The Art of Mobile Photography

By Stephen Dahl

There is no doubt that today, mobile phone creators are constantly trying to get the upper hand when it comes to the camera on your phone.  Samsung and Apple are involved in an unrelenting battle to produce the best possible mobile camera for the consumer.  While the iPhone is currently the best-selling smartphone, Samsung is not too far behind with their Galaxy S models.  In my opinion, Apple has created the best smartphone camera.  I will demonstrate how I get the absolute most from my iPhone’s camera.

As a professional photographer, I am constantly exploring new ways to make my mobile photos look as impressive as possible.  It’s almost become a game to see just how great I can get my photos to look.  Although a smartphone’s camera can’t compare to a $2000 DSLR, you’d be surprised at what these cameras can do.

With Apple’s IOS 10 update, they enabled the iPhone to shoot in DNG (RAW) format instead of JPEG.  This feature can be accessed through certain apps.  Shooting in DNG opens up a whole new spectrum for editing and toning your photos.  No longer will your photos be stunted by the iPhone’s automatic noise reduction and grain reducer.  You are now able to tone your photos JUST as they were shot.  The Digital Photography School did a great job of explaining RAW format in greater detail.  Learn more about RAW vs. JPEG.

First off, I want to introduce you to Adobe Lightroom’s mobile app, Lightroom Mobile.  This app allows you to shoot your photos inside the app in DNG.  This app is incredible for shooting full resolution photos on your smartphone.  Simply select the camera in the bottom right corner to begin shooting. You can download the app here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adobe-photoshop-lightroom/id878783582?mt=8.

Once you’ve taken some photos using the app, Lightroom Mobile stores the pictures you took inside the app.  Now it’s time to start toning your photos.  Lightroom Mobile comes equipped with just about every toning tool you’ll need.  You have the freedom to adjust the shadows, highlights, white balance, and many other aspects of the photo with a whole new perspective.  

It’s easy to pick up an iPhone and start shooting, but it’s up to you whether you are going to dive deeper into the camera and make your photos something special.  I hope you learned something new about getting the most from your smartphone camera.  Feel free to head over to my Instagram to view some other photos I’ve been shooting on my phone.  

Photography took my interest when I was only 14 years old.  For the past eight years, I’ve constantly been experimenting and discovering new ways to further enhance my techniques.  Trial and error plays a huge part in getting where you want your photos to be.  I hope that I could provide some insight on mobile photography and help you accomplish the kind of photos that you would like to show the world.

Before

After

Above and below are before and after photos of some pictures I took using this same method I just shared. Happy shooting!

Before

After

Trees Need Love, Too

By Diana Martinez

There are many important issues going on in our world right now like poverty, terrorism, and human rights, but one issue I feel that is not discussed enough is our home, Planet Earth. Little by little, we are destroying it, and the most harmful act we are doing is cutting down trees. Trees create the air that we breathe, purify our water and clean our pollution. Trees do so much to help us and what do we do? We destroy them and for what? For more land to build on? For money?

According to the United Nations’ food and agriculture organization, an estimated 18 million acres of forest are lost each year. That is roughly the size of the country of Panama. Deforestation happens all around the world. Tropical rainforests are cut down the most. Trees clean our pollution by absorbing carbon dioxide. With more forests getting cut down, there is more carbon being trapped in the atmosphere. It can also create acid rain, which does some serious damage to the forests. http://www.livescience.com/27692-deforestation.html

Trees are not only beautiful but also extremely important. They filter out toxins, sediment and other substances from water.  According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, non-point pollution from urban and suburban developments cause more than 60 percent of damage to the U.S. waterways, including many drinking water sources. We wouldn’t be able to survive without trees. The air and water would be so filthy it would be unsuitable to intake. https://www.epa.gov/nps/what-nonpoint-source

So how do we fix this problem? We can reduce the amount of energy and fossil fuels we use. Recycling is also a good way to save many trees. You could go to https://standfortrees.org/en/, buy a certificate, and the money goes towards trying to stop more deforestation from happening. There are also many groups you can join that offer volunteer work to plant more trees and do many other types of environmental work. A local group in Nashville that I am also a part of is The Nashville Tree Foundation. 

