Robert Pence

An example would be a Ford Focus wagon. Bingo! Focus wagon (ZXW) is maybe a foot longer than the hatchback. It's peppy and nimble in traffic, and capable and comfortable on the highway. The sticker says 27/34 mpg, but I'm doing a little better than that most of the time.

I've been on board with both recommendations for a while. Almost all the lights in my house are compact fluorescents, and even with my extensive computer time, my electric bill usually runs $25 to $30, maybe $35 in summer with central air. In October I swapped my 18-20mpg pickup for a 30-35mpg compact station wagon. Even though I drive less than many people (no commute), I noticed a significant drop in my monthly gasoline expense.

I really thought the wedding cake place would turn things around. I'm really sorry I missed out on that! The only reason I go to weddings is for the cake; I can't stand the rest of the fol-de-rol! :roll:

If my recollection is correct, poor track conditions, slow orders and maybe even a couple of costly derailments were what brought an end to the midwest auto train from Louisville, as well as the Floridian. By the time the Floridian died, Lance Armstrong could have beaten it from Indianapolis to Louisville on his bike. Given its railroad history and existing lines, I think Fort Wayne would be a possible midwest hub. The NS former Nickel Plate (Chicago - Cleveland - Buffalo) and former Wabash (Detroit - Kansas City) cross here and connect with the NS north-south line that runs through Queensgate in Cincinnati. In addition, there's the former PRR (Pittsburgh Fort Wayne & Chicago) main line now owned by CSX and leased to Chicago Fort Wayne & Eastern, that has been single-tracked. There are vacant or underutilized industrial sites with interstate highway and rail access that might be suitable for auto train staging. Capacity improvements like those cited above by KJP would be needed, but the existing lines are all in excellent condition and capable of carrying quite a lot of traffic.

I see a lot of excitement where I live; I'm just on the upstream side of a curve in a major one-way arterial where it heads out of downtown. After the stoplight about two blocks back, there's not another one for about a mile and a half. Despite the 35mph speed limit, increasing to 40mph just after the curve, most drivers are going close to 45 when they pass my house, and accelerating hard. There used to be a big tree just off the curve and no guard rail until about 20 years ago, and about once a month, usually just after closing time on Friday or Saturday night, somebody tried to push the tree out of the way. The tree always won. Local drivers consider fast, aggressive driving a basic right. FWPD doesn't even have a traffic enforcement division. I've seen cars in the park, a car literally wrapped around a tree with the wheels a foot above the ground, a car flipped, a semi loaded with building debris on its side in the middle of the street, and even a semi in the river.

It's good to see that someone cares enough to invest. It looks like the town has some solid old building stock.

Not having a life, I was skulking about in the SSP Forums about 8:30 a.m. when I heard a loud "BANG" outside and went to investigate. A car was stuck in the grass in the park across the street, with the backup lights flashing on and off as the driver tried to extricate it. Skid marks led to it, starting on the curve just before the big dent in the guardrail. A van pulled over and the van driver went over and tried to talk to the car driver. She (tall, thin, long brown hair, late twenties, no jacket in freezing temp) bailed out and took off running up the street toward my place, with the van driver on the cell phone and trying unsuccessfully to keep up. After she went by, I followed her at a discreet distance. She was unsteady on her feet, alternating walking and running. I thought she might be headed for a nearby house, but after an irregular path up a couple alleys and through back yards, it was apparent that she was just trying to get far away. I got the 911 dispatcher on my cell phone and kept her updated on where the woman was, and after about five or six blocks a patrol car went flying by, flipped on the lights and hit the siren. The cop had cuffs on her in about thirty seconds and had her in the back of the car. I went home and got my camera and then went to the park to get a couple of poor-to-mediocre photos. The cop said she blew about four times the legal limit. She had actually been trying to drive away in this!

Yeah, me too. I think it all started with those malicious rumors my ex-bf spread. :shoot:

I remember reading somewhere, a while back, about secret U.S. contingency plans for invading Canada, should it become necessary. Maybe now is the time. We should be able to accomplish this mission with fewer civilian casualties than in Iraq, at lower cost. The cultural and language barriers are less severe (except maybe in Quebec), and the cost of transporting troops, equipment and supplies will be less. We should be prepared for an insurgency, though. There still are expatriate Americans up there who fled the U.S. during the Vietnam era, and they'll fear being called to account for themselves. :roll:

He appears to have a solid, impressive set of credentials. CVSR has come a long way since I rode it about 1991, and I think it's fantastic to see the plans for growth.

