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Hillary Clinton’s historical problem with honesty The Washington Post / January 26, 2016 The first question to Hillary Clinton from an audience member during Monday night’s Democratic town hall in Iowa must have been a blow from one so young — a potential new voter — this close to the caucuses. The query came from a fellow who asked what her response is to his friends who say she’s dishonest. There was no beating around any bushes, so to speak, on that one. Flinching slightly, Clinton rested her expression somewhere between sadness and weariness. Ever the pro, she rallied: “I’ve been around a long time. People have thrown all kinds of things at me,” she said. “They throw all this stuff at me, and I’m still standing.” Clinton offered a similar response when asked about Benghazi: “I understand that they will try to make this an issue — I will continue to answer, and my defense is the truth.” “They” presumably are Republicans and others who for decades have pointed out discrepancies between Clinton’s version of the truth and reality as checked against facts. She has, indeed, been around a long time, probably before her first questioner was born. In one of her political ads, Clinton is shown repeatedly giving more or less the same speech about helping children realize their full potential — beginning in her college days through her various iterations to the present day. Her efforts on behalf of women and children are consistent, admirable and irrefutable. Yet one can’t help thinking upon seeing this ad, Boy, she’s been around a long time. If you’re 22 or younger, your parents hadn’t brought you forth in time for Bill Clinton’s first presidential inauguration. If you’re at least 30ish, you probably heard grown-ups talking on TV about oral sex in the White House while your parents scrambled for the remote. I f you’re a baby boomer, you remember all of it and, if you’re not a member of the Clinton club, your memories are probably not fond. Questions about Hillary Clinton’s honesty did not start with Benghazi or with emails and a private server, but began ages ago with any number of fabricated — or at least exaggerated — stories. Many may remember what New York Times columnist William Safire wrote about Clinton in 1996: “Americans of all political persuasions are coming to the sad realization that our First Lady — a woman of undoubted talents who was a role model for many in her generation — is a congenital liar,” he said. “Drip by drip, like Whitewater torture, the case is being made that she is compelled to mislead, and to ensnare her subordinates and friends in a web of deceit.” There “they” go again? Safire’s concerns at the time — Whitewater, Travelgate, “lost” records — may seem remote and trivial to some, but the drip-drip he identified didn’t stop with the White House years. Subsequent to the various “-gates” were, for example, the story of coming under fire on a tarmac in Bosnia or about her having been named for the explorer Edmund Hillary, the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, despite her having been born about six years before his history-making climb. These are such trivial stories to invent that one wonders why she bothered. The answer can’t be easily divined except as Safire suggested. Or, is it that she is reflexively prone to dissemble? Would this be a matter of habit, or something else? An innate need to inflate one’s status — even when it isn’t needed? Even though these stories have been well-known at different times, they eventually fade or are dismissed as politically motivated. Politicians can reasonably bank on voters’ ever-shrinking memories, especially in the 140-character era of Twitter and YouTube, when most people would rather watch a leopard stalk and devour a crocodile. Well, I mean, who wouldn’t? It’s a pretty safe bet few enough will care what happened in 1996. But more recent issues of inaccuracies are both concerning and consequential. We now know with certainty (thanks to an email from Clinton to daughter Chelsea the night of the Benghazi attacks) that the then-secretary of state knew it was a terrorist attack, contrary to official reports, in the days following, about street riots that escalated. We also know from the intelligence community inspector general that her private server contained information ranked beyond top secret, contradicting her assertions to the contrary. What difference, at this point, does any of it make? When it comes to public trust in a presidential candidate — everything.

