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We've all heard stories about Liu's uncanny knack for raising prodigious amounts of money for his campaigns, but his latest filing for his bid to unseat State Senate candidate Tony Avella is kind of ridiculous.
Liu announced last week that he raised over $500,000 from 1,775 contributors and had $444,370.71 in cash on hand, more than five times his opponent. That's a pretty staggering number, and would be pretty good numbers for a district five times the size of the State Senate district is he running in.
Of course, Avella couldn't let the announcement go without comment, which is exactly what we were hoping for in this race, which so far hasn't failed to disappoint. Avella challenged Liu to use the money to pay back over $500,000 in fines levied against Liu over poster violations from a past campaign. Liu is challenging the fines, but Avella had this to say anyway:
"With his latest fundraising numbers to show, John Liu has no more deadbeat excuses left to pay back the City the money he owes," the Avella campaign charged. "New Yorkers have waited patiently enough. It's high time John Liu pays his fines before funding his own political ambitions."
The Queens County Democratic Party is standing pretty solidly behind Liu, and recently congress members Joseph Crowley, Grace Meng and Gregory Meeks all announced they would be supporting the former councilman and comptroller.
But Avella was able to prevent Liu from pulling a full coup of the area's congressional representatives. A portion of the State Senate district overlaps with Congressman Steve Israel's district, and last week he announced that he would be supporting Avella.
For his part, Liu announced that he was also endorsed by the National Organization for Women Brooklyn-Queens Chapter Political Action Committee, in addition to the long list of unions that are supporting him.


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The stubby-style boards will not be a fad. Every one who has progressed beyond beginner will be riding them in a couple of years.
I have a board similar to the stubby pictures and description in the naish marketing brochure linked in the announcements on the forum index.
My board is 120x39, light concave, flattish rocker and flexible wood core.
I weigh 185 pounds and have fun riding my board in 13 knots to 30 knots using a 16.5 and 15.5 warrior and psycho and a B5 two line foil. It goes through steep lake michigan chop (1-2m) with no problems at all. With the concave and fast rocker it takes very little power to get going and having the planing surface right under your feet gives ultimate control to prevent getting overpowered.
My board is similar but not identical to these earlier versions pictured below. I will get some pics. of the new shape when I can borrow a camera. If you want to try one out and see for yourself without blowing all your money I can build you a complete board with a durable fiberglass skin including fins, straps, grab handle for $275 USD.
Old stubby, this one is too wide for moderate-strong winds and the outline is too curved
Rail and bottom concave, I have improved the rail shape from what is shown. You can see a bit of reflection from the glass skin on the tip of the board
If you are intrested e-mail me at firstname.lastname@example.com

subset: commoncrawl


text: Another poster suggested a thread of this type and I agreed. I haven't kept up with the exact numbers of membership but if you have joined TrekBBS due to the new movie, I'd like to extend a welcome. Feel free to post whatever comes to mind, don't be afraid to ask a question that you think someone who's been around forever has heard 50 million times. Please feel free to spread enthusiasm for the new movie as it might even become contagious. If you aren't enthuastic about the movie that's fine as well, believe it or not. I'd appreciate it if you took the opportunity to introduce yourself if you're new, or even if you're old. I joined TrekBBS in the summer of 1999 and have been a moderator for almost six years. I'm looking forward to this movie, TOS is my favorite Star Trek series, and I've been a fan since I was 11 (in 1991 not 1966). The other sci-fi interest of mine is the new Battlestar Galactica. My field of work is television production which has included news interviews, digital editing, and taping sports even though I'm not a sports fan. Once you shoot a game everything else is child's play, but post-production is my personal preference.


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Room Service
Recommended Stories
Mike Pompeo, the Secretary of Trump
How Mike Pompeo became a heartland evangelical—and the President's most loyal soldier.
Daily Comment
By Barring Two Congresswomen, Trump and Netanyahu Set a Trap for Democrats
To the Democratic Party's chagrin, American progressives have been drawn into a simple contest about Israel's reputation, which can elide its realities.
Puzzles Dept.
The Weekday Crossword: Monday, August 19, 2019
Homer described it as "wine-dark": nine letters.
On Television


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Join Mike Tilley (a.k.a. Captain Red Beard- you'll recognize him by his red beard and white rubber boots) on a harbour tour of the three islands located in the outer reaches of Halifax Harbour (right beside the community of Eastern Passage).
Captain Red Beard has gone to great lengths to come up with services and prices that he feels you will really like. The Captain also travels with his trusty camera and has taken some pictures over the last year that he would like to share with visitors. To see the Captain's pictures and those he has obtained, please visit The Captain's Gallery.
For more information or to book your trip to any of the Islands, please phone Mike Tilley (Owner/Operator) Ph: 902-465-4563 or if you live outside Metro Halifax, Nova Scotia - call 1-800-ECO-ILND (326-4563)
McNabs Island Ferry Home | Services & Prices | Fishermans Cove | Picture Gallery | Links
Web Site Developed by Alan Jean-Joyce of WHATASITE.COM
Copyright ATC and McNabs Island Ferry 1996 - 2004


