Frog Follies – August 24-26
Since 1975, each August, the E’ville Iron Street Rod Club has put on a rod run for street rod owners. At the first event, there were 44 registered street rods. Since then, the event has grown to to an average of 4,000 street rods!
These “Froggers” provide fun for the whole family with games, activities and dances during the weekend. The automotive swap meet is one of the largest in the Unidted States and the commercial street rod vendor area has over 600 spaces and the used parts section of the swap meet area continues to grow each year.
Learn more at www.frogfollies.org
UE Named Best in the Midwest by The Princeton Review
The University of Evansville is one of the best colleges in the Midwest, according to education services company The Princeton Review. UE is one of 153 institutions The Princeton Review recommends in its “Best in the Midwest†section of its website feature, “2013 Best Colleges: Region by Region,” that posted today on PrincetonReview.com.
“We’re pleased to recommend the University of Evansville to users of our site as one of the best schools to earn their undergrad degree,†said Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s senior VP/publisher. “We chose it and the other terrific institutions we name as ‘regional best’ colleges mainly for their excellent academic programs. From several hundred schools in each region, we winnowed our list based on institutional data we collected directly from the schools, our visits to schools over the years, and the opinions of our staff, plus college counselors and advisors whose recommendations we invite.â€
“We also take into account what students at the schools reported to us about their campus experiences at them on our 80-question student survey for this project,†Franek added. “Only schools that permit us to independently survey their students are eligible to be considered for our regional ‘best’ lists.â€
For this project, The Princeton Review asks students to rate their own schools on several topics, from the accessibility of their professors to quality of the campus food. Comments from surveyed students are quoted in the school profiles on The Princeton Review site. One student called UE “a place where you will know all of your faculty and the faculty will know you and really care about you, a place where you can really talk to your professors about anything from work, to life, to your future.â€
The 153 colleges that The Princeton Review chose for its “Best in the Midwest†list are located in 12 states. The Princeton Review also designated colleges in the Northeast, West, and Southeast as best in their locales. Collectively, the 633 colleges named “regional best(s)†constitute about 25 percent of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges. The Princeton Review does not rank the 633 colleges in its “2013 Best Colleges: Region by Region†list hierarchically or in various categories.
10th annual Women’s Equality Day Celebration Today – 11:30am – 1pm
This August marks the 92nd anniversary of the historic date American women gained the right to
vote. Chaired by Jan Davies, a bi-partisan group of Evansville women is finalizing plans for an
event that will celebrate the achievements of women in the civil rights movement, highlight
opportunities for volunteerism and encourage local women to make a difference here in
Evansville and beyond.
The Women’s Equality Day luncheon will be held on Thursday, August 23, at the Old Post
Office Event Plaza from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will include an exposition on the work
of area not-for profit organizations that work with women and girls and a tribute to Girl Scouts of
Southwestern Indiana in honor of its 100th anniversary. Attendees will have the opportunity to
purchase Girl Scout cookies. In addition, the Equality Day committee will announce the recipient
of the third annual Albion Fellows Bacon Award in recognition of their service and leadership in
the public sector.
Peggy Orenstien, author of “Cinderella Ate My Daughter,†will deliver this year’s keynote
address, “Myths of the Princess.â€
According to Orenstien’s website, as a new mother, Orenstein “was blindsided by the persistent
ultra-feminine messages being sent to a new generation of little girls — from ‘princess-mania’ to
endless permutations of pink. How many times can you say no when your daughter begs for a
pint-sized wedding gown, she wondered. How dangerous is pink and pretty anyway? Being a
princess is just make-believe, isn’t it? Does playing Cinderella shield little girls from early
sexualization — or prime them for it?â€
Tickets for the event are $15 for adults and $10 for students. Reservations can be made by calling
Lezlie Simmons at 812-437-9320, or online at www.womensequalitydayevansville.com.
