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For Unions, It Was a Very Bad Year
Pro-union demonstrators crowd the Capitol Rotunda in Lansing, Michigan to protest "right to work" legislation being considered by the Republican-controlled legislature.
American labor can begin the new year with thanks that 2012 is over. Not that the unions didn't win some big victories in 2012. Their political programs in key swing states played a major role in President Obama's re-election, both by turning out minority voters in record numbers in Ohio, Nevada, and Florida and by winning Obama a higher share of white, working-class voters in the industrial Midwest than he won in other regions. Their efforts also helped liberal Democrats hold key Senate seats in Ohio (Sherrod Brown) and Wisconsin (Tammy Baldwin), and pick up Massachusetts (Elizabeth Warren). In California, the nation's mega-state, unions beat back a ballot measure designed to cripple their political programs by a decisive 12.5-percent margin, turning out so many voters that they also helped a key tax-hike measure pass at the polls and enabled the Democrats to win super-majorities in the state legislature.
But for labor, 2012 will chiefly be remembered for two major defeats in industrial Midwestern states that had formerly been union strongholds: Wisconsin and Michigan. In Wisconsin, a union-initiated effort to recall Republican governor Scott Walker, who had pushed through the legislature a law stripping public-sector unions of collective-bargaining rights, failed badly at the polls. In Michigan, after voters (in the same election in which they gave Obama a clear victory) decisively rejected a union-initiated ballot measure that would have enshrined collective-bargaining rights in the state constitution, the Republican legislature passed, and Republican governor Rick Snyder signed, a right-to-work law in the cradle of American industrial unionism. What makes these defeats more bitter was that both involved unforced errors—actually, the same unforced error—on labor's part. On the evidence of polling, many union leaders and political directors believed from the start that the Wisconsin recall and the Michigan ballot measure were fights that could not be won, but their cautions went unheeded by well-intentioned unionists in both states. It's not clear that Snyder, who had previously disavowed any interest in enacting a right-to-work law, would have changed his mind had the measure not been put on the ballot and defeated, but its defeat certainly set the stage for the Republicans' sudden and unheralded push for right to work during the legislature's lame-duck session.
Labor's defeats in Michigan and Wisconsin provide one of the unions' chief goals for 2013—keeping their ground game in place so they can oust the Republicans who swept to power across the Midwest and in other key states the elections of 2010. Michigan's Snyder, Ohio's John Kasich, and Florida's Rick Scott head the list of GOP governors who have sought to diminish labor's political power in their states and who are polling badly as their 2014 re-election campaigns draw nigh. Behind the anti-union push in Republican statehouses over the past two years has been the GOP's concern that unless unions were dealt a body blow that diminished their numbers, the Republicans' 2010 victories could be overturned in 2014. Despite all the rhetoric about right-to-work laws leading to an increase in jobs (they don't), local business was absent from the campaigns to enact the legislation, and for good reason: Wages throughout the industrial Midwest have declined along with union membership to the point that they're already much closer to wage levels in the historically right-to-work South. The push for the legislation came entirely from right-wing ideologues (Amway's Dick DeVos and the Koch Brothers) whose businesses would be unaffected if such laws passed, and from Republican pols who'd prefer to go into 2014 with the unions' ability to campaign against them diminished.
California will be the only major state next year where significant pro-union legislation could pass (though it's not clear that crusty Democratic governor Jerry Brown will entertain many such measures). The state's farm workers, excluded from coverage under the National Labor Relations Act but given the right to form unions by the the state's own Agricultural Labor Relations Act—passed when Brown was governor in the 1970s—could win card-check elections. Several Democratic-controlled states could also raise the minimum wage and mandate better working conditions for groups such as domestic workers, who've been traditionally excluded from wage and hour legislation.
In a number of states and localities, though, unions are at odds with Democratic mayors and governors who are cultivating a "business Democrat" image that often entails fighting with unionized workers. Chicago mayor Rahm Emanuel has managed not only to estrange his city's teachers but also its janitors by contracting out janitorial work at the city's airports, in response to which a number of major unions are gearing up media campaigns against him. New York governor Andrew Cuomo has exasperated the state's unions by appearing to prefer to keep Republicans in control of the state Senate, and union conflicts with the governor are likely to intensify in 2013.
At the national level, unions are wary of President Obama's apparent willingness to reduce some Social Security increases to more affluent recipients as part of a Grand Bargain with Republicans. They are certain to be at the forefront of the fight to legalize undocumented immigrants and to urge the president not to settle for half-loaf deals after an election in which Democrats in general and Obama in particular profited from heavy Latino support and Republicans paid a heavy price for their anti-immigrant demagogy. And led by Larry Cohen, president of the Communication Workers of America, unions are backing a coalition of liberal groups dedicated to a broad "democracy agenda"—ending the filibuster, overturning efforts at voter suppression, achieving citizenship for the undocumented, and reforming labor law so that workers can organize again. Cohen's CWA is funding the current campaign to scale back the filibuster—a crusade that, for Cohen, has its roots in labor's repeated inability to win a 60-vote supermajority for labor-law reform.
The failure of unions in 2010 to win that reform (following their earlier failures in 1965, 1978, and 1994) has brought most private-sector unions' organizing campaigns to a near dead halt. In their stead, a number of unions are backing experimental efforts to organize communities and raise workers' consciousness, even though it remains unclear how such efforts will translate into actual unionization. The AFL-CIO's Working America project, a very successful door-to-door campaign that has enrolled millions of chiefly white workers in the organization's political programs (which was one reason why Obama did comparatively better among such workers in the Midwest), began some small-scale efforts in 2012 to have its members raise issues in their workplaces. Those efforts will likely scale up somewhat in 2013. The Service Employees International Union's (SEIU) 17-city "Fight for a Fair Economy"—a community-organizing campaign in minority communities—may well be continued, though in somewhat altered shape since the initial efforts fell short of SEIU's expectations.
Meanwhile, the innovative workplace-centered initiatives among low-wage workers, which sprung up among fast-food, carwash, taxicab, domestic, warehouse and WalMart workers in 2012, are certain to expand in 2013. To date, most of the actions in these campaigns have been symbolic—marches of small numbers of workers, one-day strikes at New York's fast-food joints, coordinated actions by several hundred workers and more numerous supporters outside WalMarts in multiple states. The effect of these actions has been to announce the existence of these proto-organizations of workers both to the broader public and to the millions stuck in these low-wage jobs. How such actions go to scale, how they move from the theatrical to the impactful, is anybody's guess. But there's a growing sense among labor organizers and leaders that, with conventional private-sector organizing now all but impossible, putting resources into efforts that lay the groundwork for some kind of surge among America's millions of underpaid workers may be the best use of unions' dollars right now.
The challenges facing public-sector unions are more directly political, as their battles with Wisconsin's Republican governor and Chicago's Democratic mayor have made clear. At the national level, America's three largest unions—the National Education Association; the SEIU; and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)—have joined forces to fund a media campaign against a budget deal that reduces Social Security or Medicare benefits. Randi Weingarten, the president of the 1.4-million-member public-sector union, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), has recently responded to the attacks on teachers' unions by proposing a heightened level of teacher credentialing, a "bar exam" that aspiring teachers should be required to pass in order to get a teaching job. Weingarten's proposal builds on decades-old efforts by onetime AFT President Albert Shanker to professionalize teaching, much as it is in Scandinavian nations. Whether Weingarten's proposal gets any purchase among the legions of education "reformers" in 2013 should clarify whether their goal is to upgrade teaching or simply to eviscerate teachers' unions.
America's unions have been under siege for decades—a grim fact to which the declining incomes of American workers clearly attests. The siege has not let up, but at least some unions are beginning to experiment with different agendas—most particularly, organizing not for new members (which is all but impossible) but to seed the next workers' upsurge, whatever form that may take. We'll see how that goes in 2013.
Wed, 2012-12-26 10:54
If labor makes a comeback, it will be the biggest business disincentive the country could suffer and make our exports less competitive, while at the same time making consumer products more expensive. It's already decimated our once great educational system and is, currently, burying the states pension systems with debt the states cannot afford. What more needs to be said?
Ken Presting
Wed, 2012-12-26 16:07
To argue that any ind of decline over the the past 40 years is due to organized labor is to ignore the plainest possible reality. Labor has been declining steadily in influence, including the public employees' and teachers' unions. On the other hand. nations with strong unions (especially teachers' unions) show excellent industrial competitiveness and student performance (Germany, Finland).
There is absolutely no writer who disputes that the productivity of American labor has grown exponentially for forty years. Yet only a few fringe elements deny that wages have been flat over the same period. All those increases in wealth have gone to capital investors, the finance industry, and management
It's one thing to argue for American exceptionalism, but it's something else altogether to presume we have nothing to learn from other economies.
Thu, 2012-12-27 16:54
I think it's time that we return to the local and community levels as a source for political action. That means saving labor unions and revitalizing activism. It is these organizations that form the foundation of our democracy. Without local outlets for involvement, people feel disconnected from there government and their communities. This is all from a really interesting article I've read recently: http://empiricalmag.blogspot.com/2012/12/january-excerpt-democracy-by-gar.html Anyway, it we let unions fall, there will be few avenues left for participation.
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The Mississippi State Bulldogs were in bad need of a victory, and they got one in convincing fashion on Saturday.
The Bulldogs rallied from behind to defeat the Arkansas Razorbacks 45-14 at Davis Wade Stadium to stop a three-game losing streak and a three-game losing skid to the Razorbacks.
"It was a great win for our kids," MSU head coach Dan Mullen said. "We made some plays that we just hadn't been making with creating turnovers."
Turnovers were key for the Bulldogs (8-3, 4-3), as they forced five against the Razorback (4-7, 2-5) and really limited Arkansas offensively in the second half.
