Compliments of AdWomen and Nancy Tarrasó.:

Puebla, Mexico, is the latest city to offer a taxi service exclusively for women. Intended as a safe means of transport, bright pink Chevys are driven by women only and will not stop for men. For further female appeal, the cabs are equipped with beauty kits, GPS and emergency panic buttons. Sixty pink taxi drivers aged 25-45 transport women from side to side of the city.

An initiative that works in London, where every little detail is important; female consumers must pay with credit card to avoid mugging and they received two missed calls to get ready at the door when the taxi arrives. Barcelona is another city that recently join this initiative, but it does discreetly, without the distinctive pink color. All this pink ladies had been target of bad critics, like feminism or reactionary.

Personally, I think it´s a good initiative for a female marketing segment with a new product to exploit. What do you think about that? Would you like a pink taxi in your town?

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne

www.twitter.com/women-drivers.com

It's the wonderful time of the year. To be with family. To be grateful. To be quiet. To be in inquiry. To be rejoiceful.

To help you open your lips and move your hips, click on any one of the favorite Christmas tunes below and belt it out or hum along.

Get the eggnog. Mute the football game

Be with loved ones. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

Fabulous Christmas Songs
A Holly Jolly Christmas Burl Ives	Away In A Manger Nat “King” Cole	Christmas Alphabet The McGuire Sisters
Christmas Country Christmas The Statler Brothers	Christmas In My Hometown Sonny James	Christmas Song Alvin & The Chipmunks
Christmas Times A Coming Bill Monroe And The Bluegrass Boys	Christmas Waltz Frank Sinatra	Christmas Without You Kenny Rogers Dolly Parton
Frosty The Snowman Gene Autry	Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer Elmo & Patsy	Hard Rock Candy Christmas Dolly Parton
Hark The Herald Angels Sing Frank Sinatra	Have Yourself A Very Merry Christmas Frank Sinatra	Home For The Holidays Perry Como
Its Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas Perry Como & the Fontane Sisters	I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus Jimmy Boyd	Its a Most Wonderful Time Of The Year Johnny Mathis
Jingle Bell Rock Bobby Helms	Jingle Bells Roy Rogers Most Interesting Middle!	Jingle Bells Perry Como
Jingle Bells The Jingle Bell Piggie	Joy To The World Nat King Cole	Leroy, the Redneck Reindeer Joe Diffie
Let It Snow Dean Martin	Lets Put Christ Back Into Christmas Tammy Wynette	Little Drummer Boy Harry Simeone Chorale
O Christmas Tree Nat King Cole	Please Come Home The Platters	Pretty Paper Roy Orbison
Rocking Around The Christmas Tree Brenda Lee	Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer Gene Autry	Rudolph The Red Nose Reindeer Unknown Group
Santa Baby Eartha Kitt	Santa Claus Is Coming To Town Bing Crosby & The Andrews Sisters	Santa Claus Is Watching You Ray Stevens
Silver Bells Bing Crosby & Carol Richards	Silent Night Dean Martin	Sleigh Ride Johnny Mathis
The First Noel Andy Williams	Up On The Housetop Gene Autry	White Christmas Bing Crosby
White Christmas Clyde McPhatter & The Drifters (1954)	Winter Wonderland Dean Martin	Christmas With Elvis

Below is an article from this week's Wall Street Journal written by Joseph B. White at joseph.white@wsj.com

Women-Drivers.com DEALER SPOTLIGHT Porsche of Fairfield and dealer owner, Mr. John Resnick, are showcased below:  

Hey, Joe, how bad is the economy? It's so bad, Porsche AG is offering five-year, 1.9% loans on 911s for Christmas!

That's right. This year's round of holiday luxury-car deals got off to an early start, and Porsche has one of the more eye-popping offers, advertised under the slogan "The Unforgettable Finish."

Luxury-car fans know that December has become the time to shop for deals from brands that try very hard the rest of the year to avoid appearing distressed by little things like the worst economic slump in a generation or two.

