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(907) 264-2587
Fax (907) 264-2591
INTERNATIONAL UNION OF ) OPERATING ENGINEERS, LOCAL 302, ) Petitioner, ) ) vs. ) ) CITY OF KOTZEBUE, ) ) Respondent. ) ________________________________) Case No. 91-023-RC & 91-035-RC Consol.
This case was heard on December 17, 1991, before the Alaska Labor Relations Agency, with Chairman Darrell Smith and Board Member B. Gil Johnson, participating, and Hearing Examiner Jan Hart DeYoung, presiding. The record closed on December 17, 1991.
Robert M. Goldberg, Goldberg and Associates, for Petitioner International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 302; and Jerald M. Reichlin, City Attorney, for respondent City of Kotzebue.
The Public Employment Relations Act applies unless a municipality affirmatively acts to reject it by ordinance or resolution. A municipality must act promptly and not at its leisure. Adopting an ordinance rejecting PERA approximately three and one half years after the enactment of PERA is not acting promptly and is ineffective to reject PERA.
This is another case raising the issue of a municipality's rejection of the Public Employment Relations Act under section 4 of the legislation adopting PERA. Section 4, ch. 113, SLA 1972. In this case the Operating Engineers challenge the City of Kotzebue's ordinance rejecting PERA because the City did not also adopt a substitute collective bargaining scheme or, in the alternative, because the City adopted it approximately three years after the enactment of PERA. The City of Kotzebue defends its ordinance by arguing that, so long as it did not adopt its ordinance to frustrate employees' actual exercise of rights under PERA, it may reject PERA at any time.
The parties stipulated to the following statement of facts, which the Agency adopts.
Stipulated Statement of Facts
1. On March 4, 1976, the City Council of the City of Kotzebue enacted Ordinance 76-73 rejecting the provisions of the Public Employment Relations Act (PERA). The Ordinance was passed pursuant to the authority of Section 4, Chapter 113, SLA 1972. (Exhibit 1).
2. The Ordinance preamble notes that:
[T]here are no pending negotiations with employees of the City nor is the Council aware of any intended formation of a bargaining unit within the City at the time of introduction of this Ordinance.
3. In December of 1990, the City was contacted by the International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 302 (Local 302), which stated its interest in representing City employees in the Public Works Department.
4. On December 13, 1990, the City informed Local 302 that it had long ago rejected PERA and enacted a scheme of ordinances dealing with wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment. The City's ordinances do not contain a provision for collective bargaining. (Exhibit 2).
5. The City offered to meet and confer with Local 302 regarding any recommendations or proposals it might have. The offer to meet and confer said that it was not recognition of any particular representative status nor was it an offer to bargain. Id.
6. Pursuant to the City's reply a meeting with Scott Vaughn (Vaughn) of Local 302 and Caleb Pungowiyi (Pungowiyi) was held in early February, 1991, at which there was discussion of union representation of City employees and employee concerns over recent City cost cutting measures including reduction of hours and layoffs.
7. On February 22, 1991, the Alaska Labor Relations Agency (Agency) informed the City that it had received a petition from Local 302 seeking certification as the representative of the employees of the City's Public Works Department. The letter stated:
Under 2 AAC 10.060 this Agency must verify that the Petitioner has shown that 30 percent of the permanent and probationary employees in this union want to be represented. To do so I require a certified list of the names and job classes for all employees currently employed in this unit.
If, after comparing the interest cards with this list, it is determined that the Petitioner has obtained the required threshold of interest, I will first notify the parties and then post notices of the petition in workplaces of the proposed unit. Please note that this notice will state that interested parties may object to the petition with the Agency within 15 calendar days from the date of posting the notice.
(Exhibit 3).
8. The City replied by letter of March 4, 1991, that it had rejected PERA in 1976. With regard to the authority for the Agency's verification of employees under 2 AAC 10.060, the City wrote:
The statutory authority for this regulation is AS 23.40.170, a part of PERA. Since the City has validly opted out of PERA it is the opinion of the City of Kotzebue that the regulation has no application to the City.
The City also noted that the statute enumerating the powers, duties and functions of the Alaska Labor Relations Agency limited its authority to PERA. (Exhibit 4).
9. By letter of March 18, 1991, the Agency informed the City that:
[It would] consider your correspondence as a timely objection to the Representation Petition. However, the City must file the requested employee list.
. . . .
If the Agency determines that there is not the required showing of interest then the Agency will dismiss the petition. If this threshold is satisfied, the Agency will post the Notice of Election. The employer then has 15 days from the date of posting to file any objections to the petition of election.
. . . .
This Agency takes the position that it has jurisdiction to review the effectiveness of a municipality's rejection, by ordinance or resolution of the Public Employment Relations Act per Section 5, Chapter 113, SLA 1972.
. . . .
If I do not receive a current employee list . . . , I will determine the showing of interest without it. I will consider any failure to provide a current employee list to be a waiver of any objection to that determination.
The Agency cited Kodiak Island Borough v. State of Alaska, Dep't of Labor, Labor Relations Agency and the International Bhd. of Elec. Workers, Local 1547, Case No. 3AN-90-4512. (Exhibit 5).
10. On May 1, 1991, the Alaska Labor Relations Agency wrote and informed the City that since it had declined to provide the Agency with an employee roster,
[I]t has waived any right to challenge whether the petitioner has established the threshold requirement of a 30 percent showing of interest under AS 23.40.100.
(Exhibit 6).
11. On May 8, 1991, the Agency's letter, along with a Notice of Petition for Certification of Public Employee Representative (Notice) and a Local Petition for Certification of Public Employee Representative (Petition) were served on Pungowiyi, the City Manager, by an Alaska State Trooper. The Trooper sought to post the Notice and Petition in the City Hall and the Public Works Department.
12. Pungowiyi presented the Trooper with a copy of the lawsuit, City of Kotzebue v. Alaska Labor Relations Agency, Case No. 2KB-91 35 Civil (filed May 2, 1991), and refused to allow posting of the petition notice.1
13. On May 10, 1991, the Agency wrote the City and stated:
Because the City of Kotzebue has refused to allow posting, the Agency is departing from its usual procedures and is scheduling a hearing on the sole issue of the Agency's jurisdiction over the City under Section 4, Chapter 113, SLA 130 1972.
(Exhibit 7).
A prehearing conference was held on Tuesday, May 28, 1991. A second prehearing conference was held on Tuesday, September 3, 1991.
This Agency previously reviewed a challenge to a municipality's rejection of PERA under section 4, ch. 113, SLA 1972 in International Bhd. of Elec. Workers v. City of Homer, Decision & Order No. 138, at 6 - 7 (Dec. 31, 1991), appeal docketed, No. 3AN-92-1095 CI (super. ct. filed Jan. 29, 1992). After reviewing administrative and judicial decisions, the Agency identified three principles to guide a review of an opt out ordinance or resolution: timeliness of the rejection; existence and knowledge of organizational activity; and absence of a substitute collective bargaining scheme. Id., at 7.
Ultimately the Agency rejected the third principle, absence of a substitute for PERA, as a basis for rejecting an opt out ordinance. Id., at 8 - 17. The Agency failed to find in PERA an obligation on municipalities to adopt a substitute for collective bargaining upon rejecting PERA under section 4. Likewise, in this case PERA does not mandate the City to adopt a collective bargaining substitute to validate or perfect its rejection of PERA.
The Operating Engineers, however, raise an additional basis for invalidating the ordinance rejecting PERA; they claim a municipality must act promptly in rejecting PERA. This Agency previously has identified the timeliness of a resolution or ordinance rejecting PERA as bearing on its validity. Id., at 7.
The City of Kotzebue adopted its ordinance rejecting PERA on March 4, 1976 -- three years and nine months after PERA was signed into law on June 7, 1972, Alaska v. City of Petersburg, 538 P.2d 263, 89 L.R.R.M.(BNA) 3095 (Alaska 1975), and three years and six months after PERA's effective date of September 5, 1972. Sitka v. International Bhd. of Elec. Workers, Local 1547, 653 P.2d 332, 114 L.R.R.M.(BNA) 2858 (Alaska 1982).
The City's delay in adopting the ordinance in this case far exceeds the delay in all of the cases in which the Alaska Supreme Court has considered the validity of a municipality's rejection of PERA under section 4, ch. 113, 1972. For example, the City of Petersburg adopted its ordinance six months after the effective date of PERA. Alaska v. City of Petersburg, 538 P.2d 263, 89 L.R.R.M.(BNA) 3095 (Alaska 1975) (challenge upheld). The City of Anchorage adopted its resolution rejecting PERA on August 8, 1972, one month before PERA's effective date, and the Greater Anchorage Area Borough adopted its resolution rejecting PERA in April of 1973, seven months after the effective date. Approximately one month after the merger of the city and borough in September of 1975, the newly created Municipality of Anchorage passed a resolution rejecting PERA. Anchorage Municipal Employees Ass'n v. Municipality of Anchorage, 618 P.2d 575, 576, 108 L.R.R.M.(BNA) 2255, 2257 (Alaska 1980) (challenge rejected). The City of Fairbanks adopted its resolution one month before the effective date of PERA -- August of 1972. City of Fairbanks v. Fairbanks AFL-CIO Crafts Council, 623 P.2d 321, 108 L.R.R.M.(BNA) 2397 (Alaska 1981) (challenge rejected). Sitka acted eleven months after the effective date. Sitka v. International Bhd. of Elec. Workers, Local 1547, 653 P.2d 332, 333, 114 L.R.R.M.(BNA) 2858, 2859 (Alaska 1982) (challenge rejected). In all of these cases the municipalities acted either within one year of PERA's effective date or within one year of their formation.
The Agency2 has considered challenges to ordinances and resolutions adopted more than one year after PERA's effective date. It found the Kodiak Island Borough's resolution, which was adopted in January of 1980, over seven years after the effective date, ineffective to reject PERA. International Bhd. of Elec. Workers, Local 1547 v. Kodiak Island Borough, DOLLRA Decision and Order 90-5 (May 2, 1990), affirmed, no. 3AN-90-4512 (super. ct. Dec. 9, 1991), appeal docketed, No. S-4891 (supreme ct. filed Dec. 20, 1991). It also declined to recognize a City of Bethel resolution rejecting PERA. Bethel adopted its resolution in 1982, approximately ten years after the adoption of PERA and approximately two and one half years after the Agency had certified a bargaining representative for a unit of employees in that city. Alaska Public Employees Ass'n v. City of Bethel, DOLLRA Decision & Order 90-6, at 13 (Nov. 7, 1990), appeal docketed, no. 4BE 90-219 CIV (super. ct. filed Dec. 4, 1990).
In all of these cases a recurring theme appears -- the need for a municipality to act promptly and not at its leisure in rejecting PERA. Although the court has not provided a specific deadline for municipal action, it does require that the action be reasonably prompt. In Anchorage Municipal Employees, the court states:
Nor does Petersburg set a limited time period of six months after the enactment of PERA during which the exemption must be exercised, thus precluding exemption by newly formed governments such as the Municipality which were not in existence during that period. Petersburg merely holds that a public employer which chooses to opt out of PERA must do so promptly, rather than at its leisure, and that under the facts of that case, six months was adequate time for the City to act. The decision does not deprive a newly formed municipality of the option to reject PERA, so long as it does so promptly after its formation and without interfering with the employees' exercise of their established rights. To hold, as AMEA urges, that the exemption option was only intended to available for a limited period of time after the enactment of PERA would basically rob Section 4 of any continued validity even though it is still printed in the Alaska Statutes. Had the legislature wanted Section 4 to be of temporary duration, we think it would have so indicated.
618 P.2d at 579, 108 L.R.R.M.(BNA) at 2259 (emphasis added, footnote omitted).
In this case PERA was unquestionably the law in the City of Kotzebue for a period of more than three years. We reject the argument of the City that rights under PERA mature only after they are exercised. PERA applies absent an affirmative act to reject it. Petersburg, 538 P.2d at 268, 114 L.R.R.M.(BNA) at 3098 - 3099. We believe that the action to reject PERA must be taken within a reasonable time period. Id. The court in Sitka notes that PERA, signed into law on June 7, 1972, was not effective until September 5, 1972, and states, "This interim period afforded adequate time for municipalities to become informed [of PERA] in most cases." Id. The City of Kotzebue had adequate time to learn of PERA long before March 4, 1976.
Over three years is an unreasonable period of time to delay action. In considering a seven month delay rejecting PERA, the court noted that, "Although seven months may be considered untimely in some circumstances, there is nothing in the present case to indicate that GAAB acted less than conscientiously and diligently in rejecting PERA." Anchorage Municipal Employees, 618 P.2d at 581, 108 L.R.R.M.(BNA) at 2260. The City of Kotzebue did not act diligently or conscientiously by delaying over three years. We therefore conclude that PERA applies.
Conclusions of Law
1. This Agency has jurisdiction under AS 23.40.100 to consider the issue of a challenge to a municipality's attempt to reject PERA under section 4, ch. 113, SLA 1972.
2. Section 4, ch. 113, SLA 1972 provides:
This Act is applicable to organized boroughs and political subdivisions of the state, home rule or otherwise unless the legislative body of the political subdivision, by ordinance or resolution, rejects having its provisions apply.
3. A municipality must act promptly and diligently under section 4, ch. 113, SLA 1972 to exercise its rights under that section.
5. A delay of three and one half years is not prompt action and invalidates the attempt to reject PERA.
6. City of Kotzebue Ordinance 76-73 is ineffective to reject the application of PERA and PERA therefore applies to the City of Kotzebue.
1. The City of Kotzebue's objection is DISMISSED.
2. Fourteen days from the date of service of this decision and order the City of Kotzebue shall file with the Agency a certified list of employees in the unit described by petitioner in its petition.
3. If a sufficient showing of interest appears, the Agency will proceed to direct the posting of the petition under 2 AAC 10.070. If the showing is insufficient because of personnel changes while this proceeding was pending, the petitioner may supplement its showing for a period of 30 days following a finding of insufficiency.
4. If petitioner establishes the required 30 percent showing of interest under AS 23.40.100, the Agency will proceed if appropriate to conduct a secret ballot election.
Darrell Smith, Board Chairman
B. Gil Johnson, Board Member
Not Participating
James W. Elliott, Board Member
1On May 8, 1991, the City filed a complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief against the Agency seeking a declaration that the Agency had no jurisdiction over the City and seeking to enjoin Agency proceedings in this action. City of Kotzebue v. Alaska Labor Relations Agency, Case No. 2KB-91 35 Civil (filed May 2, 1991).
2"Agency" is used in this decision to refer to the present Alaska Labor Relations Agency and one of its predecessors, the Department of Labor, Labor Relations Agency (DOLLRA). Before July 1, 1990, the Department of Labor, Labor Relations Agency administered the Public Employment Relations Act for municipalities. On July 1, 1990, the Alaska Labor Relations Agency assumed the administration of PERA for municipalities as well as for the state and school districts. Executive Order 77 (eff. July 1, 1990). DOLLRA issued the decisions and orders in Alaska Public Employees Ass'n v. City of Bethel, DOLLRA Decision & Order 90-6 (Nov. 7, 1990), appeal docketed, no. 4BE 90-219 CIV (super. ct. Dec. 4, 1990), and International Bhd. of Elec. Workers, Local 1547 v. Kodiak Island Borough, DOLLRA Decision & Order 90-5 (May 2, 1990), affirming invalidity of opt out, No. 3AN-90-4512 (super. ct. Dec. 9, 1991), appeal docketed, no. S-4891 (supreme ct. filed Dec. 20, 1991).


