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If Presidential politics actually worked like it does in the movies-or in the imaginings of patriots-the hot August night would have been one of those epic moments when everything starts to change.
Fifteen thousand trade unionists had packed into Chicago's Soldier Field to hear contenders for the 2008 Democratic nomination make their cases. While the frontrunners drew their requisite rounds of applause, it was the scrappy working class Congressman from Cleveland who wowed the AFL-CIO activists. Dennis Kucinich delivered applause line after applause line-connecting with the crowd on ideological, political, and emotional levels that the other candidates could not begin to reach.
"I want to see America take a new direction in trade . . . and that means it's time to get out of NAFTA and the WTO," shouted the Congressman above the thunderous applause that greeted his promise of "trade that's based on workers' rights: the right to organize, the right to collective bargaining, the right to strike."
So powerful was Kucinich's presentation that even the moderator, MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, shifted his line of questioning from the usual soft media inquiries about "reforming trade policies" toward a blunt demand that the candidates say whether they would "scrap NAFTA or fix it?" After Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, John Edwards, and the others struggled to answer the question without offending either the labor crowd or their corporate donors, Kucinich won the moment by declaring, "No one else on this stage could give a direct answer because they don't intend to scrap NAFTA. We're going to be stuck with it. And I'm your candidate if you want to get out of NAFTA. Let's hear it. Do you want out of NAFTA? Do you want out of the WTO?"
The steel, auto, machine, and construction workers were on their feet, cheering wildly. Again and again, on industrial policy, on health care, on each issue that arose, Kucinich owned the argument. And when the Congressman turned to the signature issue of his insurgent Presidential bid, ending the war in Iraq, he distinguished himself from the cautious contenders to his right by speaking the truth that has been on the mind of everyone who has watched the sorry degeneration of this nation's system of checks and balances. Instead of promising to end the war as President, Kucinich declared, "We shouldn't have to wait for a Democratic President to do it. The Democratic Congress needs to act now."
It was a virtuoso performance. Mark Lash, a steelworker from Crown Point, Indiana, summed it all up when he said that of the seven candidates who were trying so hard to woo the workers, it was Kucinich who gave "the answers everyone wants to hear." In one of those old Jimmy Stewart movies or maybe in a new John Cusack movie, something big would happen. Unions would have started going against expectations to endorse the underdog. The media would have started taking him seriously. A long-overdue political awakening would have begun-for the Democratic Party and for the nation.
But contemporary politics does not follow a movie script. The process unfolds along lines defined by money, polling, punditry, and the extreme caution of institutions-and even voting blocs-that are more inclined to deny possibility than to embrace it. The discarded-civics-book character of the process by which Presidents are selected is evident at every turn on the campaign trail that Kucinich follows, and it raises a fundamental question about the candidate and his hearty supporters. Will the Congressman be the Harold Stassen of the left, a smart and honorable perennial Presidential candidate yielding diminishing returns on Election Day after miserable Election Day? Or will he grab hold of the system that denies him and force something meaningful from it? Will Kucinich end his 2008 quest as an asterisk or as an irrepressible force agitating effectively against a dismaying Democratic Party and a dysfunctional democracy?
One thing is certain: Kucinich cannot expect anything more than cheers from many of those whose causes he has long and loudly championed.
Within weeks of that August AFL-CIO forum, unions began to make their endorsements.
The Machinists went for Clinton, arguably the steadiest proponent in the field of the job-killing "free trade" schemes that have decimated the union's membership.
The Carpenters and the Steelworkers broke for Edwards, a newly minted populist who sounds good but still struggles to get the specifics right.
The Firefighters backed Connecticut Senator Chris Dodd, an old-school liberal with a weaker record than Kucinich and no better prospects.
And what was the Congressman from Cleveland left with when the applause died down?
No endorsements from labor.
No backing from prominent Democrats.
No poll numbers of consequence nationally or in the essential early primary and caucus states.
There is something that is surely heartbreaking about the hand that is regularly dealt to Kucinich and his idealistic second bid for the Presidency. But the Congressman has chosen to play at the table of contemporary American politics, where not only the rules but the very premises of the process are stacked against him.
It is not merely the dominance of the monied elites and the party bosses, nor even the emphasis on image and style, that undermines a candidate who is actually referred to by supposedly serious reporters as "too short to be President." It is the desperation of Democratic voters denied, voters who, after so many stolen elections and failed campaigns, have convinced themselves that the only thing that matters in 2008 is winning-and that the only way to win is by nominating not the candidate who is right on the issues but the candidate who seems, a la John Kerry in 2004, to have the right strategy or at least the right stature.
Yet, Kucinich keeps returning to the table and demanding to be part of the game. Almost alone, he argues that voters might yet embrace his "new vision for America" and that he can win not just the nomination but the Presidency. In Maine, or North Dakota, or Hawaii, he never fails to claim that local support is up from what he got when he bid for the nomination in 2004 and to suggest that: "If we can do well here, [the momentum] can spread to other states and parts of the country."
Kucinich's optimism is defined by nothing so much as the Congressman's belief in magic-political magic. He clings to a faith that 2008 will provide an opening like the one that forty years earlier allowed an obscure Senator from Minnesota, Eugene McCarthy, to put questions of war and peace on the table and chase a sitting President from office, or like the one that actually made an unknown former governor of Georgia with a tendency to spout off about human rights the commander in chief.
To a degree, Kucinich's limitless faith is understandable. He has achieved alchemy more than once. Elected on the basis of sheer hard work to the Cleveland City Council as a twenty-three-year-old "new politics" candidate in 1969, he was the city's "boy mayor" by age thirty-one. But after tangling with the city's bankers and utilities, he was a defeated political has-been at thirty-three. Ridiculed in Ohio and nationally, he lost comeback bid after comeback bid before finally disappearing into political Siberia and a quest for meaning that found him living, without income or prospects, in New Mexico.
Then, in 1994, a year when Democrats were losing everywhere, Kucinich returned to Cleveland, picked up the populist banner, and won a state senate seat from a Republican incumbent.
Two years later, he defeated a key lieutenant to House Speaker Newt Gingrich to claim a seat in Congress.
Redeemed finally after decades in the political wilderness, Kucinich could have settled into a comfortable tenure on the left flank of the House Democratic Caucus. Instead, he kept right on pushing the limits of politics, fighting Presidents Clinton and Bush on issues ranging from trade to militarism and finally emerging in 2002 as the most ardent Congressional critic of the rush to war with Iraq.
Kucinich's "reward" for getting the war right was marginalization in the 2004 Presidential race, when the media portrayed a cautious war critic, former Vermont Governor Howard Dean, as the peace candidate while dismissing the campaign of the genuinely anti-war contender.
The 2004 race yielded Kucinich no primary or caucus wins and just 1 percent of the delegates at the Democratic National Convention. Yet, the Congressman is running once more, mounting essentially the same campaign that he did four years ago. Kucinich is again bouncing around the country, creating the facade of a national campaign but never sticking around long enough to convert the enthusiasm of the crowds he draws into votes. And, as in the later stages of the 2004 race, when he stubbornly refused to acknowledge that he could not win a fight that everyone knew was finished, he refuses to entertain the notion that he might not be swearing an oath of office on January 20, 2009.
There is much to be said for the power of positive thinking, but in Presidential politics the practice can be futile-especially when more prominent and monied candidates are stealing your themes: economic populist (Edwards), anti-war (New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson), and time-for-a-transformation (Obama). In Kucinich's case, his optimism borders on off-putting and out of touch. Indeed, if he continues on his current course, he runs the risk of falling short of the 643,067 (3.9 percent of the total) votes he scraped together by the end of his never-say-die 2004 run.
If that happens, it will be a political tragedy, because Dennis Kucinich is more right on the issues than ever: with his demand that Congress defund the war in Iraq, with his warnings about the dangerous machinations of the Bush-Cheney machine regarding Iran, with his courageous stance on nuclear disarmament, and with his increasingly ardent advocacy of impeachment.
Kucinich may be more necessary to the process of choosing a 2008 Democratic President than even he may understand. The front-loaded race for the nomination will be a blur for most Democrats, who will likely be told who the party's candidate is going to be long before they actually have a chance to weigh in. At that point, the trailing candidates will be told by the money men who define American politics that it is time to start suspending campaigns.
More than two dozen states will select delegates after February 5. Many of them-Wisconsin, Washington, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Oregon-have Democratic voter bases that are ardently anti-war. If Kucinich were to commit now to mount a campaign that made no pretense of personal electability but rather promised to force the party to debate its direction-not just on the war but on the whole question of what a post-Bush America might look like-he could yet turn himself into the most effective protest candidate this country has seen in years.
What might the Congressman propose to the voters of later primary and caucus states, where the choice could well come down to Kucinich versus Clinton? By telling voters "this is your chance to vote for a peace plank," Kucinich could-and should-promise to use whatever bloc of delegates he is given to fight for a clearly anti-war platform, to provoke floor fights over foreign policy and the domestic agenda, and to have his name placed in nomination in order to take his message to prime time.
In a one-on-one race, where the Kucinich campaign is about an idea rather than a man, he could turn the tables on the elites. By ditching talk about actually being nominated-which only strains his own credibility-and instead making himself the tribune of the peace and justice movement that is alive and powerful at the grassroots of the Democratic party, Dennis Kucinich could win hundreds of delegates to the 2008 convention. He could renew and redefine the debate in the later primaries and at the convention. He could force the eventual Democratic nominee to listen to the party's neglected base-which polling suggests is now very close in its thinking to the self-identified independent voters who decide close contests in November-rather than to the Wall Street donors and Washington think tanks that invariably muddle the message once the pundits declare the nomination fight to have been settled. And, maybe, just maybe, Dennis Kucinich could make the Democratic nominee more appealing than a broken political process is supposed to allow.
The challenge for Kucinich is a real one. He can run according to the rules and be a Democratic Harold Stassen, or he can break the rules and make his campaign a redemptive force. To do the former, he need merely continue campaigning as he now is. To do the latter, he must level with himself and with the voters and offer himself up as a representative of the idealistic insurgency that both the party and the country so sorely need.
Dennis Kucinich: "No Impunity"
"When you consider that this war was based on lies, when you consider that Iraq did not attack the United States, that Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, and that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction, it is an urgent matter of national morality to determine what the appropriate response is.
"It is time for us to start talking about the legal responsibility of President Bush, Vice President Cheney, and all the other war architects who built a case for the war based on lies.
"The very essence of America's credibility in the world is at stake. Our highest elected officials should be held accountable for actions that resulted in the deaths of more than a million innocent people, particularly when those deaths were based on demonstrable lies.
"It is very important that we start to ask serious questions about accountability. Just as no individual has the right to take another individual's life, no nation has the right to kill innocent people in another nation. No leader of the United States-in the name of the United States-should be permitted to wage aggressive war with impunity.
"I am preparing a resolution that requests the House meet in the Committee of the Whole to investigate the matter of civilian casualties as well as U.S. troop casualties that have occurred in Iraq. The resolution will recount that the war was based on lies. It will ask the House to consider action, including possibly preferring criminal charges against individuals who in the administrative conduct of office were directly responsible for the war and the consequent loss of life.
"A grave injustice has been done to the people of Iraq and the people of the United States. More than one million lives have been lost. Families have been destroyed. Social networks have been ripped apart. We have had many soldiers killed and injured. This must be acknowledged.
"On a deeper level, the inquiry I am proposing relates to who we are as Americans and what we stand for. I refuse to believe that the American people-people of intelligence and good heart-will not want to see justice done. There must be a measure of justice brought forward so that this deep stain on American history is removed. We must seek the truth, wherever it leads." -September 19, 2007
* * *
John Nichols' new book is The Genius of Impeachment: The Founders' Cure for Royalism. Rolling Stone's Tim Dickinson hails it as a "nervy, acerbic, passionately argued history-cum-polemic [that] combines a rich examination of the parliamentary roots and past use of the 'heroic medicine' that is impeachment with a call for Democratic leaders to 'reclaim and reuse the most vital tool handed to us by the founders for the defense of our most basic liberties.'"
©2007 The Progressive Magazine