This year's deals may not be as generous as some of those offered last year in the depths of the Wall Street and housing-market panics, according to data from Edmunds.com, the Internet auto-shopping site. But you'd have to be living in a cave not to notice that the big luxury brands are flashing some very direct propositions—in contrast to the subtle persuasion of better years gone by.

BMW AG's U.S. sales arm kicked off its holiday sales push before Thanksgiving. Normally, BMW waits until the Thanksgiving weekend to start the December clearance. This year, BMW is offering a "holiday finance credit of up to $2,500" on most of its models, including the popular 3 Series but excluding the high-performance M Series and diesel models. There are also lease deals and discounts on option packages, says Wayne Orchowski, vice president of the Eastern Region for BMW's U.S. sales operation.

"What's really out there is value rationalization," Mr. Orchowski says. "There are people in the market, but to be politically correct, the water cooler talk isn't 'I went out this weekend to buy an M5.' It's 'I got a great deal, I got a diesel, I got free maintenance.' "

Volkswagen AG's Audi isn't letting its German rivals have a party all by themselves. It's promoting its "Season of Audi Event" with offers such as a $569-a-month lease on the Audi A6 and a $659-a-month lease on the big $50,075 Q7 sport-utility vehicle. That Q7 deal requires no security deposit—a seasonal gift from Audi to make you feel better about the $3,783 in key and lease fees you do have to put down to get the keys (not including taxes and other fees).

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus, which owns the "December to Remember" slogan, is offering lease specials such as a 36-month, $469-per-month deal on the brand's best-selling model, the RX sport-utility.

Nissan Motor Co.'s Infiniti brand is pushing zero-percent financing offers on leftover 2009 G sedans. The catch: That teaser rate is good only for a 36-month loan. (There is also a $349-a-month, 39-month lease deal.)

All of these offers come with the usual disclaimers. Your credit needs to be good. The precise deals vary by dealer and region of the country. The decision on whether to take a cut-rate lease, a low finance rate, or just negotiate to buy with cash is a personal one that people successful enough to afford a $50,000 vehicle understand how to weigh.

Surveying the packages done up by the major luxury brands this season, the unusual Porsche deal is the one you'd probably want to unwrap first. At Porsche of Fairfield, a dealership in Connecticut, General Sales Manager John Resnick says the unusual low-rate financing offer is good for 2009 model 911s, Boxsters and Caymans. If you want a 2010 sports car, the company is offering 2.9% financing deals and cut-rate leases.

Porsche rarely offers advertised discounts, let alone cut-rate loan offers similar to those promoted by Detroit's struggling mass-market auto makers. But these are tough times. Let's face it, when unemployment going to 10% is good news, buying a Porsche is the ultimate deferrable purchase. Porsche offered 1.9% loans earlier this year, and is offering them again for the same reason: to clear an oversupply of cars. Porsche had 81 days' supply of its sports cars at the end of November. That translates to 3,518 cars. Porsche dealers had 1,577 Cayennes left to sell at the end of November, after a promotion that spurred sales that month.

Mr. Resnick said his dealership has kept its inventories tighter than most. As of late last week, he had one 2009 model 911 left, an "aqua blue metallic" roadster. Going into 2010, Mr. Resnick says, Porsche has told its U.S. dealers to expect fewer cars.

"Porsche has turned off the spigot of supply," he says. "The allocation is very small to the U.S. They are going to other parts of the world." A Porsche spokesman says the company adjusts allocations "all the time" but has no plans to cut shipments to the U.S.

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne

 

So, when it comes to public figures having personal transgressions, what is the better way to come clean? The Tiger Woods or David Letterman route? Specifically, does one hide out, avoid, use euphemisms, and, for the first time in 12 years not want to be interviewed? Or, do you jump in front of the camera and belt it out in the very best medium called prime time television?

One process leads to questions, stigma, curiosity, rumor mills and drama, drama, drama. And, Google, Google, Google.

The other leads to more of an assessment on the delivery and perhaps, slightly less focus on the transgression itself.

By the way, is it a transgression if you have an affair for roughly 25% of the time you have been married, or, is it simply a behavior? Mmmmm….