French Justice Minister Christiane Taubira has stepped down in protest of the French government's plan to strip people convicted of terrorism of their citizenship. Go figure. Whose side is she on? The citizenship plans were put forward after the 13 November Paris attacks in which 130 people were murdered by Muslim terrorists. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35417732

Reuters / January 27, 2016 U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton said on Tuesday that she would consider making investment income taxable through Social Security deductions in a bid to keep the government program afloat. “I am worried about certain recipients because I think it’s important to enhance the benefits,” Clinton said. “We do have to extend the life of the trust fund and that’s going to take some new funding,” she said. Clinton would consider raising to an undisclosed amount the maximum income that would be subject to the 6.2 percent Social Security tax. Under the current rule, money made from investments, as well as pensions, annuities and interest, are not considered income, and only the first $118,500 wages are subject to the tax. Fears over the solvency of the Social Security system have made it an important election issue. Clinton's main rival for the Democratic nomination, Bernie Sanders, has described Social Security as the nation's "most successful government program," and has called for its expansion, which he says will be paid for by lifting the cap on taxable income above $250,000.

Although I'm firmly partial to the Trident for its versatility, it's always good to see a sharp Super-Liner.

Mack Trucks Australia Press Release / January 26, 2016

Speaking of inversions again (U.S. companies moving their legal home abroad to reduce their taxes) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- China’s Zoomlion bids $3.3 billion for Terex The Financial Times / January 27, 2016 Caterpillar-like Chinese construction machinery maker Zoomlion has made a $3.3 billion attempt to gatecrash a deal between its US and Finnish rivals that would create one of the world’s biggest cranemakers. Zoomlion, which makes everything from cranes to pile-drivers, has offered to buy US-based Terex, in a move that would scupper the latter’s proposed merger with Finland’s Konecranes. Zoomlion has offered to a pay $30 per Terex share, in a deal that would value the US company’s equity at $3.3 billion. The approach, which happened in the past several weeks, is being evaluated by Terex, even as it continues to work on closing its merger with Konecranes. In a statement, Terex said on Tuesday that its board of directors had not changed its recommendation on the proposed merger with Konecranes. But it added: “Terex has entered into a confidentiality agreement with Zoomlion and is in discussions with Zoomlion regarding the proposal . . . the Terex board of directors, in consultation with its legal and financial advisers, is carefully reviewing the Zoomlion proposal to determine the course of action that it believes is in the best interests of Terex shareholders.” One person familiar with the matter said Shenzhen-listed Zoomlion is being advised by Goldman Sachs. When Terex and Konecranes unveiled their merger last August, the transaction was poised to create a company with a combined market value of $5.7 billion and annual revenues of more than $10 billion. Terex shareholders would own 60 percent of the combined group, while their counterparts at Konecranes would hold the remainder. Stig Gustavson, chairman of Konecranes, would have the same role at the enlarged group. Importantly, the transaction was structured as a so-called tax inversion. This would allow Terex to reduce its corporate tax rate by redomiciling to Finland, where Konecranes is headquartered. But shares in Terex and Konecranes had previously fallen 44 and 41 percent respectively since last August due to concerns about slowing economic growth and the effect that would have on manufacturers of industrial equipment. On Tuesday, shares in Terex rose 36 percent to $20.48 in New York after the company’s statement about the Zoomlion offer. Konecranes’ stock had earlier closed 9.1 percent higher at €20.79 in Helsinki.