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Come see the beautiful rolling hills of Pacific Ridge. This park-adjoining lot will go quickly. Includes deed restrictions with homeowners' association, large park & conservancy protecting oak savannah, landscaped entrance, large rolling hills, public boat launch at Swan Lake (1 mile away) and close to Portage.
Features Lots and Acreage
|Total Acres: 0.95
|Zoning: res
|Present Zoning: Single family
|Lot Size:
|Lot Description: Rural - in subdivision
|Taxes: $542
|Elementary School: Pardeeville
|Middle School: Pardeeville
|High School: Pardeeville
|School District: Pardeeville Area
|Body of Water:
Estimate your monthly mortgage payment
How much can I borrow?
Speak with a mortgage consultant: 608-276-5210

subset: commoncrawl


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System RecommendationsJayNewWeb Jul 18, 2010 1:27 PM
Hi Harm,
I've read this thread and have a few questions for a system I'm looking to build, please.
[Naturally, while I'm directing that towards Harm, I hugely appreciate advice from anyone else, too.]
I will mainly be running Premiere CS5 and the common related apps. My budget for everything excluding software is about $5,000 ($4,000 is okay too).
CASE: For a case, I'm not into contours, windows or lights. I like the clean, "business-like" look of the Lian Li PC-A77F you recommended, for instance -- though that's currently unavailable on NewEgg as I type this and I'm wondering if there's a reason -- such as it being discontinued for another model or something (or else I can just look elsewhere). It seems to provide plenty of cooling, and options for quieter fans. So, can we confirm this as the choice, please, or suggest a similar alternative? (Note that once I decide on the case, I may ask your advice on upgrading the cooling, including specifically for the GPU, which I notice the Lian Li PC-A77F supports.)
MOBO: ASUS P6X58D. I'm guessing that's a good choice that should require no further dialog.
CPU: i7, but then the question is 920, 930, 980x? I'm not an enthusiast and would normally never consider overclocking, but I see you recommend it. I will need you or someone to point me to how, but you say it's simple so that's fine. Just as long as I never risk it crashing and corrupting my OS. (Note that I read somewhere that overclocking requires slowing down the memory and it becomes almost a wash, but I don't know the details or how reliable that was.) As to cost, well, it becomes a question of where it hits the point of diminishing returns. If there really is a significant time difference when encoding, I'll pay for it. The time it saves me will be worth it. I'm not going to begin to try to guess how to quantify this, or figure this one out without your advice.
GPU: That will be the GTX-470, thank-you-very-much.
RAM: What I'm currently looking at is "Kingston HyperX 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) XMP Desktop Memory Model KHX1600C9D3K3/12GX Intel XMP Ready." I'll go with whatever you suggest, and will appreciate your advice on generally ballparking the performance difference between 12 GB vs 24 GB.
HARD DISK DRIVES: At your suggestion, I did a lot of reading and chose the Samsung SpinPoint F3 for my choice for hard drive. I will go with a total of five hard drives: one for OS/apps, one for swap, and three in a RAID-5 array for data.
RAID CONTROLLER: I have gotten unanimous advice not to use the on-board RAID, but don't yet have any suggestions for the controller card to get. I have had used LSI before and am told it's one of the best. I'd appreciate your advice.
PSU: I know I need "plenty." Would you care to make a recommendation? (If using the Lian Li PC-A77F, I believe mounting the PSU in the bottom is preferred. Would you agree?)
COOLING: Once the choice for case and mobo is made, I'd appreciate your advice on an aftermarket CPU fan if any and extra GPU cooling if any. I don't know that you'd suggest getting into water cooling for this system, and I assume I can handle quieter aftermarket case fans on my own.
BURNER: I'm planning on burning DVDs and CDs, and have not even begun to explore Blue-ray at all yet. I'm strictly producing business presentations. Do you suggest I get a BR burner, or just a standard DVD/CD burner? And would you care to suggest one?
Thanks so much!
[Note: I've edited this post to clarify at the top what my budget is "excluding software." -- Jay]


