As the new year approaches and the auto show is just around the corner, I ponder what the year of 2009 will bring. Obnoxiously cold weather is certain--at least for the next few months--a new president will take the reigns, and we’ll hopefully see the economy begin to rise. 2008 was certainly eventful, albeit daunting at times.

If you think MySpace refers to your own personal space or Twitter is some kind of a strange verb, then you probably should’ve grown up in the 1800s. We’re in an age where the word “Facebook” is used as a verb (as in “Facebook me later!”) and where your own pet probably has his own blog. Yes, we have entered an age of new media.

Despite catching criticism for just about everything it does, our Federal Government has moments of intense clarity. One example, the fine folks at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have finally gotten proactive.

After years of hosting one of the most Byzantine and user-unfriendly Web sites, the fine folks at NHTSA have finally cleaned things up and come to the realization that people want two things from its site: crash test results and recall information.

There’s no denying the momentum in Chicago right now. Everywhere you turn, it seems that Chicago is smack-dab-in-the-middle on everyone’s radar. It appears journalists and Hollywood alike can’t get enough of the Windy City. Some might wonder what created all of this hype and why more people seem to be humming along to the tune of “Sweet Home Chicago.”

The Obamas certainly haven’t helped to keep Chicago a secret on the map. With loads of media attention during the Grant Park rally on Election Day and spotlight coverage of the President-elect’s Hyde Park residence, Chicago has been a constant media focus the past couple of months. Even though the media attention has somewhat died down from the excitement of the election, people everywhere are buzzing about Chicago. . . .

If you haven’t already seen the grueling images smacked all over the TV, you’ll hear this interesting piece of information now. While Paul Brian quaffed a tall Sapphire and tonic in the lounge after the first day of the L.A. Auto Show’s media preview, to his amazement a CNBC reporter by the name of Jane, who Paul says “isn’t credible or interesting enough to determine her last name,” (ouch!) did a special report from L.A.’s show floor to show the harsh lack of attendees. Playing off the suffering economy bit, she stood in front of a dark, abandoned show floor and said how devastating it was that the public could no longer afford to go to the show—or some such nonsense. What viewers at home didn’t know, was that she was reporting an hour after the show had closed down on a media preview day (the show hadn’t even open to the public!). During media previews, only accredited media and industry execs have access to view the auto show’s cars, which was shown on TV an hour after it shut down. Journalistic objectivity? We don’t think so!

Over the past few days, there's been a great deal of speculation regarding Nissan's participation in the 2009 Chicago Auto Show. The conjecture centered around a press release in which Nissan announced that, due to financial considerations, it was reconsidering its participation at both the Detroit and Chicago auto shows . . .

The new buzz in the blogosphere is that manufacturers are cutting back on exhibit space at auto shows. Examples can be found in posts such as the one in KickingTires (http://blogs.cars.com/kickingtires/2008/11/auto-show-cutba.html). The KickingTires post refers to an article in the L.A. Times. The problem: the whole story is not being reported.

The Chicago Auto Show definitely doesn’t disappoint with the abundance of activity at McCormick Place each year. The exhilarating atmosphere boasts a family-friendly environment where anyone from a 90-year-old man to a toddler is guaranteed a marvelous experience. When auto show-goers were surveyed on suggestions for next year’s show, their answer was plain and simple: people like interactive. Many noted their fascination with interactive displays showcased yearly at the Chicago Auto Show.

Every day we keep an "electronic fishing pole" out there for news about auto shows and the industry, and today I spotted a note from http://abagaylesbooks.blogspot.com/2008/11/david-adkins.html that mentioned something of note.  It seems that on this day In history--1939--the first air-conditioned automobiles went on display at the auto show in Chicago.

A few months ago, when gas was $4.00+ per gallon, everyone was clamoring for more fuel-efficient vehicles. Buyers flocked to small cars, environmentalists insisted on strict fuel-economy regulations, and the government knee-jerked into action like it always does, with the meandering ferocity of a three-toed sloth.

Now that gas prices have dropped to 2005-levels, public outcry for fuel efficiency has faded and the automakers, many of whom scrambled to redefine model lineups with more efficient cars and SUVs, are left to bear the brunt of buyer's fickle preferences.