It's been a decade since Dunstan was the first county chairman
elected directly by the voters instead of the County Board, and Dunstan
said progress has been made in the county in the last 10 years because
of bipartisan cooperation.
"Here, Democrats and Republicans
seem to be able to work together," Dunstan said. "We don't always
agree, because that's impossible. But I honestly believe that Madison
County is in the best position financially in the state of Illinois."
Dunstan
said the county's stability is primarily because the 19 Democrats and
10 Republicans on the County Board work together to "deliver the
goods."
A graduate of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
and Troy native, Dunstan was first elected to the Troy City Council in
1978, at the time the youngest city official in Illinois at age 21. Two
years later he was elected to the County Board, again breaking state
records. He served seven terms before his election to county chairman
in 2002.
"I love this job, I love working for the people of Madison County," Dunstan said. "I actually enjoy County Board meetings."
The
county budget has been cut each year for the past four years, with $3
million in cuts this year and elimination of 23 more employees, Dunstan
said. He also pointed out that Madison County has more than 230 fewer
employees than in 2002. The reductions were from attrition and some
layoffs.
Madison County also is "virtually debt free," Dunstan
said, which he credits to a decision to pay down the county's debt with
its share of the Phillip Morris tobacco settlement.
In fact,
Dunstan said, one of the county's continuing financial problems is that
the county can't raise its credit rating from AA to AAA -- the county
hasn't borrowed enough money to do so.
"If we end up remodeling
the jail ... we will have to renew some jail bonds," Dunstan said.
"They tell us that will actually get our credit rating up."
While
Dunstan acknowledged that the 2011 tax levy has gone up 1.3 percent,
he said it is the lowest increase in 20 years -- for which he also
credits both sides of the aisle.
While most public bodies are
sweating the pension issue, Madison County has always made 100 percent
of its payments, Dunstan said. But he still is leery of the pensions
being forced on local taxing bodies, because it is the county that must
issue property tax bills, and he doesn't want to see them go up.
Madison
County also was the only Southern Illinois county to receive a passing
grade from the Illinois Policy Institute in governmental transparency,
with budgets, audits, union contracts and the county checkbook all
available online for the public to see.
Dunstan cited Madison
County's growth both in the Edwardsville-Glen Carbon region and in the
warehouse and transportation area around Gateway Commerce Center, as
well as the America's Central Port, formerly known as the Melvin Price
Center. He said he wants to see it grow even more, with a potential
warehouse project that could employ more than 800 people -- though a
final decision and announcement has not yet been made on that project.
"More
than 50 percent of the U.S. population lives within 500 miles of
Madison County," Dunstan said. "We can become the logistics hub of the
nation ... If you want to know the future of the St.Shop for high
quality wholesale parking sensor
system products on DHgate and get worldwide delivery. Louis
metropolitan area, look east. The future of our region is in Illinois."
Dunstan said he wants to continue to induce businesses to
locate in Madison County and especially wants to see through the levee
rehabilitation project. Protecting property values and insurance rates
through improving the levees is the biggest challenge and top priority
for the county going forward, Dunstan said.
"What we've done as a team is tremendous -- and it's not me, it's 'we,'" Dunstan said.
Slusser
wants to see a lower property tax levy and more transparency in
Madison County, and lists those as two of the main reasons he is
challenging Dunstan for chairman.
Slusser,You'll be able to spot your bag from a mile away with these elegant and colorful leather luggage tag.
34, is a graduate of SIUE who worked as a university police officer to
get through college. He is now the chief financial officer for a
commercial real estate firm, married for seven years and a frequent
volunteer with social ministries in northern Madison County.
He
said his wife introduced him to programs offering counseling to
victims of sexual assault, and for three years assisted in weekly
counseling sessions for men who have been abusers, frequently ordered
to such therapy by the courts.
Slusser and his wife, Megan, also
have formed a group to assist at-risk children through Madison County
courts and has served as president of Riverbend Family Ministries,
helping victims of domestic violence, particularly children who have
lost their homes.
"All the political stuff I do is fine, but that's the stuff I'm most proud of," Slusser said.
Slusser
was elected to the County Board in 2008 and serves on the public
safety, information technology and county institutions committees. He
was a strong proponent of the effort to put the county's checkbook
online in 2010, and has been the treasurer of the Madison County
Republican Party since his election to the board.
He also has
worked on the campaigns of Republican congressional candidate Jason
Plummer and state Rep. Dwight Kay, R-Glen Carbon.Custom Rubber
Bracelets and silicone bracelet,
Slusser
agrees that Madison County has "so much potential based on our
geographic region," but said he thinks the county could do more to cut
through red tape and get out of property tax litigation against large
employers like Olin Corp. and ConocoPhillips.Everyone needs a USB flash drives wholesale these days.
"Madison
County is at a competitive disadvantage, being in the state of
Illinois, and we're still making decisions like it's 1985," he said.
"We plan on adopting soon, and I want to be able to tell my kids
someday that I did something to change things."
Slusser
proposes cutting the tax levy rather than its current increase of 1.3
percent. "We will send a clear message that we will not raise the
property tax levy," Slusser said. "People have reached their tipping
point ... we're being taxed out of our homes and communities. Wages are
not increasing and the price of everything is increasing."
While
Slusser acknowledged that cuts have been made, he said there are still
places where waste is taking place in county government. For example,
departments that have a high manager-to-employee ratio can be
restructured, he said.
And while he said the online checkbook
was a major reason that Madison County gets high marks for
transparency, he would like to see it improved. "It's in PDF form and
not searchable, while DuPage County's is searchable," he said.Redpin is
an open source indoor positioning system that was developed with the goal of providing at least room-level accuracy.
Slusser
has said he believes the county government can do more to fight
unemployment and lower property taxes. "Madison County government should
be part of the solution, not part of the problem," he said. "We're
still operating under 20th century models which are inefficient and
costly to the taxpayers. We need a cultural change and that starts with
a change in leadership."
2012年10月30日星期二
5 seek Lexington County Council post
Each is seeking to be the choice of voters to replace retiring
incumbent Smokey Davis of Lexington, who is not recommending anyone as
his successor.
It’s a showdown delayed from the June 12 Republican primary.
Four candidates - Scott Adams, Wes Howard, Darrell Hudson and Anthony Keisler - were among 250 candidate statewide disqualified then for failure to report personal finances properly.
They quickly gathered hundreds of voter signatures to be restored to the ballot this fall against Kent Collins, who won the GOP nomination by default.
All four call themselves petition Republicans. And county GOP leaders call all five candidates acceptable.
It’s a race mostly on personal appeal than on divergent outlooks.
All the candidates express similar views on steady improvement of law enforcement, fire protection and emergency medical care while keeping taxes low.
It’s a message that Davis said plays well in District 3, which is centered in the town of Lexington and surrounding area that includes a slice of the south shore of Lake Murray.
The area is moderately progressive socially while conservative fiscally, Davis said. "They are willing to pay for quality and security as well as education.Redpin is an open source indoor positioning system that was developed with the goal of providing at least room-level accuracy."
Each petition candidate acknowledges it’s a challenge to capture the attention of voters who tend to cast straight-Republican ballots.
There is no Democrat running for the seat, so the winner among the five will claim a post with a four-year term.
Here’s a snapshot of each campaign:
Adams would be a shoo-in if fund-raising were a promise of success.
He’s well ahead of other challengers in taking in nearly $24,000 so far, including $7,Custom Rubber Bracelets and silicone bracelet,Everyone needs a USB flash drives wholesale these days.300 from himself. His donors reflect ties to the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce and his role in helping bring an Amazon distribution center to the Midlands.
When it comes to taxpayers dollars, Adams would focus on major expenses instead of small items. "A lot of people get caught up on $10, when it’s $100 that needs to be addressed."
Adams, a telecommunications cable company executive, is pledging to donate the post’s yearly salary of $17,347 to charities and forego taxpayer-paid health insurance.
Collins is promoting himself as experienced in getting things done due to his background as a former Lexington County prosecutor.
"As a lawyer, I fight for people on a daily basis," he said.
The challenges of operating a small law firm also make him sensitive to the impact of county decisions on local businesses, he said.
Collins signed the petitions of some of his challengers as a goodwill gesture, saying voters deserve a choice that shouldn’t be frustrated by technicalities.
