Tryin' Out This "Twitter" Thing for Oscar Night

     I've known for a while now that Twitter is the wave of the future of communication, social networking and promotion, but I've never really hit it hard.  I have accounts for my writing and acting (@DerekShiekhi and @DerekVandi, respectively) and post to them every now and then. 
     Tonight, I thought I'd tweet about celebrity style at the Oscars in real time as I watch them.  It seems as if a lot of social media-savvy cats do stuff like that.  Follow along at https://twitter.com/DerekShiekhi or @DerekShiekhi. 
     Enjoy the show!

Hustlin'

Thought I'd share with you some of the developments in my writing career:

-I held an informational interview with a top writer/blogger with the Austin American Statesman.  He asked me about my educational and professional background and gave me a few pointers about my blog:

• I should change the name to something more personal to me; perhaps a phrase that encapsulates my personality, as well as my interest in cars, menswear and watches.  Some new names I've been thinking of include: The Finer Things (hackneyed, I know...); The Dandy Lion (I'd have to explain my first theater role as Aslan, though); A Gentleman's Interests; Dandy By Design; and New Dog, Old Tricks.  Nothing really sweeping me off my feet, yet.  Feel free to share your ideas for the new name of my blog.
• I should incorporate things into my posts that give people who aren't necessarily fans of cars, menswear and timepieces a reason to care about what I'm writing and my opinions.
• I need to redesign my blog and its layout (I should be able to work in gingham somewhere, right?)
• I need to be posting EVERY DAY.  I'm working on it...

-This same journalist was kind enough to give me the name of the Marketplace (cars, RVs, motorcycles and real estate) editor for the Statesman.  He is also currently reviewing my portfolio.  (I will contact the Marketplace editor soon.)

-I spoke with my Copy Editing professor, who also works at the Statesman, about my blog.  He gave me some tips on it and the name of someone to contact at the paper about pursuing work.  (I will contact her, soon, too.)

-I started a new, part-time telecommuting job in which I edit annd write resumes for clients.

-I conducted an informational interview with the Editor in Chief of a highly popular automotive blog.  He, too, was very generous with his time and knowledge.  His blog works with freelancers and he gave me the greenlight to contact him again in May, when I graduate.  He also told me what he looks for in a portfolio.  I hope he likes my Ford Thunderbird review...

-Next Thursday, I will interview the head of ACC's automotive technology department about the department and what 5 things students should do to prepare their cars for the spring and summer.

-Next on the list: finishing my profile and applying for freelance work on eLance.com (or Helium.)

My First Road Test: 2005 Ford Thunderbird

    
      The Ford Thuderbird was first introduced in model year 1955 and was in production, off and on, for the next 50 years.  Over the years, it became an American automotive icon.  Arthur Miller and Marilyn Monroe were snapped by the paparazzi in a black T-Bird with the top down.  A 1961 "Bullet Bird" had the honor of being a part of JFK's inaugural parade.  Ol' Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra, had a Thunderbird. 
     Unfortunately, that Hollywood luster faded by 1997, when the Thunderbird was discontinued.  Ford couldn't leave one of its most famous models alone for long, though.  By 1999, it had a Thunderbird concept vehicle ready for the North American International Auto Show.  The production version of the brand new Thunderbird was unveiled in 2001.  This time, it didn't need celebrity owners.  It was a star in its own right (and in the 2002 James Bond movie, "Die Another Day") and shone all the brighter when it was named Motor Trend magazine's "Car of the Year."
     I must admit that, as big of a 007 fan as I am, the coral T-Bird in "Die Another Day" didn't really stick out to me.  It wasn't until a year or two ago that I even gave the car a second thought.  I love products made my American companies with long-standing pedigrees and illustrious histories, like Brooks Brothers clothing, Johnston and Murphy shoes and Tiffany & Co. silver accessories.  It seems inevitable that I would be drawn to the Ford Thunderbird.  I fell in love with its looks and its nostalgia factor, but I knew I had to test drive one to see if reality would match my romantic vision of it.

Driving Notes

• Looks.  The 11th-generation Thunderbird is a great modern interpretation of a classic design.  The egg crate front grille is present, as are the afterburner taillights.  Ford brought elements of classic T-Birds into the 21st century without excessively aping ancestral designs, like the new Dodge Challengers.  The body tapers dramatically front to rear, giving the car the appearance of squatting down on its rear springs as it accelerates off the line.  A lot of these T-Birds have chrome wheels with 5 thick spokes, but, unfortunately, this 50th Anniversary edition comes shod with 16-spoke alloys that look too small under the amount of car that rides atop them.  I love the large, flat trunk lid because it reminds me of old-school American cars with trunks big enough to make into mobile apartments.  However, when you open this one, it looks more like a broom closet inside.  This car is definitely a weekend machine.        
• Interior.  I knew going into this test drive that the interior would make or break my love affair with this car.  I was already sold on its exterior.  Upon getting inside the snug, primarily black interior, my girlfriend loudly said, "It's like a cave!"  I was instantly put off, as well.  I consider myself statistically average height (5'10" with shoes on).  My hair was brushing the inside of the lined convertible top - an issue I've never had with another car, even the tiny Honda S2000.  The windshield was so short and steeply raked that forward visibility was impractically limited.  When the sun visors were flipped down, I could barely see the road in front of me.  When they were flipped up, they were right in line to chop the top of my head off under heavy breaking.  The insert in the driver's door panel and the panel surrounding the cigarette lighter was loose (see picture), bringing the mystique of this car down a few pegs.  However, I kind of expected fit and finish problems in an 8-year-old American car's interior.   
• Exhaust note.  I was pleasantly surprised when I turned the key.  I knew there was a V8 up front, but I figured, given its small size (3.9 liters) and the car's boulevard cruiser persona, that it wouldn't have the satisfying, throaty, low growl I heard.  It instantly brought a smile to my face.  Hearing the sound trail behind me as I drove around the block with the top down on a balmy, sunlit day was a simple pleasure that I believe many Americans have felt behind the wheel of a Thunderbird over the past 50+ years.
• Cowl shake.   I'd read about "cowl shake" (chassis flex and vibration present in convertible cars, which lack the structural rigidity of fixed-roof cars) in car magazines before, but I'd never experienced it.  This car definitely had it.  In my 5-minute drive through the neighborhood streets around Covert Ford, never exceeding 40 mph, I could feel the area around the firewall and the front end shimmy and shake when going over road imperfections.

