Putting The Pedal To The Metal: My First Car And My Dream Car

     Since the Daytona 500 was a couple of weeks ago, I am going discuss when I got my first car. I have still have this car, and it's a used 2012 Volkswagen CC Sport.

    I remember when I finally got my driver license at 19 as it took me 4 times to pass my road test. I think to others, it was time for them to get All State to be protected from mayhem like me. I swear, I am a much better driver now than I was then. Anyway, I think for me, getting a car was the start of my adulthood. It was first step in getting my life together that led me to plan what I want to do, and so far have a successful college career. 

                                                                                                            Used 2012 Volkswagen CC

    Now, the story of my first car was since my parents got two brand new cars at a Volkswagen dealership, my family decided to get a used car at this dealership instead of a used dealership. My used 2012 Volkswagen CC Sport costed 11,000 dollars. The outside color of the car is black, and the interior color of the car is black. What love about my first car is it drives really smooth in every speed driven, and it is fairly updated for a 2012. This car has a place for an aux cord, and surprisingly a place for an iPod. Also, it has a 6 CD's holder, and Bluetooth to connect to any device. The backseat has a place to charge phones and a GPS. Then this car has cup holders in the front seat, but the backseat as well, and an air condition feature to have seat warmers. Finally, this feature I love, because it reminds of the first time, I drove my best friend in my car. The key is not a regular key that it turns to start the engine. It's a key, where you push the key in the key socket to start the engine. So, my best friend said, when I started the car is, "What is this, a spy car?" I found that so funny, because it does look like how spy starts their car in a spy movie. 

    I did say this car does drive smooth, but it only great, when the car works. What I mean by that is the greedy car dealer gave me a car that the person, who previously owned it, sold it at the right time, when all the problems with an old car started to happen. I didn't expect this, when the greedy car dealer knew he was getting a sale, which he could have steered me away from this one to get a reliable car, and my parents brought two new cars from him. It just something you expect from a used car dealership, not a well-known dealership. You live and you learn, I guess. Now, I  know for the next time, buying a car. Thank god, I had a reliable mechanic that did a great job for a fair price. 

    I'm hoping for this car to last me until college, and I could save enough money for my dream car. So, I am a big fan of psychedelia and flower power music of the Woodstock era, and a big fan of Scooby Doo. I love both of these things, since I was young, and I always wanted the car of the era, which is the same car as the Mystery Machine. I would love to drive original Volkswagen Microbus, not the new ones, because I think the new ones are ugly and not the same as the originals. A Volkswagen Microbus to me is unique and stands out from other cars. I think it just a car that represents my cool calm personality, the music I like, and my love for Scooby Doo. I would definitely paint the car with tie dye colors, and add stickers like The Grateful Dead logo, dancing bears and skeletons.  

    Let me know in the comments below, what your first car was and what your dream car is?
             

 Mystery Machine

Chips And Dip: Kit Kat

     As February is National Snack Month, I am going to discuss my favorite snack of all time. I don't usually have a sweet tooth, and eat a lot of candy, especially on Halloween. If I do, then my go to favorite snack or candy is a Kit Kat. 

    I think I love Kit Kat so much, because the taste is better than the other candy bars to me. The idea to cover a wafer bar in chocolate is genius in creating a chocolate bar. The combination of my favorite flavor of chocolate coving with a crunchy bar is such a perfect blend. Then, it's not the taste of the bar that gets someone to try their product. First, the slogan is something to pull someone in to eat a Kit Kat. Second, the commercials stand out more than the other candy bar commercial with a theme song and creative ideas. Third, my favorite part is to break it in two pieces, because it feels satisfying to do it.

    To begin, the slogan is just great, "Have a break, have a Kit Kat." This is good labeling by the company, because the slogan is trying to say, a Kit Kat is a type of snack to bring on 15 minute break at work. Also, it's kind of suggesting the audience, if they are working hard at work or studying, to take 5 seconds of your busy life to eat a Kit Kat. This is just great marketing to make a Kit Kat more than a candy bar, but a routine snack to have on a person's break. 