text:
When searching for a new home there are certain factors that will impact your decision.
The decision to buy property must not be taken lightly and must most certainly not be based on a few photoshopped images.
Where you choose to live is affected by factors such as:
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- Safety: How safe are you in your area? You can always check out the crime section of the South Coast Sun to get an up-to-the minute account of any safety concerns in your community.
- Medical facilities: Your health and access to healthcare is one of the most important parts of deciding where to live. Good or bad, we inform you about healthcare in your area.
- Leisure: Thinking of relaxing and taking some time off your work week? Looking for fun activities to do with your family on the weekend? All you have to do is pick up your copy of the South Coast Sun, or check out our online entertainment section.
- Parks: Common spaces for people to relax, walk their dogs, and enjoy the African sun are an important part of any community. Our coverage of the upper South Coast ensures you know which areas are safe, clean, and a pleasure to use.
- Public transport: Lying at the heart of our communities is the public transport infrastructure. The South Coast Sun is always on top of any developments, safety concerns, and improvements made to public transport in your area.
South Coast Sun Homes is unlike any property portal in South Africa. The South Coast Sun has for many decades provided you with useful information that has allowed you to make informed decisions about your future and the future of your family.
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i prefer the term Manure
Sreesanth said, "Next ball he was beaten and I said, 'is this the King Charles Lara? Who is this impostor, moving around nervously? I should have kept my mouth shut for the next ball - mind you, it was a length ball - Lara just pulled it over the church beyond the boundary! He is a true legend."
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Kate's Pregnant! How the Queen Found Out
They're having a baby! Now what?
With the big news that Prince William and Kate, both 30, are expecting their first child, friends and family greeted the announcement with joy – and caution.
The Duchess of Cambridge remains hospitalized with a severe form of morning sickness.
"There is a real excitement," a royal source tells PEOPLE in this week's cover story, "but obviously people are anxious about the Duchess."
The couple had hoped to keep the news secret until at least Christmas, but Kate's illness prompted them to reveal it early.
Palace sources say William informed the Queen, his father, Prince Charles, and his brother Prince Harry – the British Army captain is currently stationed in Afghanistan – before his wife was hospitalized Monday, with friends only hearing the announcement when it went public.
Not surprisingly, the pair timed the pregnancy so as not to overshadow the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, nor to disrupt a major foreign tour.
"I don't think anything is left to chance," says Majesty editor Ingrid Seward. "Kate is probably one of the most organized [royal] women we've ever known."
source: people.com
Posted by Admin at 7:18 AM
Labels: Dutchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, Kate Middleton Pregnant, Kate Middleton's Illness, Kate's Pregnant, News, Pregnancy, Prince William, Prince William And Kate First Child


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5 U.S. Code § 306 - Agency strategic plans
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§ 306.
Agency strategic plans
(a) Not later than the first Monday in February of any year following the year in which the term of the President commences under section 101 of title 3, the head of each agency shall make available on the public website of the agency a strategic plan and notify the President and Congress of its availability. Such plan shall contain—
a comprehensive mission statement covering the major functions and operations of the agency;
general goals and objectives, including outcome-oriented goals, for the major functions and operations of the agency;
a description of how any goals and objectives contribute to the Federal Government priority goals required by section 1120(a) of title 31;
(4) a description of how the goals and objectives are to be achieved, including—
a description of the operational processes, skills and technology, and the human, capital, information, and other resources required to achieve those goals and objectives; and
a description of how the agency is working with other agencies to achieve its goals and objectives as well as relevant Federal Government priority goals;
a description of how the goals and objectives incorporate views and suggestions obtained through congressional consultations required under subsection (d);
a description of how the performance goals provided in the plan required by section 1115(a) of title 31, including the agency priority goals required by section 1120(b) of title 31, if applicable, contribute to the general goals and objectives in the strategic plan;
an identification of those key factors external to the agency and beyond its control that could significantly affect the achievement of the general goals and objectives; and
The strategic plan shall cover a period of not less than 4 years following the fiscal year in which the plan is submitted. As needed, the head of the agency may make adjustments to the strategic plan to reflect significant changes in the environment in which the agency is operating, with appropriate notification of Congress.
The performance plan required by section 1115(b) of title 31 shall be consistent with the agency's strategic plan. A performance plan may not be submitted for a fiscal year not covered by a current strategic plan under this section.
When developing or making adjustments to a strategic plan, the agency shall consult periodically with the Congress, including majority and minority views from the appropriate authorizing, appropriations, and oversight committees, and shall solicit and consider the views and suggestions of those entities potentially affected by or interested in such a plan. The agency shall consult with the appropriate committees of Congress at least once every 2 years.
The functions and activities of this section shall be considered to be inherently governmental functions. The drafting of strategic plans under this section shall be performed only by Federal employees.
(Added Pub. L. 111–352, § 2, Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3866.)
Prior Provisions
A prior section 306, added Pub. L. 103–62, § 3, Aug. 3, 1993, 107 Stat. 286; amended Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title IX, § 902, Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 717; Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814; Pub. L. 109–435, title VI, § 604(b), Dec. 20, 2006, 120 Stat. 3241, related to strategic plans, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 111–352, § 2, Jan. 4, 2011, 124 Stat. 3866.
LII has no control over and does not endorse any external Internet site that contains links to or references LII.


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Having gotten myself a Rubidium Frequency Standard I found that the unit on its own is not that useful, its really just a component and needs really a supporting PSU and a decent enclosure to make it useful. I was searching around for something suitable when I was directed to a robust quality unit being sold on e-bay for just £20 with an unbelievable level of re-usable content and turned out to be an almost perfect solution to making the Rubidium Standard a useful Lab item. Rarely does such a fine marriage of junk bits come together to make something really useful.
I had a lot to cover, the whole thing was built in an afternoon and as a result this is a long video at 1 hour 16 mins so be prepared…
The PIC Micro-controller – PIC12F675
The original plan was to use the PIC for three functions, the first was to make the power LED flash while the RFS was warming up and on solid when locked. The second was to generate a 1 PPS signal from the 10Mhz signal and the third was to generate a PWM signal to control the fan speed. As it turns out the RFS already has a 1 PPS output on Pin 6 of the DB9 connector so there was no need for this. It also transpired that the only fan I had to hand was a three wire fixed speed fan, so I also did not need the PWM signal, this left me with just the power LED to deal with which is what the PIC ended up controlling. Here is the schematic for the PIC and the source code.
#include <xc.h> // Using MPLAB-X and the XC8 compiler, both are free from Microchip.com. I am using this on OSX (Mac) and with an ICD3 for programming. // PIC12F675 Configuration Bit Settings // CONFIG #pragma config FOSC = INTRCIO // Oscillator Selection bits (Internal oscillator: GPIO on GP4/GP5) #pragma config WDTE = OFF // Watchdog Timer Enable bit (WDT disabled) #pragma config PWRTE = OFF // Power-Up Timer Enable bit (PWRT disabled) #pragma config MCLRE = OFF // GP3/MCLR pin function select (GP3/MCLR pin function is digital I/O, MCLR internally tied to VDD) #pragma config BOREN = OFF // Brown-out Detect Enable bit (BOD disabled) #pragma config CP = OFF // Code Protection bit (Program Memory code protection is disabled) #pragma config CPD = OFF // Data Code Protection bit (Data memory code protection is disabled) // IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY // // PIN ASSIGNMENTS // 2 = RBS_RDY (GPIO5) // 5 - POWER_STATUS_LED // // We are running the chip at 4Mhz #define XTAL_FREQ 4000000 #define RBS_RDY GPIObits.GPIO5 #define POWER_LED GPIObits.GPIO2 void main(void) { ADCON0bits.ADON = 0; // Turn off the ADC ANSELbits.ANS = 0; // Make all inputs digital VRCON = 0; // Turn off the internal voltage reference CMCON - 0x7; // Turn off the comparator // Set up our I/O pins TRISIObits.TRISIO2 = 0; // Make GPIO2 an output TRISIObits.TRISIO5 = 1; // Make GPIO5 an input while(1) { if(RBS_RDY == 0) { POWER_LED = 1; } else { if(POWER_LED == 0) { POWER_LED = 1; _delay(100000); } else { POWER_LED = 0; _delay(400000); } } } }
And the compiled HEX file if you want to just program the chip without compiling
The Video Amp – Extron ADA 6 300MX HV
The video amp unit I used in this hack is made by Extron and the model number (on the front panel) is ADA 6 300MX HV. When I communicated with the seller, he said he had about 30 of them, so if this is useful to you and you want to make your own I would go grab yourself one before they are gone. The basic outline schematic for an input channel is here:
The video op amp chip used in this unit is a CLC409, the Texas Instruments CLC409 Data Sheet data sheet is attached to this article.
The heat sink I have ordered can be found on e-bay, search for "150x25x60mm Aluminum Heat Sink for LED".
The switch mode PSU I used can also be found on e-bay, search for "Enclosed Power Supply SMPS,15V,2.4A,36W, it is made by TDK-Lambda and the part number is LS35-15"
See you next time.


text:
Phone +49 (0) 931 3053-0, firstname.lastname@example.com
Dear Guest,
Please ask one of our staff members should you require information with regards to any allergy/intolerance food ingredients.
Our kitchen is happy to accommodate guests with special nutritional requirements due to food allergies or food intolerances. Simply send an E-Mail before your arrival.
Download for personal use, for commercial use only after prior written approval by the Maritim Hotel.


text:
This thread is in honour of Pavarana Day, the day the mendicant community invites admonition from each other!
As I see Benefit in this practice I thought I would start a thread specifically for it. so please stay on topic of the Pavarana.
So here is my invite (even though a few hours early)Origin wrote:In India, where Buddhism began, there is a three-month-long rainy season. According to the Vinaya (Mahavagga, Fourth Khandhaka, section I), in the time of the Buddha, once during this rainy season, a group of normally wandering monks sought shelter by co-habitating in a residence. In order to minimize potential inter-personal strife while co-habitating, the monks agreed to remain silent for the entire three months and agreed upon a non-verbal means for sharing alms.
After this rains retreat, when the Buddha learned of the monks' silence, he described such a measure as "foolish." Instead, the Buddha instituted the Pavarana Ceremony as a means for dealing with potential conflict and breaches of disciplinary rules (Patimokkha) during the vassa season. The Buddha said:
'I prescribe, O Bhikkhus, that the Bhikkhus, when they have finished their Vassa residence, hold Pavâranâ with each other in these three ways: by what [offence] has been seen, or by what has been heard, or by what is suspected. Hence it will result that you live in accord with each other, that you atone for the offences (you have committed), and that you keep the rules of discipline before your eyes.
'And you ought, O Bhikkhus, to hold Pavâranâ in this way:
'Let a learned, competent Bhikkhu proclaim the following ñatti [motion] before the Samgha: "Let the Samgha, reverend Sirs, hear me. To-day is the Pavâranâ day. If the Samgha is ready, let the Samgha hold Pavâranâ."
'Then let the senior Bhikkhu adjust his upper robe so as to cover one shoulder, sit down squatting, raise his joined hands, and say: "I pronounce my Pavâranâ, friends, before the Samgha, by what has been seen, or by what has been heard, or by what is suspected; may you speak to me, Sirs, out of compassion towards me; if I see (an offence), I will atone for it. And for the second time, &c. And for the third time I pronounce my Pavâranâ (&c., down to) if I see (an offence), I will atone for it."
'Then let (each) younger Bhikkhu adjust his upper robe . . . . (&c.)'
Friends, I invite (three times) the respectable community to speak to me out of compassion regarding what has been seen, heard or suspected regarding any unskilled acts, so that I may see any fault and correct my ways!
Please do so either here or in PM as you see appropriate.