“It’s a privilege to help Evansville take note of women’s continuing achievements in civil rights,â€
said Jan Davies, chair of the Evansville Women’s Equality Day committee. “In the nine years
since the first Evansville Equality Day event, we’ve been reminded of our rich history of women
who have made the impossible happen.â€
University of Southern Indiana President Linda Bennett said USI is pleased to be a partner in
sponsoring Women’s Equality Day. “Thanks to the League of Women Voters for this opportunity
to celebrate leadership and diversity in our community,†Bennett said.
August 26 was designated Women’s Equality Day by a Joint Resolution of Congress in 1971 to
commemorate the 1920 passage of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution granting women the
right to vote. The day is commemorated throughout the country with programs and activities
designed to call attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality.
IS IT TRUE August 23, 2012
IS IT TRUE August 23, 2012
IS IT TRUE that a computer model that concentrates on the electoral college and uses important economic inputs from all 50 states individually is predicting a Romney electoral landslide of 320 – 218?…this computer model predicts that the popular vote will be won by Romney by a margin of 52.9% to 47.1%?…this model has successfully predicted every presidential election since 1980 including the 1980 and 1992 elections when credible 3rd Party candidates ran strong?…this model even predicted a popular vote victory for then Vice President Al Gore in 2000 while predicting that George Bush would defeat Gore in the electoral vote and become president?…the authors of this algorithm are political science professors Kenneth Bickers of CU-Boulder and Michael Berry of CU Denver?…their model predicts Romney victories in nearly every one of the states currently considered as swing states, including North Carolina, Virginia, New Hampshire, Colorado, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida?…that Dr. Bickers states that this election prediction model “suggest that presidential elections are about big things and the stewardship of the national economy, and that they are not about gaffes, political commercials or day-to-day campaign tactics?…if Obama wins this election this will be the first time in 32 years that this prediction model has missed a presidential race?…a link to the article in its entirety is right below?
IS IT TRUE that the Evansville Redevelopment Commission just released the agenda for Fridays special meeting that has been called?…the topic of discussion at this special meeting is exclusively dedicated to work and leases at the Old Post Office?…that it is good to see that something of substance will once again be happening in that beautiful old building?
IS IT TRUE that the Federal Reserve sent another strong signal that it is preparing new steps to boost the recovery?…the notes of the late July meeting are saying that stimulus would be needed “fairly soon” unless the economy shows substantially stronger growth?…that there is no economic model from the government or the private sector that is predicting any recovery at all for the rest of this year much less a robust recovery that is necessary to promote strong growth?…this fiscal year will be the 4th year in a row and only the 4th time in the history of the United States that the deficit is larger than $1 Trillion?…that with spending habits like this we should not hold our breath waiting for growth to appear?
IS IT TRUE that on Wednesday August 22nd at 5:55 pm the Courier and Press has finally published an article on Boscoe France who was crowned the national champion blues guitarist in Los Angeles Saturday night?…over 90 hours elapsed before the CP found a national championship by a local artist to be newsworthy?…the CCO not only reported it in real time but had a writer at the event?…that cup stacking and a mean owl both made the CP before Boscoe did?…this oversight or symptom of oblivion is enough to make ones head spin?
IS IT TRUE that Boscoe France would be a logical and practical headline act for the WC Handy Blues Fest in Henderson for 2013?…the organizers for the Blues Fest should be signing up Boscoe and his band to headline their event right now because this time next year he will most likely be touring the country like Joe Bonamassa and being paid megabucks to play?…the WC Handy Blues Fest would be a perfect place for the tri-state to celebrate Boscoe’s talents and to attract out of town visitors to the event to watch him play along with the always excellent musicians they have?
Will Obama Administrations Policies Bankrupt General Motors Afterall?
The reason GM might be heading toward its doom again is that its very savior – the Obama administration – might in fact have set it up for failure.
