Sunday, November 30, 2008

The sentimental valur of the first car



Everyone has had a "first car". This is the title of the car that everyone gets when they first get their liscence and then the car. A person can get their car in so many different ways. When it comes time for someone to get a new car it is a very sentimental subject. The first car is always the car that gives an everlasting memory on the owner.




When a person turns sixteen this is the age that comes with the ultimate responsibility of driving. Of course every parent dreads this day when their child gets their liscence because it signifies that they are growing up and therefore have to try and start being responsible. When you go to get your liscence you have to take a written and actual driving test in order to aquire it. The driving test consists of six hours on the road and thrity hours of classtime work. The written test is a multiple choice, true false test with various questions and then sixteen blank signs that you have to identify. If you pass all of these tests then it is time to get your polaroid taken and provide all the legal documentation in order to get it all put together and processed. You then recieve the shiny plastic gift of freedom to the open asphalt.




Now after a person gets their liscence it then comes time to get the first car. This can be obtained in so many different ways. These ways include: purchasing one by yourself, getting a loan, recieving a car as present for your sixteenth birthday, or fixing one up and keeping it. There are so many possibilities. At first some people may not like and/or appreciate their automobile but after countless times of one-on-one time with the ride they begin to appreciate it and even love it.




After several pricless times in my "first car" which I still own and operate, my 2001 Jeep Wrangeler, I will never get rid of it. I remeber one specific time last winter when our high school was closed because of a barrage of snow that night. The next day I had a few of my close friends and we had a good time. We first went four wheeling in the snow, then we drove through a snow ice, water puddle;we then got the idea of a lifetime. Since I own and have a Jeep Wrangler with four-wheel drive we decided to see what "Jeepy" was made of. We have taken her through the mud before but never has she ventured into such uncharted atmosphere. We then proceeded to take a romp through the snow/ice with my beast of an automobile! The picture of this speaks a thousnad words.

I love my car and I will never get rid of it. If it breaks down and is no longer capable of being operated I will build a seperate garage type of shelter for it where I will put it on display for everyone to look at and be jealous of. My car is my thrid love behind my girlfriend and mom. Everyone loves their first car and it is the car that is always remebered and reminisced upon.

10 best cars of 2009

This is an interesting list I found of the 10 best cars to come out of the 2009 production class.
1. 2009 BMW 3 Series/M3.

I personally have driven the new 335xi which packs a twin-turbo inline 6 engine and over 300hp. It is ridiculously fast, but not as fast as the 414hp V-8 M3.

2. 2009 Cadillac CTS/CTS-V.

Cadillac redesigned their mid-size sedan for 2009. The CTS-V in particular received a major makeover with the addition of a 556hp supercharged V-8.

3. 2009 Chevrolet Corvette.

After the amount of work that Chevy put into the new corvette it definitely deserved a spot on this list. The over 600hp engine and impeccable styling has acquired the attention of several of the big names in cars and a spot on the top 10 for 2009 was allocated for the ZR-1.

4. 2009 Honda Accord.

Honda did major work and was able to give their seemingly flat lined Accord a pulse. Honda doesn't have a great rep of creating styling that is actually attractive, but the Accord broke that mold. It was a wise decision to release a coupe because that also helps to get away from Honda's monotone reputation.

5. 2009 Honda Fit.

I can admit that I was never a big fan of the Honda Fit but I can say that with the redesigned body, I would drive it. The sloping nose of the hood gives is a much sportier look and the fact that it gets 35+ mpg doesn't hurt.

6. 2009 Infiniti G37.

The new G37 is a perfect choice for someone looking for a luxury sedan, but not interested in paying for a BMW 5 or 7 series. A small horsepower increase is really the only difference between this year and last year, but this car makes the list because of how functional it is compared to the price.

7. 2009 Jaguar XF.

2009 was a good year for sedans as the 09 Jaguar XF fills number seven. This sport sedan features either a 4.2 liter V-8 or a supercharged 4.2 liter V-8. The XF, like the new Porsche Panamera, incorporates styling from previous models in Jaguars fleet. The XF shows heritage from sporty coupes as well as elegent sedans.

8. 2009 Mazda MX-5 Miata.

