Beauty on Wheels

The Shelby GT500 is basically the cream of the crop when it comes to Mustangs, and I happen to own one. I have had mine for a little over a year now, and I bought it with only 750 miles on it. 12,000 miles later, I can honestly say that I have gotten acquainted with the car. I know the good the bad, and everything in between about it. Now I am sharing my experiences with you. If you have been looking into buying a GT500 or you just want to know if it is all it’s cracked up to be, keep reading. I’ll try to share all the information I can with you.

The Performance of the GT500

The “500″ part of the GT500 name comes from the fact that the car produces roughly 500 horsepower straight out of the factory. I have actually modified mine to about 650 horsepower, and I can tell you right now that this thing is a beast. The stock tires that come on the car don’t really accommodate for the hefty horsepower, so I don’t normally catch traction until second or third gear if I’m flooring it. Nevertheless, this is certainly the fastest Mustang I have ever owned, and it has enough torque to blow your face off.

The Comfort of the GT500

When it comes to comfort, the Shelby GT500 is severely lacking. I happen to have a car with the leather interior upgrade, which means that the dashboard and the steering wheel have leather wrapped around them. That is about the only “luxury” in the car though, and I can’t even really consider that a luxury. If you’re a legal assistant trying to impress your attorney boss, this may not be the car to do it in. The back seats are worthless, to the point that I have to put my legs in the seat if I ever ride in the back. There is no navigation in most cars, and there is no memory seating. The whole car feels cheap and cheesy on the inside, but that may not matter to you. If you are just looking for power without the comfort, the GT500 could be a perfect fit for you.

The Look of the GT500

As a whole, I think the GT500 looks sexy as hell. It has clean lines and an evil front façade that just screams, “Don’t even think about it.” I’m not a huge fan of the stripes that come on the car from the factory, but a lot of people are. I actually took off all the stripes on my GT500 and blacked out all the cobra badges to blend in with the car. I think it looks damn good with blacked out lights as well, but I’m a partial judge of course. This is certainly a car that can put fear in the eyes of anyone that happens to drive by it.

The Price of the GT500

This is not the most affordable car in the world, especially if you are just looking to upgrade from a Mustang GT. I bought mine for $38,000, and that was when it was already three years old. Starting prices go from $48,000 to $50,000+, depending on the options you want on the car. For most people, that just isn’t feasible in this economy.

Do I think the car is worth the money? Not really, if I’m being honest. I have had far too many problems with the vehicle since I purchased it, and it had almost no miles on it at all. I think there are much better cars out there for the same money, but they aren’t Mustangs. Id that is what you are fixated on getting, this may be the best option for you. There are good and bad features about this car, but at the end of the day, it is still something I am proud to say I own.

I have seen some pretty ugly cars through my daily internet browsing, but I felt like sharing the story of the ugliest car I have ever seen in person. This is one of those situations where a guy made an already ugly car even uglier, and then he just couldn’t stop. I realize that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but there comes a time when you have to think a beholder is mentally ill for ever liking the way something looks. This is one of those times. Let’s take a look at the transformation, shall we?

Step 1 – The Foundation of the Ugly Car

Everything started with this innocent red Honda. It was pretty old and abused, but there was no reason to chop its balls off and throw it in the trash. Here is what the car looked like from the beginning…

The guy didn’t have a picture of it without the black hood, so just picture that in red. He painted the car with flat black Walmart spray paint, if that shows you how much he cared about his baby. He didn’t even use enough spray paint to fully cover the color of the hood. He just used as many cans as it took to make the car look like it had been poorly vandalized.

Step 2 – The Purple-fication Process

According to the car’s owner, he essentially walked into Walmart and picked a purple color to put all over his car. Again, he didn’t put enough spray paint on it to fully cover the car. He just coated it enough to give the illusion of a full paint job. Notice that he kept the red on the wheels, which looks like crap with the purple:

Sexy eh? The guy that drives the car is a pretty big dude, so it was pretty funny to see him come out of this Tinky-Winky purple vehicle. Nevertheless, he was proud of it at this stage, just like he had been previously.

Step 3 – The Ghetto-fication of the Hood

With the ugly color in place, the owner of the car decided that he wanted to make it look sportier. To do that, he cut out the scoop from an Evo VIII hood and riveted it to his own hood. Yes, I said riveted people.

In his own words, the new scoop was “almost center” on his car. He didn’t even bother to line the thing up properly. That wouldn’t have mattered much, but still. Take some pride in your shotty work if you’re going to try to rock it.