The Nashville Tree Foundation hosts many events to educate the community about trees, as a matter of fact, they have a work shop coming up on Oct. 29, 2016. If you are interested in the work shop, you can go to their website http://www.nashvilletreefoundation.org/. Their website is full of information and ways to get involved. The foundation also has booths set up at local festivals. For example, I helped sell cherry blossom trees at this year’s Cherry Blossom Festival and we even made it on the news! It’s a great feeling when you become a part of something bigger than yourself, so get involved and make a difference!

Now that you’ve read some facts what do you think? Is cutting down trees for land, money, or any other need worth risking our health and well being? Earth is our only home it is our job to protect it. Yes, there are many other issues going on around the world and I’m not saying that one is more important than another, but something a musician named Prince Era said really stuck with me: “Whatever you’re fighting for racism or poverty, feminism, gay rights or any type of equality it won’t matter in the least, because if we don’t all work together to save the environment we will be equally extinct.”

My name is Diana, and I’m just like everyone else. I don’t calculate my footprint as much as I should or do everything I can possibly do to help the environment. I’m not saying you have to completely change your lifestyle, but just by recycling you could make a huge difference. You might wonder why I volunteer or how I have time to. Well I never imagined that I would be a “tree huger”, but once I educated myself on the facts of what we are doing to our only home, how could I not try to play a small roll on trying to save it. There is no planet B! My hope is that at least one person starts getting more involved in this cause after reading this blog. 

“When the last tree has been cut down, the last fish caught, the last river poisoned, one the will we realize that one cannot eat money.” –Native American Saying 

 

 

Fall Fashion 2016 Is Here

                                   

By Hayley Springer

     Pumpkin spice weather is finally here! That means grab your boots and jackets, because it’s about to get chilly.

     Today I am writing about the top three hottest fall trends of 2016.

     Number one on the list of fall trends is the most beloved blanket scarf. This particular scarf is called by its funny name, because it is almost as big as a blanket. When you pull this scarf out into its biggest position, it can be as big as your body. Of course, the scarf will not be too big around your neck. This scarf can be paired with just about anything. 

Retail in the USA is $25.

     Second on our trend list is the fierce green army jacket. This jacket is probably the most common women`s fall fashion clothing item. This green jacket can be rocked out with jeans or any skirt. This jacket was first worn by “grudging” style to be different and look more or less “dirty”. However, now a day this piece has been made it to every style.  You can dress this jacket up or down. Almost any clothing store will have this item. 

Retail in the USA is $45.

     Lastly, we have the holy grail fall clothing item. The cozy sweater dress! This dress is a giant sweater. Now who wouldn’t want to wear that? The sweater dress ranges from color to length to design. This dress has been most commonly paired with knee ‘high boots. However, it can be paired with just about any wearable shoe. From the red carpet to the cold streets, this dress has been all over. 

Retail in the USA is $67.

     

    Out all three of these pieces, I have one of each. Fall is my favorite season because of the fashion pieces. Also you can find these trendy pieces if you click on the link provided below. Fall fashion is an easy season to become a fashionista. With my simple help, you can turn from drab into fab.

Disclaimer: I do not own these photos. Images are from www.Pinterest.com

Link to my Pinterest for fashion inspiration: 

https://www.pinterest.com/hayleykopko/

Links to the pictures in this blog:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/478789004118687096/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/240450067583753582/

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/83879611786184149/

Skateboarding Style 101

By Andrew Tidwell

            I would like to start this blog off by paying respect to one of the greats of skateboarding. Dylan Rieder died on October 12, 2016 from Leukemia. He was one of the greatest to ever ride a board. An influence to skaters on and off the board who pushed skateboarding to a new degree of style. Which brings me to the reason I’m writing this. When you hear style, often times you think of fashion choice, but in the world of skateboarding, style is more than just the clothes one wears. The world of skateboarding consists of more than 11 million enthusiasts, and an important part of the skateboarding world is style.

            When it comes to skateboarding, the style a skater has when on a board can either make one keep watching or turning off a video. (I will be referring a lot to things called skate parts, which is a compilation of tricks that a skater will put into his or her video.) There are more than a few styles that skaters have, and you can honestly generalize a lot of the styles into categories. For the most part, everyone in the community has their own style and way they ride the board. Style in skateboarding comes down to a few things, like the pop, flick and catch of the board. These things have a lot to do with how a skater looks when he or she is riding away from the trick. 

A perfect example of someone who makes the pop, flick and catch look too good is Dylan Rieder. He had an insane height on his tricks when he would pop up from flat ground. You could tell that his tricks were being flicked right, and he had enough time to catch the board for a smooth landing. 

