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2013 Candidate Biographies
Candidates for Board of Directors – Four-Year Term
Your voting ballot will arrive by regular mail in early February.
Click on name below or scroll down to see biography.
|Chester "Chet" Ekstrand
(Kent, WA)
|Tim Orr
Nashville, TN
|Ken Hogwood
Port Orange, FL
|Ruth Overton
Carthage, MO
|Gary Landis
Pell City, AL
|Gene Volk
Lake Toxaway, NC
|Richard Newman
DeKalb, IL
|Jonathan Weber
Nashua, NH
Candidates for The Nominating and Elections Committee
|Fred Ingram
Jackson, MS
|C. David Collard
Houston, TX
For NAWCC Director
Chester "Chet" Ekstrand (Kent, WA)
I have been a member of NAWCC since 2004 and am a member of Chapters 50 and 135, where I have served for several years as vice-president and, subsequently, secretary. Having been a professional pilot involved in design, training, and flight test of jet transports, as a young man I developed a fascination with and a passion for fine timepieces. I then inherited my grandfather's pocket watch, a South Bend, "The Studebaker," which stimulated my interest in fine vintage timepieces. This led to what has become a rather large collection of early American, railroad and fine European timepieces, in addition to some nice clocks (which hang proudly in our home).
I recently retired from Boeing after a more than 40-year career, during much of which I served as a vice-president. I have led large organizations and, in later years, was responsible for Boeing's technical and regulatory relationship with governments globally. In this role, I represented the company on numerous significant issues and worked with U.S. government officials, including those elected to Congress and serving in Cabinet-level positions, and have testified before Congress.
In every respect, I have been delighted with the professionalism and dedication of NAWCC at the National level. Yet we continue to shrink in size and, as a result, face challenges to maintain the viability of some chapters and sustain the resources available in support of our membership.
In this rapidly changing world we are challenged in our ability to communicate with and attract young people, many of whom seem to eschew human contact in favor of communication by means of text messages and may not even wear a watch!
Yet there is a robust segment of the industry that produces timepieces of astounding quality.The people who buy or just appreciate these timepieces will be those who, like me, bought a precious Elgin at an early age, marveled at its contribution to both art and science, and were proud to wear it on their wrist!I believe such people would delight in developing a relationship with a community that understands that unbelievable levels of mechanical accuracy, similar to those of today's fine timepieces, were achieved well over 100 years ago!Our challenge is to find ways to communicate with, support, and join together with these people in this rapidly changing world.
I am not under any illusion that I, as a senior citizen, well understand the views and attitudes of today's younger people, but I feel a passion for the art and science of timekeeping is a tie that can still connect us and that will present opportunities to sustain us into the future.
My success as a Boeing executive was a function of my ability and willingness to develop understanding of and respond in a meaningful way to those who view the world differently. I'd like a chance to help address such challenges in the horological world and, subsequently, help shape NAWCC in a way that responds to the changing needs and interests of our community of the future.
For NAWCC Director
Ken Hogwood (Port Orange, FL)
My name is Ken Hogwood. I am running for the NAWCC Board of Directors.
With my successful business background, I feel I can contribute my experience in finance and budgeting as well as serving you "our members." I would be honored to serve on the Board of Directors, and I ask for your vote.
Our association is experiencing declining membership resulting in declining revenue, while our fixed expenses and discretionary spending escalate. It is the duty of our elected Board to find solutions to this problem in order to stop and reverse this trend. We must have realistic goals, a realistic budget, and operate this organization like a business, not a hobby, or our organization will pass into history.
My goals as a member of the Board will be to strongly support the current "new member" drive, seek to expand public awareness of the NAWCC as an association, a library, and a museum, and seek new ways to find extra revenue instead of simply raising dues for our members. Raising the dues is a "tax and spend" solution that is not popular with our members and is not a long-term solution to our revenue problems. I will work to change this situation and help our organization grow stronger.
I started my antique clock collection in 1975. I joined the NAWCC and Chapter 154 in 1999. My involvement in the NAWCC and regional activities increased when I joined Tennessee Valley Chapter 42 and Atlanta Chapter 24, which are very active chapters.
After joining Chapter 42 in 2006, I served as exhibit chair, co-exhibit chair, roadshow chair, and other volunteer positions at Mid-South Regionals.
On the National level, I presented a lecture on American Carriage Clocks at the 2012 Ward Francillon Time Symposium. I will serve as the exhibit chair for the 2015 National in Chattanooga, TN. I have contributed one article to the NAWCC W&C Bulletin and have another article awaiting publication.
Locally, I am currently vice-president and program chair for Chapter 42, and I have presented many programs at the chapter level.
My main horological interest is in collecting carriage clocks. I enjoy horological research and sharing my knowledge with others in lectures, programs, and articles.
The bulk of my carriage clock collection and library will be bequeathed to the NAWCC upon my death. I see this as another way of helping the NAWCC financially, as this will be an unrestricted bequest.
My wife Beauton and I have been married for 37 years, and we have three grown children and five grandchildren. We are Florida residents with a home in Port Orange, FL, where we spend six months each year. We enjoy our second home on Tellico Lake in Greenback, TN, and spend our summers there. I am a member of First Presbyterian Church of Greenback.
I was born and raised in Chattanooga, TN, but spent most of my working years in the Memphis, TN, area. While living in Chattanooga, I served with the Tennessee National Guard for 5 ½ years.
I am a businessman, having owned and operated three successful businesses while living in the Memphis, TN, area. My last business, Metro Electrical Sales, Inc., received national honors as "Sales Agency of the Year" several times. I sold this company in 1991 and moved to Florida. I remain president and board chair of my fourth company, KBH, Inc., a commercial real estate holding company.
I was a member, president, and vice-president of the Sertoma Club in Memphis, TN.
In Florida, I was active for several years with Habitat for Humanity and served as a construction foreman. I served as vice-president of the Master Board of our 572 member Homeowner's Association. During my two-year tenure, we never raised association dues, and expenses came in under budget.
Again, I would be honored to represent you, our members, on the Board of Directors, and ask for your vote.
