Ambient Noise, or Something Like That

Hey guess what everyone? I was just inspired. Seeing as my roommate has left for the weekend and we've gotten power bill overages every month we've lived here, I figured I'd turn off our air conditioning completely and spend as much of the weekend I can with the windows open and the air more.... natural.

It's a Thursday night and my day has pretty much consisted of non-stop schoolwork (my English professor would surely be proud). Anyways, I've taken notice of things that are pretty well muted when the place is sealed off like Noah's ark (I imagine it was a bit leaky).

Throughout the day, through my second story window, I've been able to hear and see all sorts of things that are taking place in my apartment complex. It's been hearing though, for the most part. I listen to the familiar sound of four cylinders being amplified through a canister with the circumference of a grape fruit, while an old Hootie and the Blowfish song stimulates my nostalgia.

The peace is shattered minutes later with the familiar throaty throbbing of a V8; anyone who's been around cars any significant amount of time knows this is the Mustang's song.

Echoing through the lot is the tinny whine of a two-stroke; it's undoubtedly a moped. Screech. The metallic equivalent of nails on a chalkboard screams through the window. It's time for some new brake pads.

Surprisingly, this medley of noises is not something that distracts me from my school work. In fact, I think it inspires me to continue working. Not to say I'm someone who isn't easily distracted by noise. My roommate has kept me up countless nights with Theresa Caputo's distinctive accent ringing in my ear from our downstairs television. But that noise is different. Hearing music or voices, for me, is worlds more distracting than listening to the flow of the motorized landscape that lay outside my second story window.

I guess it's different for everyone. Many a person i've encountered throughout my life need that Long Island Medium or soft rock station to help them fall asleep at night, or even to concentrate on the work they're doing. Me, I like the sounds of engines. Go figure.

Caffeine and Octane, October 2012

I know, I know, I'm late to the party (once again). I am indeed aware that, somehow, it's already gotten to be late-october. It's nearing four weeks since I attended this month's Caffeine and Octane in Alpharetta, but what can I say. School, life, and forgetfulness tend to get in the way more times than many of us would like them too. Anyhow, that's enough excuses, let's talk about the show!

Caffeine and Octane never ceases to impress and the sunday-morning outing this October was nothing short of spectacular. Couple beautifully crisp fall weather with one of the largest crowds of cars and bystanders in the show's history and you can guarantee someone like me is tripping over folks to get as many pictures as I could.

What continues to get me about this show in particular is how humble its foundations were. Inspired by Cars and Coffee, an infamous meet in California, a group of just four cars began meeting up every first Sunday morning of the month. Purely by word-of-mouth the show has grown to what it is today: a dazzling display of over 800 vehicles.

Another aspect that draws me to this show is the sheer atmosphere of it all. From its humble beginnings, all the way up to the present day, Caffeine and Octane has embodied the essence of car culture. Many owners, as I've said in earlier articles, leave their cars and spend the rest of the show as spectators, mingling with fellow Porsche, BMW, or Chevrolet owners. As you walk through the show area, bathed in the early morning sunlight, you overhear so many different conversations, usually accompanied with laughter and the aroma of cigar smoke. Caffeine and Octane is simply enthusiasts coming together, over a cup of coffee, and doing what they enjoy most; talking about cars.

As you can see in the photos, or if you've ever been to this show yourself, there is quite a diverse display of automotive history. And the case usually is that this display isn't organized all that well, but I think this is a good thing. Walking down a single row you can see a brand new Mercedes CLS63, next to a Porsche 356, next to an unrestored Plymouth Volare station wagon. This presents a delightful situation to a person like me; you never know what's around the next corner. And that forces you to walk up and down every row and through every back corner of the show area, becoming pleasantly surprised periodically along the way.

Typing this weeks later, I'm sure I've forgotten many important things I was going to say had I posted this earlier, but what I couldn't possibly forget is the jovial, inviting, and diverse atmosphere that can always be enjoyed at Caffeine and Octane. Sadly, I'm not able to make November's meet, but never fear, there is another event I'm attending that's sure to be just as exciting. I hope you'll stay tuned and, in the meantime, enjoy some more of my favorite cars from October's Caffeine and Octane.

Let's Put an End to Mileophobia

First of all, I do not want mile-ophobia to be confused with mel-ophobia. Just to make sure this phobia I made up didn't actually exist, I did a quick internet search and found fear of music is the basis behind melophobia, which differs a bit in spelling anyways, so we're good.

The type of phobia I'd like to discuss is not related to music in any way. In fact, the information I'm about to give you will be, forgive me, music to your ears.

Okay, that was bad. But what I'm talking about is mileophobia. I seem to be the first to coin the term, but let me tell you, I see it all the time. People are afraid of their cars. No, not because they're two ton killing machines or whatever the health and safety people say, but because they feel that their time together is like an hourglass; and it's all too often close to running out of sand.


In modern American society especially, the notion of something lasting for decades is almost laughable. Many people buy a car brand new, keep it for a couple of years, and trade it back to the dealer while it still has value so that they can get the latest and greatest model.

This just isn't a practice I can agree with. It's wastefulness. And on top of that, it's not hard to keep modern vehicles running long after their residual values have run dry. Basic routine maintenance goes along way as far as future repair costs and overall working life of a car. Now obviously, nothing is going to last forever. Seals dry up, metal gets warped, and repairs suddenly cease to make fiscal sense anymore. But this is usually long after the giving-up stage for most people.

See with this routine maintenance, it is very realistic to see a car run for 200,000 miles.And that number, I can tell you, is out of the realms of belief of a few people I've spoken to on the matter. As it is with almost every consumer good, it's all in how you take care of your car. Neglecting your car, like I see most people do, then becoming upset when it stops working is just absurd. In fairness, the common driver has absolutely no idea what goes on around them as far as mechanics go, but still. Treat your automobile with respect and care and it will care for you. It's that simple.