Hudson,Shop for high quality wholesale parking sensor system products on DHgate and get worldwide delivery. a vehicle dealer and member of a family well-known for its barbecue, is running as everyone’s neighbor.
His website is full of pictures of family and friends, with less emphasis on politics. "It’s about the local community," he said.You'll be able to spot your bag from a mile away with these elegant and colorful leather luggage tag. "It’s about helping people."
Hudson promises to ask lots of questions as spending decisions are made, but stops short of pinpointing any in place as excessive.
He’s done well in fundraising, pulling in just over $15,100, including nearly $1,500 from himself.
Howard, a Tea Party favorite, is running as an outsider with an insider’s experience who is eager to tackle what he considers spending practices that prevent taxes from being cut.
County leaders treat taxpayers as "a bottomless piggy bank," he said, citing examples such as pens, lunch bags, T-shirts, hats and meals given as staff morale boosters.
"It’s becoming an accepted practice, but that doesn’t make it right," said Howard, a county paramedic who said he will give up that job if elected.
Howard also is critical of larger decisions, such as approval of a package of improvements at Riverbanks Zoo that he said are nice but unnecessary. The zoo tax hike is estimated to add $1.60 yearly to the property tax bill of a $100,000 home.
Keisler portrays himself as someone whose longtime family roots in the area and involvement in local events give him a better sense of problems and acceptable solutions.
"You’ve got to be part of the community to be able to serve the community," he said. "I’m used to getting up every morning, put my pants on and go to work."
It’s a showdown delayed from the June 12 Republican primary.
Four candidates - Scott Adams, Wes Howard, Darrell Hudson and Anthony Keisler - were among 250 candidate statewide disqualified then for failure to report personal finances properly.
They quickly gathered hundreds of voter signatures to be restored to the ballot this fall against Kent Collins, who won the GOP nomination by default.
All four call themselves petition Republicans. And county GOP leaders call all five candidates acceptable.
It’s a race mostly on personal appeal than on divergent outlooks.
All the candidates express similar views on steady improvement of law enforcement, fire protection and emergency medical care while keeping taxes low.
It’s a message that Davis said plays well in District 3, which is centered in the town of Lexington and surrounding area that includes a slice of the south shore of Lake Murray.
The area is moderately progressive socially while conservative fiscally, Davis said. "They are willing to pay for quality and security as well as education.Redpin is an open source indoor positioning system that was developed with the goal of providing at least room-level accuracy."
Each petition candidate acknowledges it’s a challenge to capture the attention of voters who tend to cast straight-Republican ballots.
There is no Democrat running for the seat, so the winner among the five will claim a post with a four-year term.
Here’s a snapshot of each campaign:
Adams would be a shoo-in if fund-raising were a promise of success.
He’s well ahead of other challengers in taking in nearly $24,000 so far, including $7,Custom Rubber Bracelets and silicone bracelet,Everyone needs a USB flash drives wholesale these days.300 from himself. His donors reflect ties to the Greater Lexington Chamber of Commerce and his role in helping bring an Amazon distribution center to the Midlands.
When it comes to taxpayers dollars, Adams would focus on major expenses instead of small items. "A lot of people get caught up on $10, when it’s $100 that needs to be addressed."
Adams, a telecommunications cable company executive, is pledging to donate the post’s yearly salary of $17,347 to charities and forego taxpayer-paid health insurance.
Collins is promoting himself as experienced in getting things done due to his background as a former Lexington County prosecutor.
"As a lawyer, I fight for people on a daily basis," he said.
The challenges of operating a small law firm also make him sensitive to the impact of county decisions on local businesses, he said.
Collins signed the petitions of some of his challengers as a goodwill gesture, saying voters deserve a choice that shouldn’t be frustrated by technicalities.
Hudson,Shop for high quality wholesale parking sensor system products on DHgate and get worldwide delivery. a vehicle dealer and member of a family well-known for its barbecue, is running as everyone’s neighbor.
His website is full of pictures of family and friends, with less emphasis on politics. "It’s about the local community," he said.You'll be able to spot your bag from a mile away with these elegant and colorful leather luggage tag. "It’s about helping people."
Hudson promises to ask lots of questions as spending decisions are made, but stops short of pinpointing any in place as excessive.
He’s done well in fundraising, pulling in just over $15,100, including nearly $1,500 from himself.
Howard, a Tea Party favorite, is running as an outsider with an insider’s experience who is eager to tackle what he considers spending practices that prevent taxes from being cut.
County leaders treat taxpayers as "a bottomless piggy bank," he said, citing examples such as pens, lunch bags, T-shirts, hats and meals given as staff morale boosters.
"It’s becoming an accepted practice, but that doesn’t make it right," said Howard, a county paramedic who said he will give up that job if elected.
Howard also is critical of larger decisions, such as approval of a package of improvements at Riverbanks Zoo that he said are nice but unnecessary. The zoo tax hike is estimated to add $1.60 yearly to the property tax bill of a $100,000 home.
Keisler portrays himself as someone whose longtime family roots in the area and involvement in local events give him a better sense of problems and acceptable solutions.
"You’ve got to be part of the community to be able to serve the community," he said. "I’m used to getting up every morning, put my pants on and go to work."
‘Malawi needs more change now’
Malawi’s ex-president Bakili Muluzi, who ruled from 1994 to 2004, on
Tuesday formally announced his retirement from active politics,
stepping down as chairman of his former governing United Democratic
Front (UDF) party.
The former president, who is recuperating in South Africa after undergoing a surgery,Offering lowest priced printed lanyard in Canada. addressed a UDF National Conference in Blantyre through a message which was read on his behalf by one of the country’s top lawyers Kalekeni Kaphale.
Muluzi, who defeated late dictator Kamuzu Banda in the country’s first democratic elections in 1994, said he choose Kaphale to deliver a farewell speech becauae he “ is a passionate defender of human rights and constitutionalism and also a promoter of rule of law and good governance.”
In his speech,Redpin is an open source indoor positioning system that was developed with the goal of providing at least room-level accuracy. Muluzi said he regretted not having done more to improve the lives of his citizens when he was head of state but pointed out that his government “performed extremely well” in some areas.
“When we took over government in 1994, the poverty levels in this country were very high. Admittedly, they are still a challenge today. However, we must admit and acknowledge that during our time there were some areas where we performed extremely well and others where we failed to meet the expectations of Malawians,” he said.
Muluzi said the political gains and the socio-economic changes that the country achieved in the 1990s and early 2000s have not been consolidated.
“To consolidate these, Malawi needs more change now than ever before!” he said.
Muluzi,Shop for high quality wholesale parking sensor system products on DHgate and get worldwide delivery. who is a life patron of UDF together with Patrick Mbewe, told delegates that the party is “alive and strong and that we are continuing the agenda we set 20 years ago,” adding “UDF siyizatha ngati makatani! Ayi! (UDF will not be torn apart like tattered curtains) And nobody should wish this party away. You just can’t.”
He said UDF will contune with “change agenda”.
“As a party, how do we abandon our change agenda when the cost of living is increasingly becoming more unbearable for most Malawians. How do we abandon the reform agenda when the basic needs such as water and electricity are still a luxury?
“How do we stop calling for transformative change when our industries are not performing well? How do we stop the change agenda when the products of our policy on free primary school cannot access higher education?
“How do we fold our hands and claim that we have achieved it all when our fuel supplies are way below our required needs to drive our economy. How do we claim that we have accomplished our agenda when the majority of our youth are not gainfully employed and cannot make a decent living out of any economic activity?”
The former president said UDF should provide a unique and special vehicle that should serve many purposes.
“It should be a defender, protector,You'll be able to spot your bag from a mile away with these elegant and colorful leather luggage tag. and fighter for the underdogs; a refuge for the powerless; and a parliament for the disenfranchised,” he said.
Muluzi also said asa party that championed the introduction of multipartyism and pluralism, the UDF should take the leadership and be exemplary in opening up to new membership and new ideas in order to find new ways of dealing with new challenges.
“It is important to make sure that the party utilizes the experience from the old members but at the same time creating a conducive environment for new members to come in and help the party at various levels of its structures.,” he said, adding “Malawi, as a country, is endowed with talent but at times we are not willing to give this talent a chance.”
Muluzi said UDF should embrace the ‘Facebook generation”.