The Miata has always been a staple in Mazda's lineup of cars. The Miata makes it to this list beause of the fun factor. At $22,000 it is not at all exspensive and when all options are included it barely breaks $30,000. The Miata is a quick little car that is inexspensize to maintain, cheap to fill up, and has a convertable top. It may not be a chick magnet, but I guarentee you will enjoy the Miata.

9. 2009 Porsche Boxter/Cayman.

The 2009 Cayman and Boxter make this list because of the consistancy the Porsche produces them. It would be impossible to drive either of these cars and not eonjoy yourself. They set the standard that they have set for years as Porsche has staked its claim in the automotive world.

10. 2009 VW GTI.

If this were my list, the GTI would have been up a little farther. I personally love the feeling of feeling the 2.0 liter turbocharged engine pull u forward while shifing with perfectly calibrated manual transmission. The GTI is always a solid choice for a fun and reliable car.


2010 Porsche Panamera


Porsche plans to expand the type of vehicles they offer by releasing the four-door Panamera. The sedan is a unique combination of styling from both the coupes and SUV's that Porsche makes. The Panamera clearly incorporates concepts from the new caymen, one of Porsche's sport coupes. Information is still pretty limited on this car but I can give you some performance specs. There will be differant modles available, ranging from a 300hp V-6, to a turbocharged 500hp V-8. There will also be a hybrid version available in the future. The idea behind the Panamera is to give buyers an alternative style to the full size luxery sedans that are already out there. Between Audi, Mercedes, and BMW, there styles and bodys for there fleets of sedans is pretty static. The Panamera brings a whole other style to the table which will likely hold up well against the syles of yesterday.

More to come once interior pictures are released.

Saturday, November 29, 2008

The X1 Prototype

Many of the so called "electric cars" of today are not really electric. After a certain number of miles the electricity runs out and a gasoline engine takes over. While that may slow our rate of polluting the Earth, it still does not fix our problem. We need cars that do not use gasoline whatsoever like the Tesla Roadster and the X1 Prototype. "The X1 Prototype?" you ask. Yes, the X1 Prototype. The X1 Prototype is all electric. It runs on a lithium Ion battery like the ones in your cellphone, laptop, or Ipod. By plugging it into a standard 120 V source outlet the X1 will be fully charged in about 2.5 hours! Did I mention that this just happens to be my new favorite car? I love how it can smoke many of the gasoline cars available today like the Ferrari 360 Modena and the Porsche Carrera GT. This video shows the X1 beating both of these cars in a simple drag race. See if you can hear the X1:



So who makes this car? A company by the name of Wrightspeed, Inc. created this one-of-a-kind electric prototype but only for proof-of-concept. This car will never be put into production but will inspire the design of the future X1 production model that will be available to customers worldwide. But for now let's just skip the talk and get into some numbers shall we. Below is a list of "numbers" or timed speeds of a variety of time intervals such as 0-60, 0-100, etc, taken from the Wrightspeed, Inc. website.

0-30 mph: 1.35 sec
0-60 mph: 3.07 sec in 117 ft
0-100 mph: 6.87 sec
0-100-0 mph: 11.2 sec
Lateral g: 1.3
Braking g: 1.2

Now before Wrightspeed designed this vehicle they set certain standards they wanted to meet such as weight, speed, etc. They were only off by a tiny margin in all of their set categories. The set weight was 1500 lbs and the actual is 1536 lbs and the 0-60 time was only off by 0.07 secs! That is very impressive. And if you are wondering how all this adds up to in miles per gallon then why don't you try 170 mpg on for size!!!

Since the X1 is still in its early stages there isn't much information about it. But I am going to leave you with a few videos that I think speak for themselves. Enjoy!

Click here for video from the Planet Green Channel





Sunday, November 23, 2008

Media and Auto Sales: Harmoiusly coping together




Movies, television programs, radio broadcasts, and the media in general have prompted and promoted the sale and advertisement of automobiles ever since the two have been harmoniously incorporated together. Throughout time when a new movie comes out there is almost always a certain type of car, truck, or vehicle that is in the majority of the scenes. In television, one out of every seven commercials is a car advertisement or some sort of commercial that is selling or showing a certain automobile. Through radio broadcasts or in songs, the majority of the time, there is some reference to a car or some sort of vehicle. Through the use of media automobile sales and advertisements are used and shared, and this has spiked the sales and distribution of sales and production. Advertisement and car corporations have a substantial agreement and relationship that benefits both of them in a very helpful and beneficial way.

