Walking the show floor on the south end I find it is dominated by four test tracks. Fiat / Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge RAM and the Toyota Monopoly Hybrid ride experience offer visitors the chance to drive their cars. The Toyota Monopoly test track comes complete with attendants in Monopoly police uniforms to keep you in check. The Jeep test track is impressive because it really showcases the off-road suspension and breaking power of their vehicles. It’s cool to see people at a dead stop on an uncomfortable downhill incline.

Something else new this year is the BP Amoco Refuel station. After taking a PR beating BP is reaching out by providing a lounge area you can rest your feet, charge your devices and people watch from. There are big screens in the area for you to watch if the people watching isn’t up to par.

Take a walk to the west end of the south hall and you will find Kia Motors. There you will find the Kia GT concept. A kissing four door turbocharged, direct-injected 3.3-liter V-6 / 390 hp upscale coupe from Kia. The car looks fantastic and provides a gadget freak like me all I need. The driver “interface’ includes LED screens on the inside of the front doors, displaying the view from the fender-mounted rear view cameras. Cameras, not mirrors, that add to the sleek low profile appeal of the vehicle.

Ford has some fun tucked away in its display. Check out their Global Performance Simulator, a 360 degree swiveling driving sim that lets you experience the conditions and gravitational forces behind world class auto racing.

Crossing over into the North Hall you find the biggest display of the show in Chevy. While they boast the most floor space at the show, the display lacks the energy of previous years. For example, Chevy celebrates 60 years of the Corvette by displaying a 1953 and 2013 Corvette nose to nose… and that’s it. While the cars are amazing and it looks cool to see them together, the idea comes off as more of an afterthought. Oh and the Volt is sans drive track this year but has some really sweet smelling flowers.

Chevy makes a run at the younger set with the Sonic Boom. The subcompact features high-tech head unit controlling components designed with a jet them. Hanging out the rear is a noise ordinance smashing sound system to make any delinquent blush. You can program a ring tone, hear it from the Sonic Boom sound system and even tweet it or send it to your Facebook page which I thought was cool. They also have a button making station. They keep me locked away in the office so maybe I’m not getting the idea behind the buttons. Great for crowd interaction I guess.

Feast your eyes now on the Lexus show floor. Lined up in a multicolor, million dollar trail of automotive eye candy is the Lexus LFA. Oh emm gee, this car is sexy! The LF-LC sits nearby on turntable against a video wall that just exclaims Lexus isn’t just luxury. Again, just like the Kia concept, good looks come with advanced technology. The LF-LC has a pair of 12.3-inch screens that display information and navigation. The center stack is touch-sensitive and controls audio, climate and navigation. Keyboard included for text intensive entries.

Surrounded by high end offerings of Audi, BMW and Mercedes one thing caught my eye above all else; a Cadillac. The Cadillac Ciel to be exact. It is beyond me to effectively communicate to you how cool this car is. You have to see it for yourself. All I can do is throw adjectives at you and hope it partially does the machine justice. The car is sleek and low profile, slightly longer than the average Cadillac of today. Don’t call it purple the color is Cabernet. The interior features Italian Olive wood, sweeping nickel-plated trim and a built in humidor. Ambient lighting lines the interior and with the touch of a button the automatic kissing doors open to reveal an illuminated Cadillac insignia. Under the hood lives a 3.6-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 engine with direction that produces an output of 425 horsepower and augmented by a hybrid system using lithium-ion batteries.

I was told there is a 50/50 chance this concept will be made. I say if Cadillac wants to put American automobile manufacturing back upon its prominent pedestal, they should without a doubt mass produce this vehicle.

I hope you enjoyed my day one review of the Chicago Auto Show media preview. Follow me on twitter for more show info and check back here as I post more content from the show in the days to come.

@BraxtonMedia at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show

Hours before dawn and I am wide awake cleaning camera lenses and charging camcorder batteries. I am excited to be participating in my third Chicago Auto Show media preview this year. Today and Thursday I’ll be walking the show floor shooting photo and video to share with you right up to the point they kick us out for the First Look for Charity.

The 104th Chicago Auto Show opens to the public Friday, February 10th and runs through Sunday the 19th between the hours of 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Tickets are available via drivechicago.com, and McCormick Place ticket booths. Entry costs $11 per Adult, $7 for kids 7-12 and $7 for seasoned citizens over 62 years of age. Discount tickets are available at many car dealers and half price tickets are available at participating BP Amoco stations. Kids under 6 are free with paying adult.

