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Car Forums/ General
The Inconvenient Truth About Ethanol
Steve Elias Posts: 2,207
4ethanol, your thinking appears to be magical, or maybe you are just rationalizing about ethanol maybe due to it making you or your family $? (I'd probably like ethanol-as-fuel lots better if I made some $ from it.)
Why care if the mpg loss with E10 is 10% or 11% or 9% or 5% or 3% or 2.71828%? It's a scam any way you slice it.
maybe our new president will recognize the scam and cancel the subsidies/etc?
newdavidq Posts: 146
In the last paragraph of this post, pf flyer offered a simple but powerful example of the folly we are engaged in with corn based ethanol. It is so simple a concept that to deny the conclusion is delusional.
I keep a log in my 4runner and can pinpoint the change in gasoline formulations because I drive pretty conservatively and do the same kind of driving consistently.
If the price of ethanol were such that the cost were less (without the subsidy, tariff, questionable air pollution issues, farmland, food prices, fertilizer use, engine damage to small/marine engines, and transportation issues) than gasoline, it might be a good thing.
P.S. Does anyone know if there is an ethanol/global warming forum?
PF_Flyer Pennsylvania Furnace, PAPosts: 9,403
A buddy of mine runs a tire store/repair shop and I was hanging out there the other day when a customer came in and was talking about the mileage performance of their Prius. They are one of those Prius owners who are semi-fanatical about maximizing their mileage. Not a full-blown hypermiler, but still VERY attuned to and aware of their mileage. They were getting 52mpg out of their Prius until "the labels saying contains ethanol appeared on the pumps" and their mileage immediately dropped to 42 mpg.
Gee... that sounds like about a 20% drop. I bet they aren't doing something right or there's something wrong with their car because that ethanol stuff can increase mileage when used properly. :P
First Wall Street, Then Automakers, Now U.S. Ethanol Industry Wants a Bailout
"Enough already!"
That ought to be Washington's response to the Renewable Fuels Association's request this month for $1 billion in financial aid to struggling ethanol producers so they can finance current operations.
But wait, there's more. The RFA -- the ethanol industry's lobby -- has also suggested to the incoming administration that it create a $50-billion federal loan guarantee program to finance investment in the ethanol producers' expansion.
And furthermore, the RFA has told Obama & Co. that any automaker that receives federal aid should be required to only produce vehicles that can run on any gas-ethanol blend up to 85 percent ethanol, beginning with the 2010 model season.
Be sure to read the rest of the story at the Green Car Advisor
gagrice Pahrump, NevadaPosts: 31,450
Please Uncle Sam give me a bailout. I promise not to piss it all away this time.
The ethanol industry has been a black mark on the country since it was first pushed 30 years ago. How many times do we have to subsidize this losing corn ethanol scam? The only people that benefited are Big AG like ADM. They con our ignorant Congress into the scheme. It lowers our gas mileage and then they got the nerve to ask the tax payers to bail them out of a business that was never intended to make money.
The discussion of ethanol is getting to be a lot like the discussion of the effectiveness of HHO kits. Facts no longer seem to matter. We're supposed to go along just because someone thinks it's a good idea :sick:
I think so much more media attention to our trade deficit with countries that are not all that friendly causes a lot of the problem. Everyone is looking for the magic bullet to save US from our supposed gasoline addiction. We are spoiled in this country by cheap fuel. I would not expect any alternative to offer anything as cheap as fossil fuel is right today. Just not likely. As much as I would like a car I could plug in and drive for a penny a mile. That is not going to happen either.
motorcity6 Posts: 427
Personally it has been great in Fla, hi 70s & low 80s..I pray for more Global Warming...I thought ethanol would solve all problems, but like most left-hand ideas it created more than it solved..If you could look at our Congress folks portfolios of stocks you would understand where they put their money for they possess the "Insider Trading" status.. Called Blind Trusts, it's blind to the voters.
Since I fed 3 cars, ethanol sucks!!!! The 09 Mustang Bullitt has not seen any ethanol, the 06 S/C Pontiac gets cheap premium gas and high-priced ethanol-laced petrol, and non-ethanol premium..Mileage goes from 18.5 on the cheap premium to 23.5 on the old fashioned gas..The third car is a 4banger XLE Camry which lives on a diet of junk gas and took a dive in mpgs w/ethanol of about 15%..
At $4.00/gal, the ethanol guys were in hog-heaven, now they are in the slop, and screaming for our left-hand govt for a bailout..
The chemistry and the benefits of ethanol somehow doesn't enhance my automotive experiences for the I fail to see any pluses on ethanol's behalf..I guess I am too old fashioned to gobble up the hype connected to what's driving this country back to Dark Ages..
I am long on oil..it's at the bottom..Jump aboard and bid up the barrel price so the ethanol guys will stop complaining so Congress will not have to give them more of our taxes..
Enviromentalists+Lawyers have created this downsizing of our economy based on the assumption of "Saving the Planet"..Who is going to save you folks????
I am too old to worry about the outcome----remember "Elections have Consequecences". You will find out shortly what it's like to have professional politicians running your life..the ones who have been on the public payroll their entire working life except for the paper route in their early days or maybe a little "Community Organizing " using your tax $$$$$s....
I got my fill of ethanol in 2000 in Michigan at a small town gas station, a very nice operation with gas prices 5 cents lower than the big city guys. However after filling up 10-15 times and receiving less gas mileage, while I really didn't care, but the car didn't have it's robust performance so I read the little stickers on the pump---low and behold it's ethanol-10%..
I apologized to the car for this mistreatment...Now it is Mandated---sure makes me feel better??????? Isn't it fun to pay more for much less????? Cars get smaller however we pay more-much more???? Like the new light bulbs, full of mercury, now is that good or bad???? Ask a legal eagle for they used to collect big fees tracing down mercury...Smoking is bad, who cares, it creates taxes--okay, gives the legal eagles more basis for lawsuits based deceptive advertising. I guess smokers can't read..
This is just what Ahnold needs. Makes the Hummer look like a toy. Luxury with 6 NBA players able to sit in comfort. What more could you ask in an Urban Cruiser?
The KNIGHT XV is 240 in length, 98 in width with a ground clearance of 14 and stands at 100. Its wheelbase is 141 and has an armoured curb weight of 10,000 pounds. The vehicle holds 40 gallons of fuel and sits on four, LT40X13.50R20 Mickey Thompson Baja Radial ATZ tires with ballistic run flats.
Additionally, the KNIGHT XV contains an E-85 Ethanol conversion system (Flex Fuel) with California emission certification, thereby making it certified in all 50 States.
What more could a tree hugging ethanol proponent ask for??
Kirstie_H Posts: 11,104
Hm... you don't mention the MPG estimates on this one. I suspect you could get upwards of 7 MPG with a strong tailwind.
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I think 7 MPG with E85 would be optimistic. I found it interesting that there are start-ups using the E85 scam to get by the goofy regulations imposed by the EPA and CARB. If it runs on E85 makes no difference how much of it. That is how GM & Ford will get by the new CAFE regulations. A full sized PU getting 12 MPG on E85 gets an equivalent 33 MPG rating from CAFE. I don't think you will see many Conquest vehicles on the road at $310,000 each. CARB gives this behemoth the nod with its gas guzzling V10 engine. I cannot buy a new small PU with a 4 cylinder diesel engine anywhere in the USA.
Pacific Ethanol to temporarily suspend production
updated 12:57 p.m. PT, Fri., Jan. 9, 2009
SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Pacific Ethanol Inc. on Friday said it plans to temporarily halt production at its 40 million gallon per year ethanol facility located in Madera, Calif., starting Jan. 12, due to extended unfavorable market conditions for ethanol.
Demand for ethanol has waned amid record-low crude oil prices and weak oil demand.
Pacific Ethanol produces about 114,000 gallons of ethanol per day and employs about 40 full time employees at the Madera plant. The company said it has temporarily laid off Madera employees and plans to reopen the plant "as soon as market conditions allow" and will bring employees back.
More bad news for ethanol. Too bad people do not look past their noses. Ethanol history would have told US Corn Ethanol is not going to fly. Now we have more people on unemployment as a result of Government mandates and intervention into business. Will it ever end. Or is it going to continue to get worse?
texases Posts: 9,387
Here's how the disaster that is ethanol is doing right now:
Ethanol's problems
All people had to do is look at the 90+ ethanol stills that were shut down in the 1980s to see this was a poor product. If it cannot make it without subsidies it is not a viable source of energy.
"The ethanol industry is on its back despite the billions of dollars they have gotten in taxpayer assistance, and a guaranteed market," said Amy Myers Jaffe, an energy analyst at Rice University.
The government's Energy Information Administration recently projected that the industry would fall short of the targets for expanded use of ethanol and other biofuels that Congress set in a 2007 energy law. "It's possible we may have to look at the targets again," said Senator Jeff Bingaman of New Mexico, the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee.
VeraSun Energy, one of the nation's largest ethanol producers, has suspended production at 12 of its 16 plants and is planning to sell production facilities. In recent days Renew Energy, Cascade Grain Products and Northeast Biofuels have filed for bankruptcy protection. Pacific Ethanol said it would suspend operations at its Madera, Calif. plant.
On top of that, the excuse used to justity corn-based ethanol, that it's a 'bridge' to other sources of bioethanol, is proving to be a sham:
"In the meantime, plans are lagging for a new generation of factories that were supposed to produce ethanol from substances like wood chips and crop waste, overcoming the drawbacks of corn ethanol. That nascent branch of the industry concedes it has virtually no chance of meeting Congressional production mandates that kick in next year."
I think the Congress and President were sipping too much of that Corn Hooch when they mandated ethanol in the 2005 Energy bill. That being a Republican Congress should have known better. Well they lost their jobs by not sticking to core conservative ideals. Now we got an even bigger mess to deal with.
fezo Manahawkin, NJPosts: 10,379
Ethanol Industry's 15% Solution Raises Concerns.
Like we don't have enough annoyance with E10.
2015 Mazda 6 Grand Touring, 2014 Mazda 3 Sport Hatchback, 1999 Mazda Miata 2004 Toyota Camry LE, 1999.
Yea, I love it. The "magic proportion" will somehow get BETTER mileage out of a fuel that has a lower energy density. :sick:
jkinzel Posts: 735
Seems like our Government want to destroy it's self, they just keep digging the hole deeper.
cvs20 Posts: 14
I am a Mecahanical Engineer, having specialized in vehicle performance, whether it be economy, crash-worthiness, roll-over, stability, etc. for over 28 years.
PLEASE believe me when I show the comparison information below:
1. Consider performance of gasoline as a standard of 1.00 for all the following (100% if you like)
2. Ethanol has a heating value between 0.65 and 0.75 that of "gasoline" (for those who care heating value measures useable ENERGY content), but that also translates into an efficiency of 65% to 75% that of gasoline. Alcohol won't GO as far given the same volume, PERIOD. It's a fact of chemistry, and is not subject to legislation or wishes.
3. A ROUGH idea of the fuel mileage of e85 (containing 85% ethanol and (maybe) 15% gasoline) can be roughly calculated according to:
E85 mileage = 0.15 x 100% + 0.85 x 75% = 0.745, or a mileage value 74.5% that of gasoline (that is, 25.5% reduction in distance covered per gallon of E85.
4. Bear in mind that the above is close to a "high" estimate, since alcohol absorbs water, which cools the combustion flame resulting in lower values.
bpizzuti Posts: 2,743
I think part of the supposed appeal of ethanol is that we can source it domestically. Same with natural gas, which also has less energy per unit of volume than gasoline (burns cleaner though).
When one gets down to it, that IS a factor, plus the fact that most engines can burn a certain mixture of ethanol without modification.
Burning pure ethanol is another story though, and we need a better source first, since corn ethanol takes about as much energy to produce as it produces itself.
pafromfl Posts: 47
