Benton Crane

I recently moved to the Washington DC area. I experimented with various different ways of commuting. I tried driving, riding the bus, and taking a train. With some help from the locals, however, I found that slugging is my ideal way to commute.

Slugging is a funny blend of carpooling and hitch-hiking. It came about over 20 years ago as a result of northern Virginia’s HOV-3 lanes. The I-95 freeway has the typical Northbound and Southbound lanes, but unlike most other freeway systems it has a third artery down the middle. Take a look at this satellite image:

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The lanes down the center flow into DC in the morning, and out in the afternoon. They have few entry and exit points, and the HOV-3 regulations (at least 3 people per vehicle) are strictly enforced during rush hour. The result is a high speed route into (or out of) the city. In fact, it’s so much faster than the regular lanes that many drivers are willing to pick up slugs just so they can be eligible to drive in the HOV lanes.

I’m a slug. I go every morning to a specific point where a line of slugs or sluggers forms. Drivers who need riders pull up and tell the first person in line where they are going. The first person then turns to the rest of the line and shouts out a destination and a number. That number is how many people the driver is picking up. The first people in line who are headed to that particular destination step out of line and into the car.

The whole process is surprisingly organized and predictable. There are specific lines for specific destinations. There is even an unspoken code of etiquette–people are very polite. It’s faster than the bus or the train, and it’s free. The drivers don’t ever ask for money–they’re happy to have access to the HOV lanes.

I’ve been impressed that such a system formed without a central planner. I’ve asked myself if anything similar could happen in places without HOV lanes. What does it take for commuters to ban together?

I just learned about a service called Avego. It’s the first business I’ve seen in awhile that flat-out excites me. Take a look at their introduction video. I think they will succeed in bringing commuters together similar to what slugging has done.

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Tomorrow is Constitution Day. Yesterday I shared why I’m grateful for The Constitution. Continuing the same theme, here is a list of great resources for learning about The Constitution:

• http://www.constitutionday.us
  What is Constitution Day? Constitution Day resources.
• http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_history.html
  The Constitutional Convention and the ratification process.
• http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html
  The U.S. Constitution.
• http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_q_and_a.html
  Questions and Answers Pertaining to the Constitution.
• http://www.usconstitution.net/constquick.html
  The Constitution Explained.
• http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_resp.html
  Constitutional Topic: Rights and Responsibilities.
• http://www.annenbergclassroom.org/
  Constitution Day resources for America’s teachers.

Happy Constitution Day!

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This Wednesday is Constitution Day. The Constitution of The United States of America was signed on September 17, 1787 (221 years ago). In honor of the day, I want to share a few reasons why I’m grateful for the constitution.

In thinking about the formation of this country, we always remember the Declaration of Independence and The Revolutionary War. Sometimes we forget, however, that these events only separated us from Great Britain; the new nation wasn’t fully formed until The Constitution was signed and ratified.

image source

Unlike most national constitutions that define the rights of the people, our Constitution is a document in which We the People define the role and limits of government. The powers not expressly given to the Federal government are reserved for the people and the States.

The Constitution ensures that our Federal Government is strong enough to protect our rights (and each State’s rights) but not infringe on them.

I am grateful to live in a country where I can worship, study, play, talk, write, and live how I choose. I’m grateful to live in a country where my personal rights are protected.

I hope and pray that my elected leaders live up to their commitment to uphold and abide by The Constitution. I encourage my friends and family to study and understand The Constitution so we can elect honest individuals who will uphold and abide by It.

The Heritage Foundation provides free pocket copies of The Constitution (includes The Declaration of Independence). If you don’t already have one, please get one.

Pass the word along. Remind those in your circle of influence to review and share The Constitution. Let’s make sure It’s well taught and understood. Let’s make sure our elected officials are living by It.

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Okay, the real title of this post should be more along the lines of How I Gained–Then Lost–20 Pounds. I only share it because my method for losing the weight was rather unique and a few of my friends have asked me to share the program.

I left for Portugal as a Mormon missionary in the beginning of 2002. I was 19 years-old and weighed a trim 145 pounds. My body, however, seemed to balloon as I experienced two significant lifestyle changes: my athletic life was all of the sudden limited to walking a few miles everyday, and more significant, I discovered Portuguese breads and pastries–heavenly!

The blunt Portuguese cultural was helpful in alerting me of my ever increasing waist-line; many people started calling me Gordinho which means “little fat one.”

