Happy Birthday, Mustang!

I know I'm a day late on the draw here on the blog, but I was on time on Twitter, so I shouldn't be accused of just being unaware.  Anyways...

Happy Birthday to the Ford Mustang!


First released on April 17, 1964, and still going strong 46 years later, the Mustang was a true game changer for Ford Motor Company and for the American auto industry as a whole.  Ford single handedly proved that you could offer one car that appealed to both housewives and teenagers, and do it affordable and successfully. 



The Mustang was a wild success from the very beginning, selling 22,000 units on the first day alone.  Now over eight million Mustangs have been sold, and in 2005, it was even named the Canadian Car Of The Year.

I've driven several Mustangs over the years, from the first generation models up to my 2008 GT, and I can definitely see why they draw people like moths to a flame.  The classic proportions, accessibility, comfort, performance, and aura of cool that just oozes from every body panel make these a true American classic.  And for 2011, it looks like Ford is prepared to hit another home run with the return of the "5.0" badge to the front fender. The competition had better watch out!  Autoblog calls it A Game Changer, and for $20,000 less money, Jalopnik speculates that it might be better than a BMW M3.  The entire 2010 line has even been recently recalled for being too cool. 

So anyway, happy birthday, Mustang, and good work, Ford.  Here's to another 46 years.  I wonder what a 2056 Mustang would look like?  I suppose it depends on who is in charge of the EPA.

Songs about rain

After threatening all day yesterday, the weather finally got its act together and actually rained for a little while today here in FoCo!  I love the rain (when I don't have to work in it, that is), and this was just a nice, steady, gentle shower that is really going to help get the grass and plants going!  Not to mention rinse some of the infernal dust and pollen out of the air for at least a little while!!!  Sheesh, my allergies are killing me this year!

Driving home through the nice little rain shower got me thinking, there's a lot of good songs about rain, and I should make a playlist / compilation of them!  I started to make a list, so let me know what you think, if you want to email me any mp3s, and if I missed anything!

• I Love A Rainy Night - Eddie Rabbitt
• Rockin' With The Rhythm Of The Rain - The Judds
• Raindrops keep fallin' on my head - B.J. Thoma
• I'm Only Happy When It Rains - Garbage
• Here Comes That Rainy Day Feeling Again - The Fortunes
• Kentucky Rain - Elvis Presley
• Here Comes The Rain Again - The Eurythmics
• (It Must Be) Raindrops - David Cassidy
• Have You Ever Seen The Rain/Who'll Stop The Rain - Creedence Clearwater Revival
• Fire And Rain - James Taylor
• It Never Rains In Southern California - Albert Hammond
• Rainy Days And Mondays - The Carpenters
• Laughter In The Rain - Neil Sedaka
• Never Liked the Rain - Clint Black
• Rain In My Heart - Frank Sinatra
• (Somewhere) Over The Rainbow - Judy Garland
• Rainbow Connection - Kermit The Frog
• Singin' In The Rain - Gene Kelly
• Box of Rain - Grateful Dead
• Blue Eyes Cryin' in the Rain - Willie Nelson

Once I get the list finalized, whittled down to a reasonable number, and find all the songs, I'll try to figure out a way to share my new list with a few people.  Like I need another project...

Just needing to bitch a little

So, it's five 'til seven, and I really should be getting out of this coffee shop, getting something to eat (even though I'm not really hungry) and heading to swing dance practice. But I don't want to. I just want to sit here, with the sun streaming in through the old window panes, listen to the murmur of the random conversations surrounding me, and just be. Be lazy, I suppose would be more specific, but I'm not gonna get picky here.

I did my taxes last night and realized that my taxable income was below the poverty level. I also had to pay self employment taxes on the little bit of money I made from teaching and gigging swing dances. Lame. Yet somehow I still have my condo, even though it literally takes all of my money to do so. Interest rates are still good, but you can't refinance without a decent job. (Which is kinda ironic - you'd think they would like to give poor folks who are still making their payments the chance to lower that payment and increase their chances of *not* going into foreclosure or walking away, but that's not the way it works.)

I can't seem to better my situation lately, and it's really discouraging, but I guess I'd better keep trying. I've got a cover letter to write for a project engineer position at another nameless company that I found on Craigslist, but based on the last x number of cover letters I've written, this one will be another waste of time.

Oh well, I guess I'll get back to that cover letter and head to practice now. Just needed to bitch a little.