Jesus is Victorious

As a Christian in the United States, I have enjoyed the religious freedom afforded me by the law of the land.  For centuries, that law has been essentially governed by men and women following the idea of Christendom: a nation established in large part by professing Christians motivated by Christian values to accomplish Christian Purposes (Driscoll, 2013).  I have been very fortunate to live in such a society with leadership submissive to and respectful of the one, true God.  It would be myopic to say that the government will continue to support those ideals based on the intent of this country’s founders.  In fact, recent events indicate the opposite.  Despite these recent events, the following truths remain for all of the Christian Faith.

Man is sinful.  In recently moving to a new home, Harmony and I have been battling the vines that apparently hold Florida together.  In my toil to remove the vines, I remember the fall of man.

“…cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground…”
-- Genesis 3:17-19

God, therefore, set out from the beginning showing us how we quite literally reap what we sow.  He defines right and wrong.  While the government is critical to shaping a civilized society.  The government in no way has the authority to define what is right and what is wrong.  For example, in Romans, Paul elaborates on right and wrong.

“They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy.”
-- Romans 1:29-31

While some of those things are illegal, a vast majority are quite frankly human nature.  Therefore, Christian life supersedes the law of the land.  We have brothers and sisters persecuted for their faith in this world today.  Our laws have been fortunate to reflect the ideologies of the Christian faith, and as that is under attack, we must not waiver.

“If serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, […] But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” -- Joshua 24:15

The trivial and temporary things of this life are exactly that.  Those that seek freedom in sin need the freedom from sin that Jesus affords.

Jesus conquered sin.  God is in control, and despite man’s sin, we follow Jesus who conquered sin.  No matter our circumstances, no matter the cost, no matter the culture, our job does not change: Love God, Love others.

Despite what the law says, we love. Despite what the sin is, we love.  We are in this world and not of this world.

Our society is no longer governed by Judeo-Christian ideals.

Christendom is dead.

HOWEVER!!

God is almighty.  No government, no legislation, no court decision, no group given power by man can conquer the authority and power of the almighty God.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.” -- Revelation 1:8

Christ is not defeated, God is not vanquished, and our job is still the same.

So we say with confidence,
“The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.

What can mere mortals do to me?”
-- Hebrews 13:6

Fitness Tracking

As a runner and a geek, I have tracked my running for some time now using my Garmin Forerunner 405.  I absolutely love it.  It tracks my pace, elevation, and heart rate (with separate HR monitor) while running, and it will even track my cycling speed and cadence (with cycling attachment).  The data tracking is fantastic, I can wirelessly download all of my data from the watch to my computer and analyze each mile.  I can dig into the data and see why my heart rate increased or how my pace varies over time and distance.  I can see how many miles and how many minutes I was in each heart rate zone and speed zone.  I can basically geek-out over the data, and it's awesome.

While it is great, there are some drawbacks... I have to be home at my computer with the Garmin ANT Agent on with the ANT "stick" plugged into a USB outlet to download the data. THEN I have to separately upload it to the Garmin Connect website to have access to the data when I'm away from my computer.  Also, the blatantly obvious point is that I have to wear the watch to track anything.  If the battery isn't charged, I can't use it.  If the satellites won't connect (which can occasionally be a problem), I can't get data.  Plus, when I use a treadmill (with vehement disdain by the way), I can't track distance or pace with my watch.  Also, what about days I don't run and do yard work.  I'm exerting energy, but how do I measure it...?

Hence, the onset of fitness trackers like, Jawbone Up, Nike Fuelband, Fitbit Force, and others (newly released Garmin Vivofit).  These trackers track your activity, food intake, liquid intake, calories burned, sleep, etc.  With various features and pros and cons, I chose the Fitbit Force, and here's why...

Fitbit has a number of tracking devices in addition to the Force.  I wanted a device that not only tracked steps (activity) but also stairs.  The Force additionally allows the user to set goals, has a built-in clock, tracks active minutes (equivalent of minutes of elevated heart rate) and quality of sleep.  For Fitbit, it is the top-of-the-line product (the price tag says that...), but for me, it "fit" the bill for what I was looking for.

In comparison, other fitness trackers have similar features, but the selling point to me was the Bluetooth 4.0 integration with my smartphone.  Some of the other fitness trackers (when I bought the Force back in October of 2013) have to be removed from your wrist to synchronize with your phone or computer but not the Force.  I only remove it from my wrist to shower, clean it, and charge it.  Which brings up another point... With 10+ days of battery life, I can't remember the last time I charged it.  I honestly couldn't tell you when it was.