"Alcohol won't GO as far given the same volume, PERIOD. It's a fact of chemistry, and is not subject to legislation or wishes."
Engine optimization also is involved. I've tested four cars on interstate highways and discovered that E10 reduces gas mileage by about 10%. It appears that you can drive the same distance whether the ethanol is in the tank or dumped on the ground (although maybe the quality of the 90% gasoline portion is the problem).
You are right that we would do better dumping the ethanol on the ground or better yet drinking it. I think that is what happened when they passed the mandates on that crap. they were all drinking alcohol with the lobbyist from ADM. They are the only ones making money.
When all the corn stills go broke and close it will be more people in the Midwest out of work. It happened in the last big recession in the late 1970s and early 80s. They shut down over 90 Corn ethanol plants. How many will go down this time around?
Since the intro of ethanol, mileage on my vehicles, and anyone else I know who carefully monitors the mileage of their vehicles, is down a solid 8-10%.
Couple that with all the news stories I've seen recently about a world food crisis, and it would appear to be utter insanity to want to add MORE ethanol to fuel, but we have a bunch of people that want to do exactly that.
To quote a closing line for one of my favorite movies of all time, The Bridge on the River Kwai...
Madness... madness!
Well, let's say it's madness to convert food into ethanol. If we had a non-food source it would be a better idea.
Not a better idea if the idea is to cut down on use of oil. Exactly how much oil/gas am I saving when a 10% blend of ethanol reduces my mileage by 10%, because that's how much my mileage dropped instantly with the introduction of 10% ethanol into my area and it has stayed there. Let's see, the math could be tricky. Just for an example with round numbers, assume I had a 10 gallon tank and was getting 30 miles to the gallon. So I use 10 gallons of gas to go 300 miles. Now fill up with a 90/10 gas/ethanol mix (and remember that on most of the pumps around here it says UP TO 10% ethanol) and my mileage drops to 27 mpg. So to travel the same 300 miles I have to use 11.11111... gallons of gas/ethanol blend. Since 90% of that blend is gas, I'm using the same 10 gallons of gasoline that I was before.
I save no money as the price at the pump didn't drop a cent with the introduction of ethanol. I'm not cutting back on my use of gasoline so throw the emissions argument out the window. And we've managed to affect the commodities market to boot.
I think I'll stand by my madness claim.
I didn't even have to pull out the claim by some that the "right mix" of ethanol and gasoline actually increases mileage. :confuse:
Why are we putting so much effort into a product that instantly takes 10% value right off the top?
If all the effort that has been put into ethanol had been put into biodiesel, we would be well on our way to oil independence without creating a food crisis. Biodiesel/diesel almost doubles the MPG over E10 and does not require the use of food crops.
of ethanol blends is that it reduces the amount of oil we need to import and doesn't require any mechanical changes or technology development and improvement to make use of (even though it carries less energy than the oil we WOULD import, we don't need as much as before, or we wouldn't if we weren't a bunch of idiots buying v8 SUVs to carry one person and no cargo, heh). Granted that's the only benefit, but it can be used as a stopgap while we work on, say getting more natural gas engines and conversion kits out there.
Of course if they DO manage to convert waste, woodchips, or switchgrass to ethanol, and it uses up less energy to create and convert than it generates when burned, then it might be viable to get more E100 engines out there. Key word, "if."
Biodeisel is a good one too...to be honest it's a better idea for commerical. Trains and semis would be able to run it as-is. We still need to find the right car alternative, and there's still competition (natural gas, ethanol, hybrid, EVs, ethanol-burning hybrids, hey how about an NG hybrid?) mostly because of concerns with producing the stuff.
Of course, one of the downsides of ethanol is some group of idiots (a group usually concentrated in Washington DC) gets the bright idea of converting food into fuel, so that, while we starve, at least we can haul our boats, right?
morin2 Posts: 399
PF_Flyer pointed out that there is no gas savings since the vehicles are going fewer miles on a gallon, and I agree with him. My concern is the longevity of engines as ethanol % increases. Marine mechanics are working overtime as this garbage ruins fuel tanks and outboard motor carbureters. Want a growth industry - learn to rebuild marine carbureters. Every time I go out, I see boats being towed in for engine failure. Locally, the number 1 pollution problem of our Chesapeake Bay is excess nutrients - nitrogen and phosphorus. Growing corn requires plenty of fertilizer - exactly what we don't need. The loss of production from the Bay is a big loss but the cleanup costs are enormous. Thank you ethanol industry. The only ones to benefit from ethanol fuels are the heavily subsidized ethanol producers. If they have to be subsidized, I think the country would be better off is they were paid to not produce ethanol.
I'm glad you used the word IF. That is the big issue. No one has built a plant that can produce ethanol from waste, (switchgrass) etc, that does not require more fossil fuel than it replaces. VW builds cars for Brazil that will run on gas or pure ethanol. Of course Brazil is cutting down the rain forest to plant sugar to make ethanol. How great is that? Right now there is over $2 per gallon subsidy on raising corn for ethanol. Not to mention several of the new ethanol stills are heating with COAL. There goes any environmental benefit. Even with the subsidies the price of corn is driving the small operators into bankruptcy. More jobs gone, thanks to our meddling government.
Well, hey, we could always use more sugar. :shades:
Engine optimization is certainly going to help improve performance of ethanol fuels. In my last message, I was exceedingly kind to the ethanol folks with economy figures. Actually, it takes 1.50 gallons of pure ethanol to replace 1.0 gallon of gasoline. E85 requires 1.35 gallons, and 10% blend 1.05 gallons to do the equivalent of 1.0 gallon of gasoline. In other words, E85 would have to sell at 74% the price of gasoline to be competitive. My 4th Year Engineering Project in College was researching ethanol as a motor fuel (note: at that time gasoline was about $035 per gallon, and my test fuel was $7.56 per gallon - because of gov't tarrif). It DOES have its good points: ethyl alcohol exhibits a much higher octane rating than gasoline. I was able to run at compression ratios around 16 : 1 without "knocking" as opposed to 9 or 10 : 1 for gasoline, and the 10% blend can reduce knocking in most normal engines. Because of the high pressures available, an engine can produce much more power on ethanol or E85.
Power and Economy are at odds: the more power produced, the faster fuel is burned, just like Congress throwing money at problems in order to maintain their power.
I also agree that the politicians must be either drinking some, or smoking something, to not understand the basics, or else someone is blowing smoke up.....
Local sourcing is GREAT, but in just a few years the population will have grown to the point where there are only about 2 acres of arable land per person. If corn were to be used, an acre of corn can supply about 300 gallons of ethanol, so, we either starve and use 600 gallons of fuel, or we eat.
Great idea. Less corn required!
Oceanic algae has also recently come on stage.
When things get really bad, we could use 1 acre of land for food, and one to drink!
That's exactly what my Mechanical Engineering research showed, but did anyone ever read it or use it (it was done for the Associate Dean, who was my Senior Project Advisor.
My question to the corn-based proponents is: what fuel do you use to produce the corn, and to make the equipment, etc??
Don't even get me STARTED on the hydrogen debacle!
Bio-Diesel is a viable contender, but also has some baggage. Diesel engines require compression ratios between 14 : 1 and 25 : 1. The extreme pressures require stronger, and most likely heavier, engines and components, and more weight requires more fuel.
One possible configuration for vehicles might be to copy the railroads on a smaller scale. The Diesel-electric configuration of most railroad traction motors uses Diesel engines to drive generators which, in turn, apply power to electric drive motors. The beauty of that is that the generator-to-motor energy transmission can approach 60% efficiency (that is, each 100 revolutions of the generator can cause 60 revolutions at each drive motor.
That's the main reason steam trains are mostly history - just can't compete.
Yeah, alcohol is corrosive to unprotected steel parts, and also is hazardous to most common, low priced, seals and other elastomer components. Tends to leach out the "plasticizers" leaving the parts brittle.
It is also hygroscopic (absorbs water and often used to clean up accumulated fuel tank water), but then is quickly burned through the engine with little to no residue, but a tank full including absorbed water will further reduce economy.
Theoretically, E10 performance should be 95% that of gasoline. Which means that my well designed 30 mpg car should only get 28.5 mpg with E10. This is where I DO run many times on the highway. Sometimes it drops to around 27 mpg, and that REALLY ticks me because I got stuck with expensive watered-down blended fuel !!! :mad:
It takes 1.50 gallons of ethanol (E100) to equal 1 gallon of gasoline.
It takes 2.00 gallons of methanol (M100) to do the same.
Best thing about either is you can extinguish a fire using only water !! :shades:
Sadly the price of exporting corn to Mexico is so high that the farmers are digging up the blue agave and planting corn. No blue agave no good tequila. Now if that ain't a serious problem I don't know what is.
colloquor Posts: 482
FWIW... here in central Illinois, 10% ethanol blended gas has been around since the mid-80s. It's almost impossible to buy gas in this area without 10% ethanol. Only one station that I was aware of in the Champaign-Urbana area offered non-ethanol blended gasoline, and now that station has switched to 10% ethanol blend too. For most of midwesterners, 10% ethanol blended gas is a way of life, and has been for over 2 decades.
In the late 1970s they were lacing gas with ethanol in MN. We know how that experiment ended in the early 1980s. 90+ towns devastated by closing the Corn Ethanol stills and laying off 100s of workers.
10% ethanol blended gas is a way of life,
10% ethanol is also a way of life in the state of Washington thanks to the dictatorship of our Governor. If I could find pure gasoline, I would drive some distance to get it.
Luckily you have a diesel car to beat the odds on ethanol laced gas.
Yes, it is nice to have a choice in gas or diesel, but I would still like to have a source of pure gas to run the mowers, chainsaw, etc. and yes, put in the car.
That is a SERIOUS issue about the tequila !! :shades:
Blue agave makes GREAT fuel for dating!
You can't make ethanol from wood chips, switch grass, etc. It WILL make methanol (wood alcohol), but it is a lower energy fuel than ethanol.
It takes 2.00 gallons of methanol to replace 1.00 gallon of pure gasoline.
It takes ONLY 1.50 gallon of ethanol to do the same thing.
Besides, if your vehicle breaks down, you can"t drink the methanol! :surprise:
Not yet for ethanol from cellulose, but that's the great 'hope' that's been used by some to justify the disaster that is corn-based ethanol. And it you think ethanol is corrosive? Methanol's way worse, would require complete refitting.
I would be willing to pay slightly more for undiluted gas. Here in MD, the gas stations are not required to post the ethanol content on the pumps. Some pumps have stickers indicating that the fuel "may contain up to 10% ethanol". About half the pumps have no label. I've started testing the ethanol content so I can buy from the stations with better gas for my boat and vehicles. Some of the unlabelled pumps have higher ethanol content than the labelled "up to 10%" pumps. The range I've observed has been 6 to 10%. I haven't tested gas at marinas yet - that's next.
galonga Posts: 50
I´m looking for a flex conversion kit for my car. I´ve seen many models and they all the same.
There´s this one however that claims it employs brazilian technology.
www.1hourflex.com
I read that Brazil has been running successfully e100 for over 3 decades, so I suppose they have more experience?
Does anyone know that company? Do you think their sales pitch makes sense?
I'm not sure you're going to get much positive information about ethanol on this thread; ethanol has a lot of negatives and very few positives.
If you really want to cut down on fuel consumption, buy a diesel. A VW Jetta TDI gets about 45 to 50 MPG. Do your home work, but I don't think ethanol is the way to go.
Tell me then why do you think ethanol is not the way to go?
I mean, if a WHOLE COUNTRY has been running it for over 3 decades with no problem as I´ve read, doesn´t that prove it works?