Tiger has been photographed like, 1 billion times – about as many times as his net worth - and been interviewed what, like, 371,451 times? He is familiar with the tabloids; after all, he and his wife showcased and sold the story and photographs of the birth of their first child to PEOPLE (my fave) and other high paying tabloids. Now, these very same journalistic mediums, and his bff Oprah, want to hear the real story. We always want the story. He now wants nothing to do with his famous stature. Refusing to talk to anyone. Leaving more stories about the story than the story itself.

David created his livelihood in the television industry, but doesn’t hold nearly the notoriety of Tiger. Nonetheless, his approach was very different: be quick and beat 'em to the punch. He went very public ASAP after disclosing his affair to his wife. Then, everyone from the AP to Esquire.com could simply tell the aftermath, without the speculation, gossip, and remarkable innuendo.

What ever way of coming clean - one extreme or the other – or, some version in between, the story always comes out. Even post mortem. Ain't that right, Mr. Jefferson?

 

Here is to life and love.

 

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne

www.twitter.com/womendrivers

The ‘fat lady singing’ comment holds true in all areas of life. Whether the car industry, peace talks, politics, marriage or the National Football League, we never know the outcome till the song has come to a close. Only then is the speculation put aside, and the heart of the matter is revealved. For example:

• Saturn deal with Penske breaks down at last minute
• General Motors confirmed that the proposed sale of Saab to Koenigsegg Group AB falls through
• President Obama, after campaigning against the Afghanistan war, now has committed 30,000 more troops to ‘finish the job’
• Miraculous timing on Pittsburgh’s mayor announcing he and his wife’s divorce - just weeks after dusting off the campaign victory
• Tom Brady and his machine of an offense, break down on a 4th and 2 with seconds left to play allowing the Indianapolis Colts to steal a game and beat the New England Pats

And so it goes with human beings. The course that is in motion may or may not stay at its current rate of trajectory.

 

Ever notice how many people tell you what you should do?  There is no shortage of opinions. We are great at telling others what they should do, when and how they should do it and with whom they should do it with. We are so great at saying what we will do (like at the alter when we say “I do”), but much of the time we are merely speculating.

 

When we are actually in the situation, the experience itself brings up something(s) we never considered – ah, yes, those break downs and things we bump up against can have us change our mind. Our commitments and our courses stay on track only as long as they stay on track.

 

So, the next time the word should, always or never comes out of your mouth – pay attention. Are you speaking from experience or from speculation?

 

In life, it’s never over till its over. We reserve the right to have a break down or two and simply change our mind.

 

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne

www.twitter.com/womendrivers

We have the opportunity to learn new things everyday. Some days I take that opportunity, and some days I don't. Today was the kind of day I did. Well, we did.

I have the honor of having three of my neices assist me in writing this weeks' blog. Makenzie, age 9; Karli, 12; and Alysha, 13; who live outside of Kalamazoo, Michigan, are my guest bloggers. Karli had the opportunity to go to her friend's church today. What she liked about it was the openess and the renewed sense of being truly welcomed. At the Gathering Place, Karli experienced community in a way she doesn't at her current church.

So, what is it about trying new things that we can be reluctant to take on, but when we do, we can feel inspired and at home, much like Karli? She didn't expect to go to a new church this morning, it may not have even been on her radar 24 hours ago, but yet; after being there, she loved it.

A way to stretch and expand ourselves and our perspectives is to explore. To explore new experiences, new points of view, and to hear others. Like going home via the scenic route, or, going to a new part of the country, or, eating new cuisine - new opportunities equate to a richer life. We see things newly.

There was a time I thought I knew everything. But, days like today, with my three new journalists assisting me, allow me to grasp that every day is an opportunity for growth and learning. A day for expansion and turning some of my beliefs upside down. Or, inside out. That I don't have to be so set in my ways. A broader perspective and a wider vision assist us all in understanding that we are not as fixed and stagnant as we think. We are dyamic and open to growth.

And, so it is today -- a wonderful day to learn.

