Archive for July, 2010
76 Thunderbird Winter Storage 2009
This car gets to go indoors also over winter. Stored at the same place as my Lincoln. Might be using this place as part of our shop in the spring.
Reasons to Attend Modified Car Events
The car lover is a special person. The person that loves the modified car is even more unique. The modified car owner or enthusiast is very passionate about cars. To modify a car takes great interest in your car and also a knowledge of exactly what type of improvements can be added to that model and make of automobile. Not every modification will work for every model and make of automobile. It takes patience, passion and a great love for your car to make it into a modified car.
A great way to connect with other modified car lovers is to attend modified car events. These events specifically attract those that love modified cars. You’ll be able to speak to other people that dedicate hours to their home garages, tuning up their cars, painting and tweaking their cars to make them be the absolute best they can be. Even more fun, you get to see all of the cool modified cars at any modified car event — as every modified car owner brings their favorite modified car to the event. There are also unique cars on display to look at and admire.
A modified car event is an excellent time to pick up great tips on how to modify your car. When you are new to modifying your car, you’ll appreciate learning from others with more experience. For those that are more experienced, you can still pick up some great tips from other car modifiers. There is nothing else that can describe attending one of these events to meet someone that is modifying the same model and make of car that you are. The two of you can connect and commiserate about what has been easy and what has been the most difficult about this car. Connecting with fellow car modifiers is so beneficial.
Many of these events also have a competition, such as a race or a “Best Modified Car” competition. It can be great fun entering your car in this type of competition. Imagine coming home with a blue ribbon, knowing that your car is the best of the bunch. A little healthy competition can be a good thing and it is a great feeling having your hard work recognized.
Attending modified car events is also a great time to take to the open road in your modified car. Usually these events are held in a larger town that is centrally located for everyone to attend. This means many attendees must drive awhile to come to the event. However, no modified car owner is likely to complain about taking a short drive in their car! The chance to get out there and drive your car along the highway or a stretch of a new road is a great opportunity for a modified car owner. It also can be very exciting, as all of the modified cars start to gather and people realize that something is going on.
At any modified car event, your car is also certain to get some great compliments. There are some people that love modified cars, but don’t have one of their own. Perhaps they just don’t have the money for a modified car or they don’t know how to modify a car on their own. Therefore, for the moment they are an enthusiastic admirer of modified cars. After all of that hard work you have put into your car, it can be a great compliment to have many people admire it.
Modified car events are ideal for anyone that loves modified cars or unique automobiles. This is a great time to see cool modified cars and connect with others that love modified cars. Many modified car events happen each year, so you can plan on going to this event year after year.
How Isuzu Stacks Up
In an article published January 26, 2008 (? Today is the 21st?), Consumer Guide Auto rated several SUVs on various features and ranked the 2008 Isuzu Ascender better than the class average in four separate categories: Acceleration, Fuel Economy, Controls, and Cargo Room.
ChrisThe September 7, 2007 review of the 2008 Isuzu Ascender by staff at Cars-dot-com praised the mid-size SUV for its standard side-impact airbags, body on frame construction, and rack-and-pinion steering. U.S. News & World Report noted, “The 2008 Isuzu Ascender base model comes with manual driver and front passenger seats, height-adjustable front headrests, a second row folding bench seat, power windows and door locks, a tilt steering column, air conditioning with CFC-free refrigerant, manual dual-zone climate control with rear switch, and an AM/FM stereo and CD player with six speakers. Buyers who choose the Preferred Equipment Package also get an 8-way power driver’s seat with lumbar support, remote keyless entry, cruise control, and a cargo cover, among other conveniences.”
Editors for Kelley Blue Book wrote this about the 2008 Isuzu Ascender, “Have you been itching to get a new GMC Envoy or Chevrolet TrailBlazer, but you’re waiting for some big event to ensure you get the most bang for your buck? We’re going to let you in on a little secret: The deal you’ve been waiting for is at this very moment sitting at the Isuzu dealership. It’s the 2008 Ascender, a carbon copy of the GMC and Chevrolet twins, with a nearly-identicalnearly identical price tag but with an additional two years added to the powertrain warranty (seven-years/75,000 miles vs. five-years/100,000 miles). The Ascender is not available with a V8 engine, but it has the same suspension, same interior features and same seating capacity as the GMC and Chevrolet offerings. How can you go wrong?”
Kelley Blue Book isn’t the only one to notice the superior warranty of the Isuzu Ascender. In a report comparing the top 25 mid-size SUVs, U.S. News & World Report pointed out that the Ascender has an “excellent warranty compared to competitors.” And we’re hard pressed to find an SUV that can prove otherwise. Even the popular 2008 Honda Pilot only offers a powertrain warranty for five years or 60,000 miles. The Isuzu Ascender’s powertrain warranty is good for seven years or 75,000 miles.