Cincinnati is an awesome city that is seeing a lot of new development, currently 8 cranes downtown. And it is actually home to just as many fortune 500 companies as Milwaukee, Cincinnati actually ranks 6th in the nation per fortune 500 company.
Cincinnati has the 4th best park system in the country, and has a slightly more prosperous economy than Milwaukee, but don't think that it is a Charlotte or Atlanta, which in my opinion is a good thing. I don't like all that sprawl and uncontrolled growth.
Yes, the weather is similar to Lexington, sometimes you might see a differance in snowfall totals or temps, but nothing drastic.
Job climate is not great, what city is right now? But, it has an unemloyment rate below the national average.
Hope that helps somewhat, if you need more help, just ask.
Because there is no sprawl or uncontrolled growth in Cincinnati..
I dunno. A person who is from Milwaukee, for crying out loud, is embarrassed about having a Kentucky license plate? My whole family was from Chicago and they thought of Milwaukee as more like Haiti than a nearby city. Dude, Lexington makes Milwaukee look like Gary Indiana. And, I don't think you will find many people from Lexington who want to relocate to Cincinnati for quality of life reasons.
Cincinnati weather is so unpredictable. This year is the worst we have experienced in 4 to 5 years. We are up to 32 degrees at noon and it will be 50 tomorrow. We do not have steady weather here year round and this should be the worst week of the year. But it is not promised.
Our industry went to China. I voted for Bush but each time he came to Ohio more industry ended up in China. Our job market is at its lowest in more than 30 years. If Indianapolis has a better outlook, I would suggest you go there.
Then your family knows nothing about Milwaukee. Nothing like an uninformed opinion!
Lexington is a dinky little city that was very unimpressive to me, if I can be frank.
And,since you brought it up, Gary Indiana is the armpit of America!
And thanks for your replies guys, it is appreciated.
OK, let me get this straight. A guy from Milwaukee who is ashamed to move to Lexington because he's too embarrassed to have a "Kentucky" license plate is telling me I'm uninformed?
You need to go to Lexington and check it out so that you can be informed. Lexington is a beautiful city with horse farms and old south charm and none of the stigma of racism and oppression of the actual old south.
Admittedly, Lexington is half the size of Milwaukee but the median household income is about 50% higher and cost of living is lower. You do the math: People live like crap in Milwaukee compared to Lexington. And since the crime rate and unemployment are about twice as high in Milwaukee as Lexington people are less safe there.
And, if you happen to be in another part of the world, chances are that the only Midwest city the locals have ever heard of is Lexington since it is recognized world wide as the center of thoroughbred horse racing.
I have three friends from overseas that worked at Lexmark in Lexington for a few years and couldn't stand the conservative/stuffy environment that exists in the city. Two of them (couple) now live in Cincinnati and complain far less. The other (gay man) also was hired by P&G but is trying to move to Columbus. I liked Lexington when visiting and it is a beautiful place...but please do remember that it is the first real (and potentially shocking) glimpse into the good, bad and sometimes backwards portion of the semi-southern US.
I have been to Lexington quite a few times actually. As I said, my wife's family lives near there. There is no comparison really between a large city such as Cincinnati or Milwaukee vs Lexington which is a much smaller city.
When I look at cities, I don't just look at the city, I look at the whole area including the suburbs. Since I almost always will live in the suburbs anyway where there is little crime.
Cincy not in a Recession your joking right??? I live in Butler County and there is soooooooooo many homes that are being foreclosed. About 30% of the people I work with that bought homes wayyyyyyyyy out of there price range have either not made a payment in almost a year or have already abandoned their property. My employer is one of the few that is still hiring and believe me we get 100's of apps a day for the 10 jobs we posted last couple of weeks. I can't imagine losing a home right now.
Glad to be back, I was in Cincinnati for about a month watching the awesome development happening. Can't get over how big the site is for QCS. Went to my friends new loft in Over-The-Rhine, has to be one of the best urban neighborhoods in the country.
I was talking to some people at Procter and Gamble, not the best people to talk to on development, but I heard soon we should see new construction on the streetcar, it will link OTR to the Banks, great news! Can't wait till this recession is over, but if you look at Cincy, you really wouldn't think we were in one. So much happening.
How is the job climate?
The weather is somewhat similar to Lexington, although we do get more snow and ice in the winter. Probably 2-3 as much snow as Lexington, in fact. Spring, summer and fall conditions are very similar between the cities.
The job climate...well, I work in unemployment. Jobs are there if you know how to really dig in and find them. The metropolitan area's unemployment rate is around 11%. It's better than Louisville and Detroit, comparable to Indy, Cleveland and Columbus, and worse than Lexington. So, could be better, could be worse.
The new development downtown is exciting, as well as the revitalization (albeit gradual) of Over-the-Rhine. There are some areas along I-75 in the Downtown/West End transition, as well as in the east end of Downtown near Lytle Park, that could really use some work. Oh, and I'd love to see park "caps" over Fort Washington Way, as well as assimilation of the riverfront and the rest of the central business district.
I don't know if Cincy has the fourth best park system in the country (not trying to contradict you, but I just haven't been to every large city.) It does pretty freaking well, though, and as far as medium-sized city park systems go I imagine that only Louisville could compete with Cincy on a national level.
Can't wait till this recession is over, but if you look at Cincy, you really wouldn't think we were in one. So much happening.
I lived in Greater Lexington for 17 years (a surrounding town,) with the exception of a stint in Louisville for nine months. I would never live in either place again. If I stay in the Ohio Valley, it will be Cincinnati or Nashville; otherwise, I'll look west.
Lexington, while clean and beautiful, has a strong influence of "different" people from Appalachia that makes it feel distinctively, well, Kentucky. In some good ways and many bad. I found the people to be rather standoffish and actually snobby and it was very hard to make friends there growing up.