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CRESTVIEW � By mid-morning on Monday a warm June sun beat down on Crestview High School�s practice football field. But sweat soaking players� shirts didn't seem to bother the team members who worked on passing drills.
CRESTVIEW � By mid-morning on Monday a warm June sun beat down on Crestview High School�s practice football field.
But sweat soaking players� shirts didn't seem to bother the team members who worked on passing drills.
First-year Bulldog coach Tim Hatten took good-natured verbal jabs at some of the players. Noting that running back Emmanuel Reed put on a few pounds around his midsection, Hatten called his star back "Dough Boy."
Players and coaches relaxed in Hatten's office after practice. At one point, the head coach showed his quickness of hand when he caught a fly that settled on some papers on his desk.
The fall practice�s official start is still six weeks away, and the season won't start for more than two months. Still, one week into summer drills, Hatten is pleased with what he has seen from his team.
"It's going good," he said. "We had four good days last week. This will be our fifth day this week. We had a chance to throw against Walton last Wednesday, but it's going good.
"We've had everybody out. It's been 100 percent participation. The guys are working really hard."
The team is divided into three groups, with one group lifting weights, another group doing conditioning drills and the third group installing the offense and defense.
Most of the offense was installed during spring practice; now it's just a matter of adding the finishing touches and fine-tuning things, Hatten said.
"I'd say we got about 80 percent of it installed in the spring," he said. "We are going over the little tweaks, the trickery and some gimmick stuff that we always like to throw in there ... change-of-pace stuff or change-of-game stuff.
"We got most of it in during the spring, but we didn't get it polished. We had it, but it didn't look great."
Hatten, who led Pear River Community College in Mississippi to the 2004 National Championship, is no stranger to winning and he knows the value of hard work.
He also knows that players and coaches need downtime in the summer.
"It's summertime," Hatten said. "The kids show up at 8 o'clock (in the morning). And with summer workouts, you get them in here and get them out by about 10:15 or 10:30 and they have the rest of the day.
"They still get to enjoy the beach. If they want to go to the beach they can leave Crestview at 10:15 and be to the beach by 11 o'clock. They can play golf, go to the river, whatever you want to do as a young kid. You can still do it."
The Bulldogs will get a couple of days off next week for the July 4th holiday after Monday and Tuesday workouts.
"We've got Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off is what we are looking at right now," Hatten said. "We may try to get someone to throw with Monday or Tuesday. Most people won't go out of town until Wednesday, if they do.
"We will have some miss because of the holiday, but that's part of it and we understand that."
Randy Dickson is the Crestview News Bulletin�s sports editor. Email him at firstname.lastname@example.com, tweet him @BigRandle, or call 682-6524.

subset: commoncrawl


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Former NSW minister Ian Macdonald has been labelled a liar at a corruption inquiry, after he said a coal mining tenement was created "by chance" over land owned by the Obeid family.
The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is investigating whether Mr Macdonald, 63, rorted a coal mining tender process in the NSW Upper Hunter's Bylong Valley in 2008, and how his former Labor colleague Eddie Obeid and his family may have gained from it.
The ICAC alleges Mr Macdonald gave the Obeids inside knowledge that allowed the family to profit, potentially by $100 million.
It has also been alleged that Mr Macdonald stood to make millions in kickbacks.
Giving evidence on Monday, Mr Macdonald said it was just by chance that the Mt Penny mining tenement was created over land owned by the Obeids.
"Did it just happen by chance?" Commissioner David Ipp asked.
"Well, it has to be by chance," Mr Macdonald replied.
Mr Macdonald rejected a suggestion from counsel assisting the commission, Geoffrey Watson SC, that the tenement was created "in mind to profit your friends the Obeids".
"Do you accept that?" Mr Watson asked.
"I don't accept that," Mr Macdonald replied.
He said he was unaware the Obeids had interest in land over the critical tenement at the time it was created in 2008.
"It had nothing to do with me, I had no idea they were doing that," he told the inquiry.
After being told to "focus" by Mr Watson, Mr Macdonald said he got the idea to create the tenement over the Mt Penny area from an atlas in his office.
"I got it from an atlas that I used regularly in my office," Mr Macdonald said.
"Mt Penny is the first feature northwest of Bylong on that map."
Mr Watson retorted: "I'm suggesting you're a liar".
Soon afterwards, Mr Macdonald conceded he no longer had the atlas, and had not secured a copy of it.
The inquiry heard that in May 2008 Mr Macdonald had a conversation with Moses Obeid about an Obeid property in the Bylong valley, and the nearby Anglo American tenement.
On May 9, 2008, an email was sent from Mr Macdonald's office to the Department of Primary Industries seeking advice on coal reserves in the Mt Penny area, the inquiry was told.
Mr Macdonald said Mt Penny was just one of numerous coal areas in NSW he asked the department for information about.
He said the decision was made to open the area up to coal mining because it was a "terrific seam" not covered by other exploration licences.
Earlier, Ian Macdonald's former chief of staff, Tony Hewson, said he might have urged the former Labor minister to reopen the tender process for coal exploration licences on behalf of mining company White Energy.
The inquiry was told Mr Macdonald telephoned Mr Hewson 145 times in 2008, and that the pair were close friends.
It was told Mr Hewson had been paid up to $740,000 by mining companies to lobby Mr Macdonald.
Mr Macdonald's evidence will continue on Tuesday.


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Randy Travis was NOT wearing a Texas Longhorns hat at the time of his naked arrest ... it was a gift from a local attorney who rushed to the jail the second he heard the country star was in trouble.
TMZ has learned ... moments after word got out about Travis' arrest, several locals raced over to the jail to help out -- one man posted Randy's cash bond and another man offered legal services right away.
The lawyer was Gary Corley ... who tells TMZ the area around Sherman, TX is a close-knit community where the people take care of each other ... and he wanted to "do the humanitarian thing" and help Travis.
When Corley arrived to the jail, he briefly met with Randy, offered his services, and told him about the legion of photographers waiting outside the jail to shoot the singer.
Corley tells us he was wearing his Texas hat at the time, but decided Randy probably needed it more ... and literally gave him the cap right off of his head so the singer could shield his face from shutterbugs on his way out.
We're told Corley had a car waiting for Travis in case he wanted a ride ... but the man who posted Randy's cash bond had already arranged for transportation ... so Randy went with his money man.
So far, we're told Randy has not officially hired an attorney ... but Corley says he'll be there if he needs him.


