Friday, May 24, 2013
Looking for something other than a Camry from one of the world's largest automakers.
My car’s rear seats don’t fold down. They did on my previous car, which was a coupe version of my current car, but my car’s first owner didn’t pony up the money for the cold-weather package … so now I’m stuck with a small trunk and no headlamp washers. First world problems, I know. And because my seats don’t fold down, whenever I want to go skiing, or surfing, or just carry a long stick in my vehicle, I’ve got to run to my mother. She drives a 2001 Toyota RAV4. It’s cavernous, can plow through 2 feet of snow with its gas-guzzling, always-on 4-wheel drive system and 70-series tires, and is probably the slowest vehicle I’ve ever driven. I’m always welcome to drive it when I need to take a tortuous trip to Ikea and I love it. But, being a …
Sunday, May 19, 2013
One poll suggests that, while Pennsylvania voters might support medical marijuana use, they aren't in favor of legal pot.
Pennsylvania voters aren't in favor of legalizing marijuana, according to a recent poll. The Frankin and Marshall College poll of Pennsylvania voters for May 2013 showed that 54 percent of voters polled opposed to legalizing marijuana in the state. A similar F&M Poll at the beginning of February found that 55 percent of respondants were against legalizing marijuana. While voters don't support its outright legalization, 82 percent of those polled favor the use of marijuana for medical reasons if prescribed by a doctor. The poll, which was conducted between April 30 and May 5, gathered responses from 526 registered voters, including 265 Democrats, 196 Republicans and 65 Independents. The full poll is available for review here. The following…
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Former Quarterback Donovan McNabb announced this week that he is going to retire as a Philadelphia Eagle.
With the Philadelphia Eagles in mini-camp this week, a lot has been discussed about the team's quarterbacks. Who will emerge as the starter among Michael Vick, Nick Foles and rookie Matt Barkley. But then another quarterback's name entered the picture. And while he's not fighting for a roster spot, he's gunning for a legacy in Philadelphia Eagles history. Donovan McNabb announced this week his intentions to retire as a Philadelphia Eagle. And the team is planning a ceremony that will enable McNabb to be honored with Coach Andy Reid and his new team the Kansas City Chiefs in town. Ah, No. 5 and Big Red. Those were the days... And don't you miss those days? Maybe we took it for granted that McNabb put the Birds in playoff position every year…
Friday, May 17, 2013
Eric Savage left the VW/Audi world to work on MINIs and BMWs in Manayunk.
It’s possible to walk past Helix Motorsports on Umbria Street in Manayunk and not know what happens in the building. Nestled between row homes and close to a bar, an elementary school and a purveyor of tomato pie, Helix’s headquarters could pass as a law or a dental office. It’s modest, just the way owner Eric Savage likes it. Savage comes across as a mellow guy, but he’s taken some risks in his career … and they seem to have paid off, as his MINI and BMW tuning business is now a pretty heavy hitter in the car community. In 2001 Savage left AWE Tuning, a Willow Grove-based VW/Audi-focused company, to start something of his own. He then bought a MINI, rented some brewery space and then moved to Manayunk. “Basically, the way we started, we…
40.030615
-75.230063
4648 Umbria St, Philadelphia, PA
/articles/helix-motorsports
/locations/9398783
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Letter writer says two Lower Macungie Board of Commissioner candidates are trying to fool the voters.
To the editor: Republican voters in Lower Macungie beware when heading to the polls for the May 21 Republican Primary. Two candidates for Lower Macungie Township Commissioner, Ron Beitler and Brian Higgins, are long-time Democrats turned Republican trying to fool voters into believing they subscribe to Republican principles. Their motivation looks like political opportunism at its worst. Just look at their political history. Higgins ran unsuccessfully as a Democrat for East Penn School Board in 2011. In a self prepared campaign profile, Higgins stated he would consider supporting tax increases. He also refused to sign a ‘no tax hike’ pledge. Beitler was president of the Young Democrats in college. He’s supported Democrats like …
The Lehigh Valley Tea Party issued this statement on the scandal over IRS targeting of Tea Party groups for scrutiny.
