Which cinematic version of "A Christmas Carol" is your favorite?

Countless cinematic renditions of Charles Dickens' classic tale have been told, but everyone has their own favorite!  Some have been live action, others were animated, and others still have been done partially (or completely) in CG.  Some have tried to hold true to the book, others borrowed only certain elements in a satirical fashion.  Here are a few of the more popular versions:

Scrooge - 1951, starring Alastair Sim

A classic rendition of the tale.  Held by many as the "gold standard" for the many versions to follow.

Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol - 1962, starring Mister Magoo (Jim Backus)

Thought by many to be the only worthy animated version of the classic tale, done in a distinctly Mister Magoo style!

A Christmas Carol - 1984, starring George C. Scott

A somewhat darker telling of the story.  George C. Scott's gruff and emotionally damaged Scrooge is a favorite to many!

A Muppet Christmas Carol - 1992, starring Michael Caine (and the Muppets!)

Another Muppet classic!  Enough said!

A Christmas Carol - 2009, starring Jim Carrey

An unlikely/strange choice of cast lent itself surprisingly well to this modern retelling.

There are so many more!  Tell us your favorite on our Facebook post, and why!

Life of the party or quiet and gracious host? Your Buick reveals what you bring to the table!

What does your calendar look like this month?  The holiday season spells stress for some; for others it means cutting loose and having fun!  The bottom line is:  December is busy.  Between shopping, decorating, cooking, travel, and parties—how do YOU handle the season?  Let your Buick do the talking.

Encore:  You bring excitement to every holiday party you attend.  People love your energy; especially during the holiday season.  Most of your effort is spent on the more creative side of things, such as decorating the tree or wrapping gifts.  You’re the one at the party snapping fun photos on your smartphone. 

eAssist LaCrosse:  It’s no secret that you are passionate about keeping the environment clean.  Your holiday shopping bags are reusable, your wrapping paper is Eco-friendly, and you always switch off the holiday lights at a decent (if not early!) hour.  You are a great listener, which means your gifts always met with a delighted, "How did you know I wanted this!?" You’re the one at the party making sure all the plastic and glass is being recycled.

Regal:  If you don’t use it—lose it!  You don’t understand the purpose of lotto scratchers or other cheap trinkets for stocking-stuffers.  It's not about the price tag, it's about quality.  If it's not guaranteed to show long-term value, you’re not interested.  You bring a practical element to holiday parties, creating that sense of balance everyone needs.   You are the designated driver everyone appreciates!

Enclave: “Stress” is not in your vocabulary.  While people around you are worried about that visit from their in-laws, perfecting a new recipe, or color-coordinating the tree ornaments, you don’t sweat the small stuff.  Or the big stuff, for that matter.  When an obstacle presents itself, you quickly adapt to handle it—all with a smile on your face.  You’re the life of the party—usually the one in the middle of the dance floor!

Here are 10 of the most amazing roads the world has to offer!

There are roads that draw people from all over the world. Whether its the sporty experience they offer, or simply the amazing views, these 10 roads are definitely worth visiting if you have the chance!

1. Great Ocean Road - Australia

This beautiful route is a 150 mile stretch of road along the south-eastern coast of Australia between the Victorian cities of Torquay and Allansford.




2. Highway 1, aka "Big Sur" - California

Hwy 1 is carved out of the Pacific cliffs and spans almost all of California's coast. Enjoy picturesque views including the iconic Bixby Creek Bridge. 




3. Deals Gap, aka "Tail of The Dragon" - Tennessee

This road is famous among motorcyclists and sports car enthusiasts for its serpentine nature. It is part of the U.S. Route 129 in Blount County, Tennessee.




4. White Rim Trail - Utah

This trail is used by off-road travelers, as well as hikers and bicyclists. Perched precariously above Canyonlands National Park in Utah, its expansive views and switchbacks make it a destination for many outdoors enthusiasts. 