MSU took an early 7-0 lead by taking the opening kickoff 75 yards on 15 plays. Junior quarterback Tyler Russell found junior tailback LaDarius Perkins on a wheel route for a 13-yard passing score.
Perkins missed last week's game against LSU due to an injury of his right quad.
"It feels real good," Perkins said. "I was talking to the team about that. It feels good to be back out there. When I scored, it felt great."
Arkansas answered back with a 30-yard passing score from Tyler Wilson to Cobi Hamilton to tie the game at 7-7 with 4:24 to play in the opening quarter.
The Bulldogs were forced to punt on their next drive and the Razorbacks took advantage.
Wilson found Dennis Johnson for a 7-yard passing score to make it 14-7 in favor of Arkansas with 12:17 remaining in the second quarter.
The Razorbacks had five punts, three fumbles, two interceptions and one turnover on downs the rest of the game.
The Bulldogs didn't get much on their next possession and were forced to punt again. Arkansas muffed the punt and linebacker Benardrick McKinney recovered it to give the Bulldogs the ball at the Razorback 28-yard line after an unnecessary roughness call on the Hogs.
"That was a huge play (on the fumbled punt return)," Mullen said. "Especially at that time of the game, because they had some momentum. From that point on, we played well and just kept battling."
The Bulldogs only managed to get a 39-yard field goal off of the Razorback fumble. They trailed 14-10 with 9:38 before half.
The MSU defense stepped up and gave the ball back to the offense.
"After the poor start early, I thought we made a lot of plays," Mullen said. "Give our staff credit, they hung in there. They overcame me and I'm rough duty to deal with on game day. They did a good job, made some slight adjustments and stuck a lot with our game plan."
Russell found senior wide out Chad Bumphis for a 6-yard passing score to make it 17-14 Bulldogs with 4:48 left in the second quarter.
MSU was looking to add to its halftime lead, but a fumble by receiver Arceto Clark ended the threat and the Bulldogs held a three-point lead at the half.
"We were kind of frustrated because we knew we didn't play our best first half," Bumphis said. "Coaches made adjustments and we just really needed to execute better."
The Bulldogs came out with a lot of emotion in the second half. Jamerson Love picked off a Wilson pass and MSU took over at the Razorback 47 with 13:37 remaining in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs drove down the field, but faced a fourth-and-one from the Arkansas 4-yard line.
"We knew we were going for it," redshirt freshman quarterback Dak Prescott said. "It was just a matter of what play we were going to call."
Prescott came back out on the field and took the handoff up the middle for the 4-yard rushing score to make it 24-14 Bulldogs.
Senior linebacker Cameron Lawrence recovered a fumble on the next Arkansas possession.
Russell then found Perkins again on a wheel route for a 22-yard strike to make it 31-14 with 1:31 to go in the third quarter.
"(We) got him versus a linebacker a couple of times," Mullen said. "You have an opportunity to get man coverage and Tyler made two great throws. That's executed about as well as you would hope because it's hard to simulate that look in practice. In practice, we're a little bit more open than that."
The next Arkansas possession, MSU linebacker Christian Holmes forced a fumble and defensive lineman Preston Smith pounced on it with 58 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Russell found Bumphis again for a 22-yard passing score. The Bulldogs scored one more time when Nick Griffin busted a 60-yard run with 12:22 to go in the game.
MSU picked up 505 yards on offense to Arkansas's 359. The Bulldogs had 24 first downs while the Razorbacks only had 19.
Russell finished the game completing 19-of-32 passes for 274 yards and four touchdowns.
Wilson was 23-of-29 for 225 yards, two scores and two interceptions.
Perkins had 91 yards rushing on 17 carries. He also had three catches for 40 yards and two scores.
Lawrence led the MSU defense with 11 tackles. Smith and Denico Autry each had a sack.
The Bulldogs are back in action next Saturday when they travel to Oxford to take on Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. and can be seen on ESPNU.View more articles in:

subset: commoncrawl


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Ulverston fouling culprits targeted
Last updated at 14:20, Monday, 30 April 2012
IRRESPONSIBLE dog owners are still at large in Ulverston.
Yesterday morning, the Evening Mail joined South Lakeland District Council enforcement officer Mark Harris and PCSO Janine Wade on patrol around the town.
PCSO Wade said: "Dog fouling is one of the constant complaints we receive, it is a constant gripe with people.
"People are just fed up of it, and rightly so.
"We are happy to help SLDC as much as we can, we've always got our fine books on us.
"We've met a lot of responsible dog owners this morning and I'm sure they will let others know that we were here and to pass the message on."
Dozens of dog walkers were stopped and checked for poo bags during the patrol, which took in Hoad Lane, St Mary's Church yard and Church Walk, as well as the area known as the Honeypot estate
All produced bags and they were given leaflets outlining the fines for dog fouling, as well as a form to anonymously report those responsible for dog fouling.
Mr Harris said despite not catching anyone, the patrol had been a success.
He said: "Everybody we stopped offered a dog poo bag once asked, some even turned out their pockets to show us.
"I'd say it's been a good morning. It's always positive when people take a leaflet off us. The ones who take a leaflet off you are on your side, whereas the ones who won't accept one we suspect are the culprits."
Mr Harris patrols Ulverston on a daily basis, varying his times and locations to try and catch irresponsible owners.
He said: "If people have any information about dog fouling then we would ask that they pass it on to us. Eventually we'll catch the people responsible.
"I think certain areas of the town are getting better, but there are still people letting their dog mess without clearing it up."
To report dog fouling in Ulverston, contact SLDC on 0845 050 4434.
First published at 13:15, Tuesday, 24 April 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
Have your say
Don't forget the park - there's always heaps of the stuff! Just yesterday, somebody allowed their dog to dump in the children's playground then left it. Disgusting.
I must admit my initial reaction was shock, but on reflection I think asking people politely whether they've got bags is a great idea. I'm all for it. It's a great step in the right direction. Now, we just have to take account of unaccompanied dogs.Well done SLDC. Please keep it up indefinitely; just spacing out the visits as the problem disappears but never announce that you've stopped.
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Why don't you? Or at least you could tell them you're happy to help as long as they give you a hand aswell? You can't let them ignore you like that, having a big heart is a good thing up until someone like this comes along
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For Immediate Release: June 13, 2013
Charles Houston Recreation Center Photographic Mural, Hall of Fame to be Dedicated June 22
On Saturday, June 22, the City of Alexandria and the Charles Houston Ad-Hoc Hall of Fame Subcommittee will dedicate a Hall of Fame that honors Alexandria's African American history makers, and a photographic mural that highlights key places in the city's African American community, at the Charles Houston Recreation Center, 901 Wythe St. This free event begins at 2 p.m. with a reception, followed by the ceremony at 3 p.m.
The photographic mural and Hall of Fame are the work of the Charles Houston Ad-Hoc Hall of Fame Subcommittee, a group of Alexandrians, most of whom grew up in the city. The mural, which will be located at the Parker-Gray Way (Wythe St.) entrance of the Charles Houston Recreation Center, establishes the African American footprint in the city and celebrates neighborhoods, schools, churches and businesses vital to Alexandria's African American community. The intent of the Hall of Fame is to honor and memorialize the achievements of African American history makers in Alexandria; document the contributions of Alexandria's African American community to the city's history; and foster appreciation for the diversity of the African American experience in the City of Alexandria. Sixty-four individuals have been chosen by the Subcommittee to appear in the Hall of Fame, and their names will be announced on June 22.
For more information, contact Jack Browand, Division Chief, Department of Recreation, Parks, and Cultural Activities, at 703.746.5504.
The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City's Human Rights Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended. To request a reasonable accommodation or to request materials in an alternative format, call Jack Browand at 703.746.5504 (Virginia Relay 711) or e-mail email@example.com.
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Local CPA Stephen Riggs IV has been chosen as the fourth member — and third from Okaloosa County — to serve on a board that will oversee spending of a big chunk of whatever BP oil spill fines are paid to the state of Florida.
"This is kind of a big deal," he said.
Riggs, 35, learned Friday that he had been chosen by Florida Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater to serve on the Triumph Gulf Coast board of directors.
Triumph Gulf Coast will be a five-member board given authority to "create and administer" a recovery fund established with 75 percent of whatever money comes to the state from BP when a lawsuit brought by Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is settled.
That 75 percent will be distributed to the eight counties deemed disproportionately impacted by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Those counties are Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, Franklin and Wakulla.
Riggs will serve on the board with fellow Destin-area residents Pam Dana and Bob Bonezzi. Allan Bense of Bay County, a former Florida House speaker, also will serve.
Gov. Rick Scott will select the fifth member. His appointment has not been announced.
Riggs said the prospect of finding ways to spend what could be more than $1 billion is both exciting and mindboggling.
"That kind of money is going to help the board make a significant impact, he said. "I see the board having a generational impact on the region."
Dana, Bondi's appointee, said Triumph Gulf Coast will have to be judicious in considering what she anticipates will be a lot of spending proposals.
"We want to be fair about it and thoughtful," she said. "This is a one-time opportunity to make some good investments in our future."
Legislation drawn up by state Senate President Don Gaetz and state Rep. Matt Gaetz will create a 30-year sinking fund the board can draw from each year, Riggs said.
Don Gaetz said the board was created to prevent the massive amount of money expected to come in from being "frittered away on special interest projects."
"The fund will be managed by professionals," Gaetz said.
Riggs said despite the board's apparent Okaloosa County orientation, all the members selected thus far have worked in state and regional capacities and are intent "on treating all the disproportionately affected counties in a fair manner."
