by Dan Seitz

Just recently, Detroit wrapped up its big auto display of muscle cars, concept cars, and future designs that will never quite make it to market. And we learned a lot: where cars are going, what cars will be sold in the future, and, most importantly, that automakers kind of want to kill you.

#1) The Future of Car Controls is Extremely Dangerous

As Jalopnik pointed out, auto makers are extremely excited to give you a slick, futuristic dashboard that consists entirely of touch screens. As they also pointed out, this is an incredibly bad idea because switches, knobs, and buttons have distinctive shapes that let you fiddle with controls without taking your eyes off the road, whereas touch screens require your eyes, and they don't look quite as good when you rear-end somebody while fiddling with the radio. We've got to agree with Jalopnik here (and we’re sure the auto insurance companies agree with us, too): the technology is neat, but just because you can do it doesn't mean you should do it.

#2) Ford May As Well Give Up And Bring Back the Ranger

When the second biggest story to come out of the Detroit Auto Show is that your executives got called out repeatedly for bumping off a model of pick-up in the US, while still selling it in the rest of the world...well, Ford had better be thankful the 2013 Fusion was such a hit with journalists. Speaking of which...

#3) Everybody's Going Green, and Also Small

The 2013 Fusion was a good example of the greenness seen all over the show: coming with three different types of power plant, it's just one example of auto makers focusing on green energy. Volkswagen debuted a Jetta Hybrid, and also the e-Bugster, an electric plug-in. Smart, the tiny car people, had a tiny pickup truck concept at the show. Even Mercedes, Lexus and BMW had hybrids on display. Even if they didn't have a high-profile hybrid, many had at least a small, fuel-sipping vehicle to show off: witness the second coming of, believe it or not, the Dodge Dart. Which brings us to...

#4) Everybody Wants To Sell Their Cars to Twentysomethings, Even Though Nobody Understands Their Car-Buying Habits

It's not unreasonable: there are 80 million twentysomethings in the US. The problem is, as everybody desperately trying to sell them a new car admitted, that most of them were buying sedans instead of coupes, and most of them were buying used, and that nobody knew why, precisely. After all, the marketing research had told them young people love coupes. So instead of looking at the buying habits, they went ahead and built a bunch of coupes anyway.

Gee, we wonder why we had to give them so much taxpayer money a few years back...

#5) Some Things Never Change

Among all the hubbub and hype about the concept cars that will never see production, it's nice to see that some people don't change that much. Witness Porsche, and their 2013 Boxster. Trends may come and trends may go, but it's nice to see that ostentatious sports cars that are impossible to insure cheaply don't change much.

Image Credit:

http://miautotimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/detroit-auto-show-logo.jpg

by Chris Martin

Some bands try to "impress" people with their esoteric, freeform music which is long on originality and short on audience appeal. Others just try to be as loud as possible without paying attention to such trivial concepts as melody or rhythm. Then there are those cover bands who can actually carry a tune - but don't perform any songs that people actually like.

Thankfully, there are a few musical groups out there that are both talented and entertaining - like Faded Jeans Band from Phoenix, Arizona.

Faded Jeans Band embraces a novel concept: they focus on what the audience wants. That means playing songs that people love to dance to and sing along with, instead of limiting themselves to selections that adhere to their personal musical tastes. And with their ability to play songs from a wide variety of genres - including oldies, classic rock, country, R&B, blues, pop, 70's funk, and rockabilly - Faded Jeans Band is a popular draw at clubs, bars, and private events in and the Phoenix area.

There are five members of Faded Jeans Band, and all of them can sing.

• Erik Hendel, aka "Levi Rippington" - The northeast Ohio native has been shaping his vocal skills and talents for about two decades. After performing as a solo act as well as leading some other groups, Erik is now the lead guitarist for Faded Jeans Band.

• J Neal MacGuire, aka "The Hair Farmer" - J Neal has been crooning and playing since way back in the late 60s. He spent many years performing with several bands throughout the Midwest before arriving in Phoenix. His bass guitar skills and impressive vocal range allowed him to release a solo country CD.

• Glen Hadley, aka "Smilin' Big Daddy" - Glen's skills at the ivories have been nurtured since the age of five when he started taking classic piano lessons. Since then, not only has Glen expanded his performing abilities, but he has also become an expert in configuring keyboards for recording sessions. Formerly of Utah and southern California, Glen is now recognized as one of the top piano/organ keyboardist in Phoenix.

• Shannon Lee, aka "Fretman" - Unlike some of his bandmates, Shannon has been living in Phoenix for over 40 years. His guitar playing began at age five when he played on a live local radio show - and since then, he has amassed a mind-boggling 11,000 performances. Shannon also owns a recording studio in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale.

• Nick Flaim, aka "Sticks" - Nick was born in Chicago to a piano-playing and singing father and an acting and dancing mother. Given his pedigree, it's no surprise that he could "play" percussion on pots and pans before he could walk. As an adult, Nick has spent some 35 years touring with bands and playing venues all across the nation.

Together, Faded Jeans Band is an immensely talented group whose members don't take themselves too seriously. So if you want to smile today, check out their video entry in SafeAuto's Do The Jingle Contest.

Ready to vote? Click here to cast your ballot for the “Do the Jingle” winner!

When you click on the video entries in SafeAuto's "Do The Jingle" Contest, you get to enjoy a wide range of talent on display. Some competitors direct their efforts toward one or two skills, while others try to impress viewers with their wide range of abilities.

But if the "Do The Jingle" Contest were to be decided simply on the total number of different talents each entrant has, then Arnie Borowsky would probably win the competition going away.

Arnie hails from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. When you watch his video, you will be treated to a sample of his singing, guitar-playing, and songwriting abilities. But don't assume that Arnie is just a "three-trick pony." This man is blessed with so much more talent than that.

First of all, Arnie's vocal range extends far beyond singing. He can do Elvis impersonations. He can mimic the voice of the famed cartoon character Donald Duck. Arnie also can generate bird calls, cricket noises, and water-dropping sounds without the aid of props. In addition, Arnie's artistic abilities can be expressed in ways other than his music. He is an accomplished drawer, painter, and sculptor. He even excels in many areas of carpentry.

But Arnie is blessed with several skills that are not easily found in your average person (especially in one package). For example, Arnie knows sign language. He can skateboard, ride a horse, or drive a tractor or similar heavy machinery. If he wanted to, Arnie could easily find work in a vast array of occupations -- from mechanic to house painter to mascot.

And here's the piece de resistance: Arnie is one of the few people with double-jointed shoulder blades. Yes, that's right. Just imagine the possibilities.

Arnie Borowsky is a proud graduate of Charleston Southern University, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in speech and dramatic arts. As you may have guessed, Arnie was very active in the institution's theatre program while he was in school. But he has also called upon his acting talents in his post-college career, appearing in three TV commercials and a print advertisement. What's more, Arnie even landed a stand-in role in a major motion picture: as a German terrorist in Die Hard: With a Vengeance.

We wish that there were a way for Arnie Borowsky to showcase every single one of his talents in SafeAuto's Do The Jingle Contest. (Maybe the company can change the rules for next year's competition!) But you'll certainly be entertained by his video entry - so cast your vote for Arnie if you like what you see.

Ready to vote? Click here to cast your ballot for the “Do the Jingle” winner!