For NAWCC Director
Gary Landis (Pell City, AL)
Goals for the NAWCC
• Continue to promote clock and watch collecting to the public at large.
• Instill in the public curiosity of the history, beauty, and relativity of time.
• Market the NAWCC Library and Museum.
• Open our events to the public.
• Continue to educate the youth about horology.
Achievements and Related Activities
• Member of NAWCC Board of Directors – 4 years
• NAWCC Secretary – 2 years
• NAWCC Member – 40 years
• Member of Cog Counters Chapter 194
• Member of Alabama Chapter 54
Landis is a Ph.D. and has been a process control expert and operating manager for large corporations, including Unisys and General Motors. He now runs his own business in management education and consulting, as well as an antique business specializing in clocks. Currently, he is supporting the U.S. Army Depot with an army contract regarding training and consulting for the new LMP system (Logistics Modernization Program). Dr. Landis has been very active in a 50,000-member international operations management association (APICS), including service as president and a member of the Strategic Planning Committee.
Horological Interests
• Personal collection – 900 clocks, 250 watches
• Owner of the Landis Antique Mall, specializing in clocks and clock restoration, for over 24 years
• Ancestors bought Ansel Merrill's clock facility in Ohio and converted it to a house, where four generations of family lived. I have two grandfather clocks from his 1828 factory.
Personal Information
Gary A. Landis, president of G. A. Landis Associates, has over 25 years' experience in various types of management, as a consultant, practitioner, and educator. His company provides both consulting and education in ERP, MRP II, JIT, and a variety of computer systems applications. His ability to help facilitate successful closed-loop systems in manufacturing environments has resulted in Class A systems installations. His company also evaluates software and assists client companies in the selection process.
G. A. Landis Associates has developed courses in Advanced Supply Chain Management and has assisted companies in their implementation.
As a manufacturing consultant at Unisys Corporation, Gary provided education and guidance in the design and implementation of online, integrated, manufacturing control systems. Prior to his consulting positions, he served in management positions with Clow Corporation, Allis-Chalmers, Joy Manufacturing, and General Motors. During his career, Gary has been responsible for installing and operating MRP-related systems in single and multi-plant environments. His operating experience includes purchasing, distribution, inventory control, logistics, and both general and production management.
Gary holds both BS and MBA degrees from Kent State University and a doctorate from the University of Alabama. He has taught a variety of courses at five universities in past years. He served on the faculty at Auburn University and was involved in the development of an MS and Ph.D. program in Operations Management.
Gary served APICS as international president, board of directors, foundation, and the editorial review board of the P&IM Journal. He is certified at the Fellow level in Production and Inventory Management (CFPIM), in Integrated Resource Management (CIRM), and is a Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP). He holds the designation of APICS Master Instructor for CPIM and CSCP and Associate Instructor for Lean Manufacturing and Global Sourcing. Gary was the International APICS Conference Chairman for APICS 50th anniversary in 2007.
For NAWCC Director
Richard Newman (DeKalb, IL)
I joined the NAWCC 20 years ago, encouraged by my father. Now I am the father hoping to pass on the legacy to my 15-year-old son. We are all aware of the challenges NAWCC faces—declining membership, poorly managed finances, a confusing website, and inconsistent leadership. However, I prefer to take this time to talk about our many opportunities.
For example, we need:
(1) To better manage the experience members have on our website and increase revenue from the thousands of visitors we get each month;
(2) A plan to promote our world-class museum and make it more accessible to members and the public; and
(3) To figure out the right balance of income and expenditures without raising dues.
However, to do anything well we need to elect a capable Board that will work together to move our organization forward. I believe my skills and experience can help do just that.
Many of you know me through articles I have published in the W&C Bulletin, and as president of Chapter 159, advisor to Chapter 3, and as a member of Cog Counters, Pocket Horology, and the Antiquarian Horology Society. I have a Master of Business Administration Degree and 30 years of business experience. I am a vice- president for JPMorgan and have run information technology departments, developed new product offerings from scratch, and have led large and complex projects in many countries, including England, Canada, Switzerland, and throughout the Middle East. My experiences have taught me how to analyze situations quickly, create effective working teams, develop strategies and tactics to succeed, and manage core business functions, including budgets and capital investments, vendor proposals and contracts, and brand promotion and product marketing campaigns.
Additionally, I serve on the Board of Executive Advisors for Northern Illinois University College of Business, a team composed of volunteer business leaders from across the country who provide strategic and tactical guidance on dozens of revenue-producing and quality-improvement initiatives.
For NAWCC Director
Tim Orr (Nashville, TN)
We stand at a critical point in NAWCC history. If we continue as we have, we will continue to lose members, continue to lose horological skills and knowledge, and continue to convert NAWCC into an exclusive group of elderly, wealthy horologists.
As a director, I promise to make increasing membership—and targeting younger members —a priority.
I promise to end reliance on raising dues as a way to solve financial problems.
I promise to create programs to honor members who possess priceless horological skills and knowledge and to enable them to pass those skills and that knowledge on to our membership.
As a member of NAWCC for over 20 years, I have served the association as a member volunteer, chapter president, and recently, as an NAWCC Fellow.
I proposed and co-organized the first Chapter 16 "Roadshow" event in Nashville, a tradition that continues and has become an integral part of the Mid-South Regional.
In 2004 as Mid-South Regional registration chair, I implemented online registration and credit card payments for that regional for the first time. In 2007 I served as publicity chair for the NAWCC National Convention, one of the most successful in recent years.
In 2010 I revised and updated the Regional Convention Handbook. As a member of the Membership Committee, I am working on marketing NAWCC to prospective members. And most recently, I have agreed to serve as publicity chair for the 2015 National Convention.
In my professional life, I spent four decades in advertising, marketing, and public relations work—skills I want to continue to apply in NAWCC service.
I ask for your support as we take NAWCC down a new path. We can do this. We must do this. We must increase membership, reduce the average age of members, reduce our dependence on dues, and preserve the knowledge and skills of our members. By doing these things, we will ensure a bright future for NAWCC.
