GasBuddy Awards ; Explorer Adventurer Pioneer Reporter Commuter Iron Man Perfectionist Sunday Driver Night Owl

Gas Buddy Awards:  It gives out 9 awards with multiple levels.  Those awards can be organized into 3 groups (locations, frequencies, quality)

Locations:

* Explorer- Number of different gas station reported

    Levels - 10 ; 25 ; 50 ; 100; 1000 stations

* Adventurer- Report a gas place in different cities

    Levels - 3 ; 16 ; 50 ; 100 ; 500

* Pioneer- Report a gas place in different states

    Levels -  2 ;  5 ;  15 ;  (?? 50 States) ; (? ? ? ? ?)

Frequencies

* Reporter - Gas price reported

    Levels - 1 ; 50 ; 500 ; 1,000 ; 10,000

Commuter - Report a gas price in both AM & PM of a 24 hour period

    Levels - 2 ; 5 ; (? ?) ; (? ? ? ?) ; (? ? ? ? ? )

Iron Man - Connective days of reporting

    Levels - 5 ; 50 ; 100 ; (????) ; (?????)

Quality

* Perfectionist- Reports all gas grades

    Levels - 2 ; 10 ; 500 ; 100 ; 1,000

* Sunday Driver- Reports gas prices on Sunday

    Levels - 5 ; 20 ; 50 ; 100 ; 500

* Night Owl - Reports gas prices after mid-night

    Levels - 5 ; 20 ; 50 ; 100 ; 500

Earning ..
1. Gas price reporting - 200 x 5 times = 1,000 max
2. Watching video - 200 x 5 times = 1,000 max (it works well off mobile phone)
3. Read news article 50 x 5 times = 125 max
4. Post message - 100 x 5 times = 500 max (many people just write "ok" - It's cheating IMO)

Most of the daily challenge comes through fairly easily
1. enter daily challenges
2. enter price report in the morning
3. enter price report in the afternoon
4. report diesels
5. report mid-grade
6. report price from "a new gas station" - this can be a challenge, if you reports gas prices all the time.

# # # # # ##  ## #

At the overall ranking of 10,000 - 13,000 range - max points will improve the daily overall ranking by 20 - 35 slot.

Anti-Nausea / Vomiting medciations

Anti-Nausea medication

Emend (no Gen) - $115 / 80 mg - ea (@ SAMS Club vs $140 @ Kroger)


Zofram - most popular - / 4mg $27 each
  Generic  alternative / 

ondansetron -  / 4mg $1.50

phenergan - 2nd most popular /
    generic alternative
 

promethazine / 25mg $1.50

Immigration Dialog

illegal - too many; - tries to normalize their action


who came to states legally, their perspectives are not heard.

--

What's naturally born american' perspective?

legal perspective
compasion?/hate?
or from financial perspective as a national
or from individual financial perspective
or from historical perspective

Deeds, Trust and Liens

Home properties and the legal documentation

Deeds

Trust

Liens

Survival Plans

Food:

seasoning: salt, pepper, sugar
Honey - long shelf life - practically forever



Rice - 10 years or more - possible - if it is free of oxygen, and low in moisture content.

Costco sales - (short time period)  - air sealed container for storing rice, or dog food.





can goods / short term - 2 to 5 years

APICS CPIM CSPS CFPIM

APICS Certified Supply
Chain Professional (CSCP) Program

APICS Certified in Production and Inventory Management (CPIM)

APICS Certified Fellow in Production and Inventory Management (CFPIM)

www.productionplanningpro.com
http://www.productionplanningpro.com/products/

www.productionplanningpro.com and also used their CPIM iPhone app (just search CPIM in the app store). 

Mobile Generator MADE FROM LAWN MOWER MOTORS

Lawn mowers are cheap, they break down often beyond its economic value of repairs

The engine itself typically works, but the rest of the mechanical are no good.

The engine typically runs between 4.5hp to 6 hp and a fixed RPM

1 HP generates about 20-25 amp @ 13v? =300 watts
A 120amp alternator @ 13V = 1,560
5 HP lawn mower engine = 1,500 watts

A new generator 2,000 watts max output $300, 9 hrs run time



subaru portable generator
22HP - makes 10,000 watts
42amp @ 240 V

50% load, 11.6 hours 8.6 gallon of fuel
50% load = 5,000 watts = 0.75 gallon / hour
25,0000 watts = 3.75 gallon / hour


# # # # # #

car engine, honda 3.5L motor

@ 2,000 rpm 100HP - makes ?? watts
100 HP = 5x10,000 = 50,000 watts
@ 2,000 rpm = 70mph / @ 20 mpg = 3.5 gallon per hour

@ 12 hours of run time = 42 gallon of fuel
@ 24 hours of run time = 84 gallon of fuel

AA AAA BATTERY - TUBE

An AA battery measures 51 mm (2.0 in) in length—50.1 mm (1.97 in) without the button terminal—and 13.5–14.5 mm (0.53–0.57 in) in diameter.^[1]
.625
.530
====
.095

.625
.570
====
.055


 tubing plastic 20ft military 5/8ID 7/8OD unused $7.00 per 10 t

A triple-A battery is a single cell and measures 44.5 mm in length and 10.5 mm in diameter.