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One year from now, on September 10, 2013, will be the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Lake Erie, in which out-gunned 27-year-old Rhode Islander Oliver Hazard Perry--his flagship, Lawrence, shot out from under him--rowed over to the U.S. Niagara and completed the battle, defeating the British and sending his message to General William Henry Harrison at Fort Meigs, near what is now Toledo: "We have met the enemy, and they are ours: two ships, two brigs, one schooner and one sloop." Perry's flag had on it the famous naval motto, "Don't give up the ship!" The monument to Perry's victory is one of the tallest in the U.S.--second only to the Washington Monument.
Few readers in the 21st century will remember Pogo, the Walt Kelly newspaper cartoon about critters down in the old Okeefenokee Swamp, although there are still some books on the market featuring the critters. Publication of the daily cartoon apparently ceased in 1975. One was famous; it showed the critters prepared for battle, and the famous statement by Pogo: "We have met the enemy, and he is us!" One of these Iconoclast columns back in September of 1985, a bit of a rant about lawyers, was titled, "We have met the enemy, and they wear wigs," a reference to the periwigs worn by attorneys and barristers in many nations' courts.
The concept of being our own worst enemy, however, is certainly not unique. As a writer, I frequently think about "enemies." Frankly, other than myself, I can't think of any that I may have. I don't know whom to forgive, really. We learn to forgive our enemies, and I can't think of anyone who has hurt me other than myself. I certainly do myself more harm, at least health-wise and by what I say without thinking, than anyone else. Oh, sure, there are all those dishonest claimants and insureds committing insurance fraud, greedy bankers who ruined the economy, shoplifters who cause everything to cost more, crooked politicians and tyrant dictators--but these are generic enemies, not personal ones.
The Competitor As Enemy
I often hear others talk of their competition as if there was a war and a desire to beat each other to a pulp. Everybody was an enemy to my Type-A brother: his business competitors and partners, other drivers on the road, and when he was a teenager he even had fist fights with the other caddies at the country club where he worked. Years later when he was first hospitalized with a heart attack, he conducted business from the bed over a telephone. He was on the phone ranting and arguing with somebody when a consulting cardiologist entered the room. He looked up and said, "Well, what the hell do you want?" "Nothing," the physician replied. He'd seen what he needed to see in order to fully understand the patient.
There is certainly enough political animosity between the parties in Washington that one wonders just why they see each other as enemies. Several years ago I gave up arguing politics with a neighbor because one of us (guess which one I thought it was) was a blockhead and a numbskull who couldn't see beyond black and white. When no "weapons of mass destruction" were found in Iraq and the Iraqis began killing each other, I was vindicated--but I never said to him, "I told you so." There was no sense rubbing salt in an old wound. Politics and religion seem to always breed enemies.
No Enemies Among Fellow Claims Adjusters
When I was out on the street adjusting claims, I wondered who my enemies might be. It wasn't other companies' adjusters, even when we were on the opposing sides of a claim, as we all got together once a month at the claims association and became buddies. I learned much of what I knew from competitors who shared ideas and showed me better ways to do things. It wasn't the plaintiff attorneys, even those who advertised that we adjusters were a bunch of crooks out to rob poor accident victims of their rights. I got along fine with all of them, simply by meeting them at their offices and seeing what they really had in their files. It was usually far less than what I had, so settlements were easy. I still think face-to-face negotiation is far better than negotiating by telephone or e-mail.
My fellow insurance adjusters warned me about the boogeymen: public adjusters who would jack up any property claim and skin the insurer. But that, too, turned out to be baloney. All one had to do in those days was memorize the 165 lines of the New York Standard Fire Policy and quote the insured's "requirements." It left the PAs blubbering in tatters, begging for pennies above the legitimate amount of the claim. I guess nobody does that sort of thing anymore. A few years ago I was asked to address the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters. Many of the members were the sons of the guys I had dealt with in Miami thirty years earlier, always on a friendly basis. Enemies? Hardly.
Public Enemy Number One
It's a phrase we don't hear much anymore. Back in the days of radio when "Gangbusters" each week sounded like war with machine guns blazing away between the crooks and the G-men, we all thought of a Thompson sub-machine gun as a Tommy Gun. The F.B.I. was always chasing Communists, and the television drama, I Led Three Lives, was geared to making us hate "commies." It was the same sort of "kill your enemies" philosophy of Senator Joseph McCarthy and his infamous subcommittee on unAmerican activities. The U.S.S.R. was feared and hated. Even today "liberal" is a dirty word akin to "red." (I often wondered why the "blue states" are the Democrats and the "red states" the GOP on the political maps. Old Joe would have apoplexy over that!) McCarthy got his "comeuppance" in the late 1950s when Edward R. Murrow finally told America we'd had enough. It took a while longer to get rid of McCarthy's best crony, J. Edgar Hoover. If you want to read about people who made enemies, try reading Hoover's biography. I wonder where America would be today if it hadn't been for guys like McCarthy and Hoover. I seriously doubt they made our nation safer; rather, they made their era a historical embarrassment to the world.
I was working the teletypes at the Cleveland branch of The Wall Street Journal during the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962. Everyone stood around waiting for the latest bulletins from New York or the AP. But the crisis passed, and about six months later a WSJ article ran on the wire about a group of American businessmen who had gone on a picnic at the dacha of Nikita Khrushchev. The ice of the Cold War was thawing a bit. Later I read that American businessmen such as Armand Hammer had been running businesses with the Russians for years.
Yes, there was a stand-off over Cuba and a threat of nuclear war, but how should one think of all that in terms of "enemies"? T he Russians may have been more terrified of us than we were of them. Many American radicals back then would have gladly pushed the nuclear button if given the chance. Two years later, when I was in the Army during Vietnam, I still wondered about enemies. What were we doing there? Was Washington telling us the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Again, as with Murrow, it was CBS journalists who began to ask the right questions and dig for the right answers.
Checkpoint Charlie and the Berlin Wall
The year 1973 marked my first visit behind the "Iron Curtain," so named by Winston Churchill, who was also good at finding enemies although he was generally 100 percent on target with those he found. My wife and I took a European tour that included East Germany, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia. It was a few weeks after Nasser had chased the Russians out of Egypt, and many of the Red Army guys were taking R&R in Prague and Budapest when we were there as tourists. We crossed into East Berlin through Checkpoint Charlie, peeked over the Berlin Wall, and watched as border guards between East Germany and Czechoslovakia ran long spikes down through a load of grain on a truck to make sure nobody was hiding underneath the load. We were pretty sure we had a British spy on that trip with us. I recall a restaurant on the East German Autobahn on our way to Dresden--their version of Howard Johnson's--where the food looked about as appetizing as weeds. Meat consisted of little balls of something encrusted in white layers of congealed fat.
Four years later, the year before President Carter cancelled U.S. participation in the Olympics, we visited Scandinavia and Russia with another tour group. When we saw the inefficiencies in Leningrad and Moscow, our group, which was a church group, realized Russia was on its last legs. Enemies? They could barely feed themselves, let alone American tourists. They may have beat the U.S. into space with Sputnik, but beyond sophisticated armaments they were a pathetic nation, able to hold onto what they had only by brute force and intimidation--the same tools Old Joe McCarthy used in the U.S. Senate.
Going Down to Go Up
For example, in our Leningrad hotel the restaurant was on the 17th floor, and there were two tiny elevators. Our room was on the fifth floor, so by the time an elevator might stop, it was already full. Generally it didn't stop at all. So I'd walk down to the first floor, ask to get off at the fifth, and when the door opened my wife got on and we'd get to the 17th floor. Why we even bothered going I'm not sure. Breakfast consisted of tiny, wormy apples and thick coffee with hard black bread.
At GUM, the famous Moscow department store, it took five people to sell one pair of shoes (not that we were buying shoes, but it was fascinating to watch). One clerk took the order. A second hunted up the shoes. A third clerk wrapped them up, while a fourth made out the bill, and the customer handed the rubles to a fifth person while the third handed over the shoes. There were no supermarkets. There was one long line on a street for cabbages, another for beets, a third for potatoes, and so on. No lines for meat, of which there wasn't any. Shopping was an all-day event, standing in line https://www.footguru.net/how-to-reli...nding-all-day/ The quality, even if there was availability, was awful. Russia had "full employment," but nobody really had a job to do. We came home wondering why Americans would be fearful of this poor, inefficient nation. Sure, they had a big army, but were they really an "enemy"?
Today we have declared places like North Korea and Iran as enemies. It seems like we always have to have someone to hate and fear. I've not been to either nation, but I was in China before China discovered capitalism. Our CPCU International Seminar group, holding joint educational conferences with the People's Insurance Company of China, attended a banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, across from the Emperor's Palace. We even traveled on Chinese Air Force transports. I didn't see an "enemy" on the whole trip. I recall a conversation with one of the vice-chairmen of the P.I.C.C. who told me (in perfect English) that for decades prior to America's recognition of China he had operated an office on Maiden Lane in New York City, near AIG, where the P.I.C.C. arranged their reinsurance. It was the Chinese who invented insurance!
The Conch Republic
When we lived in Miami, I supervised claims in the Florida Keys. We were only 90 miles from Cuba. Cuba was "our enemy," and Miami was full of Cuban exiles. In the 240-hour Florida Insurance License course I taught four nights a week at the Miami Adult Center I had many Cuban refugees who had been insurance executives or agents in Havana before coming to the U.S. Some spoke no English, but Florida allowed them to take the license exam in Spanish. They got higher scores than most of those in the insurance program at Florida State University. Politically, these folks made sure that the U.S. continued to see Cuba as an "enemy." It was communist. Shouldn't we all be shaking in our boots as we embargoed all trade and aid to the Cubans?
A few months after we left Miami the U.S. Border Patrol set up an inspection station on U.S. 1, the Overseas Highway, somewhere between Marathon and Key West. U.S. citizens in Key West had to pass through Customs to get to Miami, so Key Westers figured that they must now be a foreign country and declared themselves "The Conch Republic." Our Key West adjuster-in-charge at the time, who later became an executive with the company, took a trip to Antarctica. He took a Conch Republic flag with him and was declared the Conch Ambassador to Antarctica. Well, at least the Conchs had a sense of humor and never declared war on us.
To believe we have no enemies is probably pretty naive. When al Qaida can destroy our World Trade Center, damage the Pentagon, and put underwear or shoe bombs on airliners--or drug gangs can kill people in turf battles--real physical enemies are no joke. Like it or not, we must react to some degree, and agencies such as the Border Patrol and TSA become realities. We adjusters must be the foot soldiers in the war on insurance fraud, another very real enemy. But how should we react and respond to those who profess to despise us, whether they are religious fanatics or plaintiff lawyers with their accusatory ads? Frankly, I worry more about those who see enemies on every street corner than I worry about real threats that I can personally do nothing to prevent. When we make enemies of gays, immigrants, or women's physicians, we've gone too far. Those who are our political enemies today may be our allies tomorrow. It is perhaps only those who are afraid to look at reality who end up fearing what might not be fearful at all.
Whenever I enjoy a great dinner--all that fat, red meat, carbohydrates, sugar, and salt--I'm a real enemy to myself. I've met that enemy, and it is me. Somehow, I sort of like the son-of-a-gun anyway, even if he does make me feel guilty.
Ken Brownlee, CPCU, is a former adjuster and risk manager based in Atlanta, Ga. He now authors and edits claim-adjusting textbooks.