Step 4 – The Sharpie-fication of the Exterior

In order to take his car to the next level, the owner wanted to draw all over it with Sharpies. If you have ever heard of the Sharpie Lamborghini, you know that this can in fact look pretty cool. Somehow though, this guy managed to make it look like total white trash.

You can’t really see the sharpie marks from afar, although they do look halfway decent up close…

I just wish they had been executed a little better, or perhaps the background had allowed them to show up a little more. As a whole, this car just didn’t make me smile. It made me wish that there were laws in place about how crappy someone could make his car look. Maybe that’s just me though. You may think this is the best looking car in the world. If so, I wish you all the best at the asylum, my friend. Seriously.

When I first started dating my husband, I didn’t know the difference between the engine and the exhaust. After four years with him though, I can now tell you the difference between the heads and the headers and everything in between. I consider myself pretty fluent in car speak, but that is also because I am a fast learner. If you want to be a real car enthusiast, you need to have a decent vocabulary to pull from. I put together a list of words that I feel all car guys and girls should know. Read on if you want to enhance your vehicabulary (yes, that was my feeble attempt to come up with a new word)…

Boost: Any modification used to enhance the power of a car, such as a supercharger or NOS.
Crank horsepower: The power that comes out of the engine, which is an inaccurate way to measure the power of a car. Nevertheless, this is the number most people refer to when they say “horsepower.”
Fart can: A large muffler that does not add any power to a car. It just makes the car sound like it is farting.
Nav: Short for navigation, which is not to be confused with GPS. Navigation is a mapping unit built into a car’s dashboard. A GPA system is a separate device that you may use in your car.
NOS: A power additive that instantly cools the air in the engine and allows it to go faster for a limited amount of time. NOS can be dangerous to engines, so it is not always recommended for long term power.
Rear wheel horsepower: The amount of power from the engine that actually makes it to the tires. Most cars have a 15% to 20% horsepower loss because of the drive train, so a 300hp car may only put 240 to 255 rwhp to the ground.
Ricer: An Asian import that has been cheaply modified, usually with a large spoiler, extravagant body kit, and a fart can.
Supercharger: A modification to an engine that causes the belt on the engine to spin faster, thereby creating more power.
Torque: The amount of force a car pulls with. Trucks usually have a lot of rear wheel torque so they can pull heavy loads, but sports cars can have it to launch off the line too.
Tranny: The transmission of a car, mainly categorized as a manual or automatic. There are hybrid transmission types out there though, like a shiftable automatic or a semi-manual gearbox.
Turbo: A modification to an engine that allows it to suck in cold air, creating more power.
V6, V8, SRT-8, SRT-10: Different types of engines where the number at the end represents the amount of cylinders in the engine. A V8 is usually faster than a V6, and an SRT-10 is usually faster than an SRT-8.

I could keep going, but I think that gives you a rough idea of some of the terms you need to know. You may not find online college degrees featuring car talk as a primary learning module, but it cannot hurt to learn how to speak with car enthusiasts if you want to be one. It doesn’t matter if you’re a girly girl, a burly boy, or something in between. You could be fluent in car if you just put your mind to it. Hopefully the list above will at least provide you with a starting point to build on in the future.

While most view publishing or journalism as a communications or writing industry, which takes a certain skill set. Now while this is true, it is also an industry that is combined with art. How? Graphic design.

Graphic design is needed in many areas of publishing. Graphic design is also one of the fastest growing careers in the country. It is a an artistic and creative career that is also rewarding. Many publishers or publishing houses or vendors need graphic artists to do their Production work, create boiler plates, and even design covers and custom covers. There are many possibilities available.

So how do you become a graphic designer? It is relatively simple. A four year degree is most common, but of course you can pursue a higher level of education as well. Your courses are mainly in technology. You should enjoy and be able to do the bulk of your work and projects on a computer. Interestingly enough, there is also some legal knowledge that is involved, such as copyright laws and how to avoid them in your designs.

Luckily, if you choose to become a graphic designer for a publisher, publishers typically have their own Rights/ Permissions and Licensing departments that will research images, existing designs, and other art for you or to make sure that there is no infringement on any cover designs or products. However, knowledge of these situations is pertinent for all potential graphic artists entering any industry.

Getting your foot in the door for any magazine, publisher, or marketing firm is easy…especially with the huge growth in media today. Most companies or firms require a six-month to a year long internship, in order for you to learn the industry, company, and test your skills. Once you gain this experience, you can write your own ticket. It is also smart to create a portfolio to show off to any potential job or internship opportunities, so they see where your strengths lie.

Another important strength a well-rounded and good graphic designer must possess is the ability to use their artistic strengths in order to reach a company or firm’s target audience in appropriate and unique ways. While this may require some background or experience in marketing, there is a lot of room for creativity.