In addition to the superior powertrain warranty, the 2008 Isuzu Ascender also offers a 3-year/50,000-Mile Basic Limited Warranty with no deductible, a 6-Year/100,000-Mile Corrosion Limited Warranty, and a 7-Year/100,000-Mile Roadside Assistance package.
No other SUV offers that combination of warranties to its customers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded the 2008 Ascender five out of five stars for front- and back-seat occupant safety in side-impact crashes. The excellent rating can be attributed to the head-curtain, side-impact airbags that now come standard in the SUV.
While above-average ratings from entities like the NHTSA and U.S. News & World Report are certainly something to be proud of, Isuzu is most proud of the above-average ratings it receives from the folks who drive it. With exceptional safety and performance features, considerable cargo and passenger space, and available luxury packages and accessories, the Isuzu is easy to customize for individual drivers and their needs.
Latest Automobile Information
These days, having an own car is a dream of all of us. Every one in the world wants to purchase own car for their comfort and of-course for status symbol. If you are planning to purchase a new car and don’t know which one is best for them and according to their budget. Therefore, for this we have recently launched our latest automobile information blog in the market. Through this, we will offer countless articles on several latest cars which are available in the market.
All of them articles are well-informative and tells you about the importance of each and every part of a particular car. However, the language of these latest automobile information articles is very simple and easily gettable by all without any hassle. This will helps you to come to know about that what is happening in all over the world in the field of automobiles etc.
With this online facility people can easily able to get the online automobile news related to the cost of a car, newly launched from different brands, and other automobile information that available in the market any time and any where throughout the day without any hassle. These articles help people in getting a right way for developing their potential. Moreover, it also offers increase awareness power in the person so, that they can easily enjoy and explore the new technology. Not only has this, this will also allow a person to easily save their hard-earned money and off course precious time.
This blog is especially introduces for those people that have keen interest in automobiles and thus, contains several informative features, articles and reviews of latest cars in the market etc. despite of all, through this blog, we also offer the detail facts, working and reviews of several company oswners, organization leaders, and many other people that help you a lot in purchasing your own car. So, what are you looking for just, go and grab the information of latest cars in the market and enjoy them at its fullest.
Fleetwood Country Cruize 2009
PRIVATE ESTATE CAR SHOW FOR CHARITY, 1000′S OF CARS, AN AMAZING OUTING FOR ALL. AT PLUNKETTS ) THE 2008 CAR SHOW IS AT www.vimeo.com
Mercedes-Benz plant production of cars part 2 (2/3)
Development of a Mercedes-Benz includes history,design,safety test,assembly of cars. Mercedes-Benz plant production of cars part 1 (1/3) tw.youtube.com Mercedes-Benz plant production of cars part 2 (2/3) tw.youtube.com Mercedes-Benz plant production of cars part 3 (3/3) tw.youtube.com
India’s leading auto pistons and cylinder liners manufacturing company
The automotive industry is amongst the leaders in search engine marketing. The automotive sector is one of India’s largest and fastest growing manufacturing sectors. This ranked India as the 11th largest passenger car producer in the world. In the category of motorcycles and scooters, India is ranked 1st and 2nd respectively. With India increasingly liberalizing its market place, many new joint ventures evolved, resulting in close to 2 dozen global auto manufacturers setting up shop in India. The automotive industry is amongst the leaders in search engine marketing. In India kromauto-is a leading pistons, cylinder liners, auto pistons, piston cylinder , piston rings Manufacturer Company in India and import export pistons, cylinder liners, auto piston rings, piston cylinder, kits, auto parts all over the India & abroad. Automotive industry is the Search engine marketing is very important for businesses, as the automotive industry is hyper competitive and multi-faceted.
Import: – Kromauto- is automotive related imports are largely in auto parts. These imports will feed the manufacturing plants, producing vehicles for domestic market as well as export market. In India kromauto is a leading importer of auto pistons and cylinder liners in India as well as abroad. The demand from the domestic market increases with rising affluence, production will increase in tandem, hence requiring more imports of parts, especially those of higher precision which still cannot be done in India. Global players in India still need to import fairly large amount of auto parts for their automobile assembly as quality and technological standards of auto parts sourced from within India may not meet their high standards. The expected Increase in exports of India-made vehicles will also contribute to import growth of auto parts.
Export: – Kromauto- is automotive related exports expanded rapidly in recent years. auto pistons exports grew at a compound annual growth rate of 46% between 2009 and 2010. Export share of production increased from 3% in 2009 to 8% in 2010. The growth is boosted by these several factors such as India’s cost competitiveness in terms of labor and raw material; established manufacturing base; economies of scale due to domestic market; potential to harness global brand image of the parent company, as well as the global hub policy for small cars like Hyundai, Suzuki, etc. Most automotive exports go to developing countries in Asia, where inexpensive cars can find a market. Egypt, Kenya and Nigeria are important destinations for India’s automotive exports. More recently, as the quality and technology of India-made automobiles have improved and met stringent requirement of the international market, some cars have found buyers even in Western Europe.