It's great being back and settling into our new class. We started by learning to be aware of how we feel with our Feeling Flower, which helps us to understand if someone isn't quite themselves sometimes.
We've also been setting some targets for the term.
How are you feeling today? This is Health and Well being along with talking and listening. The children ask one another "How are you feeling today (their name)" and then, once a child has said how they are feeling, "Why do you feel (feeling)?". The children are already developing empathy for one another, taking better care of their friends and being kinder to classmates.
Here are some of our Targets. We are very determined to meet them!
Here is an overview of what is happening in class between now and Christmas. Golly we're Busy Bees!


Adie's Pupil: A pupil that fails to react to the bright light normally due to impaired function of the nerve. There is no substantial interference to vision.
Amaurosis Fugax: Temporary blindness in one eye that may result from a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA) or an impending stroke.
Amblyopia: Also known as lazy eye; a visual impairment due to the lack of inputs from the eye to the brain during childhood.
Aphakia: Condition where the natural lens of the eye is missing, usually resulting from cataract extraction surgery.
Arcus Senilis: Grey or white ring that forms in the periphery of the cornea. There is no substantial interference to vision.
Astigmatism: Impaired vision due to irregular shape of the cornea.
Bell's Palsy: Condition which causes temporary paralysis of certain muscles on one side of the face, which can prevent blinking of the eye on the affected side.
Blepharitis: Inflammation of the eyelids causing red and itchy eyelids and formation of dry crusts on the eyelashes.
Chalazion: Small cyst in the eyelid caused by blocked oil glands.
Ciliary body: Tissue that produce aqueous humour.
Ciliary muscle: Helps change the shape of the lens for focusing the image.
Conjunctivitis: Infection or inflammation of the conjunctiva.
Cornea: Dome-shaped clear membrane that covers the outer surface of the eye.
Corneal Oedema: Fluid collection in the cornea, often causing impairment of vision.
Corneal Ulcer: Open sore in the outer layer of the cornea often caused by infection.
Central Retinal Artery Occlusion: Blockage of the main artery supplying blood to the retina.
Central Retinal Vein Occlusion: Blockage of the main vein in the retina.
Central Serous Retinopathy: Vision abnormality caused by build-up of fluid under the retina.
Dacryocystitis: Inflammation of the tear sac (nasolacrimal sac) adjacent to the nose.
Ectropion: Age-related abnormal outward turning of an eyelid.
Entropion: Abnormal inward turning of an eyelid causing redness and irritation.
Epiretinal membrane: Abnormal growth of thin transparent tissue on the surface of the macular area; also called macular pucker.
Esotropia: Condition where one or both eyes are turned inwards.
Exophthalmos: Extrusion of eyeballs from their sockets.
Exotropia: Condition where the eyes are turned outwards.
Fluorescein angiography: Test that uses a special dye and camera to observe the flow of blood in the retina and choroid.
Fuchs' dystrophy: Progressing disease characterised by the death of cells lining the cornea and maintaining its transparency.
Glaucoma: Damaged optic nerve caused by increased fluid pressure inside the eyes.
Hemianopia: Loss of vision in half of the visual field (in one or both eyes); often caused by brain injury or stroke.
Hyphema: Pooling of blood in the anterior chamber of the eye.
Intraocular pressure: Fluid pressure inside the eye.
Iris: Coloured part of the eye located between the cornea and lens which is responsible for the amount of light that reaches the retina.
Iridotomy: Procedure which involves making a puncture through the iris.
Iritis: Inflammation of the iris.
Keratectomy: Removal of a portion of the cornea.
Keratoconus: Condition, in which the cornea takes a cone-like shape.
Keratomileusis: Procedure that corrects the curvature of the cornea.
Lens: Transparent flexible disc that helps focus light on the retina.
Long-sightedness: Condition which affects a person's ability to see objects close to them; also known as hyperopia.
Macula: Yellow central portion of the retina responsible for central high-resolution vision.
Macular edema: Fluid and protein deposition on or under the macula.
Metamorphopsia: Vision impairment, in which grid of straight lines seems wavy and parts of the grid may seem blank.
Micropsia: Vision impairment in which objects appear to be smaller than normal.
Neovascularization: Growth of small abnormal leaky blood vessels in the eye.
Nystagmus: Fast movement of the eyeballs either up and down, side to side or around.
Ocular migraine: Vision loss usually lasting less than an hour; often accompanied by or following a migraine headache.
Optic disc: Circular area behind the eye where the optic nerve connects to the retina.
Optic nerve: Nerve that connects the eye to the brain and passes on the information of the image to the brain.
Optic neuritis: Inflammation of the optic nerve resulting in visual disturbances.
Optical coherence tomography: Non-invasive imaging test that takes cross-sectional images of the retina.
Papilledema: Swelling of the optic disc due to elevated fluid pressure in the brain.
Pinguecula: Noncancerous growth of the conjunctiva, which is slightly raised from the surface of the sclera.
Presbyopia: Age-related condition where the eye's lens loses its ability to change shape and focus on nearby objects.
Ptosis: Drooping of the eyelids caused by muscle weakness.
Retina: Light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye.
Retinopathy: Disease caused by damage of blood vessels of the retina.
Retinal detachment: Pulling away of the retina from its supportive tissue.
Rubeosis iridis: Growth of new abnormal blood vessels on the surface of the iris.
Sclera: White of the eye.
Scotoma: Area of diminished vision within the visual field.
Short–sightedness: Condition which affects a person's ability to see distant objects, while close objects can be seen clearly; also known as myopia.
Strabismus: Abnormal alignment of the eye.
Stye: Small painful lump (collection of pus) at the base of the eyelashes usually caused by bacteria.
Trichiasis: Abnormal inward growth of eyelash.
Uvea: Middle layer of the eye beneath the sclera, and consists of the iris, ciliary body, and choroid.
Vitreous humour: Clear gel-like material that lies between the lens and the retina.
Vitrectomy: Surgical removal of vitreous humour from the eye.
Vitreous detachment: Separation of vitreous humour from the retina.


text:
Q: I have a bad feeling about this. [from "Star Wars"] This is a famous line from Star Wars:

(1) I have a bad feeling about this.

In that sentence, what exactly does the prepositional phrase 'about this' post-modify?
In other words, is it an adjective phrase or an adverb phrase?
EDIT
For those of you who argue that it's an adjective phrase and fail to provide any rebuttal to the argument that it can also be an adverb phrase, I present this sentence:

(2) I feel bad about this.

Which I think can mean the same thing as (1).
Now, in (2), the prepositional phrase "about this" clearly functions as an adverb phrase. If so, how could you possibly argue that the same prepositional phrase cannot be construed as functioning as an adverb phrase in (1) as well?

A: Couldn't it be either?
You can say

The bad feeling that she had about John ...

where it seems to be modifying have.
But you can also say

And yet I couldn't shake a bad feeling about the whole thing,

where it is certainly modifying feeling.

A: About this is a prepositional phrase that functions as an adjectival (adjective) phrase that post-modifies a noun phrase a bad feeling.
If you say, "I have a bad feeling," people could never know what your bad feeling is about. A bad feeling has not been specified yet.
However, if you include a prepositional phrase, it is specified and people could know what the bad feeling is about.

I have a bad feeling (which is) about this.