“This generation holds the key to the survival of this party and, for that matter, any other social and political institution in this country at the moment. Let us therefore take this generation very seriously or we risk extinction like dinosaurs. If we do not open up to this generation and to women,Custom Rubber Bracelets and silicone bracelet, then our party could as well be an item for preservation in the museums and the archives,” he said.
He pointed out that in democracy there are no shortcuts and urged party members to allow members to elect leaders of their choice from the top to the lowest structure of the party.
The former president, who is recuperating in South Africa after undergoing a surgery,Offering lowest priced printed lanyard in Canada. addressed a UDF National Conference in Blantyre through a message which was read on his behalf by one of the country’s top lawyers Kalekeni Kaphale.
Muluzi, who defeated late dictator Kamuzu Banda in the country’s first democratic elections in 1994, said he choose Kaphale to deliver a farewell speech becauae he “ is a passionate defender of human rights and constitutionalism and also a promoter of rule of law and good governance.”
In his speech,Redpin is an open source indoor positioning system that was developed with the goal of providing at least room-level accuracy. Muluzi said he regretted not having done more to improve the lives of his citizens when he was head of state but pointed out that his government “performed extremely well” in some areas.
“When we took over government in 1994, the poverty levels in this country were very high. Admittedly, they are still a challenge today. However, we must admit and acknowledge that during our time there were some areas where we performed extremely well and others where we failed to meet the expectations of Malawians,” he said.
Muluzi said the political gains and the socio-economic changes that the country achieved in the 1990s and early 2000s have not been consolidated.
“To consolidate these, Malawi needs more change now than ever before!” he said.
Muluzi,Shop for high quality wholesale parking sensor system products on DHgate and get worldwide delivery. who is a life patron of UDF together with Patrick Mbewe, told delegates that the party is “alive and strong and that we are continuing the agenda we set 20 years ago,” adding “UDF siyizatha ngati makatani! Ayi! (UDF will not be torn apart like tattered curtains) And nobody should wish this party away. You just can’t.”
He said UDF will contune with “change agenda”.
“As a party, how do we abandon our change agenda when the cost of living is increasingly becoming more unbearable for most Malawians. How do we abandon the reform agenda when the basic needs such as water and electricity are still a luxury?
“How do we stop calling for transformative change when our industries are not performing well? How do we stop the change agenda when the products of our policy on free primary school cannot access higher education?
“How do we fold our hands and claim that we have achieved it all when our fuel supplies are way below our required needs to drive our economy. How do we claim that we have accomplished our agenda when the majority of our youth are not gainfully employed and cannot make a decent living out of any economic activity?”
The former president said UDF should provide a unique and special vehicle that should serve many purposes.
“It should be a defender, protector,You'll be able to spot your bag from a mile away with these elegant and colorful leather luggage tag. and fighter for the underdogs; a refuge for the powerless; and a parliament for the disenfranchised,” he said.
Muluzi also said asa party that championed the introduction of multipartyism and pluralism, the UDF should take the leadership and be exemplary in opening up to new membership and new ideas in order to find new ways of dealing with new challenges.
“It is important to make sure that the party utilizes the experience from the old members but at the same time creating a conducive environment for new members to come in and help the party at various levels of its structures.,” he said, adding “Malawi, as a country, is endowed with talent but at times we are not willing to give this talent a chance.”
Muluzi said UDF should embrace the ‘Facebook generation”.
“This generation holds the key to the survival of this party and, for that matter, any other social and political institution in this country at the moment. Let us therefore take this generation very seriously or we risk extinction like dinosaurs. If we do not open up to this generation and to women,Custom Rubber Bracelets and silicone bracelet, then our party could as well be an item for preservation in the museums and the archives,” he said.
He pointed out that in democracy there are no shortcuts and urged party members to allow members to elect leaders of their choice from the top to the lowest structure of the party.
2012年10月23日星期二
'The Punisher' Chases 200 mph
Steve and I drooled over the then brand-new red 1983 Suzuki GS1100
sitting in the Rock Store parking lot one Saturday morning. The Suzuki
owner was more than happy to tell us all about how much horsepower his
new bike made, its quarter-mile drag strip times, and its cost. It was
the hottest thing on two wheels.
He asked what we were riding, and we pointed to our well-worn mid-70s Kawasaki and Honda mounts.We are porcelain tiles specialists and are passionate about our product， He nodded politely, but was a bit distracted, his attention focused on himself. After a few minutes we said it was time to go on a canyon ride. He asked if we would mind if he tagged along. Sure thing, buddy.
We waited for him at the end of the canyon road, sitting in the shade with our helmets off. He eventually rolled up and stammered some lame excuses why it took him so long to reach the destination. We nodded in sympathy and simply observed that he had been "Punished." He gave a puzzled look. We felt no need to explain.
Most of us in our early riding years did not have the financial means to enjoy the ownership and riding experience of the latest two-wheeled equipment; our bikes generally consisted of last generation performance machines. Out of nothing more than envy, we dedicated our efforts to building, testing, and riding our bikes in a manner that demonstrated to those more fortunate individuals that they could not simply buy their way to status and speed.
"Those who take the easy road to motorcycle performance shall be Punished.Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring." That guiding principle has been applied to each successive model of last generation bikes I have owned. They have all been simply called The Punisher.
Fast forward to 2008. Twenty-five years later, my current bike was good, but not the latest and greatest.We have a wide selection of dry cabinet to choose from for your storage needs. My 2003 Aprilia Tuono Racing performed well, yet was rapidly being eclipsed by the latest generation of powerful and expensive Ducatis by as much as 40 horsepower. The seemingly endless parade of shiny new red machines clogging up the Starbucks parking lots slowly awakened those old feelings of class warfare, and could no longer be ignored. Punishment must be served, but how?
I knew the answer as soon as I saw the Spoon Valley Racing supercharger kit for the Aprilia RSV motor. It was compact, powerful, and fit entirely beneath the stock bodywork. The plan to build a stealthy supercharged Punisher streetbike was hatched, and a leftover 2007 Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory was purchased. I could hardly contain myself at the thought of ambushing unsuspecting Ducs, turning their smug smiles into slack-jawed disbelief with a simple twist of the throttle.
The kit contained the basic mounting brackets, pulleys, and a fabricated intake bonnet, though not the 200-horsepower rated Rotrex C15-60 centrifugal supercharger. There were still lots of ancillary parts to purchase, some machining, fitting, and fabrication work, as well.
An extension shaft taken off the engine counterbalancer drives the supercharger, and that required some delicate machining to the engine cases and balancer shaft to accomplish. Overall, it took about eight months from the time I received the kit to having a running bike. And it did run - for about two minutes before an oil leak developed from the shaft seal. Three months and three prototype shaft and seal designs later, the oil leak problem was permanently resolved.
Early dyno tuning sessions identified an inadequate fuel pump and undersized fuel injectors. Once sorted, the bike showed great promise by making over 170 rear wheel horsepower (ed. note: all horsepower numbers in the story are rear wheel), with mostly OEM engine parts. The question of longevity was still unanswered.
"We should run this bike at the Texas Mile," suggest my horsepower freak friend Micah Shoemaker. Micah is one of the owners, and chief tuner at AF1 Racing in New Braunfels, Texas, who opined, "I think we can do a little more tuning and make enough horsepower to go 200 mph." Did he just say "200 mph?"
My eyes glazed over and my mind raced. I had always dreamed of breaking that magical speed barrier.Find the lowest prices on Air purifier. Was this possible with an Aprilia? From that casual remark, we launched a three-year project to be the fastest twin in Texas Mile land speed racing.
Another friend, Dave Malmberg of Leucadia, Calif.The Fridge fridge magnet is leader in the custom design,, was to become the third member of Team Punisher. Dave is a design engineer at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, as well as a championship motorcycle racer/builder with a full race shop. He had already been advising me on the project from time to time, so it seemed prudent to drag him into the black hole of race bike development.
Our first Texas Mile event in March of 2010 showed potential, and made clear how much farther we had to go. During that initial outing, we only managed a total of five passes and 175.4 mph before a melted stock piston with fractured rings forced us to quit. At least that had given us plenty of time to study how the big boys were getting it done.