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Nobody can resist chocolate- dipped strawberries. Use smaller fruit for an easier mouthful, and, again, play with white and dark chocolate mix to fancy things up.
In your cups
It's bring-a-plate time, so make life easy. Melt chocolate bits, fill sprayed patty pans (or swirl small circles on greaseproof paper) to make mini chocolate cups. Store in a cool place. Just before your do, fill with sweetened cream (or cream cheese swirled with yoghurt) and sliced strawberries.
Nice slice
Turn any of your favourite slices or cookies into dressed up finger food: drizzle melted chocolate (cut the corner off a plastic bag for piping) on top. Alternate white and dark chocolate, or tint white chocolate with food colouring for the artistic touch.


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"Coming off of our most successful year without losing anybody to graduation has really set a positive tone this year," said Reynolds Shelton, whose team opens the new season Monday at the Napa River Grill Cardinal Cup in Simpsonville, Ky. "We are already entering this school year with the most determination and competitive enthusiasm since I have been here at ETSU. There is a familiar team drive that we have carried over from last year and hope to build upon for better things this year."
Led by sophomore Laura Jansone (Jurmala, Latvia), the Bucs return their top six players from last year - a group which won one team championship and finished second five times. Jansone was certainly the team's top player a year ago, becoming the first ETSU woman to win an outright individual championship with a victory at the Lady Pirate Invitational, and finishing Top 10 seven times. Jansone ended the year with the team's lowest stroke average at 75.5 and tied the school record with a low round of 69.
Along with Janson, the Bucs return several talented and experienced players, including seniors Natalia Giraldo (Cali, Colombia) and Maria Ringdahl (Oland, Sweden), as well as junior Lucy Gould (Bargoed, Wales). Giraldo and Ringdahl have been four year contributors to the squad the two finished third and fourth, respectively, in stroke average a year ago. Meanwhile, Gould has also played a significant role on the team for the last two years and looks to improve this season.
In the sophomore class, Jansone is joined by Sinead O'Sullivan (
"We have a strong team of six returning players, led by our seniors Maria and Natalia," Reynolds said. "Laura is a fierce competitor who I believe will once again challenge for tournament titles all year."
For more on ETSU women's golf throughout the upcoming season, visit ETSUBucs.com and click on the women's golf link.


text: You Can't Get There from Here October 28, 2011 10:55 AM Tweet Our rural road network has high maintenance costs in sparsely populated areas. Because our rural roads have a traffic fatality rate that is more than three times higher than all other roads, our challenge is to make them affordable and safe. © Pam Smith TAGS: Marketing, Overseas December 18, 2014 By Ed Clark Top Producer Business and Issues Editor Email Rural infrastructure costs farmers time, fuel and safety It's just human nature. We take all kinds of things for granted, but nothing so much as the roads and bridges that get us to town, to our fields and to the grain elevator. The condition of the country's roads and bridges affects our activities, bank accounts and personal safety on a daily basis. Long-delayed maintenance schedules are leading to load limit reductions and temporary closures. Mylo, N.D., farmer Jason Martodam has to truck grain 60 miles to the elevator due to the closure of bad roads. "It's costing us thousands of dollars per year, if I figure in fuel costs," he says. Furthermore, one alternative route for him is down to 6 tons per axle. As for the money lost, he says, "I can't make it up." For a farmer with 300 acres of corn and 200 acres of soybeans who faces diesel prices near $4 per gallon, the impact of a bridge closure could mean a loss of 5¢ per bushel, according to independent research completed this year by Informa Economics for the Illinois Corn Marketing Board and the Illinois Soybean Association. If the detour extends to 30 miles or, in a worst-case scenario, 50 miles, the impact could be 11¢ per bushel, translating to more than $6,000 in additional costs annually for 500 acres. For 2,000 acres, costs could be an additional $24,000. The numbers track with a 2009 Informa study for the Indiana Soybean Alliance (ISA) and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council (ICMC). A 5¢ per bushel loss "is a fair assessment for a 25-mile detour with diesel at $4 per gallon," says Emily Otto-Tice, director of supply and infrastructure for ISA and ICMC. So how bad is the condition of rural roads and bridges nationally? A September 2011 study by TRIP, a national transportation research group, found the following: Rural roads have a traffic fatality rate that is more than three times higher than that for all other roads. In 2009, non-Interstate rural roads had a traffic fatality rate of 2.31 deaths for every 100 million vehicle miles of travel, compared with a fatality rate on all other roads of 0.76 deaths for an equal number of miles. Crashes on the nation's rural, non-Interstate routes resulted in 17,075 fatalities in 2009, accounting for 51% of the nation's 33,808 traffic deaths in 2009. In 2008, 12% of the nation's major rural roads were rated in poor condition and another 43% were rated in fair condition. Vermont has the highest percentage of roads rated poor, at 43%, followed by Oklahoma at 30%; Kansas, 28%; Missouri, 20%; California, 18%; South Dakota, 17%; and Illinois, 16%. In 2010, 13% of the nation's rural bridges were rated as structurally deficient and 10% were rated as functionally obsolete. A bridge is structurally deficient if there is significant deterioration of the bridge deck, supports or other major components. Structurally deficient bridges are often posted for lower weight or closed to traffic, restricting or redirecting large vehicles, including commercial trucks, school buses and emergency vehicles. In a perfect world, this aging bridge would be taller to accommodate a passing tugboat pulling a barge fleet, as well as wider to accommodate larger trucks. In the agricultural export game, time is money to get products to consumers faster. PHOTO: Pam Smith A looming problem. Not all producers are being impacted by bad roads and bridges, but they can see the writing on the wall. Ron Kindred, who farms in Atlanta, Ill., and sits on the Illinois Soybean Association board, is not having to take any detours because of closed roads and bridges, but he's convinced it's coming if the problem of maintenance is not solved. The Illinois board worked with Informa to define the issues with the state's roads and bridges. Developing a solution is the next step, he says. Kindred, along with a number of other individuals and studies, says the solution is both simple and complex: The U.S. needs to spend more money on its rural roads and bridges. What makes that so challenging is that it almost certainly means higher taxes or user fees. One idea that was proposed during a recent Iowa Governor's Task Force meeting intrigued Roy Arends, an Alexander, Iowa, farmer. The proposal was to initiate a 1¢ per bushel checkoff on grain sold that, in turn, would be used by counties for road and bridge maintenance. Arends, a board member of the Soy Transportation Coalition, supports the concept and says the farmers he talks to are split 50/50 on the idea. Overall, he supports higher road use taxes and says they are among the fairest taxes. "But the word 'tax' is poison for these politicians. It's been demonized as evil to raise taxes, but I don't feel that way," Arends adds. In his area, the blacktop needs to be surfaced, and bridges are being worked on, "but it's painfully slow." With a low load limit, Arends can't take a full load of corn, so he has to search for an alternate route. "It seems like the county is falling behind on road and bridge maintenance," Arends says. "As yields have increased, we rely more and more on the local infrastructure, and it's not keeping up very well." Not one to wait for the county to catch up on its maintenance schedule, he ordered gravel and graded a bad stretch of a road himself. He says he'll do it again if he needs to. Bad to worse. The erosion of the nation's road and bridge infrastructure is worsening over time. "I can see that roads have gotten rougher in the past 10 years," Arends says. Number of Bridges Structurally Deficient Iowa......................5,358 Missouri..................4,289 Nebraska.................2,878 Kansas....................2,901 Mississippi...............2,820 Ohio......................2,795 North Carolina...........2,442 Illinois....................2,373 Indiana...................1,927 Michigan.................1,467 Kentucky..................1,362 Tennessee................1,246 South Dakota............1,231 Minnesota................1,209 Wisconsin................1,207 In Indiana, for instance, on a rating system of 1 to 10, the quality of the state's roads was reduced from 5.5 in 2001 to 4.3 in 2009. "We've gone from the high end of fair to borderline poor," says John Habermann, program manager for the Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program. There is more wear and tear on rural roads because the trucks and other equipment that travel over them are bigger, Habermann says. Larger trucks travel slower on county roads than on larger state roads, so they have contact with the roads longer, which causes more road stress and contributes to their breakdown. So serious are road problems in some states that paved rural roads are being graveled. "South Dakota county roads are only fair, and at the township level, almost none are in excellent shape," says Ken Skorseth, program manager for the South Dakota Local Transportation Assistance Program. Roads and bridges have been eroding during the past two years in particular, he says, due to harsh winters and wet springs. A flat budget for a decade hasn't helped. In parts of the state, Skorseth says, farmers have had difficulty moving product. "By turning some roads back to gravel, we can maintain them cheaper, although dust, reduced speeds and chipped windshields occur," he says. Show me the money. "Money is the big elephant in the room," says Otto-Tice, of ISA and ICMC. She notes that not only are the costs of maintaining bridges and roads three to four times what they were 10 years ago, the amount of money available is also smaller, so roads and bridges are being repaired every seven to 10 years instead of every three to five. One of the key reasons that the nation's transportation system is falling into such disarray is that the gas tax, which is the primary way in which roads and bridges are funded, was last raised in 1993. It is not indexed for inflation. Ironically, surveys show that most Americans believe the tax, which is currently 18.4¢, is indexed for inflation. "Steel, labor, concrete—all costs of building roads and bridges—continue to go up," says Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition. Another problem: The Highway Trust Fund, which is funded by the gas tax, is used not only for bridges and highways, but for mass transit projects and bike paths. These might be worthy projects, but they cut into the money available for highways and bridges in rural areas, Steenhoek says. Something else that is desperately needed, he says, is a new highway bill. The previous one expired on Sept. 30, 2009, and since then has been operating through a series of extensions. "The bone of contention is how to pay for it," Steenhoek says. "It is facing some strong headwinds with either a tax or going into more debt. Neither is very attractive." Several solutions for tackling our infrastructure problems are being discussed. One concept that seems to be gaining traction at the federal level is what's called an infrastructure bank, or I-Bank, though the details have yet to be worked out, according to Sharada Vadali, an economist with the Texas Transportation Institute. Most of the nation's infrastructure is currently funded through federal dollars, or bonds. The I-Bank is viewed as a way to provide a central source for financing construction projects. Nick Yaksich, vice president of global public policy for the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), says increasing the gas tax faces tough sledding in Congress, even though it might be the most logical solution. AEM supports the TRIP study's conclusions. "The needs are so great. Our message to Congress is to look at user fee increases, tolling, and expanding opportunities for private investment," the organization says. Gaining efficiency. The future of our rural economy depends not only on smooth, safe surfaces to transport more grain, but on efficiencies in the transportation system. Darrin Roth, director of highway operations for American Trucking Associations, hopes for congressional passage of a bill introduced in the Senate in April that would allow for six axles and 97,000 lb. per truck. Roth says the increase would help agriculture and other industries be more competitive internationally by lowering shipping costs. He notes that U.S. competitors such as Canada, Mexico and Europe already have at least a 97,000-lb. load limit. "That has put the U.S. at a disadvantage," he says. Rural America enjoys a transportation system that has served us well for decades. The realization of this is the first step toward its renewal. Back to news