The subjective relative pronoun which and the verb be are often times omitted as they could be considered elided. This is just one of grammatical explanations that could shed some light on how a prepositional phrase could post-modify a noun or noun phrase.

The book (which is) on the table is mine.

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Continuous integration: a practical example

Albert Albala

	@alberto56

	albert@tp1.ca

	http://drupal.org/user/245583

	IRC: alberto56

How we code, test and deploy now

How we should be coding, testing and deploying

What is Continuous integration

automate testing

code commit triggers testing

state of your project always known

Initial deployment should be easy (drush en demo_deploy -y)

Incremental deployment should be easy (drush updb -y)

What you should know

Testing is time-consuming

Tests are code

If you don't write your tests before your code, you will never write them

The best tests involve all stakeholders

Tests are documentation

Making something work locally is half the battle: it should also deploy initially and incrementally

Testing, CI and deployment go hand-in-hand

Testing

The more tests you have, the more confident you'll be to release code to production

100% confidence = continuous deployment

Hard-to-test scenarios

Test somethig that "only happens on production"

Test the time of day

Test external systems

To test: reproduce, then test, then fix

Don't clone your database

Use Features, Context, Strongarm, hook_update_n() and hook_requirements()

D8: Use CMI

Your tests are owned by the whole team

Be ready to drop everything if a test breaks

Is there a consensus on breaking for a coding style issue?

Fails should be visible

Only push work to the master branch

Jenkins takes care of moving to production

Don't subvert your process

All your clients' credit card numbers are visible on your homepage.

Should your one-line fix go through two hours of tests?

It's about the culture

Devs, themers will subvert your process

...unless they own it

Advantages

It "used to work".

Who did what, when?

Since when is something broken?

Better define "it works"

Your website is a software product

...which can be deployed any number of times

...which can be upgraded

...which you can deploy painlessly (drush en demo_deploy -y)

...which you can upgrade painlessly (drush updb -y)

Example: the STM website takes 5 minutes to deploy: drush en stm_deploy -y

What more can CI do for you?

Keep track of metrics over time

Take snapshots and image diffs

Provision VM for testing production-like environments

As easy as running vagrant up and versioning your Chef or Puppet files

Useful if you are targeting a specific version of PHP, for example

Test Browsers

And take screen captures and videos for further reference

Example video from the STM project

This idea initially from the Economist project

Test IE

Run behat and remote selenium on a Windows VM

Conclusion: what is preventing us from implementing this?

Conclusion: what is preventing us from implementing this?

It takes time, but paradoxically, we're too busy _because_ we're not using these tools

It is scary

We don't have standards (see dcycleproject.org)

We need to be careful about our tests not being longer than 2 hours

Recommended reading: "Continuous delivery" by J. Humble and D. Farley

Continuous integration: a practical example

Albert Albala

	@alberto56

	albert@tp1.ca

	http://drupal.org/user/245583

	IRC: alberto56

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Artz has more than 20 years' experience in nonprofit organizations, publishing, newspaper reporting, and public policy advocacy. He has held positions as a newspaper reporter for several papers in Texas, as a writer/editor for the National Center for Policy Analysis, and as a writer for Heartland Institute newspapers.
The U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation that would block the U.S. Department of Energy from implementing a ban on incandescent light bulbs.
A study by the Center for Automobile Research reports consumers will not recoup enough money in gasoline savings to make up for the higher prices they will have to pay for cars with the technology required to meet proposed fuel economy standards.


Print your new coupons and take advantage of these great deals on healthcare items for the whole family. Combine your coupons with the new Publix coupon for some great deals!
Add this deal to your shopping list over on the Publix Health & Beauty Advantage Buy Flyer Valid 2/9 to 2/22.


The GED has been an important part of the American education system, rescuing many adults from less prosperous lives and providing self-worth and dignity to thousands.
How Much Should Anchorage Pay for a School?
Hey Anchorage, ready to play "let's build a school"? Think $460 per square foot is a fair price? Time to let the School Board hear what you think-now.
Why would you buy something without knowing the total costs? Would you buy a latte without knowing what it costs? Anchorage School District will not disclose contract costs to public and School Board.
Remember Alabama Governor George Wallace standing in the door of the University of Alabama preventing two black students from enrolling? Now Attorney General Eric Holder is standing in the door of K12 schools preventing black children from leaving failing schools via vouchers.
It seems like "everyone gets a trophy" under Alaska's new school rating system. Do Alaska's parents and children win when the rating system portrays such a rosy picture of our schools?
Remember when Kevin Chavous came to Alaska (in the winter!) to speak on education reform? Well, he also traveled to Juneau to present to a joint Senate-House Education/Judiciary hearing.
It's that time of year when parents and students are excited about returning to school. But how is your child's school doing? Here's Juneau's report card.
Anchorage: Property Taxes, Sales Taxes or Combination?
Unbelievable: Here's a chart that citizens of Anchorage should see.
Homeschooling is thriving in America and especially in Alaska because parents want to choose the best educational fit for their kids. This is a personal story of Aaron Ackerman, his parents' sacrifices, and how he benefited from homeschool.


Journeys are interesting, even if the journey is a short one. Last Wednesday I set out for a show in Hillsboro, where I would be telling at a church for their Mother/Child banquet.
It was a pleasant afternoon, with the temperature just right and the sun shining, but not even this alleviated my nervousness in the drive, and as I started out onto the highway I realized it had been years I had needed to drive 65 miles an hour.
Now I should explain I have never been one to drive for pleasure, and particularly not one who relaxes on a long drive. So it is a rarity, though I am not terrified by it to the point of inability to function.
As mentioned, the day was pleasant, and fortunately I was traveling at a time when traffic wasn't heavy. Plus I had good maps. So I was able to appreciate that gradual change in landscape as I headed further south, and saw the gradual rise of hills.
And it really didn't seem an hour before I entered Hillsboro, and soon saw the church parking lot.
The theme was "The Seeds of Kindness," which the ladies of the church were indeed practicing that evening as they invited me to join them for dinner. And a very good dinner indeed - as one of their relations is a trained chef.
Nor could I have asked for a better audience as even the youngest girls settled down, and the audience was attentive through my half hour show. And as I told I realized I had the right stories for the night - each emphasizing some kindness.
One was the Chinese story, "The Magic Tapestry," another was the Scottish story, "The Stolen Bairn," and the third was the Japanese story, "The Fox Wife."
And later I realized that the three stories also emphasized something else - female determination and creativity.
The first begins with the old widow weaving for three years after she has fallen in love with a water colored painting that she was wishes to create in thread. The mother of the stolen bairn must create two items that the Sidhe have not seen before. And the wife in the "Fox wife" must be recognized for what she truly is - fox and woman.
All were well received, and it was a supporative group that offered praise at the end of the evening. It helped to fuel me for the long drive home. And though I did get lost (and wish for a GPS unit) it was still good - I even saw a doe grazing by the side of the road as I came back into town. She looked up at me, gazed a while, and went back to eating as I passed.
A gentle sign and closing for the end of my evening's journey.


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You are here: Home / Crime / Courts / Waterloo man found unconscious, with a gun, sentenced to federal prison
Waterloo man found unconscious, with a gun, sentenced to federal prison
November 24, 2021 By O. Kay Henderson
A Waterloo man convicted of shooting into a home three years ago and narrowly missing children inside has been sentenced to federal prison after he was found passed out with a loaded gun last year.
Court records indicate 28-year-old Adnan Alibegic was found unconscious in his vehicle at a gas station in Waterloo last year. As emergency crews tended to him, police found a loaded, stolen gun next to him and drugs in the vehicle. A search of his home turned up two other guns. It's a crime for a convicted felon to possess a gun.
According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Alibegic has a lengthy criminal history. It includes the 2018 incident when he shot at a group of people and one of the rounds passed through the living room of a nearby house. Alibegic has been sentenced to nearly a decade in federal prison.
Filed Under: Crime / Courts, News