Some nice-looking small towns. It's interesting to see that some have held together pretty well, and others, despite apparent efforts, have a lot of vacant lots.

Great shots! Vivid color & sharp.

Once upon a time I worked in an office in a factory complex that had its own telephone exchange. The company exchange number was one digit away from the exchange for the city-county building, and judging from the calls I got, my four-digit extension was the same as the county board of health. I often got calls from people wanting to know the results of their STD tests, and always resisted the temptation to tell them it was positive and they had six months to live. Instead, I just told them they had the wrong number and suggested they dial it with a 427 instead of a 428. One afternoon a possibly somewhat inebriated guy called, though, demanding to know why I denied his septic tank permit. Me: "Sir, you have the wrong number." Him: "Don't give me the runaround, you sonofabitch! I oughta come down there and pound your face in." Me: "I'm waitin' for you, asshole. But you better bring a bucket." Him: <pause, then bewildered-sounding> "What for?" Me: "To carry your ass home in." Click: (Me, hanging up on him) I probably should have called the board of health to give them a heads up, or maybe I should have headed down there on the double to watch. I don't know if he went, or not.

Now I understand what's meant by a Hellish good time! :-D Good stuff!

Beautiful country! Kentucky is scenic any time of year. In winter when the leaves are off, the vistas open up. I haven't been there much in summer, but I know that spring and fall are both gorgeous.

I'm allowed all the bright, shiny things I want, so long as they don't have sharp edges or points. :-o Looks like exurbkid made quite a haul!

Merry Christmas, everyone! As usual, I'm too disorganized to decorate. I went to the local Festival of Trees for my bright-shiny-things fix.

This is sounding a little scary; whenever something/someone seems to be too good to be true, it/they usually are. I like most of what he's saying; he sounds like he really wants to make passenger rail a significant part of the country's transportation infrastructure. It's so out of character for a Bush appointee, though, that I feel apprehension that he's either a wolf in sheep's clothing, or has a short tenure ahead of him (see Gunn, David L.). Perhaps W has his hands full dealing with the adjustment of expectations and strategy in Iraq, though. He finally seems to comprehend that he's taken a severe smack upside the head in the elections. As for the GAO recommendation that long-distance trains be discontinued, GAO pronouncements seem to be driven either by an obvious agenda or staggering cluelessness. I recall a GAO study many years ago that said that the idea of high-speed trains should not be pursued, because Americans didn't ride them. Other than the possible exception of the Northeast Corridor, which was somewhat of a stretch then, Americans didn't have high-speed trains to ride. Duh! Don Phillips, co-author of the article above, doesn't sugar-coat things; I respect his assessments.

Pretty good photos, I think. It's good that the building is being renovated. It's a handsome structure, and it would be a shame to see it demolished. It'd be interesting (or maybe hearbreaking) to see similar views of the city from the years when Detroit was prosperous.

Reminds me of the decline and fall of Fort Wayne's Southtown Mall. Sadly, the site has been redeveloped with big-box stores, hardly an improvement. So far, I think there's a Wal-Mart Supercenter and a Menard's.

^He's preaching to the choir, of course, but it's the best sermon I've heard in a while. I think he takes a lot of what Kunstler has written, and packages it very tightly and concisely. It's a persuasive presentation, and considering that he's directing it at planners, I think he's right on target.

Happy Birthday! You aren't old. I'm not even old, and I was born a long time before you were. :-D

:clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:

I don't like the tone of that! Let me straighten you out on something: There's a big difference between being self-absorbed, and having a healthy, well-deserved respect and admiration for one's own fabulousness! :whip: :wink: :-D

Excellent photos. Those people should be reported to Child Protective Services. It's winter, for Pete's sake, and that kid should be bundled. Where are the swaddling clothes I read about in Sunday School? The fire devastation looks pretty intense and the shattered plywood looks like the result of an explosion. When we see something like that in Northern Indiana, we immediately think, "Meth Lab."