Back to the geeky part, what about data.  The Fitbit website will track more data than the Force collects.  For example, I can track food intake and water intake.  I used MyFitnessPal for a while doing this very thing, but with my not needing to lose weight, it was not really helpful other than to know whether or not what I'm eating is "healthy."  Fitbit takes it another step and compares what you eat to what you burn!  Now that's valuable.  You can easily see if you are one maintaining a healthy diet and two if you are maintaining a healthy balance.

Now, I couldn't talk about data without talking about accuracy.  Back to the Forerunner, the GPS data from the Garmin watch is fairly reliable and consistent.  Garmin actually overlays my route on a map so that I can see how close the data collected is to the route I ran.  It is generally pretty accurate.  For the Fitbit Force, there have been several critics of its accuracy.  I'll admit, I noticed just last night that my brushing my teeth added several steps to my day.  As noted by other users, playing the guitar will also add a few thousand steps.  While it may not be perfect, I don't see this as a problem.  For me, buying the Fitbit was about tracking my activity level.  If I exert energy that does something other than take a step but the Fitbit logs it as a step, does it really matter? Do I care if the distance traveled and calories burned exactly match what I have done? I don't think so.

What matters is that I can track how active I have been in a day.  This is a far cry from the geekiness I exert with my Garmin, but the Fitbit serves a different purpose.  I like being able to compare day-to-day how I'm doing and being able to see how certain activities (or lack thereof) impact my energy level, sleeping pattern, and caloric intake.  I don't see a need to have acute accuracy.  I think it does well enough as-is.

For me, I'm a Fitbit fan.  There will be more newcomers into this market as the popularity grows.  Fitbit will continue to improve as others do as well.  I'm sure people will think of new and exciting things that we have yet to even fathom.  Until then, I'll keep tracking.

(Note: the Fitbit Force is currently under a voluntary recall because some users (less than 2%) have had issues with the band causing dermatitis.  Fortunately, I'm not one of those, but you can read about it here:  http://www.fitbit.com/forcesupport)

The Bell Center Fundraiser

The annual Mercedes Marathon is coming up on Sunday here in Birmingham. This event allows for a great opportunity for exercise and fitness, but also an opportunity to benefit an extraordinary local charity in The Bell Center.

The Bell Center for Early Intervention Programs in Homewood is dedicated to maximizing the potential of children from birth to three years of age who are at risk for developmental delay.

APC Marketing has a relay team that will complete this year’s marathon running the event in five segments. Team members this year include:

Bryan Coley

April Owens

Bevin Tomlin

Todd Rath

Scott Nix

One of our members serves on the Service Guild of Birmingham's board that supports the Bell Center and another team member has volunteered for service projects to raise money for The Bell Center in the past. Together we will run a combination of 26.2 miles during The Mercedes Marathon, and we hope to raise at least $100 per mile, or a minimum of $2,620 for The Bell Center. This money will be used to fund the Bell Center that provides life changing programs to its families and children.

As a part of the fundraising effort to benefit the children of the Bell Center please consider supporting our relay team through a donation.

DONATE

Running for More Birthdays!!

Run for the Reason 2013 has begun! We ran twice yesterday and are into the third run today. Yesterday, our daytime run was brutally hot, and today, the daytime run is wet and rainy. But that's ok, we're running to raise money for the American Cancer Society to help those diagnosed with cancer celebrate more birthdays.

This year's run is bit bitter-sweet for me. I just finished up my third and final run for this year. Ideally, I would run 5 times total, but this year my time has been cut short by the very disease we are running to cure. My beautiful wife's great aunt was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just two weeks before it took her life. The funeral services are tonight and tomorrow, and I'll be cutting my running short to spend time with her and her family.

Hopefully, one day, this wont be an issue any more and we can run to support a different cause, but until then we will keep running for more birthdays!

BC

Run Starts Tomorrow!!

Alabama Power Service Organization's Run for the Reason starts TOMORROW!! It’s hard to believe that the event is here already. I’ve been training hard for the last few months, and I am ready. The rest of the group is excited and ready to run.