VITAL STATS
Engine: 3.9L V8
Power: 280 HP / 286 LB-FT
Transmission: 5-Speed Auto

Drivetrain: Rear-Wheel Drive

Curb Weight: 3,781 LBS

Seating: 2

MPG: 18 City / 24 HWY

(Figures courtesy of ThunderbirdConcepts.com.)



Those chrome rocker panels allow you to see your saddle shoes before you get in and take your sweetie to the drive-in in this automotive blast from the past.

I love the afterburner tailights and the subtle, chrome-tipped dual exhausts.

Possibly the best view of the Thunderbird: big round headlight eyes and chromed egg crate grille smile.

The turquoise needles added an attractive splash of color to otherwise plain black-on-white gauges.

On the bottom right, you can see where the fascia panel had come loose.

The 5-speed automatic transmission delivered snappy, confident shifts.

While the metal-finish trim on the driver's door was attractive and relieved the dourness of an all-black cabin, it was also loose to the touch.

The brightwork touches lead your eye around the shrinkwrap interior.



Looks like a tight fit in there.  I like how Ford chose to use a tastefully sized engine cover that didn't obscure absolutely everything under the hood.

The little embroidered mat was a nice touch.  It didn't distract me from the trunk's lack of depth, though.

     A few shout-outs: Mitch Larkin at Covert Ford was a very friendly and accommodating salesman that let me fly this 'bird with him.  Go see him and find out if you fit into this car better than I did.  It's still for sale, here: http://covertford.com/Austin-TX/For-Sale/Used/Ford/Thunderbird/2005-50th-Anniversary--Car/15721164/.  All of the above photos are courtesy of CovertFord.com.

     Thanks to Media.Ford.com for some of the information used in this review.

     Finally, I must thank Autoblog.com and its Quick Spins for the design inspiration for this post.

I like nice things....but at nice prices.

     In an effort to post every day (and thus follow the advice of a very knowledgeable Austin reporter/blogger who was kind enough to let me interview him about getting started in journalism), I will be sharing my general thoughts and philosophies about cars, clothes and watches (translation: don't expect to see pictures in every post.)

     I have a very bad habit of "Windows" shopping in my free time.  Not only do I look for new arrivals, but I constantly scour the sales sections.  I don't have a bank roll that'll choke a hippo, so I have to be selective about purchasing the items that catch my eye.  I'm all for instant gratification, but you can lose your ass if you're constantly indulging a taste for Brooks Brothers shirts and Johnston and Murphy shoes, price be damned.

     I don't consider myself an especially patient person, but, somehow, I've discovered that if you wait long enough, you can scoop some killer deals.  Granted, those items on sale are typically out of season, but who gives a shit?  If you're buying the right thing, you'll be able to comfortably wear it when the appropriate weather comes around again, and for years after that.  I fondly remember buying a lovely raincoat last year at an end of season clearance sale for 70 percent off.  It's an ecru, 3/4 length raincoat whose only embellishment is epaulettes.  I can wear that puppy for the next 10 years, at least (the 3/4 length might become a little dated in the future.) 

     Patience truly is a virtue when building your wardrobe.  You can buy more items when they're all on sale.  I would rather have a shirt, a pair of pants and a pair of playful socks in a few weeks instead of a shirt right now.  However, there are certain items that never seem to go on sale, such as Tiffany's silver, Coach retail products (although they have an outlet store on eBay and their own outlet website) and Rolex watches (I've heard of people getting slight discounts at authorized dealers, but those discounts don't seem to be as high as those for Omegas.)
    
     For the most part, though, a lot of menswear sites seem to have perennial sales sections.  Keep in mind that the inventory changes with the seasons.  One sales section I always check is Brooks Brothers'.  You could say that, even on sale, their stuff is ridiculously pricey, but when I gotta have it, I gotta have it.

     One of my favorite online menswear magazines, Valetmag.com, has a great section listing all the sales and deals to be had in the world of menswear.  Check it out here. 

     Happy hunting, fellas!

I am now a Writer Extraordinaire!

     Quick update: I am now a Writer Extraordinaire with a Houston-based company that edits resumes for job seekers. 

     My job will involve taking customers' original resumes and organizing/rewriting them to make them more effective at showing a company why they should hire our clients.  The position is part-time and allows me to work from home using Google Chat, Dropbox, Desk.com and Skype. 

     I think this position will really hone my analytical skills and attention to details.  It will also leave me enough time for school and freelance writing.  Time for a cigar to celebrate!