The Best Automobile and Truck Finish Protectors
I have been in the automobile business for many years and I have seen these automobile finish protectors come and go but there is one I use on my own car and boat. All the products are easy to apply and the results are spectacular. If you just purchased your new baby or if you have one that is new to you, you won’t be disappointed with the results.
Since the birth of the automobile, waxing has been the answer to protecting your automobile finish. The frustrating part with waxing is that it only offers temporary protection for your car. New paint has pores, just like your skin. Heat from the sun closes those pores and forces out the melted wax. These waxes become warm and will get sticky enough to trap dust, acids and chemicals on your automobile finish, exactly what they are supposed to eliminate! Sun heated wax is easily washed off your paint, leaving it vulnerable to damage again. To protect your car or truck finish, you’ll need to wax it again and again.
Most waxes do a poor job at protecting against damage by ultraviolet rays, acids, and oils which is exactly what your vehicle is exposed to every day. You’d have to wax your vehicle all the time to get the same protection that this product gives you with just one application! Car waxes begin to degrade rapidly when exposed to sunlight and then just rinse off when you wash the car or during a rain storm. Do you really want to protect your second most expensive investment with cheap waxes that only provide temporary protection at best? To find out more information check out my blog.
http://thebestautoandtruckfinishes.blogspot.com/
Another Day at the Derby Shop
Just a few things we are currently working on with the derby cars. The oldsmobile will be coming soon!
What Does Upside Down on Your Car Loan Mean?
When you go about securing a car loan the vehicle itself is used as the collateral on the car loan which is what makes the secured car loan itself. The car finance company online that you end up going with will then loan you the finances for the car based upon the cars current value at the time of the loan based upon the loan value of the car. This loan value will usually be about seventy five to eighty percent of the actual retail cost of the car itself. There is an answer to why this is the case and that is simply because one year after you drive a new car off of the car lot the value of it lowers to that amount which is called depreciation.
The car finance company online that you go with will want to make sure that the car loan they are giving you will cover this so that the overall end result cost of the car loan is equal to or less than the value of the loan itself. This is to ensure that they will be able to make a profit if they wanted to sell the car if they were to ever go about having to take it away from you for nonpayment at some point.
An upside down car loan online is when a car balance is worth more than the value of the loan that is on it. Another way of putting it is that the car itself is not worth the amount of the loan. In order for you to ever go about selling the car back or if you were to ever go about trying to trade it in you will find that you are going to have to pay the difference of the car value in cash in order for you to be settled up with the car loan company.
This is a very bad thing to find yourself into because even with great credit you can have a car loan lender approve you for the full amount of a car loan but as a result of that you could end up owing a lot more then you should for several years because you are always trying to pay down more of the balance then the car itself ends up being worth until you end up paying off a car to the value that it really is. Another problem with having this happen is that if you have car insurance it only will cover the cost of the book value on your car so in the event that you get into a major accident or if perhaps your call was stolen then you very well may end up being forced to pay the difference in cash.
This is something that you are going to want to make sure that you remember when you go to buy a new or used car online. You should make sure that you are going to stick with it for a while and that you do not over finance the worth of the car or you could end up in a really bad process where the end result is you paying a lot more money then you should be paying. You can avoid these things so long as you do the proper research and plan out carefully the car itself as well as the car loans that you go about getting for this car.
The other thing that you are going to want to be aware is that a car loan company may entice you with very low car loan rates in order to get you to end up financing more on the car than you should. You should only take these sorts of options if you are lucky enough to have the cash in hand to pay for something should the situation ever occur otherwise do not take the risk unless you understand fully what you may be getting into before this happens.
This is not rocket science in order to make sure that these things do not happen to you and your car loan so long as you are capable of following a few bad credit upside down auto loan guidelines online itself. The first thing that you are going to want to try and do is put down as much money as possible on your initial deposit on the car itself. The more money that you put down the less that you are ultimately going to need to pay and the less that you actually owe.
Try to take out a car loan with the short length car loans term as your budget sees fit. The longer the car loan term the less the monthly payment but the more money you will end up spending due to the car loan rates, so as a result of that try to find yourself a good middle ground. Make certain that you do not add in the taxes and the additional fees to the car loan itself. You want to make sure that the car loan is for the total value of the car itself because this is all that matters. If you are able to pay more than the monthly minimum payment each month then do so.
The more money you can pay off of the principle on the car loan the quicker you will be paying it off and less money you will be spending on paying off interest. If you have any sort of refinance upside down car loans on another vehicle make sure that you pay it off first before you go about getting another car loan.
Simply make sure that you are not paying more than what the car is worth in the first place so do your homework to avoid that one. Make sure that the car that you are getting a vehicle loan for falls into the budget that you have to spend each month. Try to hold onto a car for at least a couple of years because the first couple of years on your car loan the monthly payments that you are making are for the most part going towards the interest on the loan itself.