For NAWCC Director
Ruth Overton (Carthage, MO)
I am seeking re-election to the NAWCC Board of Directors and am asking for your support. I was seated as a Board member in June 2009 and served the first two years of my term as Board Secretary. I am now serving the last six months of two years as Chair of the NAWCC Board of Directors.
Going Forward
When I was elected Board Chair in June 2011 at the Overland Park National Convention, the Board put into place three task force committees to study some very important problems confronting the NAWCC's ability to move into the future as a world leader in the preservation and study of the art and science of horology. We are pleased that some very important progress has been made in our education endeavors, stabilizing membership decline, and financial stability. But only the foundations have been laid. Much more long detailed work must move forward if we are to accomplish the goals set forth in June 2011. I want to continue to be part of this very important progress.
NAWCC Experience
I will celebrate 40 years as a NAWCC member in March 2013. NAWCC has been a very important part of my life from the moment I joined. I have served as a chapter officer in several capacities in Chapter 15 and Chapter 57 in this 40-year span. Currently, I serve as secretary/treasurer/newsletter editor for Chapter 57 in addition to serving as Chair of the NAWCC Board of Directors. I will not even try to list all the committees I have served on for regionals over the past years. I served as convention coordinator for the San Antonio National Convention, co-mart chair for Oklahoma City National, and assisted the general chair for the Overland Park National. But the greatest honor of all was co-chairing the Springfield National Convention with my husband Hugh.
I received my Fellow Award in 1999 at the Houston National with many of my Texas friends present. My Silver Star Fellow Award was presented to me at the Springfield National. It was a great climax to the national convention for me. I am a proud member of the NAWCC 1943 Heritage Society, the John Harrison Endowment Society, and a Silver Recruiter.
Related Experience
My business background is in accounting, serving 17 years as controller and corporate secretary of a large watchmakers and jewelers supply company with a home office based in Dallas, TX. Hugh and I founded Southwest Clock Supply in 1974. This has given us the opportunity to encourage many to join NAWCC. Even though we have downsized our business activities in the past few years, we still attend approximately twelve regionals and the national convention every year.
If I am fortunate enough to be re-elected to the Board, I will be totally dedicated to moving the goals set in June 2011 forward to success. Thank you for your consideration. And a special "thank you" for the opportunity you have given me the past four years serving on the Board.
For NAWCC Director
Gene Volk (Lake Toxaway, NC)
NAWCC Activities
• National Director 2009 - 2013
• Silver Star Fellow & Lifetime Member
• National Director 1995 - 1999
• General Chair 2003 National Convention Charlotte, NC
• Past President of Chapters 17 and 126
• Past Chair National Convention Committee
• Past Chair National Program Committee
• Author of several Bulletin articles
• Speaker at National, Regional, and Chapter Meetings
• Teaches Clock Repair and Restores Clocks
• Chair of Committee that Developed the Registration Program
• Initiated National Speakers Bureau
• Initiated and set up Museum Tower Clock Display
• Initiated post-Council Meeting Newsletter in MART
BS Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University
MS Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University
Post Graduate studies at Harvard University,
University of Michigan and University of Tennessee
Why I am a Candidate
During the last four years, many attempts have been made to approve a balanced budget in which the annual expenses do not exceed the income without depleting our minimum reserves. The current Board does not agree with this objective and continues to expend our reserves. During the coming four years we must move to a solid balanced budget approach.
Core Value changes that you, as members, need and deserve include:
• Approving a balanced budget without using reserves
• Opening all aspects of Board meetings to the Membership
• Eliminate the requirement that some Committee Chairs must be National Directors
• Eliminate forcing chapters to be pawns within the National Master Plan for income purposes
• National Conventions need to benefit members, not to raise money for National
• Trying to change our Hobby Organization into a Professional Society
• Treating Committee volunteers with the respect they deserve
• Delete requirement that five National Directors must be appointed not elected
As an elected National Director, I will continue my effort to correct the core value problem areas. We have made some progress, and if the right Directors are elected, our progress will continue. Some of the good changes which have been made are:
• Closing the School of Horology due to significant financial loss
• Open some parts of electronic meetings to the membership; more is needed
• Requiring cost to be a consideration in assigning Regional Representatives
• Improving the Electronic Meeting Procedure; more is needed
I will do my best to see to it that all members and chapter voices are heard and our direction is changed.
As an experienced NAWCC National Director and an experienced Engineering Division Director of a Major Engineering Corporation, I feel confident that my skills are those needed to change the direction and make NAWCC the Hobby organization it needs to be. The experience I gained while serving both as president and as treasurer of other non-profit organizations enhances my qualifications for serving on the NAWCC Board of Directors.
My wife Barbara and I retired to Lake Toxaway, NC, in 1986 and have been very active in our community functions as well as enjoying all aspects of mountain living.
I believe, with your help, I have the experience, time, energy, and knowledge to resolve the problems currently facing NAWCC.
Your support and vote will be appreciated.
For NAWCC Director
Jonathan Weber (Nashua, NH)
My interest in NAWCC Board membership is about securing the next generation of watch and clock enthusiasts. Since I joined the NAWCC I have usually been one of the younger members. When I was in my late twenties, this was amusing, but now that I am in my late sixties, it's a little alarming.
Growing the Association
My experience has been that attracting younger members is very difficult at the local level, although many related organizations, such as wristwatch organizations, seem to be able to attract younger members to events. I do not claim to know the answer to this but I want to learn and to do outreach. I believe there are a lot of enthusiasts of high-end watches and clocks whom we should have as members.
Another issue we face is maintaining our collections. My experience with professional repair people is that they are a vanishing trade. The surviving makers are limiting availability of parts, making the future of the independent watch and clock repair trade very questionable. We need to find ways to maintain these skills, perhaps through the encouragement of part-time or post-retirement vocations.
My experience with the NAWCC School of Horology was very rewarding; I could not have attained the skills I have without it, but I was nowhere near the level I needed when I left the School. I would like to explore short but deep courses designed to develop specific skills, such as turning balance staffs.