In movies there is always that car or truck that you see a celebrity riding in or driving and a person’s first thought is, wow that is a nice ride and that I one of my dream cars. There a select few movies where one can think off the top of their head and bring into thought what is meant by this statement, these include: The movies “Gone in 60 Seconds”, “Bad Boys II”, “Transformers” and “Transporter”. In the blockbuster hit “Gone in 60 Seconds” the car that is the most plausible and best example for what I am talking about is the GT Shelby 500 Mustang, also named and known as Eleanor in the movie. This car is used in the movie as one of the last automobiles that Nicolas Cage must steal in order to fulfill his mission. He uses his shifty driving skills to evade police cars and in one scene jump a distance of about 100 feet in the car to avoid being caught and sent to prison. In “Bad Boys II” the car in this movie of prominence is the 2006 Ferrari. This sleek car is driven by Will Smith and is used in a police chase as well. “Transformers” uses the very sexy and sleek 2008 Camaro. This is my personal favorite because it has all the things I look for in a car; speed, maneuverability, luxury, and a sporty look. Now in “Transporter” the car in this movie is the 2006 Audi V8, this car is driven by possibly the best driver and evades all who try to stop it. Audi saw an increase in sales by 7.5% after this movie was released for view.

Not only movie production has given birth to this line of sales of automobiles but also the use of television as a means to try and sell cars has been very effective. One out of every seven commercials on television is a commercial that advertises some sort of automobile. During the super bowl, a car company can spend anywhere from the range of $500,000-$5,000,000 for a car commercial, based on the length and consistency of the commercial. Based on ratings and statistics, ever since commercials for car dealerships have been on and established and recurrent, car sales have remained constant when they are not increasing. There is even a television show where celebrities, sports stars, and artists show case their homes and cars or “rides” which they have been called sometimes. In this show there are at least three cars or trucks or SUV’s or a combination of the three categories being showcased and shown off. The basketball super star Shaquille O’Neal is probably the best example of having the most cars, which he collects. He has seven sports cars including a Ferrari, Bentley, Benz, Lambargini, Viper, Chrysler, and Porsche. He also possesses three trucks and one SUV.

Now through the use and help of music auto sales and advertisement have been very helpful and coexistent. Probably the most prominent and substantial sales in automobiles comes form different genres and categories of music with different brands of cars. Truck sales are most usually incorporated through the help and use of country music. The best example of this can be shown from the song “Before he cheats” by Carrie Underwood. In this song she describes what she did to her ex-boyfriends 4 wheel drive red pick up truck. This sparked a little fuel into Dodge because that was the brand of truck that was used in the music video. Now for cars of luxury and sport, mostly every genre of music can relate to these. Certain categories and brands of cars, however, go with certain types and brands of music. For example when a person thinks of hip hop or rap the brands Mercedes Benz, Cadillac, Ferrari, and Bentley, and Mustang come into thought first off. This is not a stereotype either. IN rap music videos it has been shown that there is atleast one car that is shown in the video, the majority of those being Cadillac. In the music video, “Pimp Juice” by Nelly the car that is the main topic of the song, and what the song was written after is that of a 1973 Cadillac Deville.

Slideshow of The Fastest

I was looking on YouTube for some cool videos and I found an interesting one that someone put together. It is basicly a slide show of the Top 10 Fastest Cars in the world. I have never even seen more than half of them. It is probably because they cost a fortune and the most unpractical cars in the universe. Although, I wouldn't mind having a fleet of these cars. They are exotic looking and they are some of the best looking cars around. They even look fast. I'm pretty sure that a car that has 1000 horse power should be on the list. How much power can you really fit under these hoods? They seem to be packed with power and get you from point A to point B in the littlest time possible. If you are planning on using this power, I hope you have your own race track or a way to clear the roads. I guess you don't need to use all the power but is definitely more fun to use. Quoting Ricky Bobby as a child from Taladega Nights, "I want to go fast, I want to go fast". Enjoy finding out where these cars are made and which is the Fastest car in the world. For more information on these cars check out my previous post, "Top 10 Fastest Cars". Enjoy.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Feds consider bailout for "Big 3": UPDATE


As an update to the post I wrote yesterday about the plan for the Federal Government to bailout the three largest automakers, something interesting was revealed today. As it turns out, all three CEO's of GM, Ford, and Chrysler flew to Washington yesterday to plead their case in private jets. Rick Wagoner, the CEO of GM, flew in a 36 million dollar jet to our nations capitol to ask for 10-12 billion of our taxpayers money... And you wonder where their money problems come from...