How to sell your car fast
They are very convenient for those who want to sell their automobiles and other vehicles, but also for buyers: they can easily browse among the ads and search according to their preferences. It is the most convenient and easy way of vehicle trading. Organized car sales can be very annoying and you can never know whether someone will buy your car or not. If you place an ad you don’t have to be there to see who is interested in your car. You can just do what you want and you will be notified when someone answers your ad. If you want you can even use a private sale.
If you love cars you probably heard of automark already, but have you heard of Net Wheels? One of the best places for online vehicle trading and car find is Net Wheels. This company has been on of the fastest growing places of free online car classifieds. Whether you want to sell your car or find your car, you should start here and you will see why it is so popular.
It is very simple to use this autotrader website. If you want to find your car, you can use their developed search system. With this you can state your preferences to the smallest detail. Let’s say you want to buy a car of a certain model and color, but you would prefer one that has leather seats. In order to find your car at this fastest growing autotrader, you don’t have to look through all the ads: that might take a very long time! The owners of this free online car classifieds know that nobody has the time for such things. In order to make it vehicle trading better and faster, now you can use the search system that will look up the car of your dreams among the classifieds.
However, this website of free online car classifieds is not only good for those who are looking for a car. If you are thinking about selling your car, remmeber that this is the best place for vehicle trading. You don’t have to pay in order to place your private sale ad on the website. These free online car classifieds are great to expose your car without having to pay anything for it. Making car trade on the internet is always easier and much more convenient than selling your car on a market. Besides, most of the people think in the same way and they would rather look for car sales on the internet, since carfind is easier and the prices are usually cheaper.
To find out more about the free online car classifieds and this autotrading company, visit their website. There you can also read about auto news or contact the company if you have ay questions or requests. Remember to look at the classifieds when you opened the site: who knows, maybe you will find the car of your dreams for a great price.
Car Van Insurance Minimises Risks in Owning an Automobile
Insurance is for protection against any future loss. Car van insurance is also for the same purpose. A car van insurance plan reimburses the insured individual or the corporate entity for the losses incurred due to accident, theft, or any loss of the vehicle. Someone avails an insurance plan only when he or she foresees a certain amount of risk associated with the product. Car van insurance is a risk management tool that lets you get cover for the risks associated your automobile.
However, an insurance plan has its limitations. Limitations in the form of period of cover and type of cover may be observed in any insurance plan. Generally car and van insurance products are clubbed together as automobile insurance. With such insurance an insured is able to tide over the financial expenses incurred on car repairs, accidents or theft of the automobile.
To find a car van insurance that suits your requirement, online research on it is good way to start it. That way, one does not spend time and money to gather the required information. Be sure to avail automobile insurance to cover those unforeseen expenses you might have to incur. A range of automobile insurance products are available as of today in this space.
But it is difficult to find a source that gives you access to your car van insurance. Online search for it is an easy way to for it. The online search is easy and time saving. In addition you may get access to some information which normally an insurance agency would not reveal in physical documents. You may also go through various reviews written by others to get a view on the kind of automobile covers you might be availing.
Your car or van insurance saves you from the risk of any damage on its usage. Whether the automobile is lost or damaged, these covers help you tide over the financial implications.
72 Oldsmobile Demo Derby Car for 2010
Here will be the derby car Jon will be building. Going to have some good Old Iron this year.
Gro & Katja – Chasing Cars
Clips of Gro Hammerseng and Katja Nyberg, to the music of Snow Patrol — Chasing cars. Dedicated to someone special. Congrats and thanks for the help and inspiration! Plus of course the translation – you’re a star
Translation of the quotes: Quote 1, 00:24 Gro is actually the best player I’ve played with on the National Team. I find that vital safety when she plays next to me on the court. She just makes me better. – Katja Nyberg Quote 2, 00:57 I saw right away that Katja and Gro found each other on the court. They create room for each other and understand each other. – Marit Breivik Quote 3, 1:22 And then she has this great sense of humor. So the chemistry was great between us from the start. She’s a player with a twinkle in her eye, and this makes us able to communicate really well. – Gro Hammerseng Quote 4, 1:58 It helps when you’re doing well otherwise in life. It makes it easier to get through the injury periods. Injuries aren’t exactly something a handball player wishes for. – Gro Hammerseng Quote 5, 2:13 Playing-wise I managed somewhat. It felt very sad to see Katja walking in the arena on crutches, but I managed to stay focused on the court. – Gro Hammerseng Quote 6, 3:59 It’s important to have fun on the court. And there Katja is an important contributor. – Gro Hammerseng www.smfforums.com
Make an Educated Choice With Automotive Reviews
What are the benefits of automotive reviews and who benefits from them? The answer appears to be simple. The consumer is given all the details he/she might be interested in, as well as a rating of the automobile, so he/she appears to be the sole beneficiary of automotive reviews, since they are useful instruments in making the right choice when purchasing a car. But automotive reviews can work for the benefit of car dealers just as well, as their websites will be considerably trafficked, and initiation of leads from the part of the informed consumers – potential consumers – is more likely to take place.