I also believe basic watch and clock making skills are valuable to contemporary industry involving micro assembly and manipulation, such as electronic parts. Perhaps we can offer courses based at the School suited to this and attract watch and clock enthusiasts from the people we train.
NAWCC Interests and Contributions
My own interests are centered on the development of precision mechanical and electronic timekeeping. I am interested in American railroad watches. I am also very interested in timing trials and school watches as well as precision pendulum clocks.
I enjoy sharing what I know with anyone who has an interest. I have written several articles for the Watch and Clock Bulletin. These have covered rediscovery of types of presentation watches, the history of Waltham model naming, and techniques of restoration.
My engineering career has led to my moving many times, so I have been a member of many chapters and related organizations. I was program chair and vice-president of Long Island Chapter 88.
I have been a frequent speaker at chapter meetings and through the Speakers Bureau.
I am currently still working but expect to retire this year and to be able to devote much more time to organizational activities.
Personal Background
I have been married for over 45 years to my wife Jane and we have three children, who are now married, and two grandchildren and a third on the way.
My education includes a Bachelor of Science in physics from the University of Rochester and a PhD, also in physics, from Clark University.
My career has primarily been in engineering starting in sales support and eventually to systems engineering and architecture. I have designed some sensor systems and equipment to test the performance of existing systems. I have six U.S. and international patents with several more in process.
Candidates for The Nominating and Elections Committee
For Nominating and Elections Committee
Fred Ingram (Jackson, MS)
Fred Ingram joined NAWCC in 1975. He is life member No. 1 and is a Star Fellow. As a member of three chapters, with Chapter 41 being his home chapter, he has been active at the chapter, regional, and national levels. He served 12 years on Council as a director and an officer and was NAWCC President from 1991 to 1993. He has served on the Ways and Means, Convention, and Nominating Committees as a member and chair. He has been practicing medicine for 40 years and has been in private practice for the past 33, actively involved in managing the practice in a changing environment. He has been married for 45 years and has three adult children and three grandchildren. His activities outside the practice are centered in the church, where he has been teaching Bible study for eight years and is chair of the Missions Committee. For the past 10 years he has been active in medical missions overseas. NAWCC has seen a lot of changes over the past 37 years. As an officer he always considers the financial integrity of the Association to be of utmost importance. He would be honored to serve NAWCC on the Nominating and Elections Committee.
For Nominating and Elections Committee
C. David Collard (Houston, TX)
C. David Collard, MD, MS, is Professor and Chief of the Greater Houston Health Network and the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. David served as an NAWCC Director on the Board for two consecutive terms between 2005 and 2011, and was the Board Vice Chair during his last term. David has also served on the Museum, Development, and Education Committees. An avid collector of Vienna Regulators, David has lectured at multiple regionals, including the Ward Francillon Time Symposium. In addition to practicing medicine, David has a Certificate in Business Administration and is an editor of the major scientific journal for his discipline. Married for 27-plus years, David has two daughters and lives in Houston with his wife and two dachshunds.
Download a printable PDF document of the above candidate biographies.


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2 Execs Indicted In 2007 Tunnel DeathsAugust 28, 2009 12:19 pm | by P. Solomon Banda, Associated Press Writer | News | Comments
DENVER (AP) — Two companies and two executives have been indicted on federal charges in the deaths of five workers in a 2007 fire inside a tunnel at a Colorado hydroelectric plant. Xcel Energy, RPI Coating Inc. and two RPI executives face criminal charges in the deaths in a federal indictment that alleges they knew about the danger and did nothing about it.
Union-Goodyear Talks 'Intense'August 28, 2009 7:06 am | News | Comments
CLEVELAND (AP) — The union says national contract talks with Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. have reached an intense stage. The Steelworkers union says the talks are focused on job security, keeping plants open and health-care costs. The Akron-based tire maker says it remains confident an agreement can be reached in the talks that have been ongoing in Cincinnati since June.
Whirlpool To Cut 1,100 Jobs, Close IN FactoryAugust 28, 2009 7:02 am | News | Comments
BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Whirlpool Corp. said Friday it will cut 1,100 jobs and close a refrigerator factory in Evansville, Ind., to cut excess production capacity. The jobs will be eliminated in mid-2010. The Benton Harbor, Mich.-based appliance maker has aggressively cut costs as demand for big-ticket items has shrunk in the recession.
WMEP Helps Create 800 WI Jobs, $160m ImpactAugust 28, 2009 4:59 am | News | Comments
MADISON, Wis. — Despite the recession, many Wisconsin manufacturers are benefiting from efforts to modernize and improve their operations. The Wisconsin Manufacturing Extension Partnership (WMEP) said today that projects it completed with state manufacturers generated an economic impact of $164 million – most of it from increased and retained sales.
Toyota Closing CA Plant After GM Cancels Joint VentureAugust 28, 2009 4:46 am | by Yuri Kageyama, AP Business Writer | News | Comments
TOKYO (AP) — Toyota is shutting the California factory it ran with General Motors for 25 years — the first time the Japanese automaker is closing a major auto assembly plant ever. The decision from Toyota Motor Corp., announced Friday, drew fire from U.S. unions, even as company officials and analysts defended it as unavoidable for money-losing Toyota, following General Motors Corp.
Harley To Expand Into Indian Motorcycle MarketplaceAugust 28, 2009 4:39 am | by Dan Strumpf, AP Auto Writer | News | Comments
NEW YORK (AP) — Harley-Davidson Inc. said Thursday it will begin selling motorcycles next year in India, the world's second-largest motorcycle market, where the company hopes its iconic, heavyweight bikes will find a niche among the country's rising middle class. The Milwaukee-based company said it has established a subsidiary near Delhi and has begun scouting the country for dealers.
No Charges For Ohio Plant Immigration RaidAugust 28, 2009 4:31 am | News | Comments
FAIRFIELD, Ohio (AP) — Federal authorities say there will be no charges against a Chicago food company whose southwest Ohio plant was the site of a major immigration raid in 2007. Spokesman Fred Alverson says the U.S. Attorney's office has concluded its probe. Two years ago this month, federal and local authorities rounded up 161 workers at the Koch Foods poultry processing plant in Fairfield.