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne & Karli (with an Alysha and a Makenzie who both dissapeared)

Kudos and congratulations to Ford Motor Company for posting 3rd quarter profits of $997 million dollars. In this tumultuous time of our country’s economy, and the shredded auto industry, this announcement is a bright light on the brand.

Surprised about this profit? Hardly. Happiness and relief from investors and from industry leaders, yes; but not surprise. A year ago when talks were developing about government bailouts for the Big 3, Ford quickly took the stance that they would be opting out from this offer. The company has a few CPA's and forecasters on the payroll, I presume, and, was not going to be tempted. Simply put, they didn’t need to. They were able to see that break-even point was within reach, and stayed away from the low hanging fruit.

Good for Ford for staying the course.

While two-thirds of the Big 3 took the bankruptcy route, Ford maintained a favorable perception with consumers. And, most notably, it had products to back it up. The Focus and the new Taurus and simply very, very good cars. Never sexy, Ford offers a great value proposition with a stronger line-up of autos than showcased in years.

Here is to Ford's future and leading its competition down a similar road to recovery.

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne Fleming, Car Buying Advocate

www.twitter.com/womendrivers

 

 

Let’s talk about something that is near and dear to every Road Warrior’s heart – proper etiquette around school buses. If you are not aware of these protocols, learn them. If you know them, read them again! School Bus Safety Week (Oct. 19-23) is here again so listen up. It’s when we give a week’s worth of attention to practices that need to be observed year round.

Fact 1: Statistics prove school buses are the safest form of motorized ground transportation on the planet for children.

Fact 2: Getting on and off the safest form of motorized ground transportation on the planet for a child is the most dangerous part of a child’s travel day.

The penalty for carelessness around school buses is measured in children’s lives and lifelong guilt and remorse for the offending drivers.In the United States an estimated 500,000 times every school day, drivers illegally pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload students – with its stop arm extended and its red and yellow warning lights flashing a desperate message. And each year roughly about a half dozen children, the majority from 5 to 8 years of age, succumb to errant drivers who fail to heed that desperate message. Many more are seriously injured.

Parents complain to educators who complain to state lawmakers who respond by passing laws that call for stiffer penalties and facilitate prosecution as a way to prevent motorists from running through stop arms. Traditionally these laws are reactionary and bear the names of children killed by stop arm violators.Despite these heightened penalties, stop arm violations have remained at epidemic proportions nationwide. The prosecute-to-prevent model has not lived up to its promise for a number of reasons. The prosecution model is flawed on its face when it comes to stop arm violations because it you have to prosecute, that means that something bad has already happened – the worst of which is a child has been injured or killed. To date prosecution has not brought any children back to life.

So far this calendar year, six children have been killed by errant drivers while boarding or exiting their school buses. One was a teenager and the others were from 5 to 8 years old. None of the motorists will do any jail time. A North Carolina judge opted for supervised probation for a 60-year-old woman who struck and killed the 16-year-old in January saying the worst punishment for the driver was her feeling of remorse and “no court punishment could be worse than that.” A new law that becomes effective Dec. 1, 2009 and carries increased penalties bears the name of the 16-year-old.  Also in North Carolina the son of an 83-year-old woman who struck and killed a 6-year-old girl as she exited her school bus in August said his mother wondered how she could go on living knowing she had killed a child. The majority of these people are normally good citizens who became distracted for just a second. And North Carolina has one of the best school bus safety awareness programs in the country.

That is why the efforts of an Arizona-based company that develops school bus safety technologies are so important. Intelligent Imaging Systems LLC has used “prevention” as the guiding principle of its research and development activities during the past five years. The result is a suite of radar-based safety solutions designed to anchor local prevention and violation detection programs developed by state and district level transportation officials. IIS protects children by preventing motorists from running through stop arms. This is accomplished with a radar activated warning system that gets motorists’ attention with strobe lights and rotating beacons that jolt drivers out of their daydreams and calls their attention to the big yellow object in front of them. A Data Collection Module that records violations on problem routes will help school transportation officials and law enforcement know where to deploy resources. Bus drivers will now have visual evidence to support their claims to law enforcement that some routes are serious problems. IIS also has a violation detection system that uses cameras to help law enforcement identify those drivers that just won’t pay attention. The IIS philosophy of prevention first is an approach that will enable lawmakers to enact legislation that will allow school districts to take advantage of the available and emerging technology to protect the lives of students without having to go to court. More information concerning this groundbreaking prevention technology is available by contacting IIS at info@intelligentimagingsystems.org.

