• Automotive Safety-A Road Trip to a Safer Tomorrow
• Independence Day-At Home and Around the World
• Take Me Out to the Ballgame
• Summer Movie Blockbusters

Automotive Safety-A Road Trip to a Safer Tomorrow

Automotive safety has come a long way. From the Model T-whose main safety feature was the horn-to the Anti-Lock Brakes and Night Vision Heads-up Displays on higher end vehicles of today the evolution of vehicle safety has been a long and dangerous road.

Safety was not paramount at the turn of the 20th century when Henry Ford streamlined the automobile industry and brought the car in to the freshly painted garages of the working class. It was not paramount 60 years ago until Ralph Nader took General Motors to task in his book entitled Unsafe at Any Speed. Nader attacked GM's negligence towards safety especially in the case of the Corvair.

Since the Nader whistle-blowing, the automotive industry has become enchanted with both speed and safety. With the advent of the national air-bag law in 1984-requiring the inclusion of air-bags in all government automotive purchases, it became apparent that the U.S. was becoming safety conscious.

Safety technology has not always been as safe as we need it to be. The Air-bag was touted as a life saving device until an infant was killed by a deploying air-bag. Since then, the technology used in automotive safety devices has under gone rigorous testing to insure that they are safer that the accidents they protect us from.

Though most vehicles now come standard with a litany of safety features, the best safety device is safe driving. Distracted drivers account for a large percentage of all driving accidents. It just takes a momentary distraction to cause a lifetime of pain and suffering. Following safe driving procedures is a simple way to ensure that you never need to use your airbag, anti-lock brakes or other automotive safety devices-but it is nice to know you have them.

Independence Day-At Home and Around the World

What started as a document signed by a group of like minded men on July 4th, 1776 has blossomed in to a celebration of freedom. Independence is not a new idea but it is a cherished one.

Independence Day is one of our most cherished national holidays. It celebrates the cornerstone of the American ideals: Liberty and Justice for all. That an individual can be free to pursue happiness and not feel the crushing heel of an oppressive government is not a freedom many across the world are able to enjoy.

July marks the celebration of independence for some 20+ countries around the world. Some may not enjoy the wealth of freedoms we enjoy in the United States, but they have united on the common front of freedom for all within their borders. While freedom may seem like an inalienable right, it is denied by so many which is why we choose to celebrate our independence so fervently.

So we stand shoulder to shoulder with individuals of all ages, ethnicities and religions gazing intently at the night sky to watch the rockets red glare and bombs bursting in air. We nod reverently to the men and women of the armed services who have given so much so that our freedom can endure. We fire up the grill and dash through the sprinkler gleeful in the company of friends and family; forever thankful for a document signed by a group of like minded men on July 4th, 1776.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Whether it's watching a swing and a miss or high-fiving a walk off grand slam homerun to win the game-there is a ton of fun to be had at a baseball game.

The squeeze-play, the suicide slide and the warning track are not the names of rides at an amusement park but they are very amusing. The thrill from seeing a runner round third base for home as the ball is thrown from deep right field is one many baseball fans live for. The anticipation and the excitement all build up to one pivotal moment when runner crosses the plate.

The storied traditions of baseball are almost as fun as the game itself. The feeling in the air when a pitcher is on the cusp of throwing a perfect game is almost indescribable. The hushed masses and the superstitious players giving the pitcher his space are all the nuanced fun of baseball. The routines of those titans of timber who routinely hit home runs are memorized by fans new and old. The true essence of baseball is not in the dugout but in the stands.

Sitting in the box seats or the nosebleed section on a warm summer's day surrounded by friends both old and new is, for some, an ideal way to pass the month of July. Cold beverages and salty snacks feed the passions of fans who root, root, root for the home team. If they don't win it's a shame. Though its 1, 2, 3 strikes and you're out-the ol' ballgame is still America's pastime.