UAW Greed

And now, at the bottom of the ninth, how can the American public have even a smither or respect for the American automobile manufacturing indsustry when the UAW will not even make the most basic concession.... a wage cut. Considering how many Americans are out of work, like a half a million first time unemployment benefit applications last month alone, can't even read between the lines and bend a little. It looks like a bitter cocktail of poor management from Detroit and good ol' fashioned American greed has all but done in Detroit. How many American's do you suppose just flipped Detroit the 'bird' tonight? Lemme tell ya'... I've been job hunting for three months and I'd build unsellable Hummers for $13.00 an hour without thinking twice. I say burn down your local union office ASAP!

Crooks, Schnooks and Ex-hotdog Stand Operators

I don't much about the PR game when it comes to making a headline, or, at least trying to create one. If you're a true celebrity it probably doesn't take much. If your a criminal or, well on the way to becoming one, it is appearing that it is almost as easy.

Yesterday's news headline of three flunkies buying rolls of quarters to hog up the prison pay phone looking for pardons. Timing doesn't exactly become these three. Appears that Bernard Ebbers, the ex-World Com CEO, Conrad Black, a big time publisher who bilked many for much and, the poster child for Wall Street excess... good ol' Michael Milken are reaching out to President George for pardons.

Holiday cheer comes in many forms and, yeah, getting out of jail would improve most anyone's disposition on life but, don't these clowns follow the news while being in the clink? Anyone in the financial market is probably not on anyone in the publilc sectors 'make-a-wish' list. These boys should've been rattling their pity pails during Thanksgiving when the prez was pardoning turkeys. If they recieved their pardons then, well, the humor element of it all might of made it a true and possibly tolerable PR event.

Whether these three are even worthy of a pardon, I'm voting for the idea that they should make room for the three stooge CEO's from Detroit who managed to pretty much run our domestic automobile manufacturing right into the ground.

I think these six should restart their careers at 'Hotdog Stand Buisness Practice 101'... preferably on any street corner in Somalia!

Which President-elect is on Duty?

And so, I have to ask myself, which president-elect is actually on duty these days? Todays stock market activity is on the up and up merely on the notion that president-elect Obama is wasting no time on an economic revovery package. His deftness at assembling a strong and varied team is impressive and, you have to wonder, why is it that the present presidential occupant can't shake up the economy in a positive way? I do believe he is still collecting a paycheck every week for the job he was elected to do, or wing his way through. It's a shame yet encouraging all the same time that our best and brightest days will begin again in about another month. And remember, we also saw this same response on Wall Street just on the announcement of our new treasury secretary. Let's only hope that President Obama might actually have a secret office in an undisclosed location at the White House. It certainly appears that he and his team deserve one!

Bush at the Helm, Tiller... Bilge?

Ya' know... it's crazy folks. Here we are, America... the biggest economy the planet has ever seen. And we've all had a Global Economics 101 crunch course just from reading the headlines at best.

This morning on cnn.com, an article was written on how the Bush administration generally appears not to be seen as too involved with this financial hash omlette we've created. The tone of the article was almost like, how about we let Senator Obama kind of tag-team on this situation too. But, hats off to the president elect standing on the platform that there is only one president at any one time.

Then late this afternoon, Senator Obama announces Timothy Geithner as a nominee for Secretary of the Treasury Department and, Wall Street was like Girls Gone Wild (have never viewed by the way) and we closed out way into some meaty positive numbers.

If this doesn't send the single, simplest signal that the country (and surely the world as well) is just hanging onto the edge of their seats for someone of authority over here to take notice, take a stand and put away that silly 770 billion dollar magic wand that Paulson loves to wave around but, never producing anything from his tophat.

I know impeachment proceedings are long and messy ordeals but, I'll say it again, Obama can start on Monday!

GM Rattles It's Tin Cup

Well, in this 'tippy canoe' of an economic downturn, the big gun getting all the press lately is General Motors. Burning through cash like their five year old SUV's burn through oil, the big debate is to bail them out or, let them flounder.

Sure, it's sad to see a corporate icon turn itself into a beached whale. And yes, you can counter arguement that all the smaller suppliers that make GM tick will also more than likely go under as well.

A recent New York Times article (Oct. 26) painted their financial scenario very well. GM made a net profit averaging $15,000 on each SUV. Now think about this. Profit above and beyond a hefty hourly worker rate, hefty insurance costs, extra materials, advertising, transport of finished product and, yup, the hefty annual bonuses to it's upper crust. At peak production of 680,000 units in 2003, the profits were well beyond healthy.