Technology based prevention programs are viable alternatives to prosecution-based models. School Bus Safety Week is the ultimate prevention approach because it is the one time during the school year when the nation’s focus in on school bus safety and everyone talks about its importance. The theme this year is “Avoid Harm, Obey the Stop Arm.” A lot is done during one week to support the year round efforts of school districts and bus drivers. Law enforcement is out en masse riding buses and following them in police cars to make sure motorists obey the law, and motorists comply because they actually see police cars – Prevention. News organizations focus on the issue of school bus safety, children participate in poster contests and for the most part, we are inundated with a school bus safety information blitz. And this is a good thing. Unfortunately, however, the euphoria dissipates after a few weeks and things return to “normal.” Most of the activities involving law enforcement are too expensive to be sustained and after the holidays, we tend to forget.

Meanwhile, we can all contribute to a solution by driving more carefully around school buses. All societal improvements begin with the individual. Work through your school district to assess the problem and offer your assistance there. All efforts in contacting lawmakers should be coordinated and in support of your school district. Study laws in other states and compare them to yours. Adopt the best aspects of each law. My suggestion would be to study the laws in Arkansas, Rhode Island and North Carolina. Parents can check out the NHTSA Website, School Transportation news, National Association for Pupil Transportation, National School Transportation Association, School Bus Information Council, American School Bus Council, and your state Education Department for starters. You will find the links to a number of other sites to learn anything you want to know about school bus safety. The Kansas State Department of Education publishes an annual report called The Annual School Bus Loading and Unloading Survey. Reading this report will make you way smarter.

Remember: Getting an education should not be a life-threatening experience. When we lose a child, we lose a tomorrow.              

With thanks to contributing writer and difference maker, Mr. Art Gissendaner, who has researched and monitored school bus safety for five years. Art can be reached at artgiss@cox.net.  

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne Fleming

www.twitter.com/women-drivers

Was it Baltimore losing their first game of the season? Was it that the Steelers were up against the wall in their conference at 1-2? Or, was it their black and gold uniforms with bright pink accents that led to a passionate shootout leading our boys to a 38-28 victory over the San Diego Chargers?  

I love the NFL’s support for Breast Cancer Awareness month! Players, coaches and staff are adorned this month with gloves, shoes, spikes, hats, armbands and other accessories that are loud and supportive. With so many player's mothers, sisters, aunts, wives, girlfreinds and ex's being affected by cancer, it is no surprise that the NFL, a professional organization made up of nearly 2,000 men, would be in full gear.  

What was a surprise, however, was the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's headline of this story yesterday, "Manly Men Wear Pink."

 

Just what is it about men and the color pink? Where did the idea of a man's masculinity being called publically into question by the donning of the color pink? What is the deal with men being judged and placed on such a polarized sexual span? Meaning, he is either a ‘a man’s man’, a real man, or a manly man" or, he is a “homo”. Of course, on the sexuality continuum, he could qualify as a ‘metro’. Wow. What power this color has. Like no other color I know.

 

Have you ever noticed, women with our love of fashion and color, simply do not have any equitable conversation like this?

 

A jarring history lesson points to the fact that in our country in the 1920’s - and into the early 40’s -  pink was a color frequently worn by young men. Close in the spectrum to red, pink exuded masculinity. Women during this same time frame, interestingly, wore light blue. From a Christian and specifically, Catholic perspective, light blue was a color worn by the Virgin Mary, and represented delicacy and being dainty. 

A ‘switcharoo’ of these colors occurred in the 40’s, and we never looked back. A baby in the womb today starts getting clothes, carriages and walls painted one color or another. We are born into an already always listening of these two powerful colors. And, god forbid, if the child steps over those rigid color boundaries.