We will be live blogging during the run on our group blog. Please follow our progress as we go along: http://runforthereason2013.blogspot.com

I will be live tweeting and blogging as well. You can follow my personal progress at any or all of the following locations:

• My Personal Blog
• Twitter
• Facebook

To all of my Donors:

Thanks so much for your help. Your donation helped me exceed my personal goal of $1,500. The entire group together (21 runners and 12 drivers) raised over $35,000 for the American Cancer Society (the final number isn’t quite calculated yet, but it may be over $40,000). I thank all of my donors again for your donations.

BC

An Unwanted Anniversary...

Forty years ago today our world changed forever. Our nation has since been polarized by the notion of life versus choice, secular versus sacred, and us versus them. No longer do we have the ability to say life is sacred. The government has determined that it can decide when life begins regardless of when God begins it. It is now an option whether or not a person is worthy of life. What is more, the government now has the ability to say we must support this effort with our taxes, because healthcare includes abortion and birth control. Sex is now purely recreational with supposedly no consequences. Regardless of the design of intercourse, it is now simply for self-indulgence. Any consequences of said action, aside from pleasure, is now a nuisance, an inconvenience to life. Therefore, if you are forty years old or younger today, thank God and your parents for your life, because the government has said that your life is inconsequential.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you 
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
-- Psalm 139:13-15

The word of the Lord came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”
-- Jeremiah 1:4-5

Tesla Model S Review

Tesla Model S Gallery

The Tesla Model S is the Motor Trend 2013 Car of the Year.  No surprise that it is also my favorite electric car that I have driven to date.  In my role as a research engineer, I drove the first plug-in hybrid developed by an automotive original equipment manufacturer (OEM), the Ford Escape PHEV.  I loved that car.  It was big and spacious.  It had cargo space, decent torque and horsepower, and I wasn’t afraid to drive it in heavy traffic for fear of being squished.  I could average 30 miles per gallon of gasoline which is unheard-of in SUV land.  As a project vehicle, I logged miles, kWh, gallons of gasoline, etc. in order to quantify the value of the vehicle.  Sadly, Ford has decided not to make this vehicle that everyone who drove it loved (so arrogant they are in Detroit, but that’s a different blog post).  So, I had to settle for other versions of the Plug-in Electric Vehicle (PEV).  The Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf finally made it to market as both OEM made PEVs.  However, neither could live up to the Escape’s qualities in either range or size.   The Volt has amiable qualities in its range with a 35 mile all electric range and 300 mile gas backup.  The Leaf has all electric qualities with zero speed torque and never going to the gas station… ever.  However, neither has the size or cargo space of the Escape (that Ford will never make. Did I mention that?).

Last, in comparison, is the Tesla Roadster.  My previous job afforded me the luxury of purchasing the 290th Roaster as a research project (why did I leave that job?) to test the charging characteristics of the vehicle (120V @ 12 A up to 240V @ 70 A) and the power quality and distribution system impacts that went along with the charging.  Unfortunately, somebody had to drive it in order to charge it (I took that bullet).  Besides its being the most fun car I have ever driven, its acceleration spoiling me forever, and the sheer joy of driving the most advanced electric car to that date, the Tesla Roadster is by far the most uncomfortable car I have ever driven.  At 1.9 meters tall, it is a feat for me to fold-up and get into that vehicle.  I have to drive with my knees bent and nearly touching the steering wheel on both sides, and I can hardly see if the top is on.  So, I still reserved the Escape that Ford will never build as my favorite PEV… until now.

All of that to say, the Model S is by far one of the most pleasurable cars you can drive, period.  It far surpasses all of the other PEVs that I have driven, but it also surpasses other cars I have driven (including BMW, Mercedes, and Lexus to name a few).  When looking at the Model S, it is apparent that a fine-tooth comb was used in design.  This car is Steve Jobs-design-worthy.  Every line is beautiful and meticulously placed down to the design of the key (which is roughly a hot-wheels size replica of the car by the way).  The charge-port is conveniently hidden behind a rear reflector to eliminate the need for a circle that looks like a gas compartment.  The inside is equally as beautiful from the seats to the steering wheel.  Creature comforts are galore (driver profiles, Bluetooth connection, all four auto-up and auto-down windows, moisture sensing windshield wipers, on-the-fly suspension adjustments, a HUGE touch-screen… to name a few).  Did I mention the space?  Roomy enough for five adults and two children (yes, 7 total) with the optional kiddo seats in the hatchback (yes, it is a hatchback).  Two trunks and lay-down back seats have enough cargo space to rival the Escape.  The front trunk is my favorite, because it’s a trunk in the front, why wouldn’t it be the favorite?!