text:
Two More Cornell Gorge Deaths
Within hours of each other, two students died in Ithaca's infamous gorges on Saturday. One student was visiting; the other was a Cornell junior. Both deaths are thought to be accidental.
This weekend's deaths follow another summer gorge death, when a senior went swimming the day after graduation, the Cornell Sun reports. All three deaths were at Fall Creek Gorge, pictured above. If you own an "Ithaca Is Gorges" shirt, consider destroying it. [Cornell Sun, image via Gail Tang/Flickr]
Update: An earlier version of this article said four people died in the gorges this year. The correct number is three. Apologies.


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An ongoing series of articles on songs & performances of the early Grateful Dead.
August 15, 2009
The Allmans & The Dead
--Duane Allman
The two bands first met at the 7/7/69 Atlanta show, a free concert after the first Atlanta Pop festival - the Dead wouldn't have heard the Allmans, who'd just formed a few months before, but the Allmans were becoming popular as a local Atlanta band, and they had been fans of the Dead at least since seeing the 12/29/68 Miami Pop Festival show - whether by coincidence, their lineup (two drummers, two guitarists, organ & bass) was the same as the Dead's, but their music went in a different direction (I think Dickey Betts said their biggest influences were Cream and Hendrix). After the Dead's show, Garcia jammed with Duane Allman and many other musicians.
Their paths didn't cross again til the Fillmore East Feb '70 shows, where the Allmans (still relatively unknown) played on 2/11 and 2/14. (The other band on the bill was Love - Bear wasn't impressed with Love, but it's said that Arthur Lee added percussion to the 2/11 Dark Star. Bear also taped the other bands, so the Allmans were able to use his tape to release their "Fillmore East Feb '70" CD in 1997.)
Bear has this to say about encountering the Allmans: "In the summer of 1969 we played at a pop festival in a park in Atlanta. We had been hearing about a local band from Macon called the Allman Brothers Band, and someone brought members of the band over to meet us. As I recall they didn't play at that time [or the Dead just missed their show], so we didn't hear their music until their first record came out that fall. So when we were booked into the Fillmore East on a triple bill with the Allman Brothers, I was very pleased and looked forward to the shows with anticipation, as I had heard their record and liked the band.... There was a wonderful feeling at these concerts that made the shows a lot of fun for us all."
The jam on 2/11 is, of course, legendary. Members of Fleetwood Mac also joined in (even though they were not on the bill, and weren't even playing in New York!) - Peter Green had been a fan of the Dead since playing a run at the Carousel with them in June 1968; in fact he had just played some shows with them in New Orleans. Fleetwood Mac had started out as a strictly-blues band, but under the corrupting influence of the Dead, by early '70 they were doing long rock jams (as we can hear on their Boston Tea Party CDs, which were recorded just the week before, on Feb 5-7).
The Allmans & Dead next met at the 5/10/70 Atlanta show, where they each played and then joined in a jam of Mountain Jam>Will the Circle Be Unbroken. No tape survives. (Deadlists notes that the Dead had to borrow the Allmans' gear as theirs hadn't arrived, so possibly the show couldn't have been taped anyway.)
The Mountain Jam theme, of course, is based on Donovan's 1967 single "There is a Mountain". There has been some confusion over how both bands came to play this theme - it's even been printed that Duane first jammed it with the Dead at the Fillmore East! This is nonsense. It was one of the Allmans' earliest tunes, and shows up in a May '69 concert. I haven't seen an interview stating whether they took the idea from the Dead, or independently based the jam on Donovan's song, which is a heck of a catchy tune. The melody shows up on Anthem of the Sun, at the 9:00 point in Alligator....but it's over within 20 seconds. I don't think it's likely Duane would have taken this one little part to build a jam theme, unless he recognized "hey, that's the Donovan song - we can do something with that...."
Duane met the band again on the evening of 11/21/70, after each band had played a show. Garcia and Weir were playing a short acoustic set at a Boston radio show (Pigpen was also there, but didn't play anything). Duane showed up, but hadn't brought a guitar - so he borrowed an acoustic. Some of it is on youtube - here Duane plays a short bit of the instrumental Anji. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xr_qVfRkcw
Duane also appeared at the 4/26/71 Fillmore East show, but only played on three songs.
By summer '72 both bands had become huge and were filling stadiums. After some of the Allmans had played at the Dead's 7/16/72 show, the Dead returned the favor by showing up at the Allmans' 7/17/72 Gaelic Park show, and Garcia and Weir joined the band in Mountain Jam. A poor audience tape apparently exists - I'd love to hear it.
Then they co-headlined two nights in June '73 at the RFK Stadium - I think it was Dead / Allmans on June 9 and Allmans / Dead on June 10. Everyone knows the 6/10 jam; but in the Allmans' 6/9 show, Bob Weir and Ronnie Montrose joined the band for the Mountain Jam. There is a SBD of the show, which I haven't heard.
The two bands played again at the Watkins Glen festival, July 27-28 '73, along with the Band. The Allmans' "soundcheck" on 7/27 was apparently just a few songs, but the Dead gave a set that's become more popular than the actual show the next day! As at Monterey & Woodstock, the Dead wouldn't allow any of their music to be released (though Latvala has said that the 7/28 master reels are so full of glitches they're unusable, and he wasn't too thrilled with the show quality either). The Band's 7/28 show was theoretically released on their "Live at Watkins Glen" CD - but it turns out the music on the CD has almost no relation to the show they actually played! The Allmans closed out the festival, and the Not Fade Away/Mountain jam encore is actually the end of their set, hours after the Dead played.
Here's a page with the story behind the festival - pointing out that the idea for the show had started with the 7/16/72 jam: http://www.superseventies.com/watkinsglen.html
The biggest jam of all took place at the Allmans' 12/31/73 San Francisco show - it was one of the rare New Years where the Dead didn't play, so the Allmans filled in. Garcia, Bill Kreutzmann, and Boz Scaggs came on mid-show to jam on Whipping Post>Linda Lou>Hideaway>Bo Diddley, then ended the show with a giant You Don't Love Me>Will the Circle Be Unbroken>Mountain Jam. The show is up in three parts at Wolfgang's Vault: http://concerts.wolfgangsvault.com/pf/the-allman-brothers-band/7096.html
Duane and Berry Oakley both died while the Dead were on the road - Duane on 10/29/71 (the Dead were in Cleveland), and Berry on 11/11/72 (the Dead started the tour in Kansas City the next day). But the Allmans rolled on.... As Gregg said in '73, "I've had guys come up to me and say, 'Man, it just doesn't seem like losing those two fine cats affected you people at all.' Why? Because I still have my wits about me? Because I can still play? Well that's the key right there. We'd all have turned into fucking vegetables if you hadn't been able to get out there and play."
Garcia had a few words to say about the Allmans in a 1973 article:
'In the case of the amazing Watkins Glen Festival in New York this past July, the Dead and the Allmans were joined by the Band. The original idea for these supershows started over a year ago when a full length, cross-country tour with the Allman Brothers was booked into some of America's largest stadiums. The two bands have been long time friends, going back to the days the members of the groups first met each other backstage at the Fillmore East. Both bands were set to hop on planes to begin the tour last fall when Allman bassist Berry Oakley was killed in a motorcycle accident just a few days before their opening show in Houston, Texas. The joint tour was cancelled until this past summer, when the Allmans and the Dead made an appearance at the RFK Stadium in Washington. The RFK Stadium appearance made concert history. Ticketron, the computer network covering the eastern coast, reported that tickets to the Dead-Allmans concert were snapped up as far away as Montreal, Canada. More than 80,000 seats were sold for the two consecutive concerts.
Garcia waxed ecstatic about the experience, saying he couldn't have been more at home with The Allmans.
"It's kind of like playing with us the way we were five years ago," Jerry laughs. "Musically and set-up wise, they're kind of similar to the way we used to be. They especially sounded like us when they were the original Allman Brothers. They had two drummers, two guitars, organ and bass . . . exactly the instrumentation we had (when drummer Mickey Hart and organist-vocalist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan were in the band).
"In fact, Dickey and the guys had flashed on our music when we played at a festival in Florida about five or six years ago. We really inspired them and they've patterned a lot of their trip after us. They're like a younger, Southern version of us in some ways musically. I really enjoy playing with those guys, they're fun to play with. They're good."
Although there are definite plans afoot to release an album of a monumental Dead-Allmans jam-session early next year, the first release of the Grateful Dead Records label will be the long-awaited Grateful Dead studio album....'
It's interesting to read that they were already thinking of releasing the Dead/Allmans jams - even in recent years, a box set of their June '73 shows reported to be in the works is still in limbo. I don't think Garcia played with the Allmans again after '73.
42 comments:
Nice post. I myself have long been intrigued by the relationship, shared sorrows, and coincidences between the Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead. Both bands were simpatico and loved the other. Both bands had started out playing and recording the same songs even. We all know that the Grateful Dead recorded Morning Dew for their first album. Duane & Gregg Allman also did a recording of Morning Dew. Both bands had done "You Don't Love Me". Both bands played "Mountain Jam". Both bands were considered "house bands" for the Fillmores. Both bands closed a Fillmore venue, the Allmans at Fillmore East in June '71 and the Dead at Fillmore West in July of '71. Both bands lost original members around the same time, Duane in October of '71, Berrie Oakley in November '72 and Pigpen in March '73. Both bands were bound together through the psychedelic experience. The Allmans went to the extreme of having every band getting a mushroom tattoo put on them. The Dead, of course, had the "Acid Tests" and Owsley as part of the experience.ReplyDelete
I first saw the Allman Brothers in 1969, three days before their show in Atlanta that the Grateful Dead played at too. I saw them on 7/4/69 and the Atlanta show was 7/7/69. I saw The Grateful Dead in April of 1970 for the first time. Since then, both bands have been my favorite bands. My two favorite lead guitarists, Jerry Garcia and Duane Allman played for these two bands.
I think the thing about "Mountain Jam" is coincidence though. I suspect that both Jerry & Duane both simply loved the melody of this song and both wrote beautiful musical themes on Donovan's composition. It (Donovan's) was a big song in 1967 and all over the radio. Everybody heard it.
As far as the guys from the Allman's getting inspiration from seeing the Grateful Dead on 12/29/68, I believe it. I have read interviews in the past at how the future Allman's were doing a two drummer thing during jam sessions at this time and loving it. When they saw The Grateful Dead in Florida in '68 at the Hollywood Fest they were floored. They heard how a two drummer attack sounded live and knew they were on the right track.
Contrary to popular belief, the Allman Brothers were not a Georgia band. They were from Florida and only later moved to Georgia. Duane & Gregg were from Tennessee and were raised in military schools after their father was murdered. The family later moved to Florida. Gregg & Duane were reform school kids raised by a widowed mother. They had a tough past. They were playing together in various forms (minus Gregg) during this period in late '68 until March of '69 when they officially formed. Probably the only integrated band in the South at the time too.
They were the "Grateful Dead Of The South". and it is only fitting that the two bands should have met.
As for Watkins Glen, I read Jerry one time saying that the best music was played in the trailer back stage, when the guys and the Allmans would get high and jam. Nobody recorded that.Replies
"Contrary to popular belief, the Allman Brothers were not a Georgia band."Delete
I'm not sure why you would want to deny the Georgia connection, as Macon was certainly their adopted home. Duane signed with Capricorn in January 1969, and as quickly as Duane could put the right people together, they all moved to Macon. They played, recorded, ate, breathed, and lived on the streets and in the soul food kitchens of Macon. The Allman Brothers Museum at The Big House, the home where they lived together, is in Macon. And in the end, the Macon cemetery where they rambled and wrote music together is where Duane, Berry, and now Gregg rest in Rose Hill peace. To be certain, none of the members were born in Georgia, but you can bet your bottom silver dollar that Macon is where the soul of the Brothers (and Sisters) resides.
Thanks for the comment. I've read speculation that the Allman brothers must have seen the Dead when they were in Los Angeles (as the Hour Glass) in '67/68; but since I don't have an Allmans bio onhand, can't confirm that....ReplyDelete
- AnonymousNovember 20, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Great post, thanks for the insights. That Watkins Glend soundcheck is indeed a thing of beauty. The parts of the set with Dickey Betts onstage (NFA maybe?) i remember being very cool, and very much reminds me of the jam on the Allman's 'Blue Sky' where Duane and Dickey trade solos. Very melodic playing. Garcia and Betts do very well together in this vein, IMHO.ReplyDelete
Thanks again for this great blog!
NFA was usually the default jam-song when the Dead & Allmans played together - I especially like the one on 7/16/72. Mountain Jam is also a tune that Garcia was born to play....it's a pity he didn't sit in with the Allmans more often! There are only a few live Blue Skies from Duane's last months, it's pretty awesome - we can only imagine what a Blue Sky (or the Clementine-like Dreams) with Garcia might've been!ReplyDelete
Funny. I was at the Sunday show in DC. 14 at the time and was lovin it seeing my two favorite bands in such a great and in to it setting. Unreal!ReplyDelete
As one of my earlier posts, this one strikes me today as being quite brief! Someday I'll have to go back & put in show links and a little music description. But anyway...ReplyDelete
David Lemieux has said that the 4/26/71 Beat It On Down the Line with Duane Allman was almost included on the Ladies & Gentlemen set, but had to be dropped due to a lawsuit.
Kirk West, Allmans archivist: "We were working on a package from the RFK and Watkins Glen ('73) shows... We went through them and edited them and pieced them together. We were going to do a four-CD release: two Dead, two Brothers. And then the Brothers jammed with the Dead on their first encore and the Dead jammed with the Brothers on their second encore - and Weir jammed with the Brothers in the middle of one of the shows [6/9]... Then shortly after that, the Brothers sued Polygram, and things got jumbled up. The lawsuits aren't quite resolved yet. Once they are, we'd like to finally get it out.
...We were able to get [the 4/26/71] Sugar Magnolia for the Duane box; that's also tied up in a lawsuit... On the tapes that are floating around - you can't hear Duane hardly at all, but he's all over it.. Duane was hot in the signal the whole time [on the multitrack]; he just wasn't mixed right [on the circulating tape]...
There's two lawsuits: one involving the Allman Brothers, and one involving Duane and Polygram Records... They're in the process but they're slow. There's a royalty situation to be resolved. Too bad because these projects were ready for the artwork. Two four-CD box sets. It's been all tied up for three years now."
This interview was 10 years ago.
There's an illuminating post on the 5/10/70 Atlanta show here, with a photo and more accurate details than deadlists:ReplyDelete
- AnonymousDecember 21, 2011 at 8:19 AM
One other Grateful Dead/Allman Brothers Band pairing of sorts.... On July 3, 2003 at the Gorge, in George, Washington. The Allmans opened for the Dead/Other Ones (featuring Warren Haynes). I was there. I know it's not like the old days, but in many ways, it was. To me, it was the first pairing of the two in thirty years. And what a great night of music it was.ReplyDelete
Jeff Kaplan writes:ReplyDelete
"Feb 13, 1970 early show was my first Dead show. I had no idea who the Allmans were (nor did most people) but remember thinking that they were amazing. Garcia and Pigpen sat in seats right in front of us for the Allmans set."
I've come across a couple non-complimentary quotes from Allmans members talking about the Dead. It seems that some other guys in the Allmans were not as enthusiastic about the Dead as the guitarists were...ReplyDelete
(I'll have to break them up into a few comments due to the length restriction.)
First, Butch Trucks, when asked about jam-bands in 2006:
"There are all kinds of bands who can play a song for an hour. The problem is that most of them are just doing an hour of noodling. I am most proud that we took a blues based form of rock and blues – with a touch of country – I think we lost what the Allman Brothers were all about when we got too country. Now we have really made an effort to go back and focus on the jazz. When we started the band Jaimo brought in Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Roland Kirk. None of us had ever spent much time listening to these guys. We would all get stoned out of our gourds and put on one of their albums and it just blew us away. We were all good enough where we could comprehend what they were doing and we could get a basic approach to what they were doing.
We made a conscious decision to stop listening to our peers during the first two or three albums. We did not listen to any rock music at all. The only thing we listened to was old blues like Robert Johnson and Muddy Waters and jazz. We didn't want to have any influence from our peers. We ended up doing a lot of shows with Roland Kirk. His acceptance and Elvin Jones' acceptance of us really pushed us forward. Elvin showed up at one of our shows and it scared me to death. Elvin was blown away by what we were doing. That fed our confidence and made us think that we really did know what we were doing. We were able to experiment and do a whole lot more than your basic I/IV/V rock n' roll band. I am most proud of adding an element of sophisticated jazz to the canon that was not there before us."
Butch Trucks, cont:ReplyDelete
"There were bands that jammed, like the Grateful Dead. Their jams were very country and bluegrass based. Once in a while they would really lock in and find a groove. It was very few and far between but they would do it. The later years of the band it almost never happened. It is my opinion that there were only three guys in the band who could really play and that was Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh and Bill Kreutzmann. The nights it was really good were when the three of them really clicked and the other guys just stayed out of the way. Toward the end, the other guys took on a stronger position as Jerry got further out of it. They would play for hours and they would just noodle and go nowhere.