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Type ResourcesOctober 18, 2005
Vitaly Friedman is collecting license-free fonts. That's right, free as in beer; you're able to use these for commercial work, and unlike most free font collections, there are some in here you may actually want to use. Consider plugging a few of these into your new, free copy of Font Explorer.
- One of the more original faces in the set, the large x-height makes it more appropriate for headlines than body copy. Four weights are available, for a good variety of choice.
- Reminiscient of Gill Sans, and probably notable more for its origins than its aesthetics. Piqiarniq was commissioned by the government of Nunavut, a territory in the Canadian arctic to provide characters for the Inuktitut language.
- A baroque face with more than a passing resemblance to Garamond — compare them side by side below the fold on this page. Plenty of ligatures to keep typofetishists happy.
- …and 17 more.
Caveat emptor though. Babelfish seems to indicate that the updated note on the Day Roman page casts doubt on the origins of the font, with the word 'plagiarisms' jumping out in particular. As is the case with any resource available for free on the internet, it can't be a bad idea to research the origins yourself before committing to using them in your commercial work.
And hey, nothing's wrong with paying for your type. Even if you're not looking to shell out a few hundred for an OpenType family with a dozen variants from a major foundry, there are plenty of independent font designers out there.
Mark Simonson's new Proxima Nova is off to a great start, but his back catalogue is not to be missed either. P-Type Publications has released a couple of Indie Fonts collections, which feature samplings from your favourite independent foundaries like Test Pilot Collective and P22. And for the whimsical, don't miss Robot Johnny and Larabie. (I've had Robot Johnny's 'Girls Are Weird' installed for, like, years and years.)
Caveat indeed. Day Roman aside, other fonts in the 'license-free' collection actually impose non-commercial licenses, meaning you can not use them without paying for them, so use the list with discretion. Again, make darn sure you know the origin of the 'free' resource you found online before using it in your own work.
Sorry to double-post, but, after checking out those 20 fonts more, several specifically state in their descriptions that commercial use is prohibited or restricted …
Oh darn! Just as I was falling in love with Day Roman, I read that update. Oh well, I'm positive that I can find a noncommercial use for it. :)
More like this please. Thanks!
"Four weights are"
Ehm, oops!
It should also be noted that at http://www.fontsmack.com/ there are free fonts too, downloadable ttf's and swf's (for sIFR).
Introducing new fonts is just big tease to us web designers. It's like when my dog sees me eating a piece of chocolate, and he knows he won't get to partake. I see those fonts and think how great they would look on a site, but in the next breath I'm trying to convince myself that verdana and georgia really are very attractive fonts.
Just fyi, the "and 17 more" link needs a slash at the end.
Great post - thanks!
I wish they'd made the Font Explorer update for Windows as well.
Post some more like these please if you find any. Thank you sooooo much for posting these!!
I've always been a bit skeptical about free fonts for exactly the reasons that you mention. How do you go about researching them to verify that they aren't ripped off from somewhere?


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By The AP's Own Logic, The AP Ripped Off Obama
from the creative-thinking... deptLaw professor Doug Lichtman has a monthly podcast (on an annoyingly flash-only website) called the Intellectual Property Colloquium. A few months back, we discussed the episode that looked at file sharing damages. I must admit that I tend to disagree with a significant percentage of Lichtman's conclusions on intellectual property, but unlike many copyright maximalists, I tend to believe he's much more intellectually honest on these issues. His positions don't seem to come from a "more is absolutely better because it makes me/my clients more money" position, but he honestly tends to believe that greater copyright leads to a greater net outcome, and tends to argue reasonably about it -- though, I believe some of that reasoning, and the assumptions that underpin it are faulty.
In the latest podcast, Lichtman and three guests discuss "fair use" with most of the focus being on the Shepard Fairey case. Lichtman talks with one of Fairey's lawyers (Mark Lemley), a lawyer for the AP (Dale Cendali) and finally the General Counsel of the NY Times, Ken Richieri. It won't surprise many, I'm sure to say, that I strongly agreed with the points Lemley made, in explaining (a) how Fairey's use is almost certainly fair use. But the debate between Lemley and Lichtman is still quite worthwhile.
The key point that Lichtman keeps jumping back to is an interesting attempt to justify blocking fair use on what (at first glance) appears to be free market principles. That is, Lichtman states, repeatedly, that because Fairey could have licensed an image of Obama prior to making his artwork, there shouldn't be fair use. His argument is that this is as free market approach, and that fair use might not even need to be considered. To Lichtman, if there is a "functioning" market that can be made, there's no fair use. At a first pass, this may sound quite appealing to free marketer/libertarian types. But it's wrong. That's because what he's talking about is not a true free market at all. It's an artificial market, based entirely on a gov't backed artificial scarcity. It's a market built on a monopoly, which is no free market at all.
It also seems to go against the very intent of copyright itself, in that it suggests that as long as there's a "reasonable" tollbooth that can be placed on things, there shouldn't be fair use. But if that tollbooth is actually creating friction and decreasing, limiting or hindering creative output, then it can and should be seen not as "promoting the progress," but the exact opposite. Lemley does a decent job on the spot to warn against the frictions caused by such a "permission" culture, in that it's quite unreasonable in many cases to have to get permission, but Lichtman dismisses this as a minor issue, or really one that can be worked out separately. To me, that suggests a rather distinctly poor assumption about creativity and creative culture these days. Requiring ad hoc permission on any potential use would create massive chilling effects on all sorts of creativity. Lichtman also suggests that a third party intermediary (perhaps YouTube) could serve as a clearinghouse for such rights, but that too creates all sorts of problems.
Overall though, this highlights the problem I have with those who continue to support strong copyrights under a "free market" perspective. A true free market for a good with infinite supply will price that good at zero. But copyright distorts that market to limit that possibilities. It's as if some believe that any market represents a free market, even if that market is massively inefficient. Back in the days of the sugar monopolies, there was "a market" for sugar, but it was not a fair market price, because of the gov't backed monopoly. Or, to make the point clearer, today there is no "market" for air, despite the fact that it's quite valuable to all of us mammals who like to breathe. We could, in theory, create a gov't backed market for air, recognizing its value, and forcing people to pay to breathe, but most people inherently recognize how inefficient and wasteful that would be. Yet, content has the same fundamental (effectively) limitless supply as air (if anything, air is more limited). And yet, some think it needs a similar artificial and inefficient market.
As for the rest of the podcast, Cendali's defense of the AP's position was an incredible stretch (and, it was disappointing that Lichtman softballed his responses to her, pretending to "channel" what Lemley might say). Her defense was effectively: "The AP relies on licensing to survive. We need to survive. If what Shepard Fairey did was fair use, then it would destroy the AP, thus it can't be fair use." That's wrong on a variety of levels, and Lichtman barely touched on any of them. The purpose of copyright isn't to protect the business model of a single company. I could create a company that is harmed by fair use of my works, but that doesn't mean they're not fair use. Cendali also induced a guffaw from me in response to Lichtman's question about why the AP didn't notice the fact that its image was being used. Her response was that since the AP has so many images, it would be impossible to track them all and see if they're being used. Indeed, but no one was asking that. What Lichtman asked (and failed to follow up on) was why the AP didn't notice that this image -- which was being used everywhere -- was based on an AP image. No one expected the AP to track all its images, but you would think with such an iconic image getting so much coverage, that the AP would notice.
Cendali, keeps trying to suggest that the Mannie Garcia photo was something special, but fails to explain (even Lichtman pushes back somewhat, and Cendali answers a different question) what parts of the photo are actually protectable under copyright. She basically just says that because Garcia was a professional photographer, that the work is clearly covered by copyright. That's not how copyright works, though. She also keeps saying that because Fairey picked this particular photo it proves that the photo had something special. But, if he'd picked a totally different photo, she'd say the same thing. The simple fact is that Fairey could only pick one photo to make this picture, and this is the one he chose:
"He could have selected any one of probably hundreds if not thousands of photographs, But he selected this particular photograph, and he selected it for a reason, as he's already stated in various interviews. He was looking for a particular photograph that presented Obama in a particular way, in a hopeful way, in a way looking forward to the future... This wasn't just any random photograph... He was looking for a particular photo... and for him to now minimize that is not fair."No, what's not fair is claiming that any of that is the AP's to own. None of it. Not a single part of it was. All of that -- the hope, the way he was looking, was simply there. What made him choose it was the look on Obama's face -- which is not Garcia's creative output, and thus cannot be covered by copyright. In fact, the most frustrating thing of all is that Cendali repeatedly claims that Fairey was ripping off Garcia (and the AP), but misses the obvious problem with that argument: which is that if her argument is correct, then the AP and Garcia also ripped off Obama, since it was his creativity in looking the way he did and making the facial expression he did. Once again, such externalities are apparently only acceptable when the AP benefits. But, Cendali seems to ignore that, and Lichtman lets her get off, noting that he basically agrees with her.
The final guest was actually a pleasant surprise. Richieri notes that he's not a copyright lawyer, but a newspaper lawyer, and thus doesn't approach things from an "ownership" perspective, but a "fairness" perspective, and notes the importance of fair use in the news business. He doesn't add too much new to the conversation, but it is refreshing to hear someone who, unlike the AP, seems to recognize that trying to own every last word/phrase/headline doesn't really make much sense.
Overall, the podcast is worth listening to, but the Cendali section may involve a bit of headbanging for it being so blatantly mistaken on the very basics of copyright law.
Filed Under: copyright, dale cendali, doug lichtman, fair use, ken richieri, mannie garcia, mark lemley, shepard fairey
Companies: associated press, ny times