When car dealers are interested in attracting visitors to their websites, they have a great variety of means at their disposal. A good ranking made by a search engine will definitely come with an increased number of visitors, but another problem still remains. How do you retain those visitors and turn them into potential customers? Automotive reviews are the answer. Good automotive reviews offer the right information that the visitors require. A first step, which is very important, is that the potential customers will spend quite some time reading the automotive review posted on the website. The purchase of a car is an important step and deciding upon a certain car model may prove to be a complex and painstaking process. Regardless of their financial possibilities, all the potential buyers feel the need to be well informed before they move on to the next step, that of actually paying for the car and driving it home. When researching, customers will find it useful to have access to independent automotive reviews, which will guarantee that their best interest as consumers comes first. The right information offered by independent automotive reviews can turn a visitor into a customer very quickly, and this is what car dealers have to take advantage of.
Automotive news is another means of keeping the potential customers informed. The latest news make the object of interest for all those passionate about cars, or those researching for a car purchase. However, many people consider that the automotive reviews found on automotive blogs are to be trusted more than any other means of information. Consumers trust automotive blogs because they know that most of the information there comes from people just like them who have something to share. Providing the consumer with the possibility of writing his/her own review of a car is important. People wish to make educated choices when it comes to purchasing a car, and automotive blogs offer them the information they need.
An automotive blog is not just a reliable source of information, but is also available at any hour, since the internet has no limitations whatsoever. An automotive blog will provide visitors with all sorts of information, such as tips for buying cars, maintenance, car repair and safety, environmental issues, and so forth. Some other car-related aspects may constitute the reason why people affiliate to an automotive blog. These aspects may refer to esthetics, utility or power.
An automotive blog is all the more reliable when it contains photographs or videos, or gives reference to other car blogs or similar websites, showing that the consumer’s best interest comes first.
For more resources about automotive news and especially about automotive reviews please review this website http://www.car-spin.com
Automobile Finance ? Get the best deal
An automobile finance is easy and even with less than perfect credit automobile financing or auto loan is beneficial for several reasons.
The procedure to buy a car from a car dealer would be simpler rather than walking directly into a company. Car dealers arrange for some useful services of automobiles loans and automobile insurance. Dealer financing is probably the best route for a low interest car loan as they deal in large volume. If you are not satisfied with the car finance provided by your dealer you can always opt for automobile refinancing.
Car Loan financing requirements
There are certain requirements that one should meet to finance an auto loan. It’s very important that the value of your vehicle exceeds the amount owned. An upside –down auto loan consist of owing more than a car’s worth. In this case, you cannot refinance the car loan.
If possible, try and reduce the amount owed on the car, and then finance. This will involve increasing your monthly payments. Furthermore, financing options only apply to vehicles less than five years old or more. Secondly, the balance owed on the loan must be at least $7500.
How Does the Auto finance Process Work?
Auto financing or auto loan is simple both means same. To begin, contact your current lender and request a payoff balance. Next, complete an online application with an auto loan finance company. When applying for an Auto loan, you must include detail information about your vehicle and loan amount. In some cases, you may be asked to include the vehicle identification number on the application. If applying online, approvals are instant.
Selecting Auto Loan finance Lender
It would be advisable to refinance for an automobile loan through different lenders. Hence, you should devote some time and energy to comparing lender rates and offers. Do not accept the first offer received. A hasty decision may cost you more money. Instead, request online quotes from three to four lenders, and carefully review offers. Pick the lender that offers the most savings.
The Muppet Movie Part 4
Here is part 4 of 11 of The Muppet Movie. The Muppet Movie is a 1979 live-action musical film and is the first of several movies feauturing Jim Henson’s Muppets. The Story chronicles around the Muppets as they journey to Hollywood to become rich and famous. It feautures many famous guest stars some who had already appeared on the Muppet Show. The cars: Several classic cars were specially selected by Jim Henson to appear in the movie. Some of these cars included two psychedelic 1951 Studerbakers. One was painted but unmodified and was used to take long, travelling shots. The second was driven by a person in the trunk who viewed the road through a TV set. The TV recieved its image from a camera located in the center nose of the car’s front grill. This would make it possible for Frank Oz to sit in the front seat and portray Fozzie driving the car in close-up shots. Other cars in the movie included a 1959 Cadilliac Fleetwood Limousine, (which was used as Doc Hopper’s car in the film) and a 1946 Ford Station Wagon which was used as the Muppet’s final car in the movie. Please rate and comment on the film and tell me what you think of it. Enjoy the Movie!!! The Muppet Movie is not owned by me. It rightfully belongs to the Jim Henson and Walt Disney companies.