So, is it possible to leave a man's masculinity, emotional capacity and sexual slant at the door when he is wearing any flavor of this bright color?  Heck, even yellow or orange do not get this much talk time or print!                                                                                                                         

I don’t care much about how masculine (or, god forbid, effeminate) any NFL player is. I love the game.  I love that the highest profile sport and its’ participants are bringing such prolific attention to a disease that affects the women these men know and love.

Here is to a passionate Steeler victory. More signifcantly, here is to generating awareness and making a difference with people and with the disease!

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne,Car Buying Advocate

www.twitter.com/womendrivers

The closest I have come to camping in my 40 some years on the planet is a 3 star hotel.

 

It’s redundant to say that camping is not an event or vacation experience I frequently engage in. Ok—the truth is, I never have. So when Subaru invited me as one of several journalists to participate in the Subaru Responsible Recreation Excursion & Camping Event in the Grand Tetons, I declined. I test drive cars, but was not the least bit interested in what the authentic Subaru car owner does for fun, specifically, as it relates to the outdoor activities.

 

After an overnight reflection of my automatic ‘no’, I threw my hat over the wall and changed my answer to a ‘yes’. Immersion, here I come.

 

I packed my 26” upright pullman with all kinds of necessities and the bag was checked with the 3” expandability fully engaged. My wheeled carry on was also stuffed to the max. All for a three day camping event. After all, a girl needs options!

 

Arriving at Jackson airport, I was greeted by two other journalists who nominated me the driver of the Subaru 2010 Outback 3.6R Limited <www.subaru.com> to get us to our campsite. This 30 minute drive included negotiating three wrong turns, and so the picture for the next few days was set.

 

No make up, no power clothes and no conference room quickly put everyone on the same playing field. No false bravado or pretenses with a group as different as the places we were from. What also helps in getting related, is camping out in 18 degree weather, singing kumbaya by the fire pit and desperately hoping someone was awake at 2:13 am to save me from the black bears when walking 100 yards to the bathroom. Snoring, body noises, etc. simply helped make us all equals and if there had been any prima donnas flying in to Jackson, certainly none showed up.

 

If a camera crew happened to be in tow, the 3 days could have been shot and edited as a 21st century unisex reality version of ‘City Slickers’. After all, we were in the heart of the Grand Tetons, the originating ‘dude country’.

 

Driving the 2010 Subaru Outback was a blast. The term ‘off road” was one I quickly understood as I excitedly negotiated the car from 7,000 feet to 11,000 feet up the Jackson Hole ski slopes. Ridiculously affordable with a symmetrical AWD, this wagon hugged the road yet has plenty of clearance to protect the underbelly of the vehicle. Comforts such as NAV system, heated cloth seats and dual-way climate control thwarted any possibility of arguing with my new BFF driving mate, Mike, from Better Homes & Gardens. And, better yet, the car gets 29 miles to the highway gallon. (See upcoming review on the Outback 3.6R Limited in our Her & His Car Review section).

 

I was surprised to discover that Subaru vehicles are on the road 10 years – longer than most manufacturers And, original Subaru owners hold onto their vehicles an average of 7 + years – it is the perfect auto hand-me-down. Simply put, they are long lasting and hearty vehicles.

 

There were many benefits of the trip - from meeting wonderfully fun and remarkable people from all over the States, to stretching my driving capabilities, to jamming to Cat Stevens and Neil Young accompanied by the talented George Doran <visit www.georgedoran.com>.  In short, it was a three day educational event – including travelling with the extraordinary folks from www.LeaveNoTrace.com – an international nonprofit committed to educating us on Outdoor Ethics and how to be responsible in the elements.

 

As I picked up my multiple suitcases to head to the airport for home, I also permanently packed away my pre-conceived ideas of the Subaru Outback. Gone are the notions that this brand is exclusively for the authentic outdoor types or the family with 2.5 children. After my immersion experience in the west, I can now see myself as a true-blue urban Outback driver. And that is that.

 

Drive Your Bargain,

Anne

Car Buying Advocate

www.twitter.com/womendrivers