Oregon militia standoff: One dead after Ammon Bundy and others arrested The Guardian / January 27, 2016 The FBI has arrested the leader of the armed militia occupying the Malheur wildlife refuge and several others, and one person was killed during a shootout with federal agents An associate of the armed Oregon militia occupying a wildlife refuge was shot dead on Tuesday after a shootout with federal agents that resulted in the arrest of the group’s leader Ammon Bundy and a group of protesters. The shootout appears to have taken place on a highway in rural Oregon – away from the federal refuge the armed militia have been occupying. FBI officials said they arrested Bundy, his brother Ryan Bundy, Bryan Cavalier, Shawna Cox and Ryan Payne on Tuesday afternoon after they stopped them along the highway. The agency described the shootout and arrests as resulting from “an enforcement action to bring into custody a number of individuals associated with the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge” that occurred at 4.25pm PST. It was not clear how many rounds were exchanged during the incident. Police say militia spokeman LaVoy Finicum was killed in the shootout while resisting arrest. Ryan Bundy suffered non-life threatening injuries and was transported to a local hospital for treatment. He was arrested and is currently in custody. Members of the militia had planned to attend a community meeting in the town of John Day, which is north of the Malheur national wildlife refuge that militiamen have been occupying since 2 January. In a separate incident, Joe Oshaughnessy – another rightwing activist who earlier claimed he was trying to prevent violence from erupting at the refuge – was arrested in Burns, the closest town to the wildlife refuge. At 6.30pm PST, FBI officials also arrested Pete Santilli, a conservative Ohio radio host who has been a vocal supporter of the Bundys and was earlier live-streaming the chaos outside of a hospital in Burns. Santilli, Oshaughnessy and the men arrested on the highway are all facing federal felony charges of conspiracy to impede officers through the use of force, intimidation or threats. Jon Ritzheimer, another prominent occupation leader who often helped run the militia’s “security” team, was also arrested late Tuesday night. Officials say Ritzheimer turned himself in at a police department in Peoria, Arizona, and that he was arrested without incident. He is also facing a federal felony charge. Harney County Judge Steve Grasty, who has for weeks demanded that Bundy and the militia end the protests, said he was saddened to hear that there has been a death. “I’m deeply disappointed … that it looks like there has been a fatality,” he told the Guardian by phone. “This is so hard on everybody – our community and even the occupiers.” Grasty said he couldn’t say yet whether the standoff was over. “I don’t know that it’s over. I have no idea what is happening at the refuge.” He added: “I’m glad to see this winding down, but we wanted this to come to a peaceful end and it didn’t.” Bundy and a group of rightwing protesters stormed the refuge to protest the federal government and the imprisonment of two ranchers in rural Harney County.

I like the optional "grate type" clutch pedal, frequently ordered on MR refuse chassis.

If need be, one could buy a Scania DC16 V-8 as a replacement, which shares the E-9's 16.4 liter displacement, with ratings from 550 to 770 horsepower. http://www.scaniausa.com/industrial-engines/

Renault Trucks Press Release / January 26, 2016 Related reading - http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/39998-volvo-unveils-automatic-all-wheel-drive-truck-tech/?hl=optitrack#entry289755

The sad story of the Mack V-8 is that Volvo killed the planned electronically-controlled E9 in favor of their D16. The MH Ultra-Liner was the most advanced truck that Mack Trucks ever produced. In a manner of speaking, a second generation Ultra-Liner II should be in production today commanding an impressive market share in the global market. Your truck is cherry, and it has the 450hp E9, Maxitorque 18-speed and air-ride. At $12,000, you're giving it away.

The Ultra-Liner, my favorite Mack product, only tied with the Value-Liner. Very nice specs. I hate to say it, but the problem is two-fold. 1. Parts availability. 2. Volvo's stratospheric pricing structure on the V-8 parts that remain available. A 20+ year old V-8 is going to require repair at some point. It would cost you a fortune to stock up now (on what you can still get). And in 5-10 years, you won't be able to get anything. .

Fleet Owner / January 26, 2016 Two new synthetic transmission lubricants and a replacement clutch for the Volvo I-Shift transmission where announced by Eaton during the 2016 Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week conference. The two new lubes are part of a move to rebrand the company’s entire lubricant offerings under the Eaton name and standardize labeling. That line also includes two axle fluids and multi-purpose grease. Designed for late model Eaton heavy-duty transmissions, the new Eaton PS-386 is backward compatible and mandatory for the Eaton Fuller Advantage Series of automated mechanical transmissions as well as its heavy-duty manual transmissions. It replaces the company’s PS-164rev7 spec lubricant and is said to improve fuel economy in manuals by 1.5%. The new Eaton PS-278 lube has been formulated for the medium-duty Eaton Procision transmissions and their wet dual-clutch design. It is not intended for any other Eaton transmission. The metric sized Eaton 430mm Push Wear-Thru clutch is designed to be a direct aftermarket replacement for Volvo I-Shift automated mechanical transmissions. Initially it will be offered in 232mm and 254mm damper sizes with a softer rate damper design intended to reduce vibrations and extend driveline component life, according to the company. Maintenance free, adjustment free and lubed for life, the new clutch is built with all new components that include premium organic driven disc facings. It will be available starting in March through OEM dealerships, distributors and Eaton’s Factory Direct program.

