Holy Mackerel

If you watch The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNBC you know about her "holy mackerel" stories.  These are a couple of items that got me this week:

What would you think about driving a Sichuan Tengzhong to work??  I wonder if they'll make them for the military as well?  Supposedly they will still be made in the USA but I wonder for how long....

Oh, sorry, you don't know what a Sichuan Tengzhong is???  That's the company GM sold the Hummer to!!!!!!  Wouldn't it be nice if you got a year supply of Sichuan dumplings with every purchase.........

The "grasshopper" has been squashed.  Those of my generation should immediately recognize of whom I speak.  For other readers, he starred opposite Uma in Kill Bill.  David Carradine was found hung in his hotel room in Bangkok.  Such a tragic and sad end to the actor who probably did more to popularize the Shaolin disciplines and Eastern martial arts than anyone not named Bruce Lee.

The Pirate Dogs have rechristened the Nargle  "K-9 Hum "and painted it black in memoriam.

 

Feeling Republican

So I guess I'm feeling a little Republican these days.  First, poor old Rick Waggoner of GM losing his job because he couldn't get restructuring right on his salary of $1.00 a year.   Wonder if that mean old socialist Democrat, President Obama, would have insisted on sacking him if he took a few million in bonus payments....?????

But really, there are good things about the Republicans.  I mean, their first president was a master politician, especially beating out senators and governors for that first presidential nomination when he couldn't even beat a two-faced Democratic senator from Illinois for the senate seat.  Yep, an old rail-splitter became the nominee in 1860 and came from nowhere to win the presidency.  I'm reading Doris Kearns Goodwin's excellent book, Team of Rivals.  It hearkens back to the founding of the Republican Party.  They were pretty smart men---watching the Michael Steele follies leaves me aghast!!!  And did you see McCain throw Sarah under the bus??  She would have been a heartbeat away if he'd won and now he needs to see who'll be competing..........

But the best part about my new found republicanism is (are you ready for this?????)-----

totally enjoying Stephen Colbert's Ameri-cone Dream ice cream from Ben & Jerry's.  I wonder if Obama Wham-a will be forthcoming, or maybe Jon Stewart's Cramer-Creamed Hash??? 

Twilight of the Gods

Kronos, the Titan, begat Zeus in Greek mythology. The Roman version had Saturnus fathering Jupiter. The titan father, the head of the gods, the son.
So GM begat Saturn to change the way it did business. Gone were the crippling, profit-sucking union contracts. A whole new philosophy of management was the key to the future---GM would show it could compete with those upstart Japanese: Toyota, Nissan (nee Datsun), and Honda. The future would be operations like Saturn.
Fast forward to 2009---Saturn regurgitates recycled Opal products. GM succumbed to the high profit low future gas guzzling GMC Sierras, Hummers, Escalades. GM needs to re-organize and present a viable business plan to the US government before the end of February to keep its loan package and attempt to qualify for future taxpayer largess.
Let it GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The plan as announced this week jettisons its once shining star, Saturn. It also includes the sale of Saab, once a company noted for its technological innovation. It will make Pontiac--maker of some of the greatest cars GM ever produced (Grand Prix, G T O, Firebird Trans-Am)-- a sub-brand of one of the remaining marques---Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC. At least those inefficient beasts with a moniker that reminds one of a slang term for fellatio (Hummer) is consigned to the garbage heap. That's only one right out of eight. Given that track record, what are this corporation's chances of survival? Slim and none is overly optimistic. Let GM go bankrupt. A little more short term pain will benefit us in the long run if the management sees this type of reorganization as saving this company and making it a viable concern for the 21st century.
It was once said that what was good for GM is good for the US. No longer. As Captain Kirk said in the Star Trek episode "Who mourns for Adonais", humans have outgrown the need for gods. Or corporations that believe they are gods.
So mourn for Saturnus and the company named for that Titan which might once have been the competitive rebirth of the American auto industry. And feel sorry for all those workers who need to be retrained. Hopefully the government will do what's right--allow a poorly run corporation without the management vision to right itself fail as the market dictates and then use the government's fiscal clout to absorb the losses and redirect the efforts of these workers into productive and sustainable occupations.

Pour Quoi????

An old friend asked me in our last phone conversation "So what's with this Pirate Dog thing? Where's that come from?"

Well, it's what they are, collectively.  Each has a unique story and their biographies have appeared earlier on this blog.  These dogs are each a misfit in their own way.  But as a refresher.....