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OVERLAND PARK, KS — Most health clubs may view Jazzercise as a competitor to their internal group exercise programs, but the Athletic Club of Overland Park doesn't see it that way. The club recently partnered with the nation's second largest Jazzercise franchise to layer on programming for its members, attract a broader clientele and compete with the four other health clubs within a half-mile radius.
"In an industry that's so competitive in its programming, it's important to have a lot of options to keep your members interested in your facility," said Julie Heitkamp, fitness director for the Athletic Club. "Jazzercise is a unique type of group exercise program and attracts a unique client."
More than 6,000 Jazzercise instructors teach 20,000 classes each week, but the Overland Park franchise is one of the first large stand-alone centers to move inside of a health club. Angie Ford, who leased a 3,600-square-foot center for 13 years, said the news of her move created buzz at a recent meeting with 170 center owners.
"They were drooling over the fact that I no longer have to do maintenance on my center and get to keep all of my classes," Ford said. "A few people said that maybe I'm starting a new trend by moving my classes into a health club."
Ford decided to move her 600 members and 45 classes across the street to the health club when her building was sold, and she wasn't able to reach an equitable lease agreement with the new out-of-town owners. She considered moving her Jazzercise franchise six years ago, but many of the area clubs didn't have the space for such a large group exercise program. The 50,000-square-foot Athletic Club, however, features a full-sized gym and two group exercise studios to accommodate the large Jazzercise classes.
Because Jazzercise and the Athletic Club are two separate entities, they each have their own check-in desks. Ford also requested that the club include some exterior signage to promote the Jazzercise franchise. To foster a sense of cooperation, Jazzercise and the Athletic Club plan to offer "community classes" to allow members of both entities to experience a new type of group exercise. The club will also offer a premium membership so members can attend Jazzercise classes and so Jazzercise members can use the full amenities of the health club.
While many of the Jazzercisers have embraced the change, some of the members don't like the idea of being in a health club, Ford said. She expected to lose about 20 customers, but so far, only six have cancelled their memberships.
"Some of my students have been coming to my center for 13 years, and I thought the change might freak them out," she said. "The response has been very positive. Our members enjoy the fact that we still have the same schedule, programming and instructors."
Heather Witt, a Jazzercise instructor, said the move to the health club has been beneficial for many reasons.
"We've been at the center for a long time, and the change helps to get students and instructors out of their rut," she said. "It's different because it's not our own space, but it's nice to see what other people do in terms of fitness."


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April 3, 2006
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The men's track team concluded their spring break trip with another solid outing at the University of Florida Diet Pepsi Invitational last Saturday. Competing against some of the country's top programs including University of South Carolina, University of Tennessee, Florida State, University of Virginia, Indiana University and University of Florida, the Engineers turned in several quality performances.
After a mediocre showing in the previous day's competition, senior Uzoma Orji stepped up in both the hammer throw and the shot put. His NCAA qualifying marks of 187-7 in the hammer throw and 57-11.75 in the shot put gave him seventh and third place finishes. Freshman James Oleinik posted career highs in the hammer (129-8) and discus throws (121-1).
The Engineers also found success in other events. Despite being on the tale end of a grueling spring trip, several of MIT's athletes notched season-best marks. These highlights were provided by sophomore Dave Reshef in the 800 (2:00.94), sophomore Chris Bruce in the 3000 steeplechase (10:03.89), senior Eric Khatchadourian in the 5K (15:35.06), senior Thad Wozniak in the long jump (20-3 1/2) and sophomore Anthony Teixeira in the triple jump (43-3 3/4). The 4x400 squad also looked strong with a time of 3:28.47.
MIT also competed against Colby College and Grinnell College in the Spring Fling Meet last Wednesday in Clermont, Florida. The Engineers won every event but one and placed first with 209 points, while Colby (120) and Grinnell (16) trailed behind. Sophomore Omari Stephens and senior David Blau led the way for MIT with multi-event victories.
Blau was victorious in both the 100 (11.1) and 200 (22.34) meter dash, and Stephens took the pole vault (13-0) and the 110 meter hurdles (15.88). Also with first place marks were freshman Alex Rothberg (51.17 in the 400), senior Fivos Constantinou (4:04.97 in the 1500), Dave Reshef (2:01.74 in the 800), freshman Jake Ruzevick (16:26.33 in the 5000), Chris Bruce (10:12.22 in the 3000 steeplechase) Uzoma Orji (53-2.50 in the shot put) and junior Chris Bateman (19-8.50 in the long jump). The Engineers also walked away with wins in the 4x100 and 4x400 relays.
MIT next competes in Worcester, Mass. in the Engineer's Cup against with RPI and WPI. Action will begin at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 8.