"I have a passion for our geographic region, our people, our businesses and related economic development. I take my role in Triumph Gulf Coast seriously, and I look forward to the great things that will come out of this process," Riggs said in an email.
"We will think big."


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Dodge is a United States-based brand of automobiles, sport utility vehicles, and trucks, manufactured and marketed by Chrysler LLC in over 60 different countries and territories worldwide. Founded as the Dodge Brothers Company in 1900 to supply parts and assemblies for Detroit's growing auto industry, Dodge began making its own complete vehicles in 1914. The brand was sold to Chrysler Corporation in 1928, passed through the short-lived DaimlerChrysler merger of 1998–2007 as part of the unofficial "Chrysler Group", and is now a cornerstone of the new Chrysler LLC run by Cerberus Capital Management (a private equity investment firm).
Enter Walter P. Chrysler, head of the recently-founded (in 1924) Chrysler Corporation and former president of General Motors' successful Buick division. Chrysler had wanted to purchase Dodge two years earlier, and had in the meantime created his own DeSoto brand of cars to challenge Dodge's new entries in the medium-priced field.
When Chrysler called again in 1928, Dillon, Read was finally ready to talk. In a foreshadowing of much later acquisitions by his company, Chrysler wanted Dodge more for its name, its extensive dealer network and its factory than anything it was producing at the time. The big sale came about in July 1928, when Chrysler and Dodge engaged in an exchange of stock worth US$170 million. Production of existing models continued, with minor changes here and there, through the end of 1928 and (in the case of the Senior) into 1929.
To fit better in Chrysler Corporation lineup, alongside low-priced Plymouth and medium-priced DeSoto, Dodge's lineup for early 1930 was trimmed down to a core group of two lines and thirteen models (from three lines and nineteen models just over a year previous). Prices started out just above DeSoto but were somewhat less than top-of-the-line Chrysler, in a small-scale recreation of General Motors' "step-up" marketing concept. (DeSoto would eventually flip sides, moving a notch above Dodge during the early 1930s.)
For late 1930, Dodge took another step up by adding a new eight-cylinder line to complement the existing Senior six-cylinder. This basic format of a dual line with Six and Eight models continued through 1934, and the cars were gradually streamlined and lengthened in step with prevailing trends of the day. A long-wheelbase edition of the remaining Six was added for 1934 and would remain a part of the lineup for many years.
The Dodge line, along with most of the Corporation's output, was restyled in the so-called "Wind Stream" look for 1935. This was a mild form of streamlining, which saw sales jump remarkably over the previous year (even though Dodge as a whole still dropped to fifth place for the year after two years of holding down fourth).
Another major restyle arrived for the 25th anniversary 1939 models, the top model of which Dodge dubbed the Luxury Liner series. These were once again completely redesigned for 1942. However, just after these models were introduced, Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor forced the shutdown of Dodge's passenger car assembly lines in favor of war production.
Chrysler was prolific in its production of war materiel from 1942 to 1945, and Dodge in particular was well-known to both average citizens and thankful soldiers for their tough military-spec truck models. Starting with the hastily converted VC series and evolving into the celebrated WC series, Dodge built a strong reputation for itself that readily carried over into civilian models after the war.
Civilian production at Dodge was restarted by late 1945, in time for the 1946 model year. The "seller's market" of the early postwar years, brought on by the lack of any new cars throughout the war, meant that every automaker found it easy to sell vehicles regardless of any drawbacks they might have. Like almost every other automaker, Dodge sold lightly facelifted revisions of its 1942 design through the 1948 season. As before, these were a single series of six-cylinder models with two trim levels (basic Deluxe or plusher Custom).
Styling was not initially Dodge's strong point during this period, though that began to change by 1953 under the direction of corporate design chief Virgil Exner. At the same time, Dodge also introduced its first V8 engine—the original design of the famed Hemi. With steadily upgraded styling and ever-stronger engines every year through 1960, Dodge found a ready market for its products as America discovered the joys of freeway travel. This situation improved when Chrysler phased the failing DeSoto brand out of its lineup after 1961, leaving Dodge as the company's only line in the middle of the market.
Dodge entered the compact car field for 1961 with their new Lancer sedan (a variation on Plymouth's Valiant). Though it was not initially successful, the Dart range that came after it in 1963 would prove to be one of the division's top sellers for many years.
Chrysler did make an ill-advised move to downsize the Dodge and Plymouth full-size lines for 1962, which resulted in a loss of sales. However, they turned this around in 1965 by turning those former full-sizes into "new" mid-size models; Dodge revived the Coronet nameplate in this way and later added a sporty fastback version called the Charger that became both a sales leader and a winner on the NASCAR circuit.
Full-size models evolved gradually during this time. After being restored to their former dimensions for 1965, the Polara and Monaco were changed mostly in appearance for the next ten years or so. Unique "fuselage" styling was employed for 1969, then was toned down again for 1974.
Dodge is well-known today for being a player in the muscle car market of the late 1960s and early 1970s. Along with the Charger, models like the Coronet R/T and Super Bee were popular with buyers seeking performance. The pinnacle of this effort was the introduction of the Challenger sports coupe and convertible (Dodge's entry into the "pony car" class ) in 1970, which offered everything from mild economy engines up to the wild race-ready Hemi V8 in the same package.
In an effort to reach every segment of the market, Dodge even reached a hand across the Pacific to its partner Mitsubishi Motors and borrowed their subcompact Colt to compete against cars like the AMC Gremlin, Ford Pinto, and Chevrolet Vega. Chrysler's relationship with Mitsubishi would prove to be very important in later years.
Everything changed at Dodge (and Chrysler as a whole) when the 1973 oil crisis hit the United States. Save for the Colt and certain models of the Dart, Dodge's lineup was quickly seen as extremely inefficient. In fairness, this was true of most American automakers at the time, but Chrysler was also not in the best financial shape to do anything about it. Consequently, while General Motors and Ford were quick to begin downsizing their largest cars, Chrysler (and Dodge) moved more slowly out of necessity.
At the very least, Chrysler was able to use some of its other resources. Borrowing the recently-introduced Chrysler Horizon from their European division, Dodge was able to get its new Omni subcompact on the market fairly quickly. At the same time, they increased the number of models imported from Mitsubishi: first came a smaller Colt (based on Mitsubishi's Mitsubishi Lancer line, then a revival of the Challenger (though with nothing more than a four-cylinder under the hood, rather than the booming V8s of yore).
Bigger Dodges, though, remained rooted in old habits. The Dart was replaced by a new Aspen for 1976, but really only the styling changed—everything underneath was about the same. The Coronet and Charger were effectively replaced by the Diplomat for 1977, which was actually an "upsized" Aspen. Meanwhile, the huge Monaco (Royal Monaco beginning in 1977 when the mid-sized Coronet was renamed "Monaco") models hung around through 1977, losing sales every year, until finally being replaced by the St. Regis for 1979 following a one-year absence from the big car market. In a reversal of what happened for 1965, the St. Regis was an upsized Coronet. Buyers, understandably, were confused and chose to shop the competition rather than figure out what was going on at Dodge.
Everything came to a head in 1979 when Chrysler's new chairman, Lee Iacocca, requested and received federal loan guarantees from the United States Congress in an effort to save the company from having to file bankruptcy. With bailout money in hand, Chrysler quickly set to work on new models that would leave the past behind.
The first fruit of Chrysler's crash development program was the famous "K-Car," sold at Dodge dealers as the Aries (Plymouth's version was the near-identical Reliant). This basic and durable front-wheel drive platform spawned a whole range of new models at Dodge during the 1980s. Most notable of these was the groundbreaking Caravan, one of the most important cars in history—not just because it helped save Chrysler, but also because it spawned an entirely new market segment that remains popular today: the minivan.
Other popular Dodge models of the time included the turbocharged Daytona, mid-sized 600 and a sporty revival of the Lancer nameplate. The original Omni remained in the lineup as late as 1990, before finally being replaced by the more modern Shadow for 1987. Dodge did continue to import certain vehicles from Mitsubishi, but dropped most of them by 1993 so that customers would focus on the home-grown models instead.
By the 1990s, Chrysler had paid back its debts and was ready to make some real waves in the marketplace. Dodge was picked as the division to start this process, having already defined itself as the "sporty" side of the company. But no one was truly ready for Dodge to give the world something as unique as the Viper, which featured a Lamborghini-engineered V10 engine and composite sports roadster body. This was the first step in what was marketed as "The New Dodge." Step two was the fresh new Intrepid mid-size sedan, totally different from the formal-style Dynasty that preceded it.
Intrepid touted what Chrysler called "cab forward" styling, with the wheels pushed out to the corners of the chassis for maximum passenger space. They followed up on this idea in a smaller scale with the Stratus and Neon, both introduced for 1995. The Neon in particular was a hit, buoyed by a clever marketing campaign and good performance.
Chrysler Corporation merged with Daimler-Benz AG in 1998 to form DaimlerChrysler, touted initially as a "merger of equals". Rationalizing Chrysler's broad lineup quickly became the first order of the day, and Dodge's sister brand Plymouth was chosen for the axe. With this move, Dodge now became the company's low-price leader as well as its performance division.
Most models, including the Intrepid, Stratus and Neon, were redesigned in a careful evolutionary way during the early 2000s as the company felt things out. Dodge's first experience of any synergies with the German side of the company came in the form of the new Magnum sports wagon, introduced for 2005 as a replacement for the Intrepid. Featuring Chrysler's first mainstream rear-wheel drive platform since the 1980s and a revival of the Hemi V8 engine, it was a modest success. But it was the rebirth of the Charger in 2006 on the same platform that was the real winner. Offered in a variety of models ranging from very mild to very wild, it quickly became a top contender in the mid-size market.