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Another Typing GNU Hacker
This is Jamal Hannahs GNU, hunching over a computer. And this time it's in colour!
Thanks to Peter McLachlan for doing this artwork.
This picture is available in the following formats:
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Truck/Railroad Crossing Safety Program at VC
Victoria College will offer two presentations on railroad crossing safety for truck drivers and truck driver students at 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Oct. 30 in the Health Sciences Center, Room 133.
Buck Russel, public safety manager with Union Pacific Railroad, will conduct the presentations geared toward safety awareness for truck drivers. Victoria College commercial truck driving students are also invited to attend either session.
In 2012, there were 1,967 vehicle-train collisions, resulting in 273 fatalities and 946 injuries, according to preliminary statistics from the Federal Railroad Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Transportation. A motorist is almost 20 times more likely to die in a crash involving a train than in a collision involving another motor vehicle, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
"I saw this presentation at a recent Eagle Ford Shale meeting, and I was so impressed that I asked Union Pacific if they would offer it to our truck driving students," Sherri Pall, director of Victoria College's Workforce and Continuing Education, told the Victoria Advocate. "When they agreed, I thought it would be a good opportunity for companies to offer it to their truck drivers. This is a good program to raise awareness of railroad crossing safety."
For more information on the railroad crossing safety presentations, contact Mary Pullin at 361-485-6830.


text:
Sequester hits home with cuts to BHA
BRATTLEBORO -- The Brattleboro Housing Authority is letting its Section 8 tenants know that recent federal budget cuts will likely force a decrease in the monthly housing aid they receive.
BHA sent out a letter to its tenants last week explaining that cuts to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development caused by the sequester will reduce the payment standard for all tenants to 90 percent of the fair market rent.
The amount of money each Section 8 tenant receives to help pay for rent varies depending on income, the rent payment, and other factors, and BHA Executive Director Chris Hart said the impact will vary from tenant to tenant.
Still, Hart said, with federal payments coming into BHA expected to take a hit following sequestration, the organization has few other options but to make the reductions.
"This is a very big deal, and it is not something we are taking lightly," said Hart. "We will be receiving less, and this is real money. It's very serious."
Since Congress earlier this year failed to stave off the sequester, which slashed $85.4 billion from the federal budget, Hart says she and her board have been trying to figure out how they would be able to bridge the gap between what they need to pay and how much money that will be coming in from Washington.
There are nine housing authorities in Vermont and Jo Ann Troiano, who is executive director of the Montpelier Housing Authority and chairwoman of the Vermont Association for Public Housing Directors, says each group is doing what it can to make the cuts as painless on its tenants as possible.
Housing authority directors have been facing cuts over the past few years, and making due with less, but she said the recent cuts came swiftly.
"You just can't make changes like this on a dime," she said. "For some of us sequestration was the straw that broke the camel's back."
There are about 6,800 Section 8 vouchers in Vermont.
She said while Congress was debating the sequestration everyone assumed lawmakers would be able to work out their differences, and no one thought the cuts would really happen.
When the cuts to HUD were announced Troiano said the directors were forced to take a hard look at their books.
"It's frustrating. There was a feeling that Congress really couldn't be that stupid," she said. "But these days they can't even agree that motherhood and apple pie are good any more."
According to federal regulations, BHA has to ask for a waiver to reduce the monthly payments. Without the waiver BHA would have to wait for a year before enacting those cuts.
BHA is asking for that waiver.
If HUD does not approve the waiver then BHA will be forced to terminate tenants from the voucher program.
Hart said that while the cuts are real, and BHA has to make tough choices, no one will be kicked out of their apartment and turned out to the street.
"The truth is that these cuts are real. They are happening now and we don't have a year to wait," said Hart.
Housing authorities all over the country are dealing with the same challenge, but Hart said smaller organizations like BHA are having a much harder time making up the difference.
Larger urban housing authorities can cut payroll, but BHA has already reduced its Section 8 staff to one-and-one-half people.
And in larger urban centers turnover can sometimes number in the dozens, or even hundreds each month, and the authorities can save money by simply not turn the vouchers over when someone moves out.
But in Brattleboro Hart says there are fewer options to make up the lost federal money
The waiting list in Brattleboro is so long that BHA closed it recently so there are not a lot of people coming off the Section 8 program.
The last time Hart issued a new Section 8 voucher it was to a person who applied for it in 2006.
"For an organization like us there is really no where else we can go," Hart said. "
BHA has 187 federal Section 8 vouchers, which help low income tenants make rent payments each month.
But past federal cuts have already forced BHA to only support about 145 because there is not enough money to support the full load.
Hart also said low income residents are already seeing reductions to their child care, and rising oil costs squeeze tenants, or landlords, making it even harder to make ends meet each month.
"We have to make sure we have the money we need to pay the landlords," Hart said.
The BHA board is looking closely at its finances and Hart says the group probably has money to make it through October or November without making the reductions.
"We're looking closely and really digging down deep," said Hart. "We know these letters caused people to panic and get upset. It's not going to happen tomorrow, but we want them to know what we are facing, and put everyone on notice to what we are facing."
Howard Weiss-Tisman can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com, or 802-254-2311, ext. 279. You can follow him on Twitter @HowardReformer.
If you'd like to leave a comment (or a tip or a question) about this story with the editors, please email us. We also welcome letters to the editor for publication; you can do that by filling out our letters form and submitting it to the newsroom.


text:
Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts Council is offering a Swim Safety program on Saturday, Jan. 9 from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the YWCA in Worcester for Brownie Scouts. Juliette Scouts in grades 2 & 3 also may register.
Program info: Looking for a fun way to introduce your Girl Scout Brownies to Water Safety? Brownies will work in small groups to review and learn water safety and swimming skills. The afternoon begins with one half-hour on "dry land," with water safety activities, games and role-playing. Then, the Brownies move to the pool and rotate through 4 stations where they'll develop and practice swimming, water safety, rescue, and synchronized swimming skills. Free swim time is also included in the program.
Event #: 4580
The program is limited to a maximum of 40 Brownies. Registration is ongoing until all slots are filled. Registration is $5 per Scout and does NOT included a participation patch. Adults and leaders are free, and do NOT need to wear swimsuits or go into the pool.
To register contact Patty Flanagan at 508-767-2505 x3021 or email@example.com