The Captain was purchased from a Cock-a-poo "breeder (wink-wink)" in NH.  Mostly this person was some unskilled lady who thought breeding dogs a lucrative and easy profession.  So 'Roid came to us with some severe genetic issues.  As she has matured, she's evolved from being a Cock-a-poo with bad knees to a splay-footed chow hound who haunts the kitchen looking for handouts and sits leaning against the base cabinets with one of her rear legs jutting out at a 90-degree angle from her haunches.  She needs at least a 10-foot running start to jump onto the bed, which is a successful operation about 47.6% of the time.

Now the First Mate came to us from a shelter in NH.  Her official biography lists her as a rescue from a kill shelter in Ohio where she was imprisoned as an unclaimed stray.  And she still exhibits symptoms of the low self-esteem that can be produced by such mental trauma as being stranded and unclaimed by one's own family.  Leny meets her dad at the door each evening with a ball or chip-turk firmly between her teeth.  And such a ruckus---singing, whingeing, barking---all kinds of attention getting behaviors as would be expected from a traumatized and neglected child who has found a safe haven but insists on pushing the limits of her new found acceptance.

The Lookout is a NM native.  She was rescued from the local kill shelter.  She was surrendered from a town slightly west of here.  There was no official reason given for the placement of the dog there but we suspect it was "small dog syndrome"---she has a tendency to express herself with growling and threatening body language.  All of us have had occasion to be terrified of Weets when she gets in these moods.  It might also have had to do with her predilection for relieving herself on the dry floors inside when it's raining or wet outside.  Of course, a Schnauzer-Chihuahua mix that channels her maternal grandmother might also give one pause.....

So these three individuals, each with their own style and baggage have found a home together on the High Plains and a place of safety in the crate they've named the CPS Nargle.  A worthy crew joined by their circumstances and belief that being a Pirate Dog has benefits far beyond we poor humans' comprehension

After all, no self-respecting canine would ever name a pet extermination center a kill SHELTER.  To quote Captain 'Roid, "Talk about your basic oxymoron....."

Of Pirates and Spinners

Captain 'Roid is really pissed off. When last seen, the intrepid Captain was begging her mother to make a new flag for the CPS Nargle proclaiming the "End of the United Nations." According to a report on tonight's BBC America newscast, the UN has signed some declaration allowing countries to pursue the pirates onto Somalian land. Now admittedly, Somalia is a failed state and its sovereignty is open to debate. But to allow other countries, including Iran, China, Great Britain, and the US (talk about politics and pirates making strange bedfellows!!!!) to invade in pursuit of the pirates?? Hopefully all those military men will review Blackhawk Down before doing the same foolish thing.....And why does the US, beacon of religious freedom and defender of the right to democratic processes, so fear an Islamic government in Somalia?? Isn't Islam one of the "Great Religions" alongside Christianity, Judaism, Taoism, Buddhism, etc?? Or is all this "Islamic terrorists are radical extremists" just a smoke screen and the US is really at war with Muslims-----shades of Richard the Lion-Heart and the Crusades...........

Do you remember The Spinners from the '70's and that massively "great" song "Rubber Band Man"?? Actually, I detest that song but all the "oldies" stations seem fixated on it.

But those aren't "the spinners" I'm writing about. I'm thinking about the auto-bailout/union busters and whether the Kennedys are more deserving of power as a dynasty than the Clintons, if MSNBC be believed.

GM and Chrysler are doing worse than Packard did in the 1950's. They hemorrhage cash, blowing through billions a month. Their management has been about as in tune to the needs of the average buyer and the concerns about the deleterious effects of automotive emissions on the decaying of the Earth's atmosphere as Bush and Cheney have been to telling the truth about Al-Qaeda in Iraq, let alone the total misinterpretation of the WMD intelligence.
Now, depending whom one reads, we are either headed for, or are already in, the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression. The government has bailed out the financial fat-cats but balks at doing the same for the auto-making fat-cats. The problem is that there are a lot of not-so-fat-cats that would be a lot more hurt by the death of the Big 3. About 1 in 10 American jobs is tied to the auto industry---from parts providers to transportation firms to the workers at the car plants themselves. If we want to see Great Depression type unemployment numbers (like around 25%), then let's allow the Big 3 shut down and add that 10% who lose their jobs to the present 11% without jobs. (I realize the current "official" unemployment rate is about 6% but that does NOT include part-time employees who'd like full-time jobs or those who have stopped trying to find work. That number is over 11%.) That's 21% unemployment. Wouldn't take many, if any, more Citibank job cuts to put us well over that 25% threshold.