Jet Fuel Fire At Detroit Plant Forces EvacuationsAugust 28, 2009 4:23 am | News | Comments
HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (AP) — A fire that started Thursday near a rail tanker car at a chemical plant spread quickly to silos holding gasoline, causing an inferno that sent huge plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky above Detroit and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people. The fire at the Sterling Services Ltd.
Guest Feature: Facing the Sustainability ChallengeAugust 27, 2009 12:07 pm | by by Kent St. Vrain, Vice President, Business Development & Marketing, Paxoni | Blogs | Comments
Sustainability — it is clearly the hot topic of the day — you cannot turn the page in any periodical without reading about it. This is particularly true in the manufacturing and packaging worlds. But this "new" imperative is really not new at all. It is the continuation of a course of action that started more than a decade ago when there was a major focus on consumer waste, crowded landfills and the advent of widespread recycling programs.
Steelworker Retirements To Create Experience GapAugust 27, 2009 11:01 am | by Vicki Smith, Associated Press Writer | News | Comments
WEIRTON, W.Va. (AP) — In the business of steelmaking, a gray-haired work force can be a good thing: Seasoned employees in the mill signify experience and safety, reliability and commitment. At ArcelorMittal's tin mill in West Virginia, they also represent a looming problem. As many as half the 1,000 workers in Weirton — average age 57 — are likely to retire before the current contract expires in 2012.
Lie, Cheat & StealAugust 27, 2009 10:40 am | by by David Mantey, Editor, PD&D | Blogs | Comments
by David Mantey, Editor, PD&D Seriously, they tell you not to cheat in school but did you ever notice – that is if you ever cheated – that when you worked off a friend's paper (read: copied), you would copy everything that was good and beef up the sections that needed a little help, creating a better end product? It's the American way, so why do teachers frown so heavily upon it? --> Struggling mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson's recently appointed new president had quite the golden nugget of information to offer as he took over his new post.
Ford Add Shifts To Meet DemandAugust 27, 2009 8:27 am | by Kimberly S. Johnson, AP Auto Writer | News | Comments
DETROIT (AP) — Ford Motor Co. says it will add shifts to its plants in Dearborn, Mich., and Claycomo, Mo., to meet demand for F-150 pickups and Ford Escape crossover vehicles. A third production shift will be added to the sport utility line at the Kansas City Assembly Plant in October, where the Dearborn, Mich.
When Robot Programmers Get BoredAugust 27, 2009 4:12 am | Articles | Comments
Thrill-seeking robot programmers, that is. IMPO's editorial staff, of course, does not condone such obviously dangerous — albeit fun-looking — creativity.
Manufacturing Innovation From BMWAugust 26, 2009 12:30 pm | Articles | Comments
Take a look inside BMW's Berlin plant, where they produce motorcycles for consumers around the world. An incredible combination of technology, robotics, and human innovation help keep this 2,000-person plant churning out BMW's beloved two-wheeled masterpieces.
Introduction to Lean ManufacturingAugust 26, 2009 12:18 pm | Articles | Comments
In this video from Gemba Academy, the history of "lean manufacturing" is dissected and presented in a simple, easy-to-follow manner. While the subject is usually, and ironically, obscured with buzzwords and unnecessary details, this video would be an excellent first base for a new employee or someone just arriving in the manufacturing field.
Hop On The 10-Seater HarleyAugust 26, 2009 12:10 pm | Articles | Comments
Steve "Doc" Hopkins had the opportunity to show off his design and technical chops with this 10-seater Harley-Davidson motorcycle, which he claims represents a "timeline" of Harley history, at the Sturgis rally in 2009. See how the Wisconsin native is pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the customization-heavy Harley culture, however bizarre his latest creation.
I Didn't Mean To Burst Your BubbleAugust 26, 2009 12:04 pm | Articles | Comments
"How It's Made" takes you inside a bubble gum manufacturing plant. See how the process begins, as plastics and rubbers are combined with flavor and glucose syrup, and ends up as the confectioner's delight we all know and love. Did you know that bubble gum's traditionally pink flavor originated because the inventor had only that color on hand?
Photovoltaic Solutions For Harsh EnvironmentsAugust 26, 2009 11:26 am | Product Releases | Comments
Cooper Crouse-Hinds (Syracuse, NY) has developed a photovoltaic module kit equipped with a battery backup in addition to solar power kits. The solar power modules increase productivity in remote areas by eliminating the labor and materials required to run power to remote locations, or frequently change batteries.
Sophisticated Pressure TransmittersAugust 26, 2009 11:25 am | Product Releases | Comments
WIKA (Lawrenceville, GA) introduces the WIKA TRONIC D-10 and C-10 pressure transmitters for industrial applications. The D-10 line is designed to enable communication with a PC over the digital output, and is particularly useful in automation engineering, laboratories, or maintenance shops.
Keep Your Plant Up-To-ParAugust 26, 2009 11:25 am | Product Releases | Comments
Diamond Phoenix (Lewiston, ME) offers facility analysis, simulations, and a complete range of conveyor options, controls, and software that can improve an organization's operational performance. Utilizing a variety of conveyor types, Diamond Phoenix can create individual solutions that fit unique organizational needs.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Agua Dulce is located in California.
Agua Dulce, California has a population of
Agua Dulce is
family-centric than the surrounding county with
32.33% of the households
containing married families with children.
The county average for households married with children is 35.12%.
The median household income in Agua Dulce, California is
The median household income for the surrounding county is $56,241
compared to the national median of $53,046.
The median age of people living in Agua Dulce is
43.7 years.
The average high temperature in July is 84.7
degrees, with an average low temperature in January of 44.4 degrees.
The average rainfall is approximately 15.9 inches
per year, with 0.1 inches of snow per year.
