Paul Sherry Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram

FWD:
As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods -- merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor.  This year will be different.  This year Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans.  There is no longer an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands.  Yes there is!
 
It's time to think outside the box, people.  Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper? Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut.  How about gift certificates from your local American hair salon or barber?
 
Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health improvement.
 
Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.
 
Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plunking down the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.
 
There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift certificates.  And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint.  Remember, folks this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.
 
How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?
 
Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady for a day.
 
My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling to get his repair business up and running.
 
OK, you were looking for something more personal.  Local crafts people spin their own wool and knit them into scarves.  They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.
 
Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip.  And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.
 
Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about fifty cents stays in the community.  If you have those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.
 
You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China can build another glittering city.  Christmas is now about caring about US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow their dreams.  And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.  THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.  Forward this to everyone on your mailing list -- post it to discussion groups -- throw up a post on Craigslist in the Rants and Raves section in your city -- send it to the editor of your local paper and radio stations, and TV news departments.  This is a revolution of caring about each other, and isn't that what Christmas is about?

Wall Street Journal:

Congested cities are fast becoming test tubes for scientists studying the impact of traffic fumes on the brain.

As roadways choke on traffic, researchers suspect that the tailpipe exhaust from cars and trucks especially tiny carbon particles already implicated in heart disease, cancer and respiratory ailments may also injure brain cells and synapses key to learning and memory.

New public-health studies and laboratory experiments suggest that, at every stage of life, traffic fumes exact a measurable toll on mental capacity, intelligence and emotional stability. "There are more and more scientists trying to find whether and why exposure to traffic exhaust can damage the human brain," says medical epidemiologist Jiu-Chiuan Chen at the University of Southern California who is analyzing the effects of traffic pollution on the brain health of 7,500 women in 22 states. "The human data are very new."

So far, the evidence is largely circumstantial but worrisome, researchers say. And no one is certain yet of the consequences for brain biology or behavior. "There is real cause for concern," says neurochemist Annette Kirshner at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences at Research Triangle Park in North Carolina. "But we ought to proceed with caution."

To be sure, cars and trucks today generate one-tenth the pollution of a vehicle in 1970. Still, more people are on the road and they are stuck in traffic more often. Drivers traveling the 10-worst U.S. traffic corridors annually spend an average of 140 hours, or about the time spent in the office in a month, idling in traffic, a new analysis reported.

This article provides some pretty modern and creative ways to try and keep animals off the road or at least alert drivers when an animal may be close.  Investigations of dangerous crossings for animals, done by state officials, have shown specific spots in which overpasses or underpasses may be used to limit collisions with animals.  Also infrared sensors may be used to alert drivers of animals nearby on roadsides.

I was most amazed with the different states legislature regarding what citizens can do with their road kill.  Some states allow you to take anything you hit, while some make you give the road kill to charity in order to eat.  And in Illinois you can only keep your hit road kill if you are not delinquent on your child support payments.

Further down in the article they provide a recipe, yes a recipe, for how to prepare a venison meal if you happen to hit one.  No thanks for me.

I had absolutely zero idea that road kill got some much attention and even laws made about how to claim your road kill.  Learn something new every day.

The Detroit News
General Motor Co. reported flat vehicle sales in October - up just 2 percent from the same month last year - while crosstown rival Chrysler Group LLC saw a 27 percent spike in sales.

For Detroit-based GM, retail sales were up 3 percent and accounted for 77 percent of all sales, the carmaker said Tuesday morning in a news release.

"Chevrolet led the way for GM in October, driven by the continued success of the Cruze and Equinox," said Don Johnson, vice president, U.S. Sales Operations, in a statement. "Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac and GMC have all performed well this year, which has set the stage for our transition to a higher mix of 2012 model-year vehicles. Combined with the launches of several new fuel-efficient cars, including the Chevrolet Sonic and Buick LaCrosse eAssist, we are very well positioned going forward."

GM sold 186,895 vehicles in October and Chevrolet did the all of the heavy lifting for the month, selling 131,804 units. The largest brand for GM saw sales increase of 6 percent compared to last October. All of GM's other brands reported sales drops: Buick sales dropped 7 percent, Cadillac sales fell 11.9 percent, and GMC sales fell off 4.6 percent.

However, GM pointed out that all four brands have had marked sales increases for the calendar year.

Meanwhile, Chrysler's vehicle sales jumped 27 percent in October, the 19th consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains, the Auburn Hill automaker reported earlier Tuesday morning.

The company sold 114,512 vehicles during the month, its best October in sales since 2007, Chrysler said. The sales spike was driven by retail sales, up 40 percent from the same month last year, the company said.

"In what is turning out to be a strong new vehicle sales industry we continued to outperform," said Reid Bigland, president and CEO - Dodge Brand and head of U.S. Sales. "For October, our retail sales increased 40 percent year-over-year with sales of the Chrysler 300 more than doubling and Jeep Compass sales increasing nearly fivefold. The month of October also marked our 19th-consecutive month of year-over-year sales gains."

Ford Motor Co. October sales figures are expected to be released around noon today and other automakers also will report sales later in the day.

From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20111101/AUTO01/111010502/GM-sales-flat--Chrysler-spikes-27-#ixzz1cTCTJdTA