Further synergies were explored in the form of an extensive platform-sharing arrangement with Mitsubishi, which spawned the Caliber subcompact as a replacement for the Neon and (in a limited way) the Avenger sedan. The rear-drive chassis will be used in early 2008 to build a brand new Challenger, in the same style as the original 1970 edition.
In Spring 2007, DaimlerChrysler reached an agreement with Cerberus Capital Management to sell off its Chrysler Group subsidiary, of which the Dodge division remains a part.
In Spring 2008, Dodge released a commercial claiming that, upon purchase of a Dodge vehicle, they will guarantee that the buyer will only have to pay $2.99/gallon in gas costs for the next 3 years.
Over the years, Dodge has become at least as well-known for its many truck models as for its prodigious passenger car output.
Ever since the beginning of its history in 1914, Dodge has offered light truck models to interested buyers. For the first few years, these were based largely on the existing passenger cars, but eventually gained their own chassis and body designs as the market matured. Light- and medium-duty models were offered first, then a heavy-duty range was added during the 1930s and 1940s.
Following World War II and the successful application of four-wheel drive to the truck line, Dodge introduced a civilian version that it called the Power Wagon. At first based almost exactly on the military-type design, variants of the standard truck line were eventually given 4WD and the same "Power Wagon" name.
Dodge was among the first to introduce car-like features to its trucks, adding the plush Adventurer package during the 1960s and offering sedan-like space in its Club Cab bodies of the 1970s. Declining sales and increased competition during the 1970s eventually forced the company to drop its medium- and heavy-duty models, an arena the company has only recently begun to reenter.
Dodge introduced what they called the "Adult Toys" line to boost its truck sales in the late 1970s, starting off with the limited edition Lil' Red Express pickup (featuring visible big rig-style exhaust stacks). Later came the more widely available Warlock. Other "Adult Toys" from Dodge included the Macho Power Wagon and Street Van.
As part of a general decline in the commercial vehicle field during the 1970s, Dodge eliminated their LCF Series heavy-duty trucks in 1975, along with the Bighorn and medium-duty D-Series trucks, and affiliated S Series school buses were dropped in 1978. On the other hand, Dodge produced several thousand pickups for the United States Military under the CUCV program from the late 1970s into the early 1980s.
Continuing financial problems meant that even Dodge's light-duty models – renamed as the Ram Pickup line for 1981 – were carried over with the most minimal of updates until 1993. But two things helped to revitalize Dodge's fortunes during this time. First was their introduction of Cummins' powerful and reliable B Series turbo-diesel engine as an option for 1989. This innovation raised Dodge's profile among serious truck buyers who needed big power for towing or large loads. A compact Dakota pickup, which later offered a class-exclusive V8 engine, was also an attractive draw.
Dodge introduced the Ram's all-new "big-rig" styling treatment for 1994. Besides its instantly polarizing looks, exposure was also gained by usage of the new truck on the hit TV show Walker, Texas Ranger starring Chuck Norris. The new Ram also featured a totally new interior with a console box big enough to hold a laptop computer, or ventilation and radio controls that were designed to be easily used even with gloves on. A V10 engine derived from that used in the Viper sports car was also new, and the previously offered Cummins turbo-diesel remained available. The smaller Dakota was redesigned in the same vein for 1997, thus giving Dodge trucks a definitive "face" that set them apart from the competition.
The Ram was redesigned again for 2002 (and the Dakota followed in 2004), basically as an evolution of the original but now featuring the revival of Chrysler's legendary Hemi V8 engine. New medium-duty chassis-cab models were introduced for 2007 (with standard Cummins turbo-diesel power), as a way of gradually getting Dodge back in the business truck market again.
For a time during the 1980s, Dodge also imported a line of small pickups from Mitsubishi. Known as the D50 or (later) the Ram 50, they were carried on as a stopgap until the Dakota's sales eventually made the imported trucks irrelevant. (Ironically, Mitsubishi has more recently purchased Dakota pickups from Dodge and restyled them into their own Raider line for sale in North America.)
Dodge had offered panel delivery models for many years since its founding, but their first purpose-built van model arrived for 1964 with the compact A Series. Based on the Dodge Dart platform and using its proven six-cylinder or V8 engines, the A-series was a strong competitor for both its domestic rivals (from Ford and Chevrolet/GMC) and the diminutive Volkswagen Transporter line.
As the market evolved, however, Dodge realized that a bigger and stronger van line would be needed in the future. Thus the B Series, introduced for 1971, offered both car-like comfort in its Sportsman passenger line or expansive room for gear and materials in its Tradesman cargo line. A chassis-cab version was also offered, for use with bigger cargo boxes or flatbeds.
Like the trucks, though, Chrysler's dire financial straits of the late 1970s precluded any major updates for the vans for many years. Rebadged as the Ram Van and Ram Wagon for 1981, this venerable design carried on with little more than cosmetic updates all the way to 2003.
The DaimlerChrysler merger of 1999 made it possible for Dodge to explore new ideas; hence the European-styled Mercedes-Benz Sprinter line of vans was brought over and given a Dodge styling treatment. Redesigned for 2006 as a 2007 model, the economical diesel-powered Sprinters have become very popular for city usage among delivery companies like FedEx and UPS in recent years.
Dodge also offered a cargo version of its best-selling Caravan for many years, at first calling it the Mini Ram Van (a name originally applied to short-wheelbase B-Series Ram Vans)and later dubbing it the Caravan C/V (for "Cargo Van").
Dodge's first experiments with anything like a sport utility vehicle were seen in the late 1950s with a windowed version of their standard panel truck known as the Town Wagon. These were built in the same style through the mid-1960s.
But the division didn't enter the SUV arena in earnest until 1974, with the purpose-built Ramcharger. Offering the then-popular open body style and Dodge's powerful V8 engines, the Ramcharger was a strong competitor for trucks like the Ford Bronco, Chevrolet Blazer and International Harvester Scout II.
Once again, though, Dodge was left with outdated products during the 1980s as the market evolved. The Ramcharger hung on through 1993 with only minor updates, but was not replaced along with the rest of the truck line for 1994.
Instead, Dodge tried something new in 1998. Using the mid-sized Dakota pickup's chassis as a base, they built the four-door Durango SUV with seating for seven people and created a new niche. Sized between smaller SUVs (like the Chevrolet Blazer and Ford Explorer) and larger models (like the Chevrolet Tahoe and Ford Expedition), Durango was both a bit more and bit less of everything. The redesigned version for 2004 grew a little bit in every dimension, becoming a full-size SUV (and was thus somewhat less efficient), but was still sized between most of its competitors on either side of the aisle.
Dodge also imported a version of Mitsubishi's popular Montero (Pajero in Japan) as the Raider from 1987 to 1989.
Dodge vehicles are now available in many countries throughout the world.
In Canada, the Dodge lineup of cars was merged with the Chrysler lineup so that Canadians, instead of receiving the Dodge Intrepid, Dodge Dynasty or second gen Dodge Neon, received the Chrysler Intrepid, Chrysler Dynasty and Chrysler Neon. As of 2003, this decision has changed and cars known as Dodges in the US are once again badged as Dodges in Canada.
In Mexico, the Hyundai Accent, Hyundai Atos, and Hyundai H100 are branded as "Dodge" or "[local market name] by Dodge" and sold at Chrysler/Dodge dealers. A rebadged Chinese-assembled Chery A1 will be sold in Mexico as a Dodge vehicle starting in 2008.
Following Chrysler's takeover of the British Rootes Group, Simca of France, and Barreiros of Spain, and the resultant establishment of Chrysler Europe in the late 1960s, the Dodge brand was used on light commercial vehicles, most of which were previously branded Commer or Karrier, on pickup and van versions of the Simca 1100, on the Spanish Dodge Dart, and on heavy trucks built in Spain. The most common of these was the Dodge 50 series, widely used by utility companies and the military, but rarely seen outside the UK, and the Spanish-built heavy-duty 300 series available as 4x2, 6x4, 8x2, and 8x4 rigids, as well as 4x2 semi-trailer tractors. All of these were also sold in selected export markets badged either as Fargo or De Soto.
Following Chrysler Europe's collapse in 1977, and the sale of their assets to Peugeot, the Chrysler/Dodge British and Spanish factories were quickly passed on to Renault Véhicules Industriels, who gradually re-branded the range of vans and trucks as Renaults through the 1980s. They would eventually drop these products altogether and used the plants to produce engines (in the UK) and "real" Renault truck models in Spain. Dodge vehicles would not return to the UK until the introduction of the Dodge Neon SRT-4, branded as a Chrysler Neon, in the mid 2000s.
The Dodge marque was reintroduced to Europe on a broad scale in 2006. Currently, the Dodge lineup in Europe consists of the Caliber, Avenger, Viper SRT-10, Nitro and Dodge Journey(2008). The Dodge Caliber has proved to be a sales success in the UK market with Resale values remaining high.
Dodge vehicles have been sold in the Middle East for a considerably longer period of time.
The original Dodge logo was round, with two interlocking triangles forming a six-pointed star in the middle; an interlocked "DB" was at the center of the star, and the words "Dodge Brothers Motor Vehicles" encircled the outside edge.
From 1962 to 1976, Dodge's logo was a fractured deltoid, assembled from three stylized arrowheads. Between 1976 and 1994, Dodge shared a version of Chrysler's logo, a five-pointed asterisk surrounded by a pentagon.
Dodge introduced its current Ram's-head logo in 1993; it standardized on that logo in 1996 for all vehicles except the Viper. Trucks had carried a ram hood ornament as early as the 1930s (compare this to Mack's famed bulldog), but its use was sporadic after that until the 1980s. After 1981, when most of the truck lines took on some sort of a "Ram" name, the ram's-head ornament could be fitted as part of various option packages. The Companies Advertising slogan was therefore 'Grab Life by the Horns' which has been shortened to 'Grab Life' in recent commercials.


