There are exhaust systems and then there are exhaust systems.
Your vehicle’s exhaust system does everything that it needs to
do to keep your car performing properly as well as to protect
the environment safe from harmful pollutants. When it is working
properly, that is. Not every owner is satisfied with stock
exhaust systems, particularly the hobbyist or recreationalist
who uses his or her vehicle for leisurely pursuits. If you are a
hobbyist and you want a system that performs well beyond what a
stock exhaust system has to offer, then please read on for some
important information.
So, what is your sound preference? Say, what?! Yes, one of the
attributes of a high quality performance exhaust system is
finding one that brings out the sound that you want it to make.
Generally, there are three types of exhaust systems sounds you
can choose from. Gibson Exhaust, a popular manufacturer of
performance exhaust systems breaks it down as follows:
High: Produces a sound of high volume and intensity.
Expect resonance with the cab.
Moderate: “Big Block” powerful exhaust tone with minimal
resonance inside of the cab.
Low: Produces a mellow tone while it maintains a stock
sound within the cabin.
Are you not sure which type of system that you want? Then,
simply stop by the Gibson Exhaust site for sample sounds of the
exhaust system for your truck or SUV.
Beyond sound, there are several other characteristics of any
performance exhaust system that should be noted. They include:
More power. Stock mufflers can restrict engine power by
as much as one third. With a properly specified and fitted
performance muffler in place, air flow restriction can be
reduced significantly. The result will be borne out every time
you pull something or when you climb a hill as torque is freed
up to bring out additional power.
Improved fuel economy. An efficiently working engine
burns less fuel. With a performance exhaust system in place,
your engine has a friend and not a foe that works in conjunction
with the engine to achieve higher fuel mileage.
Longer lasting. What good is paying extra money for a
performance exhaust system if it doesn’t last longer? Made from
aircraft quality stainless steel, your performance exhaust
system can easily outlast the life of your vehicle. Depending on
the manufacturer you choose, warranties as long as one million
miles can assure that the exhaust system you place on your
vehicle not only avoids corrosion but is also the last one it
will ever need.
Certainly, performance exhaust systems can cost a lot more than
stock systems. For the hobbyist who enjoys the throatier sound,
stronger torque, and improved fuel economy, a performance
exhaust system makes perfect sense.
2006 already seems to have much in common with 2005.
2005, with the endless drumbeat of ‘the attack on Christianity’,
the spin-off ‘War On Christmas’, ‘religious leaders’ calling for
an assassination of a foreign leader, denouncing the right of an
entire city to ask for God’s help should they need it, pointing
to the ‘behavior’ of a city’s residents (often out-of-town
visitors) for the reason it drowned, terror at the thought of
gay marriage, and other matters purportedly related to religion
picked at the scab of a memory I’d tried to suppress.
All I could do was hope for a better year ahead. But 2006, with
the kickoff of Pat Robertson’s remarks about Sharon and the
spectacle of another ‘Justice Sunday’, seems to be shaping up
the same as 2005.
Until that day, only my closest friends really knew my secret. I
really made a point of not talking about it or giving any hint
about it away. They took it in stride. To them, I was just a guy
to have a beer with or work out with. But that day I slipped.
Maybe it was the whole post-election religious right talk that
made me drop my guard.
The memory I lived with through much of 2005 is about the day,
back in 2001, when I was publicly ‘outed’ by a complete
stranger. I know why she spotted me. It was the way I looked on
that day.
Not by my physique. After recovering from an illness, I’d
returned to my workout regimen and was benching 425 pounds
again. My ‘California tan’ and bleached-blonde hair (from the
sun and surf) might have been a hint- but they certainly weren’t
what gave me away.
That whole combination meant what it always has meant- I might
be or might not be… well… ‘different’ from what is expected
by some.
It broke down to what I was wearing. The problem was that I had
on a yellow ‘muscle tank-top’ that was a gift from my ‘better-
half’.
That’s what gave me away on that fateful summer day of 2001 or,
rather, that’s what assisted in exposing me.
On that day, upon returning from the grocery store, my ‘better-
half’ informed me I’d bought the wrong toilet paper. Having
spent the first 6 years of my life (when basic lessons are
learned and lifelong imprints are made) in a place where
outhouses were considered luxuries, I didn’t quite seem to be
able to grasp the different sensitivities of the rear region-
particularly when it came to something called ’soft and scented
paper’.
I offered to (was gently ordered to) return to the store and,
once returning, fell victim to my brain-block on toilet paper
again. I drew a blank on the name brand. I blame that on O.S.
(Outhouse Syndrome)- the inability to understand the difference
between Charmin, Scott’s, or any other ‘brand’.
I thought a trip down the aisle containing household paper
products would jog my memory as I was not about to call home to
say I couldn’t remember something relayed to me just moments
before (the pride thing before the fall- akin to the ‘asking for
directions’ thing).
I wish I had.
My ‘outer’ was in that aisle. I mistook her for my savior
(toilet paper- wise). She was 60 something, dressed nicely, and
so ‘American grandmotherly’ that, from a distance, one could
imagine her dabbing ‘eau-de apple pie’ behind each ear in the
morning. I decided to ask for her help.
