Who Remember Laura Vaughn? And Her Connection to the PennCentral?

[Andrew Longman]

My Bro's latest in Washington Monthly. It's about trains and cars, so I suspect some here will have interest.

Edit. Linda Vaughn.

[nrc]

Gratuitous Linda Vaugh cleavages! :D

Anyway, I think it still begs the question of how much Conrail's success was because because of government management and how much was because the government removed regulatory barriers once that was in its own best interest.

I suppose you could argue that the government should take over GM so they can walk a mile in their shoes, but I'm not sure that should really be necessary.

I'm not absolving GM of responsibility, but the race to shovel cash into the fraudulent financial industries while taking automaker CEOs to task for flying private jets was congressional hypocrisy at its finest. See for example:
http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2006/04/sweet_column_lawmakers_love_th.html

[Andrew Longman]

Gratuitous Linda Vaugh cleavages! :D

Anyway, I think it still begs the question of how much Conrail's success was because because of government management and how much was because the government removed regulatory barriers once that was in its own best interest.l[/url]

Linda was every 70s adolescent hot rodders wet dream... even if I couldn't get her name right.

With all apologies to my bro, I'm not sure the analogies perfectly apply to the auto industry. More likely the banking industry. In railroading the Staggers Act was absolutely critical in turning things around for the rail industry. Some, like my bro would argue that until the governmen had skin in the game they were not likely to reform regulations. About 100 years of history is on his side.

Energy policies, CAFE standards, other regulations and tax incentives have created incentives for Detroit to do exactly the wrong thing. So if if Washington was in the game they might be more rational in policy making. I think moreso in banking/finance though.

[Elmo T]

Useless info for the day - the Hurst Shifter folks are the original builders of the "Jaws of Life". Many of us who have been around a bit still refer to them as the "Hurst Tool". :thumbup:

OT - Conrail did have its issues as noted in the article. There was a great deal of abandoned/neglected infrastructure.

[oddlycalm]

Gratuitous Linda Vaughn cleavages! :D

Indeed. Here is the gratuitous cleavage crane cam shot

http://www.69olds.com/lindaoverhead2.jpg

Linda in '62 Cadillac emulation mode

http://www3.50megs.com/misshurst/linda_vaughn-014.jpg

and again in big hair / goofy lingerie mode

http://johnshotrods.com/69_Linda.jpg

For the wet T shirt and current day shots you're on your own.

oc

[Methanolandbrats]

Indeed. Here is the gratuitous cleavage crane cam shot

http://www.69olds.com/lindaoverhead2.jpg

Linda in '62 Cadillac emulation mode

http://www3.50megs.com/misshurst/linda_vaughn-014.jpg

and again in big hair / goofy lingerie mode

http://johnshotrods.com/69_Linda.jpg

For the wet T shirt and current day shots you're on your own.

oc Damn, after all these years, those things are probably slapping against that moose knuckle by now.

[oddlycalm]

I'm not absolving GM of responsibility, but the race to shovel cash into the fraudulent financial industries while taking automaker CEOs to task for flying private jets was congressional hypocrisy at its finest.
Agreed, badgering them just to pander to the press was a low water mark for congress. More important to me is that it obscured the real issues like how they plan to reverse their unending pursuit of mediocrity.

Downsizing these companies to reflect current demand and all the stakeholders taking a haircut isn't the final answer, it's just the first step. Given the level of competition they are going to have to show up with real innovation in product planning and how they manage their businesses or the entire exercise is a waste of time and money. Since their recent history has been doing exactly the opposite it seems like there is no shortage of hard questions to ask them.

What congress should have been asking was why were these companies the last to go to disc brakes, electronic fuel injection, overhead cam engines aluminum engine blocks, independent suspensions and every other important automotive technology to come along over the last 40yrs? Giving the customer the absolute least they could get away with has been their mode of operation and they deserve to get called out on it.

oc

[oddlycalm]

Damn, after all these years, those things are probably slapping against that moose knuckle by now.


http://www.nitrogeezers.com/images/Photo_03_-_P6181746_-_Linda_Vaughn.jpg

[Napoleon]

My Bro's latest in Washington Monthly. It's about trains and cars, so I suspect some here will have interest.

That is your brother! That was a good piece. As soon as I saw the headline to this thread I thought "well someone else here reads the Wahington Monthly."

[Andrew Longman]

That is your brother!

Yup. I'll spare you the embarrassing stories of beating up my big brother :gomer:

He's got to be pleased with Obama's plans announced yesterday for high speed rail. He wrote about it in FL about 15 years ago when he was writing for Florida Trend Magazine.

[Napoleon]

[QUOTE=Andrew Longman;254166]He's got to be pleased with Obama's plans announced yesterday for high speed rail. QUOTE]

I have been waiting 30 years for them to put in a system and it looks like part of the plan would involve the so called "Chicago Hub" that would finally give us service from Cleveland to C-bus and better yet to Chicago.

By the way, Washington Monthly has really had some pretty good writers write for them over the years. In fact the guy who founded/runs the one web site I would want to be able to access if I was on a desert island, Joshua Marshall, got his start there (and if he didn't technically get his start there certainly wrote a bunch of pieces during the time period he made a name for himself, from around 2000 on).

[Andrew Longman]

Phil's written for them on and off for 30 years. Great parade of editors over time too. Basically take no prisoners, non partisan, fresh stuff. He also has written for The Atlantic, WaPost, WSJ, and a bunch of other stuff.

[Napoleon]

Phil's written for them on and off for 30 years. Great parade of editors over time too. Basically take no prisoners, non partisan, fresh stuff. He also has written for The Atlantic, WaPost, WSJ, and a bunch of other stuff.

A few days after you wrote this on some other web site I see a mention (and a link) of some paper/article Phil wrote for The New America Foundation (and he has a nice bio over there).

Today I am in my favorite bookstore and looking on the new books shelf for political science and what do you know, he has a new book.

I bought it and, so help me God, if it is bad I am holding you personally responsible. ;)