Popping the board is an important part to almost all tricks, as the pop is the initial part of any trick. (Popping the board refers to either the tail or nose of the board hitting the ground to initialize a trick.) Popping is important because a person will need to pop enough to make it where they want to be. This can be risky business. Take a stair for example. If you don’t have enough pop, you might end up eating one of the stairs. Popping too much can be a problem as well. If you pop too much, you most likely will make it to the target area, but the higher up you go, the more impact you take. This can be pretty risky to those knees. You can still land the trick with too much pop, but you will need to make sure to bend those knees. (This is a common joke in the community, but bending the knees can help take pressure off the skater.) 

The flick in my opinion is the least important part. It is very important though because a bad flick can end up hurting someone. But a phrase in the skateboarding world is mobbed. Simply meaning, you definitely shouldn’t have landed that. Honestly though, when the flick is performed properly, it will add a different look to a trick. 

The catch is an important part for a few reasons. One reason is obvious. If you don’t catch the trick, then it doesn’t count. But if you catch it too late, the odds of making the trick go down. This is because, when the board is caught, your body needs time to adjust to it while in the air. If caught too late, then it makes it hard to finish the trick when landing.

            At this point in the blog, I will be talking about the styles in skateboarding. When talking about clean styles of skateboarding I always think of Shane O’Neill. His style is so technical and precise, it is almost like he is a robot. (This is also a joke in the skateboarding world. O’Neill’s style is so precise, it is like a robot.) Here is Shane O’Neill demonstrating his craft: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1sjuey25ug

Another skateboarder, nicknamed The Boss, is Andrew Reynolds. For two decades he has held it down as one of the best. And in the community, he is known to have one of the best frontside, and backside flips. (A frontside flip is a kickflip 180 with your body going out, while a backside flip is a kickflip 180 with your body turning in.) Here is Andrew Reynolds’ video part from the Emerica Stay Gold video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_8kCdhhBtg

 The final skateboarder I will talk about was known as “Christ” around the skateboarding community. Christian Hosoi was considered a “skateboarding god” during his time in the ‘70s to the ‘90s. He had it all: long flowing hair, fashion, speed, style and an abundance of tricks. He was smooth with all his tricks, and at the time, winning many competitions. One of the reasons why he was called the “Christ of skateboarding” is because of his trick the Christ Air. Here is Christian Hosoi in his video part from 1989 Speed Freaks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovrV8BH2vhA

            Skateboarding is a large community in this world and is always being pushed to the next level. Styles are only getting better. And again R.I.P. to Dylan Rieder and all of the other skateboarders who died and died young. Age 28 was too young, and Rieder will be someone the skateboarding community will not forget about. Here is Dylan Rieders’ skateboarding in the Supreme Cherry video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM9H0i1Vls4

            I’m Andrew Tidwell, a 19 year old skateboarder out of Murfreesboro, TN. I have been skateboarding for going on 7 years now and have been a geek about skateboarding since I was a little kid.

The Neyland Experience

By Ryan Latimer

            The feeling of walking into a storied and hallowed venue surrounded by thousands of other passionate Tennessee fans is a feeling that is unrivaled in sports. Neyland Stadium is one of the most famous stadiums in college football. The stadium is rich in tradition and has played host to some great football teams. Some of the greatest football players of all time used to call this place home. The listed capacity of this venue is 102,455, but if needed it could fit a few more thousand in it. This stadium can be one of the most hostile stadiums in college football when the Vols are good. Tennessee fans are some of the most passionate fans in college football making Neyland a place where opposing teams fret to visit. Neyland is a very special place.

            Before I get into my experiences, I want to give some history about this stadium. Neyland was built on September 24^th, 1921. It is located on Phillip Fulmer Way near the Tennessee River. It has been expanded 13 times, and it has been renovated three times. A couple of the Vols best wins here came in the 1998 season where they beat both Arkansas and Florida. Those two wins were two of the most dramatic wins, and it helped propel Tennessee to win the 1998-1999 national championship. Personally, I think Neyland attracts people from all around the country because of the history and the look of this stadium (UTsports.com).