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text:
Some visitors downtown have been surprised with citations for parking in restricted areas over the past few weekends. Although the violations were legit, the ticketed say there was an "unwritten rule" that leased lots were open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays in the past.
Some visitors downtown have been surprised with citations for parking in restricted areas over the past few weekends. Although the violations were legit, the ticketed say there was an "unwritten rule" that leased lots were open to the public on Saturdays and Sundays in the past.
The city says some spaces in those lots are still open, but not the leased ones.
Brian Tribby of Hendersonville said he returned to his car parked in the city's Dogwood lot after attending a concert at the First Baptist Church between 3 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. He parked in a blue space marked "RESERVED."
A ticket was on his windshield when he returned.
"I have been attending events at First Baptist for over 20 years and have always parked in the municipal parking lot," he wrote in a letter to the Times-News. "There was an unwritten rule that, even though this is a leased parking lot, it was only used Monday through Friday by the ones leasing it and could be used by others on the weekends."
Tribby said the lot was full that day with cars of others attending the performance. Each one parked in a leased or metered spot was ticketed.
The metered spaces are free from 6 p.m. Saturday to 8 a.m. Sunday, but the leased spots, marked with blue wheel-stops, are reserved 24/7 for those who pay for them. That rule has not changed, according to Hendersonville Police Chief Herbert Blake.
"The city has not changed any ordinances recently, but we have put meters on spaces in the Dogwood lot that had been free," Mayor Barbara Volk said.
In October 2011, the Main Street Advisory Committee saw the need for more public parking and recommended a design that eliminated free parking within the Dogwood lot. The committee's recommendations also included a reduction in the total number of leased spaces, boosting the number of spots in the lot by 18. Two charging stations for electric cars also were added to the lot at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Church Street.
City council approved the layout changes in November 2011 and agreed to fund the project in 2012. The changes were implemented last month. Dogwood now has a total of 153 spots, including 88 metered spaces and 58 leased ones that can be guaranteed for $20 a month — the price of two parking tickets.
The new metered spaces were installed with signs indicating that fees are required for parking in the spaces from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Blake said. "There are signs indicating that the spaces in the Dogwood lot are either leased or metered at all drive-through entry points."
He said there are also signs on the meters, explaining when they are in operation.
But Tribby questioned why the charges are assessed without any warning.
"I want to think of Hendersonville as a nice place where you get a warning first, instead of a ticket," he said.
The city has five municipal lots downtown that offer about 200 metered spaces to complement the dozens of spots open to visitors on Main Street.
Sherry Schmidt, owner of Four Seasons Christmas & Garden at 225 N. Main St., said she hears customers constantly complain about a lack of parking. She hopes the city will look at installing a public parking garage.
Hendersonville's ordinance explains that "all parking meters" are "in operation between the hours of 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. every day, except Sundays and legal holidays."
But even holiday shoppers might see restrictions in free parking. After hearing complaints from several residents and merchants about a lack of parking for customers during the busiest time of the year, the Main Street Advisory Committee proposed a limit.
The board recommended the city place a three-hour limit on metered parking spaces downtown during the holidays to encourage a turnover in spots. The board also recommended that metered spaces be included in the city's continuous parking ordinance to keep drivers from skirting the law by moving their cars to other spaces in the same block every three hours.
City council has not yet voted on the measure.
The three-hour time limit on free parking spaces downtown has irritated some drivers, and it cost at least one business a recent sale.
Norm Herrmann of Etowah said that he was ticketed on a Saturday while waiting for a clerk to return to a shop to help him with a purchase.
"Apparently, I overstayed my welcome in one of the parallel spaces which I understood to be reserved for short-term visits and deliveries during the week. I ducked out of the rain and into a shop to make a quick purchase. I soon realized that there was another item valued in the hundreds of dollars of interest to me," he wrote in a letter to the Times-News.
Herrmann and his wife ate lunch down the block and returned to make their purchase when he saw his car being cited, he said. "We left hastily and purchased the item in question in … Greenville, South Carolina."
"The situation in downtown continues to go from bad to worse," said Eva Ritchey, owner of Once Upon a Sign at 305 N. Main St. "They're giving tens of tickets on Saturday."
She added that parking is already limited. "Merchants are in a very precarious situation," she said, with limited access from ongoing construction and now from parking rules strictly monitored.
The mayor admits that the city seems to be getting a lot of complaints recently about parking tickets in city lots.
"I understand that people attending events, including church services, concerts and funerals, do not appreciate having to pay for their parking, or want to use the most convenient space. But, in fairness to those who pay for a monthly lease and to those who park to visit Main Street, the city enforces our parking ordinances," she said. "Parking is a continuing problem downtown. I wish I had a good solution for it, but I don't. We have tried to balance the needs of the business owners, employees and shoppers with the visitors and customers."
She said the city is open to suggestions at any time.
Last month, the city approved a design for improvements to Main Street's 700 block that will add 13 spaces for downtown guests.
Reach Weaver at email@example.com or 828-694-7867.


