Etc...

I know just what to do

When the residents of a one-story house in Holland, Mich., left one day last week with something still cooking on the kitchen stove, there was potential for disaster . Especially considering that two pet dogs were locked inside with no means of escape if the food were to catch fire - which it did. Happily, however, a visitor, Jim Goff, stopped by at midafternoon and noticed smoke building up in the dwelling as he knocked on the front door. He considered trying to force it open , but opted instead to call for help. Within minutes, fire departments from the city as well as from a suburb arrived, forced open a door, shut off the stove, and led the animals outside to safety. Goff, as it turns out, knows a thing or two about making phone calls. He is a repairman for SBC Communications, the service provider for Holland. "I'm glad I could help," he said.

Come 2009, will you be trading in your silver sedan for something in a hot new shade of blue? A watery blue-green, perhaps, or a smoky lilac? Or maybe a bold but regal-looking cobalt? That's what many automotive executives are currently contemplating during the industry's annual fall color tour, a preview showing of what could be fashionable with consumers in the coming years. The tour is presented by PPG Industries Inc., a major supplier of paint for the industry. By identifying the global color trends in clothes, interior design, and other areas, the tour anticipates that new shades of blue will gain in popularity, as will richer, warmer shades of orange and yellow. The current favorite colors, based on the percentages of vehicles painted in them, according to data compiled by PPG Industries:
Silver/gray 26%
White 16%
Copper/beige 14%
Red 13%
Blue 12%
Black 11%
Green 5%
Others 3%