POTUS 2012 and Democratic Christians

To my best knowledge, POTUS spent more Sundays on golf course than attending church services for the past 3 and 1/2 years.

POTUS (or candidate Obama) began to give money to charity when he decided to run for the White House in 2006.

It is absolutely true that Democrats are Christians too. But when contrasting Republican/Democratic POTUS/VPOTUS  personal matters and their advocacy, then preference become obvious.

Do anyone recall the tax returns of the Born-Again Christian POTUS GW and VP Dick when they ran for office in 1999/2000?

Frame, framing pictures photos, artwork

Pictures, Pricing Escalation 

$15 with Acrylic 
$23 with Plexiglas
$28 with Plexiglas, non-glare
$33 with Plexiglas, non-glare, UV protected

Polycarbonate vs Acrylic

???

???

????

Polycarbonate sheet of plastic  (Lexan)

Lexan - is ploycarbonate sheet of plastic.

Plexiglas & Acrylic

They are made from the same material, except the some manufacturing difference resulting a better product (Plexiglases -is a form of Acrylic) - that is fewer impurities (tiny ripples, embedded specks).

Non-Glare Plexiglases

The description implies that the material doesn't reflection light as others.  It is accomplished by having a mat finish on one side.

UV- non-Glare Plexiglases

TV shows

WTO 姐妹會  -
Taiwanese TV "talk-show"/Entertainment
Everyone country should have this type of program.

Nissan Maxima Repair Parts

1996 Maxima Parts

autozone   / parts / ebay
  70   TPS - throttle position sensor
120   Knocks sensor
  70   Oxygen sensor (x)
  80   Oxygen sensor (x)
170   starter (autozone) 110

Two sides to every story

Watch Battery , Timex and Seiko

Timex Ironman Flix  - The battery information is shown on the back of watch casing - CR2025 battery

Seiko World Watch - Titanium SNJ009  (model H023)
 Seiko battery model = SR1130W
 OR EQUIV 389 (MAXWELL, ENERGIZER)

Family - Middle Class

It is easy to define the working poor and rich.  But it is harder to define what's in the between.

1 Poor - no money or not enough money to buy food, obtaining safe shelter, accessible health care  and reliable means to get to  places.

2 Working Class -Just have enough money to buy xxx food, average home size, reliable transportation, but no money left to have once awhile ...

3 Middle class -?

3.5 Middle class - guarantee retirement benefit (large sum)

4. Upper class - able to have nicer things (tangible and intangibles).  Able to have vacation regularly, sending kids to prestigious schools.  Owning bigger house than average and newer cars. Money left over for decent retirement.

5 Rich - means to have good thing in life, ability to purchase good and services beyond its economic or functional value. And more ...

Silver, Gold and Sterling

Sterling Silver = containing 92.5% by mass of silver and 7.5% by mass of other metals,

Nickel silver  = named for its silvery appearance, but it contains no elemental silver

Mexican Coin Silver = in the 70's Mexican coin uses 72% fine silver.

Texas higher education - school size

To My Best Knowledge -- 2012 09 17

51,000 UT Austin, Longhorns

50,000 Texas A&M, Aggie's

39,400 University of Houston, Cougars

35,700 Univ of North Texas, mean green,

34,100 Texas State Univ - San Marocs, Bobcats

33,400 UT Arlington, Mavericks, 33,400

32,300 Texas Tech University, Red Raiders

31,000 UT San Antonio, Roadrunner (UTSA), Roadrunners

21,000 UT El Paso (UTEP)

15,200 Baylor, Bears

12,000 Southern Methodist University (SMU), Mustang?

10,000 Texas A&M Corpus Christi

9,000 Texas Christians University (TCU)

6,000 Rice University, Owls

Food TV - CHOP - Food Competition - too painful to watch

1. Chop - forget to put all ingredients on the plates

2. Chop - cut fingers

3. Dinner Impossible - dirty kitchen

4. Chop - drop food accidentally

5. Paula Dean (any) - excessive amount of butter

6. Any - add salt liberally after dumping each new ingredients into the pot.

7. Any - Raw food; Chop - uncooked food like chicken

8. Dinner, Drive-in and Dive - 30 plus ingredients worth of "secret sauce"

9. Iron Chef - the fake huddle to discuss the menu 

10. Any - instead of saute in oil, semi-pan fry in oil

Engineering Standards

1 MIL-STD-973 with specific regard to form 1692 Engineering Change Proposal  - S/S BY EIA-649

2 AS9100 Aerospace Standard (SAE)


APICS certification required (CPIM, CFPIM, etc.).
APICS The Association for Operations Management