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Filed under: Milwaukee area | Tags: anti-capitalism, austerity, black bloc, crowds, elections, milwaukee, occupy, recall, rowdy crowds, scott walker
From AnarchistNews:
Four arrests Wednesday evening. A "keep it in the streets" protest in downtown Milwaukee followed the re-election of Governor Scott Walker, and was scheduled to respond to the victory of either politician. At this time, four have been released and cited with disorderly conduct and one more recently released back into our arms a day later than the rest. The five that were arrested were almost arbitrarily chosen for their close proximity to the blind and fevered panic of the police. The police, despite their smirks, had far less control over the situation than they want to say. At moments they had to put their hands on their guns just to convince themselves of who was in control. Shit was out of control.
After a year and a half being wasted on a recall election, after all of the energy put into the Capitol occupation and state-wide strikes was funneled into useless electoral politics, there is now room to breathe and begin again. This newfound freedom to act was seen in the streets of Milwaukee with surprising clarity. What started as a gathering of talking heads quickly escalated into a push and shove match with police, whose aim was to corner and stop any unpermitted march from taking place. Within seconds of the march, protesters took to the streets as dozens of cops in riot gear attempted to contain them. The crowd was unwilling to be pushed aside, and worked together to shove back and wind around the horses, motorcycles, and beefy baton-wielding helmets.
The black bloc, though dormant in Milwaukee for years, seemingly reappeared (some in all black, some with red bandannas, and some other groups and individuals who wore some form of the mask) and it both engaged in confrontation and helped to defend individuals in the crowd, while others that weren't bloc'd up joined in and initiated their own actions. Its very presence declared non-violence an impossibility.
Police tried to stop the crowds, but failed again and again to contain its excesses. People pushed against police lines and horses and pulled their friends to safety as cops attempted to arrest them. One startled cop had some unknown liquid thrown at his face during the first attempted kettle. At another moment of police provocation a member of the crowd wrested a baton from the grip of a cavalry officer, hit him, and threw the baton at another, then jumped into the cloak of the crowd. It was unruly, disobedient, and willing to shove, at least 150 deep.
After twelve or so blocks of low-intensity conflict, protestors made it to Zeidler Park, the planned to be space of occupation. At this point the PA once again became an instrument of boredom as the crowd was talked at by people that wanted to give speeches instead of dance, or eat, or fight. Attention was then shifted to supporting those arrested, and a small crowd moved to the local police station to await their release. No occupation happened, but for now that is ok. All in all, the event was a short but inspiring leap away from the silly matter of a recall election.
When asked about the protest, police chief Flynn was quoted saying that it was MPD's job to "babysit" the crowd while they "pretend to be relevant protestors". We couldn't disagree more. It is only now that the police have been identified as a thing to be fought, and the recognition that democracy will always fail to appease its audience that Wisconsin joins relevant contemporary struggle. Last year at the Capitol there was some confusion as to whether or not the police could be considered a part of the working class and it is very nice to see this question can put to rest. There is nothing more salient to present-day politics than an antagonism towards police.
Meanwhile, the media acted with calculation, minimizing and simplifying events, as they are expected to, creating a safe distance from any possible intensity. To them, it was simply a protest, it was "40", it was "several". It marched roughly half the actual distance down the forgettable avenue of Plankinton, when the wildness really cut through Water Street, the center of downtown. We blocked traffic "briefly" (ahem, forty god minutes at least). Their tendencies are to be non-descriptive, to imply that those that got arrested deserved it, and to minimize the actual event as much as possible, acknowledging it only so as to explain it away.
Similarly, the Left attempts to erase the excitement and power we experienced at the march. They talk about a peaceful, nonviolent protest where police officers unjustly arrested individuals to stifle free speech. From their press releases to the photos they post, the shining activists of the 99% were all but crushed, helpless victims.
The truth is that the march wouldn't have happened if it hadn't been as unruly and forceful as it had been, and there would have been many more arrests and injuries at the hands of the police. There was anger, and there was power.
To the rest of the world that is fighting and making 2012 the year that the world ends: Don't wait for us, we'll catch up!
We were not the 99%. We were 150, and we were angry.
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Standing in the middle of the ice age
Permafrost Tunnel reveals hidden bone beds
Bison have not thundered through this neighborhood for thousands of years. But there's one now, Matthew Sturm said, as he pointed to a horn cemented in a cold, dark wall 30 feet beneath the boreal forest.
"We're standing in the middle of the ice age," Sturm, an expert on snow, ice and other frozen things said from inside the famous Permafrost Tunnel, bored into a hillside north of Fairbanks. "This was the savanna of the north, with bison, saber-toothed cats, mammoths and horses. This is one of the great Pleistocene bonebeds in the world. Hundreds of boxes of bones came from Engineer and Goldstream creeks."
Sturm and Margaret Cysewski, both of the U.S. Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory on Fort Wainwright recently gave me a private tour of the emerging new permafrost tunnel in Fox, along with a walk through the old one. Their goal is to alert people to a community meeting regarding the new and old tunnels in late July regarding how best to allow school-age kids and others a chance to step back in time just a few hundred yards from the Steese Highway.
With the original Permafrost Tunnel, the Army wanted to investigate the feasibility of building usable spaces within — and lasting foundations above — ground as hard as granite. Bored into the hillside by Army soldiers in the 1960s, the old tunnel extends into the hillside more than 350 feet.
Inside, the air smells bittersweet, like something half rotten. The air is 40 degrees colder than the summer day just outside the freezer door. Fine dust wafts from the floor, a reminder of the violent winds that carried the powder of glacier-ground silt from river valleys, constructing the hills around Fairbanks. The dirt froze into place here, along with bison horns, ponds, ancient tree stems and pond microbes that have danced with life when thawed on glass slides after a slumber of 30,000 years.
Within a few steps, the tunnel allows a journey back to the Pleistocene, a time when New York City, Chicago, and almost all of Canada was beneath the blue ice of glaciers, while this spot was paradoxically a rich grassland teeming with animals. Like nowhere else, the tunnel shows that ground that froze during a colder time and has remained that way through the heat of at least two summers is in great supply in Alaska.
"It's hard to explain permafrost to most people, but if you take them in here, they get it in about 10 minutes," Sturm said. "And when they're done I suggest they drive back using Goldstream Road and think about why those bumps are there."
Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter have worn hard hats for a stroll in the Permafrost Tunnel, as have many senators and congressmen. With the start of a new tunnel a few hundred feet away from the old one, researchers are brainstorming on ways to share the experience with the public, rather than just VIPs or school groups who happen to know a scientist with a key to the gate. Sturm and Cysewski will invite the public to the old tunnel on August 18 and 19 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
To close out my private tour, Sturm and Cysewski escorted me into the new tunnel, about 200 feet southwest of the old one. Currently 100 feet long, the tunnel is taller than the old one — big enough to park a few mobile homes inside bumper-to-bumper. Dug by researchers and a contractor who piloted the John Deere excavator, the new tunnel is a few degrees colder than the old one and shares its musty, distinctive odor. About midway through, a massive clear wedge of ice spans the entire wall. The drilling operation also revealed an intriguing thaw pond with woody debris that froze there on a cold day 30,000 years ago. For a person who thinks a 100-year old prospector's cabin is old, that number is hard to fathom. But it's not for the scientists who are now squinting at the walls of the new tunnel, rediscovering the lost savanna of the north.
(Since the late 1970s, the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Geophysical Institute has provided this column free in cooperation with the UAF research community. Ned Rozell is a science writer for the Geophysical Institute.)