5. Ruta 40 - Argentina

At more than 3,000 miles long, it is one of the longest roads in the world. Much of it is unpaved, but those daring enough to venture here will be gratuitously rewarded with awe-inspiring landscapes.




6. Conor Pass - Ireland

This road epitomizes the Irish countryside, offering views of vast green meadows situated between craggy cliffs. 




7. Touge Roads of Mount Fuji - Japan

Quite possibly the birthplace of drifting, this road winds its way up Japan's highest mountain and has been a destination for racing enthusiasts for many years. 




8. Stelvio Pass - Italy

Regarded as the sports car world's holy grail, though encountering some criticism with that distinction, it only takes one look to understand why this road is high on every list.  




9. Guoliang Tunnel Road - China

This road is known as one of the most dangerous in the world, quite possibly only challenged by Bolivia's "Yungas Road" in terms of sheer annual casualties. With no other options, engineers decided to carve the tunnel road out of the mountain starting in 1972. 





10. Trollstigen, aka "Troll Ladder" - Norway

Another famous road among sports drivers, its 9% grade and numerous hairpin curves offer a unique driving experience. 

 

Let us know what are some of your favorite roads to drive on!

Don't forget to clean that brake dust off of your wheels!

Brake dust is nasty stuff-- really nasty stuff.  It contains a whole mess of unwanted particles of almost every kind.  The combination of road grime and heat/moisture from the environment will bake it straight onto your wheels, causing a stain that is almost impossible to remove.  Luckily, before that point, brake dust just barely clings onto your wheel via static electricity; it is easily removed with a damp cloth.  Save your wheels-- clean off that brake dust before it makes itself a permanent resident!

Here are 5 brilliant ideas to help make your life easier!

Here are some things you can do to make various parts of your everyday life easier-- in the most clever and deceptively simple ways possible!

1.)  Have a microwave that's just a little too small for two of your favorite bowls or plates?  No big deal!  Elevate one with a cup to fit both in!

2.)  Want to separate the egg yolk from the rest?  Use the suction from an empty water bottle!

3.)  Prefer to drink your canned drinks from a straw?  Use the tab to lightly wedge the straw into place-- this will keep it from floating up out of the drink!

4.)  Use a straw to pop off the tops of strawberries quickly and easily!

5.)  Want to cool a warm drink down quickly?  Wrap it in a wet paper towel and then stick it in the fridge.  This increases thermal conductivity between the warm liquid inside of the bottle/can and the cool air inside of the fridge.  Your drink should be cold in around 20 minutes!

Here are 5 interesting facts about our very own Thanksgiving!

The American Thanksgiving feast is one of the world's most iconic holidays, but there is a lot most people don't know about it!  Here are 5 things that you may or may not have known about Thanksgiving and its origin in America!

1.)  Of the Mayflower's original 102 passengers, only 40 of them were "Pilgrims" as we would recognize them.  The rest were called the "Strangers", men and women just looking to hitch a ride to the new world.  In fact, the Mayflower wasn't even originally intended to be a human transport vessel; it was supposed to be a wine transport.

2.)  Despite Macy’s being the largest, the oldest Thanksgiving parade was held in Philadelphia in 1920 by Gimbels department store. The parade was very small, with only about 50 people.

3.)  The Pilgrims didn't actually dress in full-black attire with metal buckles on their hats and shoes.  In reality, metal buckles would've been too expensive for the incredibly destitute Pilgrims.  It is more likely that they would've used leather laces and straps instead of the buckles.

4.)  Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird, feeling that the eagle was a creature predisposed to "bad moral character".  He wanted to instead pay homage to the bird that had more historical significance to the young country.

5.)  When George Washington advocated for a national Thanksgiving celebration, a number of other founding fathers and statesmen were supportive of the measure. Thomas Jefferson was not one of them. Jefferson referred to the idea as “the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard."  Guess he wasn't a fan of cranberry sauce!

Pure nitrogen vs regular air: Which one belongs in your tires?