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$2 million bond for Windsor votersBy Christian Avard
Staff Writer | March 02,2013WINDSOR Windsor Town Manager Tom Marsh said the wastewater treatment facility is a critical part of the towns infrastructure. Now voters will have to decide whether its worth investing in an aging facility in need of renovations.
According to Marsh, the answer is yes.
Theres been a high level of care to the facility over the years. But time has taken its toll and without these repairs wed be looking at a critical failure, Marsh said.
The town of Windsor has before it a big-ticket item on Town Meeting Day. Its a $2 million bond for renovations to the towns wastewater treatment facility. The article will be voted on by Australian ballot.
Marsh said the state suggests Vermont cities and towns conduct an analysis of wastewater treatment facilities every 20 years. The town of Windsors treatment plant is about 20 years old, and the analysis concluded it needed a complete overhaul.
The estimates came back at approximately $12 million to $13 million, but a project like that was out of the question, Marsh said. The town did another review and identified the plants most critical needs.
According to the study, the town needs a new digester, a section of the plant that takes sewage and breaks it down to generate methane gas, and storage tanks which Marsh estimates are 40 years old. The $2 million bond would go toward pipe upgrades, replacements and new containers.
Marsh said pending approval, the town will rebuild the clarifiers first and the digester next. He estimates that taxpayers will see an increase between 3 and 4 percent a year over the next few years to pay off the bond.
Its going to take 18 months to two years from where we are today to complete this stage, Marsh said. The second stage where were doing repairs out of our capital plan wont impact ratepayers as much.
Approximately 1,600 sewer customers are responsible for paying the bond, but the entire town votes on the bond question.
Windsor residents will vote on money matters at 7 p.m. Monday in the White Auditorium at Windsor High School. Voting at the polls, including the $2 million bond, will be held from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Windsor Municipal Building at 29 Union St.
@rutandherald.comMORE IN Southern VermontBENNINGTON — Ask author and Bennington College graduate Charlotte Silver if the title of... Full StoryPresident Calvin Coolidge was remembered in all sorts of ways Saturday on the 143rd anniversary... Full StoryPresident Calvin Coolidge was remembered in all sorts of ways Saturday on the 143rd anniversary... Full Story
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Thorlos Value
Value comes in many forms. But we are keenly aware that it boils down to you get what you pay for when you pay $14.95 for a pair of Thorlos, we know you have to get a lot in order for you to consider it a bargain. And that's the goal we set for ourselves giving you so much more than you expect in terms of protection, comfort and foot health.
Over the years, our new and long-time loyal customers have told us time and again in their testimonials why they experience Thorlos as the best socks to protect their feet. They have highlighted six different types of value you can count on from your Thorlos, and that's why they consider Thorlos such a bargain. Here is what you can hold us to, and some recent unsolicited testimonials that capture what current wearers have shared regarding their personal experiences
Functional Effectiveness – Thorlos are designed to provide the best price/value proposition
"These are the first socks I've ever worn that both comfort my abused feet, stay up all day without slippage and yet do not constrict my calves. Love these socks!! Worth every penny." Susan J.
"These socks keep my feet warm but also dry. They're like nothing else I've found, worth the money." Robert F.
"I have worn these socks for years to work, at home and to bed. Love these socks, great fit, great support all day long, and wear forever wash after wash. Buy these socks and you will never buy any other sock." Kathy S.
Durability – Thorlos are designed to last
"Since I bought my first pair of Thorlos socks, I have bought no other brand. The quality and comfort are unique. I buy a fraction of the socks I used to buy because Thorlos last so long. I am sure I am paying less for socks because of that. Even after months of use and washings, these look great and fit well." Richard B.
"I wear these socks to work every day. I manage a large vineyard so in the course of my job I do a fair amount of walking each day and I have found these to be the most comfortable socks I have ever used. They may be a little more expensive than other brands but I will wear them three to four times longer and they still feel good after years of service." Rand D.
"I have worn Thorlo for at least 20 years. Nothing out there will stand up to the punishment of these socks. I don't have to buy but every 5 to 6 years. I love your socks! " Brent S.
"This is only my second time ordering because these socks LAST. I have other socks that wear thin in a year and get pitched. Worth the money considering the quality." Kendra L.
Evidenced-based Benefits – Thorlos have been clinically shown to reduce blisters, reduce foot pain, reduce pressures and wick moisture
"Cheap socks were giving my feet blisters if I walked even a mile. Thorlos socks have never given me a blister. Count me very satisfied. These are expensive socks, and worth every penny." Michael C.
"I no longer have plantar fasciitis in using these Thor-Lo socks, nor pain in my calves. Amazing cushion while I run both long distance and conducting my interval trainings. Highly recommended!" Thomas B.
"Thorlos are the best socks on the market. Quality is top notch, they last a long time, the cushion is great and they are MADE IN THE USA! THORLON has wonderful wicking properties and completely prevents blisters. Doesn't matter how warm your feet are when you take Thorlos off because your feet are dry!!" Peg G.
Satisfaction/Enjoyment – Thorlos foot protection provides unsurpassed comfort
"Anybody who is active in sports or spends a lot of time on their feet should invest in Thorlos [padded] socks as their product isn't just another pair of socks. They're engineered for maximum comfort in whatever sport or use they're designed for. If you're into tennis or running, you have a lot invested in your feet and footwear and clothing .It makes sense not to skimp on your socks after you've tried on a pair of their socks as their socks are the only brand I'll wear because after I discovered them ,I'd never wear anything else-they're that good!!" Stephen M.
"I LOVE ALL my Thorlo [padded] socks. These socks fit perfectly. They NEVER slide down during the entire day, yet they do not cut off your circulation. I have no interest in buying any other brand of sock." Dee Dee S.
"You cannot beat the performance and comfort of these socks. Buying them online is fast and easy. You won't be sorry you tried these socks if you like thick, comfortable, long lasting socks! And best of all they are made in the USA." Gary B
Brand Promise Guarantee – Thorlos: Your feet will feel better or your money back®. Customers reinforce our promise in their feedback:
"Our whole family of five wears Thorlo socks, you won't get a better sock anywhere! Definitely worth the investment...I guarantee you that you will be in love with these [padded] socks and will never buy others ever again." Shari M.
"I don't wear any other [padded] socks unless all of my Thorlos are dirty!! Until I tried Thorlos, I thought "socks" were "socks". NOT!! I have some Thorlos that I have been wearing....probably weekly or almost.....for over 10 years! No other socks compare as far as I am concerned. I wear them for hiking, backpacking, hunting, fishing, work, play...every day! Don't mess with my Thorlos! Buy some. I guarantee if you don't like them, you can give them to me!" Brent M.
"I bought these as a gift for a retired football player. He introduced me to Thorlos and guaranteed they were the best socks ever. He was right!" Rebecca T.
Service – Thorlos customer service matches our product performance
"I just wanted to send a quick note to say that Becky Bass is the most helpful customer service rep I've worked with, out of any business I've called or emailed! She was so nice, and an A+ example of terrific customer service. I'll definitely keep coming back to Thorlos. Thanks so much!" Sarah B.
"I rarely take time to do these kinds of things, but I want to bring to your attention the excellent (actually unbelievable) customer service that I received from Susan Graham. The details are available from her, but I had a small issue with placing a web order, and Susan went above and beyond to assist me. Her customer service, in short, was the best I have ever received from any company, period. This quality reflects well on both your leadership and the company." Scott C.
"I am a Disney trained customer service "nut". I will not give my business to those that don't give OUTSTANDING customer service. Susan Graham just topped everyone that I have done business with in several years. Her caring and concern for her customer is very apparent. My business won't make or break your organization. However, if Susan's attitude is representative of your company's culture THORLO is in good hands." Ronald P.
Overall Value Means More Activity, Resulting in More Life!
All of these values lead in one way or another to a better quality of life. We call it More Life! The ultimate value or end-benefit wearers of Thorlos realize is the ability to do more of what they love…the things that keep them vital in body, mind and spirit.
Here's what we've heard most recently about the Thorlos price-value relationship:
Style: KXW
Never hike without them!
04/24/15 | By Sue L.
I keep all of my Thorlo socks in a separate place to grab when I run or hike - they have absolutey saved my feet! I purchased several styles and every pair is perfect! I won't buy cheap socks again, it just is not worth it in the long-run.
Style: WLST
Great socks for active work in steel toe boots.
04/24/15 | By Gary L.
My feet feel great even after 14 hour days I'm constantly moving parking trailers alot of standing up and walking 5-6 miles per night. These socks perform flawlessly feet don't get sweaty or chafted ever even breaking in new boots great job Throlo!!
Style: MCB
Best boot socks for runs and humps
04/23/15 | By Adam K.
The socks are very thick and fill out any dead space in your boot preventing your feet from sloshing around. That tight fit along with thorlo's material helps prevent blisters! The length of the sock easily comes up to the knees so your shins are well protected from any rubbing. These socks are the best kept secret.
SUPER SOCKS. Will not buy anything else in the future!
04/22/15 | By Roberta C.
Feel like I could walk up and down mountains.
Style: WGX
Best socks for a food server
04/20/15 | By Darlene R.
I feel like I can stand on my feet longer because they don't hurt as much with regular socks.
Style: LTH
Extreme Comfort!
04/20/15 | By Jeffery R.
These are by far the most comfortable, quality pair of socks that I have ever owned. Do your feet a favor and give them a try - you will be blown away.
Style: WGX
Best work sock's I've found!
04/20/15 | By Marlo G.
I feel less fatigue, when working in these socks! Big Fan!!