Cars Part 10
Cars 2006 Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar hold all the rights to this footage
The Other America
Recently, one of the Network News agencies, has chosen to warm our hearts with a new Series “the Other America”. The content is good. Overall the series is supposedly a Media example of their “sensitivity”. In reality it’s an example of their elitism, blinded by daily life, lack of understanding of what life is to millions and millions of Americans. The series is as enigmatic to the people it is profiling as is the plight of the majority of Americans to 99.9% of all politicians. “the Other American” being reported on is America! The media, the politicians, and most of upper-middle class America, are… really… the “Other America”. The only class that is constantly growing in the U.S. any longer, is, the “poor”.
There is a very great consensus in the “more fortunate” America, that Welfare recipients are the representation of poverty. Hogwash. People on Welfare programs get cash subsidy, food stamps, and some of the best health care available. Just because they may not have a car… does not make them the “Poor”! In most areas they also get bus passes. They qualify for subsidized housing because they have a reliable payday with a consistent amount, every month, and… they wear out a lot of TV’s!
As of late, there has been some exposure, still not enough though, of the fact that there is an America, a very, very large America, that is Generationally locked in an income bracket that is too high for money from government assistance programs, but not enough to have what people at that Network, employed by Government agencies, and in that News Agency take for granted everyday. The parents and children in these families don’t go to the Dentist… they eat handfuls of Aspirin and swipe a tube of Ora-Gel from the drug store. In a dire situation, they go to the hospital emergency and wait for 4… 6… 8… 20 hours, using the ER as their “clinic” to get their temperature taken and a prescription for an anti-biotic. They don’t actually get the anti-biotic, though. They go home and have to make an appointment at the qualification program for being determined to be medically indigent. That appointment is usually 3 to 14 days away. By the time they could get this done, they feel well enough to forego the sitting and waiting at yet one more place. Or… they’re now so sick that they have to return to the ER and now they are triaged and the ER administers the medicine that they needed 2 or 3 weeks ago. Sometimes… they just die! No medicine wasted, huh? This class works… puts in a week that should support them, but doesn’t. They are not going to the Food Bank, no way are they going to take handouts. So… they eat a diet really full of beans, potatoes, eggs and bread products. But they don’t have to ask for a handout. Why should they, most of them have a job? As life progresses they become overweight, often developing hypertension and diabetes, and never knowing that, that is why they feel crummy so often. For most of them recreation involves beer. Watching sports on TV and going to the park don’t have admission fees. In the summer, if they are lucky enough for there to still be no fees charged, they go to the river or lake for “cool” recreation. If they live in a city, they usually just have a back yard BBQ and a wading pool, a slip-n-slide, or a water hose and sprinkler. What’s “air conditioning”? Can’t afford to pay the power company even if they have it… a fan keeps them from being overcome by heat prostration, sometimes. They’re used to this stuff, though. They may wish it were different, but have to learn not to live above their means. They have a pretty decent used car, but don’t drive it any more than necessary because they can’t afford to pay for insurance, and if they get pulled over, most places these days, their car will get impounded or confiscated. There’s not much time for helping the kids with homework, so they don’t do especially well in school, and end up working somewhere similar to where mom and dad work. Their children are going to do the same thing, too. Unless…
“Man, if I could sell that “Crank” and not use it, I could bust out of this place.” We know that seldom works!
“Heh, those “Arian Boys” that hang out down at the old plant take care of each other. They got some things ‘goin’ on’, and always have money. They hardly ever do any of that race stuff everybody says they do.” Oh… Yeah… they do; just not in the daylight!
“I took a hit off of a joint for the first time the other day” the 12-year-old says. “… and it made me laugh and forget about dad hittin’ mom in the face.” Twelve is the average age kids first use Marijuana now. Crank is just over the horizon!
“Heh Joe, I know that Pot isn’t going to get me hooked. I’ve been smokin’ it since I was twelve” the 14-year-old says. “Why don’t ya let me have a taste of your Heroin? Just once won’t hurt anything, I’m sure.” The average user who likes the “down” from Heroin can get psychologically hooked in two or three weeks, using 3 to 5 times a week. I’ve seen people try Meth and start using every day… starting with the 1st trial run!
Three 15-year-olds that have been hanging out together since 3rd Grade are sitting on the block wall in front of the Clinic on a warm summer evening, wishing they had the money to go see a movie, or get Arnie to buy them some beer. Bill says, “See that hall, right behind us, in the Clinic?” Tasha and Geraldo reply, “Yeah!” “Well,” Bill says, “there’s a window that is always open, and the supply room is on the other side of it! You know what’s in there, huh?” Oh yeah, they simultaneously reply. Bill says, “I’ve walked up there and pushed on it and no alarm went off. I don’t think there’s one on it, and I could fit through there, easy!” Geraldo asks, “You think we could get some money for something in there, easy?” Tasha says, “No problem! My brother knows some dudes who’ll buy almost anything, and sell it for some profit. That’s what they do!” There’s an alarm. It’s a sensor on the windowsill, not the window. If they were to get away with it, it would just make the next time easier to move on. If not, as young as they are, first offenses usually don’t cost much. But, either way, there’s a good chance that this kind of thinking is the beginning of an anti-social lifestyle, because of their environment and financial status. Anyway, it’s probably just the beginning of thinking that results from desperation and predictably low expectations. Even if they don’t turn toward crime as a future, but are dissuaded by consequences, a low paying job is often their future, as was the fate of their primary role models. If they do become Addicts and go to Prison behind a felony conviction, one new door will open… Drug Treatment. Sad but true, in most States that is the only access to funded treatment, that is far to expensive for most Addicts or their families. Bush’s vouchers are a joke, intended to subsidize “Faith based programs”. Separation of Church and State? No, and few Addicts are able to adjust to them as a 24-hour-a-day way of life. The streets don’t inspire much faith in anything!