APICS Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)

APICS Certified Fellow in Production and Inventory Management (CFPIM)

To achieve certification, you must pass all of the following exams:

Basics of Supply Chain Management
Master Planning of Resources
Detailed Scheduling and Planning
Execution and Control of Operations
Strategic Management of Resources

(Search Syntax - Query) (Women, Dating) and CL CraigsList

Quick Reference:
Phrase: "word1 word2"Exclude: -wordOr: word1 | word2Grouping: (word1 | word2) (word3 | word4)

Looking for a rental that has a parking and a yard? Then your search query could be:
(parking | garage) -"street parking" (yard | backyard | garden)




From one of the posting ..

Really guys the women on here are all fakes.. I even had one guy tell me.. He as as guy posing as a women to make money from these supposed sites that verify age,etc.Which are all a scam anyway. ( I hope you know that) . or want to refer you to some website that they are members of and actually live in this country. I have only ever met one real women through CL. All I can say is GOOD LUCK guys. 

Texas Sporting Events and Facilities

(Football) Dallas Cowboy Stadium 80,000 seats 110,000 with standing room
(Football) San Antonio, Alamodome, 65,000 seats, or 72,000 seats
(basketball) San Antonio, AT&T Center 18,500 seats
(basketball) Dallas American Airlines Center, 19,200

(Football) Dallas Cotton Bowl, 92,100 seats

(TCU/Foot) Dallas Amon G. Carter Stadium (TCU), 45,000
(SMU/Foot) Dallas Gerald Ford Stadium SMU, 32,000
(Baylor/Foot) Waco, Baylor Stadium 45,000 seats
(UT/Foot) Austin, Memorial Stadium 100,000 seats

(TCU/Basket) Dallas Daniel–Meyer Coliseum, 7,200
(SMU/Basket) Dallas Moody Coliseum, SMU, 9,000
(Baylor/Basket) Waco, Baylor Ferrell Center, 10,300
(UT/Basket) Austin, Frank Erwin Center, 16,700 seats

(TCU/Base) Dallas, Lupton Stadium, 4,500
(SMU/Base) ??????
(Baylor/Base) Waco, Baylor Ballpark, baseball, 5,000 seats
(UT/Base) Austin, UFCU Disch–Falk Field, UT - baseball, 6,800

(baseball) Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, 48,000
(baseball) Austin, Dell Diamond, 8,700
(baseball) San Antonio, Nelson W. Wolff Municipal Stadium, 9,200

Austin, Town Lake

Football Field:  360 by 160 feet (120.0 by 53.3 yards; 109.7 by 48.8 meters)
Soccer Field:  FIFA — 110–120 yards (100-110m) long by 70–80 yards (64-75m) wide
Field hockey - 100 x 60 yard  91.40 m × 55 m


# # # # #
badminton, 28-5
boxing, 28-12
fencing, 28-4
handball - 28-12
Judo 29-3
table tennis 28-8
Taekwondo 8-11
weightlifting 28-1, 3-7
wrestling 5-12

basketball, 28-12
beach volleyball 28-9
volleyball 28-12
cycling track 2-7

cycling - mountain bike, 11-12
cycling - road 28-29, 1


archery, 27, 12
cycling, bmx 8-10
equestrian 28-31, 2-9

shooting 28-6


football 25-11
hockey 29-11
tennis 28-5

athletics, 3-12
Gymnastics - artistic 28-2, 5-7
gymnastics - rhythmic 9-12

trampoline 3-4


modern pentathlon 11-12

canoe slalom 28-2
canoe spring 6-11
rowing 28-4
sailing 29-11

diving 29-1, 2-11
Swimming 28-4, swimming marathon 9-10
synchronized swimming 5-7, 9-10
water polo 29-10, 12

triathlon 4, and 7

Norton - Anti-virus software and McAfee - Amazon and Rakuten

The quickest way to get Norton software, via Amazon, Web download

The price is fairly competitive, for a few dollars more than at Rakuten.com (formally BUY.com) -It may be a better chocie.

updated 2013.02.15

# # # # # # 

The best prices found on BUY.COM

Norton  - clean, easy to setup, easy to upgrade (buy a new fresh copy, in lieu of online expensive offers)
McAfee - installation problems, difficult to un-install software. Typically priced cheaper than Norton, but it's not worth the price difference.