Accuride’s New Steel Wheel Has Corrosion Warranty; Lighter Weight Brake Drums in Development Transport Topics / January 26, 2016 Heavy-duty supplier Accuride Corp. introduced EverSteel, a new steel wheel that uses a four-phase coating technology and comes with a five-year warranty against corrosion, both industry firsts, the company said. Also, Accuride said its recently acquired patented metal matrix composite technology plays a central role in its research and development of advanced lightweight Gunite brake drums and wheel end components, a process expected to last 18 to 24 months before commercialization. Meanwhile the EverSteel wheel, in independently performed cyclic corrosion testing,based on an accelerated laboratory test standard, demonstrated six times longer life than its North American and offshore competitors and double the operational life of Accuride’s Steel Armor steel wheels, the company said. Rick Dauch, Accuride’s CEO, said in a statement, “Corrosion is an ongoing and costly issue for fleets working in harsh operating environments across North America. Never before have steel wheels received warranted corrosion protection like that offered by our EverSteel technology. It sets a new standard of performance and durability, and will enable our fleet customers to achieve significant savings in wheel refinishing costs and the associated downtime.” Traditional steel wheels are subject to corrosion from road salt and harsh de-icing chemicals and must be refinished about every three years in order to maintain their performance and appearance, Accuride said. By delaying the onset of corrosion for up to eight years, EverSteel extends the usable life of the truck or trailer wheel prior to initial refinishing, Accuride said. It estimated each EverSteel wheel could save customers about $105 in wheel refinishing and maintenance costs, as well as the downtime associated with taking the wheels out of service. Accuride said EverSteel wheels employ a four-step treatment process, including a surface treatment applied to the bare steel, then a zinc phosphate pre-treatment that prepares the metal for maximum adhesion. Next, an enhanced cathodic epoxy electrocoat optimized for sharp-edge and overall corrosion protection is applied. Finally, Accuride’s Steel Armor premium powder top coat is applied. The company said the technology is available initially on two Accuride 22.5 x 8.25 steel wheels: the 50408 and 50487. The wheels will be produced at Accuride’s Henderson steel wheel facility in Henderson, Kentucky, and available for customers to order effective Feb. 1, 2016. Turning to the upcoming brake drums, Accuride said metal matrix composite technology combines highly-engineered cast aluminum with a selectively reinforced MMC wear surface to form a durable and resilient yet lightweight brake drum. It said the pending brake drums are intended to provide a weight reduction of as much as 100 pounds per axle over standard cast drums, or a 300-pound savings for a typical 3-axle Class 8 tractor. The company said its lightweight Gunite-brand brake drums are an integral part of its component lightweighting initiatives to help the commercial vehicle industry comply with upcoming Phase II greenhouse gas regulations from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Dauch said, “Through our lightweight MMC brake drum development and wheel lightweighting programs, we’re focused on creating industry-leading technologies that provide our customers with solutions to the requirements of increasingly stringent fuel economy and emissions regulations.”

