Mike D. Merrill's Life Stream

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Hatch Green Chile is one of the true treasures of New Mexico. Having grown up in southern New Mexico and now living in Dallas, TX I really miss authentic and spicy green chile. That's why today I was excited to receive my shipment of Biad Chili Hatch Green Chili Big Jim Reserve - HOT. I'm now in possession of twelve containers that should last me a while. Looking forward to my next omelet! My personal favorite are Chile Rellenos. 

Did you know that green chile is actually a fruit, not a vegetable? How do you like Green Chile? What's your best recipe?

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I've been fortunate and grateful to participate in a program with Ford over the last few months taking extended test drives of various new Ford models and sharing my thoughts and experiences. Honestly, my impression of Ford has improved greatly and their strategy around integrating more technology in their cars has me wondering where the future will take us. Now I grew up driving trucks and they will always have a special place in my heart. Although they tend to have a lower gas mileage than I desire, they truly are one of the most comfortable vehicles to drive. Because of the long 4th of July weekend I was able to keep the F150 for a full two weeks. I drove it down to Austin to see my twin brother and enjoyed driving it.

To date I've driven a Ford Mustang GT, Ford Edge, Ford Explorer LTD, Ford Flex, Ford Expedition King Ranch Edition, F150 Harley Davidson edition and this week the Lincoln MK7. I like the look and feel of the Ford Flex but really want a bit more power. That's the challenge with providing good gas mileage. You often have to make tradeoffs with horsepower to get there. But Ford's strategy of offering a range of eco friendly options across a variety of platforms for customers is probably correct. All of us aren't going to go with the small super eco friendly sedan. We all want choices. 

9 Features I Would Require in My Next Car

1. Full hands-free phone support via Bluetooth - Ford Sync
2. Bluetooth media integration allowing me to stream my Pandora from my iphone handsfree
3. Keyless Entry
4. Remote Start - In TX heat, getting the car started sooner is always a plus
5. Power folding seats (SUV)
6. Standard power plug and USB plug
7. Air conditioned/heated seats
8. Deep cup holders so my Starbucks Latte won't spill everywhere when I take turns like a boss
9. Built in cooler - Both the Ford Flex and Lincoln MK7 have a small cooler built in the rear console. Brilliant.
10. Auto Window Rolldown - In my '99 lexus I used to have the ability to roll all 4 windows down at the same time. I want to do this remotely. Again, it's a TX heat thing

Future features I'd like to see

1. Ability to push Google Maps directions to the Nav system via bluetooth
2. Voice activated Facebook, Twitter and G+ updates - assuming the voice recognition actually works

Anyways, I look forward to driving more vehicles, post pictures, and sharing my thoughts. 

Any of these cars you specifically like? Any features I didn't mention that I should have? Leave your thoughts below. 

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Ford has asked me to drive the new Edge Limited to get my feedback and overall assessment. In the picture above you'll see the monroney label showing off all the features. I'm fortunate to participate in this program and look forward to the the other cars they have lined up for me to sample such as the Ford Mustang Boss 302, Ford F150 Harley Davidson Edition, Mustang 5.0 and Convertible and possibly the Flex. So here's a rundown of a few of the features I've been impressed with so far. While some of these aren't all new to the market, for this size SUV to have these options is impressive. I may give one of the hybrids a spin too. That's an area of the market I am personally interested in.

1. Ford SYNC® - I know this has been out for a while but the fact it quickly paired my iPhone to the speaker system via BlueTooth and enabled hands-free calling within a minute or so is impressive. If every car had this functionality we'd save some lives for sure. There are far too many features to this technology for me to comment on all of them, but I'm looking forward to testing out sending Google Maps to the Navigation system directly and playing music on your phone via BlueTooth or USB. 
2. Adaptive Cruise Control and Collision Warning with Brake Support - Basically you set the cruise control at a desired speed say 55 mph (yeah right). If you approach a car in front of you the vehicle automagically (yes, that's a word) slows down to maintain a safe distance. You can use a button on the steering wheel to shorten or widen the gap between the car in front of you. The collision warning also came in handy when a car slammed on it's breaks last night coming home. Basically sounds an alarm that a car is too close and you need to stop. Ideal if you get distracted easly...not that I ever do or anything.
3. MyFord Touch™ - The 8 inch touchscreen with multiple menus provides a range of features and choices to leverage the SD Card, AUX inputs and USB ports.
4. MyKey - Now I don't read auto magazines every week or I would have known about this unique safety feature. Since my oldest daughter is about to get her license in a month, I am paying close attention. So this allows you to customize a max speed, max sound volume, seat belt alarm and early fuel warning for specific users. My having a specific key with specific settings you can control how the vehicle is driven by others. Next time you lend the car to the in-laws, you can take all the fun out so they won't ask again. No joy riding when the radio won't turn up passed a slow murmer :)
5. Panoramic Vista Roof™ - Really like how much sunlight you can bring into the car. Brightens up quite a bit with two sunroofs.
6. Reverse and Rear View Camera - Displays images behind you when backing up and alerts you if a cars is approaching or too close. First day this little feature came in handy at the Yogurt Shop. 

Much more to come from me about Ford vehicles. And since my wife is in the market for a car late this year, the timing couldn't be better.

Let me know your thoughts on these features or others I need to get to know better.

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Please donate to our cause by visiting http://Dallas4Japan.eventbrite.com. 100% of the funds generated tonight will go toward's the American Red Cross to support Japan.

Priceless

Hope to see you at our next Ignite Dallas event as part of the Big Design Conference later this year.