Here’s how:
The fact is that GM – like other American automakers – has had a hard time competing with its Asian and European rivals in the compact and the mid-size market. That’s because its market incentives have been very different from theirs. Thanks to shorter driving distances, narrower roads and relatively high gas prices, foreign makers’ home consumers are attracted to smaller cars — making this segment their core strength. Not so in the good ole U.S. of A where the core strength of American carmakers has been large, gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs.
Americans are naturally drawn to these cars for a whole host of reasons including relatively lower gas prices that haven’t made them prohibitively expensive to drive in the U.S. But the other big reason why SUVs are so important to American car makers is government policy, specifically CAFÉ (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards. These standards were meant to diminish gas consumption and reduce America’s dependence on Arab oil – the eternal boogeyman of American foreign policy. But they have – and this will come as a complete surprise to H&R readers! — done the exact opposite!
That’s because when CAFÉ was originally formulated in 1979, it imposed stricter gas mileage standards on cars than on light trucks. So American carmakers did the rational thing and started using the light truck designation for SUVs to escape the CAFÉ noose. The upshot was that in America, the market share of “light trucks” – aka SUVs — grew steadily from 9.7% in 1979 to 47% in 2001 and remained in the 50% territory till 2011. Given that SUV’s constitute a far bigger share of the American market than the D-segment, it is a bit odd that Woodhill’s analysis focuses mainly on the D-segment, completely ignoring SUVs. This omission is particularly curious given that American carmakers have far greater per vehicle profit margins on SUVs – GM on average makes $5,000 per SUV – than on smaller cars. Indeed, GM for the longest time has relied on sales of its full pickup trucks for a major portion of its US revenues and operating profits.
So the big question is how is the SUV market evolving and how will it affect GM’s survival going forward?
Not well. Just as the original CAFÉ standards created the SUV market, the Obama administration’s new rules might destroy it — and with it GM’s core strength.
The Bush administration started closing the SUV loophole to prove its commitment to reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil after its Iraq misadventure. In 2007, it mandated national fuel economy standards of 35 mpg — a 40% increase – by 2025, something that its own estimates suggested would cost the industry $85 billion. It started scrapping the car/light truck distinction, requiring carmakers to post overall gains regardless of vehicle category. In theory this gave American car makers more flexibility to meet the new mandate, but in reality the mandated fuel efficiency increases were so onerous that American automakers couldn’t squeeze them all out of their small cars and had to tinker with their SUV technology, diverting precious R&D dollars from what Americans consumers really want – greater horsepower.
But the Obama administration is now driving a Tahoe through the opening that the Bush administration created. It has upped the 35 mpg to 54.5 mpg by 2025. This is higher than the 50 mpg that the Prius currently delivers. There is no engine anywhere on the horizon that could deliver that kind of gas mileage. So American carmakers are making heroic efforts to redesign the rest of the vehicle to get to that target.
The Wall Street Journal reported recently that Ford is gambling on an all-aluminum body for its iconic F-150 pickup trucks, something that will make the vehicle lighter –not to mention costlier and deadlier – to meet the Obama mandate. (F-150 is the world’s most profitable line today. But whether it will remain so after it switches to aluminum which will jack up per vehicle cost by at least $1,500 is completely uncertain.) Meanwhile, GM is opting to produce two different trucks – one full-sized and high-powered and then, about two years later, a smaller truck. Notes the WSJ, the latter:
“won’t be able to haul quite as much gravel or tow as much gear as the bigger model, but GM is counting on it to offer 20% better gas mileage, without the extra cost of heavy use of aluminum parts.”
In other words, GM is making one truck line for its customers and another one for the president. If the president could buy all the vehicles produced for him, GM would flourish. But, if he can’t, he might well deliver GM to bankruptcy’s door yet again.
He might have saved GM from its own incompetence just to kill it with his.
Source: Shihka Dalmia
Zoeller opens investigation into BP gasoline recall
Zoeller opens investigation into BP gasoline recall to protect consumers
Attorney General’s Office to review company’s claims and reimbursement processes
INDIANAPOLIS – Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced that his office has opened an investigation into the BP gasoline recall to make sure consumers’ rights are protected.