Truck News / January 26, 2016 Accuride announced at Heavy-Duty Aftermarket Week that it’s developing a lightweight Gunite brake drum, using patented metal matrix composite (MMC) technology it acquired the rights to develop last July. The company says its new Gunite aluminum brake drum will help OEMs achieve GHG17 fuel economy targets. The technology was acquired from Century-3 Plus LLC last year. At a press briefing during HDAW, Accuride president and CEO Rick Dauch said the new drum will weigh about 61 lbs (a 46% reduction compared to currently available products), totaling a weight reduction of 100 lbs per axle or 300 lbs on a typical three-axle truck. It will also be available for trailers for further weight savings. Meanwhile, testing has shown the aluminum drum demonstrates more rapid heat dissipation, offers shorter stopping distances than current drum brakes and will last longer than traditional drums. Dauch admitted he was initially skeptical of the claims made by the drum’s initial developer, but thorough testing by Accuride determined they were true and resulted in the company investing in the technology. Initial development of the lightweight brake drum was funded in part by the US military, and Gunite will offer the finished product for military applications, Dauch said. The MMC drum combines cast aluminum with a selectively reinforced MMC wear surface to form a durable, yet lightweight patent-protected brake drum, the company announced. Dauch said the MMC drum will restore Gunite to a position of technological leadership. Prototypes are being built and fleet testing will begin later this year. Dauch indicated it will be 18-24 months before the product hits the market.

Note how the bad air cleaner location on that pre-production model.

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Today's heavy truck disc brake designs, perfected by European manufacturers, are the best way to go. But back in the late 1970s and 80s, Goodrich's fast wearing disc brakes gave U.S. operators a bad experience. The bad memory lasted in the US for quite a while. Even today, most cling to drum brakes. http://www.bigmacktrucks.com/index.php?/topic/34358-disc-brakes-in-north-america-the-first-time-around/?hl=goodrich

Abe Vigoda, sunken-eyed ‘Godfather,’ ‘Barney Miller’ actor, dies at 94 The Washington Post / January 26, 2016 Abe Vigoda, an actor who used his sunken eyes, gravelly voice and projection of gloom to memorable effect as characters on both sides of the law, from a doomed mafia capo in “The Godfather” to a worn-down police detective on the sitcom “Barney Miller,” died Jan. 26 at a daughter’s home in Woodland Park, N.J. He was 94. His daughter, Carol Vigoda Fuchs, confirmed the death to the Associated Press but did not cite a cause. On “Barney Miller,” in his best-known television role, Mr. Vigoda cultivated an appearance just shy of rigor mortis. Perhaps for that reason, an erroneous 1982 reference to him in People magazine as “the late” Mr. Vigoda became a running gag that the actor gradually embraced on late-night talk shows and in comedies such as “Good Burger” (1997), in which he played an ancient fry cook. He was the unlikely inspiration for a punk band and played his age for laughs in a Super Bowl commercial for Snickers candy bars, alongside his contemporary Betty White. Mr. Vigoda’s widespread recognition was a testament to his patience, having toiled in near-obscurity for the first half of his life. He began working in television during its infancy in the late 1940s and had a long stage career, including a few short-lived Broadway roles. In casting “The Godfather” (1972), filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola went looking for little-known stage actors to play in supporting roles. He tapped Mr. Vigoda to portray Salvatore Tessio, an underworld figure who betrays Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone and pays the price. As he’s led away to his execution, Tessio tells Corleone family consigliere Tom Hagen (Robert Duvall), “Tell Mike it was only business.” Mr. Vigoda was Jewish but had a visage that Coppola apparently found authentic for a mafioso — and that also seemed to draw the curiosity of New York mob members who showed up on the set one day. “They kept looking at me, as if to say, ‘What family is he from?’ ” the actor recalled years later on CNN. The film, based on a Mario Puzo novel, won Academy Awards including best picture, helped redefine the gangster genre and remains one of the seminal movies of its era. “The Godfather” elevated Mr. Vigoda’s career, but he became a household name in 1975 with “Barney Miller,” the long-running ABC sitcom about a New York precinct house. Hal Linden, in the title role, was officially the star, but Mr. Vigoda proved the sleeper in the cast, portraying the weary, hemorrhoidal Phil Fish, a detective with nearly 40 years on the force. Fish deals dyspeptically with calls from his wife, Bernice.