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Feds consider bailout for "Big 3"


The past few months have been interesting for our economy with the record fall of the stock market, and then an unheard of 700 billion dollar bailout. Whether you agree with the bailout or not, its what the government decided. The feds are now debating whether to loan 25 billion dollars to GM, Chrysler, and Ford to allow them to survive until 2010. This bailout is seen as an alternative to bankruptcy for these three major auto makers. If the bailout were to not happen, and they filed for bankruptcy, it would be one of two types.

Chapter 11 bankruptcy allows a business to continue business as usual as it pays off debt and liquidates assets it can't afford.

Chapter 7 bankruptcy means that the business will be closing quickly and all of its assets are sold to cover their debt.

If Chapter 7 bankruptcy were filed, more then a million jobs would be at stake. The idea of a bailout stems from the current credit crunch which is vastly limiting the amount of money that these companies can borrow. After the 700 billion dollars thrown at wall street, 25 billion seems minuscule. Which is horrifying considering all of the things you could do with just ONE billion dollars-


One billion dollars is equal to-

  • The total amount of taxes collected from you and 103,424 of your closest friends.
  • Buying the entire global black market of illegal firearms trade.
  • The cost of fighting 48 hours of war in Iraq and Afghanistan.
  • The winnings of every Powerball lottery from 2007 combined.
  • The annual income of you and 25,856 of your buddies.
  • A fifty year supply of Big Macs.
Info from http://www.wallstats.com/blog/visualizing-one-billion-dollars/

Now if this information scares you, multiply your fear by 25. While I know the devastating effect that the loss of all those jobs would have on the economy, there must be a better way then giving money to these companies to cover the debt that they created. Chapter 11 bankruptcy would'nt be ideal, but it would force these companies to stop doing things they can't afford and possibly return them to profitability. Eventually this will all get figured out, but in the mean time it looks like the federal government will be looking to the taxpayers for help.



Sunday, November 16, 2008

Truck Nation



Trucks are the backbone of true Americnan muscle. They provide what all real men want in an automobile. Trucks symbolize the perfect ride for any man, whether they are working, or unemployed. When people think of trucks they sometimes associate them with the country like a person has to be a farmer or a red-neck in order to own and operate one of these bad boy machines.

There are so many different types and brands of trucks. People have always argued over the many years that trucks have been in commision which one/type are the best. The different types or models as they are sometimes refered to are: Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, GMC, Escalade, Toyota, and Honda just to name a few brands.

I feel strongly that Ford trucks are the best type of truck a manly man may own and drive with pride. These trucks have been tested and built for success whether it be for a leasurly ride or in order to do work as some refer to it.

Trucks have been used for many various ways and reasons. Farmers used trucks in order to tow and haul hay, feed, animals, and other types of farming equiptment and items. Construction workers use trucks to hawl dirt, rock, soot, and various other types of things that they need on the job everyday.

Trucks are usually associated with landscaping. When people think of landscaping they don't think of a mini-cooper towing a trailer full of lawn mowers, rakes, shovels, bags of mulch, no they think of a big old black ford F-150 4.2L Triton, 2008 model.

But the most important part about this whole entire statment is that trucks are the backbone and epitome of what men consider a manly and rugid ride. Men don't want some sissy two door red Neon, they want a truck/ride that they can drive and stick their elbow out the window and show the ladies that they are not just manly, but have a very keen taste for something not only classy and nice, but something that shows they are a man and not a boy.

Kicker Livin' Loud


There are a lot of ways to update your car's stereo system, but some are so much better than others. The one I would like to elaborate on is Kicker. They have speakers, sub woofers, stereo deck, and amplifiers. Everything you would ever need for a new sound system in your car. There are plenty of different products from Kicker alone to chose from. It all depends on how loud and crisp you want the sound to be.