Norton Antivirus 2012
1 user 1 PC MSRP 40
1 user 3 PC MSRP ???
2012.08.08 - $25

Norton Internet Security (with Antivirus) 2012
1 user 3 PC  MSRP 80
2012.08.08 - $50 (online store)
2012.08.08 - $24 (buy.com)


Norton 360 (with Internet Security / 2GB Online backup) 2012
1 user 3 PC  MSRP $90
2012.08.08 - $60 (online store)

2012.08.08 - $32 (buy.com)

Happy Work Places - Company

Flour
GO 4.1
Comp 4.2
Bene 4.2
Avg 88
Engineering company

Johnson & Johnson
Go 4.3
Comp 4.0
Bene 4.2
Avg 88
Consumer products

Centex
Go 3.9
Comp 4.0
Bene 4.1
Avg 71

Chevron
Go 3.8
Comp 3.9
Bene 4.1
Avg 71

Pfizer
Go 3.8
Comp 3.9
Bene 4.0
Avg 86

US DoD
Go 4.1
Comp 3.9
Bene 4.1
Avg 62

IBM
Go 3.9
Comp 3.9
Bene 4.0
Avg 86

Boeing 747-8 VIP Business Jet - Completions Centers

2012.10.02

San Antonio, Texas (seeking)
747-8 test aircraft were spotted in San Antonio.  The site was selected to convert the test aircraft into commercial configuration for customer.

Boeing of San Antonio also converted 6 units 787 test aircraft into commercial aircraft configuration upon completing the flight test program.



2012 October Update

9 aircraft sold, 4 delivered

Greenpoint Technologies

Associated Air Center, 1 United (Dallas, Texas)
   The contract was announced ahead of  November 2012 NBAA.

Jet Aviation Basel (1 units)
  The first to sign 747-8 interior completions project

L-3 Platform Integration (Waco, Texas)  (2 unit)
    expecting October 2012, and 2nd aircraft November 2012
    Major suppliers
    LifePort - LifePort will equip the upper deck of the aircraft with customized cabinets, partitions and a lavatory
    LifePort is a Sikorsky Aerospace Services (SAS) company - the aftermarket division of Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp.    CTTSystems (cabin environment)

Lufthansa Technik (2 units, signed) (2 more letters of commitment)

May 2011 news

Lufthansa Technik has signed a completion contract for a Boeing 747-8 with an undisclosed customer. The completion will start in 2012.
 Additionally, Lufthansa Technik has signed three Letters of Commitment for the same type of aircraft so far.


Standard Aero / Associated Aircraft Center (Dallas, Texas)
New vice president and general manager at AAC
Chris Schechter is the new vice president and general manager of Associated Air Center (AAC)/May 2012
Jack Lawless, president of AAC and chief operating officer at StandardAero.  He previously worked at Ford Motor Company, PRTM Management Consulting and Axcelis Technologies. Schechter holds both bachelors and masters degrees in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. He joined StandardAero in 2007.

Greenpoint Technologies 
Greenpoint Technologies achieves AS9100C certification, Rev C

Altitude Aerospace Interiors
Altitude Aerospace Interiors Ltd. was formerly known as ANZES Design Engineering. The company was incorporated in 1981 and is based in Auckland, New Zealand. Altitude Aerospace Interiors Ltd. operates as a subsidiary of Air New Zealand Limited
Altitude Aerospace Interiors Ltd. provides interior product, interior reconfiguration, and VIP completions and refurbishment services for the commercial airline industry. Its VIP completion services include interior, support, and VIP mock-up services.

Barter - is it a good thing?

Having a bit trouble selling 5 ft tall, 110 ft (50/60 ft) 9 gauge  chain link fabric , Someone offered a used iPod 60GB (gen 5/2005 model) and a Sony Camcorder DCR-DVD 105 RW

Is it a good trade? To top off the deal, 2 x 20ft pipe with heavy galvanized pipes were packaged to make the deal work!

Concealed Handgun License

Concealed Handgun License

Handgun Choices
Glock 23 - .40 S&W 6.85" / 4.01" 21.2 oz 13 round Gen 4/ $549
Glock 27 - .40 S&W 6.30" / 3.46" 19.8oz 9 rounds Gen 4/ $549


SIG Sauer P229  - .40 S&W 

New Places - Sofia

6/29 Fri - Riverwalk - Boudros
7/6 Fri - nothing
7/13 Fri - nothing
7/14 Sat - Alamo Draft House/- TED the movie

Hiking - Trails

Bright Angel Trail-Grand Canyon


Steamboat Colorado

Lessons - Bucket List

Horseback riding - * go, turn left/right, stop
Commercial Driver License - *Class A, Endorsement, *passenger, Tanker, Hazardous
Swimming -
Gun - concealed weapon training, owning pistol/revolver
Motorcycle - safety course and driver/rider license
Archery

Love - all women talk - website

“MY IDEAL MAN CHECKLIST”
WHAT I WANT IN A MAN, ORIGINAL LIST (AGE 22):
1. Handsome
2. Charming
3. Financially successful
4. A caring listener
5. Witty
6. In good shape
7. Dresses with style
8. Appreciates finer things
9. Full of thoughtful surprises
10. An imaginative, romantic lover.