RT / January 26, 2016 Israeli defense minister Moshe Yaalon says ISIS has long been funded with “Turkish money.” "As you know, Daesh (a.k.a. Islamic State,ISIS/ISIL) enjoyed Turkish money for oil for a very, very long period of time. I hope that it will be ended," Moshe Yaalon told reporters in Athens on Tuesday after meeting his Greek counterpart, Panos Kammenos, Reuters reports. It's up to Turkey, the Turkish government, the Turkish leadership, to decide whether they want to be part of any kind of cooperation to fight terrorism. This is not the case so far," he said. Yaalon’s counterpart, Greek Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, made similar statements, saying that a large part of the Islamic State’s oil trade, as well as the financing of terror, is going through Turkey. Earlier, Russia had accused Turkey of shady dealings with ISIS. In December, the Russian Defense Ministry released maps and satellite images it said proved that Turkey was the main consumer of oil smuggled out of Syria and Iraq by the terrorists. The ministry also stated that the Turkish president and his family were involved in the criminal dealings. Iran has also said it was in possession of photographic and video evidence of ISIS oil entering Turkey in trucks. In December, Syria’s envoy to the UN Bashar al-Ja’afari also accused Turkey of supporting terrorist groups. The diplomat appealed to the UN, urging it to end Ankara’s "violations and crimes." READ MORE: ISIS oil trucks cross into Turkey every day, captured terrorist admits Turkey has denied the accusations, while the United States last month rejected Russia’s claims that the Turkish leadership was linked to ISIS oil smuggling. Turkey has "permitted jihadists to move from Europe to Syria and Iraq and back, as part of Daesh's terrorist network, and I hope this will stop, too," Yaalon added. Another force fighting against ISIS, an Iraqi Shia militia, says ISIS militants are freely crossing back and forth across the Turkish border, with Ankara providing militants with logistical support. Citing evidence gathered from prisoners and on the battlefield, the Popular Front’s Badr Organization said the data they've gathered directly implicates Turkey's involvement with Islamic State.

Godfather actor Abe Vigoda dies aged 94 The Guardian / January 26, 2016 The character actor was best known for his role as Sal Tessio in the Coppola film, and as Phil Fish in US TV show Barney Miller Character actor Abe Vigoda, known for his work on The Godfather and on the television series Barney Miller, died Tuesday aged 94. The actor’s daughter, Carol Vigoda Fuchs, confirmed his death to the Associated Press, and said her father died in his sleep at her home in New Jersey. Vigoda, recognizable for his leathery, sunken-eyed face, came to fame in 1972 after Francis Ford Coppola cast him in The Godfather as Sal Tessio, an old friend of Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) who aims to take over the family by killing Vito’s son, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino). In the film, Michael anticipates that Sal’s suggestion for a “peace summit” among crime families is a setup and has him executed by the men Sal thought were his escorts. The success of the Godfather films brought Vigoda’s face and voice to fame and led to numerous roles. But it was his turn in Barney Miller as Phil Fish that brought the actor the most recognition. For his portrayal of Detective Fish, Vigoda received Emmy nominations three years in a row (1976-1978). Vigoda enjoyed sharing the story of how he won the role in Barney Miller: he had just returned from a five-mile run when his agent told him to report immediately to audition for the part. Danny Arnold, who was producing the pilot, remarked to Vigoda that the actor looked tired, and Vigoda told him about the long run. Arnold said: “You look like you have hemorrhoids,” to which Vigoda replied: “What are you, a doctor or a producer?” He got the part and remained a regular on Barney Miller until 1977, when he took the character to a spin-off series called Fish. Before making it onscreen, Vigoda earned his acting stripes on and off Broadway, performing Shakespeare, Strindberg and Shaw. Vigoda died about 34 years after People magazine started the rumor that the actor was dead. In 1982, People magazine wrote that “the late” Abe Vigoda did not attend the Barney Miller wrap party, spawning years of reports that Vigoda was no longer alive. He played up the mistake by posing for a photograph published in Variety in which he was sitting up in a coffin and holding a copy of People. A website dedicated to tracking the actor’s status was updated on 26 January to reflect Vigoda’s death. Vigoda was married to Beatrice Schy from 25 February 1968 until her death in 1992.