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Configuring Comodo Firewall Pro
This article is no longer maintained, so its content might be out of date.
Comodo Firewall Pro is a freeware software package for Windows that that controls the programs that can connect to the outside world and the types of connections that they can make. If Comodo Firewall isn't configured correctly, it can prevent Firefox from accessing the Internet, causing Firefox to give Server Not Found - Troubleshoot connection problems errors. This article describes how to configure Comodo Firewall Pro to give Firefox access to the Internet.
Note: This article describes how to configure Comodo Firewall Pro, version 3. For Comodo Internet Security, see Configuring Comodo Internet Security.
- Open Comodo Firewall Pro - click the Windows Start button, then click .
- In the Summary window, under the Security Monitoring heading, click the Application Monitor.
- In the list of Application Control Rules, locate any mentions of Firefox or firefox.exe. Click on each one, then click .
- After removing each instance of Firefox in the Application Control Rules list, click the Tasks button.
- In the Tasks window, click the Define a new Trusted Application.
- In the Trusted Application window, under the Specify Application heading, click C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\ and choose firefox.exe. Click at the bottom of the Trusted Application Window.
Navigate to your Firefox program folder (usually
- Return to the Application Monitor by clicking its icon on the left side of the Window. You should see Firefox listed, this time with full access rights.


text: Even though giant ocean-going freighters are able to float atop the waves, were your home ever to flood you probably wouldn't be able to take refuge in this 3,500 pound stone bathtub boat from Antonio Lupi. But that's ok, because if you blew your decorating budget on a $75,000 bathtub, the rest of your home will probably be left empty and unfurnished. [Antonio Lupi via Fancy]


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STOCKTON - Delta advocates rallied the faithful on Monday, warning at a special forum that legislators and the public must be prepared for a water fight that could drag on for years.
STOCKTON - Delta advocates rallied the faithful on Monday, warning at a special forum that legislators and the public must be prepared for a water fight that could drag on for years.
Gov. Jerry Brown's $24.5 billion twin tunnels plan is expected to be formally unveiled in December.
The plan is widely opposed in San Joaquin County and around the Delta because the tunnels would siphon away a portion of the fresh water that today flows through the estuary.
One emphasis at Monday's event, held at University of the Pacific, was the need to form partnerships not only within the Delta but elsewhere in the state, where opponents hope to convince water users that the tunnels are unnecessary and unaffordable.
"We certainly have the science and the facts on our side," said state Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, one of the state Legislature's most outspoken Delta defenders. "We have the cost and financing and economics on our side. What we're really going to need to do is form alliances and reach out and persuade others. Our success will be dependent on that."
Monday's forum was mostly preaching to the choir, with many of the 150 or so people in attendance already familiar with the project and the arguments against it.
Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla, executive director of Stockton-based Restore the Delta, talked about the impacts not only on Delta farmers but on the region's broader agricultural economy.
"It's going to affect people who sell tractors on Charter Way, people who sell insurance, people who sell the fuel and seeds, the other things needed to run a farm," she said. "You think (Stockton's) bankruptcy was hard? Between a degraded economy and a degraded environment, I don't see how we could recover (from the tunnels)."
John Herrick, an attorney representing south Delta farmers, said the government has failed to live up to existing water quality standards in the Delta.
"The question posed is, can a freshwater estuary be improved by having less fresh water flow through it?" Herrick asked, to which members of the audience replied, "No."
Herrick said the matter may well be decided by the courts.
Wolk said the struggle will go on for years and is "not for the faint of heart or for sunshine patriots."
And it will require money.
"We're going to have to take (the fight) to Southern California, which means ballots, initiatives, and they're expensive," she said. "Make no mistake -we're going to have to do that."
Assemblywoman Susan Eggman, D-Stockton, said that if it wasn't for organized opposition, construction would probably have started already.
"It really is the community engagement that allows us to get as much traction as we have," she said.
Stockton City Councilwoman Kathy Miller called for local communities to "re-engage" with the Delta Coalition, a countywide group of government, business, agriculture and environmental interests. The coalition, which formed in 2011, hosted Monday's event.
"Many cities passed a resolution stating that they continue to support work of the Delta Coalition, but we're not seeing regular attendance by elected officials or staff," she said. "We need that. We need you to be there with us."
In an announcement last week about the upcoming release of the tunnels plan, state officials emphasized that no decision has been made to move forward with the project. Public comments on the upcoming documents, estimated to be 25,000 pages long, will be accepted from Dec. 13 through April 14.
Contact reporter Alex Breitler at (209) 546-8295 or firstname.lastname@example.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/breitlerblog.


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WATERLOO, Ontario – Defending champion Hee Young Park and Shanshan Feng topped the second-round leaderboard Friday in the LPGA Tour's Manulife Financial Classic, a stroke ahead of Michelle Wie.
Park had a 5-under 66 to match Feng at 11-under 131 at Grey Silo. They are both bogey-free through 36 holes.
"The weather was lot better than first round," Park said. "I hit a lot of greens. My goal was try to leave uphill putts and that worked well. I think that makes me more comfortable."
Last year, Park beat Angela Stanford with a birdie on the third playoff hole after they finished at 26-under 258 to match the tour record for lowest total score.
"I have a lot of good feelings on this golf course," Park said.
PHOTO GALLERY: Friday's best shots from Manulife and other big tournaments
Feng shot a 66.
"I'm really happy about my playing today because it's a bogey-free round again, six birdies," the Chinese player said. "I think I did pretty well. ... I heard the weekend's supposed to be nice, so we need to go for many, many birdies."
Wie, the winner in Hawaii in April, followed her opening 65 with a bogey-free 67. She's seeking her second victory in Canada after winning the 2010 Canadian Women's Open in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
"Just wasn't getting anything close to the hole today," Wie said. "Just got a lot of putts close. But yeah, it's not a really easy golf course. Definitely, the wind was changing a lot today. There were a lot of times where I thought it was downwind and it was into the wind, so that was definitely difficult."
Anna Nordqvist, a two-time winner this year, was 9 under after a 64 – the best round of the week. The Swede, the winner in Thailand and Carlsbad, played her opening nine – the back nine at Grey Silo – in 5-under 30 and added birdies on Nos. 3 and 4.
PINEHURST PREVIEW: Get your first look at our exclusive U.S. Open coverage
"I got off to a really good start. I hit it good all day," Nordqvist said. "I think I hit all fairways and all greens, so that makes it a little bit easier. I'm a little bit disappointed with the last couple holes because I hit a lot of good putts that didn't go in. Last one I left it about a roll short dead in the middle."
Second-ranked Inbee Park four strokes back at 7 under a 66.
"I putted really a lot better than last couple weeks this week, yesterday and today," Inbee Park said. "Even if everything's not going in, I see it going really close to the hole. So I'm really happy with my stroke and I just need to hit more shots a little bit closer because there's obviously a lot of opportunities here. Just trying to make a lot of birdies."
Stacy Lewis was 4 under after her second straight 69. She's making her first start since taking the top spot in the world from Inbee Park with a victory Sunday in New Jersey.
Third-ranked Lydia Ko also was 4 under after a 67. The 17-year-old Ko, the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic winner in California in late April, won the Canadian Women's Open as an amateur the last two years.
"I feel great when I play in Canada," Ko said. "The support is humungous and that's, I guess, where we get our power and confidence from."


