The Continental

Introduction           I wrote a blog post a year before this one with the same title that I since renamed. I rambled on a lot about Joan being like a Marty McFly and I think most of it did not even answer the question effectively. After a year of learning and listening more about rock 'n' roll, I think I have more relevant information in this blog post that answers the question better. Is Joan Jett the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll? You can read my old post  here .           I will present my case by looking into Joan Jett’s qualities as a rock musician and a performer. Let us start by saying that Joan Jett as a rhythm guitarist is nowhere near among the best guitarists of all time, and her musical style didn’t really raise the bar in any meaningful way. Joan Jett & the Blackhearts have a slight punk rock sound like the Ramones with some hard rock. I have provided a little bit of history about Joan Jett in my old post. Besid...

         I recently got to drive a loaner 2024 Acura Integra from the Acura dealership that had 439 miles. It was a base model in Majestic Black with Graystone interior. Driving something new for a change compared to a 2005 Acura TSX has really validated my perspectives on how small cars in the U.S. have changed in 20 years.         What do I mean by this? The TSX feels small and nimble. The pillars are thin, so you can actually see well around you without the need for a backup camera. The steering is tight because it is a sport sedan. I grew up learning how to drive with that tight steering. It feels  fast when you accelerate, even though torque isn't a strong number. I read about people's experiences with old Honda Civics, like from the late 1980s and 1990s. It's easy to say that that it's so much better to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow, and the Civic is the epitome of the former, or a Miata. An old Civic is so basic ...

        You open this blog post and your eyes land on the first line of text, about to read it, when suddenly, you look up from your device and you see that you are outside and a big white volleyball is coming straight towards your head. You miraculously grow a six-pack and gain some giant toned muscles as you whack that volleyball back to the other side of the net, where it lands in the sand as the beautiful bodies on the other side dive to attempt to recover the ball. Everyone's smiling and having fun, and you yell a manly growl as you flex your huge chest. As you get into your zone position with your hands on your slightly bent knees with your eyes shooting directly forward at the enemy, you start to hear the faint high-pitched guitar riff of Playing with the Boys, and sure enough, Kenny Loggins comes shuffling onto the beach with his six-string strapped and ready to rock.          The enemy team serves the volleyball as Kenny Lo...

          I originally wrote this article with the title of “Is Joan Jett the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll?” but I renamed it to the current title because I think it better reflects why Joan Jett is legendary beyond her musical ability. I wrote a new article about why Joan Jett is the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll that I think better answers the question, that you can read  here . Introduction Is Joan Jett the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll?           The short answer is yes and no. She can be depending on how you define "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll." But I think she is really up there with the legends.           Some people may define Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll as the greatest rock vocalist, and many agree it is usually Ann Wilson ( Nancy Wilson is a great vocalist too), Pat Benatar , or others, but those are the ones that I’m more familiar with and big fans of. They have extremely large vocal ranges that not many well-...

Aurora-ception: Princess Aurora’s Aurora in Aurora with Aurora seeing the Aurora Translation: Princess Aurora from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty standing in front of her Oldsmobile Aurora in Aurora, Illinois with the Russian cruiser Aurora looking at the Aurora (northern lights).          Once, I decided to draw an Oldsmobile Aurora. I love the understated gentlemanly 1990s sport sedan style that it has with a hidden grille and an American V8. Then, I got bored and I stopped, only having drawn the rear end, rear windshield, and rear wheels. After a few months, I uncovered my family's old RCA VCR player. We always had old tapes of our family taken from my dad's camcorder as well as some old movies on tapes. I immediately went to look up the manual on the Internet and plug it into our giant flat screen TV. One of the first tapes I watched was one of my sister's which had Disney's Sleeping Beauty on it. I was reminded of my Oldsmobile Aurora drawing from Princess A...