One of my colleagues (I wish I could remember which one) showed me a book that his dad had given him. It was a work-out program used by The Royal Canadian Air Force (which I had no idea exists). It had separate programs for men and women. The men’s workout was a simple 11 minutes per day full-body workout.

Note: I just found the book on Amazon, but it doesn’t go for cheap. I guess used copies start around $42. It’s reviews are really high, so apparently others have had success with it as well.

The jist of the program is simple:

• You do 5 different exercises in 11 minutes. The time allotted for each exercise is 2 min, 1 min, 1 min, 1 min, 6 min respectively.
• There are six work-out charts. Each chart describes how to do the 5 exercises. Chart 1 starts out with simple, even easy, exercises. Each subsequent chart makes slight changes to the exercises so they become gradually more difficult until you reach chart 6 where they are near impossible for anyone but a super-athlete (I made it to chart 5).
• Each chart has 12 levels: D- through A+. Each level tells you how many repetitions you have to complete in the alloted time. You start on chart 1, level D-. You move through one level per day until you complete the chart at which point you move onto the next chart. When you reach a level that you can’t complete you repeat it until you can.

I liked the program because it is fast and requires nothing but a clock. The 6 charts and 12 levels make for a very gradual 72 total levels. In fact, chart 1 is so basic that it hardly feels like you are doing anything for the first two weeks. It gets gradually more difficult until the 11 minutes become very intense.

I didn’t like the program because exercise 3 is always some form of lying on your belly then arching your back and lifting your head and feet off the ground. All my colleagues thought it looked like some hybrid form of Superman and a beached whale–boy did it generate a lot of laughs. However, after trimming down and toning up a bit, a few of them were asking for copies of “The Canuck Program” as they called it.

Here is a pdf copy of my charts (which were photo-copied from my colleague’s book). They’re slightly marked up with the dates that I completed each level. I don’t think posting them violates copyright laws because the book is so long out of print (please let me know if I’m wrong).

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Last fall Ford Motor Co. sent some recruiters to BYU where I was in my senior year. One of the positions they were looking to fill was Financial Analyst. I have no experience or training in finance, but I figured my background in economics coupled with my passion for the automotive industry might make up the difference.

I applied for the position and was selected for an on campus interview. It was my first real job interview so I was pretty nervous. It must have gone at least okay because they invited me to Dearborn, Michigan for their recruitment fair (I can’t remember its official name). I was to be 1 of approximately 150 candidates looking to fill a number of different positions.

Upon arrival in Detroit my driver was waiting, sign in hand, for me at the bottom of the escalators–just like the movies! He took me to the Hilton Hotel across the street from Ford Headquarters. The following day was packed with great meals; rigorous interviews; a tour of the F150 final assembly line; and most importantly, Ford’s proving grounds, The Dearborn Development Center.

As a side note, I was introduced to Motor Trend when I was about 12 years old. I read every issue from cover to cover and even saved them all in a big Rubbermaid tub. I told people my dream job would be Motor Trend driver/writer. As I entered Ford’s proving grounds and saw all the next generation vehicles clad in camouflage, I really felt like that dream was about to be filled. Look at this fact list and imagine these things unfolding before my wide, dreamy eyes.

Dearborn Proving Ground facts:

• 360 acres in Dearborn, Mich., with approximately 25 miles of test roads
• First test track is laid in 1938 around Ford Airport runways. It is actively used as an airport until June 1947.
• Tracks include two oval tracks at 2.8 miles around, a straightaway nearly 1 mile long, a Ride and Handling track 1.1 miles around, two hills with 11 percent to 30 percent grades, a wet skidpad and a variety of test surfaces for development of steering, brakes, NVH, ride and handling, powertrain and durability.
• Test vehicles drive approximately 2 million miles per year.
• Grounds include four wind tunnels, cold test rooms, Automotive Safety Center and Crash Barrier, Product Review Center and two vehicle service garages and offices
• Approximately 800 employees
• Gas station supplies specialty fuels for powertrain calibration and emissions certification.

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Here’s a Satellite Image:

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Shelby GT500

While the tour of the facility was exciting, it just wouldn’t have meant much without some driving. I got three separate rides. The first was a rather boring circuit in a Fusion (I drove). The next was more exciting–a professional driver took me around a more thrilling circuit in an Edge. Finally, I got a helmet and a seat next to a professional driver in a Shelby GT500. The ride he took me on simply cannot be repeated anywhere but on a track. I’m certain that any description I write won’t do it justice. Instead, check out this clip from Fifth Gear. It’s very similar to what I experienced.

In the end I wasn’t offered a job but I think I will always classify that weekend as an experience of a lifetime.

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