We are often asked the question:  "Is it worth filling my tires with nitrogen instead of air?"  We're here to shed some light on the topic.

First of all, we have to look at the terms in question.  "Air", meaning our natural atmosphere here on Earth, is actually mostly nitrogen anyway-- about 70-80% nitrogen, in fact.  The rest is oxygen, carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other trace elements and compound.  Does that fraction of oxygen really make a difference in your tire pressure's reliability?

The answer is yes.  Sort of.  Although oxygen is the heavier element, nitrogen molecules (N₂) are actually slightly larger than oxygen molecules (O₂).  That means it's more difficult for nitrogen molecules to permeate the walls of your tires.

In reality, however, filling your tires with nitrogen is less about the nitrogen and more about removing oxygen, water vapor, and other contaminants from the mix.  Water in particular is a particularly malleable molecule that will create vast discrepancies in tire pressure as the temperature changes.

Long story short, filling with pure nitrogen will yield a more stable tire pressure, leading to better fuel economy, longer lasting tires, and more reliable ride quality!

RWD, FWD, AWD, and 4WD demystified!

Rear-wheel drive (RWD) cars have the back wheels pushing the car along. Most race cars have RWD because the driver can still steer if the wheels break loose and, in straight acceleration, a car tilts back, giving more traction to the rear wheels.

Front-wheel drive (FWD) cars have the front wheels pulling the car along. Front wheel drive cars are safer to drive in the snow and rain than rear wheel drive cars because there is more weight over the drive wheels, offering better traction. They also typically get better fuel economy.

Four-wheel drive (4WD) cars are different from all wheel drive (AWD) in that four wheel drive is an option from rear-wheel drive, while all-wheel drive drives all wheels on all surfaces continuously. Four-wheel drive (low mode) offers significant off road driving capability.

Want to win yourself a great prize this holiday season? Enter our contest!

Want to win yourself a great prize this holiday season?  Enter our Facebook contest-- it's free and easy!  And while you're at it, why not have your friends and family "like" our Facebook page and enter themselves?  It can only increase the chances of someone in your circle winning the prize-- a 32" high definition television!  The contest ends on December 30th, 2013.  Some restrictions apply, click below for details:

http://a.pgtb.me/Qp619c

Remember to support the cause this month!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it's difficult to say just how many untold millions of people have been affected in some way by cancer.  Breast cancer, one of the most common forms of cancer in women, is particularly debilitating in ways that most of us can scarcely imagine.  We here at Huston Cadillac Buick GMC want to offer our thoughts and prayers to the folks who have dealt--or are currently dealing with--this terrible disease.  We truly hope that a cure is not far over the horizon.

If you'd like to find out more about Breast Cancer research and work toward a cure, please visit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Link:  http://www.bcrfcure.org/

The 2014 Buick Regal is a different breed of Buick

The 2014 Buick Regal was designed from the ground-up to compete with the very best of what Germany has to offer.  It has all of the style and comfort you'd expect from Buick, the gutsy power of a true American machine, and the finesse and handling of Europe's finest.  Can we expect one to be occupying your driveway in the near future?

http://bit.ly/19f79iE

Let our GM-trained Certified Service technicians make maintenance simple for you!

Keeping your GM vehicle running at its best shouldn't be complicated, and there shouldn't be any guesswork involved. Let our GM-trained Certified Service technicians make maintenance simple for you. We're the one-stop shop for all your maintenance and service needs. From oil changes to tires, to brakes and multi-point vehicle inspections, we have the expertise, technology, and convenient hours when caring for your vehicle. Call us to schedule an appointment today.

http://www.hustoncadillacbuickgmc.com/ServiceMenu

Avoid these oft-overlooked car maintenance mistakes-- part one!

Oil might be the key to the proper operation of your engine, but there are other fluids critical to keeping your car running well. Your vehicle's owner's manual will have a list of recommendations for how often to service these components. Delays in service--or ignoring them altogether--could result in damage not just to the specific component but to the engine or other parts as well, resulting in a very high repair bill.