text:
Simple statistics, misconceptions disproved.
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Forum Senior Member
Joined: February 05 2007
Location: Georgia
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Points: 400
Topic: Simple statistics, misconceptions disproved.
Posted: December 03 2012 at 05:02
Did a simple search in ProgArchives symphonic prog section to see which country had the most symphonic prog bands. See results below in the photo attached.
I was as amazed as some of you might get. The results proved wrong the most rooted prog misconception according to which UK was the center of symphonic prog. As you can see here, there are almost two times more symphonic prog bands in US than in UK. Germany has just as many symphonic prog bands as UK. Could what we've thought all this time be just a matter of exposure? Share your thoughts, please!
P.S. This doesn't even take into the account all the Italian prog bands, who were mostly of symphonic variety.
Prog Reviewer
Joined: October 09 2005
Location: Entropia
Status: Offline
Points: 16449
|Posted: December 03 2012 at 05:29
Beyond Kansas, can you name me any US, or for that matter German, Symph Prog bands that have remotely had the level of influence that Genesis, ELP, Yes, Renaissance, et all have had?
Didn't think so.
Besides, since the 80's most British prog bands have ended up being classed as Neo-Prog, where as the Americans have definitely concentrated more on Symph.
Spending more than I should on Prog since 2005
Forum Senior Member
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Location: Georgia
Status: Offline
Points: 400
|Posted: December 03 2012 at 05:52
Sleeper, let's say I can name quite a few :) I agree about influence, but could / couldn't this be more a matter of exposure than of quality difference?
Yeah, Neo Prog "steal" does have a role, but still, even considering this the result is:
Germany: 40 + 38 = 78
Germany's out, but US still leading.
Edited by Thandrus - December 03 2012 at 05:53
Special Collaborator
Retired Admin and Amateur Layabout
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Points: 37331
|Posted: December 03 2012 at 06:32
Or, never mind the quality feel the width.
"You know what uranium is, right?
Its this thing called nuclear weapons.
And other things.
Like lots of things are done with uranium.
Including some bad things.
But nobody talks about that."
Prog Reviewer
Joined: June 22 2004
Location: England
Status: Offline
Points: 13538
|Posted: December 03 2012 at 06:47
Who is the US or European Genesis, Yes, ELP etc..??
Starcastle? Glass Hammer? Spocks Beard? PFM?
Love those bands, but I think the point to be made is that England IS the home of symphonic prog rock in terms of what that particular subgenre spawned and influenced globally.
Ultimately bored by endless ecstasy!
Snow Dog
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|Posted: December 03 2012 at 06:49
It makes sense that The US have more. Much huger population equals more varieties of everything under the sun.
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Points: 7960
|Posted: December 03 2012 at 07:25
Considering the size of each country and the number of its population, those numbers are way off and simply a top ten number that is not indicative of a whole lot of much ... except bad statistics to feed the sadistic mind of the populist ideals!
If you have 150 out of 200 million people instead of 150 out of 40 million (whatevuuuuhhh!!!) ... the number becomes almost trivial and in America, and massive in Germany or England!
To me, this is the hard part of the "top ten" mentality ... you see the numbers without a perspective of what they mean ... and this is exactly what I mean that when London sells 100k copies of something it becomes a hit that we are supposed to hear and buy, and the same in NY, or Tokyo ... but the rest of the world has not heard it, or cares about it ... and it "forces you" to listen and "appreciate" the new Number One ... which, of course, is only happening in one place, not others! Nashville rarely cares, for example!
Without trying to sound smug, or bad, this is exactly why we need to get rid of the top ten mentality in progressive music ... it teaches you to look at the wrong thing ... popularity ... instead of the value of the music itself. That, in no way, is to state that the public does not have good taste ... if that were the case, Janis, Jimi, Jim and many others would never have been heard ... but it spoke a lot for the abilities and their music ... and you have to see that scale and how it balances out.
You can see how we can get tired of the NY media, or London media, or Tokyo media (we ignore that one really good!), telling us what is best and what is superior! Specially when there is so much more music everywhere in the world that those folks, and you and I, have never heard ... or eever will bother to hear!
If I may suggest, also be a "progressive" listener and "progressive" thinker ... a lot of the music and its variety and other work in other countries, will make a lot more sense to your palate! The beauty is endless. It's almost like saying that Swedish women are ugly, or Russian women, or Thai women, or Australian women ... and you know that is really full of it!
Some statistics are worth their salt ... but they need to have PERSPECTIVE. In a relational sense, your statistic would not go very far in college, btw! A professor at UCSB in Sociology 101 used to get everyone to create these statistical everythings on the first week, and then proceed to shoot them all down ... out loud in front of the whole class ... so you got the idea ... that numbers are an ADVERTISING TOOL ... not necessarily a scientific tool!
Remember that next time you go see the latest greatest movie that made 100 Million!
Edited by moshkito - December 03 2012 at 07:47
... none of the hits, none of the time ... now you know what the art is all about!
Eclectic Prog Team
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|Posted: December 03 2012 at 08:06
This is what I was going to say. If you weight by population, the U.K. would come out far ahead of the U.S. and Germany. Per capita, the U.K. has the most Symphonic Prog bands.
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|Posted: December 03 2012 at 08:21
How does Sweden fare when it comes down to prog bands per capita? I know of towns in Finland and Sweden with less than 20,000 people, with five or more prog bands mentioned on prog archives. Wikipedia says:
Sweden also has a prominent choral music tradition, deriving in part from the cultural importance of Swedish folk songs. In fact, out of a population of 9.5 million, it is estimated that five to six hundred thousand people sing in choirs.[171]
In 2007, with over 800 million dollars in revenue, Sweden was the third largest music exporter in the world and surpassed only by the US and the UK.[172
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|Posted: December 03 2012 at 08:23
Well, no need of specific analogs - ... but when US has a wonderband (IMO, of course) like Maelstrom almost unknown, this points to some kind of prejudice born out of popular misconception against US symph. And who knows
how many more bands we have to hear and fully appreciate!
PFM example is a bit irrelevant IMO, because if we touch Italy, we have to stand against the most massive symphonic avalanche there has ever been
Yes, nobody argues that UK is a home for symphonic prog - that's what indeed it is; but there could be just as many symphonic ideas over the Atlantic - at least so many just not to deem American symphonic prog a priori second-rate
Well yes, population size matters - but when we talk about country's prog input we usually mean it in absolute terms, not relative to country's size; With former approach Belgium could be viewed as one of the European prog leaders, relative to their area / population - which is absolutely not the case.
Yes but again, we measure input as an absolute term, not per capita
Sadly that's a kind of approach I've often encountered towards American symphonic prog
Sure, it was a simple search that quite amazed and a bit confused me. The PERSPECTIVE and moral of it (for me, at least) is that much of US symph is thrown into the wastebin and regarded as a second-tier. And yeah, most of it is very unpopular too, judging by review numbers - so, saying again, it points to some popular misconception angainst it, not the opinion formed by thorough investigation
Edited by Thandrus - December 03 2012 at 08:49
The Dark Elf
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|Posted: December 03 2012 at 08:52
This just goes to show you the truth in the saying Mark Twain popularized:
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics."
...a vigorous circular motion hitherto unknown to the people of this area, but destined
to take the place of the mud shark in your mythology...
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|Posted: December 03 2012 at 10:00
They also have more Golf players in US than in Europe.
But they loose.
Prog is whatevey you want it to be. So dont diss other peoples prog, and they wont diss yours
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|Posted: December 03 2012 at 10:33
With all due respect, your "statistics" (if you can call a simple count that) is alright as long as you agree that it's pretty meaningless.
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|Posted: December 03 2012 at 10:42
Can you tell me WHY? Besides, the point I made was that US symph at least requires much closer attention. This is its primal meaning; Any additional meaning will be available as / if it gets more exposure
... but not because Tiger Woods is second to any one
Edited by Thandrus - December 03 2012 at 11:10
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|Posted: December 03 2012 at 11:22
Hungary has few bands and all of them almost symphonic...
Curiosity killed a cat, Schroedinger only half.
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Points: 4143
|Posted: December 03 2012 at 11:38
Well that didn't seem to be your point in the OP. Your statistics merely revealed the fact that there are more US bands listed in PA than UK bands, nothing more and nothing less (that's what I mean by "pretty meaningless", just a numerical count without any references has an extremely limited information value), but the point you made of this fact was
which is not a valid inference from that fact.
I sense that you now understand that you just revealed that there are more US bands in PA than UK bands so in numerical terms people might want to pay attention to those US bands, and that's fine for me. No offence intended.
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|Posted: December 03 2012 at 12:02
Hungary's great when it comes to symphonic prog!
Well yeah, I might have been a bit radical / hasty with my conclusions - but anyways, you could tell that amount of ideas generated there was no less. Concerning quality, I think most of prog fans don't know it enough (myself included) to judge it. So it's likely that from this big amount of material reasonable percentage would be gems (just like everywhere, even England). So, attention is warranted
BTW, does the forum policy allow to post YouTube links for full albums? So we could share some of US gems available there. I've seen songs shared, but not albums, that's why I'm asking.
Edited by Thandrus - December 03 2012 at 12:04
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|Posted: December 03 2012 at 12:06
Think this just comes down to simple demographics like land mass, population density, average age etc.
These all can relate to a stronger likely hood that a country will have more than the other.
I bet the US has the most, But their exposure is not as well known as the UK.
Germany. I'm not surprised. Just not enough exposure. I think I only listen to A Poverty's no crime and Vaden Plas. Can't name too many.
Anyway. My feeling is that the U.S has the most, but the UK produce the best. Just my opinion.
Raving and drooling I leaned on his neck with a screeeeeeeamm! ;)
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|Posted: December 03 2012 at 12:26
Nothing against the policy as far as I know, the site hosting the material is You Tube not PA.
There was a thread not long ago posting links to full prog-related documentaries in You Tube.
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|Posted: December 03 2012 at 17:02
German Symphonic Prog band Triumvirat hit the Top 40 in the USA with Spartacus in '75. At the time, more an exception to the rule, as far as German Sym. Prog making a dent in North America. Triumvirat also hit Number 1 in Portugal and in the top 4 in Brazil only a year later in terms of album sales. (they were not a singles oriented band)
If you have nothing, you have everything.
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Throwback Smack Of The Week: Elderly Man Gets Slapped In The Back Of His Neck For Singing Horribly! (No Respect )[Fixed]
So wrong
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Nearly 33 local artisans set up tables in a space provided by From the Source, a custom furnishing company located at 69 West St. in Greenpoint.
There was everything from eco-friendly flower pottery from Blossom Blocks, frozen non-alcoholic craft brewed specialty bars from Brewla, and a variety of artists and jewelers.
Jennifer Galatioto, editor for the Greenpointers blog, runs seasonal-themed markets throughout the year, however this was her first ever fall market.
"It's really important to us to support local business and local craftsmen and artists," Galatioto said. "This is one way we like to encourage the community to support local businesses and shop locally."
Carina Hueber of Greenpoint's Eastern District food market was also there to showcase Dutch Artisan, her own company with a unique flavor.
When Hueber came to Brooklyn from the Netherlands, she noticed that one of her most loved products from back home, stroop, had been overlooked in the local marketplace.
"It's not a jam, but it's delicious with cheeses or melted over a pan and served with some chicken," Hueber said.
Dutch Artisan is based out of Park Slope and just launched in August. Hueber said setting up at events like the Fall Harvest is the perfect way to introduce her product to the community.
"This is phenomenal, and everyone in Greenpoint has been wonderful," she said. "I feel like I'm bringing a little bit of Holland back to New Amsterdam."
Tamara Garvey, an illustrator and artist based in Bushwick, featured her own original drawings, gift cards and prints at the festival.
"I think it's a beautiful space and I'm very excited," said Garvey, who also does some illustration for Greenpointers. "I know it's a very artsy neighborhood, and I think all the items here are amazing. It's been nice to meet some local artists."


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Language barrier may have led to taco stand shooting
A language barrier may have played a role in a shooting during a robbery at a mobile taco stand in north Harris County Wednesday night.
About 8:30 p.m., a man approached the order window at the 5 Estrellas mobile Mexican eatery on Airline near Memory Lane, said Deputy Thomas Gilliland, a spokesman for the Harris County Sheriff's Office.
He demanded money from a 54-year-old woman who was working the window. However, she didn't understand what he was saying because she only speaks Spanish, Gilliland said.
The suspect then crawled through the window and confronted a man who was working inside. He ordered the man to give him money. When the man said he had no money, the suspect fired one shot from what appeared to be a .380 caliber handgun. The man was wounded in the elbow.
The woman was not hurt.
The suspect grabbed two cellular phones from the workers and ran away.
He is described only as being in his 20s or 30s. He was between about 5 feet 5 inches tall and 5 feet 9 inches tall. He had a gold grill on his front teeth. He wore a gray shirt and black pants.


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Main Content
sports medicine club
The Sports Medicine Club is a university-sponsored organization for those students interested in athletic training. This organization is comprised primarily of those students who are enrolled in the CAATE Accredited Athletic Training Education Program. This club serves the university and local communities to provide an understanding of the athletic training/sports medicine profession. The students in this club work together to educate athletes and physically active individuals on the importance of preventative health care; serve the community by providing volunteer service and health care for athletic events; and join together socially and to raise funds for projects throughout the school year.
To obtain more information about the Sports Medicine Club, contact the Program Director for more details.