Actor Abe Vigoda, who played the decrepit Detective Phil Fish in the television sitcom "Barney Miller" and Mafia lieutenant Sal Tessio in the original "Godfather" movie, died Tuesday. He was 94 years old. Vigoda passed away at the New Jersey home of his daughter, Carol. Though Vigoda achieved a good bit of fame from his 1970s "Godfather" role, his years on "Barney Miller" and the short-lived spinoff "Fish," he arguably became best known for being alive despite reports of his premature demise. "I hope he knew about our tribute, and I hope he was amused by it. Our intent was always to bring a smile by pointing to his longevity, which was an inspiration," said Sun Sentinel reporter Rafael Olmeda. A noted New York stage actor by the time Francis Ford Coppola came calling about "The Godfather," Vigoda had not read the book and wasn't thinking about mobster roles; he was Jewish, not Italian. But Coppola liked him as a mobster, and he won the role of Tessio in the 1972 original and returned for the 1974 sequel. "The Godfather" was his first really big job, and he remembered a car being sent for him every day of shooting and sitting near Marlon Brando during makeup. "I found him to be a quiet man. He kept mostly to himself," Vigoda told CNN in 2008. "He was a great star. This was my first big thing: I felt lucky and grateful I was with these people." Notable to him was the presence of actual New York mob family members on the set. "They kept looking at me, as if to say, 'What family is he from?' " Vigoda said. "It was fascinating." Robert Duvall, a "Godfather" co-star, remembered Vigoda. "We had some great memories together and he will really be missed," Duvall said The "Godfather" movies led to his successful run on "Barney Miller," which ran from 1974-82 and starred Hal Linden as the title character. Vigoda was on the show until 1977. "Abe was responsible for as much of the success of 'Barney Miller' as I was -- easily. More so than me," Linden told CNN. "We all owe a great debt of gratitude to a fine character actor who created a very memorable character that will go on and on, with all the re-runs. Thank God people will get to see what Abe did." Vigoda was nominated for three Emmy awards for his performance as Fish. In contrast to the very fit Vigoda, a dedicated handball player and jogger, Detective Fish complained about his aches, his pains, his bladder problems and hemorrhoids, always seeming on the verge of death. Fans assumed he had the same ailments, he said. "I was sitting in a restaurant," he told the Washington Post in 1977, "when this young lady came up and asked for my autograph. "Then she said, 'I hope your hemorrhoids aren't bothering you too much.' She was very serious. I said, 'You must be joking.' She said, 'No, I'm not. I just don't want you to worry about it because I have them, too.' " Only his character was plagued by hemorrhoids, Vigoda told her, but he said she didn't believe him. A ordinary person, like us Many people liked Fish because he had many of the same ordinary problems they did, Vigoda told the Los Angeles Times in 1982. "Like Fish, we all meet with rejection, and things are seldom easy, no matter what we do," he said. But it was the 1982 report of his premature death that caused him some consternation and was the basis of many jokes during his later years. As the story goes, he didn't attend a 1982 "Barney Miller" wrap party because he was doing a play in Canada. He was 60 at the time and very much not dead. But a People magazine writer assumed he wasn't there because he was dead. "Somehow it mentioned in the article that 'the late Abe Vigoda' was not (there)," Vigoda told CNN in 2008. And thus, a joke was born, a joke that Vigoda eventually told as well. People magazine acknowledged their mistake and awarded itself the Mark Twain Exaggerated Death Award "for announcing the demise of 'Barney Miller's' Abe Vigoda before his time," months after the article was published, but it was too late. The actor would later say he lost out on some parts because casting agents thought he was dead. He even placed ads in Hollywood trade papers with him in a coffin to remind casting agents he was alive. But he joked about