WHAT I WANT IN A MAN, REVISED LIST (AGE 32):
1. Nice looking (prefer hair on his head)
2. Opens car doors, holds chairs
3. Has enough money for a nice dinner
4. Listens more than talks
5. Laughs at my jokes
6. Carries bags of groceries with ease
7. Owns at least one tie
8. Appreciates a good home-cooked meal
9. Remembers birthdays and anniversaries
10. Seeks romance at least once a week.

WHAT I WANT IN A MAN, REVISED LIST (AGE 42):
1. Not too ugly (bald head OK)
2. Doesn’t drive off until I’m in the car
3. Works steady — splurges on dinner out occasionally
4. Nods head when I’m talking
5. Usually remembers punch lines of jokes
6. Is in good enough shape to rearrange the furniture
7. Wears a shirt that covers his stomach
8. Knows not to buy champagne with screw-top lids
9. Remembers to put the toilet seat down
10. Shaves most weekends.

WHAT I WANT IN A MAN, REVISED LIST (AGE 52):
1. Keeps hair in nose and ears trimmed
2. Doesn’t belch or scratch in public
3. Doesn’t borrow money too often
4. Doesn’t nod off to sleep when I’m venting
5. Doesn’t re-tell the same joke too many times
6. Is in good enough shape to get off couch on weekends
7. Usually wears matching socks and fresh underwear
8. Appreciates a good TV dinner
9. Remembers my name on occasion
10. Shaves some weekends.

WHAT I WANT IN A MAN, REVISED LIST (AGE 62):
1. Doesn’t scare small children
2. Remembers where bathroom is
3. Doesn’t require much money for upkeep
4. Only snores lightly when asleep
5. Remembers why he’s laughing
6. Is in good enough shape to stand up by himself
7. Usually wears clothes
8. Likes soft foods
9. Remembers where he left his teeth
10. Remembers that it’s the weekend.

WHAT I WANT IN A MAN, REVISED LIST (AGE 72):
1. Breathing
2. Doesn’t miss the toilet!

As funny as the e-mail was, it is true” as you grow more mature, your original list of ‘requirements’ for an ideal man are revised. Now, all I am looking for in an ideal man is one who can be both a best friend and a partner in life, and someone who will love me as unconditionally as I love him. And what about you? What’s your perfect guy checklist?

4th of July - Liberty and Insurance

Liberty - free to do thing?

Insurance - sharing risk?

Logic and Angle #1 - "get more" with less as we understand it..

We pay car insurance (into a system - Allstate, State Farm etc), where if something goes wrong, then the system will compensate for the lost.

If one doesn't pay into the system, then it is the money saved.  If one loses, then he gets nothing from the system.  It becomes a balance act of risk management question, will you be able to collect enough fee into the system to cover the management fee, damage payout, and keep some profit.

Setting the fee or premium for someone get into the system is fairly predicable.
The property damage - the typical cost of vehicle on the road, or replacement costs $50,000 for luxury cars, $25,000 for typical car (even a brand new - salvage value).
The physical liability is difficult to compensate, but auto insurance cap the coverage to a low as $3,000 per person/incident, or minor injury.  If the auto policy for physical liability can be expensive, when the medical bills can be a life-time payout.

Logic and Angle #2 - "gain access" to a lower cost/control as we understand it..

Costco made most of its earning from membership dues, not from the merchandise. Costco will not markup more than 15% of any products, and we know we are not going to overpay for any product (or actual cost plus 15%).

If Costco is the insurance company, Costco will decide which doctor's service will be put on the shelf, and at what price.  The Costco members buy services from the doctor for a known fixed price or actual cost for the "office space, assistance, software, insurance, etc etc".

What I won't miss ....

What I Won’t Miss (Nora Ephron)

Dry skin

Bad dinners like the one we went to last night

E-mail

Technology in general

My closet

Washing my hair

Bras

Funerals

Illness everywhere

Polls that show that 32 percent of the American people believe in creationism

Polls

Fox

The collapse of the dollar

Joe Lieberman

Clarence Thomas

Bar mitzvahs

Mammograms

Dead flowers

The sound of the vacuum cleaner

Bills

E-mail. I know I already said it, but I want to emphasize it.