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text:
36 Husbands (2019)
36 Husbands is a mystical, musical, Kung Fu spy comedy starring 3 powerful women – and a bunch of husbands. Krista, top spy and Kung Fu master, has extraordinary powers and she puts them in action on her quest to slow down the steady march towards World War III. Together with her Kung Fu disciples, Gina and Nola, (and Frankie, a spy on-loan from MI6) they fight and love their way across the world leaving a trail of broken hearts and sabotaged plans. All the spies and evil-doers are tuning into the Bright Blue Gorilla TV show. Why do they watch? Is it the music, is it the comedy? Maybe you can figure it out.
Director: Michael Glover
Actors: Christa Pasch, Dominic Anglim, Howard Corlett, Michael Glover, Nadine Nourney, Roberta Bianchini, Robyn Rosenkrantz
Keywords:36 Husbands (2019)
Server Language Quality Links
uptobox.com English HD Download
Despicable Me (2010)
Villainous Gru lives up to his reputation as a despicable, deplorable and downright unlikable guy when he hatches a plan to steal the moon from the sky. But he has…
Genre: Animation, Comedy, Family
Never Too Late (2020)
It has been a long time since Caine, Bronson, Angus and Wendell, AKA, 'The Chain Breakers,' escaped the torturous Vietnamese POW camp. They now find themselves sharing a new prison,…
Coffee Town (2013)
Three thirty-something friends band together when their carefree existence is threatened.
After 300 years of slumber, three sister witches are accidentally resurrected in Salem on Halloween night, and it us up to three kids and their newfound feline friend to put…
Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy, Horror
LEGO DC: Batman – Family Matters (2019)
In LEGO DC: Batman – Family Matters, suspicion is on high after Batman, Batgirl, Robin and other DC superheroes receive mysterious invitations. However, family values must remain strong when Batman…
Genre: Adventure, Animation, Comedy
The Lion King 1½ (2004)
Timon the meerkat and Pumbaa the warthog retell the story of The Lion King, from their own unique perspective.
Husband Swap (2018)
Genre: Comedy, Family
Lucky Fat Man (2017)
Chow Chong Fat and Wat Kam Heung, who knew each other since young, are coming to their 10th wedding anniversary. Fat always works as an accountant and also a handy…
One Last Night (2018)
A man and a woman start to fall for each other after they get locked inside a movie theater on their first date.
The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)
Goaded by his buddies, a nerdy guy who's never "done the deed" only finds the pressure mounting when he meets a single mother.
Ossan's Love: Love or Dead (2019)
The story takes place after the TV drama series Ossan's Love (2018). It's been a year since Haruta and Maki pledged their undying love. Haruta has now come back and…
The Humbling (2014)
Following a breakdown and suicide attempt, an aging actor becomes involved with a much younger woman but soon finds that it's difficult to keep pace with her.
Country: Italy, USA
Genre: Comedy, English Drama
Trailer: 36 Husbands (2019)