it on "Late Night with David Letterman." Vigoda was also featured in skits on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" on NBC. ("Conan," O'Brien's current show, airs on Turner-owned TBS, which also owns CNN). And he'd occasionally stop by "The Today Show" to celebrate the birthdays of co-host Matt Lauer and former co-host Meredith Vieira, and Vieira once referred to him as "the very much alive Abe Vigoda." As the Internet became widespread, Vigoda -- and his well-being -- became a hit for a generation that knew him only through reruns. People could quickly find out whether he was living through a website dedicated to answering that question. Olmeda launched an "Abe Vigoda Facts" Facebook page and Twitter account to marvel at the longevity of Vigoda's life. "The running gag started in the summer of 2009, when the memorial for Michael Jackson was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles," Olmeda said. "I speculated that Abe Vigoda, Ernest Borgnine and Zsa Zsa Gabor were in attendance -- the joke being that no one expected those three to outlive the forever child, Michael Jackson. "Over the years, untimely celebrity deaths gave rise to my growing amazement that Abe Vigoda was outliving so many people," said Olmeda, who took to honoring those celebrities with Vigoda-themed quotes. One of Olmeda's favorite posts: "Let the joyous news be spread: Abe Vigoda is still not dead!" In honor of Ruth Robinson Duccini, the last female Munchkin. Playing "old" in the first grade Born February 24, 1921, Vigoda grew up on New York's Lower East Side, the son of a tailor who studied acting at the American Theatre Wing and played character parts for much of his early career. He had established a successful New York stage career in the 1960s when "Godfather" director Coppola noticed his work. "The Godfather" changed Vigoda's life, leading him to "Barney Miller," "Fish" and movies such as "Cannonball Run II" (1984) with Burt Reynolds, "Look Who's Talking" (1989) with John Travolta and Kirstie Alley, and "Joe Versus the Volcano" (1990) with Tom Hanks. He also appeared in 1997's "Good Burger." But even as a youngster, he always played older than his actual age. "When I was in first grade in New York, a teacher came into the room and told us she was casting a play titled 'Candlelight,' " he told the St. Petersburg Times in 1996. "She said she needed someone to play a 50-year-old baron who finds his wife in the closet with a strange man. "She asked if any of us would like to audition, and about 30 of us raised our hands," he continued. "But she looked at me and said, "I think you'll do because you look old.' " Vigoda was married to his wife Beatrice for 24 years until her death in 1992. They had one daughter, Carol. Related information - http://www.amazon.com/Barney-Miller-Complete-Hal-Linden/dp/B005BUA1JY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453854447&sr=8-1&keywords=barney+Miller

Alex Molinaroli is a real piece of work who would probably be in jail today, if not for some very good lawyers. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-01-26/affair-ponzi-scheme-tyco-deal-johnson-ceo-s-unusual-two-years

Sanders is the only genuine one of the bunch. But he's 75 years old. Given the intense work schedule and pressure of the position, c'mon............ Out of the entire group (Sanders aside), there isn't a single individual that stands out with presidential level qualifications and experience. The ability to vote is muted, to say the least, when neither choice is qualified to be president. I would rather nominate a businessman, a no-nonsense professional rather than a politician. I would vote for Bill Ford or Sergio Marchionne (Sergio was born in Italy, but I'd make a birth exception in his case).

I'd hate to say any solution from Hillary is the way to go. Seriously speaking, I think she's dangerous. There's always going to be a handful of attractive countries in which U.S. companies can gain significant tax savings. But, we can't allow these American companies that largely profit in the U.S. to move their legal home abroad for tax purposes. Their corporate ethics, morals and values should be put on the block.