Small print

Panels on Women in Film

Taking off makeup every night

What I Will Miss

My kids 

Nick

Spring

Fall

Waffles

The concept of waffles

Bacon

A walk in the park

The idea of a walk in the park

The park

Shakespeare in the Park

The bed

Reading in bed

Fireworks

Laughs

The view out the window

Twinkle lights

Butter

Dinner at home just the two of us

Dinner with friends

Dinner with friends in cities where none of us lives

Paris

Next year in Istanbul

Pride and Prejudice

The Christmas tree

Thanksgiving dinner

One for the table

The dogwood

Taking a bath

Coming over the bridge to Manhattan

Pie

San Antonio - Food Places

Bohanan  - steak and seafood http://www.bohanans.com/restaurant/category/dinner/

Boudros - American Southwestern  http://www.boudros.com/boudros/

Fogo de Chao - South American (meat) 849 East Commerce Street, San Antonio, TX 78205

The Guenther House - American    205 E Guenther St, San Antonio, TX 78204

Il Sogno Osteria - Italian http://atpearl.com/food/restaurants/il_sogno_osteria

Las Canarias Restaurant - Seafood, Mexican, American, Contemporary, Continental, Eclectic, International, Southwestern  112 College St, San Antonio, TX 78205-1811 


La Frite Belgian - http://lafritesa.com/

Schilo's Delicatessen - Californian, Delicatessen, German, Austrian, Swiss
424 E Commerce St, San Antonio, TX 78205-2629


Zocca - Italian   420 W. Market St., @ The Westin Riverwalk, San Antonio, TX 78205

Automobile Insurance Coverage

Under what circumstances when purchasing collision policy is not a wise decision? It's all about the replacement cost; can you get the same car for the money from insurance company. 

    For  newer vehicles, it is obvious that (1) the car worth a lot more, therefore collision policy make sense; (2) the replacement cost is well established  and standardized because wear and tear limited and maintenance history is short.

   For older vehicles, the value is greatly depended on the condition.  If you know the car in good shape, the insurance company will never compensated adequately for find a similar car with same condition.  The ratio of premium/deductible/salvage value to the vehicle cash value will narrow as cars age, therefore everyone is tempted the question "when to drop the collision coverage".

Premium = 420; deductible = 500; salvage value (est/) = 2,000? =

Premium liability collision/other than collision for cash value  (500/200) = 213

Cash value of a vehicle = $5,000; - costs of policy = 920, net cash value for replacement vehicle = $4,100

Cash value/salvage = 2,000, 

The ratio is about  4,100/2000 = 2.0

How To DIY Repair: Acura MDX Repairs Experience from a 300,000 One-Owner Vehicle A/C, EGR, P1519 Honda 3.5L

January 2011 - Acura MDX - Honda 3.5L OBD IAC (Idle Air Controller) Valve P1519

The check engine light came up along with the VTM-4.  The engine ran a bit rough at idle, turning off A/C seems to help a bit. It still idle at 450-550 RPM range, running well below the the typical 600-650 RPM range.  A few days later, the check engine & VTM-4 light came up while going at 60MPH. VTM-4 light went off after restarts, but the "code" is already registered.

The OBD reader says multiple engine cylinder miss-firing (running rough)? It also says P1519 - Idle  Air Controller ....How do I fix it cheaply?

# # #
1. Low on antifreeze?
2. Bad Idle Air control Valve
3. Wiring to the power steering high pressure switch
4. EGR port clogged (almost a definite on the '01-'03 models),
5. Coil pack failing,
6 spark plugs fouled.

Location EGR -
1. take off the plastic engine cover by removing the 4 bolts. 
2. turn the 1/2 turn on front plastic cove screw
3. the ERG valve will then be accessible. it is on the driver's side between the engine and the battery.
4. disconnect wiring to EGR, un-latch the connector tab
5. remove 2 bolts holding the EGR to engine block
6. clean up the gasket, if it's stuck to the base
7. apply carburetor cleaner to EGR,
8. ran the engine, engine will run rough, apply carburetor cleaner to open port.
9 apply carburetor cleaner generously, hopefully it get sucked in to clean the engine

Disconnect the battery to reset the code. Ran the engine again.



Rear Main Seal
▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ ▀▀ 

Call professional help -

Engine oil dripping out of rear main seal (engine/transmission join), it accumulated on the bottom of the transmission.

There no leak around the oil pan, there is no sign of leak around the valve covers.

Check the engine and transmission level to confirm.

The transmission need to be drop to perform the repair.
It also require the drop of the steering controls.
After the drop/re-install, the wheel re-alignment is required
Estimated cost $1,300 from local Acura dealer (Gunn Acura), and $900 from the local repair shop (Cars Pro)

FRONT SWAY BAR LINK - rattling noise - over uneven surface
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A pair of sway bar links (from eBay) - $33 shipped

* remove front wheels

* find a wood block to support the weight of sway bar 

* impact wrench - to remove top and bottom screws of the sway bar links

* replace, and re-torque the sway bar links

PCV,
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Some says, a non-working PCV can cause premature failure of rear main seal.  True?

Finding the PCV value, is not easy.  It seems to move around from model year to year.


