Vacuum-Cleaner's Blog

There are people wanting to go to California for American Idol.  Amtrak has good service going there.  The Mule gets you there in good time to catch the Southwest Chief.  Please sign this petition to get more service so that people can get to Idol in a scenic fasion.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/expand-amtrak-acro
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Check out this heart breaking movie!  It's about talking on cell phones while driving.

Chatting on cell phones and driving don't mix!  Most phones have a voice mail system.  If you are on the highway and driving, and your cell phone rings, just let it ring and let your voice mail system take over the phone.  Each time you take your eyes off the road while driving just to light a cigarette, dial a number, or reach for a cup of coffee is a deadly move.  If you are going to light a cigarette or sip your coffee while driving, wait until you come to a red light.  Some cars, you have to have a hand free and ready to shift!  You need extra hands for advancing switches such as your defogger or windshield wipers.

From what I have heard from another member, that he plans to vote "NO" on prop M.  Well, that's his choice.  But if the "NO" vote wins, terrible things will happen.  Service will be cut outside the I-270 loop.  Loss in jobs, residents that live in that part of the county would be stuck with no public transit at all.  Not just North County, but West County and South County as well.  There are hospitals outside the I-270 loop.  In South County, there is St. Anthony's.  In West County, there is St. Luke's.  St. John's hugs the highway but since it's so close, it too would loose the service.  In North County, there is Christian Northwest and Christian Northeast hospitals.  In 1955, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. desegrated the first transit system in the country and that move took place in Montgomery, Alabama.  With new laws in place, Metro is denied the right to deny service to who ever they want.  If it passes, not only North County will get more service, but so will everyone else.  Click or type this link to get the issues on public transit;

http://www.metrostlouis.org/crossroads/default.asp<
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Who all wants to give the senior citizens a chance to try out for American Idol?  Well I do.  With the new Senior American Idol, the age limit on the regular show would remain the same or goes up to 30, while a new show for people that are 50 or 55 and older can have their own show.  It would be aired during the regular show's off season. Yes, there would be different judges, and the music would be great.  Young people who are majoring in music would have a great chance to have the show for school.  Such as history in music.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/senior-american-id
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Metro has plans for both if Prop M passes this November and has plans for if it fails this November.  If it passes, they plan to add routes based on both road and rails.  If it fails, service just about west of I-270 would be dead!  That includes both bus and Call-a-Ride.  Call-a-Ride has finaly come clean by buying much better vans and some of them are Chevys which I would rather call "trucks" because that is what they look more like than a van.  The newer vans are much quieter than what they had in the past.  They have spruced up on maintenance and cleanliness.

The reason why they don't have that nice clean look when they come out of the garage is because some of the riders are just careless by leaving trash on the buses and up front, some of it is due to tar left behind by wheelchairs with balloon tires.  If it passes, also Metro plans to hire more cleaning crews to help keep those buses clean.  More secuirty at the stations and on the trains to keep the riders safe.  In Kansas City, they have what is called "MAX" which is a bus rapid transit system.  Metro plans to do the same.  Bus rapid transit is a high-speed bus system.  But however, Metro already has a 100% Cummins roster for it's engines that powers the buses.  The 9700s are Cummins M11 CNG eninges, the Gilligs have either a Cummins M11 or a Cummins L10 diesel.

Well we all have seen the maximum age limit of 28 remain in place since AI season 4.  There some talks about raising again around the end of season 6 but somehow, those plans got shot down.  Well, here is a place where you can cast your vote on what they should do.  They were thinking of working on a way to get a show put together from what I have heard from a staff member via an email about a Senior Idol show to be broadcasted on Fox.

http://www.care2.com/c2c/share/poll_submission/8339
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Well, here is the good news about the site.  When you vote, you DON'T have to give out your email address.  The voting is open to the general public.

Click on this YouTube video, and you can hear the sounds of the Vienna Boys Choir.  The video is just a sample of the many, many works of art they do.  And I think it's great!