Hyundai, buddy. Hyundai.

It's time for a new car. For most of my adult life, I've been a loyal owner of Jeep Grand Cherokees. Jeep is in my blood, and I think there's a lot of truth to the saying, "It's a Jeep thing... you wouldn't understand." For a while, I considered getting a Jeep Wrangler, but with the need to make driving trips to customers in Ohio and Kentucky, a Wrangler just isn't practical. Right now, I need a "big boy" car.

I looked at a variety of sedans including the Acura TSX and TL, Infiniti G, Lexus IS, Toyota Avalon, and even the Saturn Aura. I especially like the Acura TL Type-S although, personally, I find the price a little hard to swallow. After a lot of looking, reading, talking and driving, I made a decision that surprised even me. I've chosen a Hyundai Azera Limited as my next vehicle.


I happened to rent an Azera for a couple weeks last fall, and I found the car to be an incredible pleasure to drive. It's fast (0-60 in 6.5 seconds), roomy (more interior space than a BMW 750i or Mercedes S-Class) and easy on gas (19 MPG city, 28 MPG highway). Since there are no substantial changes to the 2008 model, I've decided on a new 2007 Hyundai Azera Limited Ultimate in silver with black leather interior. In addition to the usual amenities found in the "luxury entry" class, the Azera Limited Ultimate has some amazing features, including eight air bags (front, rear and side curtain), rain-sensing wipers, rear power sun shade and Premium Infinity Logic 7 surround sound audio system (this bad boy has an in-dash 6-disc CD changer, 12 speakers, subwoofer and a 605-watt digital amplifier). Woo hoo.


Another reason I chose the Azera is that the standard Hyundai warranties are great, especially compared to many other auto makers. The Azera includes several warranties:

• Bumper-to-bumper: 5 years / 60,000 miles
• Powertrain: 10 years / 100,000 miles
• Corrosion: 7 years / unlimited miles
• Emissions performance: 8 years / 80,000 miles
• 24-hour roadside assistance: 5 years / unlimited miles

With an MSRP of $31,300 the Azera Limited Ultimate model I want is a good bargain, but not a great one. However, Hyundai has a $3,000 rebate through March, and the dealers are anxious to move the remaining 2007 models off the lot. Luckily, I have located several Azeras in Ohio and Kentucky that match my want list, and I'm currently negotiating price with the various dealers. Based on the quotes I have so far, I fully expect to pick up the Azera I want for more than $6,000 below list price. Of all the vehicles I considered, nothing comes close to matching the Azera's features, performance and price.

Below are some video reviews of the Azera. If you watch them, you'll likely notice a common theme... the Azera doesn't fit what many people think of when they think of Hyundai.

Below are some additional videos featuring the Azera, as well as a couple of commercials.

Celebrating life & health

Yesterday I volunteered at the Levin Foundation 2008 "Celebrating Life & Heath" event in Dayton. It's an annual event, open to everyone, that provides a free meal along with free health testing and support services for follow-up. The kids are entertained with face painting and clowns doing balloon sculptures. Participants in the health screenings get tickets for chances to win appliances, bikes and a wealth of other prizes.

When I signed up to volunteer, I told the coordinator that I would do whatever job needed to be done. I was assigned to help at the main check-in table. My job was to greet people as they entered, provide them with information packets, answer questions and guide people to the places they wanted to go. It was one of the most fun and rewarding experiences I've had in years. There were thousands of people at the event (I'm guessing at least 2500) and virtually everyone was having a good time. Having perfected my schmoozey style from all the trade shows I worked while at Image Sciences and Maximizer, I had a blast talking to - and laughing with - people of all ages. The day seemed to fly by, and I can't wait to do it again next year!

FIRED up

It is legal in the state of Ohio to be fired from your job or denied an apartment or house because of your sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. In many cities in Ohio this practice is illegal, but there are no state level protections. Equality Ohio has been working diligently to introduce the Ohio Equal Housing and Employment Act to end this type of discrimination.

As a volunteer for Equality Ohio's "FIRED" campaign, I was thrilled to read in today's Dayton Business Journal that the bills were introduced in the Ohio Senate and House of Representatives today. Unlike previous attempts at the bills' passage, the outcome of this effort appears likely to be a success. The complete text of the article is below:

A trio of Ohio lawmakers introduced bills Tuesday to make it illegal to discriminate against people in employment, housing or public accommodations because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

"Ohio is among the most unwelcoming states in the nation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people," Lynne Bowman, executive director for Equality Ohio, said in a news release. "Today, Ohio took a major step toward fairness and equality."

Bowman cited a recent survey that found two-thirds of Ohioans favor passage of the legislation.

Twenty-one states, 11 of the state's four-year public colleges and 16 Ohio cities and villages have ordinances that protect their gay and lesbian residents.

Rather than continue to have a patchwork of protections across the state, or none at all, the lawmakers called for passage of statewide standards that would uniformly help all Ohio residents.

Sen. Dale Miller, D- Cleveland, is the main sponsor of the Senate bill. He has introduced similar measures in the past but noted at a news conference in Columbus that the bills introduced Tuesday have a record number of co-sponsors and the promise of committee hearings.

Plus, Gov. Ted Strickland has told the bills' sponsors that he would sign the measure into law, said Sandy Theis, a spokeswoman for the effort.

In the House, Rep. Jon Peterson, a Delaware Republican, and Rep. Dan Stewart, D-Columbus, are primary sponsors of the bill.

At the news conference, Stewart said more than 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies have implemented similar policies. Cincinnati-based Procter & Gamble Co. (NYSE: PG) has been a strong proponent of such measures and is one of a number of large corporations with employee support groups centered on sexual orientation and gender identity.

E-mail dayton@bizjournals.com. Call (937) 528-4400.

I want this monster under my bed

Lazy days in bed will never be the same.

Enough is enough

Fight OUT Loud is a national non-profit organization dedicated to empowering LGBT individuals and their allies to fight discrimination and hate.

Wind beneath my wings

This Lufthansa flight had an extremely close call when battling strong cross winds during a landing in Hamburg. The left wingtip actually scrapes the runway before the skilled pilots manage to abort the landing. News reports indicated that no one was injured, but many passengers were "badly shaken." Duh.

I laughed so hard I farted a little

This Bud Light commercial was originally developed for SuperBowl XLII, but according to Digg.com it was deemed "too controversial for TV". Thank God for YouTube, so we can see what the ridiculously-conservative FCC doesn't think we should see.