I saw them in Tampa before Jerry died. They had sixty-thousand people in the stadium. Some of these kids came hundreds of miles and paid hundreds of dollars to listen to these guys. They were standing up there acting like they didn't give two flying ****s about anything. They would start a song and it would fall apart and they would just quit. If I was a kid in the audience then I would have gotten pissed. When Mickey Hart started that drum thing that he does then that did it; I had to leave. He started pounding on all that crap and I grabbed my wife and said, "We're leaving." I was getting really angry. If I had been one of those kids that spent my hard earned money and all of my time to come see these guys – they obviously were not putting any effort into what they were doing and they were just going through the motions – I would have jumped up on stage and kicked their butts. These guys are going to walk out that night with a couple of million dollars. They won't even try to put some effort into it? It just pissed me off.
There are a lot of Dead followers and there are a lot of noodlers around that give the whole jam-band scene a bad name. I read an article recently where a guy said that we played "Blue Sky" for forty-five minutes. He said that it must have been a major bathroom break. I got to thinking if this guy measures the quality of music by how long it is then he must not know what is good. I can't think of anything by Beethoven that would be under three minutes. It takes time to develop a song and go somewhere with it...
We will do "Mountain Jam" and it will last for an hour but there are different movements and time changes throughout the song. We will actually stick a song in there sometimes. With this band, we never noodle; the song always goes somewhere. We will take a solo and start it out and build it and take it to a peak and get the hell out and go somewhere else. Even on our worst night it is interesting."
That came from a Classic Rock Revisited interview which doesn't seem to be online anymore.ReplyDelete
There was a little discussion of this here:
And of course there are several Dead vs. Allmans threads on the Allmans Hittin' the Web forum, with more comparisons.
So I'll just note that the Dead show Trucks saw was in April '95, and I probably would've hated it too...especially if the last one I'd seen was in '73.
The next quote is from Gregg Allman, in his recent My Cross To Bear book:
"By February 1970, we were back at the Fillmore East for three nights, playing with the Grateful Dead and Love, and we were the middle act. [Bill Graham] had fallen in love with us after he'd heard us that very first time... I knew that Bill had something to do with the Grateful Dead, and I thought that if he was managing the Dead, then we could show him what a real band was like.
Before we played with the Grateful Dead for the first time, I had heard all the hype, but I didn't really have an opinion of them. If somebody had asked what I thought of them, I would have said, "I think that their music ain't got no groove to it at all," and it didn't. But they played the music that they played while the crowd did this thing that we eventually called "the Grateful Dead waltz," which consisted of dancing around, twirling, and jerking a whole lot. I didn't understand it at all, and I was the same age as them. I kept looking for something, but I just didn't get it.
"What do you think of these guys?" I asked my brother. He didn't hesitate.
"This is shit. You see them jugs that they're passing out?" he said, referring to the cases of Gatorade that they would electrify backstage and then pass out to the crowd. And then I knew what he was talking about. One tiny sip of that shit and it would be raining fire, man, so no wonder everybody was grooving on that music-anything would sound good like that.
Not that the Grateful Dead had a trick passing out a bunch of crazy pills so that people would like their music-that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying that that was part of their whole culture, part of their whole deal. I don't know their story, and I don't know any one of them well enough to ask them, "What's the deal with this?" but I really don't give a fuck that much. I just know that there's the Grateful Dead, and they have their place. They're pretty good people, I liked them all right. Garcia called me a narc at one point, so I never really gave two shits for him, but him and my brother got along because they were guitar players. Mostly I just ignored them."
Gregg may have felt like that back in the early '70s, when his band played with the Dead repeatedly; but I think he's really misrepresenting Duane here.ReplyDelete
And I wonder if Gregg's estrangement from Garcia helps expain why Garcia never played with the Allmans after '73.
Anyway - this post is badly in need of revising/expanding, which I'll do when I can listen to the Allmans' 6/9/73 & 7/17/72 shows. That 7/17/72 show is really hard to find... (hint, hint)
See also this Allmans/Dead post, which goes into particular detail about 12/31/73:ReplyDelete
- jerlouvisSeptember 4, 2013 at 4:24 PM
You mention in the essay that you hadn't heard the Mountain Jam from 6/9/73,since it was written 4 years ago you might have heard it in the interim.If that is not the case here is a link.ReplyDelete
Thanks; I did get a hold of those Allmans shows and have been meaning for months to update this post, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Until I revise it, apologies to everyone waiting in the meantime!Delete
- AnonymousDecember 6, 2014 at 3:02 PM
You're all idiots. Especially the guy who wrote this article, and for those of you who said, "i don't have an Allman Brothers bio" well get one, because there is. Gregg and Duane both thought the Dead were shit, and "had no groove". Jerry Garcia called Gregg a narc too. I've listened to both bands- i've always listened to the brothers, and recently i decided to see what everyone likes about the dead, honestly i have to say i felt like i was committing adultery. Oh, and by the way, THE ALLMAN BROTHERS WERE'NT INSPIRED BY CREAM OR HENDRIX. The Allman brothers were about playing good music and they weren't about that psychadelic bs. They played the blues, and they did a damned good job of it.ReplyDeleteReplies
- AnonymousFebruary 23, 2015 at 4:28 PM
Umm, you're the idiot... They weren't about "psychedelic bs"? Then maybe you can explain why every member of the group has a psychedelic mushroom tattoo?? Or when Gregg Allman talks in his book about how they would all take shrooms all day and practice/play for hours? Or all the other substances they frequently indulged in over the years. Maybe they weren't psychedelic in the same way Hendrix or the Dead were, but to say they weren't about "that psychedelic bs" just shows your utter ignorance. Now go fuck off somewhereDelete
Ha, comments are funny sometimes.ReplyDelete
By the way, I am GOING to completely rewrite this post sometime this winter. It's been bugging me for years how brief, incomplete, and out-of-date it is, and a revision is long overdue.
- AnonymousDecember 15, 2014 at 10:38 AM
I look forward to seeing the updated post. I am a big fan of both bands and believe that the Grateful Dead had a major impact on the Allman Brothers in many ways (band composition, Mountain Jam, the idea that a rock/blues band could play one song longer than 5 minutes, etc.). Hopefully, the RFK'73 shows will be released someday.ReplyDelete
You may find the 7-26-70 Mountain Jam to be of interest. There is a distinct Dark Star tease in it.
Also, there are several examples of an "Other One Jam" during Mountain Jam (See: 7-26-70 and Ludlow Garage (April 1970). The Allmans also played this "Other One Jam" in Black Hearted Woman the last time I saw them play on Oct. 27, 2014.
A fan of both Allmans since 69 dead since 71 the were somewhat similar when they fist met 69-71 Pig Was still a force in the dead they were a bit more blues based...by the mid 70's the Deads music had gone in a different direction as had the Allmans with Dickey Betts and Chuck Leavel the two prime instrumentalist there was less interplay...pretty sure Jerry called Greg a narc there was some truth to that as Gregg did drop the dime on manager Scooter who went to jailReplyDelete
I accept the fact that 1970 was 45 years ago. One's memories are not just to be cherished but also made throughout ONE'S ENTIRE LIFE. Settling for nostalgia is depressing and lame. "If you won't act alive, I won't either and we'll both say how happy we WERE."ReplyDelete
Spare me.
Some of us decided our lives would be a series of ongoing adventures. I'm 62. This year I'm learning two new languages. Next year I'm travelling to Japan. When I get back, you'll still be recounting who narced on who in '72.
Though the two bands pretty much stopped interacting after 1973, I don't think this had to do with changes in musical style. The Dead went on hiatus in late '74; by the time they returned in mid-'76, the Allmans were in disarray and had broken up. By then Gregg also held a grudge against Jerry for his "narc" comment. But even if that wasn't the case, by the time the Allmans reunited in the '80s & 90s, the touring scene had changed so much that I'm not sure the two bands could have played another joint show together as they did in '73. All the same, Dickey Betts remained an admirer of Garcia, and it's a pity the two didn't play together again.ReplyDelete
Coincidentally, the two bands were both on Arista Records in the early '80s. The Allmans were unhappy with Clive Davis's attempts to modernize their sound for the '80s and get a pop hit, and considered their Arista albums an embarrassment. Trucks later said, "Clive Davis destroyed any hope that we had that we could make the thing work again."
Though the Dead had mixed results with outside producers, they were more independent and were able to keep a somewhat hands-off relationship with Davis & Arista. (It probably helped that they didn't bother making an album for most of the '80s, and got a hit single when they finally did make one.)
And, Czapla, glad you could find the time to read this lame exercise in nostalgia!
Greg was a narc, wasn't he? Not much controversy about that, as far as I'm aware.ReplyDelete
- drkrickDecember 23, 2015 at 2:35 PM
Greg was a target of narcs who didn't want to got to jail to protect a mobster. Scooter was more afraid of the mobster than jail and made a different choice. The guy the feds were targettng was no international drug brother, but a lot of people didn't bother to get the real story at the time.ReplyDelete
If memory serves (maybe not a safe bet), there was supposed to be a Allmans/Dead one-off concert in Florida sometime in late '81 (I was looking into getting things together to go), but the competition from the Stones tour led to slow ticket sales and it was called off.Replies
Your memory is right! 11/27/81 at the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando:Delete
It was canceled because only 10,000 tickets sold. According to an article at the time:
"Nine years ago, the Allman Brothers Band and the Grateful Dead teamed up for the Watkins Glen Summer Jam in upstate New York and drew 600,000 fans-the largest crowd in rock history. But a show with those same two groups, scheduled for November 27th at the Tangerine Bowl in Orlando, Florida, was canceled ten days before the event with fewer than 10,000 of the 60,000 available tickets sold. The reason? The Rolling Stones and their late-October dates at the Tangerine Bowl.
According to a spokesman for the Allmans and the Dead, the Stones apparently had scooped so much of the available money out of the market that concertgoers just couldn't afford the $12.50 price tag for the concert, and rather than risk an embarrassingly small turnout, the promoters decided to cancel the show. At press time, there were no plans to reschedule the concert."
http://jgmf.blogspot.com/2015/11/date-venue-city-state-act1-notes.html (in comments)
The live show database on the ABB site has the 1972 Gaelic Park gig w/the guest jam by Garcia, Weir and Kreutzmann (as pics show) as 1972-07-13 --- not 07-17. And proves this date by saying "7/13/72 verified by band contract". So it took place three days before Betts, Oakley, Jaimoe (and others ?) jammed at the Dead's Hartford gig 1972-07-16.ReplyDelete
The contract for the Gaelic Park show would have been for 7/13/72 - but did it actually take place that day?ReplyDelete
That ABB page has three people saying that the show was moved to Monday the 17th, after the Dead's show of the 16th:
"I have my ticket stub and it is 7/17/72."
"On 7/13/72 it rained in the Bronx which probably postponed the show."
"There would have been no reason the Dead would have come into the area 3 days early for their own show."
Corry agrees that the show took place on the 17th - he wrote in a post three years ago, "There is some dispute about the date of this show--it was originally scheduled for Thursday July 13--but the entire weekend will be the subject of a future post."
By the way - I realize I said over a year ago that I was going to rewrite this ridiculously short, incomplete and out-of-date post. I WILL do that as soon as I can.
As a session guitarist and performer for more than 45 plus years, I can say without hesitation that Garcia's influence on both Duane and Dickey is beyond obvious. Garcia's diatonic approach, his clean tone and vibrato-less attack, his use of the major pentatonic scale with its distinctive bluegrass/country phrasing, make this evident. There are other things about the Dead's music that carry over as well. And, it's more than just technical, it's stylistic, too. I say this as someone who's always thought the Allmans the better band, but debt, is a debt. And the debt is there for everyone to hear.ReplyDelete
- AnonymousMay 27, 2016 at 7:44 AM
I was at Watkins Glen and the moment I remember most is the jam between Jerry Garcia and Dickey Betts. As a light rain began to fall they stood at the back of the stage just softly noodling their guitars, together without any other band members involved. Very slowly and gradually the intensity grew as they moved to the front of the stage, their guitars styles entwining with each other to an awe inspiring jam. Best concert experience of my life.ReplyDelete
Love this blog, thanks for what you do here. I like both the Dead and Allman's, but I will listen to a Dead show over the Allman's 95% of the time. So..... On Mountain Jam, for years I thought it was an Allman's tune. But, it shows up on Anthem of the Sun and in at least one show I have heard from 1968, poor quality but wonderful recording from May 18, 1968 (taped from Jorma's mic, I think) that makes me conclude that the Allman's got this from the Dead. I love Mountain Jam because Donovan was and is among my top favs from this era. Saw Donovan a couple months ago and he still has the magic, and he did There is a Mountain.ReplyDelete
"The melody shows up on Anthem of the Sun, at the 9:00 point in Alligator....but it's over within 20 seconds."ReplyDelete
It's hard to draw any conclusions from Anthem because while there were only 20 seconds on the record, it could have come from a much longer jam. That album is spliced together from many bits, lots of which are around 20 seconds, or even less.Replies
As it happens, that jam comes from the 2/14/68 Alligator, and there's no edit there, it's the same length in the show as on the album. See around 6:30 in the post-drums Alligator jam here:Delete
For that matter, Garcia rarely quoted "There Is A Mountain" for any longer than that at any show - it was never any kind of lengthy Dead jam.
The point being, the Allmans could have gotten the idea for an instrumental "Mountain Jam" from listening to that brief bit on Anthem of the Sun, or they could've gotten the idea themselves. We don't know.
By the way, I'm going to rewrite this far-too-short, incomplete & out-of-date post this year. I know I say that every winter...but I promise it'll get done!
- AnonymousMay 17, 2017 at 8:53 AM
I have previously stumbled across the observation about the Allman Brothers first seeing The Dead at the December '68 Miami Pop Festival, but I've never found a solid corroboration of it. Do you know of anyone who can verify it?ReplyDeleteReplies
The only source for that is Garcia. He talked about the Allmans in a 1973 interview:Delete
"It's kind of like playing with us the way we were five years ago. Musically and set-up wise, they're kind of similar to the way we used to be. They especially sounded like us when they were the original Allman Brothers. They had two drummers, two guitars, organ and bass...exactly the instrumentation we had. In fact, Dickey and the guys had flashed on our music when we played at a festival in Florida about five or six years ago. We really inspired them and they've patterned a lot of their trip after us. They're like a younger, Southern version of us in some ways musically."
I've never seen any of the Allmans mention seeing the Dead at the Miami Pop Festival, though; probably Garcia heard this directly from Duane or Dickey Betts.
Betts & Oakley (and maybe Duane) were the only Allmans members who were Dead fans before the band formed. In fact Duane told the drummers he wanted two drummers because James Brown had two! So Garcia might have exaggerated how much of an influence the Dead were on the early Allmans. But we know at least Duane was at the Dec '68 Miami Pop Festival.
- AnonymousMay 19, 2017 at 9:10 AM
So kind of you to respond with such detail. When you say "we know at least Duane was at the Dec '68 Miami Pop Festival", may I ask for corroboration of that, please? [I ask because I'm doing a book on the festival and I'd love to know for certain.] I wonder if I should try to get in touch with Dickey.Delete
It's mentioned here:Delete
The source was Ann Sandlin (author of A Never-Ending Groove), who researched Duane's comings & goings in '68:
http://www.allmanbrothersband.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=XForum&file=viewthread&tid=51920 (10/29/06 post)
But I don't know whether Betts or Oakley went to the festival.
Is anyone else surprised at the lack of websites for setlists, live streaming, and overall in-depth conversation associated with the Allmans, particularly in comparison to the GD? The official "Hittin' the Web" site is pathetic. I can't find any sites that live stream shows. There's a real lack of shows on standard trading sites (etree, etc.). What gives? My best guess is that the ABB just didn't have that maniacal self-taping mentality that the Dead did. But I still can't imagine there weren't tapers out there almost as obsessed with hearing every show as Dead fans. Even if there are just a lack of live tapes, I can't believe there aren't other like-minded fans that at least have created a thorough setlist compendium, much less a live streaming source for shows.ReplyDelete
Of course, I'm aware of the live releases and scant unofficial lives shows out there. But given their crazy touring schedule, it just blows my mind that there isn't the same type of documentation of shows like there is for the Dead (or Phish, MMW, etc.). Maybe that's what distinguishes the Dead fan base from all others, but the lopsided nature of intel between these 2 bands just floors me.
Nothing would make my day more to be proven wrong and educated on what I don't know...anybody know of any good ABB online forums/sites?Replies
Well, the Allmans trading policy forbids their shows from being on torrent sites (like etree, etc) or the Archive - they only want shows traded, not downloaded. It's a shame that's still the policy these days, and there have been many complaints over the years (on the Hittin' the Web forum, for instance), but the Allmans are still opposed to downloads & electronic file-sharing.Delete
There is something of a collection on this great streaming site, though:
And individual shows can also be found on youtube and bootleg blogs.
The Allmans were taped a lot, from 1970 onwards, but they don't seem to have inspired the same kind of setlist-keeping & analyzing among fans as the Dead (perhaps because their shows & setlists were not as varied). I think Hittin' the Web has a pretty decent (if clunky) show/setlist history in their ABB-base, which at least shows what was recorded.
Thanks LIA. Makes me appreciate all that you and others do to shed light on our favorite bands! Thank you!!Delete