Motorists who purchased regular grade gasoline in Northwest Indiana at BP and other retail outlets including Luke Oil, Thornton’s and others have reported car problems as a result of tainted gasoline.
“Our office opened an investigation regarding the BP gasoline recall in order to protect the significant number of consumers impacted,” Zoeller said. “We are closely monitoring the response by BP and will be reviewing their claims and reimbursement processes. As the watchdog for Indiana consumers my office has a duty to ensure consumer’s rights are protected and that there is no undue delay in appropriate reimbursements.â€
According to a statement released by BP on Tuesday, the company believes 2.1 million gallons of regular grade gasoline blended at BP’s Whiting, Indiana gasoline storage terminal between Aug. 13 and 17 contained a “higher than normal level of polymeric residue†which can cause drivability issues. This contaminant may cause hard starting, shaking of the engine, non-starting or the check engine light to illuminate.
Zoeller said consumers who purchased fuel in Northwest Indiana at BP and other retail outlets during the past week could be impacted.
BP asks customers to call their hotline at 1-800-333-3991 or email bpconsum@bp.com if their vehicles were affected by the tainted gasoline.
Consumers can also file a separate complaint with the Attorney General’s Office by visiting www.indianaconsumer.com or by calling 1-800-382-5516 to request a hard copy of the form. Zoeller said customers are not required to file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office to take part in the BP claims process, but complaints regarding BP’s responses are particularly appropriate.
Gallup-Rasmussen Poll Average: August 22, 2012
The Rasmussen Tracking poll today shows Mitt Romney with a 46% – 44% lead over President Obama while Gallup’s Tracking poll shows Romney maintaining a lead of 47% – 45%.
The average of these two polls is now showing the Romney/Ryan campaign with 46.5% and the Obama/Biden at 44.5%.
The average approval rate for President Obama is now at negative 3% meaning that 3% more of those polled disapprove than approve of the Presidents job performance. The average approval rating for the President was 47.0% and the average disapproval was 50%.
In an examination of all polls published after August 13th and applying them to the elector count, if the election were held today and the most recent polls are accurate Romney would win the presidency over Obama by an electoral vote of 282 – 256
Congressional Budget Office Warns of Dire Consequences if Congress and the President do not Maintain Current Tax Rates in 2013
WASHINGTON—The U.S. economy will slide into recession in 2013 if Congress fails to act to maintain current tax rates and avert deep cuts to federal spending, the Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday in likely the last nonpartisan economic forecast before the November elections.
In its twice annual budgetary outlook, the CBO said U.S. economic growth will decline by 0.5% in 2013, while the unemployment rate will hover around 9% next year. Under current law the budget deficit would improve substantially next year as a result of the scheduled increase in tax rates and reductions in federal spending, shrinking to $641 billion or 4% of gross domestic product.
The picture is slightly less gloomy for fiscal 2012, which ends in about six weeks. The agency said the budget deficit for the fiscal year will stand at $1.1 trillion, a marginal improvement from the $1.2 trillion it forecast in January. The jobless rate will stand at 8.2% at the end of the fiscal year, down from the 8.8% it predicted in January, while economic growth will total 2.1% for the year, up from the 2% expansion it said would occur in its previous forecast.
The CBO acknowledged that its forecast for 2013 was made difficult by the uncertainty on a range of taxation and spending policies. It said that if current tax rates were renewed indefinitely and the slated spending cuts were averted, the budget deficit would hit $1 trillion in fiscal 2013, but economic growth would reach 1.7% while the jobless rate would fall to around 8% by year end.
Currently, federal income-tax rates as well as rates levied on dividends and capital gains are set to increase as the Bush-era tax cuts expire at the end of the year. The estate tax will also increase, a payroll-tax cut will end while expanded federal jobless benefits will also cease. Federal spending will decline by $110 billion in 2013 as a result of a deficit-reduction agreement struck last year.