04/19/15 | By Elaine C.
First of all, my PCP (DO) recommended these socks and specific walking shoes. The socks are wonderful I love the softness & thickness. I notice a difference when walking. Maybe my corn will go away. Thank you.
I can walk forever with these socks!
04/19/15 | By Roberta C.
So great. Not too hot, not too cold. Perfect amount of padding. Fit so well.
Style: 84NRCW
04/19/15 | By Onie B.
these socks give you the cushion in the foot where you need it, you can feel the difference from other socks.


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When you slide on down to the beach, slide into these stylish slide sandals as well. With a variety of colors you can find a match for any warm weather outfit. The Vionic Aubrey is a casual women's sandal with three adjustable hook and loop straps for the perfect fit.
Vionic Aubrey Pewter Snake Synthetic Women's Sandal
Features include:
For the greatest comfort, we recommend wearing your new Orthaheel footwear or orthotics for just a few hours for the first few days to allow your feet to adjust to the new level of orthotic comfort and support.
Within one to two weeks you should find the product completely comfortable and supportive.
Ordered two pair of this particular style, different colors. Wonderfully comfortable. Wear them daily. One of the best sandals ever purchased. Great support.
I have plantar warts on bottom of my feet for many years, this sandal fits so well, and eases the pressure on those warts, I have searched extensively for sandals and they are just NOT there in the open market at the regular shoes stores. I am quite pleased with these sandals and highly recommend them to anyone, especially those who have painful feet.
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Twilight Vs. Harry Potter
Posted 18 April 2011 - 05:56 AM ( #1 )
Twilight or Harry Potter, which is better?
I know they are completely different books, but WHO CARES! They're both bestsellers, right?
Anyway, I want to know your opinion,
Here's mine:
Harry Potter is...AWESOME!
Twilight is...boring (I read the first book, not to my liking)
And can you tell me why you you think one series of books are better than others, please?
And please be nice to each other...XD
P.S Saga (Of Twilight Saga) is a word meaning 'a series of books that are so long that you want to chew your own head off'
Started18 Apr 2011
Last Post16 Sep 2011
Posted 18 April 2011 - 06:08 PM ( #2 )
Posted 18 April 2011 - 06:13 PM ( #3 )
... If you must know my opinion (because you can't see the obvious :3) - MLIA. That should explain my opinion if you know what it means~
Posted 18 April 2011 - 06:25 PM ( #4 )
Twilight on the other hand, never read, never watched the movies...well watched a few scenes from the person in front of me on a plane but it seems boring and plain to me, a few of my friends have also read Twilight and said it's boring, so I stick by their word plus it's not really my type of movie/book.
Also, as someone on DBPB said, Dear Stephenie Meyers, They will always be Cedric Diggory and Shark Boy to me. Sincerely, anonymous. I completely agree with this.
Posted 20 April 2011 - 11:01 AM ( #5 )
Posted 21 April 2011 - 06:26 PM ( #6 )
I read all the books and watched all the movies [excluding Deathly Hallows Part 2 because it hasn't hit the movie theatres yet].
I even have a Slytherin scarf and a Gryffindor scarf from when I went to a Harry Potter Exhibition [featuring actual props and clothes from the movies!].
Posted 19 June 2011 - 06:19 PM ( #7 )
Posted 20 June 2011 - 01:32 AM ( #8 )
To be honest, my attention span is too short for Harry Potter.
Posted 21 June 2011 - 10:23 PM ( #9 )
I'm like, the opposite. I find Twilight the one that's hardest to concentrate on.
To be honest, my attention span is too short for Harry Potter.
Posted 16 July 2011 - 02:36 AM ( #10 )
I prefer Harry Potter, JK Rowling created a whole new world there. It REALLY gets you inspired - seeing all kinds of magic.
I'm not hating - but Bella Swan... Bella means beautiful in Italian.. Beautiful Swan? Really? I haven't seen any flaws to Bella either. I smell a Sue here. I have not seen her smile with happy eyes either.
Posted 27 July 2011 - 03:03 AM ( #12 )
Posted 27 July 2011 - 03:07 AM ( #13 )
I've read all the books from each series and seen all the movies. To be honest, I think Harry Potter just dominates. The overall meaning in HP is love conquers all. The meaning in Twilight is... vampires make awesome boyfriends? And the movies... Harry Potter hands down for better acting and better special effects.
Yeah, HP's werewolves r WAY more convincing from what ive seen on Twilight trailers. And thats rubbish, cos HP has very few werewolves while i should imagine that Twilight has lots seein as the hole fings based around vampire/werewolf/human conflicts.
Posted 17 August 2011 - 05:59 PM ( #14 )
I read half the books, then stoped for some stupid reason.
Wizards and witches interest me WAAAAAAAAYYYYY more than vampires.
I'm not into the whole thing.
I saw the first Twilight movie, and I'm not saying that hp isn't easy to make fun of, but Twilight is way easier to make fun of.
Posted 17 August 2011 - 11:34 PM ( #15 )
Posted 30 August 2011 - 04:44 PM ( #16 )
The books grow with the readers, and the characters do too. With every book, they get older, the develop, and that's one of the most amazing things about it. You see them grow before your eyes, and you start to know them. You understand why everyone acted why they did, and it makes the story even more believable.
Harry Potter is the childhood of millions of people, and it's affected so many of them. It has an amazing fanbase, of people who love the stories and the messages, not just the 'super hot' characters.
Twilight, I think, has no real depth or meaning. The biggest plots in the series have very little thought put into them, which is shown when major plotholes are revealed. The characters also have no depth, and you don't connect to them in a way that you need to, to bring the story alive. the messages of the story are quite scary, really. "You need a boyfriend." "If your boyfriend stops you seeing your friends, it's okay! It's bec#ause he loves you!" I'd take Harry Potter's messages against racism and about friendship, family and bravery overcoming evil.
That's why Twilight is lacking, for me, and it always will be. Twilight is a fad, Harry Potter is a classic.
(I hope I don't sound to crazy in this...)
Edited by .chasm., 30 August 2011 - 04:47 PM.
Posted 31 August 2011 - 11:46 PM ( #17 )
Posted 13 September 2011 - 04:48 AM ( #18 )
I kinda have some bound with harry
My friends all love him, we all read and watched the movie together.
We grown up together, like, I have almost his age.
Well, Twilight... it's more adultish.
But I still prefer Harry, that maybe show why I still wanna play tamagotchi.
Maybe I still act like a child lol
Posted 13 September 2011 - 07:49 AM ( #19 )
The Twilight series was FAR better as books. The movies destroyed every part of it, but the books could have been way better, period.
The Harry Potter series is just.. beyond amazing. From the very first sentence, it had me gripping the whole story
Posted 16 September 2011 - 06:30 PM ( #20 )
Twilight has no real message directed to readers, while Harry Potter gives readers the message that good overpowers evil, friendship is important, and love conquers all.
Twilight is about how it's very important to have a boyfriend, and it doesn't matter if he's dangerous or bad for you.
Harry Potter is about being brave and having courage.
Twilight's characters aren't very respectable or likable at all: a girl who attempts suicide when her loved one leaves, a vampire who controls his girlfriend's life and walks out of her life, a werewolf who has anger issues and falls in love with his crush's daughter.
Harry Potter's characters are much more three-dimensional and likable: a boy who fights against evil since he's a baby, a boy who sticks by his friend for nearly their whole lives, a girl whose knowledge and common sense helps them in tough times.
Also, Twilight's fanbase is mostly composed of teenage girls/middle-aged women who have a disturbing obsession with Edward and Jacob and wish they were Bella.


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The Home of Fashion Film
@Dior houndstooth deconstructed into Warhol flowers http://t.co/212nLyqzga
Natalia Vodianova #Dior http://t.co/7dzjuNNgpu
Poor Hedi Slimane should give up now. Raf is peerless @Dior http://t.co/SlDy39V3ce
"Surreal Space Pirates" is the buzz phrase @KasiaHastings and I have come up with for Dior.
Raf Simons' and Mr. Dior started their careers in Art, this passion is connected to the collection today. #Dior #PFW
Triumph for Raf Simons at #Dior. Question is if anyone will want to wear anything else. #PFW http://t.co/aTObJGLpDe
The Dior show finale. #PFW http://t.co/0hJ9gWvVrg
#Dior Fall 2013 finale soundtrack "O Superman" by Laurie Anderson. W⚡🇫🇷 #PFW
Finale @dior #pfw http://t.co/2HZscpXOiU
Warhol bag at Dior from an early sketch http://t.co/Fyn0plilho
The first of a series of dresses baptised by Raf Simons' as the "memory dresses"
Surrealism, Andy Warhol and Laurie Anderson in Dior http://t.co/HF0dRtEqwu
Look#12, a red wool « Arizona 1948 » coat, directly inspired by the original Mr. Dior creation of 1948. #Dior #PFW
More Dior http://t.co/MueFrLcjp3
Monochrome knits, houndstooth motifs reworked into pink flowers @Dior #pfw
Look#3, an embroidered Warhol "High Heel 1956" and printed Warhol "Female Head with Stamps 1959" navy silk bustier dress. #Dior #PFW
More Dior http://t.co/nNFWxrrTdn
The collection presented today is like a visual scrapbook of significant moments for both Raf Simons and the house of Dior… #Dior #PFW
The girls are wearing just one earring at Dior. Gold, rose gold and silver slivers.