He asked what we were riding, and we pointed to our well-worn mid-70s Kawasaki and Honda mounts.We are porcelain tiles specialists and are passionate about our product， He nodded politely, but was a bit distracted, his attention focused on himself. After a few minutes we said it was time to go on a canyon ride. He asked if we would mind if he tagged along. Sure thing, buddy.
We waited for him at the end of the canyon road, sitting in the shade with our helmets off. He eventually rolled up and stammered some lame excuses why it took him so long to reach the destination. We nodded in sympathy and simply observed that he had been "Punished." He gave a puzzled look. We felt no need to explain.
Most of us in our early riding years did not have the financial means to enjoy the ownership and riding experience of the latest two-wheeled equipment; our bikes generally consisted of last generation performance machines. Out of nothing more than envy, we dedicated our efforts to building, testing, and riding our bikes in a manner that demonstrated to those more fortunate individuals that they could not simply buy their way to status and speed.
"Those who take the easy road to motorcycle performance shall be Punished.Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring." That guiding principle has been applied to each successive model of last generation bikes I have owned. They have all been simply called The Punisher.
Fast forward to 2008. Twenty-five years later, my current bike was good, but not the latest and greatest.We have a wide selection of dry cabinet to choose from for your storage needs. My 2003 Aprilia Tuono Racing performed well, yet was rapidly being eclipsed by the latest generation of powerful and expensive Ducatis by as much as 40 horsepower. The seemingly endless parade of shiny new red machines clogging up the Starbucks parking lots slowly awakened those old feelings of class warfare, and could no longer be ignored. Punishment must be served, but how?
I knew the answer as soon as I saw the Spoon Valley Racing supercharger kit for the Aprilia RSV motor. It was compact, powerful, and fit entirely beneath the stock bodywork. The plan to build a stealthy supercharged Punisher streetbike was hatched, and a leftover 2007 Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory was purchased. I could hardly contain myself at the thought of ambushing unsuspecting Ducs, turning their smug smiles into slack-jawed disbelief with a simple twist of the throttle.
The kit contained the basic mounting brackets, pulleys, and a fabricated intake bonnet, though not the 200-horsepower rated Rotrex C15-60 centrifugal supercharger. There were still lots of ancillary parts to purchase, some machining, fitting, and fabrication work, as well.
An extension shaft taken off the engine counterbalancer drives the supercharger, and that required some delicate machining to the engine cases and balancer shaft to accomplish. Overall, it took about eight months from the time I received the kit to having a running bike. And it did run - for about two minutes before an oil leak developed from the shaft seal. Three months and three prototype shaft and seal designs later, the oil leak problem was permanently resolved.
Early dyno tuning sessions identified an inadequate fuel pump and undersized fuel injectors. Once sorted, the bike showed great promise by making over 170 rear wheel horsepower (ed. note: all horsepower numbers in the story are rear wheel), with mostly OEM engine parts. The question of longevity was still unanswered.
"We should run this bike at the Texas Mile," suggest my horsepower freak friend Micah Shoemaker. Micah is one of the owners, and chief tuner at AF1 Racing in New Braunfels, Texas, who opined, "I think we can do a little more tuning and make enough horsepower to go 200 mph." Did he just say "200 mph?"
My eyes glazed over and my mind raced. I had always dreamed of breaking that magical speed barrier.Find the lowest prices on Air purifier. Was this possible with an Aprilia? From that casual remark, we launched a three-year project to be the fastest twin in Texas Mile land speed racing.
Another friend, Dave Malmberg of Leucadia, Calif.The Fridge fridge magnet is leader in the custom design,, was to become the third member of Team Punisher. Dave is a design engineer at Scripps Institute of Oceanography, as well as a championship motorcycle racer/builder with a full race shop. He had already been advising me on the project from time to time, so it seemed prudent to drag him into the black hole of race bike development.
Our first Texas Mile event in March of 2010 showed potential, and made clear how much farther we had to go. During that initial outing, we only managed a total of five passes and 175.4 mph before a melted stock piston with fractured rings forced us to quit. At least that had given us plenty of time to study how the big boys were getting it done.
So The NHL Players Have Reached Animal Status
The latest players to come forward have been Alexander Ovechkin,
David Krejci, and Sergei Kostitsyn. They all said just about the same
thing. They would prefer to play in Europe, they like the money, they
like the atmosphere,We have a wide selection of dry cabinet
to choose from for your storage needs. they are treated like kings.
Well, they didn’t say they have been treated like kings, but their
comments toward the NHL make it seem like they live in palaces with
intricate tapestries and velvet curtains. Gold leafed thrones that serve
as a bench in their stall, a woman standing with a large palm fanning
them- ok I’ll stop.
I could handle Henrik Zetterberg and Ilya Bryzgalov spewing out typical PR empty threats to ruffle some feathers, but now it’s gone overboard. How do you expect to be treated like a professional and receive respect when you publicly bash the guys on the other side of the table?
Players who have been so bold as to say they wouldn’t mind staying in Russia, or Sweden – wherever they may be- instead of coming back to the NHL are putting the nail in the lockout coffin.
Kostitsyn has a bit of an attitude; refusing to report to the AHL, now ridiculing the NHL for being second rate. Well, if you really hate the NHL that much and love the KHL… play for the KHL. As Ovechkin stated, go to court and get your contract annulled. Divorce the NHL Kostitsyn, I dare you. The fact that Kostitsyn has a contract that forks over 3 million a season is disturbing to me anyway.
Krejci decided to go -what I would call- a little too far overboard with his statements. “It’s a shame for the entire hockey world. (He) treats us like animals.” LF Press Now, David, you play hockey, get world class health care and nutrition with the Bruins, and make $5.25 million. Let me get this straight, you make $5.Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring.25 million a year and you’re treated like an animal?
Ahem. Let’s compare. I work retail, and I hate it 99.9% of the time. I work because I have to in order to go to school, and, well, take care of myself. As anyone who has worked retail, or customer service knows, we get treated like total animals sometimes.A Water poloear cap is a piece of headgear used in water polo. By total animals, I mean, if the customer is having a bad day, we are their punching bag and there’s nothing we can do about it. If we stick up for ourselves, we can get fired. The customer is always right.
Even though I wear a lanyard at work with my name on it in big letters, I still get snapped at, whistled at, and -my favourite- the “Hello?!”. Now, this comes with the territory and it makes you feel worthless some days. The point is, I make a HEFTY $10.25 an hour. I know, right? Where did I score this gig!?
As an animal,Excellent range of ceramic wall tiles in various finishes, I’m wondering which kind he is referring to. You mean like the ones at the zoo who have nice confined spaces, are fed at certain times each day, have toys, families, have direct access to vets when they’re sick, or hurt, are in no danger? Oh, yes, those pampered animals. I feel so bad for them, stuck in cages that stretch acres wide, never having to worry about their next meal, or illness.
So yes, David Krejci, being treated like a zoo animal must be so hard. You have world-class doctors and trainers at your disposal, you have to pinch your pennies with that $5.25 million a year, and you have to live in Massachusetts? I feel bad for you son, you’ve got 99 problems and living comfortably ain’t one.Shop for high quality wholesale glassmosaicchina products on Dhgate.
Nobody is taking these allegations of the NHL treating their players like animals seriously, because, really… they have all the benefits in the world within their organizations. They have fat stacks to go with it, and fly on private planes. There’s no pity party going on here. Stop trying to win a PR battle. Buckle down and end the lockout with your silence, don’t lengthen it with your pompous statements.
I could handle Henrik Zetterberg and Ilya Bryzgalov spewing out typical PR empty threats to ruffle some feathers, but now it’s gone overboard. How do you expect to be treated like a professional and receive respect when you publicly bash the guys on the other side of the table?
Players who have been so bold as to say they wouldn’t mind staying in Russia, or Sweden – wherever they may be- instead of coming back to the NHL are putting the nail in the lockout coffin.
Kostitsyn has a bit of an attitude; refusing to report to the AHL, now ridiculing the NHL for being second rate. Well, if you really hate the NHL that much and love the KHL… play for the KHL. As Ovechkin stated, go to court and get your contract annulled. Divorce the NHL Kostitsyn, I dare you. The fact that Kostitsyn has a contract that forks over 3 million a season is disturbing to me anyway.