I, personally, have a Kicker L7 in my Jeep Wrangler. I thought one 10" sub woofer would be plenty more than enough for a small car like that. Plus, I didn't want the sound to pop my ear drums. I just wanted the low accent beat to go along with my rap music. It sounds crisp and still lets everyone know that I can let the beat build in my car.

Since there are so many options, you should visit the website and a local car stereo store to listen to the speakers before you choose exactly what you want. Visit Kicker.com and you can find details and specifications for yourself. If you don't know much about this stuff, it doesn't matter. Kicker's "Livin' Loud" speakers have the reputation for being top of the line and you can't make a bad decision when it comes to Kicker sound systems.

Prices are so different in all different places that you need to visit your local Circuit City or Best Buy. The best way to go is to go there and find out what you want and then but offline at Ebay.com. Ebay is one of the best places to find overstocked items so they will be so much cheaper than what all the retail stores will be charging you. You can let them install it for you because that is a tricky procedure. I am just trying to give you guys the push to look at Kicker for your sound system because it is one of the most reputable and the best quality that you can find in the sound world.

2008 SEMA Post Show Part 2

I hoped you enjoyed my first post about the 2008 SEMA Auto Show because I am back with more! Just to give you a recap, in the first post we talked about how the Camaros ruled the show with a couple of tricked out Camaros including a race car and one tuned for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Then Hyundai showed off their new Genesis and finally, a great video that represented the "green" cars of SEMA. So for this post I want to start with the trucks of SEMA. A company by the name of Xtreme Toyz created a F-150 that is geared more towards the people who like to have fun on the weekend (camping, mountain biking, etc). The truck had an extremely awesome paint job that was blackish-blue with yellow and orange tears across the side. It included bike racks and winches in both the front and rear of the vehicle. Auxiliary lights and a mean grill completed the look of this beast. In my opinion I think this was a great idea because trucks these days are mostly made for hauling stuff and trudging through terrain. Now people can have a variety of vehicles to choose from when engaging in those certain activities.

This next truck has been heavily awaited by many of the truck lovers around the world. Even it's name sounds extreme. The 2010 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor rules the dirt instead of the road. This one includes a wide body, heavy duty suspension, and even a 6.2 liter V-8 engine with 400 horsepower. One of the pictures I posted shows the front of the grill which is my favorite part because the word FORD stands out but also blends in with the grill giving it a mean look.





Alright now I know that this next "truck" is not a truck and that it's really a car but its very similar to a truck to me so I'll just put it in this category. The 2010 Pontiac G8 ST reminds me of a modern El Camino. It's scheduled to be released for sale sometime late next year and is expected to be a big hit. In my opinion, I just like it. Yeah it would be really useful but it doesn't have any appealing factor. Maybe if you lowered it and put rims on it, as I always like, then that will raise the appealing factor. But for the most part it's a great car; 361 horsepower, 6.1 liter V8, really give the car some muscle when hauling things around.




Ok. So SEMA has been pretty interesting so far hasn't it? Ok so now we are going to move on to the sports car area. First up is obviously the new Nissan GT-R. GT-RR.COM brought a fully customized GT-R with a carbon fiber body kit, 20 in BBS wheels wrapped in Toyo tires. Many people thought that this car look "riced out" but that is not what I think at all. It looks like a sick ass tuner to me




All I can say about this next car is...FAST!!! The 2008 SEMA show was very lucky this year to have the presence of the all new Lamborghini Reventon! This baby is a one of a kind piece of work. With 0-60 times of 3.4 seconds and a 212 mph clocked topped speed, along with a price tag of only $3.2 million, this car was the beast of the sports cars at the SEMA show this year. I think I love this car the most because it reminds me a lot of the new bad ass bat mobile. With it's matte gray finish, single pipe exhaust, and ridged body panels it looks like it could be a "mini bat mobile."


Now I know this video is not from the actual 2008 SEMA Autoshow but it's the only video I could find that gave great information about this car.