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Flagship sedan offers roomy comfort.
Midsize Cars
Editor: Larry Edsall
$22,230 Base Price MSRP
$25,700 As Tested MSRP
Model Lineup: Ford Five Hundred SE ($22,230); SE AWD ($24,080); SEL ($24,230); SEL AWD ($26,080); Limited ($26,380); Limited AWD ($28,230)
Standard Engine: 3.0-liter dohc V6
Engine Options: 203-hp 3.0-liter dohc 24-valve V6
Standard Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Transmission Options: 6-speed automatic; continuously variable transmission
Basic Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles
Assembled In: Chicago
Model Tested MSRP: Ford Five Hundred SEL ($24,230)
Standard Equipment: dual-zone climate control with rear outlets, eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat and two-way power front and fold-flat passenger's seat, cruise control, tilt steering column, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, audio controls on steering wheel, keypad entry on driver's door, automatic locks, folding power side mirrors, remote (key fob) locks, power windows, overhead console, AM/FM w 6-CD changer and MP3, fog lamps, automatic headlamps, electronic message center with compass, electrochromic interior mirror, outside temperature display, woodgrain interior trim, remote puddle lighting, 17-inch wheels, enhanced sound insulation
Options As Tested: Safety package ($795)
Standard Safety Equipment: dual-stage frontal airbags, front-seat belt pretensioners, child locks on rear doors, LATCH anchors for child-safety seats, anti-lock brakes with electronic brake-force distribution; traction control on fwd models
Optional Safety Equipment: front-seat side-impact airbags and full-length safety curtain airbags with rollover protection, traction control, all-wheel drive, rear parking sensorDestination Charge: $675
Volvo assisted with engineering a body structure that benefits from the latest in safety technology. Ford acquired the Swedish automaker famous for its passenger-protecting innovations in 1999 and, when it came time to develop the Five Hundred, employed Volvo's best structural and safety engineers to work on the project.
The Ford Five Hundred is available with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, the latter giving it more stable handling and better traction, particularly in inclement weather.
The V6 engine that comes on all models delivers responsive performance and good fuel economy. On front-wheel-drive models, the V6 is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, which offers more responsive performance and better efficiency than a traditional four-speed automatic. All-wheel-drive models come with a continuously variable transmission, a design noted for its responsiveness and efficiency.
The 2006 Ford Five Hundred is available in three trim levels: SE, SEL, and Limited. Each is available with all-wheel drive. All are powered by a 3.0-liter V6 called the Duratec 30 rated at 203 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. Front-wheel-drive models come equipped with a six-speed automatic. All-wheel-drive, or AWD, models use a continuously variable transmission, or CVT.
SE ($22,230) and SE AWD ($24,080) come equipped with air conditioning, a six-way power driver's seat, a tilt steering column, power locks, mirrors and windows, remote key fob unlocking as well as keyless entry (entry via a driver's door-mounted keypad, a popular Ford feature), overhead and front consoles, CD player, and 17-inch wheels.
SEL ($24,230) and SEL AWD ($26,080) add dual-zone automatic climate control with rear-seat air outlets, eight-way power for the driver's seat and two-way power for the front-passenger's seat, a six-CD changer and MP3 capability, leather-wrapped steering wheel with built-in audio control, wood grain interior trim, an electronic message center with a compass, self-dimming interior mirror, outside temperature display fog lamps, chrome body accents and automatic headlamps.
Limited ($26,380) and Limited AWD ($28,230) get leather-trimmed seats, heated front seats, 18-inch wheels, a bright-texture grille, chrome mirror caps, memory seats and mirrors, Audiophile audio with subwoofer, four-way power front passenger's seat, cream-colored instruments and an analog clock in the center of the dashboard.
Options include traction control, leather trim seating for SE and SEL models, power-adjustable pedals for the Limited model, a power moonroof, and a rear obstacle warning system for SEL and Limited. A family entertainment system, consisting of a headliner-mounted DVD player, flip-down flat screen television monitor and two wireless headphones is available on the SEL and Limited.
Safety features include an optional package for the SE with side-impact airbags (for torso protection) and canopy airbags (for head protection), an anti-theft perimeter alarm and lights ($795); a similar safety package for the SEL and Limited includes the side-impact and canopy airbags ($595). Anti-lock brakes (ABS) are standard on all models.
Walk Around
The Ford 500 name goes way back. Ford first used it in numerical form for the 1957 Fairlane 500, the highest trim version of the car that helped Ford overtake Chevrolet in the sales race. When Ford launched a new flagship, the Galaxie, in 1959, it again used the 500 badge to indicate the most upscale version. When Ford brought back the Five Hundred (spelled out) as an all-new product for 2005, it was as a separate model and as the new flagship of its fleet of cars.
The Five Hundred is much bigger than the old Taurus. The Five Hundred is 3 inches longer, 1.5 inches wider, and 4 inches taller than the Taurus. It also rides on a wheelbase that is 4.5 inches longer, which not only gives the car its solid, luxury-car stance but enhances smooth ride quality.
The Five Hundred's basic structure benefits from Volvo's extensive safety research. The chief designer said it was a challenge to sculpt a Ford-styled body around a Volvo chassis, and added that designers used what he calls plainer surfaces with taut lines to give the car a modern look without losing its passenger-car proportions. The Five Hundred's rounded forms offer a more conservative alternative to the more upright, angular Chrysler 300.
The Five Hundred's face has large, jewel-styled and multi-bulb triangular headlight elements on either side of a wide, trapezoidal grille. Chrome accents the front bumper, rear bumper, doors and window frames. Large rear side windows give the Five Hundred more of a luxury car profile.
The tall trunk lid has a spoiler-like lip along its top trailing edge. The rear of the car features large, multi-element and triangular shaped tail lamps and dual, down turned exhaust tips.
The SE and SEL ride on seven-spoke aluminum wheels and Continental tires while the Limited gets distinctive eight-spoke 18-inch wheels and Pirelli tires.
The Ford Five Hundred boasts a roomy cabin. In fact, it's roomier than the big Crown Victoria (108.3 cubic feet of passenger space vs. 106.4 for the Crown Vic), which is impressive given the Five Hundred is a foot shorter in overall length.
Rear-seat room is particularly impressive: In fact, there's more rear legroom (41.9 inches) than front legroom (41.2 inches). That rear-seat legroom is enhanced because the front seats are mounted above the rear floor, leaving room for your feet underneath.
We spent time in the driver's and front passenger's seats as well as the back seats and found all of them comfortable and supportive even after several hours in the car. All seats feature what Ford calls a command view of the road, with seat-bottom cushions that are some four inches higher than those of a typical mid-sized sedan. The front seats are mounted on a Volvo-devised cross-body beam that runs from the bottom of the B-pillar (the post between the front and rear doors) that adds strength to the car's shell and helps provide protection in the event of a side impact.
Each of the four doors has a beverage holder, and additional cup holders are located in the center console between the front seats with two more in the center console that folds down from the back of the back middle seat. The dashboard has a covered storage compartment in its top center section. The dashboard comes in silver or wood-grain trim with metal used for the door releases and around the base and top of the gear shift lever.
We found the switchgear well designed and easy to use. Audio controls are mounted at the top of the center stack with climate controls beneath.
The steeply raked windshield can reflect glare off the top of the dashboard, however, something we noticed with the tan-colored Pebble interior. (Shale and Black interiors are also available.) Also, a driver wearing sunglasses can have trouble reading the darkly colored gauges in the SE and SEL models. The Limited light-faced gauges are easier to read.
The Five Hundred has a big trunk (21.2 cubic feet) that can hold eight sets of golf clubs. The rear seatbacks fold forward to provide enlarged luggage space, and the front passenger's seat (on SEL and Limited versions) folds down to provide space for a 10-foot long ladder or other object to fit inside the Five Hundred with the trunk lid closed, a neat trick for a sedan.
Driving Impressions
The Ford Five Hundred accelerates with authority. Its 3.0-liter V6 engine delivers more than sufficient power for this big sedan, even when four adults are aboard. You can squeal the tires and race away from a stoplight. Or you can push down your right foot and the six-speed transmission on front-drive models quickly downshifts as the engine responds with the power you need for passing, or for accelerating onto a freeway.
The Five Hundred is very quiet when cruising along, and we never had to raise our voices to carry on a conversation with those sitting beside, behind or in front of us.
The Five Hundred's long wheelbase, independent front and rear suspension and stiff chassis work well together. Steering is nicely weighted and provides good feedback.
The disc brakes are impressively effective. The Five Hundred comes standard with anti-lock brakes (ABS) with electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), which optimizes front/rear brake bias to shorten stopping distances. Also helping to reduce stopping distances is the size of the brakes: 12.5-inch discs with double-piston calipers on the front wheels and 13.0-inch discs in the rear.