Crush washers
Oil Drain plug washer : 14mm (Inner diameter)

Automatic Transmission Drain : 18mm (Inner diameter)
Rear Differential VTM-4 Fill : 20mm (Inner diameter)
Rear Differential VTM-4 Drain : 18mm (Inner diameter)
Transfer case (Gear oil) Fill : 20mm (Inner diameter)
Transfer case (Gear oil) Drain : 20mm (Inner diameter)


Automatic Transmission Fluid Change
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Some will go through the trouble of  measuring drained ATF, and refill with exact amount.  I don't do that, it's too much work.

If you park your vehicle on flat ground, allowing the fluid to drain effectively, I will just refill with the owner manual specified amount.  In theory, you will not over, or under fill the ATF.  For the past 7 fluid changes with this method, the dip stick readings seem to reflect right amount of fluid level.

The transmission system holds approximately 9 qt of fluid (was ATF-Z1, now ATF-DW1).  The owners manual calls for drain and refill, not flushing the transmission fluid.  Therefore, it typical requires 2 to 3 "drain and refill" to achieve meaningful fluid change. I guess the repeat process of drain and refill is basically "purified" the fluid in the system.  I did a little bit math, 3 times of fluid change will get you to around 17% of original fluid in the system, assuming the drain/refill mixes the old and new very well.

The drain plug can be removed using 3/8" square wrench.  There is no need to jack up the truck, and it is easy accessible  from the front/chin spoiler - inside of fork frame.

The drain plug crush washer - Automatic Transmission Drain : 18mm (Inner diameter)

There is an ATF refill plug (17mm) on top of transmission.  It is located on the driver side, near the firewall.  It is right below the brake fluid reservoir.  It is difficult to remove the bolt, even with a long socket extension.

Refill through the dip stick was the way to go.  It is a slow process, but it works. - I made a tool for the job. (1) Feed a clear  3 ft vinyl tubing into the the dip stick tube, (2) remove a AFT bottle cap, and drill a hole , feed  the vinyl tubing through caps.   (3) recap the ATF bottle with tubing inserted.  (4) invert the ATF bottle to start the flow. (5) Use a thumb tag, nail to poke a hole on the bottle for venting..  


Rear Differential Fluid Change
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2012.July.29 Note:  The vehicle hasn't engage in the AWD mode/off-road at all.  The fluid appears to be clean even after 35,000 miles.  Can it be done at a longer interval, ie. 60,000 miles?

Need to drop spare to access the drain and refill VTM-4 differential fluid

Always remove the re-fill plug, before remove the drain - just in case, the refill plug cannot be removed.


The drain plug crush washer - Rear Diff : 18mm (Inner diameter)
The re-fill plug crush washer - Rear Diff : 20mm (Inner diameter)


(2 3/4 qt) 1 Gallon Jug of Honda VTM-4 Differential Fluid (p/n 08200-9003)
18mm & 20mm Crush Washers (p/n 90471-PX4-000 & 94109-20000)
Differential Fluid Pump (e.g. Sta-Lube p/n SL4344)
3/8" Drive Socket Wrench (no socket required)
3/8" Drive Torque Wrench (capable of 33ft-lbs)
3/8" Drive Extension

The VTM-4 fluid comes in a 4 quarts jug.  I find the 

Hopkins Siphon Pump is most efficient way to get new fluid into rear diff.

Drain Pan
Protective Latex Gloves
Safety Glasses



BLEED Brake Fluid
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Fluid type for 2002 Acura MDX: Acura/Honda DOT 3?
Tools: 10mm boxed-end wrench, for Rear
Tools: 11mm boxed-end wrench, for Front
Tools: AutoZone one-man brake bleed kit

1. Use  a turkey baster, remove as much as possible of old fluid from the master cylinder and then refill with new fluid

2. find the bleed sequence (far away from master cylinder to closest to master cylinder).
   pax rear, driver rear, pax front, driver front

3. attach the 10mm boxed -end wrench to bleeder screw, and then connect the hose from the bleeder kit to the bleeder nibble,

4.  Use the vacuum pump, and get as old brake fluid out until the fluid becoming clear.  Don't forget to check the master brake cylinder reservoir level. Refill often.  Need to close bleed valve, when emptying out old fluid in vacuum pump kit.

5.  repeat the process, for the remaining three brakes



Windshield, front, replacement
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Windshield crack of 6 inches or less is eligible for "repair".  If the vehicle is cover by "full coverage", it's likely that the repair is covered by the insurance without deductibles.

The cost of front windshield replacement for the MDX was $318 plus tax and misc. fees or $350.  A deductible of $200, will result in an additional out of pocket expense of $150.  When or how is the deductible forgiveness program play out?

Discount windshield/non-OEM manufacture brand can be had for $100, with installation labor/material will run about $160.00  I find the noise level seems to have gone up a bit.