Dilbeck Real Estate Real Living
1030 Foothill Blvd
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Glinka & Tchaikovsky: Piano Trios
Helios (Hyperion's budget label)CDH55322
Movement 1: Pezzo elegiaco
Movement 2a: Tema con variazioni
Movement 2b: Variazione, Finale e Coda
Tchaikovsky's Trio in A minor, Opus 50, was his only work for this combination, and for reasons that appear to have nothing to do with the quality of the music it has been somewhat neglected. It is a wholly original masterpiece, demonstrably Tchaikovsky's finest chamber work. It is constructed on a large scale and falls into three movements, but the second and third are described as 'IIa' and 'IIb'. This unusual description of the structure is explained by the second movement being a set of theme and variations (IIa). The final variations (IIb) are different and (as a group) conclude the Trio to constitute a distinct finale.
As a sonata structure the opening movement is Tchaikovsky's largest (the first movement of the Fourth Symphony has an introduction not part of sonata form as such). In the large first movement of the Trio, Tchaikovsky's treatment of the basic tonality (its relationships to the mediant, both major and minor) is shot through with astonishing examples of his genius. This is important, for it explains both the indestructible nature of the basic form (in other words, the firm structure on which the movement – and ultimately, the entire Trio – is built) and the underlying fascination of the music, which calls us back to it again and again. It also goes some way to disabuse those who claim that the movement is too long.
The first movement opens, as we might expect, in sombre mood, 'Moderato assai', with a haunting theme on the cello above a flowing, barcarolle-like piano accompaniment. The theme begins on E – and Tchaikovsky's masterly symphonic thematicism grows from this note. The tumultuous outpouring which makes up the main part of this movement, 'Allegro giusto', is one of Tchaikovsky's most sustained stretches of passionate, intense activity. There are two second subjects, both in E major (whereby Tchaikovsky abjures customary classical precedent), and the broad vista which such a tonal juxtaposition opens up accounts for the length of the music. The working is brilliant, the instrumental writing is virtuosic and wholly characteristic of this composer, and the emotional make-up is thrilling and deeply moving.
The variations of the second movement constitute one of this composer's finest sets – of which, as we know from other of his works, he was a master. The simple theme itself, given by the piano alone, in E major, is original. It has been claimed that the variations are character-pieces inspired by aspects of Nikolai Rubinstein's life and personality, which may be true. The variations include a mazurka and gigue early on, but we should approach this music in the abstract; tonally, the first three variations keep to E, and the fourth falls to the relative minor, C sharp. The fifth variation, in C sharp major, has the piano delicately tracing at the very top of the keyboard; a sustained C sharp on the cello, now the mediant of A, brings a lyrical waltz. The succeeding variations (including a fine three-voiced fugue – referring to Rubinstein's academicism?) return, via related keys, to C sharp minor, in which key the movement quietly ends.
The finale is headed IIb, and – in a vivid A major (C sharp being the mediant of this key) – a new heroic theme appears, related to the theme of the variations. This brings a secondary theme, whose outline is already vaguely familiar, leading to an immense flowering of sustained symphonic development. Once more, Tchaikovsky stuns us with his mastery, until a vast variation-coda in A minor gradually causes the music to fade in intensity, and to end the Trio, Lugubre, with cello and violin phrases, piangendo (weeping), recalling the work's opening pages.
Tchaikovsky's death in 1893 was as sudden as Rubinstein's had been. On the day he heard of it, Rachmaninov began the second (and larger) of two works which he entitled Trio élégiaque. When Rachmaninov died in exile in Los Angeles in 1943, the Russian pedagogue and composer Alexander Goldenweiser composed a piano trio in Rachmaninov's memory; and there are other Russian works in this 'elegiac chain' (notably Shostakovich's Second in E minor, Opus 67, written in memory of Ivan Sollertinsky). These are the more significant pieces in this remarkable body of memorial trios – perhaps a musical manifestation of the saying: 'When a Russian is sad, he is very sad; when a Russian is very sad, then he is at his very best'.
from notes by Robert Matthew-Walker © 2001


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Dr. Carson National Prayer Breakfast Comments
What's on
With the grand jury's decision in the Ferguson case imminent, one team is covering every angle. The O'Reilly Factor kicks off powerful primetime coverage, followed by The Kelly File and Hannity. Plus, don't miss Shepard Smith live at 11p ET, followed by a second live hour of The Kelly File at midnight.
Watch Fox News Anywhere
Now you can watch FOX News Channel and FOX Business Network 24/7 live from your desktop, tablet and smart phone.
On the Record with Greta Van Susteren
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The state of North Carolina has given Jonathan Gruber the boot, firing the ObamaCare architect after he was caught on camera repeatedly calling American voters "stupid."
Herridge: Freed Gitmo Prisoner Is Now Chief ISIS RecruiterNov 19, 2014 7:49pm
A known al Qaeda terrorist released from Gitmo is now a recruiter for ISIS, Catherine Herridge reported this evening.
GOOD NEWS 'Like a Fairytale': Injured Vet Reunited With Combat DogNov 18, 2014 8:23pm
An injured Army vet has finally been reunited with his combat dog after the military mistakenly gave the dog up for adoption to someone else.
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O'Reilly: Obama's Action 'Set off Constitutional Brawl,' Will Hurt NationNov 21, 2014 8:18pm
In tonight's Talking Points Memo, Bill O'Reilly charged President Barack Obama with challenging the Constitution and dividing the nation on immigration.
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Charles Krauthammer joined Bill O'Reilly immediately after President Barack Obama's announcement on immigration action to weigh in.
O'Reilly: Hear Grand Jury's Decision Before Convicting Officer WilsonNov 19, 2014 8:45pm
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Marc Thiessen, former speechwriter for George W. Bush, told Megyn Kelly tonight that President Barack Obama's address was "a cynical use of the immigration issue to advance his political goals."
Willie Robertson Speaks Out on Dad's Controversial CommentNov 21, 2014 10:55pm
Willie Robertson was on "Hannity" tonight to discuss the new "Duck Dynasty" musical that will be showing in Las Vegas.
Krauthammer: 'If You Like Your Constitution, You Can't Keep Your Constitution'Nov 21, 2014 10:39pm
Charles Krauthammer took on President Barack Obama's immigration action tonight on "Hannity."