From personal experience parking can be the sole drawback of the show during peak weekend hours. Costs to park at McCormick Place are $19 at Lots A and C, $14 at Lot B and all lots are $10 after 6 p.m. Many alternative transportation options are available in the form of public transportation and shuttle service from Millennium Park Garage, East Monroe Garage and Ogilvie Transportation Center.

If you are attending the 21st First Look for Charity, parking costs are probably of no consequence to you. For a mostly tax deductible contribution of $250 you can peruse the show floor to the sounds of Blues Traveler while sampling the best culinary creations in the city. Two lucky attendees will win either a 2012 Cadillac SRX or a 2012 Cadillac Escalade. This year’s event benefits the following 18 charities and is expected to raise $2 million dollars:

If you can’t make the First Look for Charity, other special events are scheduled daily that include giveaways of everything from iPads to Toyota Camrys. A host of local athletes and media personalities will be in attendance daily. A complete schedule can be downloaded here and a complete showroom map is available here. This year I am in the market for a new vehicle so I will be running down what I consider the best buys across vehicle classes and price ranges. Check back daily for new photo, video and reviews. I will also be tweeting and live streaming from the media preview as well so connect with me there as well @BraxtonMedia.

Enjoy!

It is no secret that I am very conservative and old fashioned in my thinking; I make no apologies for it. Don’t jump down my throat about being self righteous… I said I was conservative, not a saint. I know others in the twittersphere routinely reserve comment, forsaking their values in the social media arena where popularity is gold. Personally, Scarlett I don’t give a damn about popularity. Among all the self proclaimed social media luminaries online there is the unspoken truth… twitter is not one hive mind in consensus. There are differing opinions. Now, I wouldn’t condone dragging a managed brand into such debates but as an individual the gloves come off. Besides, that favorite follower you have might just be a right wing nut job IRL (in real life) or a wanton socialist. With me at least you know where you stand.

I welcome debate, I never try to shout down another person and I usually don’t hold grudges. I respect people of conviction even if I don’t agree with them. I hope that I am eloquent enough in my offerings that you would respect my opinion even if it differs from yours.

Say what you will about Tim Tebow’s ability as a quarterback.  I agree that he isn’t much to write home about.  Some go as far as to say that Tebow’s success is racist and a slap in the face to overachieving black quarterbacks that still struggle to find recognition.. Somebody call the waaambulance because you won’t find that pity party bs on my website.  All in all at some point Mr. Tebow will have to evolve as a quarterback or his luck is going to run out… unless dare I say God is truly using him to spread the good word. In a climate where conservative Christian views are being systemically removed from main stream society I cannot get enough of the guy.   

Every time he overachieves and grabs victory from the jaws of defeat, I feel somehow vindicated.  Each gridiron victory ensures that sports fans across the country will be faced with conversations about Tebow’s faith in Christ and how it plays into his success.  Pop culture discussing faith is a very welcome departure from the norm which now includes toddlers dropping scripted f-bombs in primetime.

I wish Tim continued blessings regardless of what may come for the Christian QB.  Putting the pulpit into the pocket, well played. Well played indeed.

In the wee hours of Sunday morning I find myself walking past a prominent Chicago hotel in need of a cab ride home.  I happen across number #390_ and ask if he is available.  He asks where I am going and it doesn’t seem that he wants to give me a ride.  That is until a cop walks up and asks for his chauffer’s license.  Apparently I happened upon this taxi during a routine inspection by the CPD.
Everything is in order and the African-American cop, moves on to the next cab in queue. The African-American driver of Yellow Cab number 390_ sees the next potential fair exiting the premier hotel with baggage.  This potential fare is obviously going to O’Hare because this is not a hotel Midway travelers would routinely stay at.  Not one to pass on such a fair the driver again asks that I take another cab.  He wants the fare to O’Hare.  I take a cab home every evening on a corporate account so I know the average fare to my place.  A thirty dollar meter is usually enough to bring out the customer service professional in the most surly driver.  Not for this guy though. I didn’t want to deal with him so I did in fact move to the next cab in queue.

I exit the cab and in transition I say to the cop checking licenses “You see how he did me, I guess my money isn’t good enough for him.”  The driver of cab #390_ hears me and immediately beings to plead with the cop who moves to cite him for a refusal ticket.  From what I gather that is an $800 fine and I don’t want to cause the guy any trouble so I tell the cop he didn’t refuse me, he smelled bad so I moved on my own will. 