Not only was GM creating a highly profitable product but, my question is, what kind of stewards of the planet was this operation? Not only do these rigs get 12 mpg but, think of all the extra material required to build them, and all the energy it took to provide those materials. And in any manufacturing scenario, there is also the subject of waste material generated from the process. Their "recession proof" product only pleased the stockholders for the moment it appears. Considering that the bulk of the populace with an ounce of insight to environmental concerns as well as enery supply looked at these things in disbelief that anyone can A: afford one and, B: can afford to fuel one!

So in the meantime, Toyota, Honda and Nissan all have plants in the USA with a full line of quality, earth friendly products with a full roster of American workers.
If GM were to fold, logic says that the Japanese car builders will think that every day is Mardis Gras and Christmas all wrapped up into one! Some one has to fill the void of new cars. It's not as if Ford has the line up to do that although their finances are approaching the 'thin ice' stage too. So, all the small suppliers may feel a jolt for a few months but, with the mindset that Japanese manufacturing seems to have, they will (sadly) be fully capable of keeping us all rolling.

I dunno folks... to bail or not to bail, add 'em to the list of bailees! If we had a bake sale for GM (and probably Ford and Chrysler too), how long would it take them to FINALLY introduce a line of cars that we need and like? Good money after bad? Time will tell.

Buck a Tree... Wicked Good Deal!

Hey folks... here's something terrific to keep in mind the next time you're about to drop a ten spot on something slightly foolish, like a couple of silly Happy-Hour deluxe mixed drinks that taste like turpentine and are full of old fuit!

http://www.plantabillion.org/

Not only can a little pocket change help save a thrashed eco-system but, you may actually get fresh fruit in your next salvo of show-offy cocktails!

Besides, you couldn't even come close to planting a tree here at home for a buck!

Impeach?

Was announced today that President Bush's popularity rating is a whopping 16% approval. I wonder, if you and I had the same approval rating, say from an employer, would you even bother getting OUT of bed in the morning? If your marriage was at that level, would you even bother going TO bed? I know the mechanics of impeachment hearings are complicated affairs but, with numbers like these, seems we could wrap this process up in a day or two. Let's hear it folks. Senator Obama can start on Monday!

2012? Media Madness!

What is all the mention of 2012 all about? If this isn't a true sign that the media is so out of touch of what's happening in present tense, I don't know what is! The murmurs of the next election is as nutty as giving that loonie in Iran prime time slots on any and all news sites every time he has a rant. Let's get some present day focus news kids! No wonder the financial world and oil prices and the food futures are so blown out of the water. Give us the news today... not a fogged up crystal ball forecast purchased from an out of work fortune teller!

SNL vs. Serious Scale

You know, it's almost laughable at the lack of seriousness from the McCain campaign thinking that all the feeble exposure from the cast of SNL is somehow helping their campaign. Just watched the two hour campaign 'best-of-send-off'. With the seriousness of all the issues facing this country, it's nice to see that the Obama's were not the centerpiece of the comedian's feed trough. Not only is the McCain-Pallin ticket a desperation 'hail-Mary' tactic but, to be the prime fodder or this satirical troupe is ludicrous in light of what's happening in the world tonight!

How can anybody be even remotely undecided at this point of the campaign? Does the population of this country actually read the news and not just the headlines? At best, it's refreshing to see that a candidate and his family is NOT the prime supplier of material for SNL. I guess when Rome was falling the general populace was dancing and drinking and laughing their way out of their fate. If they only had 300 channels of cable to help them sober up.

Ladies and gentlemen of America.... this is beyond a historic election. The world is suddenly in such a tipping point that merely reading the headlines is not acceptable any longer. Neither is slamming vodka tonics and having a good laught at a two hour SNL special. If anything, it's a helluva wakeup call. Think of election night and the next four years at the same time! It's historic in more than just than the make up of the individual parties. It's going to determine the makeup of your physical life for the next four years. If we make it for another four!

Renewable Energy News Site

If you even have a passing interest in the renewable energy sector, here's a superb website offering a well rounded assortment of news and links to companies as well as legislation that is in the works. Check out www.renewableenergyworld.com

I also stumbled onto a superb video produced by Poet Energy of South Dakota that should be seen on their home page too. Doesn't matter if you are pro or con in regard to the manufacture of cellulosic ethanol, I think it's a sharp bit of promotion.