But some Senators blame all the failings of the auto industry on the wage disparity between the union workers up north and the non-union laborers in the foreign plants south of the Mason-Dixon line. Taking a real crisis and scapegoating people who will lose their livelihoods to avoid taking action while changing the focus of the argument to something totally non-related is major SPIN!! Even if a UAW member makes $71.00 an hour, that's only $150,000/year!!! And that's nowhere near what an executive at either an auto maker or a financial firm makes!!!! As a matter of fact, it's 1.5% of the 10-million dollar paychecks and bonuses common in executive suites or a Major League Baseball locker room. So let's not blame the union. Deny the bail-out if you don't think management can turn around these companies but let's stop the b.s.

So Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg threw her hat into the ring for the US Senate seat formerly warmed by former first-lady Hilary Clinton (all this assumes she gets confirmed for Secretary of State and resigns). Caroline has a lot going for her. First, her maiden name is Kennedy. She's the only surviving child of JFK and Jackie. She's a major upgrade in looks from Mrs. Clinton and I think she's also better looking than Sarah McPalin (remember her??). So give her the job already. But first we need to watch interminable hours of every Clintonista with an axe to grind and all the MSNBC "analysts" and commentators who need to justify their salaries since the election is over stir up controversy. Who cares if Andrew Cuomo is divorced from one of Caroline's cousins?? What possible effect does it have on her qualifications for the Senate, which are about the same as Hilary's when she was first elected----a member of a family that was in the White House as well as being a lawyer. And Caroline even had a pony at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue!!!!
So enjoy "Rubber Band Man" when you hear it and wish we only had to deal with the musical Spinners instead of the bozo spinners masquerading as learned gentlemen. Hang on to your money and hope January 20 comes faster. But keep your shoes handy just in case...........

Bail---in or out????

How about them Somali Pirates?????????? 12 ships in 7 days from an area of the ocean patrolled by the US Navy, Her Royal Majesty's Navy, the EU, the Emirates, and Kingdoms of the Gulf!!!! YeeHAW!!!!!!!!!!! The Pirate Dogs hope they get to keep their loot and that they use it to improve the standard of living in the Horn of Africa, one of the poorest and most badly governed places in the entire world.
I need to correct the last post---There were a couple of inconsistencies in the sources. Apparently the ship was taken in the Gulf of Aden and is now anchored in the Indian Ocean some 450 miles from Mombasa, Kenya. Capt. 'Roid apologizes for the misinformation.
Now that the Somalis have bailed out their ships, how about the bail-out in DC of the BIG 3? I thought this was a capitalistic nation, not a welfare state. If I ran my business with as little forethought and lack of planning as that exhibited by the CEOs of the Detroit mega corporations, I'd deserve to be fired or run into bankruptcy. Now I fully appreciate that we cannot allow the auto industry to go the way of the airlines. There's always places to go and someone to take the risk and fly there. No sane person would buy any major asset from a company in Chapter 11. Cars last years and anyone purchasing one wants to make sure he can keep his investment on the road. But a free ride out of their hole is the last thing we should support as taxpayers or citizens.
I believe that successful people should get the fruits of their hard work. And executives who can't formulate a decent forward-looking business plan should go back to the business correspondence school they came from for a refresher course.
Memo to our representatives----
NO BAILOUT!!! No LOANS to the auto Industry without STRINGS!! WE THE PEOPLE need to see how OUR money will be used to sustain the industry and IMPROVE the performance of its products----MORE MPG, MORE environmentally friendly, NO MORE loans or taxpayer dollars after this ONE time.
After all, if a bunch of Somali pirates can outperform the navies of the allegedly advanced economies, our congress, senate, and captains of capitalism should be able to give us some bang for our buck in a car that gets 50-plus MPG, is safe and fun to drive.
Let's get our people in WaWa DC this message!!!!!

Economics PD3

Most of the attention the Pirate Dogs pay to economic issues consists of sitting in the kitchen whenever a person goes there, hoping for food to be either given them or dropped on the floor where they can scarf it up. Pretty simplistic and operating at a very basic level.

Now the three of them, joined by my wife and I, watched the President-elect and the stage full of economic heavy hitters do a press conference. We liked the part about the shelter dog the best---the Obama girls really deserve a Sharprador (even if Leny would out-cute them) and wouldn't the Humane Society so benefit from the exposure!!! But the serious issue of the economy did get us thinking......