A/C Heater Blower Transistor or A/C Heater Blower Motor Resistor -
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The air conditioning unit requires a functional resistor/transistor in order to work.  The problem started when the blower stopped /or shut-off  on its own. After  playing with the a/c switches (manual mode), it worked a bit and then quit working again in minutes.

Trouble shooting - the rear a/c heater blower makes noise (runs) and stop when the rear manual control is turned off.  There are two sets of "a/c heater blower motor resistors", it may explains why the a/c blowers worked independently.  After checking fuse, the likely source is the transistor/resistor problem.  The rear blower unit is located at the driver side, under the dashboard; the front blower unit is located at the passenger side, under the glove box, right next the scroll cage air blower.

After googling the Acura owner user group, it appears to be a common problem.
After researching the auto parts sites like AutoZone, the same part is used on Honda vehicles too.

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The local stores don't carry them in stock, therefore an online ordering is needed.  Found an Acura dealership offering the part for a lot less than the AutoZone, but there is not "life-time warranty" on the purchase.

I disconnect the wire from the car, and re-connected it to a new unit for testing.  AC works again with the new unit.  Then the it is good to proceed with the repair.

The unit is held up by 3 metal screws for plastic parts.  It's easier to use the socket wrench to remove the screws than using a screw driver.


EGR Valve  - Check engine light
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The check engine light (CEL), and the VTM4 ligh flashed resulting in an problem of EGR valve.

To locate the EGR valve, - remove the plastic engine cover first. There is a small cylinder with an electrical connector on top and secure to the end of one of intake manifolds. The intake manifold is on the driver side, between the engine and the front grill.

http://www.ehow.com/how_7564795_do-valve-2003-acura-mdx.html


WINDSHIELD WIPER
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The windshield wipers replacements
Driver = 24
Passenger = 21
Rear only = 19


Oil Change
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The owners manual calls for 5W-20.  The oil refill caps states 5W-30.
5 Qts is the total capacity, and 4 1/2 qt w/o oil filter.


The drain plug crush washer - 14mm (Inner diameter)

Real - 210K/300K miles maintenance (12-15 years old)

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☼  Timing belt service (cam/crank seals, belt tensionor, idler)
☼  Water pump replacement
☼  Serpentine belt change
☼  Spark Plug Changes ; ♦ DIY

☼  Coolant Changes ♦ DIY

 ☼  Brake fluid "flush"♦ DIY

☼  Engine Oil Change ♦ DIY

☼  Transmission fluid change (no transfer case fluid  on the 2002 model) ♦ DIY
☼  Power steering fluid flush ♦ DIY

☼  Rear Differential fluid ♦ DIY

☼ Wiper blades, front driver/passenger and rear ♦ DIY

☼  Engine air filter ♦ DIY

☼  Cabin air filter ♦ DIY
☼  Battery servicing, or replacement ♦ DIY
☼  Throttle body (air mass sensor etc) cleaning ♦ DIY

☼  Polish headlight lens assembly

◙  Engine mounts

◙ Sway bark link and bushing are likely worns

◙ Spare tire is likely nee to be replace

◙  Brakes need servicing, 3rd brake service will need new rotors.

◙  New sets of tires

◙  Front suspension change

◙  Rear suspension change

USNews Texas High Schools Ranking, San Antonio and Houston Area

These high schools in the Houston and San Antonio areas caught my attention..


San Antonio
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Texas/National ranking   - school  - AP Tested/AP passed
38/433 boerne-samuel v champion 62/43
43/480 alamo heights 53/44
44/485 regan 57/42 (new school)
80/931 clark high - 45/29
96/1190 boerne high 39/24
104/1312 Brandeis High 36/23
107/1354 Jay 45/19
113/1425 O'Connor 37/20 (new school)
118/1492 Mcarthur high
143/1729 Bandera 35/15

Houston
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20/239 memorial 60/56
29/349 bellaire 54/50
30/366 clements 56/48 (new school)
32/376 lamar high 55/48
42/467 woodlands 51/45
45/497 straford 52/43
62/685 friendswood 45/38
63/690 clear lake 44/38
79/926 Stephen Austin 38/32
82/984 tayor high 35/31 (new school)
92/1078 dulles 36/28

How to buy Pianos

one the best article on piano 

http://www.marthabeth.com/piano_brands.html

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Types and Sizes

• Grands:
• "baby":  5'0" to 6'5"
• "medium": 5'6" to 6'5"
• "professional"): 6'6" to 8'0".
• Uprights: 
• consoles: 40" to 44"
• studio:  45" to 47"
• professional/full size: 48" to 52" 

Boston:  Very good piano.  This piano is made by Kawai. 
Kawai:: Very good piano.  Japanese
Petrof:  Good piano.  Czech.
Schimmel:  Excellent piano.  German
Yamaha:  Excellent piano, Japanese
Young-Chang. Very good piano, Korean


UPRIGHT & GRAND
Boston, Yamaha, Walter