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Professor Emeritus Teams with Alumnus to Create Scholarship for Coach
A legendary soccer coach and revered professor emeritus, the late Ernest B. Luongo made a difference on the field and in his classroom. Professor Emeritus Harry Nash and former player Dan Scaia '68 have joined with the Luongo family to ensure his legacy is preserved at Oswego with the Ernest B. Luongo Memorial Scholarship.
A 2008 Oswego Athletic Hall of Fame inductee and recipient of the 1970 Oswego Alumni Association Distinguished Faculty Award, Luongo passed away Oct. 4 at the age of 88.


text: The SharpShooter Paintball is made for paintball markers. This unit is a brightly colored hands free resetting system. As the paintball strikes each target, the force spins the target to the catch bar above. To reset the system, simply shoot the reset target or each individual target and begin another round of practice or competition. The SharpShooter targeting systems have a revolutionary design that incorporates superior quality, engineering, and materials to rival any target system made. The base and arm extension is made of solid bar stock, as opposed to tubing. This creates a more solid foundation, unmatched durability, while optimizing safety. The fact that each piece is of machined quality, the shooter is assured of tolerance and precision. In keeping with the mindset of durability, The SharpShooter targeting systems use an ingenious one-piece twisted target. This eliminates the problem of weld breakage that occurs with older designs. The independent pendulum targets, that rotate out of the way when hit, rest on the reset bar. This helps to eliminate target bounce back. Each unit also incorporates a simple, yet advanced design, which gives the shooter effortless assembly, as well as breakdown for easy transportation and compact storage. The SharpShooter targeting systems are made of high-grade steel and are fastened with the finest possible parts. The finish for each model is of environmentally safe powder coat paint. - No walking or setup, just reload and have fun - High grade steel for years of durability and enjoyment - Engineered for extra stability - Steel Construction and powder coat paint - Twisted one-piece targets eliminate weld breakage - Superior high visibility targets


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Used 2011 Ford F150 Regular Cab Pickup
Used 2011
Ford F150 Regular Cab Pickup
2011 Ford F150 Regular Cab Pricing
Cars For Sale
2011 Ford F150 Regular Cab KBB Expert Review
That the F-150 is the best selling truck in America for 33-years running tells you Ford must be doing something right when it comes to their full-size
pickup line. Ever increasing competition, however, has forced Ford to step up its game, especially in the one area the F-150 has shown vulnerability in the past: Power. In what Ford bills as the most extensive powertrain overhaul in the 62-year history of the F-Series pickup, a total of four all-new engines and a new six-speed automatic transmission move the F-150 to the top of the horsepower and fuel economy charts. But Ford has not forgot the core purpose of its fabled truck, and knows that the bulk of its sales will come from buyers who genuinely need the unique aspects full-size
pickups offer – big payload and towing capacities among them – instead of those who simply want to be seen in a pickup. With this in mind, Ford engineers have built in class-leading capabilities in both these areas while, at the same time, boosting fuel economy across the board. But don't think they skimped on creature comforts, as the 2011 Ford F-150 offers increasing levels of luxury from among its 35 variants.
You'll Like This Car If...
If you want a truck with serious towing and payload capabilities, yet as quiet and comfortable as many luxury sedans, then the F-150 should surely be on your shopping list.
You May Not Like This Car If...
Despite this year's new round of engine choices, the 2011 F-150 still doesn't offer a diesel option, so if you are a firm believer in diesel you must shop elsewhere.
What's New for 2011
Four new engines mark the big changes for the 2011 Ford F-150: a 3.7-liter V6, 5.0- and 6.2-liter V8s, and a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6. For the first time, a six-speed automatic is standard on all F-150 models. Other new features include the use of electric power-assisted steering, an available 4.2-inch LCD message center, a larger in-mirror rearview camera system, and a telescoping steering wheel.
Driving It
Driving Impressions
Ford is so proud of the F-150's payload and towing capabilities that it might be natural to assume the 2011 version would "ride like a truck." The surprising news is it doesn't. Instead, each and every version of the F-150 we've driven offered exceptional ride quality – no shudders, hops or hiccups – and a level of quiet that was startling. Each version also offered ample power, good acceleration and, thanks to the new electric power-assisted steering (EPAS), a level of steering feel and control that belied its size and heft. Perhaps most impressive was the towing demonstration in which we hauled 20-foot trailers with absolutely zero drama, thanks in large part to the pickup's trailer sway control, rearview camera and integrated trailer brake controller. Our off-road excursions in the well-equipped four-by-four versions of the truck demonstrated it has the goods to get it done in muck and mire as well.
Favorite Features
Tailgate Step
Designed to deal with the awkward and potentially dangerous chore of getting into the pickup truck's bed, the integrated tailgate step scored big. It deploys easily and even offers a safety hand-hold.
Roomy SuperCrew Cab
The cab in the 2011 SuperCrew is so roomy it out-measures some full-size sedans. In fact, the rear-seat legroom is absolutely limousine-like, and the mechanically articulated second-row seat flips up and out of the way, delivering an ample 57.6 cubic feet of space behind the front seats.
Vehicle Details
The 2011 Ford F-150's interior is both attractive and functional. Knowing men's hands would most often be using the controls, Ford designers made the knobs, buttons and switches brawny and put them within easy reach of the driver. The center console is both long and wide enough so it can easily accommodate two or more laptops, and it even has ridges so it can accept file folders. It is just one of more than 30 storage areas built into the interior for things like cell phones and music players. We especially appreciate the dash-mounted USB port and auxiliary music player input, plus the two easily accessible 12-volt outlets – one on the dash and one in the console – and even an available 110-volt outlet. Ford also paid special attention to the seats, which are some of the most comfortable in our experience.
Two generations ago Ford designers penned a swoopy, almost Ferrari-like F-150 that bowled over critics but didn't play as well with truck buyers. In the two generations since, Ford has made the F-150 much huskier, with an imposing front end, strong shoulders and a deep, deep pickup box. One drawback are the box's tall sides that make reaching into the center of the bed a difficult chore for all but the tallest among us; an available extendable side step somewhat alleviates this problem and is an option worth considering. The three-bar grille is the most important element of the design and if you're paying attention you can tell an F-150 trim level simply by the grille treatment – ranging from simple in the more work-oriented versions to more luxury-car-like looks for the up-level Lariat, King Ranch, and Platinum versions.
Notable Standard Equipment
The 2011 Ford F-150 comes in flavors ranging from plain vanilla all the way to banana split with whipped cream, nuts and sprinkles, but one thing all levels share is a robust, hydro-formed, boxed-section chassis that offers superior torsional rigidity while actually being lighter than the old-fashioned ladder frames of the past. The level of standard safety equipment is truly outstanding, including AdvanceTrac with RSC traction and stability control, anti-lock brakes (ABS) and Safety Canopy side-curtain airbags with roll-fold technology for enhanced head protection in rollovers and side impacts. Safety is also enhanced by front seat-mounted side-impact airbags, "smart" airbags and seatbelts, a new second-row center head restraint and integrated spotter mirrors.
Notable Optional Equipment
For those who really use their pickup trucks as trucks, the F-150 offers some exclusive options that are right on the money. Our two favorites are the integral tailgate step that makes clambering into the box easy and the spring-out box side steps that make reaching into the vehicle's deep cargo box much more convenient. Also earning high marks are the stowable bed extender and beefy cargo management system. And for those who have ever left a tool on a work site, never to see it again, the Tool Link radio-frequency identification tracking system enables you to maintain a detailed real-time inventory of the tools and/or equipment stored in the pickup box. When it's kick-back time, Ford's SYNC, SIRIUS Travel Link and a high-powered Sony brand audio system help you while away the time.
Under the Hood
Do you want a gasoline engine or a gasoline engine? Perhaps the only shortfall with the 2011 F-150 is the lack of a diesel option, but the four new gasoline engines available – two V6s and two V8s – offer reasonable fuel economy, aided significantly by the addition of a six-speed automatic transmission. A twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 is offered, a first for this segment and an engine that promises both strong performance and good fuel economy. Both the 3.7-liter V6 and 5.0-liter V8 are fitted with fuel-saving twin independent variable camshaft timing (Ti-VCT) technology, and for towing needs, nothing can beat the two-valve per cylinder 6.2-liter V8s best-in-class 11,300-pound tow rating.
3.7-liter V6
302 horsepower @ 6500 rpm
278 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 14/20 (2WD), 14/18 (4WD)
3.5-liter V6, twin-turbocharged
365 horsepower @ 5000 rpm
420 lb.-ft. of torque @ 2500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: TBA
5.0-liter V8
360 horsepower @ 5500 rpm
380 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4250
EPA city/high fuel economy: TBA
6.2-liter V8
411 horsepower @ 5500 rpm
434 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: TBA
Pricing Notes
With more than 30 different variants, the 2011 Ford F-150 is priced across a wide range. Regular Cab XL models have a starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) right around $23,500, while a fully laden Platinum SuperCrew can run over $50,000. Somewhere in between those two extremes is where most buyers will find themselves. A look at the Fair Purchase Price on kbb.com shows the typical transaction price being paid for the F-150 in your area, so be sure to check it out before you set out to buy. The F-150 is expected to retain a better-than-average residual value, with the SuperCrew models at the top of the chart, followed by the Regular Cab and then the Super Cab. Over a five-year period, the F-150's projected residual value is expected to be nearly on par with the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra, better than the Dodge Ram and Nissan Titan but slightly below the Toyota Tundra.
Ford F150 Regular Cab Consumer Reviews
January 05, 2019
great truck!
Solid, solid, solid! Bullet proof. Comfort and power. XL reg cab short bed.
November 15, 2018
Love this truck!
Absolutely love this truck! Have not had any problems at all so pleased. Will be buying another Ford when necessary. To me there is no...
August 14, 2018
This truck performs beyond my expectations
I bought it used for work with 21k miles and it still looked pretty new. Almost 20 months later it has 70k miles on it and is...
June 18, 2018
most fun driver ever. handles like a big go cart.
This truck is practically a race car. It handles like nothing else sticking curves with those wide axles and fox shocks like nothing...
May 14, 2018
Fantastic truck
I purchased this truck brand new in 2013 and it has been extremely reliable. Still has the factory battery inside. Very well built. Once...
March 13, 2018
Awesome attention getting vehicle to drive
I am very pleased with my vehicle except the fact that when I purchased it I was told that they have excellent trade in value compared...
March 08, 2018
Great vehicle, in excellent condition
Has a custom bed cover, extra tint on windshield, keyless entry, chrome wheels, rubber bed mat, running boards,window visors/shields...
November 24, 2017
Best Truck Ever Driven
This is a great truck. Tough on the outside and absolute luxury on the inside. The power is still impressive after owning it a few...
November 15, 2017
Best truck and best vehicle I have ever owned.
My 2010 F150 Super Crew XLT 4x4 has been the most reliable vehicle I have ever owned. It is comfortable, and I have had zero issues...
Dee Dee
November 05, 2017
Absolutely the best buy Ive ever made
Great mechanical, electrical, clean and without any major defects and looks with much after market chrome decorations such as door...