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OC Students Help Fight Fire in Tanzania
A group of Oklahoma Christian students became impromptu fire fighters when a catastrophe occurred during their summer mission trip to Tanzania, Africa.
Ben Langford (98), director of OC's Center for Global Missions, said he and 10 undergraduate students became part of a "bucket brigade" during their visit to the Tanzanian village of Chimala for the first three weeks of May.
Chimala is the site of the oldest Church of Christ hospital in Africa, and it also is home to a primary and secondary school. Several days into their visit, the students were participating in their nightly devotional session when a Church of Christ missionary told them about a fire at the secondary school's girls' dormitory.
Langford said the group was shocked when they ran about a half a mile to see the dormitory engulfed in flames. He said he feared the worst when they learned that the closest fire station was about an hour and a half away from the school. "Flames were shooting up 40 and 50 feet. We thought 'This thing is going to burn to the ground,'" Langford said. OC junior Nick Poulos said a fellow student wondered where the fire fighters were.
"She said she thought 'Where are the firemen?' and then she realized that we are the firemen," Poulos said. Langford and Poulos said the girls who lived in the dormitory had been elsewhere so they knew no one was in danger of being injured.
However, Langford said losing the dormitory and its contents to fire would be catastrophic for the school and village, so the OC students joined with about 100 Tanzanians to put out the fire. A bucket brigade was soon formed to transport water from a creek about 50 yards away, Langford said.
"It took us three hours and we saved half of the building," he said. "It was a pretty amazing experience." Langford said the fire gave the students a different perspective.
"I think this made it all real. No fire truck came. We worked alongside Tanzanians to do this," he said. "It was not just like swooping in as heroes. The students really got to serve alongside Tanzanians."
Meanwhile, Langford said the OC group served in many other ways.
He said the group conducted a sports camp at the school and visited several villages to conduct about a dozen Vacation Bible School sessions for children.
The students also painted educational information on the school's walls that tied in with the students' curriculum and helped set up the school's computers. Poulos, who is majoring in engineering and vocational ministry, was asked to design and help build a bridge across a drainage area.
He said the undertaking was rewarding. He said he worked with two translators to convey his ideas to Tanzanians who worked with him to complete the 30-foot-long bridge. "I definitely wouldn't have been able to do it without God," Poulos said.
As for the fire, Poulos said the conditions in the village reminded him of Oklahoma's drought – extremely dry. He and Langford said the mood was very tense and chaotic as villagers realized that the fire could potentially spread to engulf the village and surrounding vegetation. "Everybody was motivated to put it out," Poulos said of the blaze.
OC's new president, John deSteiguer, mentioned the students' experience with the fire in his inauguration speech. "He said it was a significant event this past summer and that these are the kinds of students we have at Oklahoma Christian," Langford said. "We want them to ask 'What is God doing in the world and how can I participate in that? These trips help answer these questions."
View more stories from the Fall 2012 issue of Vision magazine.