Calm momentarily returns as I enter CCC cab #661_.  He pulls off and begins to complain that I did not know what I had just done in a very thick African accent.  At this point I am fed up and I say to hell with all cabbies, drop me off and I will take my chances on the blue line.  He declines my offer and takes me home.

Along the way there is silence until the driver offers this tidbit of nonsense.  “I know why you did not get him in trouble.  It is because the officer was African-American, he was African-American and you are African-American.  You want him to succeed and not me”.  Instantly my blood is boiling.  I could not believe this fellow son of Africa is accusing me of some racial conspiracy against him.  He asked for it and I begin to audibly chastise him for even considering such a thing.  “The only difference between he and I was that his ancestors were smarter, faster or better connected than mine and were able to avoid bondage and shipment to the new world”.  “He was my brother and I had no ill will against him”, I said.

Again silence returned to the cab as the driver chewed on what I had just hurled at him.  It touched him; I think he wanted to cry.  We pulled into the turnaround at my place and I settle up my fare.  A minor gripe about me paying with a credit card and he was off. 

Next time I go out, I’ll just drive.

More information on the Christkindlmarket available here: http://www.christkindlmarket.com/

Illinois released 2011 performance reports for state schools last week. Having a child in a public school system I always check the performance of schools in his district. This year on a whim I decided to look up the scores for my old hometown district (#89 Maywood, Melrose Park and Broadview). I was fortunate back in the 80s not to have to attend public schools in the area. It doesn’t look like things have gotten any better over time.

Of particular note is the poor performance at the local high school, Proviso East. I really don’t want to take a negative tone here so I’ll just let the statistics speak for themselves. According to data for the 2009 – 2010 year, 10.1% of the 1,918 Proviso East students met expectations, 0% exceeded expectations, 60.7% graduate but only 1.6% of students graduated ready for college. The H.S. District 209 as a whole (Proviso East, Proviso West and Proviso Math and Science Academy) did slightly better with a dismal 24.9% of students meeting expectations.

I can do nothing but shake my head at these results. Someone in H.S. District 209 is asleep at the switch and not living up to their motto of “NIHIL NISI OPTIMUM, nothing but the best”. I can’t just point fingers at faculty alone because parents are just as much to blame. What do these results say about the emphasis on education and the future of our country? As long as our nation lags in education we will be ill equipped to participate in the global economy. One thing is certain, as a taxpayer looking at these results and knowing at least 19.3% of H.S. District 209 funding comes from state and federal sources outside the district, I want my tax money back.

Full K- 12 statistics are available here for Illinois schools.

For over a month a motley mob of protestors have occupied the streets of our nation debating new age solutions for what ails our country. All the while I have sat in the wings like the cat who ate the canary; mouth full off commentary just waiting to erupt. I broke my silence last week and I’m grateful to those that took the time to read my “Open Letter to The Occupation”. I have never been someone to point fingers at problems without proposing solutions, so this week I offer a fresh glass of perspective for the so called 99% to drink from.

Taking in all that mentally murky dialogue being served up at the campsites has to be getting old by now. Drink from this realization, be awakened and your soul fulfilled. Your need is not to occupy Wall Street, but to “Occupy Faith”. No, I am not talking about camping outside churches blaming them for your problems. I’m saying that the key to future American prosperity lay in returning to the Christian values that brought God’s graces upon us and allowed this relatively young nation to become the world’s most powerful.

[This space intentionally left blank to allow the outraged time to leave the site]

Ok, for those of you still with me, thank you. Please understand I am not a self righteous type, nor do I claim to be any stronger in my faith than the next person. However, I do possess a powerful message to share. America is in the grip of sin… deadly sin. No matter what reform we adopt in Washington, the true change we need can only occur in the hearts of our fellow man.

Wealth distribution in America is indeed polarized but capitalism isn’t to blame, Gluttony is. Just like Sloth keeps many that could work, sitting at home collecting welfare. Greed keeps government in the grips of special interests and has crippled its ability to act. Anger over the current state of things has turned people against each other. Envy has turned to Lust and the temptation drives people to do all sorts of unspeakable things. Most damaging is Pride, for pride has convinced us that fixing our problems lay within our scope of capabilities and that God is not a factor in this at all.

For generations, people who could care less about the Constitution have corrupted our laws and used them against us to remove God from public life. The vacuum of faith has allowed all incarnations of immorality to flood into society. The results are seen all around us as outlined above. I say to you, no matter what system of economy or government you prefer, a Godless society is doomed to fail. We have been lead astray.