    Next, the commercials have a style that different from other candy bars. I love how this candy bar has like an iconic instrumental theme song in the commercials, because they used an unique element of their candy bar by breaking the bar in two in the theme. It's so clever and catchy that the beat of the theme song is people breaking the candy bar in half. Also, the beat is very melodic for a beat, which I think is something pleasing to listen to, and that is unexpected for a commercial. For example, the one where the Kit Kat breaking beat, but the surrounding of the people's background in the commercial is also doing the melody of the Kit Kat break. If the person is a drummer, then he or she would play the theme song on the drum. 

    Last, I think it's such a great feeling to break a Kit Kat in half. It's hard to explain, but something about doing the action of snapping the bar with your hands like the commercial is worth it. I guess you can do that with any candy bar, but Kit Kat made it a staple in their product that it is made for the breaking action. I think with a Kit Kat, it's an impulse to do it, because other candy bars didn't design their bars like Kit Kat, where I have the urgency to eat in two pieces. 

     Speaking of Kit Kat, I want to share this funny video, I discovered in my Screenwriting class. This guy from India is telling the story, how he never had a Kit Kat until college, when his college roommates brings a bar from the United States. He loved it so much, that he ate the whole thing, and didn't leave any for his roommate. Then, his roommate brought another one and shared it with him. The guy took it and didn't say anything about him eating the whole bar, the first time. I love this story, because I love Kit Kat so much, that what he did is something that I would do. 

https://youtu.be/MvyPn0FFPio

    Now, my favorite place to munch on food is a place that I recently went to at winter break. The chain restaurant all over New Jersey called MJ's. Before winter break, I was only there once for a sweet 16 and never had the bar food until now. My friends and I wanted to try something different rather than the same restaurants again. The food was so good, I went there two more times before break was over. The three food items that I had was a personal sausage and pepperoni stromboli, volcano burger, and open face sliced streak sandwich were all really good. Definitely recommend to try if there is one in your area. 

   Hershey's Kit Kat Snack Size

     

PSA Announcement

Sing-A-Long: My Top 3 Songs

    The Grammy's are approaching, and I thought this is a perfect time to discuss my top 3 favorite songs of all time. This was very hard to decide, because I love tons of songs in my music collection, but I was able to determine 3 songs that I love better than any other song. Number 3 is "Angie" by The Rolling Stones, number 2 is "Love Song" by Tesla, and number 1 is "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra.

    First, why "Angie" by The Rolling Stones is third on my list, because it's one of many beautiful ballads written by my favorite band. What made me pick this song over "Wild Horses" or "Ruby Tuesday," are the vocal performance has more emotion, the piano and guitar blend together really well, and the meaning of the song is unique.

Rolling Stones

    Mick Jagger's vocals on this track are incredible. The skill of holding the notes on certain lyrics like "I hate that sadness in your eyes," is a great way to tell the audience, the feeling of the character in the song. The audience is able to feel the pain of breaking up with someone with Mick Jagger's vocal skills. Then, how Mick Jagger using his vocals can make the emotions build in the song. How he can gradually sing the name, Angie, with more emphasis, each time he sings the name, creates the powerful ending of the song. Last, I always think it's clever, when a singer does the action, he or she states in the previous lyric. Mick Jagger sings, "Let me whisper in your ear," and then he whispers Angie in the next line.

    The piano and guitar has a perfect balance of being featured in the song. The acoustic intro is very melodic, and is a perfect lead into the vocals. Then, the piano comes in, and I love Keith Richard's guitar, and Nicky Hopkin's piano takes turns filling in-between the vocals. Also in the solo, when the guitar and piano are both soloing at the same time, I feel the two musicians have great chemistry in jamming with one another. 

    Last, the song meaning is unique, because it's the moment, where a person is about to break-up with someone. It's not before or after a break-up, which most artists tend to chose to sing about. This song can be relatable, because the band talks about two people loving each other, but realizing it's best to break-up. It's hard for the two characters, but they know they will continue to hurt themselves being together. 

    Next, "Love Song" by Tesla is second on my list, because it's one of my favorite power ballads in the era of hair metal. This is loved more than the other power ballads, because the acoustic intro is very catchy, the guitar solo is killer, and the song meaning is very hopeful. 