These American that are America, feel fortunate to move from an $8/hr job into one that will eventually peak at $15/hr with no benefits. For these really common, everyday Americans Social Security is the light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel. There isn’t going to be a 401K, stocks or bonds. … just Social Security, and finally health care will be in their reach, too. This is not “the Other America”. It is America. Notice that no one mentioned here owns a home? The death of the American Dream is not a recent phenomenon.
Children of these families are many of those fighting Bush’s War. It’s a shot at getting out! We all know by looking at the VA hospitals that, that’s no done deal! Find out how many Senators or Congressmen have children fighting the War in Iraq. Find out how many had children fighting in Vietnam. See how many families with two College educated parents, or even one, have children in Iraq. See how many UAW members, Electricians, College Professors, Doctors or Lawyers are Veterans.
These are the people who have nothing to really hold on to if Social Security is not stabilized and kept out of the privatization mode. These are the people whose faith in America could be reborn if they just found they could go to the doctor when they get sick. We know that there are about 40,000,000 of them if that News agency is accurate in their reporting. That’s no sure deal either, though, is it?
If we are not at an epic moment where the myth of the Free Market economic stabilization (trickle-down economics – Neo-Conservative philosophy) concept is finally realized to be at an end, and socialization of basic necessities for daily living is not implemented as a result… we may be at the end of a dream set forth in 1776. Capitalistic Democracy just may not work as a permanent philosophy for an entire culture. The American Dream may die because Capitalist greed will have alienated its workforce. As it is, the average working person has become the modern version of the Plantation Owner’s Slave. The lending agencies have replaced “the Company Store”! We’re kept just healthy enough to assure that the corporation’s product continues, but no longer well enough to be the best producers in the world. Quality was the backbone of American production, and the Unions kept up wages and helped workers realize the American Dream, as a result. Well may very well pertain to psychological fitness even more than physical fitness. Right now the problem is that the “Company Store” got so greedy that they loaned past the point where the “Slaves” could ever repay their debts. The debts are closing the Company Stores. The workers losing their jobs, no longer can even attempt to pay their irresolvable debt. The economy is stuck because greed has produced a broken link in the chain and it can’t hold up the system. No workers work, no product is produced, so there is no need for the company. So, after enough companies fade away an entire industry fades with them. America is in trouble and it’s big. As much as our leaders talk about mainstream America, they still don’t get it. Almost anything that is strong is strong because it has a strong Foundation. The Banks are not the foundation of America. The Insurance companies and the pharmaceutical companies are not it. The foundation is at the bottom of anything and everything. The lowest paid worker is the bottom. They are the foundation of the United States. The Unions, at one time grew to protect almost all workers in every capacity, and this country thrived like it never had. But when Ronald Reagan broke the Air Traffic Controllers Union strike, big business began a campaign to break them all and maximize their profits and their shareholders dividends by gradually lowering wage, not providing the Health-care covered by the Unions, and doing away with Retirement Benefits by introducing the, eventually (NOW) to become an absolute failure, 401K, placing the future of all workers in the Stock Market. This move favoring the “Corporations” resulted in such outrageous profit that the CEO came to make 7 to 10 figure salaries and other executives secured commensurate salaries. This kind of wealth bread a class of power that produced Criminal business practices rooted in pure greed. These were companies like Enron and people like Dick Cheney. Though Enron more or less got exposed, what was not seen was how widespread and well hidden these practices were in the major corporations of America. Well, we can see them now. The sad thing is, that the average American worker whose future is very questionable, is paying for all of it. That problem grows unbelievably as our bankrupt Government slips ever farther into debt to the rest of the World. They’re now spending our Grandchildren’s taxes. Still, in the long term, all of the Capitalist greed has to be paid for by the workers not their bosses.