text:
TIM SKOLD: THE LOVE IS POP INTERVIEW
by Michael McCarthy
It's hard to believe, and makes me feel old, but I've been following Tim Skold's career for roughly 30 years now. I first became aware of his music when he went by the name Tim Tim and was the bass player for Shotgun Messiah, who were considered a hair band by most but in hindsight were way more in the punk genre. After one great album, Shotgun Messiah parted ways with their singer and Tim made the switch from bass to vocals. These days, he plays more instruments than I can probably count and wields a guitar during his live performances, but at the time he opted to simply focus on vocals. The album that followed, Second Coming, was amazing. Does it sound dated now? Slightly. Not nearly as much as most albums from that era though. Shotgun Messiah's third album was called Violent New Breed and was quite different. They might as well have called it Third Coming. This time around, their sound was very much in the industrial vein, industrial being something that neither of their previous albums sounded like whatsoever. As a huge fan of Second Coming, it hit me like a slap in the face. I hated it the first time I listened to it. But it was different and I kept listening to it from time to time. It was like looking at the scene of a car accident. You might not like it, but somehow you're attracted to it. Eventually, though, I became a big fan of the album. After Shotgun Messiah was over, Tim released a killer solo album and joined KMFDM, which was not a stretch from Violent New Breed at all, and they made some great music together. I had never been a fan of theirs, but Tim injected them with more energy and dare I say passion. From there, Tim went on to join Marilyn Manson for The Golden Age of Grotesque and Eat Me, Drink Me albums. The first one is my favorite Marilyn Manson album and in my opinion it's his catchiest. When Eat Me, Drink Me came out, I was prepared to love it, as Tim had an even larger role in it, but there weren't nearly as many hooks and I was disappointed. In hindsight, though, it's a solid if unique Manson effort. After splitting with Manson, Skold resumed activities with KMFDM and was part of the revamped version of the group that put out an experimental album as MDFMK. He also started releasing solo albums again. 2011 saw the release of Anomie, one of the best albums of his career. Which brings us to this year and the release of The Undoing, which finds him at his most brilliant, blurring the lines between electro/industrial/metal and punk in a way that only he can do. If you like truly original music that gets in your face, then I should think it would more than please you. Proceed with caution and get to know the man and his tunes. Also, be prepared for some of the most interesting answers we've ever gotten to our random questions.
MM: I was just reading in Wikipedia that The Undoing was originally going to come out in 2014. So, I was wondering what spawned the delay and if there were any songs that were scrapped in favor of new songs?
TS: The scrapping of it, cancellation, the late arrival came… See, I want to be congenial in the way I express this. I had interplanetarial people telling me things in my ears, suggesting that I should do things a certain way and I listened to them. I'm not necessarily saying it's a bad thing because sometimes you have to take chances, but sometimes you have to go across the bridge to get water and that's what I did with this. There's always two sides to the story my side is that I was abandoned and essentially, you know, came back to Metropolis [Records] asking if they would let me back and they said that they would. So, I was very, very happy about coming back to Metropolis. The album in itself was kept in tact throughout that whole time. As an artist, it's really easy to get sucked in and before you know it you're deep in that rabbit hole. You're making a Chinese democracy. So, I forbid myself to [make changes]. If there's something that I think that I've learned over time, and with music, is that there comes a time in a song or in a project's life where you kind of have to accept that it's the way it is. You can always change it, especially these days with computers. You can always change things forever. You have all of these options. But sometimes that's just not healthy for you. And it's definitely not rock 'n' roll. It is what it is. I'm very happy I kept it that way, too. Some of the changes I would have done I know technically would have been the correct thing to do, but I'm still very happy with it and I think it's a good piece. It should be in tact the way it was.
MM: What were you doing in between the time you finished touring for the last album and started recording The Undoing? Were you producing any other artists or anything?
TS: Yes. Now, I actually didn't even go touring for the last record. There was talk and I even had a couple guys in rehearsal and we were hashing out songs. Your head's in different places at different times in your life and it was very loosely. I'm not much of a hippie. So, it wasn't meant to happen that way. The last touring I'd actually done was back in 2007 with Marilyn Manson. So, since then I've only done a few shows. I had a project in Norway with a couple of guys. And we did ten or a dozen shows touring in Scandinavia and that was it. I haven't toured or done shows aside from the occasional guest thing since then. But, yes, to get back to the meat of the question, I did work with another band and that band was Motionless in White. Essentially struck up a good relationship with Chris Motionless. I did half – I think technically half – of the Infamous album and contributed I think it was three or four songs on Reincarnate. I would have to look up that. Someone at the record company didn't like me and the songs using hard profanity there [and] did not let me get my due credit. So, my name fell off of the back. You have to dig deep to find my name. But I am on there. I'm actually guest singing on it, too, so there's a track on there. There's a track I did with Motionless called "Final Dictvm" that at one point [I] considered for The Undoing but it was never officially on The Undoing. But it was in that batch. In that realm.
MM: When you started making electronic and industrial music there weren't as many ways to do it back then. What were you using for instruments and equipment back in the early days?
TS: In the very, very beginning I was in a cock rock band – in a glam rock band – people can call it whatever they want. Came out to the U.S. in 88 with a band called Shotgun Messiah.
MM: Yup. I loved them.
TS: OK. Me and Harry always listened to all sorts of different music. Lots of stuff coming out of the U.K. Some of the stuff that the Generation X guys were doing. And also American. People didn't use the term hip-hop or even R&B the way they do now. You would hear a Janet Jackson album, for example and you would hear these awesome sounds. Like, how did they get their stuff to sound that way? The electronics. The trigger. And there's different ways you can try to achieve that. So, we did a little bit with Shotgun. We already incorporated drum triggers and some of the unorthodox. There was so little available and the stuff that was available was ridiculously expensive. So, we didn't do a ton of it, but we did some of it. And for the last Shotgun Messiah record I had a sampler. I had a synthesizer. A sequencer. And you lived on floppy discs. 1.4 megabytes and a megabyte – I'm not gonna do the math for people today but even if you do they don't understand. A miniscule amount of what you have in your current phone of data. My set up at the time if you want to hear gear was a Roland W30 used as a sampler and a Kurzweil 2000, the sampler option. It was both a synthesizer and a sampler. Definitely more of a synthesizer than the Akai machines. The contemporary boxes. And that was my main workstation. And, yeah, I lived on floppy discs. I would back up my stuff on floppies and each song was less than a box of floppies. Please insert disc seven, you know? I think it was a good lesson learned because I learned how wrangle and manage data in a different way. I'm clearly more frugal than most of my peers and younger people who I work with today who never knew that feeling. It doesn't exist today. Just get a bigger drive.
MM: What equipment do you use today now that there are so many options?
TS: I have still a love of gear and the love of gear has somewhat morphed into a love of software and I've gone through many changes back and forth, up and down. I've played the field, you know, if I try to summarize it I mostly live in a Macintosh and I get a lot of stuff done in Pro-Tools. And it's partially because I jumped on it early on and they kind of got me. [Laughs] So, once you have a vested interest in a platform it makes sense to keep doing that. Back with KMFDM, MDFMK, I suggested we switch to Logic because Logic was actually my first sequencer – I call it a sequencer – it's called a DAW now. Logic was about to be purchased by Apple and became some other version of Logic. I usually keep a fairly current version of that around, too. So, I kind of dabble. There's been times when I've pretty much run a demo of pretty much any of the competitors and I play the field just to check out what I can do. Sometimes you generate some cool stuff.
MM: Do you work with a lot of samples and loops with those programs?
TS: Yeah. It's funny, I was just gonna say I still have a soft spot – there's this company in Sweden – I'm born and raised in Sweden, I'm Swedish – called Propellerheads and they were the first ones to put out a really convincing 303, Roland TB303 clone, software version. And it came in a package with two 303s and one 808. Or a 909. So, it was essentially techno in your computer. It was just insane that you could do this. It was so cool. And they kind of got it right. So, I will always love them for that and I still dabble with their current DAW's called Reason. And Reason has just about anything. They also have a great set of Moog players. And ways of dealing with loops. I like to synthesize but I also use a lot of samples. And I try to keep my neck clear so I'm not open for litigation. That's part of making music. The excitement of being able to recycle. Adapt.
MM: Listening to a song like "Today Your Love" it's obvious that your songs have a lot of tracks. How many tracks would you say your average song has?
TS: Oh, OK. Yes. It becomes very apparent once you put a band in a room and try to figure out how we would [play them]. Let's say I would do every component. Every component of this would be performed live. I would need an orchestra. I clearly over-produce. I'm a child of Phil Spector. Wall of sound will always be king. I think I counted at one point. To do this one specific song – I don't think it was "Today Your Love" though – but I counted [and] I needed about seventeen members. I needed seventeen people on stage. You know, that's clearly not gonna work. I can barely afford to pay the ones I have. So, yeah, it is ridiculous. And I acknowledge that. And I kind of gloat in that. Phil Spector, you know?
MM: I think it really works for you.
TS: Well, thank you very much. Thank you.
MM: So, do you do demos for any of your songs or do you just sit down and create them and when it's done, it's done?
TS: It's funny because in the early days of electronic home set ups you could put up in a garage it was always thought of as you were making demos. That you were later on going to go into a proper studio and finish. And I can't remember when it changed. But at some point it changed. I want to say it must have been '93, '94. The final Shotgun Messiah record. Because so much of what I had generated as demos actually survived. Was part of the finished, the completed tracks. I guess that's when it kind of shifted. And I use a little more caution when I start an idea. There's a definite break from just jotting down an idea to actually starting a song. So, at some point you have all the ideas but those sessions themselves aren't supposed to become songs. There's a different realm for that. It's very early on. I mean, the demo stage has kind of disappeared. There's a new scribble, jotting down ideas stage that happens earlier on. But it quickly becomes what's supposed to be the finalized, completed version.
MM: When you write songs do you start with a title or a lyric or the beats – how does the magic happen?
TS: It's almost always a beat. A beat or synth or guitar riff. And it's funny. Music. I still love making music. I'd sit around and make tracks all day if I could, you know? I would not tour. To be honest, I love playing these songs live, too, I think it translates super well and I dig my band, but, no, if I could be honest I would go in a bunker and just make tracks.
MM: What is your live show like? How many musicians do you have? Do you use sequencers or a laptop to run some of the more complex electronic sounds?
TS: Correct. Indeed. Yes. And it's a crazy set up in some ways. I try to keep it as minimal as possible because it needs to travel and it needs to travel on a certain level, you know? So, my old version has to be kept at a minimum. So, we're definitely using the machine for all its worth. Some stuff is actually pre-recorded material. There's additions and enhancements and added stuff topped to that. The guitars and the vocals are examples because they actually go through the machine and there is some automated processing happening. I just can't afford a sound guy to sit around and do that stuff. So, it's easier to kind of trick that out in the DAW. And since we're running on a time line, I want it to happen pretty much the same every night. What I sing might be different but at least I know the processing is gonna be happening a certain way. So, I'm kind of performing with the machine. And sometimes actually against the machine. That's just because of the mindset. Same thing with the guitar. I have pre-programmed stomp pedal effect type things happening. The first one was because I was singing and playing at the same time and I couldn't reach my foot over to the pedal. It really just became too much for me to pull off. So, I started using the machine as a help. Almost as a crutch. And realized that I could use it to go even further and to start swinging that crutch around like a lunatic. [Laughs]
MM: So, do you have a live drummer with you?
TS: Yes. It's me doing the vocals and guitars and my keyboard player's Tiffany Lowe and she runs the machines, the synthesizers and the electronic components and I have a drummer. My drummer's Eli James. And his kit is very rigged electronically. And it's a sight to behold as well.
MM: I know that you're currently out on the road touring for The Undoing in the States. Is this the first country you're touring for the album?
TS: Yes, it is. It's an American band and an American tour.
MM: Will you be touring overseas at all or are you just planning to tour here?
TS: There are some talks about Europe. There's been some talks about Russia. There's even talks about South America. But nothing is firm at this point. We are definitely welcoming suggestions. We're open for any opportunities.
MM: Do you find that your type of music is more popular in Europe than it is in the States? I know that early on they were bigger into industrial.
TS: Yeah, it's hard to tell. Industrial as a term has changed and morphed throughout time. So, it's hard to get a bearing on what constitutes a scene or what constitutes a scene today as opposed to ten years ago. It's always changing. That's part of the excitement. My music isn't that obviously industrial to some people but to other people it is. And I'm kind of like straddling every day, just thinking, well, that's really electro now I'm gonna change that, that's gonna be guitars instead. I want to change everything so now it sounds like a punk rock song. And that's part of the excitement of creating. From a marketing prospective I think that could be tricky for a record company and even people writing reviews. It's hard to explain. But that's what makes it exciting to me.
MM: What's your set list like? Do you do any Marilyn Manson songs or Shotgun Messiah songs or do you exclusively do material from your solo albums?
TS: There is some oddball stuff in there. There is no Shotgun Messiah at all. There's always a couple of guys every night, "Oh, I wanted you to play so and so." Yeah, me, too. I messed around with some of it but whenever I get to the guitar lead I go, well, Harry Cody needs to play this. And also for me to remain excited about what I do I have to look forward. I can't be looking back. I'm not embarrassed. Looking back, I have no qualms or issues with anything I've done. To me, the progression makes perfect sense because I lived it. To other people it could probably be jarring to see some old pictures and so forth but so be it. I've just gotta, at some point, figure out what makes sense for this version of the band and what we can do. The hard fact is that my keyboard player and my drummer are younger and they don't really get the Shotgun Messiah stuff. So, that is a different band. To me, it was a very special time in my life so I don't necessarily want to rip it apart and mess with it and reinvent it. There's really no need to do that. It stands for itself.
MM: What about the Marilyn Manson songs? Do you do any of those?
TS: Well, it's funny because I produced two cover songs. Produced and performed with Marilyn Manson, two cover songs. I produced "Personal Jesus" and I produced "Tainted Love." "Tainted Love" was my first song with Manson. That's why I got hired to stay on with the band as a producer and as a band member for The Golden Age. So, I do those. The question is, are they technically Marilyn Manson songs or not? Because they were covers. They were written by other people. But to me I'm connected with them because I produced what people considered fairly decent versions of them. So, it's a funny thing to play. To me, they're open for reinterpretation eternally. Over and over. And you get other people specifically the man in black [Johnny Cash] doing "Personal Jesus" in a fantastic way. So, it's a curious song by now. It's been covered so many times. It's fun to play just from its own perspective. I'll always have the Marilyn Manson tie in to the track. And there's one KMFDM song that I just have to do because people would just lynch me and tar and feather me and that's the "Anarchy" song from the Symbols record. And I love the track. It's very, very special to me. The time and the place and how it came about. It's very special. So, that's in the set. Then we do a crazy version of a remix version of a song from the SKOLD VS. KMFDM album. And that's one of the songs where you can really tell the insider from the casual listener. I like to challenge the crowd. Just a little bit. I'm not here to entertain you, I'm here to teach you a lesson. [Both laugh]
MM: Who designed the album cover for The Undoing?
TS: That's me.
MM: The lettering that your name is in – is that just a font you came up with or is it a particular type of runes?
TS: It's derivative of the old Germanic runes. So, being Swedish, I have a connection to the old runes. The Viking runes. There's still plenty of that stuff out in the woods, carved into rocks. And I've always had a connection to that. And to please me aesthetically I clearly took some creative liberties. I'm sure the Vikings, if they had computers, would've done similar stylings. So, I feel good about it. [Laughs]
MM: At the end of our interviews we always ask some RANDOM QUESTIONS. Is that cool?
TS: Well, OK, I can try. You might get a random answer though.
MM: That's fine. First of all, what do you think of the vinyl comeback? Are you a fan of vinyl?
TS: Yes, it makes a fantastic hat. A few beers into the record, it's a wonderful Pope hat. So, there you go, you get a random answer for a random question. But on the sideline, I don't have a vinyl set up, but, yeah, I grew up on vinyl. I love vinyl. I love the physical, tangible format of being able to open up the sleeve and open up the inner sleeve and have all this information and read the lyrics and all the pictures. Kiss 2 Alive was one of my first albums. To look at that album today, it's unbelievable. Great stuff. So, yeah, I'm a fan of the format. But I also understand that it's a moment in time. People are re-experiencing something. But [for] a lot of them it's a different thing because they are look at it as a retro format. Something from the past. But to me it was very much something current. Upcoming, so to speak. I remember being in a bus, just driving, as a child, going to the big city, forty five minutes there, forty five minutes back, just to get the Iron Maiden Number of the Beast. So, the first hour I spent with that album was not even listening to it. And I already loved it.
MM: Tell us three things from your bucket list that you have yet to do.
TS: Oh, well, the bucket list, wow. You know this can turn dark really quick, right?
MM: That's all right.
TS: No, you've gotta be careful with your questions and who you ask what. [Laughs] I'm not necessarily captain sunshine here, you know? I just got a dog back from the emergency room. He's been on oxygen for a week here. So, you know, my bucket list, I'd trade my entire bucket list for another day with my dog.
MM: I hear you. I have a cat that recently developed diabetes and he has an immune system disorder that he's had for years on top of that.
TS: Uh huh. Are you doing the injections?
MM: Yeah.
TS: That same dog, I do that twice a day, 13 units, you know. It's a lot of work, but, to me, it needs to be done. It becomes part of the parcel. Let's see if I can lighten this up a little bit. Bucket list. Well, I can lighten it up but then it kind of becomes silly after something like that. I shouldn't have went there. [Laughs]
MM: We can go to the next question.
TS: Yeah, you know, my entire life has been a bucket list and re-writing the bucket list every so often. It's part of the program. So, I kind of forgot that it's a list by now. Just try to be a decent person and then the pursuit of happiness. That's what it is.
MM: If you could resurrect any one musician from the dead, who would you bring back?
TS: Oh my goodness. I'm sure this is intended to be nice then they actually come back alive not as zombies and I have to impale them or stab them in the head or something.
MM: No, they'd be coming back perfectly normal.
TS: OK, in a good way, in a nice way. Maybe we should pick someone fresh so they're not too stinky? [Both laugh] Wow. That's deep, too. You know what would thrill me like nothing else is probably is bringing up one of the old classical composers like Ludwig van. Get Beethoven in front of a decent DAW. Use a computer system and see what he would make out of that. He's clearly gonna need some time to adapt.
MM: Oh yeah, definitely.
TS: We need to find a king who will pay him, who'll commission him to write a piece, too. So, it gets complicated. But that thrills me. Even taking the computer part out of it for one of those guys from back then who wrote a piece to be performed at certain intervals as a presentation for them to come and travel in time and see these really nice numbers of really high quality recordings done by countless orchestras, interpretations of their work, their minds would be blown. Like really. I think I would pick one of those guys. Not the modern. There's a song by The Ramones, "Pet Semetary."
MM: That's a good one.
TS: That was for the film. It's very near and dear to me. The question again is the right question for the right person, it gets dark really quick over here.
MM: What's the first album you ever bought with your own money?
TS: That was Kiss Alive 2. Yup, that was Kiss Alive 2.
MM: Here's one that could get dark. What's the most awkward exchange you've ever had with a fellow musician?
TS: Awkward? Awkward insinuates it's bad. Because sometimes awkward can be hilarious.
MM: It could be hilarious or bad. Either way.
TS: I mean, there's been many occasions where I have an earful of Marilyn Manson's make up coming off stage and I'm like what is all this pink shit in my ear? Oh, yeah, Manson. You know, working with Chris Motionless recently because he's so many years younger than me or I am many years his senior, you can put it that way instead. It sounds more authority. It was really, really fun and rewarding in ways I didn't necessarily expect it to be. I thought I was hired to essentially do one thing and once we got into actually doing it me and Chris started butting heads a little bit. The ethical side of what you can do and how you can do it. We came out really good friends after it. So, it was a really cool experience that way. It's funny because awkward because I've been – I don't want to use the term blessed, but I've done some really cool shit with some really amazing people and I've had a blast doing it. I don't even think I'm entitled to a bucket list.
MM: Yeah. You've already done so much awesome stuff.
TS: If I heard someone like me talk about a bucket list I would tell them to shut the hell up. [Laughs]
MM: That's a good point. I'll ask you one last one. If someone was giving you a million dollars to go to charity and it had to go to one charity or cause, which would you give it to?
TS: I don't necessarily want to name a specific charity, but it would definitely be to help rescue pets. Because I think humans, for the large part, are bags of shit in the way we treat animals. It's despicable. I would try to put a dent in that a little bit.
Much thanks to Tim for taking the time to do this interview and to Rey Roldan of Reybee Inc. for setting it up!
Tue, Nov 8 – Omaha NE @ Lookout Lounge
Wed, Nov 9 – Chicago IL @ Cobra Lounge
Thu, Nov 10 – Detroit MI @ Smalls
Fri, Nov 11 – Cleveland OH @ Phantasy Concert Club
Sat, Nov 12 – Toronto ON @ The Cave at Lee's Palace
Sun, Nov 13 – Providence RI @ Alchemy
Wed, Nov 16 – Wilkes Barre PA @ The Other Side
Thu, Nov 17 – Wilmington DE @ Asylum 13
Fri, Nov 18 – Clifton NJ @ Dingbatz
Sat, Nov 19 – New York NY @ The Delancey
Sun, Nov 20 – Virginia Beach VA @ Shaka's
Tue, Nov 22 – Atlanta GA @ 10 High
Sat, Nov 26 – Miami FL @ Churchills
Mon, Nov 28 – New Orleans LA @ Siberia
Wed, Nov 30 – Houston TX @ Satellite Bar
Fri, Dec 2 – San Antonio TX @ Korova
Sun, Dec 4 – Scottsdale AZ @ Rogue Bar
SKOLD OFFICIAL FAN PAGE ON FACEBOOK
Tags: 2016, electro, electro rock, feature, features, industrial, interview, interviews, KMFDM, MDFMK, Motionless in White, Punk, punk rock, rock, Shotgun Messiah, SKOLD, Tim Skold
3 Comments to "TIM SKOLD: THE LOVE IS POP INTERVIEW"
Rocklicous says:
A great article.
Phat Chance says:
Skold is the man. Everything he does is the shit.
Alex Warner says:
Awesome–Marilyn Manson and Tim Skolds are two of my top favorite rock stars!!