If evil succeeds when good men do nothing, I invite you to #OccupyFAITH and shout down the loud minority. Not by protesting but by living the example taught by Jesus Christ. I realize not everyone is a Christian, so for my countrymen of different faiths, the same virtues can be found in your dogma as well. I feel we should stop believing in change brought by a man but look for leadership that has been transformed by God. We can restore God’s graces and return to prosperity but things will be required of us along the way. This is no easy task but I feel so strongly about this that I have spoken my mind and opened myself up to scrutiny. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my views with you, priests, pastors and non-believers alike.

Leave your comments below or feel free to email me and I will gladly respond. I hope to build a dialogue around a series of blog posts to come and I’d love your input.

An Open Letter to the Occupation:

Greetings fellow concerned citizens. I hope this letter finds you in good spirits and of an open mind. I have been watching your movement grow in the example of the Arab Spring. I, like most Americans are concerned with the direction of our nation and commend you on embracing your constitutional right to assemble and decry the malaise we are in as a country. I sat down and dreamed up an entire platform covering the myriad of issues facing our country in anticipation of visiting my local OccupyChicago general assembly. I typed out my thoughts and did indeed visit the campsite. What I saw made me mentally vomit.

The minority of people on site were good citizens who lost their jobs, homes and/or retirement of no fault of their own. These angry individuals were looking for a forum to voice their discontent and were hungry for solutions; I applaud them. However, the majority of the people making up the encampment were of leftist splinter groups promoting everything from anarchy, abortion, amnesty for illegal immigrants to the outright destruction of our capitalist system for a neo socialist society. I respect everyone’s freedom of speech but I hope you understand when I say, I personally could not associate myself with such views.

Occupy identifies itself as a movement representing 99% of Americans. I can without a doubt say that is a misrepresentation and you do not speak for such an overwhelming majority. Americans recognize our political and financial systems may stumble… but our system works. Americans recognize that what started as a pure manifestation of the democratic process has been co opted by big labor and extremists seeking photo ops of people being oppressed at the end of a police baton. First Amendment rights are dear to me but to be clear, no one is curtailing your constitutional rights. You are simply spoiling for a fight and looking for trouble to breed sympathy for your cause. A well played yet very transparent strategy.

The current actions of the Occupy movement waste taxpayer money and remove police from their duties. Setting up stand offs with law enforcement then crying foul when you are detained is foolish at best. You are discrediting yourself by your actions and by the company you are keeping. Going forward I hope that you throw off these distractions and get back to the more pressing matters of economic growth and rejuvenation of this great nation.

Respectfully,

Dan Braxton

I hate the L.A.T.E. Ride even if it is for a good cause. The event takes place again this Saturday / Sunday 7/9 – 7/10 at midnight and is sure to be a pain the the @$$. The following is a blog I posted a year ago that recaps why I feel Friends of the Parks need a new fundraiser idea. If you plan to be in the downtown Chicago area that evening be sure to know that traffic will be a nightmare.

Driving home Saturday night I ran into a traffic jam at Roosevelt Road and State Street. Red light after red light found me sitting in place waiting for hundreds of westbound bike riders turning South onto State Street . Traffic was backed up for a mile in each direction at Michigan, at Wabash, on State Street and on Roosevelt. Before I could hurl an F-bomb at the passing cyclists voice my displeasure, I remembered being stuck in traffic on Michigan Avenue last year for the same event. The annual L.A.T.E. Ride was taking place.

Each year the Friends of the Parks organization holds a Long After Twilight Ends (“L.A.T.E.”) ride to benefit the organization. I certainly respect the organization and everything they do to keep Chicago’s green spaces in top condition but it’s really time for the Friends of the Parks to be good neighbors and find a fund raising activity that is less disruptive to motorists and to the neighborhoods they ride through.

This year the ride took a different route than recent years and I suspect the change was due to growing cries of displeasure from people inconvenienced by the event. With a name like Friends of the Parks and 26 miles of lakefront path in our beautiful city, wouldn’t a nice ride along the shore better suit the organization? I just want to point out that if they delay just one emergency vehicle in the traffic this ride causes and all their efforts are all for not. Lincoln Park Zoo holds Zoo Lights on the premises and other organizations host similar fundraising events that don’t inconvenience nearby residents. Why can’t Friends of the Parks do the same?

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