There remains a considerable divide among the political parties about which portion of those policies to renew and political analysts are forecasting little action to do so before the end of the year.
Source: Corie Bowles
IS IT TRUE August 22, 2012
IS IT TRUE August 22, 2012
IS IT TRUE that we hear VenuWorks has called a news conference to announce a major sporting event coming to Evansville this coming year?…that we also hear that the Ford Center leadership wonders why the CCO don’t announce upcoming events to be held at the Ford Center?…that we can’t announce any pending events at the Ford Center if we don’t receive any press releases on upcoming events?…the CCO has asked the folks at VenuWorks repeatedly to be included on press releases?…that one would think that the Weinzapfel Administration was in charge of VenuWorks by the way the CCO is intentionally kept out of the loop with their news?
IS IT TRUE that the FOP endorsements for County Offices to be voted on this coming November election has caused major political discussion among partisans?…that the big losers in the FOP endorsements are County Recorder, Z Tuley and the County Coroner Annie Groves?…one possible reason why Tuley and Groves didn’t get the FOP endorsements is because it is also obvious that the individuals running against Groves and Tuley are extremely qualified for the positions they are running for?…that the FOP selection of Judge Superior Court, Brett Niemeier and Judge Superior Court, Mary Margaret Lloyd was not surprising because the cops work with them daily. …that the FOP endorsements of all three Democratic County Councilmen Ed Bassemier, Mike Goebel and Stanley Wheeler was extremely surprising?…that that the decision by the FOP not endorsing candidates for County Clerk, County Treasurer, Surveyor and 1st District County Commissioner was extremely puzzling?
IS IT TRUE that several of our readers have expressed an explanation about what is the mission of the newly located Academy of Innovative Studies at the old North High School campus?…the former home of North High School has been sitting empty for some time and that many will not remember that the campus also includes a fairly new state of the art performance center that rivals nearly any venue in town other than The Centre?
IS IT TRUE that the White House and President Obama have been quite denigrating of the private equity business and even gone so far as to call his opponent Mitt Romney a “VULTURE†for having spent much of his career in the private equity business?…that the simplistic way that the President has described the private equity business is a misrepresentation of the highest order?…that the best way for private equity business to make large returns on their investments is to save companies that are headed for bankruptcy then grow them before selling them to other investors?…there is an oil refinery in Pennsylvania that is in serious need of some private equity for its very survival right now?…if this refinery shuts down it will certainly spike gas prices this fall right before the election tossing one more brick on the President’s load of economic failures to explain away?…that the Carlyle Group (private equity) has been wooed by the White House and the Democrat Governor of Pennsylvania to RESCUE this refinery?…that this PRIVATE EQUITY INVESTOR has struck a deal to make an investment in the refinery and save nearly 1,000 union jobs and avoid a gas price spike right before the election?…the official announcement will conveniently be coming to your local NBC affiliate during the week of the Democrat National Convention?…that perhaps if the President keeps his job he can thank the VULTURES AT CARLYLE FOR DOING WHAT THEY DO BEST AT A TIME THAT IT WAS NEEDED?…that maybe the next book to come out of the White House should be called “IT TAKES A VULTUREâ€?
IS IT TRUE that Republican candidate for President Mitt Romney has asked that fool from Missouri Todd Akin who has squandered a 10+ point lead with a statement on the crime of rape that is unfit to come from the mouth of a United States Congressman?…Romney is right to call for Akin to step down?…that more politicians should exercise zero tolerance for people of their own party who make insane statements like this?…that the worst thing that a partisan of any type can do to undermine good government is to cover the tracks for malfeasance, ignorance, and even criminality of their own party members?…Todd Akin should be given the Penn State award for his attitude, his ignorance, and his selfish willingness to risk a Senate seat that may tip the balance of the United States Senate?