Shoe detail @Dior http://t.co/BqPBqUCDw0
Dior first look #Dior http://t.co/v3oaUeQh7w
That's Christopher Kane next to the Newhouses at Dior, with huge Mylar balloons http://t.co/PGJuuCfMJN
Marion Cotillard at #Dior wearing a short dress from pre-collection. #PFW http://t.co/DpRv8QZQqs
Ulyana Sergeenko at Dior, and in Dior couture http://t.co/ygYVqFBN27
Marion Cotillard, Frank Ocean and Melanie Laurent expected at #Dior #PFW
Not everything as is at it seems... the sky is on the floor #Dior #PFW http://t.co/DQaqHTr3hA
Olivia Palermo has arrived at the @Dior show #PFW
The silver orbs at #Dior are giant mylar hot air balloons. Maybe not the best metaphor a brand can offer? #PFW VF
Natalia Vodianova & Antoine Arnault are making their way into the @Dior show at the Invalides #PFW
Surrealism and Pop art to come in Raf Simons' 2nd #Dior RTW show. Magritte style clouds and mirrored sphere set. #PFW http://t.co/OAFnxFyBfH
Everyone's getting snap-happy in the @Dior silver Pop Art-themed catwalk space #pfw
References in show notes to Monsieur Dior's first job as a gallerist who repped Dali and Giacometti. #Dior #PFW http://t.co/yKedlI4V9a
We're told this collection functions in the form of a "visual scrapbook" @Dior #pfw
"This collection is more connected to passions we share," says Raf Simons in the @dior show notes #pfw
I just gave a taxi driver the address for the Dior show. He said, "You're the third person I've taken there. All of Paris is going."
Mirrored bubbles and walls in Dior show space http://t.co/7uut2Sg4JC
Supersized silver balloons surround us @Dior #pfw
I can't lie I feel a little giddy about my first Raf for Dior show #dior #raf http://t.co/fAlBn9kFZr
"@VogueParis: Quote of the day: "Fashion is the art of renewing desire" Christian Dior @Dior #PFW" let's see what happens today! Big day!
We're getting excited for the @Dior show today. Re-live Raf Simons' first ever collection for the house here #PFW http://t.co/WIkNTOKp32
It's time for Dior, the most highly anticipated show of Paris Fashion Week. What will Raf Simons make us fall in love with this season?
En route to Dior #excited #amazing #awesome #reallyexcited #betterbegood
Soaking up the beauty backstage at Dior Fall 2013 in Paris — hair by @GuidoPalau and makeup by @patmcgrathreal. #PFW


text: Pictures: Celebrity Big Brother 2012 – day 1 Is that Frankie naked in the hot tub? Frankie is the first housemate to take a dip in the hot tub, but Michael and Kirk are not so keen. Georgia Salpa seen in a bikini Natalie Cassidy washing twin Karissa Shannon's hair, as Karissa stands over the sink in a bikini with Georgia Salpa also seen in a bikini Not a car wash but a hair wash: Natalie Cassidy washing Karissa Shannon's hair, with her twin Kristina Shannon also seen in a bikini Andrew Stone doing various stretches in the gym Natalie tries to speak with a Yankee accent as part of her secret task Nicola and Natasha divided opinion on Twitter Natalie is told about her secret task First kiss of the series: Come here bad boy as Natalie kisses bad boy Frankie. Best buddies: ROMEO AND MICHAEL CHAT


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El sistema telefónico del Departamento de Salud está siendo actualizado. Por favor use el 703.746.4996 para contactarnos por teléfono.
Trying to figure out ways to beat the summer heat? Play it safe with extreme temperatures and stay indoors. If you have to be outside, be sure to stay hydrated and stay in the shade as much as possible. Consider going to your local library branch (www.alexandria.lib.va.us) to check out the latest summer reads or to your local recreation center (alexandriava.gov/RecreationCenters ) to participate in a program or a class. Check out our City pools (alexandriava.gov/Aquatics) as another way to stay cool.
Back to Top
Hot Weather Health Emergencies
Even short periods of high temperatures can cause serious health problems. During hot weather health emergencies, keep informed by listening to local weather and news channels or contact local health departments for health and safety updates. Doing too much on a hot day, spending too much time in the sun or staying too long in an overheated place can cause heat-related illnesses. Know the symptoms of heat disorders and overexposure to the sun, and be ready to give first aid treatment.
Heat stroke occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature. The body's temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. Body temperature may rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment is not provided.
Recognizing Heat Stroke
Warning signs of heat stroke vary but may include the following:
What to Do
If you see any of these signs, you may be dealing with a life-threatening emergency. Have someone call 9-1-1 for emergency medical assistance while you begin cooling the victim. Do the following:
Sometimes a victim's muscles will begin to twitch uncontrollably as a result of heat stroke. If this happens, keep the victim from injuring himself, but do not place any object in the mouth and do not give fluids. If there is vomiting, make sure the airway remains open by turning the victim on his or her side.
Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. It is the body's response to an excessive loss of the water and salt contained in sweat. Those most prone to heat exhaustion are elderly people, people with high blood pressure, and people working or exercising in a hot environment.
Recognizing Heat Exhaustion
Warning signs of heat exhaustion include the following:
The skin may be cool and moist. The victim's pulse rate will be fast and weak, and breathing will be fast and shallow. If heat exhaustion is untreated, it may progress to heat stroke. Seek medical attention immediately if any of the following occurs:
Otherwise, help the victim to cool off, and seek medical attention if symptoms worsen or last longer than 1 hour.
Heat cramps usually affect people who sweat a lot during strenuous activity. This sweating depletes the body's salt and moisture. The low salt level in the muscles may be the cause of heat cramps. Heat cramps may also be a symptom of heat exhaustion.
Recognizing Heat Cramps
Heat cramps are muscle pains or spasms—usually in the abdomen, arms, or legs—that may occur in association with strenuous activity. If you have heart problems or are on a low-sodium diet, get medical attention for heat cramps.
What to Do
For more information on staying safe and healthy in hot weather, go the CDC's Extreme Heat page, at: www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.asp
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text:
Cal Evans has posted a great tongue-in-cheek post to his blog today giving reasons why you shouldn't hire PHP community members to work at your company.
It is no secret that I spend a lot of time promoting the PHP Community. It is a vibrant, helpful and friendly community and I've said before that I believe it to be one of the most important asserts of the PHP language. I'm also a realist though; I've built teams and I've hired developers. [...] I have experience in this area and I have strong opinions. I am going to share one of those opinions with you right now: Don't hire developers who are active members of the PHP Community.
His list of "don't hire" reasons are:
- PHP community members solve problems
- If they can't solve a problem, they usually know who can
- They love to show off
- They make their employers look good at conferences.
- They work for free
For each topic, he gives a brief summary explaining its relation to the "don't hire" mentality. Reading between the lines, you'll see his true message, though - PHP community members have a lot to offer you and your business. Their visibility and experience (and connections) can only benefit the work they do.


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Summer of Science: Flight of the Living Dead
Join Erika Bueno and Chris Quock, researchers at San Francisco State University, to learn about the native Zombie Fly (Apocephalus borealis) that is parasitizing honey bees in California. Infected bees display the "zombie-like behavior" of leaving their hives at night on "a flight of the living dead."
ZomBee Watch, a citizen science project, was founded to determine the widespread reach of this parasitic problem. With Bueno and Quock, learn how you can become a ZomBee Watcher in your own neighborhood by examining insect specimens and exploring light traps for data collection.
Included with Museum admission. Meet in the Oakland Section of the Gallery of California Natural Sciences.


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You can also browse all real estate types and MLS listings by Shannon above or you can also view results by neighborhoods or regions.
Whether you're considering buying or selling property in Alabama or you're looking for any other information about AL real estate in Shannon, you have come to the right place. AL.com can help you find Shannon real estate agencies & realtors or AL broker who will help you buy or sell a home, rent an apartment and get you useful information about schools in the area, real estate market conditions and more!


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Show Us Your Model
It might be easy to believe we're approaching Peak Trutherism, what with good old-fashioned birthers now being supplemented by BLS truthers and poll truthers. But just you wait—should Barack Obama win this election, we'll see an explosion of election trutherism that will be truly unprecedented in scope. In the meantime, we can content ourselves with the newest variant, Nate Silver trutherism, which isn't coming just from conservatives.
In case you don't know, Silver runs the blog FiveThirtyEight, which after producing a series of highly accurate predictions during the 2008 campaign got swallowed up by The New York Times. Silver makes electoral projections by taking as many different polls as he can find and running them through an algorithm. Rather than just averaging the polls' results, the algorithm uses a series of variables, including state polls and each pollster's prior record, to produce a number of different estimates. As of today he gives Obama a 77.4 percent chance of winning, higher than it has been at some points but not too far off from where he has estimated for most of the campaign.
In the last few days, we've seen a couple of different Silver narratives emerge as attention to him has increased. First, you have stories about how liberals are obsessing over Silver, "clinging" to him like a raft in a roiling sea of ambiguous poll data. Then you have the backlash, with conservatives criticizing him not because they have a specific critique of the techniques he uses, but basically because they disagree with his conclusions (No way is Obama going to win!) and because he's a liberal so therefore he must be intentionally warping his data to produce more Obama-friendly results. For instance, Joe Scarborough recently declared that Silver has to be wrong, because while Silver says Obama has an advantage, Scarborough knows the race is a toss-up, which I guess he feels in his gut. The most hilarious criticism came in this column in The Examiner, which noted, "Nate Silver is a man of very small stature, a thin and effeminate man with a soft-sounding voice." So there.
Then you've got the reporter backlash. At Politico, Dylan Byers raised the possibility that Silver would be completely discredited if Mitt Romney won, because "it's difficult to see how people can continue to put faith in the predictions of someone who has never given that candidate anything higher than a 41 percent chance of winning." But of course, if you say there's a 41 percent chance of something happening and then it happens, you wouldn't actually be discredited, because 41 is not zero. And that's not even mentioning the huge number of pollsters who make absurdly wrong predictions all the time and continue to ply their trade. Furthermore, as Ezra Klein points out, a lot of these criticisms come from writers at Politico, the most strategy-obsessed, who-won-the-day publication there is. Looking at the election's eventual outcome systematically is almost an affront to their business model.
