Emergency Vehicle

I was talking to a paramedic about the loudness of an ambulance siren, compared to an automobile horn. An average auto horn is 85 decibels, while an ambulance siren is 120 decibels. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, regular exposure to 110 decibels or more, for one minute, puts a…

Leaving Dogs In Hot Cars

We all love our pets like they are a member of the family. Now that summer is here, we’ll be taking those family members to the dog park and maybe even on vacation. And, although we don’t intend to be leaving dogs in hot cars while we run an errand, sometimes it happens. Most people…

Rat Fink Hot Rods

Ed “Big Daddy” Roth was an artist, cartoonist, pinstriper custom car designer, and builder who created the hot-rod icon Rat Fink characters in the late 50’s. In the ’60s, when I was a kid, I was fascinated with his work. A combination of funny and creepy, all rolled into one. Not until 1993 did the…

Car Myths Busted

The biggest myth about cars and those who drive them is that men are better drivers than women. I teach Comedy Defensive Driving classes. And, whenever a couple comes in together, I used to ask them who was the better driver. Now that I know from experience that asking a sensitive question like that just…

Types of Engine Lubricants

Lubricants keep things running smooth with less friction. Okay…get your head out of the gutter. We’re talking about automobile engines here. Motor oil is not the only lubricant that your vehicle requires, it needs several types of engine lubricants. It also needs gear lube, gear oil, greases and compressor oil. Oh, yes, and that special…

Energy Efficient Driving

Energy Efficient Driving or aka: Windows Down or Windows Up I had a gig in Corpus Christi and decided to drive there from Dallas. It seemed cheaper than flying and we were trying to economize. Besides, on the map, it was only about three inches, which is apparently equivalent to seven hours (who knew?). That’s…