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Event: Bollywood celebs like Jacqueline Fernandez, Tennis Player Sania Mirza, Jackky Bhagnani, Rajkumar Yadav, Payal Rohatgi along with beau Sangram, Divya Dutt, Pooja Misrra, veteran choreographer Saroj Khan and TV celebs glam up the Women's Prerna Awards 2013.
Guest List: Jacqueline Fernandez, Sania Mirza, Jackky Bhagnani, Rajkumar Yadav, Payal Rohatgi, Sangram, Divya Dutt, Pooja Misrra, Saroj Khan
Bollywood celeb Aamir Khan along with wife Kiran Rao were spotted at PVR.
Bollywood producers-directors Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Krishan Kumar, Ravi Bahl, Divya Khosla Kumar, Sajid Nadiadwala, Wardha Nadiadwala celebrate diwali with Bhushan Kumar
Bollywood celebs Kareena Kapoor Khan, Malaika Arora, Sonali Bendre, Nimrat Kaur among others were snapped by paparazzi.Bebo looked super cool in a casual look. She wore a white t-shirt with yoga pants...
Bollywood actress Shama Sikander celebrated Diwali festival at her residence.
Bollywood celebs Aamir Khan, Zaira Wasim, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, Anil Kapoor, Nitesh Tiwari, Aparshakti Khurrana, Bhushan Kumar, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Sachin Tendulkar, Rajkumar Hir...