After explaining what I thought my ‘better-half’ wanted, she
smiled understandingly and pointed to the lower shelf behind me
and told me which brand was the most desirable.
As I leaned over to reach for the rolls, I heard the troubling
words. I closed my eyes for a second trying to think of how she
knew and immediately realized it was because of my appearance
or, rather, my tank- top which exposed the symbol I wore.
The words she spoke were, “Excuse me sir, are you a Christian?”
I responded, despite the alarm bells going off in my head,
“Well, yes I am.” But then I added, “I was raised Catholic.”
The small gold cross I was wearing had slipped out of my tank
top. The cross was my mother’s which she gave me prior to her
passing.
She looked at me in a way best described as ’sadly’ and offered,
“Catholic? Really?” She added, “I’m Christian”.
Her face was grandmotherly but her eyes said, “J’accuse!”
The alarm bells were getting louder. I struggled with whether to
make a quick exit or to defend my being raised a Catholic due to
circumstance and later reaffirming that accident of birth while
taking many of the best things of all religions to heart.
She spoke again, “We had some Catholics live near us. They were
very nice”.
‘They’?
4 letters translated into a verbal punch. I wondered if she
realized she had just called me a ‘they’.
I decided to leave it alone and simply dismiss it by blaming my
religion on my ancestry, “Well, I’m of Slavic descent and
Catholicism is something I grew up with. I think it’s still part
of the Christian family- isn’t it?”
She quickly responded with, “Oh, we had some Slavs- I think they
were Polish- that lived next to us before we moved here.” She
then got a look on her face that one associates with the initial
smell of stench and followed up with, “Nice people but you could
smell their food all around the neighborhood when they cooked.”
‘They’ and ‘but smell their food’? Verbal punches number two and
three.
My ancestry, my studies, and my belief of the sanctity of
holding religion private were all being pilloried by this
knowing or unknowing conveyance of intolerance.
Although I’m not Polish, I share something in common with Poles
(and with certain other select groups of people). We were a
favorite choice for the ‘eugenics’ movement (the U.S. and
Germany- circa 1930-45 come to mind) by those who spoke as she
did.
Sensing it was time to disengage, I replied, “Thank you for the
help with the toilet paper.”
She wouldn’t let go. She followed me down the aisle.
She asked if I’d been to the new church in town that will remain
nameless. Suffice it to say that the word ‘Crusade’ is on the
facade. Without waiting for a response, she pulled out a card- a
business card. The name on it, she explained, was her son’s. He
was the ‘lay pastor’ of the church.
I bit my lip as I wanted to sarcastically tell her that we had
some ‘lay priests’ in the Catholic church (as evidenced by news
reports) but decided against it. Instead, I thanked her and took
the card as I made my way out of the store- discarding the card
on the way out.
When I got home, I told my girlfriend (my ‘better-half’) what
had happened. She laughed. She knew better than most how
seriously I took such things and probably realized how troubled
I was by it long before I did.
I learned a lot from that experience. I learned that I shouldn’t
really talk to strangers about toilet paper because that could
lead to a discussion about religion, which these days, seems
inevitably to lead to politics. And we all know that nobody
should discuss the combination of toilet paper, religion, and
politics in polite company.
A discussion such as that can easily lead to talking about
outhouses, forced sterilizations, special furnaces, and war.
It is no secret that the cost of gas has continued to increase and it appears that this trend won’t end anytime soon. This has left many people looking for ways to reduce the amount they spend on gas every month. Many people may be surprised to learn that one method for reducing the cost of gas is by using credit cards. But you don’t want to use just any credit card. You want to use a gas rebate credit card.
A gas rebate credit card is similar to other cash back rewards programs. When you use your gas rebate credit card to buy gas, a certain percentage of the money you spend will be credited back to your account by the end of the month. While most cashback credit cards only pay you once a year, gas rebate credit cards pay you each month. With the rising cost of gas, it is easy to see why consumers can save a lot money on the cost of gas. The percentage earned for using the gas rebate cards average at about 3%.
Many credit card companies will offer gas rebates for specific brands. Some of these can only be used at certain locations. This is excellent for somone who goes to a specific location to purchase gas. If you are the type of person who shops around for low gas prices, having a gas rebate card may not help you. If your car is running low on gas, looking for certain location to use your gas rebate card can be tedious. Because of this, many credit card companies have begin offering cards which can be used at any gas station.
These cards have become very popular among people who want to lower the cost of their gas. This is especially true if you have an SUV or truck. While most gas rebate cards will pay back the customer in the form of a credit to their account, some companies may offer gift certificates or other rewards. It is also important to remember that many credit cards have restrictions. Some cards only allow you to earn credit on purchases made at the pump instead of the counter.
Many gas rebate cards will limit the amount of credit you get back each year. Really good cards will give you a few hundred dollars back each year. Most of these cards don’t require you to pay annual fees, and this is another great benefit. You will want to do your research to find the different cards available.
Joe Kenny writes for Card Guide, offering the latest information on credit cards in the UK, visit them today us to apply for a balance transfer credit card and start clearing credit card debt today.