Despite popular belief, there is a lot of potential for art in the publishing industry. There is a lot of room for creativity and unique ideas to design books, magazine covers, page layouts, as well as other artistic ways to reach the target audience.

© Michele Loftus | Dreamstime.com

One of the greatest parts of owning a car is the fact that you can do whatever you want to with it. You can truly make a car your own, but some people go a little overboard with the customization of their automobiles. I’m all for accessorizing your car, but if you’re going to do that, do it tastefully. There are some car accessories that are best left in the warehouse. Here is a list of good and bad accessories you may be considering so you can select the ones that will do the most for you in the end.

Good Accessories for Cars

The best accessories for cars are the ones that protect various parts of the car from dirt and stains. These accessories can be removed when you trade the car in so that it looks as pristine as possible. Here are some of my favorite automotive accessories, along with information about why I like them so much:

• Seat belt covers: Seat belt covers go around seat belt straps and prevent them from cutting into your neck during a sudden impact. I was in a bad car accident a little over a year ago, and my seat belt covers almost saved my life.
• Steering wheel covers: A steering wheel cover can protect the material on your steering wheel and prevent it from running away or fading. It can also give you an extra place to grip on the wheel, which may make you a better driver in the end.
• Bras: No, I’m not talking about a 38 DD here. I’m referring to the bras that you can put on the face of a car to protect it from bugs, rocks, and other possible problems that may destroy the paint. Since your car’s front is going to get the most abuse on the road, an accessory like this could keep it protected in the future.
• Floor mats: Floor mats come standard in most cars, but I always encourage people to buy their own. That way they can get them as dirty as they want to and still have the stock ones to trade with the car.

Bad Accessories for Cars

• Bumper stickers: Bumper stickers are incredibly tacky, and they can ruin the paint on a car over time. The paint under the bumper sticker will always be darker than the paint on the rest of the car, so you will ever get rid of the evidence. That is why it is best to avoid bumper stickers from the start.
• Overt body kits: I don’t mind some body kits, but I have a problem with triple layer fins and front ends that look like they’re trying to sneeze. Let’s keep the exterior mods to a minimum people, okay?
• Chrome accents: Chrome is cheap, and it can actually pose as a threat to drivers on the road when it reflects sunlight into their eyes. Avoid an accident and keep it off your car from the start.
• Tacky rims: Once rims get above 20 inches or so, they’re just tacky. I’m tired of seeing people with $2,000 rims on $200 cars. Keep your rims to a tasteful level if you want to gain respect from other drivers on the road.

For more information about some of the accessories and modifications you can add to your car, check out these other articles from another one of my blogs:

• Modifications that Hurt a Car’s Value
• Modifications that Help a Car’s Value

Calling all writers. Today is extremely easy to get into writing.You don’t necessarily need a college degree, although it is helpful and preferred, and of course, education is never lost. If you are a student in pursuit of your degree, whether it be in English or Journalism or Communications, there are things you can start now in order to get your foot in the door with writing.

Of course, you could always start with checking out the best journalism schools as a starting point. You could also do your own journalism work by creating our own blog or website and posting your own articles. You could also join your school’s journalism team if your school has one.

However, you could also get a general degree in English or Communications. While it may seem broad, this can often be a plus. A degree in English or Communications does not limit you to one particular industry or position. You could begin a career as a Writer, Journalist, Editor, Project Manager, or even become an Author or Publisher. You could work with news, magazines, or even textbooks. The opportunities and possibilities are endless.

So what can you do now? Well, start writing! There are many freelance opportunities out there looking for writers who can write blog articles. This is a great place to start if you haven’t yet had the opportunity to really sit down and write and see what you’ve got. There are tons of niches or categories you can get into, whether it be business, specific industries, or even hobbies, you can bet that there are companies or individuals looking for help or writers to write on every topic under the sun.

After you’ve written a number of efficient and well-written articles, you can form a portfolio. A portfolio is a collection of pieces, whether they be art or article clips or pieces you’ve written. Today, most employers that would like or appreciate to see a portfolio, prefer that they are online. So this goes back to starting your own blog or website full of your own work that you can show off. If you haven’t started one already, know that websites and blogs today are easy to create and maintain. You don’t need much, if any, web development or computer science skills in order to do this.

All in all, the way to get your foot in the door as a writer is to write. It might be a good idea to write a few test articles, on the topic of your choice, before deciding on a career, and maybe bounce them off established writers or authors or even a colleague or professor to get their take on them. After they provide feedback and point you in the right direction, the road is all yours!

© Alexandr Stepanov | Dreamstime.com