The Lehigh Valley Tea Party has followed the rules since its creation in 2009. Our organization has tried very hard to do everything the way we're supposed to. We consulted lawyers and advocacy experts about legal options for non-profit grassroots organizations, and applied to the IRS for tax exempt status just like non-profit groups engaged in all kinds of activities do all over the nation every day. We believe that the Lehigh Valley Tea Party provides a vehicle for patriotic Americans with a wide variety of political affiliations to voice their opinions and become more educated about the important issues of the day. We are not a political organization, and our group's bylaws specifically prevent us from endorsing or opposing political …
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Letter writer encourages Lower Mac electorate to consider candidates not associated with any realty groups on May 21.
To the Editor: I am a resident of Lower Macungie Township (LMT) and as such will vote on May 21 for candidates seeking to fill three upcoming vacancies for commissioner on our 5-member board. Recently, in the mail, I received three newsletters titled The Lower Macungie Advocate. Each claims to be “A Voter Information Publication of the Alliance for a Better Pennsylvania.” The small print on the address label says it was paid for by the Alliance which is affiliated with the PA Association of Realtors. The three “advocate publications” are devoted entirely to extolling the achievements of three candidates who are currently commissioners on the LMT Board: Ron Eichenberg, Roger Reis, and Ryan Conrad, all seeking re-election to a 2nd term. …
Sunday, May 12, 2013
The problem with playing the 'R' card in Lower Macungie Township is that history may just repeat itself.
To the editor: At a recent "Meet the Candidates Night," Commissioners Ryan Conrad, Roger Reis and Ron Eichenberg made their re-election strategy perfectly clear: Find a way to get the electorate to focus more on the word Republican rather than on the word Realtor. If one is to suggest that Lower Macungie politics is really about being the most Republican, perhaps the Republicans of Lower Macungie Township need to be reminded of the 2003 Lehigh County Commissioners Republican Primary. Previous to that primary, then-county commissioner, Roger Reis, was one of the major players in the 70 percent tax hike budget in 2003. As a result, he was not endorsed by the Republican Party chairman and was defeated by the Republican voters at the polls…
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay may be riding off into the sunset with the team if he returns to pitch this year.
You hate the "What If's." You wonder what if "The Rotation" held up and made it through the 2011 season healthy. Would it have brought the team another World Series championship? We may never know. All we know is that Roy Halladay—once the franchise ace of the Philadelphia Phillies—may be riding off into the sunset. Doc's tenure with the Phils is bound to come to an end this year now that he is on the shelf facing shoulder surgery next week. Maybe he comes back at the end of the year and pushes the Phils into the playoffs for a World Series run. Doc's contract is up at the end of this year and there's no way the Phillies will pick up his $20 million option. So Doc may win that elusive World Series. But it just might be with another team …
Friday, May 10, 2013
How and where not to drive your car, from the car manufacturers.
I don’t find car commercials particularly interesting. Sure, a handful of car ads have been entertaining, and they’re usually for Volkswagens (remember the ad with the guy trying to race to the church?), but the most part, the ads are trying to peddle mass-produced people haulers and grocery getters. They usually don’t focus on the car, or how it performs, rather they feature an announcer shouting words at the viewer, accompanied by lots of numbers on the screen. What I do find interesting, or just plain absurd, are the warnings slapped on the ads. In fine print at the bottom of the screen, the warnings tell me what not to do with a particular vehicle. Drag racing on city streets? Don’t do that. Pegging the speedometer to the right as you…
Mischa Arnosky
1:37 am on Saturday, May 25, 2013
Whoa, Jack. This is a tongue-in-cheek piece meant to say that the Toyota corporation, and its subsidiaries, don't have an iconic, supercar anymore. I actually like the BRZ/FR-S a lot, but it is a bit underpowered. As for the photo, the caption, clearly says that it's a BRZ. I guess you missed that. more ›