Ok, on to driving the Model S.  Driving this car is natural.  That is the best way to describe it.  The acceleration and braking are, of course, Roadster-esque, but not unnaturally so.  The Roadster let you know that with every depression of the accelerator that you were driving a speed machine.  This car makes it more subtle like an every-day-luxury-driver that can out-drag and M5… which it can do.

 
Video from Youtube by Automobile Magazine

The regenerative braking does take some time to adjust to, but it becomes natural very quickly.  Handling can be comfortable, standard, or sporty depending on how the steering adjustment is configured (which can also be changed on-the-fly).   These are several reasons this is my favorite PEV.

While it is my favorite, I do have a few criticisms.  First, I hate the door handles.  Yes, it is nice that they recede into the car for more aerodynamics, but dang-it I can’t get into the car when I want to.  Second, the blinker controller is awkwardly too low on the steering wheel causing unwanted engagement or disengagement of the cruise control located just above it.  Third, the gear shifter is on the column.  No, there are no gears to shift, but it does control changes from P, R, N, and D.  I really like my stick-like gear shifter in between the driver and front-seat passenger.  It gives something to hold onto while driving and makes me feel at home.  This is my least complaint except that I shifted the car into neutral a few times trying to turn on the windshield wipers.  Maybe the driver needs more training… Anyway, nit-picky complaints on a beautifully designed and crafted car.

If you leave this post with anything, it would be that the Model S is far superior to any PEV on the market and perhaps far superior to any comparable gasoline vehicle (look out BMW).  If this is your price range, I would consider it among other vehicles and see how compares.

http://www.teslamotors.com/models

Car and Driver Youtube Video


Until next time,

BC

Penn State

In the wake of what seems to be one of if not the most penalizing NCAA sanctions in history, I can’t help but impose my thoughts on this issue. While it is easy to see the reason for these sanctions, I have to disagree with them. The NCAA, like everyone who has a conscience, is [insert superlative form of words that are synonymous to: appalled, disgusted, offended, etc.] at the [insert superlative form of words that are synonymous with: deplorable, reprehensible, abominable, etc.] actions of Jerry Sandusky and subsequently Joe Paterno and others that will likely come out in the existing criminal investigation. However, in my opinion, they have overstepped their bounds. The NCAA, according to its history, is to regulate the rules for collegiate sports to keep the players safe. Over the years the NCAA began expanding its influence and in recent years has come under quite a bit of scrutiny. There are varying opinions of what the NCAA has regulation over. Their recent sanctions have varied in consistency and level of penalty over similar infractions. However, this is the first time the NCAA has levied penalties on a school over a criminal offense. Most of the time the sanctions involve payments to players or improper benefits both of which can be viewed as providing an unfair advantage to one school over another. This case is starkly different. It is a criminal offense that appears to be aided by others in the football program at Penn State; therefore, the NCAA for some reason thought that it could regulate this as well. Why this concerns me is that it sets a precedent that the NCAA can now impose sanctions on a school sports program for any “violation” it deems relevant. There is no bounds to this new regulation. If I was Arkansas, I would be worried that Bobby Petrino’s recent unethical behavior that led to his firing could also lead to sanctions from the NCAA. If a player gets arrested for “extra curricular activities” as has happened in recent years to players at the University of Tennessee and the Georgia Bulldogs, can the NCAA impose sanctions on the school for their criminal behavior? There is a reason that our legal system is based on a set of checks and balances between three branches of government. No one branch has ultimate control. The NCAA though seems to be stretching its influence and broadening its regulating power. In my opinion, this is alarming. At some point, the schools, fans, players, coaches, or all of the above will demand that this change, but right now there’s no end in sight. It’s only getting worse. Where will it end? How can it be restored to a place that is healthy for schools, players, fans, coaches, and the regulating body? I don’t have the answers, but I bring up the questions, because when is a better time to start than now?

Elon Musk: The Real Life Tony Stark

This is an image I came across in my blog reading. I have personal attachments to Tesla by way of my previous job in electric vehicle research. It's pretty amazing what this guy has done...


Created by: OnlineGraduatePrograms.com

Team B: Finish Line

Thank you to all of our sponsors and donors. To the APSO chapters that volunteered their time and efforts to help us get to the end, we say a special thanks. Thank you to the Mobile volunteers for setting up the finish line cookout.

After a long two and a half days of running, we are glad to be done and going home. The runners are tired and the drivers are too. All in all, it is all worth it to help the American Cancer Society.

--
BC