Did you see those guages?!!! Well, this just about wraps it up for your Hold the Brakes exclusive 2008 SEMA Autoshow Post Show. I hope you enjoyed it and thank you again for choosing Hold the Brakes as your SEMA Highlight site!

Saturday, November 15, 2008

2008 SEMA Post Show Part 1

I'm sad to say it but the 2008 SEMA Show is over. But that will not stop us from highlighting some of the events, products, companies, and cars that were there? Hell no!!! This year's show, I would say, was amazing! So many great cars with so little time. With the 2010 Cheverolet Camaro being the official car of SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) this year, many companies used it to show off their brand new and upcoming products. Since GM provided the car, they made sure they came out on top when it came to designing the best one with their version of the 2010 Camaro called the Camaro Black Concept. I think this was the sexiest Camaro by far becuase it had a sick body kit, nice black finish, and rims to match. Some other nice Camaros included the one that was customized for NASCAR Star Dale Earnhardt Jr. and a GS Racecar Concept. Dale's Camaro was a two tone grey and white with an orange pinstripe separating the two colors. It was lowered and tuned to perform the way Dale likes it to. It also was converted to run on E85. The GS Racecar Concept was an electric blue color with yellow lettering and was tuned for racing. The yellow/goldish wheels really set it off which I think is the best part about the car. It looks awesome and I can't wait until they begin racing these beasts.


This video really sums up how much of an impact the Camaros had on SEMA this year:



But enough of the Camaros let's get into the luxury cars, my favorite type of vehicle. As mentioned by my buddie ZR1vette, Hyundai has really been stepping up lately. Obviously there were a couple Hyundai Genesis there but one really appealed to me. It was a DUB edition Hyundai Genesis and it was sick! It didn't even look like a Hyundai when I first saw it. This Genesis was all white with chrome rims and inside of the rims was a color-matching white paint to bring out the wheels a bit. There was also a nice slate color Genesis that was tricked out on the inside with monitors in the headrests and computer capabilites. You could hook up your laptop, check you finances, email, or even facebook.





Just a quick little talk about the green cars of SEMA. I found this video that shows the most impressive green vehicles of SEMA including a 100 mpg, 400 horse power, old school mustang! Its the black one in the video. Check it out:



Make sure to read 2008 SEMA Post Show Part 2 for the rest of Hold the Brakes coverage of the 2008 SEMA Auto Show!

Sick Ass Drift Video

So I was looking at the Cardomain website looking for some SEMA information for my upcoming 2008 SEMA Post Show post and I found this sick drift video, that I had to show you, by this guy named Ken Block. Check it out:


Ken Block Gymkhana Practice

Wasn't that awesome!!! My favorite part was the one where he drifts about 3 or 4 times around the guy cruising on a segway. I also liked were he did circles while going through the hanger!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Cadillac One

Nicknamed “Cadillac One,” a new presidential limo is definitely in the cards for president-elect Barack Obama. General Motors (GM) is considered to be putting the finishing touches on a new Cadillac limo for the president to be. Of course the new limo will come with all the added goodies like several inches of glass for windows, an armor-plated body, etc and from what I have read so far, it looks like the limo is going to be a stretched Cadillac DTS based off of the 2500 line of GM’s trucks. Ok… That is cool… I guess… Actually, this to me seems kind of boring. I looked at a bunch of forums where people were making comical guesses as to what the president’s limo will really be like and all of their predictions seemed a lot cooler than a plain old Cadillac limousine with all of the usual presidential amenities. A forum user on Spike.com took a picture of the GMC Topkick and photo shopped a picture of the presidential seal onto the side. Could you imagine Barack Obama riding around in one of these? I could. You could lower it and put spinners on it. Or instead of going down, why not go up? A member on the Landroversonly.com forum posted a picture of what looks like a lifted Cadillac Caprice limo showcased at the SEMA Auto Show. I thought this was hilarious! Stick some presidential flags in the hood, throw some jet black paint on there and this beast is ready to go.