But Silver is only a threat to reporters if they see explaining who is going to win as their primary job. And if that's how they see their job, they really ought to apologize to the public and find another career. Because there are few things as useless to the citizenry as a reporter giving his or her opinion on who is going to win.
After all, there are lots of interesting and revealing things going on in campaigns. There's a debate about where the country is now, where it has been, and where it ought to go. There are interesting characters we can learn about. There are policy issues aplenty. Even the dramatic moments of the campaign can be reported on and examined without asking, "Will this change the race?" I'm not saying you have to banish any of the who's-up-who's down stuff completely (I certainly talk about it here), but if you actually feel threatened by someone coming along with a persuasive answer to the question of who's going to win that wasn't derived from listening to campaign spinners, then you really ought to re-examine what you're doing.
Finally, let me address the question of Silver's liberal fans. Do they love the fact that he gives them reason to feel optimistic? Sure. But that's only half the reason they love him. If he were not as rigorous as he is but was producing the same results, liberals wouldn't be as taken with him as they are. There are Democratic polling outfits out there, and while liberal blogs might cite them fairly often, none of them have produced the same devotion Nate has. On the other hand, would liberals be as interested in Silver if his analysis consistently predicted a Romney win? Probably not. In other words, it took both to make Silver a liberal hero. His projections had to make liberals feel optimistic, and he had to be going about things in the kind of nuanced, detailed way he is. Liberals are pleased as punch that the thing they want to be true can be supported by a highly complex and sophisticated analysis. They want to feel good, but they also want to feel smart.
Thu, 2012-11-01 14:56
Sat, 2012-11-03 18:03
Exactly. Dems believed in Nate's models in 2008 when he showed an Obama win. We believed in his models and cried in our beer (microbrewed, natch) in the 2010 elections when he said we would get shellacked. We believe in his models now with him showing an Obama win again. That is because we are the party of science, math and facts. We believe Nate because he has the best ideas on how to evaluate polls and he has a track record of success that shows he is right.
Trutherism is when you believe something is true because you FEEL like it is true. An example of trutherism would be that it FEELS like Obama is from Kenya because real Americans (especially Presidents) should be white. You can show a truther the birth certificate, newspapers that report his birth and the fact that his family has always said he was born in Hawaii long before anyone thought he would ever be president, but they won't believe them because Trutherism doesn't accept reality. In trutherism you ignore, distort, obfuscate, twist and suppress facts that disagree with what you feel.
Thu, 2012-11-01 17:54
In my model the electorate is evenly split between Dems and Reps, and Romney has a double digit lead amongst indies. In 2008 Dems had a +7 advantage over Reps and won indies by 8 points. SO my model says Romney has a 63.24% chance of winning, which means if he loses I still win because I said ther was a 36.66% Obama would win.
Look how accurate I am! /sarc
Saying Silver's model is "rigorous" doesn't make it so. I could make a 10,000 line computer model that is still as subject to GIGO as anything else. Its not "sophistication" its sophistry. And, yes, there is a difference.
Fri, 2012-11-02 12:08
Fri, 2012-11-02 12:27
It's hard for me to imagine someone who wants to feel bad, and dumb. Or someone who wants to feel good, but dumb. Of course liberals want to feel that they are right, and that they are right for the right reasons.
And yes, if Silver was predicting a Romney win, he would not be as popular or as well regarded, and there would be more efforts to pick apart his methodology
Fri, 2012-11-02 14:31
Well this is just silly. So Silver can't be called wrong if Romney wins because he said there was a chance he would? Please. Wrong is wrong. If Silver's model predicts the wrong winner, his model does not work--by definition--. I appreciate that he attempts to give odds, but the question we have asked him to answer is "who will win" not "who is most likely to win".
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(If there's one thing we know about comment trolls, it's that they're lazy)


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Weekly wednesday june 2011
From VoidWarranties - Hackerspace Antwerp, Belgium
Note: this article is about a passed event.
|Weekly wednesday june 2011
|The first last weekly wednesday of the month this year. Hint: having weekly wednesdays was decided to be on a monthly basis and on every last wednesday of the month.
| From 2011/06/29 08:00:00 PM
to 2011/06/29 10:00:00 PM
|Presenters (1):
|Attendees (3):
|Jobj, Firemonkey, Yashiko
|Den Bunker
Agenda points
Keeping the space running
- outlining core tasks
- accounting and verifying cash register
- shopping (drinks and candy)
- cleaning the space (cleaning and doing the dishes)
- opening and locking up
- maitaining resources (wiki, newtwork at the space, mail server, mailinglist
- who does these tasks now
- is it possible to outline and document what these tasks involve so if the core responcable is not avaialble or fed up with it they keep on being done (bill's have to be payed ;-)
Meeting with the Josto people
- timing (date and time)
- who joins
Mini garden ideas
- support for feed the hackers
- allowance of the landlord
- what kind of constructs?
- what kind of crops?
Meeting notes
Join note taking during the meeting: http://piratepad.be/p/VoidWarranties
Facts about Weekly wednesday june 2011RDF feed
|Has Category
|Misc +
|Has Void org
|true +
|Has attendee
|Jobj +, Firemonkey +, and Yashiko +
|Has attendee amount
|3 +
|Has cost
|0 +
|Has description
|The first last weekly wednesday of the month this year. Hint: having weekly wednesdays was decided to be on a monthly basis and on every last wednesday of the month.
|Has end date
|29 June 2011 22:00:00 +
|Has event type
|WeeklyWednesday +
|Has location
|Den Bunker +
|Has presenter
|Ivom +
|Has presenter amount
|1 +
|Has start date
|29 June 2011 20:00:00 +


text:
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July 22, 2013
Links: Australian Glass and the Pacific Northwest at Museum of Glass
Wsu Master Gardeners of Pierce County at Master Gardener of Pierce County
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Drama, Comedy
This Academy Award-nominated classic, voted one of the American Film Institute's top 100 Films Of All Time, features the coming of age of four teenagers on their last summer night before college. Rediscover drag racing, Inspiration Point and drive-ins all over again in this nostalgic look back at the early '60s. The incredible soundtrack brings you the most memorable rock 'n' roll hits of the era. Directed by George Lucas and produced by Francis Ford Coppola, this classic stars Harrison Ford, Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Suzanne Somers, Cindy Williams, Wolfman Jack and Mackenzie Phillips. Capture the heart of America's last age of innocence with American Graffiti.
Rated PG N/A.
Visit the official site
Cast: Richard Dreyfuss, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, Ronny Howard, Paul Le Mat, Richard Dryfuss
Produced by: Francis Ford Coppola
Directed by: George Lucas
Written by: George Lucas, Gloria Katz
Running time: 1hr 50min
Opens: Aug 01, 1973


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Cruising in your Corvette is wonderful, isn't it? Ah yes, the wind whipping over the windshield; the sweet purr of the exhausts; the way the car effortlessly glides over the tarmac mile after mile. Until something happens to interrupt this magical journey, that is. It could be a flat tire, a strange noise coming from under the car, an alarming indication from one of the dash gauges, or any number of other nefarious things. It's a fact of life-stuff happens. The question is: are you and your Corvette prepared and equipped to handle these interesting little turns life indiscriminately throws at us?
In addition to pleasure cruising in our Corvettes, many of us embark on yearly pilgrimages far from home, with destinations such as Corvettes at Carlisle, Bloomington Gold, the National Corvette Museum, Corvette Funfest, and others. I won't bore you with my personal tales of breakdowns I've experienced over the last decade on some of my 200-mile journeys to Corvettes at Carlisle, but I will tell you that I was more than glad to have a set of wrenches and some sockets with me on one occasion when a u-joint failed during my trip home in a shark. I was a real happy camper to have my cell phone available when the oil pump decided to quit without warning on my midyear coupe en route to Carlisle another year. In the first incident, I performed an emergency repair myself, and for the second incident, I was able to summon a friend with a flatbed, who brought one of my other cars with him when he came to pick up my disabled '67 on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
The Boy Scouts' motto to "be prepared" is really sage advice. Suffice it to say that all Corvettes have a finite amount of space for carrying emergency gear, while some years (e.g., '68-'76 sharks) are particularly deficit in this department. There are also individual interpretations of what "essential emergency traveling gear" should consist of. Some folks have a real adventurous, devil-may-care outlook, and they think as long as they have a credit card and a cell phone they're all set for anything fate may bring. Others are a bit more cautious, and they have a modest complement of tools and other gear to help bail them out if and when the unforeseen should happen on the road. And then there are those who want to bring everything in their garage with them, and, even with all that stuff aboard, they still worry they might not have something they'll need in an emergency.
Who's right? Well, that's up to each individual to decide for him or herself. But what I'm presenting here is a list of items that it certainly wouldn't hurt to have packed in your Corvette when embarking on any journey that's more than a few miles from home. Nobody's saying you have to stow and carry all this gear (then again, nobody's saying you can't, if you want to). But at least perusing this listing will help you pick and choose the items to help give you the warm-and-fuzzies when you embark on a long trip in your Corvette. It's better to have this stuff and not need it than to need it and not have it.
Absolute Essentials
These are what I call the Five Fs-the absolutely essential items you should always have in your ride regardless of the year and model of your Corvette.
* Flashlight
* Fire extinguisher
* First-aid kit
* Flares
* Fone
I don't think you need an explanation of what these items are for or why you should have them in your Vette, so we'll move on to some other items you might also want to carry.