The Journey

2008 Chevrolet Impala LT. Photo by Randy Stern

Believe me, I will get flack for what I am about to say here. I know gas is over $4.00 a gallon. I know we must talk about smaller, fuel efficient vehicles. I know we must find ways to diversify our transportation options now that we realized that growing corn for alternative fuels have created a bigger food crisis than we expected.

Yet, I love big cars.

(more…)

A recent conversation with my close friend Scott prompted me to think about the following: “Has it been that long?”

Eleven years, to be exact. That is a long time, indeed…but long enough to accomplish other things along the way. Still, the time away brought fond memories of the time when I was there last and the knowledge that I will be back there sometime soon.

The last and only time I was there, Scott was there…as was a cast of tens and so forth. It was a significant trip as it capped my participation in something I created for my community. It never knew borders as I once never conceived before. The emotions ran very high back then.

So, I’m going back. Older, wiser, mature and with things I did not do the first time around to accomplish while I am there.

(more…)

Bentley Continental GT. Photo by Randy Stern

You’d think I’ve driven everything. That is not exactly true.

In the past 28 years, I’ve driven a lot of different kinds of vehicles. From the smart forTwo to big pickup trucks, there has a multitude of vehicles that crossed my hands and right foot. They came from six countries, which leaves out plenty more to tackle.

Above the smart were other smallish goodies, such as the Chevrolet Sprint, Geo Metro, Chevrolet Aveo, Hyundai Accent and Ford Aspire. Then, there’s a couple of Ford F-Series pickups, a few GMC, Chevrolet and Ford full-sized vans…and some big old Cadillacs and Oldsmobiles on the other end of the size scales. As for luxury, there was a Mercedes-Benz, an Audi and a couple of Infinitis that entertained my upward aspirations.

Yet, I know deep in my heart that there will be vehicles that I will never get a chance to drive at all.

(more…)

Remember Robert Mapplethorpe? Boy, did he cause a stir!

For those of you who may have forgotten the late artist/photographer, Mapplethorpe created a huge brouhaha by posting homoerotic photos in public gallery spaces…on the government’s dime. Many court cases, postures by politicos and celebrities later, the face of the art world has changed to a ethical dilemma of global proportions. The quandary of exhibiting or performing “risky” works has inhabited the arts world in force. It still scares the living daylights out of many mainstream arts organizations.

On the second night of the Ethics and Arts Law class, we were presented the case of Robert Mapplethorpe. It still represents the ultimate ethical conundrum of whether a particular piece of work can make or break an artist’s reputation or the reputation of the place of performance or exhibition.

This case also has a contemporary context. In late May, two gallery showings of the works of Australian photographer Bill Henson were taken down in the Sydney area. One of the photos included a young female nude sparked a huge debate between politicians the Australian public. The outrage, led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, caused the debate to deepen, though gallery owners argued that Henson’s works were “not pornography.” The state government in New South Wales decided not to press charges against Henson, which Arts Minister (and former lead singer of Midnight Oil) Peter Garrett applauded stating that the courts were “not the appropriate forum for resolving strongly held views in a debate which I think is much wider than just the impact or otherwise of works of art.”

It is as Mapplethorpe has risen from the dead.

(more…)

Inside the 2008 Dodge Avenger SE. Photo by Randy Stern

Here’s something all of us may know about our driving: We like being entertained. This is because we need something to occupy ourselves while driving to clock the miles in the face of distractions.

I like being entertained. Radio has been one of my biggest entertainers even as a child passenger. My parents knew if they turned to a radio station, I will behave nicely. This has parlayed into the world of connecting my iPod through an auxiliary jack and listening to my podcasts to satellite radio.

Lately, I’ve found that if I picked my car for my driving needs, I would seek one with satellite radio first. It is now down to a science: Chrysler LLC models or Hyundais. I’ve mentioned that I’m a sucker for Mopars, and you can add Hyundais to the list. The reason is that they come with a free trial of Sirius and XM standard on their respective vehicles.

A lot of mulling over things helped with my choice of another Dodge to flog for the benefit of this blog. This time, I chose the scaled-down Charger that was once the NASCAR Car of the Future: The Avenger sedan.

(more…)

I am not a full-time student. I work 40 hours a week at a job in St. Paul. Normally, one night week is class where I leave early and commute across town to the St. Mary’s campus in Minneapolis. To make up for the loss time, I work longer hours on Wednesday.

This week began an interesting transition of sorts. While my Non-Profit Financial Management class is wrapping up, the Ethics and Arts Law class began. The transition already began with classes on two nights a week and much longer hours on Wednesday. This overlap is scheduled for three weeks. One week down, two weeks to go.