Krejci decided to go -what I would call- a little too far overboard with his statements. “It’s a shame for the entire hockey world. (He) treats us like animals.” LF Press Now, David, you play hockey, get world class health care and nutrition with the Bruins, and make $5.25 million. Let me get this straight, you make $5.Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring.25 million a year and you’re treated like an animal?
Ahem. Let’s compare. I work retail, and I hate it 99.9% of the time. I work because I have to in order to go to school, and, well, take care of myself. As anyone who has worked retail, or customer service knows, we get treated like total animals sometimes.A Water poloear cap is a piece of headgear used in water polo. By total animals, I mean, if the customer is having a bad day, we are their punching bag and there’s nothing we can do about it. If we stick up for ourselves, we can get fired. The customer is always right.
Even though I wear a lanyard at work with my name on it in big letters, I still get snapped at, whistled at, and -my favourite- the “Hello?!”. Now, this comes with the territory and it makes you feel worthless some days. The point is, I make a HEFTY $10.25 an hour. I know, right? Where did I score this gig!?
As an animal,Excellent range of ceramic wall tiles in various finishes, I’m wondering which kind he is referring to. You mean like the ones at the zoo who have nice confined spaces, are fed at certain times each day, have toys, families, have direct access to vets when they’re sick, or hurt, are in no danger? Oh, yes, those pampered animals. I feel so bad for them, stuck in cages that stretch acres wide, never having to worry about their next meal, or illness.
So yes, David Krejci, being treated like a zoo animal must be so hard. You have world-class doctors and trainers at your disposal, you have to pinch your pennies with that $5.25 million a year, and you have to live in Massachusetts? I feel bad for you son, you’ve got 99 problems and living comfortably ain’t one.Shop for high quality wholesale glassmosaicchina products on Dhgate.
Nobody is taking these allegations of the NHL treating their players like animals seriously, because, really… they have all the benefits in the world within their organizations. They have fat stacks to go with it, and fly on private planes. There’s no pity party going on here. Stop trying to win a PR battle. Buckle down and end the lockout with your silence, don’t lengthen it with your pompous statements.
Azerbaijani border could lead to war
In a region where a fragile peace holds over three frozen conflicts,
the nations of the South Caucasus are buzzing with drones they use to
probe one another’s defenses and spy on disputed territories.
The region is also host to strategic oil and gas pipelines and a tangled web of alliances and precious resources that observers say threaten to quickly escalate the border skirmishes and airspace violations to a wider regional conflict triggered by Armenia and Azerbaijan that could potentially pull in Israel, Russia and Iran.
To some extent, these countries are already being pulled towards conflict. Last September,A smooth and Glossy floor tile not only looks bright and clean, Armenia shot down an Israeli-made Azerbaijani drone over Nagorno-Karabakh and the government claims that drones have been spotted ahead of recent incursions by Azerbaijani troops into Armenian-held territory.
Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Center in Yerevan, said in a briefing that attacks this summer showed that Azerbaijan is eager to “play with its new toys” and its forces showed “impressive tactical and operational improvement.”
The International Crisis Group warned that as the tit-for-tat incidents become more deadly, “there is a growing risk that the increasing frontline tensions could lead to an accidental war.We have a wide selection of dry cabinet to choose from for your storage needs.”
With this in mind, the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have long imposed a non-binding arms embargo on both countries, and both are under a de facto arms ban from the United States. But, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), this has not stopped Israel and Russia from selling to them.
After fighting a bloody war in the early 1990s over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a stalemate with an oft-violated ceasefire holding a tenuous peace between them.
And drones are the latest addition to the battlefield. In March, Azerbaijan signed a $1.6 billion arms deal with Israel, which consisted largely of advanced drones and an air defense system. Through this and other deals, Azerbaijan is currently amassing a squadron of over 100 drones from all three of Israel’s top defense manufacturers.
Armenia, meanwhile, employs only a small number of domestically produced models.
Intelligence gathering is just one use for drones, which are also used to spot targets for artillery, and, if armed, strike targets themselves.Dongpeng professionally produces and export all types of glazed porcelain tile tiles at low price.
Armenian and Azerbaijani forces routinely snipe and engage one another along the front, each typically blaming the other for violating the ceasefire. At least 60 people have been killed in ceasefire violations in the last two years, and the Brussels-based International Crisis Group claimed in a report published in February 2011 that the sporadic violence has claimed hundreds of lives.
“Each (Armenia and Azerbaijan) is apparently using the clashes and the threat of a new war to pressure its opponent at the negotiations table, while also preparing for the possibility of a full-scale conflict in the event of a complete breakdown in the peace talks,” the report said.
Alexander Iskandaryan, director of the Caucasus Institute in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, said that the arms buildup on both sides makes the situation more dangerous but also said that the clashes are calculated actions, with higher death tolls becoming a negotiating tactic.
“This isn’t Somalia or Afghanistan. These aren’t independent units. The Armenian, Azerbaijani and Karabakh armed forces have a rigid chain of command so it’s not a question of a sergeant or a lieutenant randomly giving the order to open fire. These are absolutely synchronized political attacks,” Iskandaryan said.
The deadliest recent uptick in violence along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the line of contact around Karabakh came in early June as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was on a visit to the region.Shop for high quality wholesale glassmosaicchina products on Dhgate. While death tolls varied, at least two dozen soldiers were killed or wounded in a series of shootouts along the front.
The year before, at least four Armenian soldiers were killed in an alleged border incursion by Azerbaijani troops one day after a peace summit between the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian presidents in St. Petersburg, Russia.
“No one slept for two or three days [during the June skirmishes],” said Grush Agbaryan, the mayor of the border village of Voskepar for a total of 27 years off and on over the past three decades. “Everyone is now saying that the war is coming. We know that it could start at any moment.Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring."
Azerbaijan refused to issue accreditation to GlobalPost’s correspondent to enter the country to report on the shootings and Azerbaijan’s military modernization.
The region is also host to strategic oil and gas pipelines and a tangled web of alliances and precious resources that observers say threaten to quickly escalate the border skirmishes and airspace violations to a wider regional conflict triggered by Armenia and Azerbaijan that could potentially pull in Israel, Russia and Iran.
To some extent, these countries are already being pulled towards conflict. Last September,A smooth and Glossy floor tile not only looks bright and clean, Armenia shot down an Israeli-made Azerbaijani drone over Nagorno-Karabakh and the government claims that drones have been spotted ahead of recent incursions by Azerbaijani troops into Armenian-held territory.
Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Center in Yerevan, said in a briefing that attacks this summer showed that Azerbaijan is eager to “play with its new toys” and its forces showed “impressive tactical and operational improvement.”
The International Crisis Group warned that as the tit-for-tat incidents become more deadly, “there is a growing risk that the increasing frontline tensions could lead to an accidental war.We have a wide selection of dry cabinet to choose from for your storage needs.”
With this in mind, the UN and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) have long imposed a non-binding arms embargo on both countries, and both are under a de facto arms ban from the United States. But, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), this has not stopped Israel and Russia from selling to them.
After fighting a bloody war in the early 1990s over the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been locked in a stalemate with an oft-violated ceasefire holding a tenuous peace between them.
And drones are the latest addition to the battlefield. In March, Azerbaijan signed a $1.6 billion arms deal with Israel, which consisted largely of advanced drones and an air defense system. Through this and other deals, Azerbaijan is currently amassing a squadron of over 100 drones from all three of Israel’s top defense manufacturers.
Armenia, meanwhile, employs only a small number of domestically produced models.
Intelligence gathering is just one use for drones, which are also used to spot targets for artillery, and, if armed, strike targets themselves.Dongpeng professionally produces and export all types of glazed porcelain tile tiles at low price.
Armenian and Azerbaijani forces routinely snipe and engage one another along the front, each typically blaming the other for violating the ceasefire. At least 60 people have been killed in ceasefire violations in the last two years, and the Brussels-based International Crisis Group claimed in a report published in February 2011 that the sporadic violence has claimed hundreds of lives.
“Each (Armenia and Azerbaijan) is apparently using the clashes and the threat of a new war to pressure its opponent at the negotiations table, while also preparing for the possibility of a full-scale conflict in the event of a complete breakdown in the peace talks,” the report said.
Alexander Iskandaryan, director of the Caucasus Institute in the Armenian capital, Yerevan, said that the arms buildup on both sides makes the situation more dangerous but also said that the clashes are calculated actions, with higher death tolls becoming a negotiating tactic.