One idea I had when writing this was a completely green presidential vehicle. Now, I know we have not yet perfected this but why not green up the president’s car just a bit? It wouldn’t hurt right? I don’t think so. I’m not against Barack Obama but shouldn’t he at least have something green about his life if his plan involves making us greener? Look, I’m just spittin’ out ideas, but I’d rather keep the president safe than have a greener car and he not be safe, capeesh? On one final note, I would like to take the time to show you some pretty interesting sites I found while searching for info about the president’s new “ride.” First up to bat is a wiki site that has pictures of all the past president’s limos. I especially like the one with president Bush sitting on the inside. You never really get to see what the inside looks like. Where are all the flat-screen televisions? The final website that I won’t go into much detail about, but is still good to know is the White House website. It gives a brief summary of how the transportation works in the White House. It didn’t really have anything to do with the new president-elect but I’m sure it will have something in the coming months.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Some of the Worst Crashes

Ok this video might make you a little queezy, but it is one of the videos of compiled car and motor vehicle crashes. I am sure that everyone in this video was and will be fine. We have great paramedics and people to keep these kind of situations under control. Don't worry about them. Just enjoy and know that you aren't a part of these crashes. If it is too much, there is always the choice to turn it off. Plus, this isn't near as bad as some of those stories they show on the television show Scars. The music is pretty sweet too.

How Horrible...

Here is a clip of some idiot breaking a window with a rock and then stealing the car stereo in less than fifteen seconds. All you have to do to steal a stereo is put two skinny things down each side of the stereo and then pull it out. Don't forget to disconnect the wires. This was the best video
I could find that helped tell my story. Maybe it will help tell my story from a graphical stand point.


There is a lot to say about stereo systems. Speakers, decks, subwoofers, the whole bit. The one thing that people don't see when they by their expensive stereo decks are that they are easily taken out and stolen. This has happened to me fully once. I say fully because the other times they just stole the face plate, which is dumb because what are they going to do with that. I have had my face plate stolen on two occasions and my whole stereo deck on one.

The first time i lost my face plate was when I was on vacation in Canada at my family's beach cottage. It is a very quiet little place and it is my paradise. One night while we were sleeping in our bunkie, my brother went inside to go to the bathroom and when he came out he saw someone in my Jeep Wrangler. He came back into the bunkie and told me about it and I was like well did you check if they took anything, and he said no there is nothing to take in there. I, on the other hand, had to go check and they had taken just the face plate. Now, whoever did it had no point to just steal that part, it can't do anything for them; it can only make my ride in the car a living hell. So, all I could think of was how I am going to have to ride home nine hours with no music at all in my car. We ended up ordering just the face plate from a local store where they had the same exact deck. I felt so relieved when it came in time for me to have it for the ride home. Needless to say, my brother and I now sleep with a bat and a golf club in our small, nice bunkie.

Now I know that Jeep Wranglers are probably the easiest car to break in to. So why don't I take the valuables out of the car? Well I started to think smarter.

The next time they stole my face plate was while my car was getting worked on. I had locked it in the middle console, thinking that they wouldn't need to open that and they wouldn't see it. I was wrong again. When I got my car back, I looked all over for my face plate so I could listen to music on the way home. It was nowhere to be found and my car wasn't fixed. So, I ended up having to listen to music from my phone for a couple of weeks while the shop investigated what had happened. Well I finally got that face plate back, but at least I didn't have to pay for it.

By this time, I am on my second or third stereo deck. To tell you the truth, I really can't remember how many I have had. I think four.

The final and most recent time was when my car was minding its own business in my drive way. I had just arrived home and I forgot to close the garage door so I went back outside to close it and I heard someone run out of the garage. I was like shit, something is going down. I let my dog run around and i went out there with my friends. I felt like we had scared him or her off pretty good. So we all went back inside and in the morning, low and behold, my car's lock had been pulled out and broken into. My friend's car was fine. My brother's car had been broken into too. I was naturally just pissed off. He had broken into my Jeep that was locked by just pulling out the part where you put the key in. Who would think it's that easy. We decided to have the insurance company pay for this damage, but I really liked looking at that gaping hole in the dash while I was driving around.

Oh well, what can I say now? I am the dumbass that left it in there all those times. I have learned my lesson now though. I take my face plate off every night and make sure I take it inside along with my keys. If anyone wants to break into my car, there is definitely nothing to take, maybe a couple of seats that would make lovely recliners in your home. I hope you have learned that if you are going to spend time putting nice things in your car, either get a security system or take them out of the car when you aren't in it.