The good news is both classes are coming along fine. I am working on my final project in the Financial class which entails a budget and a report to go along with it. The project has an arts element to it, which will placate my fellow artists in the room. However, it is primarily a community-based organization that I am creating a mock budget for. So far, it has been going smoothly. The paper and presentation is due in two weeks.

There is not a true indication as to where I stand in this class. That remains to be seen, but needless to say I should be in decent shape nonetheless.

The real good news is the Ethics/Law class. I have a feeling I am going to do well in this for various reasons. One, this is a subject I am very interested in. Two, I always found legal and ethical matters fascinating. Three…and perhaps the best part…both of my professors has ties to The Loft. This is a good thing, indeed!

I came away from this week in a better space. However, I am not looking forward to the 10-hour days on these next three Wednesdays. It’s been said many times before: It will be worth it in the end. Let’s hope so!

This is a quick post, I know. There are too many things out there that are not concrete right now. This is only to say that my motivation and retention level is in a better space than the beginning of the Summer Semester.

Leave it to the state of my birth to do something to piss off the rest of the country, if not half of its own citizens.

Today, the Registrar offices of all 58 counties throughout California can issue marriage license for couples of the same gender. California joins Massachusetts, Canada, Denmark and a few other places around the world where same-gender couples can legally use the term “married” as their relationship status.

With “marriage,” you get all of the state’s entitlements reserved for that status. Unfortunately, this does not apply for Federal tax laws and other Federal statutes pertaining to their definition of a married couple.

That’s OK. Good thing Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger didn’t challenge the state Supreme Court’s ruling or that the number of signatures appealing to stay the decision was never met. The reason goes back to a problem the Governator pointed out in his “State of the State” speech months ago: The state budget.

(more…)

2009 Toyota Camry LE. Photo by Randy Stern

My last turn in the Toyota Camry was a mixed experience. As much as I welcomed the improvements on America’s Best Selling Car, there were a couple nagging things about that didn’t get my full vote of confidence. I’ll let you read my previous post for my explanation as to why.

Since then, an interesting series of events happened to the popular Toyota Camry. Because of the astounding rise in petrol, truck sales took a nose dive. Toyota was banking on the success of the new Tundra to gain ground on everyone else in this market. Oddly enough, it was the Tundra that took the biggest hit in sales, along with its larger SUVs.

To compensate for loss Tundra sales, Toyota began shifting car production into their southern Indiana trunk plant. Their main Kentucky plant, along with the Subaru plant in Lafayette, Indiana, had been chugging to keep up with the demand for Camrys. With another car-based product set for the Georgetown, Kentucky plant, Camrys will find their way across the Ohio River onto the original Tundra/Sequoia assembly line.

To make matters more interesting, the sales figures for May of this year reflected a course change in automotive consumer trends. An indication that trucks have tanked in sales, the Ford F-150 found itself in fifth place in monthly sales behind four cars. That’s not the big surprise, however. Once the perpetual top sales leader for cars, the Camry fell to third place in monthly sales behind two smaller cars: The Toyota Corolla and the Honda Civic. The Civic outsold everyone in May, 2008.

Taking everything in consideration, I gave the Camry another chance. As much as you want to kick the dog more, the humbled NASCAR racer for Toyota Racing Development simply needs more love. The 2009 LE sedan I sampled was indeed ready and willing to give that love back.

(more…)

Heather Small’s song is a classic! No one had any idea how much the former lead voice of M People would have an impact on both sides of the pond. Her tune helped get London the 2012 summer Olympic Games as well set the mood in the USA version of “Queer as Folk.”

The song I am referring to have the lyric that has a thematic tone pertaining to this year. It also contains the title of the song. You probably know what I am referring to. If not, the lyric in the chorus goes:

(more…)

2008 Dodge Caliber R/T AWD. Photo by Randy Stern

Before you buy one on the account of a guarantee of $2.99 per gallon for gas, consider this for a moment: Is this a good deal?

Chrysler LLC’s latest attempt to get you to buy their products is an interesting proposition. What it does is to lock in a permanent discount on fuel prices for the first 12,000 miles of ownership. A charming idea, especially when you can get an instant dollar off per gallon courtesy of Cerebus Capital Management LLC.

Here’s the thing: I am sucker for Chrysler products. I’ve always been a cheerleader for Chrysler’s continued business even before Lee Iacocca went to President Jimmy Carter with his hand out to save the business. That 1970 Plymouth Barracuda from my childhood left an indelible impression on me.

However, Chrysler always tried creative deals to draw customers into their showrooms. Who started the concept of the rebate program? Chrysler. Chrysler also was the first to offer extended warranties on drivetrain components. They even managed to top themselves with their current Lifetime Drivetrain Warranty.

Will any of these charming deals sway me towards adding the Dodge Caliber to my shopping list? I drove one to find out.

(more…)