While many automakers still use four-speed automatic transmissions, front-wheel-drive versions of the Five Hundred benefit from a six-speed automatic, which provides smoother performance and better fuel efficiency. The Five Hundred, equipped with front-wheel drive and six-speed automatic, is rated 21/29 miles per gallon City/Highway by the EPA.
While we spent most our time in the front-wheel-drive version, we did take time to try an all-wheel-drive Five Hundred on a dirt hill in a rock quarry. While another all-wheel-drive vehicle spun its wheels and struggled mightily to climb the slippery hill, the all-wheel-drive Five Hundred sedan went right up and over. You may not need to tear through rock quarries, you may need to drive through snow, and the Five Hundred should handle winter travel well. All-wheel drive also helps in the rain, where it stabilizes the handling of the car.
AWD models come with a continuously variable transmission, or CVT, that provides seamless operation and 19/26 mpg. Ford used the efficient CVT to help overcome the usual mileage penalty paid by heavier, more complex all-wheel-drive systems.
The Ford Five Hundred delivers full-size interior space in a mid-size car. Back seat passengers won't be cramped and there's plenty of room for luggage. Its V6 engine delivers sufficient power and its transmissions help the engine perform well while achieving fuel-efficiency.
New Car Test Drive correspondent Larry Edsall is based in Arizona.
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When to Plant Basil in Orangefield, Texas, United States of America
Planting vegetable seeds at the correct time is the most important step for getting the most out of your garden. Knowing exactly when to plant basil in your garden in Orangefield, Texas, United States of America will increase growing success and provide better yields.
Check optimal planting dates regularly for best results because the weather, and our results, change daily.
The optimal time to plant basil in Orangefield, Texas, United States of America is - . The best day is with a success rate of %.
Anywhere between 70-100% is great. If consistently below that you may want to start growing from seedling or young plant, or possibly grow in sheltered environment
Optimal time frame to start
Frost free days
Grow period
Tell us what you think about these results
You are very interesting!
Important basil growing information relevant to your exact garden location in Orangefield, Texas, United States of America:
The total number of frost free days for your garden in Orangefield, Texas, United States of America is days, but the total number of optimal days to plant basil is days.
For best results you should start planting basil in days starting .
Gardening Data Sources
University Research
Cooperative Extension
Gardening Websites
Gardening Blogs
Seed Suppliers
Seed Breeders
Home Gardeners
Other Sources
Gardening Data Sources
University Research
Cooperative Extension
Gardening Websites
Gardening Blogs
Seed Suppliers
Seed Breeders
Home Gardeners
Other Sources
How to Grow Basil in Orangefield, Texas, United States of America
For more real-time hyper local detailed growing information download the GardenWeather App on IOS. It is now the leading gardening and weather app, more accurate than The USDA zone map for frost dates. GardenWeather™ is a technology and agri-tech startup providing real-time hyper local planting and gardening recommendations enabling home gardeners and homesteaders to make data-driven gardening decisions.
Use these images to know if your basil is heading in the right direction and growing properly. Exact number of growing days varies for each basil variety. Below is the average number of days for each stage gathered from many different varieties.
Basil Germination Guide
(Stage 1: Germination)
Germination is the process by which a plant grows from a seed. It is the first stage of the plant growing process and it begins when the seed is sown and ends when the radicale emerges out of the seed.
All seeds require proper soil temperature, moisture, air and light conditions to germinate successfully. However, during the germination stage the seeds require more soil warmth and moisture than light exposure.
Seeds respire just like any other living organism, requiring oxygen and producing carbon dioxide (CO2), so it is crucial to use a soil media that is sufficiently aerated so that the seeds do not "suffocate".
79% of our growing experts recommend to directly sow basil seeds into the ground. What is direct sowing and why do I care about it?
Required germination period
5-11 days
Optimal germination period
4-10 days
Required soil temp.
70.3º-89.5ºF / 21.3º-31.9ºC
Optimal soil temp.
69.5º-75.3ºF / 20.8º-24.1ºC
Required day temp.
0º-0ºF / -17.8º--17.8ºC
Optimal day temp.
69.9º-70ºF / 21.1º-21.1ºC
Required night temp.
0º-0ºF / -17.8º--17.8ºC
Optimal night temp.
59.9º-0ºF / 15.5º--17.8ºC
Optimal seed depth
0.3 inches / 0.7 cm
Optimal plant spacing
15.1 inches / 38.4 cm
Optimal row spacing
18 inches / 45.7 cm
Basil Growing Guide
(Stages 2-5: Growth)
Once seed has germinated and radicale has emerged the second stage of the plant growing process begins, developing from radicale to cotyledon -the embryonic first leaves of the seed forming a young seedling.
During the third stage of plant development cotyledon develops to 3-4 true leaves, stem begins to grow, becoming a mature seedling.
In the fourth stage the mature seedling develops to a young plant, ready for transplanting.
The fifth stage of plant development the plant is fully mature bearing fruit and/or flower.
The following guidelines apply to all of the basil plants' needs during stages 2-5 from radicale emergence to full maturity. During these stages sunlight becomes a more active participant in plant growth and development than in the germination phase.
Soil pH is an important factor during these stages as well. What is pH and why is it important?
Required soil temp.
NANº-NANºF / NANº-NANºC
Optimal soil temp.
72.8º-81.8ºF / 22.7º-27.7ºC
Required day temp.
65º-NANºF / 18.3º-NANºC
Optimal day temp.
67.3º-71ºF / 19.6º-21.7ºC
Required night temp.
65º-NANºF / 18.3º-NANºC
Optimal night temp.
59.8º-60ºF / 15.4º-15.6ºC
Required sunlight hours
Optimal sunlight hours
Required soil pH
Optimal soil pH
Required watering amount
NAN-NAN inches / NAN-NAN cm (per week)
Optimal watering amount
1-1.2 inches / 2.5-3 cm (per week)
Optimal depth
0.3 inches / 0.6 cm
Optimal plant spacing
9 inches / 23 cm
Optimal row spacing
17 inches / 43.2 cm
How difficult is it to grow basil?
Growing basil, or any other vegetable for that matter, is not hard, however some plants require more attention and care than others depending on the following factors:
Are you starting to grow your plant from seed? seedling? young plant? Depending on what stage plant you choose to plant will impact growing difficulty and patience.
The length of the growing season for your exact garden location.
If you have a short growing season and you want to start growing from seed then you may need to start the growing process in a sheltered environment (greenhouse or inside your home) which will require more involvement in the growing process.
Whether you direct sow in the garden or start in trays and then transplant also affects the level of difficulty
Growing difficulty level - 0
Growing patience level - 0
Companion Planting Guide
What is companion planting?
Companion planting is intentional planting of two or more vegetables and/or flowers next to each other in order to positively impact plant health and yield
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Posted November 17th, 2010 by Ray LaHood
We're honored to have this guest blog post from Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. This week DOT debuted Faces of Distracted Driving, a web video series that tells the stories behind the statistics.
Believe it or not, I wasn't always so outspoken about the dangers of distracted driving. Like a lot of folks, I just didn't give a lot of thought to it.
But that all changed as I met people from coast to coast who told me about the loved ones they lost in senseless crashes caused by texting and cell phone use behind the wheel. And it was their stories--of dreams shattered and lives cut short--that turned the fight to end distracted driving into my personal crusade.
These people have had a profound effect on me. And I think their stories will have a profound effect on you.
I'm proud to announce "Faces of Distracted Driving," a new online video series featuring people from across the country who have been injured or lost loved ones to distracted driving. We're launching this today with three videos, and we'll add a new one every few weeks.
We also invite others who would like to share their stories to post their own videos on YouTube and email a link to faces [at] distraction [dot] gov.
Just last year, nearly 5,500 people were killed and 500,000 more were injured in distracted driving-related crashes. But, these aren't statistics. They're children and parents, neighbors and friends.
There's 13-year-old Margay Schee, who boarded her school bus and never made it back home.
There's 58-year-old Julie Davis, who never got to meet her 14th grandchild.
And there's 16-year-old Ashley Johnson, whose dream of becoming a psychiatrist will never come true.
From left to right, Margay Schee, Ashley Johnson, and Julie Davis
These lives, and too many others like them, were cut short--not because of malice, but because of carelessness. And the families they left behind understand the tragic consequences of distracted driving better than anyone. They will all tell you the same thing: no text or phone call is worth the risk.
So, I hope you'll watch these videos. I hope you'll share them with the people you love. And I hope you'll think of these faces--of Margay, and Ashley, and Julie--when you get into your car and put your cell phone in the glove compartment.
(This is cross-posted from the Department of Transportation's Fastlane Blog.)
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