Start at the bottom, the foundation. Raise the minimum wage. Raise it a lot. Make sure that full-time employment is always “gainful” employment. Legally protect the Unionization of workers with regulation. Socialize Health-care and get the workers healthy. If the Unions are strong they’ll then contribute to the Health-care socialization program. Fund Drug Rehabilitation and get those people out of Prison and back into the taxpaying public. Fix Social Security so that benefits increase and the age of retirement does not go up. If people are working and making reasonable pay, the Social Security tax could go up without affecting the overall income of its contributors, and they won’t mind because their Golden Years will be funded. Give the people the ability to “spend” money. If we do that, everything else will follow. Yeah, the Stock Market will have to become realistic, and shareholders will only get reasonable dividends. Executives will still be rich but they don’t need the income of an entire small community or some small countries, to live above the rest of us. They can keep their “Power-trip”! Throw out all the “pork barrel” shit and invest taxpayer money on three things that all charge the economy. First is infrastructure 101. Get our bridges and highways up out of the rubble and safe again. Second is powering our country. Wind and Solar generation need to be taken to the maximum conceivable state. They are inexhaustible. Also, there is no “clean” coal technology, abandon it. The automobile needs to become clean technology and that means fossil fuel is out of the picture. In all reality we should be able to produce electric vehicles that inevitably cost less than current internal combustion powered vehicles. We should already have a battery that meets the needs of the average American’s transportation demands, but we don’t. Why? Expand rail service nationwide and locally, with existing models as guides, including High Speed. In cities elevated and subways can be retrofitted in. Clean buses should run 24/7. Make solar power a building code inclusion for construction of new structures including private, business and public. Third and finally, we should build our foreign policy around peaceful coexistence, eliminating hunger and disease in third world countries, and including them in the world of technology with all counties included in all aspects of improving quality of life on the planet, with all things, always considering ecology and the future of the Planet. You see Mr. Television Network, Doctors, Lawyers and Chief Executive, and you safe and secure Government Employees… YOU are not only the “other America”, you are the other “World”! Most of the people on this Planet do not know what it is like to be in the upper 25%, whether American, British, Japanese, Indian, Iraqi, Israelite, or French and Spanish.
Do you realize that most American teenagers can no longer afford to go to a concert to see their favorite musicians or other performers? Tickets that cost $60 to $250 dollars are a monthly payment on a decent used car, for really a lot of people. What percentage of the people do you think ever see a play, Broadway level, or a Ballet, or a Symphony Orchestra? The American Dream has been fading for some time now. For the true majority of us buying a home as a primary financial goal has been replaced with buying a New Car, and that’s fading fast. These are the facts that brought the Stock Market into “realistic” phase. All the BS facts used for speculation have been forced to more or less call in the debts and see what’s really left given true values. 50 to 100 million people is a big number, but it’s actually not a big percentage of the population if you’re making realistic evaluation of the quality of life in our country. Even if you look at the incomes of the top 250 million citizens, it leaves a lot of people to consider. I’ll bet that 25% of the people in almost every town in the U.S. can’t afford anything that costs an extra $50 per month added to their budget!
The job situation in this country is an ominous problem for the future of our economy, and it’s beginning to look as though it is not readily solvable. Companies are down-sizing and folding, period. In folding, the jobs they provided no longer exist. They’re not coming back is what that means. My God, just exactly how many jobs have been lost and companies folded during the Bush Presidency. I think we’re talking about a historical unseen event in modern history. Neo Conservatives with their de-regulation and trickle-down economics may already have destroyed the United States, as we have known it during my lifetime. And if they have, it is in truth, a direct result of greed and selfishness at a National level. We have two choices, right now, as I see it. We can move toward socialization of essentials (spread the wealth), or… we can do as Third World countries do, and just let a lot of people starve to death and die from curable disease! I think that would actually make us a 3rd World Country, huh? “the Other America”, hah… it would be hilarious if it weren’t so frightening to hear the Majority of Americans being referred to as “the Other America”!
Cadillac Records – Chuck Berry Performs
Release Date: December 05, 2008 Genre: Drama Cast: Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, Beyoncé Knowles, Gabrielle Union, Columbus Short, Emmanuelle Chriqui, Cedric the Entertainer Director: Darnell Martin Producers: Andrew Lack, Sofia Sondervan Studio: Sony Pictures Plot: CADILLAC RECORDS chronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists. In this tale of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in Chicago of the 1950s and 60s, the film follows the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America’s greatest musical legends. The story of how the blues became popular and gave birth to rock and roll begins at a dingy bar on the rough South Side of Chicago in 1947, where an ambitious young Polish émigré, bar owner Leonard Chess (Academy Award-winner ADRIEN BRODY), hires a talented but undisciplined blues combo that includes quiet and thoughtful guitar prodigy Muddy Waters (JEFFREY WRIGHT) and impulsive and colorful harmonica player Little Walter (COLUMBUS SHORT). Fascinated by the sound of the music and eager to cash in on the burgeoning record business, Chess arranges a recording session for Waters. Waters’ early recordings start moving up the R&B charts and receiving heavy play. Chess treats his musicians like family – he buys them a Cadillac when they record their first hit record – although the line between business and personal sometimes causes conflict with his increasingly talented and successful stable of artists. After backing up Muddy on his early recordings …