text:
Q: Parse JSON returns unexpected identifier error I am trying to parse the following JSON string that is being returned to me but am getting an unexpected identifier error in the console.
"{"title":"MyApp Companion","push_hash":"ff06b5b775e45409f9ab470b64d672d0","t":"mr","alert":"Ryjjgv","n":"Foo Bar","action":"open the app at specific location","pid":"7V8meRCJaj","badge":"Increment"}"

I am using zepto but the method $.parseJSON() throws the error.

A: You might have to escape quotes in your string as your string looks like this:
"your string("your string")"

It should be something like:
"your string(\"your string\")"

or
    'your string("your string")'
or:
Remove your first and last quotes
Hope this helps.

A: remove your first and last " or replace with '
"{
    "title": "MyApp Companion",
    "push_hash": "ff06b5b775e45409f9ab470b64d672d0",
    "t": "mr",
    "alert": "Ryjjgv",
    "n": "Foo Bar",
    "action": "open the app at specific location",
    "pid": "7V8meRCJaj",
    "badge": "Increment"
}"

to
 '{
        "title": "MyApp Companion",
        "push_hash": "ff06b5b775e45409f9ab470b64d672d0",
        "t": "mr",
        "alert": "Ryjjgv",
        "n": "Foo Bar",
        "action": "open the app at specific location",
        "pid": "7V8meRCJaj",
        "badge": "Increment"
    }'

and there is on online TOOL jsonlint.com , to validate your JSON

A: Because you're using " to delimit the string literal, the console is parsing the " inside the string as a string delimiter. Try using ' as to delimit the literal:
'{"title":"MyApp Companion", ... }'

Alternatively, you can escape all the " inside the string with \:
"{\"title\":\"MyApp Companion\", ... }"

A: Try this:
$.parseJSON('{"title":"MyApp Companion","push_hash":"ff06b5b775e45409f9ab470b64d672d0","t":"mr","alert":"Ryjjgv","n":"Foo Bar","action":"open the app at specific location","pid":"7V8meRCJaj","badge":"Increment"}')


text:
Belarus seeks more investments from India
Our Bureau New Delhi | Updated on November 14, 2012 Published on November 14, 2012
The Prime Minister of Belarus, Mikhail Myasnikovich with MoS for Commerce and Industry, D Purendeswari at a business meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday. - PTI
The Prime Minister of Belarus, Mikhail Myasnikovich, has invited Indian industry to invest in his country.
Addressing a joint business meeting here on Wednesday, the visiting dignitary said there were several sectors, including pharmaceuticals, heavy engineering goods, information technology and truck and bus manufacture, where India and Belarus could increase engagement.
Pointing out that trade between India and Belarus was below potential, Myasnikovich said a huge potential existed to expand trade and investment. The meeting was organised by apex chambers of commerce and industry.
Addressing the meeting, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, D. Purandeswari, said Belarus was a major supplier of potash fertiliser, something India was interested in. "India is interested in long-term offtake of potash fertiliser, apart from being interested in investing there in the sector," she said.
The visit comes as Belarus has been given the status of partner country at the India International Trade Fair, which opened here on Wednesday. Over 50 companies from Belarus are participating in the fair. ashwini.phadnis@thehindu.co.in