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Cordoba Blocks
Give your child the gift of creativity with this colorful and unique set of Cordoba Blocks by HABA.
Made of beech wood and coated with natural, solvent-free lacquers that are safe for curious hands and teething mouths, this quirky play set is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers. Your child will enjoy exploring the rattle, bell, mirror, and reflective prism embedded in special blocks, and will build spatial sense and hand-eye coordination by stacking and assembling the structure of his dreams.
- Recommended for kids 18 months and older
- Integrates with our Discovery Block System, Ball Track Construction System, and Basic Building Blocks System
- Includes 16 pieces sized in increments of 4 cm x 4 cm
- Made of beech wood coated with multiple layers of water-based, natural, solvent-free lacquers
- Lovingly designed in Germany by our talented friends at HABA
- Made in Germany


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Opinion: The Paint-By-Numbers State of the Union
Political commentator Monica Crowley and Mary Kissel discuss the government's growing role in President Obama's State of the Union address and agenda. Photo credit: Getty Images.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.
... Mayer ... Democrats Republicans and independents ... understand that we can't just cut our way to prosperity ... they know of a broad based economic growth requires a balanced approach to deficit reduction ... with spending cuts ... and revenue ... and with everybody doing their fair share ... and that's the approach offered much ... the American people don't expect government to solve every problem ... they don't expect those of us in this chamber to agree on every issue ... but they do it ... nation's interests ... for par ... welcome to Opinion Journal why Mary Kissel ... President it is stated the Union address last night and made a lot of causing promises ... but how many he actually keep ... getting our fiscal situation ... Fox News contributor and author Monica Crowley is here ... Micah a lot of talk about spending not allowed air about reform ... how was the president didn't ... achieve any of this grand liberal vision he laid out last marry me then use stated the Union same as the old ... I knew this was the exact same speech that we've heard from him ... not just every tiny Scott got not to give the stated Union address but every single speech he is given ... that his domestic agenda and his domestic priorities have centered on the same things which is more spending as you point out ... growing government ever bigger every single day and casting it in the same language of class warfare radical wealth re distribution ... and social justice and he did the exact same thing last night ... I still don't understand by Sunday evening on the conservative side ... are still trying to figure this man out where he's got to be interesting deficit reduction because the deficit than the national debt are still out of control ... will know he's never given us any indication ... of any desire to rein in government rein in spending or brain and ended up it was not about to start with the aspect of the Imperial presidency here there was one line wary said ... if you want that climate change to to be Handler's destruct my regulator to do that an end run around Congress is the emerging theme for the second term ... and I think we saw the beginnings of that in the first term where we if he can get something through Congress a cap and trade he would go to the bureaucracy in charge of environmental issues the EPA ... and start having that its use loose of regulation says not to CPA its across the border this administration ... I think what you can see is that really Brant up in a second term ... there's already worried that he's got ... a whole slew of executive orders ... I'm ready to go direct it's ready to go to the bureaucracies and I think your Tennessee work that he's been weighed on the Congress of the speech was not deemed a copper mines are at the GOP last night it looked squarely into twenty fourteen ... so what's the bet here that these economic policies don't throw us into another recession before twenty fourteen ... yet it's interesting I mean there's nothing in this man's background or history or pattern or a pattern of behavior to suggest compromise or conciliation and again it's not about to start now ... because he does feel him holding his eye is on twenty fourteen because he would love to have ... the house went back to Democratic control ... still his last two years could be the book into its first two years where he would have an open field to play ... Democrats controlling the House Democrats controlling the Senate he controlling the White House and in he can have free rein once again to do whatever it was unfair in bouncer to the present he did make outreach on immigration it was not a red line drawn last night ... when did you think of is that is that offer ... looking at my married that when he didn't have control of the Congress and the majority said house in the sand in his first two years he never moved to on immigration ... that the dynamics of change after this last election I think there's a consent upon the Republican side ... to try to do something and I do think the president will try to push something ... two different political reasons one that Democrats and Obama really want to lock in the big advantages they have a collecting a voters right now ... president won seventy one percent of them ... on in November said they'd like to lock in there that advantage ... the Republicans look at this huge loss and they say it will be how to do something ... previously when it's dry and politics or when it's done out of desperation because you get that line you get that policy might have to own this beach was very confident that the real energy was at the end when the president talked about gun control ... I was that the politically and good move for him ... to focus so much on on gun controls something he can achieve in this context ... I think you get the second amendment is something that he would like to attack and I think he had his ... a task force led by the vice president they put together some recommendations whether it can actually make it to the Congress is a different matter ... and I think it's actually a mistake that this president because the Democrats are relatively unified ... the hunt and an income incur this ... gun control is an issue that fractures on ... gun controls an issue that busts them apart because gun control is not a bright leftover Republican Democrat issue you it's more of a regional issue you see in the Northeast ... that tends to want more gun control you have the Midwest that tends not hit that Democrats were up for re-election next year ... um in in a lot of very red states that are very wary about this issue is that this is an issue that could actually temps ... some fracturing of the party ok Fox News contributor and author Monica


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Josh.ai - Artificial Intelligence for the home
Published on Feb 29, 2016
Josh.ai is an artificial intelligence for the home. In this video we show how Josh can be used for complex commands. Josh can change gender and accent, compute distance and provide population information. You can give Josh a series of commands for different devices in different rooms and Josh will handle them seamlessly.
Amazon Echo with Josh.ai | Multiple Voices, Sonos Control, Complex Commands
Uploaded on Jul 14, 2016
"Third-party app Josh will bring a few new skills (and different voices) to Amazon Echo"Josh.ai is a voice controlled home automation platform. Users primarily use their smart phone to voice control everything from their Lutron lights to their Sonos speakers. We recently built support for the Amazon Echo, enabling for the first time multiple voices and accents, including male and Indian voices, robust Sonos support, and complex commands. This is the first time the Echo is being shown to have these capabilities.
by Eric Mack
July 15, 2016
Josh.ai – Whole Home Voice Control
Published on Sep 6, 2016
Explore Josh.ai, a voice control home automation platform. This Los Angeles home has RadioRA2, Sonos, Nest, and more. Voice control using a smartphone, tablet, or far-field microphone such as the Echo. Intuitively control lights, music, shades, garage doors, thermostats, locks, sprinklers, fireplaces, etc.
Josh.ai - Introducing Josh Micro
Published on Aug 30, 2017
Josh Micro is the latest product from Josh.ai, leaders in the smart home market. Josh Micro runs the entire Josh processor, fits in the palm of your hand, is equipped with a far-field microphone array and sensors including motion, light, temperature, humidity, and touch. Josh Micro is designed to be wall mounted or placed on any tabletop surface, and is designed to fit the aesthetic of any room.