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Summer Living Stipend Expense GuidelinesPlease read over the following guidelines before submitting a Summer Living Stipend Form.Please use the following guidelines when accounting for Summer Money in the following categories:
Reporting Expenses If you received summer funds, you must keep account of all the money you received by submitting receipts every month and an expense report along with your monthly hour log. All receipts should be kept as long as they relate to Bonner expenses (see below). You should record your expenses monthly using the Summer Living Expense Report and mail it along with your receipts and hour log to the Bonner Office no later than ten business days after the end of the month.
Housing & Utilities
Other Notes


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when a chick has a seizure while sucking your dick, resulting in two outcomes! A) You will get the best blowjob of your life
B) Or you will not have a weiner
B) Or you will not have a weiner
Ryan was surprised by the cackshun Bridget gave him last night! He no longer has a weiner, when asked about it, it was well worth it!
by ChrisKaymanpants November 07, 2010


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Car Review
2013 Mercedes-Benz M-Class: New Car Review
Pros: Finely appointed cabin; long list of amenities; excellent seating; availability of a clean-diesel engine; aggressive exterior styling.
Cons: Steep learning-curve for COMAND system; absence of third-row seating.
What's New: Standard mbrace2 telematics; color instrument cluster display; collision prevention system; optional off-road package; optional massage front seats; rear-drive ML350 model.
The M-Class has long epitomized the mid-size luxury SUV segment, but the competition is always working hard to catch up. With the 2013 Mercedes-Benz M-Class on the scene, those competitors must once again bring strong contenders to stand a chance at matching this SUV's strengths.
The 2012 model year marked a good time for Mercedes to make some enhancements to its popular SUV. The 3-pointed star concentrated on power, performance, fuel economy and interior upgrades. Mercedes also slightly massaged the exterior but kept the ML's familiar brawny outer appearance. The 2013 M-Class builds on the previous version with some improvements to standard equipment, a few new options and a new, rear-wheel drive variant.
The ML350 and ML350 Bluetec both offer ample power and, especially in the case of the diesel-powered Bluetec, commendable efficiency. But for an even greater infusion of performance, the V8-powered ML550 and the supercharged ML63 AMG offer serious grunt in a formidable SUV package.
The interior of the M-Class retains its high-quality, well-crafted look and feel, but has recently been stepped up. Purposeful styling cues and upgraded upholstery give the cabin more opulence, furthering the M-Class' position as a benchmark for upscale motoring.
Updated mbrace2 telematics, a color display in the instrument cluster and a collision prevention system are standard for 2013, and a few options like an off-road package and front seats with a massage function are now available. Also arriving for 2013 is a rear-wheel drive version of the ML350.
Comfort & Utility
The M-Class cabin has long set the bar for other luxury carmakers. It's plush, well contented and attractive. The 2-tone treatment is particularly eye catching, as are quilted leather seating surfaces and wood trim options. Redesigned for the 2012 model year, the layout of control buttons offers better feel and improved ergonomics.
The ML350 makes plenty of space for five passengers, with an abundance of legroom and headroom in each position. Unfortunately, the M-Class doesn't have an available third row, shutting itself down as an option for those who want 7-passenger seating.
To optimize comfort, front seats offer 8-way power adjusters and heat, and the rear seats recline. All seats are well contoured and padded to minimize fatigue on the daily commute or longer road trips. Standard vinyl upholstery can be upgraded to various stitched leather seating choices. The optional multi-contour front seats up the luxury with a massage function and comfort headrests.
Other notable convenience features include a power tilting and telescoping steering wheel, heated side mirrors, hot and cold cup holders and a panoramic sunroof.
Cargo space is adequate but not huge, intended to fit luggage for five. But it might be a tight fit. The interior packaging makes the M-Class a smart choice for couples who like to go places with other couples, or for families of five or fewer. But if a third row or greater cargo space is required, shoppers should take a look at Mercedes's larger SUV, the GL-Class.
As always, the M-Class offers a wide array of technology features aimed at convenience and entertainment. The introduction of standard mbrace2, which offers more cloud-based functionality (including apps, remote access and concierge services), continues the tradition.
Other standard amenities include Bluetooth, an 8-speaker stereo with USB connectivity and the Mercedes COMAND system for electronic functions. As on other Benz models, COMAND has a steep learning curve and is sometimes frustrating to operate (similar to BMW's iDrive in its early iterations).
Notable options are a voice-controlled hard-drive navigation system, a backup camera, a premium Harman Kardon sound system and digital music storage.
On the advanced lighting front, the ML350 can be armed with bi-Xenon headlights and cornering illuminating lamps to see the roadway before a turn is fully completed.
Performance & Fuel Economy
The standard ML350 gets its power from a 3.5-liter V6 producing 302 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. It uses a 7-speed automatic transmission and yields fuel economy of 17 mpg city/22 mpg highway.
The ML350 Bluetec clean diesel variant has a smaller carbon footprint than the standard ML350. It is powered by a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V6 that makes 240 hp and an axle-grinding 455 lb-ft of torque. Fuel economy is 20/25 mpg, certainly respectable numbers for a vehicle of the ML's size.
The ML550 boasts a potent 402-hp V8, while the ML63 AMG gets its power from a massive 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 making 518 hp.
In addition to its solid construction, the M-Class protects occupants with front, side, head curtain and driver's knee airbags. The front seats have active head restraints to minimize the potential of whiplash in a crash.
Further, the mbrace2 system will alert emergency responders in the event of an accident, and a standard collision prevention system works to prevent accidents altogether.
Driver assistance technologies include Blind Spot Warning, Lane Departure Warning and adaptive cruise control. Unfortunately, the ML350 doesn't offer Night View with Pedestrian Detection, a feature available on the brand's top sedans.
Driving Impressions
The ML350 and ML350 Bluetec are each sublime in their own right. The conventional ML350 displays strong, uniform power delivery throughout the rev band, while the Bluetec launches like a rocket from zero and then fizzles a bit at the top end.
The ML550 and ML63 AMG are serious, high-performance contenders. But does an SUV really need those performance credentials? We wonder.
On normal roads and highways, the M-Class' ride is very smooth thanks to its unibody architecture. An optional adaptive suspension with active damping allows the driver to select a firmness setting based on style of driving and type of road.
The M-Class has impressive handling, especially for a taller vehicle. Steering is well weighted, and there's very little body roll. Overall, the M-Class feels well planted and substantial.
The M-Class is not really intended for off-road driving, although it is somewhat capable. It is more geared for inclement road conditions, thanks in part to its 20-in wheels. But a new, optional On- and Off-Road package adds some trail-ready components like a two-stage transfer case, a longitudinal differential lock and six transmission settings.
Other Cars to Consider
BMW X5 - Comparable to the M-Class in price and equipment, the X5 is more of a driver's car with a stronger emphasis on handling dynamics.
Porsche Cayenne - Offers a more engaging driving experience than the M-Class, whereas the M-Class delivers a plusher ride. The interior of the M-Class is more refined and aimed at comfort over sport.
Acura MDX - The M-Class has more power and performance, better ride and handling and a higher-quality interior. But Acura's all-wheel-drive system is better than Benz's 4Matic, making the MDX more capable in colder climates. The MDX is also less expensive.
AutoTrader Recommends
Of 2013 Mercedes-Benz M-Class models, the ML350 Bluetec is our choice. This advanced 50-state-legal clean diesel offers better fuel economy and a smaller carbon footprint than its gasoline-powered counterpart. It also has more torque than a lot of high-performance cars, making it an absolute delight in every day driving, especially when launching from traffic lights or executing a highway passing maneuver. The ML350 Bluetec is green, efficient and powerful off the line while still offering the luxury and refinement for which the M-Class is well known.


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Columbia University takes part in project
The Library of Congress and Columbia University are creating a Web-based information hub to provide best practices, tools, methods and services to assist organizations in preserving geospatial data.
Geospatial data, which includes maps and satellite images, identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features and boundaries on the earth. The data is important for responding to disasters, urban planning, navigation, protecting the environment and a host of other uses.
Related stories:
Supercomputer tapped for 3D models of oil spill
Digital maps help bail out flooded NJ county
However, much of this information is in danger of being lost, because of evolving technology and other threats.
"The geospatial community has told us that a clearinghouse to communicate preservation best practices is essential for keeping these information resources available around the nation," said Laura Campbell, associate librarian for strategic initiatives at the Library of Congress.
The Library's National Digital Information Infrastructure and Preservation Program will fund development of the clearinghouse. Columbia's Earth Institute will house it, at its Center for International Earth Science Information Network. CIESIN will launch a beta version of the clearinghouse later this year.
"These electronic resources are essential to research, education, and sustainable development and only grow more valuable over time," said Robert Chen, director of CIESIN.
About the Author
Kathleen Hickey is a freelance writer for GCN.
E-Mail this page
Printable Format
Full disclosure: I work at DLT Solutions
Very cool!
Related more to the current day need for geospatial imagery and technology, an upcoming event at the Grand Hyatt in DC will focus on the latest trends and best practices in geospatial technology for today's public sector and US military. Panelists include Google Earth, GeoEye and Tele Atlas.
Geospatial Information Officer, Mr. Robert Burkhardt-SES US Army, will present a case study and geospatial trends.
For more information, visit www.dlt.com/geotechday
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Turkey dinner set for Sunday
Saints Peter and Paul Church willl hold their annual Turkey Dinner on Sunday, November 3 in the church basement located on 322 Seventh Street.
The dinner will feature baked turkey, bone-in ham, real mashed potatoes, dressing, gravy and all the trimmings served in a buffet style environment. The dinner begins at 11 a.m. and lasts until 5 p.m.
Adult tickets are $10 while children ages 6-11 eat for $5. Preschool and under eat for free. Take-out and delivery is also available.
As in past years, baked goods and crafts will be available for sale.
Cash prizes will also be available. Approximately 500 tickets will be available for purchase to be drawn for a $5,000 grand prize, $2,000 first prize, $1,000 second prize and 20 prizes of $100. Tickets are $50 each and will be available at the dinner. The prizes will be drawn at 5 p.m. once the dinner is completed.
Funds raised by the dinner help in the day-to-day operational expenses of Saints Peter and Paul Catholic School.