“This isn’t Somalia or Afghanistan. These aren’t independent units. The Armenian, Azerbaijani and Karabakh armed forces have a rigid chain of command so it’s not a question of a sergeant or a lieutenant randomly giving the order to open fire. These are absolutely synchronized political attacks,” Iskandaryan said.
The deadliest recent uptick in violence along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border and the line of contact around Karabakh came in early June as US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was on a visit to the region.Shop for high quality wholesale glassmosaicchina products on Dhgate. While death tolls varied, at least two dozen soldiers were killed or wounded in a series of shootouts along the front.
The year before, at least four Armenian soldiers were killed in an alleged border incursion by Azerbaijani troops one day after a peace summit between the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian presidents in St. Petersburg, Russia.
“No one slept for two or three days [during the June skirmishes],” said Grush Agbaryan, the mayor of the border village of Voskepar for a total of 27 years off and on over the past three decades. “Everyone is now saying that the war is coming. We know that it could start at any moment.Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring."
Azerbaijan refused to issue accreditation to GlobalPost’s correspondent to enter the country to report on the shootings and Azerbaijan’s military modernization.
2012年10月17日星期三
NASCAR’s also-rans work the system
Those terms, as well as wheel bearing,We are professional in supplying Aion Kinah, transmission and engine are code for NASCAR’s hidden secret: the drivers who start and park.
The start-and-parkers have enough talent to wheel a race car 185 mph but not enough sponsorship money to keep it on the track for 400 miles. Or sometimes, even 40.
But they keep coming to the track, hoping to qualify for races like Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway even though they realize their chances of finishing, not to mention winning, is remote.
“I love racin,” said Nemechek, who won both the 2004 Nationwide and Sprint Cup races at Kansas Speedway.Service and equipment provider in professional Car park management system. “Now some of the time, it makes you think twice. Why the heck am I still doing this? But I love it.”
So while most of the attention at NASCAR races focuses on the race leaders and contenders for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, there is just as much drama at the rear of the pack. That’s where the drivers for the low-budget teams try to squeeze in as many laps as they can without damaging their race car and hope to pick up enough cash to make it to next week.Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring.
“Once in a while, we find some extra funds which allow us to go out there and run more, but it’s so hard, if you don’t have that, you’re going to be broke pretty quick, said Nemechek, who owns NEMCO Motorsports with his wife, Andrea. “It’s a very expensive sport, which everybody knows, and we’re trying to do the best we can.”
Blaney, driving for upstart Tommy Baldwin Racing, nearly caught the break of his career at this year’s Daytona 500 when he was the leader on lap 164 of 202 when the race was red flagged after Juan Pablo Montoya crashed into a jet dryer in a rain delay.
“I was thinking, ‘We might get lucky,’?” Blaney said of winning the Great American Race and its $1,Shop for high quality wholesale glassmosaicchina products on Dhgate.588,887 purse had the race not resumed.
Instead, he managed to finish 15th and pocketed $296,513 for his team to race another day.
“You’re trying to race, trying to raise a little money,” said Blaney, 50. “Maybe the sponsor arena gets a little more friendly and you get enough money to race all day instead of having to stop early. A lot of guys are quality race car drivers who don’t have much to drive, and in this day and age, there’s no making up for lack of equipment.”
This week, NASCAR tried to level the field a bit when it announced a change in qualifying procedures. Instead of the top 35 in owners points automatically qualifying for a race, the fastest 36 would automatically qualify for the 43-car field, regardless of position in the standings.
That would seem to give someone like Nemechek, nicknamed “Front Row Joe” for his qualifying prowess,We have a wide selection of dry cabinet to choose from for your storage needs. a chance to start further up in the field rather than struggle for one of the last eight spots.
“They’re trying to add some excitement to qualifying, so it means something,” said Nemechek, 49. “There are a few teams that have taken advantage of being locked in. Now, everybody has to put a valiant effort forward and see what it takes to get in.”
Qualifying to make the show is so important for the field fillers that they consider qualifying day more important than race day.
“I’m a product of that,” said Landon Cassill, the 2008 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year who drives for another fledgling Sprint Cup team, BK Racing. “I spent a year driving for teams that couldn’t even run 20 laps. We had to make the race, and once we made the race, that was the end of our weekend.
“We achieved our goal, and I acquired many meetings with big(-money) team owners based on how I qualified a car. I qualified 20th at Indianapolis, and the very next week, I was sitting at a desk of big-time team owners who wanted to know who I was.”
The logical question for those teams struggling to keep up with the $20 million a year budgets of the powerhouse Cup teams is: Why don’t they race at the second-tier Nationwide level?
That answer is that takes millions of dollars as well to haul cars and crews to the track.
“Three years ago, Tommy Baldwin was a start-and-park team,” said Cassill, who is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “You would have said, ‘Tommy why don’t you run Nationwide?’ But last fall, Dave Blaney finished third in (Baldwin’s) car at Talladega. Tommy built it from ground up. He built a team that generated enough money starting and parking in order to race a couple of races, and through their success in those races found some sponsorship to race a full season for a couple of years.
The start-and-parkers have enough talent to wheel a race car 185 mph but not enough sponsorship money to keep it on the track for 400 miles. Or sometimes, even 40.
But they keep coming to the track, hoping to qualify for races like Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway even though they realize their chances of finishing, not to mention winning, is remote.
“I love racin,” said Nemechek, who won both the 2004 Nationwide and Sprint Cup races at Kansas Speedway.Service and equipment provider in professional Car park management system. “Now some of the time, it makes you think twice. Why the heck am I still doing this? But I love it.”
So while most of the attention at NASCAR races focuses on the race leaders and contenders for the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship, there is just as much drama at the rear of the pack. That’s where the drivers for the low-budget teams try to squeeze in as many laps as they can without damaging their race car and hope to pick up enough cash to make it to next week.Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring.
“Once in a while, we find some extra funds which allow us to go out there and run more, but it’s so hard, if you don’t have that, you’re going to be broke pretty quick, said Nemechek, who owns NEMCO Motorsports with his wife, Andrea. “It’s a very expensive sport, which everybody knows, and we’re trying to do the best we can.”
Blaney, driving for upstart Tommy Baldwin Racing, nearly caught the break of his career at this year’s Daytona 500 when he was the leader on lap 164 of 202 when the race was red flagged after Juan Pablo Montoya crashed into a jet dryer in a rain delay.
“I was thinking, ‘We might get lucky,’?” Blaney said of winning the Great American Race and its $1,Shop for high quality wholesale glassmosaicchina products on Dhgate.588,887 purse had the race not resumed.
Instead, he managed to finish 15th and pocketed $296,513 for his team to race another day.
“You’re trying to race, trying to raise a little money,” said Blaney, 50. “Maybe the sponsor arena gets a little more friendly and you get enough money to race all day instead of having to stop early. A lot of guys are quality race car drivers who don’t have much to drive, and in this day and age, there’s no making up for lack of equipment.”
This week, NASCAR tried to level the field a bit when it announced a change in qualifying procedures. Instead of the top 35 in owners points automatically qualifying for a race, the fastest 36 would automatically qualify for the 43-car field, regardless of position in the standings.
That would seem to give someone like Nemechek, nicknamed “Front Row Joe” for his qualifying prowess,We have a wide selection of dry cabinet to choose from for your storage needs. a chance to start further up in the field rather than struggle for one of the last eight spots.
“They’re trying to add some excitement to qualifying, so it means something,” said Nemechek, 49. “There are a few teams that have taken advantage of being locked in. Now, everybody has to put a valiant effort forward and see what it takes to get in.”
Qualifying to make the show is so important for the field fillers that they consider qualifying day more important than race day.
“I’m a product of that,” said Landon Cassill, the 2008 Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year who drives for another fledgling Sprint Cup team, BK Racing. “I spent a year driving for teams that couldn’t even run 20 laps. We had to make the race, and once we made the race, that was the end of our weekend.
“We achieved our goal, and I acquired many meetings with big(-money) team owners based on how I qualified a car. I qualified 20th at Indianapolis, and the very next week, I was sitting at a desk of big-time team owners who wanted to know who I was.”
The logical question for those teams struggling to keep up with the $20 million a year budgets of the powerhouse Cup teams is: Why don’t they race at the second-tier Nationwide level?
