id=rss_daily

July 17, 2008, 5:00PM EST

Honda Goes Whole Hog for Hybrids

To make up for lost time, the carmaker plans to sell 500,000 a year by early next decade

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Source: http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jul2008/gb20080717_191924.htm?campaign_id=rss_daily

July 17, 2008, 9:24AM EST

China's Geely Has Global Auto Ambitions

With the automaker's winning affordable-car formula under pressure at home, Chairman Li is pushing hard for a breakthrough on the world stage

Elite Auto, mandataire automobile, vente voiture neuve

Buzz marketing — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 14:47:48 +0000

Promotion Web

Communiqués de presse, auto, moto, services.