                                                                                                           Tesla – Band

    The acoustic intro is just spectacular, because the melody is very pretty, and I feel it sounds like something that came out of the Medieval period or something Rush would have wrote. The intro at the same time, has a catchy melody as the guitarist, Frank Hannon, plays each note very bouncy and fun. When the song start with vocals, the intro and the first verse has a great tradition as it smooth going to the verse. Also, I love in the verses, when the guitar is playing in-between the vocals, because I think filling the spaces makes the song full and better. Then the electric guitar solo later in the song is awesome, because he is wailing for a good portion of the song. Frank Hannon has a way to play his pieces with so much melody, but can still play fast and shred on the solo. 

    Last, the song meaning gives me so much hope, because it takes a sad moment in someone's life, and the band tells them, it's going to be okay. People, who gone through a break-up, need something to look forward to. What's cool about this song, it feels like Tesla is talking to you or wrote this for you. They sing about healing takes time, they're other fish in the sea, and here for you like a friend. 

    Finally, "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra is first on my list, because this song doesn't sound like any other song written. The song stands out as a creative original idea. I love how this song uses personification, great guitar work, a cool special effect, and an epic outro at the end.

                                                                                  Electric Light Orchestra

    Jeff Lynne is such a great songwriter, especially in this song. He writes the blue and night sky using personification. The actions of the sky is described as if it was a person doing it. For example, how Jeff Lynne told how the sky changed to day to night, "But soon comes Mr. Night creepin' over. Now his hand is on your shoulder." I think that it such a creative way to say the sun is going down by saying Mr. Night pushing Mr. Blue Sky out of the way. Again, like the Rolling Stones' song, Jeff Lynne does the action, he said in the previous lyric. He sings "Runnin' down the avenue," and then breathes like he is running. I just love the idea of doing the action of the lyric.  

    Then, Jeff Lynne on the guitar is great to listen to as this such a well-crafted solo in this song. He is other guitarist that has great melodic soloing in his playing. He knows what he is doing, when he's able to take the melody of the song and implemented in the solo. Next, I love the special effect on the vocal part on the bridge, where it's auto tune before auto tune was a thing. It's clever to have the title of the song in the chorus and the bridge, but the bridge is sung in a different way to tell it apart from the chorus. The last thing is how the song closes with this choir and orchestra finish. I love this part, because it feels like a big finale that you didn't think the song needed, but it does. It's like modern day rock classical mix at end with a piano, string section, drums, electric guitar, and a church choir. 

    These songs are great musical works with a ton of creativity, and relatable messages. These songs have got me through life, and inspired me in my own songwriting. Here's a link to my top 3, and enjoy my favorite songs.   

1.  Electric Light Orchestra - Mr. Blue Sky (Audio) - YouTube

2.  Tesla - Love Song - YouTube

3.  The Rolling Stones- Angie - YouTube

    

     

Rinse, Wash, Rinse, Wash, and Repeat: Warped Tour

    Groundhog's Day with Bill Murray is about a man living Groundhog's Day every day. The one day I would want to live over and over in my life, it would be the day I went to the big punk rock festival called Warped Tour.
     

    I pick this day, because it was a show that had multiple stages, so I only saw the bands, I really wanted to see. If I relive the same day over and over, then I don't have choose the bands, and can see them all. I would love the opportunity to have a chance to listen to new bands, because listening to bands for the first time is a cool experience to me, and if I like them, it another band in my music collection. 
    

    The first day, I would see all the bands on the first stage, then the next day would be the second stage, and so on until I watch every band on every stage. After, I watch them in order, I guess I would see the bands in different combinations to not see the bands in the same order, because I would lose my mind doing the exactly the same thing over and over. Another reason would be this was one of my favorite shows, I went with my friends, and we had such a great time that I would love to live it again and again.  
    

    Also, I think it would be really funny, if a one of the bands at the show said the next song is a brand new song, they're playing for the first time, and I know all the words. My friends would look at me funny, because they don't know that this is the 55th time, I lived this day, and I heard the song so many times that I finally know all the words. My friends would be so confused thinking is he using voodoo magic to gain the knowledge of something happening before it happens or is he living the same day every day like in that Bill Murphy's movie. 

                 Vans Warped Tour Logo - Warped Tour - Wikipedia