Bachmann to America: Come to D.C. on Dec. 3 & Rally to 'Defund Amnesty'Nov 20, 2014 10:40pm
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) was on "Hannity" tonight where she slammed President Barack Obama's immigration action and called on Americans to rally to "defund amnesty."


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Dave Granlund cartoon on sharks.
Richard Percy "Dick" Jones, who appeared in more than 100 movies and TV shows and voiced Pinocchio in...
Rosie O'Donnell�is officially returning to�
Let's have a conversation about humans and corporations. Later we'll move onto robots, so hang on for the exciting science fiction portion of today's column.
Something to Talk About
By Chad BerndtsonMore Content NowAerosmith has been active, off and on, for more than 40 years, so it's a little weird to think that such a bastion of classic rock just might be entering a brave new era of doing things its way.
Seinfeld�references may soon be coming to a text message near you.Designer Kevin McCauley has...
After pleading no contest�Wednesday�to charges of vandalism for�throwing eggs at his...
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I don't wear makeup at all, so I've never encountered this personally — after all, people have never had the opportunity to compare me with and without makeup. However, I admit that fear of this happening is partially why I don't use it. I worry that if I look significantly better with makeup on and people get used to seeing that, I'll never be able to just skip the makeup one day without people noticing and thinking I look ill/tired/crappy in comparison.
I don't want to put that kind of obligation/pressure on myself, so I plan to continue avoiding it except for super special occasions.
For those of you who do wear makeup (or who regularly observe people wearing makeup), is this a legitimate concern or am I just being silly?


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Carmine's - 44th Street - NYC
Online Reservations
View of the bustling theatre district, this semi private dining area features a beautiful mahogany wine cabinet and plush velvet drapes.
This most requested semi private dining area is perfect for cocktail receptions and family style dining.
This versatile area is perfect for social or corporate events. Come celebrate Birthdays, Sweet Sixteens, Mitzvahs and Rehearsal Dinners. The tables can be set-up in a u-shape, L-shape or boardroom style.
This semi private area is perfect for an intimate dinner or a corporate meeting. Our boardroom style table seats up to 20 guests.


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Thinking about going ? Votes are doubled for Pro users; each vote adds +2 or -2.
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When I add stuff to the task notes, it would be nice to be able to use wiki-style markup tags for things like urls and italics etc.This markup would show when editing the text, but be interpreted when just being displayed. Also, why note have this for the description also? There would be no need to have a 'url' field if I could easily place links in the task.
Posted at 2:59pm on July 5, 2011


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Something to Talk About
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By Shayne LooperMore Content Now
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Guitarists of all kinds play through Fender Hot Rod Deluxe™ amplifiers. Rockers, pop stars, cowboys and more all agree that they deliver unmistakable Fender tone—perfect amps for crafting your own sound, and extremely responsive to your favorite stomp-box effects.
The GB Hot Rod Deluxe™ is a 40-watt 1x12" combo especially fine-tuned for world-famous jazz guitar virtuoso and pop artist George Benson. It has the full bottom end characteristic of 6L6 tubes, and a versatile all-tube preamp—including a 12AT7 up front for cleaner tone; especially with humbucking pickups. A 100-watt Jensen® C12K speaker handles the immediacy of Benson's singing soloing style with clarity and range, and the solid-pine cabinet increases tonal resonance while reducing weight. Standard features include clean and "drive/more-drive" channels, resounding Fender spring reverb, effects loop and more. Personalized exterior touches specified by Benson himself include gray-black vinyl covering, silver-strand grille cloth and "GB" logo badge. Road-worthy deluxe padded cover and two-button footswitch included. Separate matching 1x12" extension enclosure (part number 223-1400-000) adds output, fullness and stage coverage.
The GB Logo design is a trademark of Hoshino Gakki Co., Ltd., with which FMIC is not affiliated.
You are welcome to praise or criticize the products you have purchased. However, please be specific in your comments as to why you like or dislike a product, so that it's helpful to others in their decision-making process. All reviews will be monitored, and normally posted within 1-2 business days. Please refrain from including phone numbers, addresses or URLs in your review. Also, we ask that you please do not post promotional content such as advertisements of any kind (including "for sale" ads), links to your music page or music video, or repeated posts that make the same point excessively. Fender reserves the right to reject publication, without notice, of any review due to content, language or other issues.
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owns Fender product(s)
I own a music store in NZ and have played in pubs and concerts etc since I was 17 and now mid 50's.
I have owned and performed with many, many amplfiers, also now have shop full of them !
Lately have been using a Marshall AVT, before that Fender Twin and Vox AC.
I bought a GB Hotrod for my shop for retail, but after trying it out in band rehearsal - I have to buy it off my business!! This amp has exactly the sound I have been looking for. Although I do push the drive up to make it more dirty.
I normally use pedals but left them at home and went to rehearsal using just the drive and more drive settings on the amp ( and a little bit of reverb) - I use a Highway 1 Tele and the amp sounded great with plenty of volume even though It was on around 1/2. Leave it on Drive and punch in the More Drive for solos etc. This band is a Status Quo tribute band so doesn't play quietly !
The clean channel was really nice with my Strat ( and my Tele), giving plenty of warmth - thanks George !
The only thing that I could really fault was the lack of a reverb button on the pedal.
I know this amplifier was designed with jazz in mind and will give that nice warm sound, but I would recommend it for any genre - just got to set it right to suit.
If you can't make this amp sound good - its NOT the Amp !!