Now I want to talk about my experiences in Neyland. The first time I ever went to Neyland was in 2010 when Tennessee played Kentucky. As I got closer to the stadium, I realized how actually huge Neyland was. I had been a Tennessee fan since I was little, but I had never been to a game, so I was in for a shock. I walked into the stadium and right away knew that I would love this place. I was 12 at this time and had no idea how actually loud Neyland could get. From then until 2014, I went to a few games but not that many. 

            In 2014, my brother and I bought season tickets for the first time. These season tickets cost $400 per ticket, which is a pretty good value. I finally got to experience Neyland for a full season. Even though the Vols were not that good, I still loved every minute of Neyland. Last year was the second year that we had season tickets. That’s when I experienced how loud Neyland could get. It was at the Oklahoma game, and the decibel record was broken that night. It was truly special to have been there to experience it.

This year we have season tickets again. The season is halfway over, but my favorite Neyland experience happened this season. We had lost to Florida for 11 straight years, and it finally felt like this was the year to end it. Neyland was a different animal that day. The game did not start out well, but the crowd stayed in it. Once the team found its groove, it was an insane atmosphere after that. From singing Rocky Top after a big play to high fiving and hugging other fans, Neyland was truly special during that game. After the game, we had finally ended the streak and everyone had stayed. Don’t Stop Believing by Journey came on, and everyone was singing it. It was such a great day inside that stadium. I truly love Neyland, and I can not wait to have more memorable experiences inside of it in the future. 

To end with here is a short summary of me. I am 18 years old and I attend Motlow State Community College. Sports are my passion so I am looking to have some type of career in them. I have grown up a huge Tennessee fan and have season tickets. I look forward to sharing more with you all. 

Making a Filmmaker

By Jason Taggart

Filming is a wonderful art, whether you’re behind the camera or possibly starring in the film yourself. From writing to editing, there is a lot that goes into a film before you get to see the finished product. Whether you know all of the “Ins and outs” or you are just getting started, let's walk through the starting line of the production race. 

Why are you taking advice from me?

                Hello, my name is Jason Taggart, and I have been operating cameras since I was 6 years old. I met my colleagues for filming in kindergarten, and ever since we started filming, we never stopped. First we just shot silly home movies any third grader would make. Later we shot good, quality videos that were uploaded to YouTube. Mostly they were comedic. We also shot some serious pieces my friend turned in to film school. We have also filmed all of the music videos for our friends and an aspiring band, The Busks. I study film as well as acting. I have seen every episode of “Saturday Night Live” and I know what you mean when you say, “Tarantino film.” I am currently in school pursuing a Mass Communications major, and I plan to move on after my associates to get a bachelor’s degree in film from a major University. 

                At this stage, I know more than the average filmmaker, and I am writing this to help you along and show you what I know. I have been involved in over 35 films and starred in 25 of those. On and off the camera, I have some know-how, mostly from experience. The best way to learn is to be involved by trying it yourself.

Sources

                Right off the bat, I am going to throw a few links of things I have been involved with such as music videos, as well as links that I find to be good examples. 

·         https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AfJANoqI0hY

The Busks’ first music video. I wrote, did casting, and helped film on this video. 

·         https://www.youtube.com/user/JonTronShow

Jon Tron is my favorite on-camera actor.

·   https://www.youtube.com/user/RoosterTeeth

Rooster Teeth is one of the most famous film companies on the web. 

     

Getting started, and What you need

Depending on what you are planning to film, pretty much the only thing you really need is a camera. Now If you are filming nature or things of that nature and you have a camera, then congratulations. You are ready to go. For those of you who are looking towards a different type of production, I will just throw out a little bit of film lingo and some definitions.

• Props: Anything on set you will be using besides costumes.
• Actors/Actresses: The male(s) or female(s) you will be using on set. 
• Mics: Or microphones, to amplify sound. 
• Lights: To light up the area.
• Director: Sometimes also the cameraman or boss man of the production.

Now all you have to do is pick the genre that most interests you and get started. 

Audience

This is possibly the most important part of your production. Is this production just for you? Are you trying to gain a following of many viewers? Is it only for friends and family? Well, if the video is just for you or your friends and family, then by all means take it away and do what you like and whatever you think will entertain them. If you are trying to get new viewers to appreciate and watch your videos, you need to narrowcast to what kind of viewer that is. Now I am by no means saying change yourself to match that personality of your viewers, but make sure you are entertaining them. Otherwise, they will not keep coming back for more or tell their friends and get you more views. So if your genre is comedy, try to be funny. If your genre is horror, try to be scary and horrifying. Study up on professionals in your genre to get a better idea. Be original but still take into consideration what they are doing to be so successful.

