My Toyota is more "American" than your Ford?

I was raised to "buy American." (I'm from Arkansas, so when I say it, its "Uh-mare-i-can" but....) Chevy trucks, Levi jeans, McDonald's burgers. No Honda's in our driveway!

Except now, in the modern global economy, deciding what is American and what isn't has gotten harder. Much harder.

Case in point - my current car - a Toyota Sequoia vs. my previous car, a Ford Expedtion.

Most people would say Ford is the American car, Toyota isn't. You would be wrong. Sort of. Maybe.

According to the NHTSA (in this report), my Sequoia is 80% of the "content" was made in the US/Canada and it is assembled in the US/Canada (According to AOL, they are assembled in Princeton, Indiana). My Expo was made in the US, too, but with only 70% of the content from the US.

So is my Toyota more American because of its content? Or less because of the HQ? Interesting questions!

A great article in the WSJ goes into some detail on this topic...

Do Publisher's Care What Ads They Run?

Caveat Emptor!

In my opinion, this is the rule most publishers live by. If an ad seems dicey or silly (or a total rip-off), hey, buyer beware, baby!

Take the IQ ads you see everywhere these days -

Avg Sooners Fan’s IQ=114
Are You Smarter Than The Oklahoma
Sooners Fan? Take The IQ Quiz Now!

Or this one

Brett Farve's IQ = 136
Are you Smarter than Brett? Take the IQ Quiz Now!
www.NFL-IQ-Quizes.com

Are we to believe that Brett took this IQ test? And then agreed to let his IQ be published? And he, in-turn, somehow endorses or quasi-endorses this service, which in return for telling you your IQ, charges you over $9/mo ongoing on T-mobile for "trivia services"?

I doubt it.

Yet these are all over Sports Illustrated's Website.

I am a sport's fan, love SI and have noticed the ads - are you telling me they haven't?

I think that taking the money and turning your head is a short-term win. I assume big brands like Sports Illustrated fiqure times are hard and they can weather the storm..... (other sites have these ads too,including arch-rival ESPN.com)

I would try harder I think.

Emails to IQ Quizes and SI were not answered.