That answer is that takes millions of dollars as well to haul cars and crews to the track.
“Three years ago, Tommy Baldwin was a start-and-park team,” said Cassill, who is from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “You would have said, ‘Tommy why don’t you run Nationwide?’ But last fall, Dave Blaney finished third in (Baldwin’s) car at Talladega. Tommy built it from ground up. He built a team that generated enough money starting and parking in order to race a couple of races, and through their success in those races found some sponsorship to race a full season for a couple of years.
Islamist businessmen challenge Egypt's old money
A business association founded by a financier for Egypt's new
Islamist rulers says it can democratise an economy long dominated by
associates of ousted leader Hosni Mubarak, but sceptics fear the
emergence of just another clique.
The Muslim Brotherhood dominates post-Mubarak politics. It has less traction in an economy long dominated by an inner circle of businessmen around Mubarak's now jailed son Gamal.
Opponents say the Brotherhood wants to replicate in business its firm grip on politics, with a view to rewarding those who supported the movement financially through the long years it was banned. That dismays liberals who saw in Mubarak's overthrow last year an opportunity for a more meritocratic economy.
Hassan Malek, a tycoon and Brotherhood member, insists his goal has been promoting equal opportunity since he founded the Egyptian Business Development Association in March, three months before the Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi won Egypt's presidency.
He has modelled EBDA, whose acronym means "start" in Arabic, on Turkey's MUSIAD,Service and equipment provider in professional Car park management system. an association of religiously oriented small businesses which share information and contracts to challenge the traditional dominance of larger groups.
"We welcome everyone who wants to work with us," said Malek, who has a family background in business and made his money in software, textiles and furniture. "Unequal distribution of opportunity is what we seek to change in the new Egypt."
Businesses, many of them smaller enterprises struggling in an anaemic economy, have rushed to join EBDA, which now has over 400 members. It says 1,000 companies are waiting to join.
Some members represent leading businesses such as cable maker El Sewedy Electric, food producer Juhayna and Egyptian Steel. These flourished during Mubarak's three-decade rule but were not caught up in the corruption lawsuits that emerged after his overthrow in February 2011.
In a mark of its ambitions - and good contacts in powerful new places - EBDA sent a delegation of 80 businesspeople, many of them young entrepreneurs without personal ties to the Brotherhood, to accompany Mursi on a trip to China in August.
Many of those also joined him on visits to Italy, Turkey and Qatar as Egypt tries to end a drought in inward investment.
Osama Farid, head of international cooperation at EBDA, said Mursi's visit to China marked a break with the past when Mubarak would typically take only as few as 10 favoured businessmen on foreign trips to capture the opportunities available.
"Within EBDA there are businessmen who did very well under Mubarak and new ones looking to prosper in the new Egypt. We are not trying to replace what exists but to offer an alternative" Farid said.
Malek has multiplied his meetings with foreign diplomats and business people and representatives of international banks. Brotherhood officials credit him with facilitating a $2-billion loan to Egypt from Turkey last month.
Since Mubarak's overthrow, the change of fortunes for men like Malek has been dramatic.
Brotherhood-linked businessmen were forced to operate under restrictions on how much wealth they could amass. Some had property confiscated during the 1990s or were detained on suspicion of money laundering or funding the Brotherhood.
Malek and former partner Khairat al-Shater, another Brotherhood tycoon and financial strategist, spent more than four years in jail together under Mubarak,We have a wide selection of dry cabinet to choose from for your storage needs. who sought to curtail the Brotherhood and formally banned it from operating.
The two men are now vying for economic influence within the movement, Brotherhood sources told Reuters.Shop for high quality wholesale glassmosaicchina products on Dhgate. While Malek seeks to extend the reach of EBDA, Shater has established a chain of supermarkets and recently held talks in Dubai to establish a bank there to help manage the Brotherhood's finances.
Some executives are suspicious of EBDA's motives. One agribusiness manager told Reuters he was still trying to decide whether to accept its offer of membership: "I agree with their goals to expand the business climate," he said.
"But my concern is that EBDA could turn into another clique close to the Islamist presidency, mirroring Gamal Mubarak's."
In Turkey, admired by some in the Brotherhood for showing that Islamist democrats can take over from military rulers, the business organisation MUSIAD forged ties with Egyptian peers more than a decade ago, when Turkish entrepreneurs were trying to find ways to better exploit markets in the region.
Its emergence as a lobby for a growing entrepreneurial middle class came in tandem with the rise of the AK Party, which arrived in government in 2002 and which has roots in political Islam. MUSIAD promotes itself as a partner for foreign investors looking not only at Turkey but the wider Islamic world.
"EBDA and MUSIAD represent a huge coming together of smaller capital,Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring." said Koray Caliskan, political science professor at Bosphorus University in Istanbul. "Those people who were with the Mubarak regime were a small coming together of big capital."
With thousands of members, and favoured by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan of AK, MUSIAD now poses a challenge to the dominant secular business group in Turkey, TUSIAD.
"Erdogan said capital is changing hands in Turkey," Caliskan said. "Ten years ago everyone wanted to be TUSIAD chairman. Now everyone is away from it. Even members do not go to meetings, as Erdogan takes aim at them very frequently."
With Mubarak gone, Egyptian business ties with Turkey, the biggest economy in the Middle East, are now growing to match the Brotherhood's links with the AK Party.
But Turkey's enduring tradition of secular rule could limit the scope for political cooperation. Egypt's new political landscape is dominated by Islamists and ultraconservative groups for whom secularism is synonymous with atheism.
One Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity,We are professional in supplying Aion Kinah, said the new Egyptian government sees Turkey "not as a model but an inspiration ... and Turkey reciprocates this".
EBDA officials say Egypt's business landscape needs levelling through a focus on small enterprise, vocational training and cutting red tape. They say they favour broad-based, sustainable growth that reduces widespread poverty instead of just rewarding government cronies.
The Muslim Brotherhood dominates post-Mubarak politics. It has less traction in an economy long dominated by an inner circle of businessmen around Mubarak's now jailed son Gamal.
Opponents say the Brotherhood wants to replicate in business its firm grip on politics, with a view to rewarding those who supported the movement financially through the long years it was banned. That dismays liberals who saw in Mubarak's overthrow last year an opportunity for a more meritocratic economy.
Hassan Malek, a tycoon and Brotherhood member, insists his goal has been promoting equal opportunity since he founded the Egyptian Business Development Association in March, three months before the Brotherhood's Mohamed Mursi won Egypt's presidency.
He has modelled EBDA, whose acronym means "start" in Arabic, on Turkey's MUSIAD,Service and equipment provider in professional Car park management system. an association of religiously oriented small businesses which share information and contracts to challenge the traditional dominance of larger groups.
"We welcome everyone who wants to work with us," said Malek, who has a family background in business and made his money in software, textiles and furniture. "Unequal distribution of opportunity is what we seek to change in the new Egypt."
Businesses, many of them smaller enterprises struggling in an anaemic economy, have rushed to join EBDA, which now has over 400 members. It says 1,000 companies are waiting to join.
Some members represent leading businesses such as cable maker El Sewedy Electric, food producer Juhayna and Egyptian Steel. These flourished during Mubarak's three-decade rule but were not caught up in the corruption lawsuits that emerged after his overthrow in February 2011.
In a mark of its ambitions - and good contacts in powerful new places - EBDA sent a delegation of 80 businesspeople, many of them young entrepreneurs without personal ties to the Brotherhood, to accompany Mursi on a trip to China in August.
Many of those also joined him on visits to Italy, Turkey and Qatar as Egypt tries to end a drought in inward investment.
Osama Farid, head of international cooperation at EBDA, said Mursi's visit to China marked a break with the past when Mubarak would typically take only as few as 10 favoured businessmen on foreign trips to capture the opportunities available.
"Within EBDA there are businessmen who did very well under Mubarak and new ones looking to prosper in the new Egypt. We are not trying to replace what exists but to offer an alternative" Farid said.
Malek has multiplied his meetings with foreign diplomats and business people and representatives of international banks. Brotherhood officials credit him with facilitating a $2-billion loan to Egypt from Turkey last month.
Since Mubarak's overthrow, the change of fortunes for men like Malek has been dramatic.