 Quality

Second to audience, quality is very important as well. The quality of your videos will determine greatly how well of a filmmaker you are. It’s not only important to you but to your viewers. I’m not only talking about whether its high definition here either. You need the actual quality of the subject matter itself to be good as well. Like I said before, if you are going for comedy, be funny. If you are going for horror, be horrifying. If you are just shooting nature, then try to get some good shots. Go to the most beautiful place you know and just shoot. So try your best to produce the best film quality you can both visibly and entertainment wise, and your videos should be nothing less than perfect to you. 

5. 4. 3. 2… ACTION!

You have got your camera, you have decided on the audience you want, and you are ready to film. Now hear me out when I say this: Whether or not you have heard differently, there is no right way to do this. There are so many different styles of filming and directing. Whether it’s on a tripod or you are walking with a Steadicam, it's an art, and your pictures can be beautiful no matter what way you hold your paint brush. For goodness sake, if you want to film a comedy sketch and you have no actors or tripod, put that camera on a stack of books and get on the other side of it to act every part. Through every production you film, whether you release them to the public or not, you are only going to learn from it, and you’ll find your style. Whether you're the next Tim Burton, or famous YouTuber, or just a phenomenal home movie maker, it all starts with the word “action”!

Homework

                The best thing to help you along the way is to visit some workshops, enter and view film festivals, and practice. Research whether a film festival comes to your town or one near you, for instance if you live in my area you might want to try The Nashville Film Festival. I will drop the link down here below. 

http://www.nowplayingnashville.com/event/nashville-film-festival-2/?gclid=Cj0KEQjwhbzABRDHw_i4q6fXoLIBEiQANZKGW5PzoS_fCrbKrYJgXdhXo1FhZveEfKD7mY7UebjB3LgaAmqY8P8HAQ

Play Like Your Favorite Drummer!

By Shane Standifur

                Hello fellow drummers! Today I have spare time from the shop and I wanted to give some words of wisdom to the noobs of the drum world. From my years of playing live, being in bands, and working in studio. I have learned a lot about not only the music business but drumming. Here are my top 10 tips for drumming!

1.      Always Go Into A Practice Routine With A Plan. So before you sit down at your drums, plan out exactly what you are going to do. If you want to just play around for a bit, then at least plan that (not what you’re going to do, but the fact that you’re just going to experiment for a while). The point of this isn’t to make your practice routine ultra-rigid, (you can still be spontaneous if you’re feeling inspired), but you need to be more intentional with what you want to accomplish with your time spent behind the kit.

2.       Have A Balance Of Technique And Musicality. One big mistake I made, and still sometimes make to this day, is that I don’t balance my practice enough between technique and musicality. What point is having good technique if you have nowhere to apply it? So for me, I need to be very intentional about playing music and becoming a better musician. Practicing technique won’t make you a better musician. Playing music will make you a better musician. Technique is easy and fun to practice because it’s quantifiable, but it’s not the end with drumming. No musical director cares how fast you can play, or how good your medium full stroke roll is. So try to balance your practice between technique and musicality.

3.      Practice Drums Every Day. Whether you are active listening to music, tapping on your legs, or just playing on the practice pad – do something every day. Even if it’s just 10 minutes each time, it’s better than nothing. There are no excuses for not practicing. Don’t get into the mind-set that the stars have to be aligned for you to practice on the kit. Just do something.

4.      Learn to Keep Time. Just as the clock on your laptop keeps the time, it’s your responsibility to keep the time for the songs you play. Try using headphones and synchronizing them with your laptop so you can have the click in your ear. Practice keeping time with the songs you hear on the radio. This is a great way to learn because the work is already done for you by more experienced drummers.

5.      Master the Basics Before You Develop Your Style. Study different genres: pop, rock, jazz, Latin, classical, etc. Pick your favorite drummer from each genre and focus on what you love about the way they play. Once you master the basics, try to incorporate your own style.

6.      Start Slow. Pick easy songs that you love to play. One drummer I met told me he played only Beatles songs for five years because he loved Ringo Starr’s style. Eventually, he started using his own ideas, and his band naturally went from playing cover tunes to original songs.