A great amp - Thanks Fender !!
gatshack owns this item
I'm from Italy and bought this amp a few weeks ago and was excited to go home and try it. Very poor sound - sounded like a transistor amp!!! Amp started producing a Loud Oscillation that increased both in volume and pitch when turning up the reverb control! I wanted to give other chance at rehearsal with my band but the sound is poor, fake not loud. You have to put at volume 4 to hear something! I'll return back to my local store and change with a nice fender blues reissue. I'm a proud owner of a fender stratocaster,telecaster,jazzbass,hotrod deluxe and a blues reissue but in this case i feel very disappointed with this amp!
stefano owns this item
|Model Name:
|GB Hot Rod Deluxe™, 120V
|Model Number:
|Artist Signature
|Presence, Reverb, Master Volume, Middle, Bass, Treble, Drive Select Switch, Drive Volume, Bright Switch
|40 Watts
|Effects Loop:
|1/4" - (Preamp Out, Power Amp In)
|Two - (1/4", Input 2 is at -6dB)
|Speaker Jack:
|Two 1/4" Parallel (Internal and External)
|Three - Selectable (Normal, Drive and More Drive)
|Solid State
|Cabinet Material:
|Finger-Joined Solid Pine
|Pilot Light Jewel:
|Red Jewel
|Molded Rubber "Dog Bone" Style
|Front Panel:
|Grill Cover:
|Amplifier Depth:
|10.5" (26.7 cm)
|Amplifier Width:
|23.5" (59.7 cm)
|Amplifier Height:
|18.75" (47.6 cm)
|Amplifier Weight:
|43 lbs. (19.5 kg)
|Speaker Description:
|Speaker: 1x12" Jensen C12K 100-Watt Speaker
|8 ohms
|Pre Amp Tubes:
|Groove Tubes® - (1 x 12AT7), (2 x 12AX7)
|Power Tubes:
|Groove Tubes® - (2 x 6L6)
|Unique Features:
|12AT7 tube in V1 for cleaner tone, Jensen C12K 100-watt speaker for clarity and range, solid-pine cabinet for tonal resonance and reduced weight, gray-black vinyl covering, silver-strand grille cloth, "GB" logo badge.
|2-Button Footswitch Included
|Chicken-Head Style Pointer
|Fitted Cover Included
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ASHBURN, Va. - The Washington Redskins have claimed linebacker Bryan Kehl off waivers and released linebacker Mario Addison.
Kehl spent training camp with the Redskins but was cut at the end of preseason. He has since played three games with the Kansas City Chiefs before being cut this week.
Kehl has also played with the New York Giants and St. Louis Rams in his five-year NFL career.
Addison was signed by the Redskins in early October and played in five games.
The Redskins were also one of three teams to put in a waiver claim for former Philadelphia Eagles two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Jason Babin.
Babin was awarded to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who had the worst record among the three teams. The Buffalo Bills also put in a claim.
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/polland http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


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Wallace: Symphonic Poems
Helios (Hyperion's budget label) Composers of World War ICDH55461
Part 1: Allegro con anima
Part 2: Con brio 'Au moins sera de moy memoire'
Part 3: Più lento 'Où s'en va tout?'
Part 4: Ballade des Dames du Temps jadis
Part 5: Ballade pour prier Nôtre Dame
Part 6: Allegro
Part 7: Allegretto 'Il n'est bon bec que de Paris'
Part 8: Largo 'Je plaings le temps de ma jeunesse'
Wallace, a caustic yet sympathetic observer of humanity, has created here a brilliant psychological, but deeply affecting portrait, based on carefully chosen and beautifully ordered quotations from Villon's Grand Testament which are printed in the score. Himself a remarkable scholar, he has perfectly judged the self-pitying pleading of the opening: 'Ung pouvre petit escollier qui fut nommé Françoys Villon'. We know we are being manipulated by the twists of these musical gestures, including their occasionally ironic largesse; and with jaunty interpolations, Wallace hints at the mischief to come: 'Au moins sera de moy memoire tel qu'il est d'ung bon folastre'. The bassoon leads us off to the pub and the brothel ('Où s'en va tout? Or escoute: Tout aux tavernes et aux filles') but the consequences of this momentarily riotous behaviour are only disappointment and poverty again. The opening penurious phrase returns, this time more reflectively as Wallace draws us towards Villon's immortal lines on mortality from the Ballade des Dames du Temps jadis: 'Mais où sont les neiges d'antan?' At first the Ballade asks what has become of the great courtesans of the past, Flora and Thaïs, and the Queen of Burgundy who threw her discarded lovers, often students, into the Seine. Wallace evokes the nostalgic grandeur with richly orchestrated lyricism, and briefly we relive those days of beauty and passion, gaining from stately crotchet motion to expansive sensual folds of quavers. But the Ballade ends with France's virgin martyr, Joan of Arc, as vulnerable to time as the rest of them: 'Où sont-ils, où, Vierge souvraine?' demands Villon.
Here Wallace performs a magical transformation. The material of lust, the flowing sensual folds of quavers, becomes simple medieval prayer for the Ballade que Villon feit à la requeste de sa mère pour prier Nôtre Dame. There is no mockery here. Wallace can be genuine, as could Villon in his reverence for the supreme virgin. It is this moving prayer which will briefly haunt the end of the work, but just now it has done its filial duty and we are off into the streets of Paris again and the chatter of its women: 'Il n'est bon bec que de Paris'. But is is Wallace who cuts short the gossip with the grandest section of all, reserved for that moment when Villon applies all his regrets at the passing of time, not to other, but to himself:
Je plaings le temps de ma jeunesse,
Ouquel j'ay plus qu'autre galle,
Il ne s'en a pied alle,
N'a cheval; las! et comment donc?
Et ne m'a laisse quelque don.
Wallace celebrates the glorious folly of Villon's expenditure of his youth with music rich and generous. But, as with Villon, so it must be with this work. There is a quixotic heart to it. There follows, quite unprepared, a little medieval dance for pipe and tabor. It is perfectly scored, its appealing simplicity as pleading and poverty-stricken as Villon, now stripped to the bone. The story of rags and riches is left only with echoes. The clock of the Sorbonne strikes the angelus:
Je ouyz la cloche de Sorbonne,
Qui toujours a neuf heures sonne
Le salut que l'Ange predit.
The prayer to the virgin is reduced to a brief line of penitence: 'Où sont-ils, où, Vierge souvraine?' There is no answer: only a hushed whisper from the bass clarinet and a wisp of a padded stick on a tamtam, scarcely audible, so that we do not even know when precisely is the moment of death.
from notes by John Purser © 1996