Brotherhood-linked businessmen were forced to operate under restrictions on how much wealth they could amass. Some had property confiscated during the 1990s or were detained on suspicion of money laundering or funding the Brotherhood.
Malek and former partner Khairat al-Shater, another Brotherhood tycoon and financial strategist, spent more than four years in jail together under Mubarak,We have a wide selection of dry cabinet to choose from for your storage needs. who sought to curtail the Brotherhood and formally banned it from operating.
The two men are now vying for economic influence within the movement, Brotherhood sources told Reuters.Shop for high quality wholesale glassmosaicchina products on Dhgate. While Malek seeks to extend the reach of EBDA, Shater has established a chain of supermarkets and recently held talks in Dubai to establish a bank there to help manage the Brotherhood's finances.
Some executives are suspicious of EBDA's motives. One agribusiness manager told Reuters he was still trying to decide whether to accept its offer of membership: "I agree with their goals to expand the business climate," he said.
"But my concern is that EBDA could turn into another clique close to the Islamist presidency, mirroring Gamal Mubarak's."
In Turkey, admired by some in the Brotherhood for showing that Islamist democrats can take over from military rulers, the business organisation MUSIAD forged ties with Egyptian peers more than a decade ago, when Turkish entrepreneurs were trying to find ways to better exploit markets in the region.
Its emergence as a lobby for a growing entrepreneurial middle class came in tandem with the rise of the AK Party, which arrived in government in 2002 and which has roots in political Islam. MUSIAD promotes itself as a partner for foreign investors looking not only at Turkey but the wider Islamic world.
"EBDA and MUSIAD represent a huge coming together of smaller capital,Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring." said Koray Caliskan, political science professor at Bosphorus University in Istanbul. "Those people who were with the Mubarak regime were a small coming together of big capital."
With thousands of members, and favoured by Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan of AK, MUSIAD now poses a challenge to the dominant secular business group in Turkey, TUSIAD.
"Erdogan said capital is changing hands in Turkey," Caliskan said. "Ten years ago everyone wanted to be TUSIAD chairman. Now everyone is away from it. Even members do not go to meetings, as Erdogan takes aim at them very frequently."
With Mubarak gone, Egyptian business ties with Turkey, the biggest economy in the Middle East, are now growing to match the Brotherhood's links with the AK Party.
But Turkey's enduring tradition of secular rule could limit the scope for political cooperation. Egypt's new political landscape is dominated by Islamists and ultraconservative groups for whom secularism is synonymous with atheism.
One Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity,We are professional in supplying Aion Kinah, said the new Egyptian government sees Turkey "not as a model but an inspiration ... and Turkey reciprocates this".
EBDA officials say Egypt's business landscape needs levelling through a focus on small enterprise, vocational training and cutting red tape. They say they favour broad-based, sustainable growth that reduces widespread poverty instead of just rewarding government cronies.
Parking could get easier in New Hope
Visitors to New Hope may soon have the option of paying for parking
with their iPhone, Android or other smartphone, according to a
presentation by Parkmobile to borough council on Tuesday.
“It’s E-ZPass for parking,” said Dennis Marco of Parkmobile, a global company that has registered more than 3 million users of the technology.
Developed and deployed in Europe in 1999, the company began operations in the United States in 2009.We are porcelain tiles specialists and are passionate about our product， It now has users in 320 locations in 28 U.S. states,This document provides a guide to using the Ventilation system in your house to provide adequate fresh air to residents. Marco said.
If borough council approves the plan, drivers could download a free app to provide their cell phone, license plate and credit card numbers to the company. Then, when they pull into a parking spot, they would key in the parking space number found on a green sticker on the meter. That would activate the parking session.
The company automatically advises users 15 minutes before their parking time expires and allows them to extend their time, if desired, Marco said.
“That’s a convenience we don’t charge for,” he said.
“There’s no cost involved to the (public) entity,” said Henry Savelli, a government procurement consultant working with Parkmobile, “because we charge a 35-cent convenience fee” to users of the system.
That fee, however, is collected as part of the parking revenue and Parkmobile would invoice the borough for payment, which means “we do lose money,” said council President Claire Shaw.
Savelli said that some communities have increased the fee to 40 cents or 50 cents, keeping the additional funds as revenue. The system also allows the borough to charge different parking fees in different areas,An area-wide parking guidance system was introduced by private parking lot operators in 1997.Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring. if it wants.
Marco noted that the system has been enthusiastically received in locations such as Boston and Washington, D.C. In Boston, the number of Parkmobile members increased from 18,817 in March 2011 to 31,299 a year later.
And in just one year in Washington, 70 percent of all parking transactions were conducted via the Parkmobile mobile app, he said. It became available there in June 2011.
He noted that the system is voluntary, and that putting quarters into a meter is still an option. “They don’t have to use it. That’s the beauty of the system,” he said.
Users can also call a phone number to activate the service, if they don’t have a smart phone.
Council member Edward Duffy said such a system “will help the merchants keep the visitors in their stores and also the restaurants. I think it’s a real nice fit.”
Bob Gerenser, a business owner in the borough, agreed.How To learn kung fu in china. “This could be an extraordinary convenience,” he said. “It would take away a lot of the big objections to why (some people) don’t come to New Hope anymore.”
Parking enforcement officers would use smartphones to check whether time is remaining for parked cars, Savelli said. “It would show on the phone which parking spaces and which license numbers have exceeded their time limits,” he said.
Council tabled the motion, pending more information on the system, including a desire to look at the meter stickers and discuss signage.
Marco noted that he will be making a similar presentation to Lambertville, N.J., in a few days, so there would be synergy on the parking systems for the neighboring communities should they move ahead with the plan.
“It’s E-ZPass for parking,” said Dennis Marco of Parkmobile, a global company that has registered more than 3 million users of the technology.
Developed and deployed in Europe in 1999, the company began operations in the United States in 2009.We are porcelain tiles specialists and are passionate about our product， It now has users in 320 locations in 28 U.S. states,This document provides a guide to using the Ventilation system in your house to provide adequate fresh air to residents. Marco said.
If borough council approves the plan, drivers could download a free app to provide their cell phone, license plate and credit card numbers to the company. Then, when they pull into a parking spot, they would key in the parking space number found on a green sticker on the meter. That would activate the parking session.
The company automatically advises users 15 minutes before their parking time expires and allows them to extend their time, if desired, Marco said.
“That’s a convenience we don’t charge for,” he said.
“There’s no cost involved to the (public) entity,” said Henry Savelli, a government procurement consultant working with Parkmobile, “because we charge a 35-cent convenience fee” to users of the system.
That fee, however, is collected as part of the parking revenue and Parkmobile would invoice the borough for payment, which means “we do lose money,” said council President Claire Shaw.
Savelli said that some communities have increased the fee to 40 cents or 50 cents, keeping the additional funds as revenue. The system also allows the borough to charge different parking fees in different areas,An area-wide parking guidance system was introduced by private parking lot operators in 1997.Carlo Gavazzi offers a broad range of ultrasonic sensor and ultrasonic transducers for level detection and process monitoring. if it wants.
Marco noted that the system has been enthusiastically received in locations such as Boston and Washington, D.C. In Boston, the number of Parkmobile members increased from 18,817 in March 2011 to 31,299 a year later.
And in just one year in Washington, 70 percent of all parking transactions were conducted via the Parkmobile mobile app, he said. It became available there in June 2011.
He noted that the system is voluntary, and that putting quarters into a meter is still an option. “They don’t have to use it. That’s the beauty of the system,” he said.
Users can also call a phone number to activate the service, if they don’t have a smart phone.
Council member Edward Duffy said such a system “will help the merchants keep the visitors in their stores and also the restaurants. I think it’s a real nice fit.”
Bob Gerenser, a business owner in the borough, agreed.How To learn kung fu in china. “This could be an extraordinary convenience,” he said. “It would take away a lot of the big objections to why (some people) don’t come to New Hope anymore.”
Parking enforcement officers would use smartphones to check whether time is remaining for parked cars, Savelli said. “It would show on the phone which parking spaces and which license numbers have exceeded their time limits,” he said.
Council tabled the motion, pending more information on the system, including a desire to look at the meter stickers and discuss signage.
Marco noted that he will be making a similar presentation to Lambertville, N.J., in a few days, so there would be synergy on the parking systems for the neighboring communities should they move ahead with the plan.
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