7.      Develop Muscle Memory. Don’t take the basics for granted; make sure you learn your paradiddles (basic beat drum patterns). Play with your eyes open for 20 minutes, and then close your eyes and get your snare drum hand in sync with your metronome or click. Visualize your kit in your mind, and think of it as an extension of your arms and legs. When you practice with your eyes closed, you develop muscle memory in your arms, legs, feet and hands. Once you have locked in with the metronome, try to play by feel. You can play on the front of the beat like most drummers, or you can be like Ringo Starr and play on the back of the beat.

8.      Develop Your Quality of Sound. After tempo, the next step is to focus on the quality of sound. Being able to do your drum technique exercises at any dynamic will make you more adaptable to different situations. Remember to practice playing softly! You can always add volume later, but if you don’t practice soft, then you will never play softly.

9.      Get Creative. Fully engaging your brain by using abstractions can produce creative licks and grooves. Abstract thought may seem unrealistic to drummers who play mostly backbeats for a living. However, if you open yourself up to this possibility, you will be pleased by the result.

10.  Mix and Match. Rules and traditions are made to be broken. Combining grooves or licks across genres and morphing these elements into something new is an important tool in becoming a creative drummer.

I hope some of these tips help beginners and maybe a brush up for more experienced drummers. I plan on opening my shop soon. It will be called Shane’s Drum Shop. I will gladly help you out! Also, Christmas is around the corner, so make sure to replace them old drum heads and buy some new cymbals! 

Here are some videos of some great drummers! 

Buddy Rich- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8zrhbJ5dTQ

Thomas Lang- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g0MGRaF1oM

Chad Smith- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NSFNYYRtqU

John Bonham- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC3f19zrMg8

Cars and Why We Love Them

By Jackson Bond

What makes us love cars as much as we do? We have movies, television shows and songs dedicated to them. What makes us love one brand and hate another? How can we bond with a piece of machinery and think of it as more than a sum of its parts? These are the questions I aim to help answer with this blog.

For this first post, I think we should talk about how we love these cars. We can love a car while never seeing one in person, let alone driving it. Whether it's just the brand name or how the angles and curves of the car speak to us, we love them.

What makes us love them in the first place? They're just machinery that serves a purpose like a coffee maker or a toaster, yet there are not any toaster enthusiasts spending thousands of dollars to make their toaster better. I think it's how they transport us and protect us, the social standing they bring, and our ability to control and manipulate them, because we all know humans are power hungry.

Local events are what really bring the scene into new light and keep people entranced. If the only thing you ever do with your car is drive it to work you can get bored with it. One of our local Autocross chapters, The Tri-Lakes Sports Car Club https://www.facebook.com/tlscc/?fref=ts is helping to get some excitement back into your life. The second Sunday of every month they meet at Motlow’s Tullahoma Campus to carve up the cones. Whether it’s the drive there or the event itself, it’s a lot of fun. 

I think the social standing aspect has a strong hold on the car scene. If you see a BMW or a Mercedes Benz, you know that person spent some money. However, if you see an older Toyota Camry, you don't think the same thing. This blog will be dedicated to helping expunge these notions, and figuring out why we think these cars have souls and personality when in reality they are just well-engineered machines.

Just looking at blogs like http://revlimiter.net/  http://www.speedhunters.com/ or http://www.stanceworks.com/ that are completely dedicated to cars and the lifestyle around them shows how dedicated people can be to their cars. It takes people from all walks of life to make the car community what it is, and they deliver.

I have been involved with Miatas for a few years now, researching them and working on them. Now that my Miata is about to go on Craigslist and has been replaced by a Subaru Wagon, I’ll probably spend most of my researching time for that instead. It doesn’t mean I don’t still love Miatas. It just means my interest has wavered, and I want a car that has a backseat and working A/C, and I don’t need up-to-the-minute information about parts for a car I don’t own.

The reason I love cars so much is the fact that it’s something you use daily, and a fairly major part of everyone’s life. If you didn’t have your car, you wouldn’t be able to go to the places you need to or get to work or school. I think having one I consider cool that is a little more fun to drive than average helps make the day go better for me. It adds the certain spice of life crucial to keeping excitement.  

            Cars took my interest when I was around 5. Since then they have been a major part of my life. Through a lot of opinion changes and elbow grease I have grown as an enthusiast to where I am today. Today I love Subaru’s and I am a college student at Motlow State Community College.