The auto industry gets a lot of attention. It did in Mr. Obama's remarks before the media. It is probably, after the financial sector, the most needy segment of the manufacturing sector. But a bail-out or loan package MUST be tied to the long-term environmental needs of not only the country but the planet. There were autos that could get 30MPG twenty years ago. This is no longer a goal but an attainable standard. It's our belief that any aid package to the car makers have at the very least a fleet fuel economy standard of 50MPG or more and that this standard be attained within two years!!! Also the car makers should be encouraged to dedicate themselves to improving their core competencies, i.e, building efficient,competitive automobiles, and discouraged from ventures into mortgages and banking. GM Bank and Ditech (mortgages from GMAC) are examples of this phenomenon. If the talent is diluted into so many ancillary ventures, how can the manufacturer be competitive with the foreign companies who keep their eye on the ball. A certain financial acumen is necessary to assist buyers in financing their new (and probably over-priced) vehicle, but a mortgage company and a bank??????????

So by all means, let's put together a stimulus package. And let's support our domestic industries, the few we have left. But let's make sure that this support is aligned with the longer term goals of energy independence and reversing the damage we've done to our planet.

Someone Please Tune In the Picture

I see more ads for Ditech mortgages (from GMAC) and GMAC Bank than I see for GM cars. So GM is now earning more from the financial sector than from manufacturing?

We owe ever more to China and India, and the petro-dollars we send to the Gulf of Arabia are now being used by Gulf countries' sovereign wealth funds to shore up our banks!!

The Economist magazine, hardly a left-wing publication, stated "The financial-services industry's share of total American corporate profits rose from 10% in the early 1980's to 40% at its peak last year. By one calculation, profits in the past decade amounted to $1.2 trillion more than you would have expected." And this was from the Sept. 20, 2008 edition, before the meltdown Monday, Sept. 29!!!!

Tie these items together and it's easy to see why the US is well down the road to being a second class power. Financial engineering has replaced real engineering. Anybody else think this picture needs adjusting??

On a more hopeful note, Captain 'Roid has been following with interest the saga of the freighter that the Somalian pirates captured. Seems there's about $40 million worth of old Soviet tanks and artillery aboard. It was headed for Kenya. The Somalis want a $20 million ransom for it. Our captain would love a share of that money to help her parents retire, but the gleam really comes to her eye when she thinks about her and the rest of the Pirate Dogs sailing that ship up the Potomac, taking over Washington, and helping all of us........................

Raise the Fuel Taxes

Gas prices continue to go up---over $4.08 a gallon as I write this. And the monthly payments on pickups and SUVs keep decreasing---no interest for 60 months, $6,000 rebates, "employee pricing".......Anybody else out there think this is a disconnect? And note the small print on these adds---none of the "deals" apply to hybrids!!!! The fuel efficient varieties are full boat, baby!!!!
Our government says we can alleviate gas prices by drilling in places like the Arctic Wildlife Refuge. But the current administration doesn't exactly deserve kudos or respect in terms of their record on the environment or climate change. Let's face it, the "senior administrators" are ex-oil men. The candidates recommend gas tax holidays or windfall taxes on big oil.
How about something that might work? Let's eliminate the taxes on diesel. This will give truckers a break and help stabilize the costs of food and other goods that depend on trucking to get to America's consumers. We can increase the gas tax on regular fuel to offset this revenue loss and also to subsidize the cost of truly fuel efficient and alternative fuel technologies.
Check out the Honda website http://automobiles.honda.com/fcx-clarity/frequently-asked-questions/. That fuel cell car in the tv ads is available in a few counties in Southern California at a lease cost of $600.00 a month. That's more than the lease on a Hummer, a Mercedes S class, or a Cadillac STS!!!! We should be begging to lease the fuel cell car all over the country and getting the infrastructure built to support fuel cell technology. But the vast majority of Americans can't afford that kind of lease price. One would think GM, Ford, or Chrysler could build a fuel cell car that might fit an average family's budget if some of the development costs were subsidized.
According to Jonathan Rauch's article in the July/August Atlantic(http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/general-motors), the Chevy Volt will sell for "maybe north of $35,000." But an F-150 Ford or a Chevy Silverado at 10mpg can be had for about $20,000!! If we really are serious about conserving fossil fuels and getting their prices back in line, we need the Volt to sell for the same price as a Malibu.
So let's bite the short-term bullet and pay an inceased gas tax which can be used by car companies to develop alternative fuel vehicles without passing the high development costs on to consumers and keeping the sticker prices of these vehicles in line with what the average family can afford. The other benefit of this would be to help make American companies competitive and hopefully increase job opportunities in the automotive sector, which has been among the hardest hit in the economy. Or maybe America isn't as good as our competitors in this segment of the global economy?