A different car indeed...

Good morning everyone, Who remembers when Saab hit the market under GMs name with their oddly shaped vehicle (which I liked)? I do because I thought it looked rather sweet and had an interior that was on par with other vehicles out that year. Well I just read that SAAB is to design for the Swedish military a vehicle electronics for the army's Leopard 2 tanks. Given the history of the SAAB name and reputation I find it exciting that they were able to incorporate their tech into the military's arsenal. I wish the partnership safe travels in this endeavor. Going from SAAB's first creation the SAAB 92 to increasing the effectiveness of the Leopard 2 you have to admit that the transition from start to present is pretty remarkable.

Bending is not enough...

DETROIT (UPI) -- United Automobile Workers said they would rather bend than break, offering concessions to U.S. automakers on the eve of bailout hearings in Washington.

Executives from General Motors Corp, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC were scheduled to appear at Thursday hearings to ask for about $38 billion to get them through tough times.

Meeting in Detroit Wednesday, union leaders said they would suspend the controversial "jobs bank" that pays laid off workers 85 percent of their salaries, The New York Times reported.

Union president Ron Gettelfinger also said the union would allow automakers to postpone payments to a multibillion-dollar healthcare plan for retirees.

But Washington Democrats said critical votes for a bailout were still lacking.

"It's going to take (President George) Bush and (President-elect Barack) Obama calling people," a Democratic aide told the Times.

With new business plans in hand, auto executives have said they would make further production cuts, eliminate some brands and focus on more fuel-efficient cars.

Federal assistance should be based on "a realistic plan for how we're going to make these companies viable over the long term," Obama said.

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What the Unions need to do is cut back on workers as well as cutting back on the huge wage that isn't helping the company any. It's bad enough that the top three have to find ways to make their vehicles more tempting by offering delayed payments and more incentives.

Other car companies have a good car where in some cases at half the price then those offered by anyone else. How is a company going to compete if that's where the starting point is and the top three others are in dead last place. I beleive they need to fail and file for bankruptcy so that they have to be forced to sit down and trim down what they have so that they can at least have a decent run in this future vehicle race.

Nissan OneOne

The OneOne is envisioned as a sort of lovable pet vehicle. ("Won-won" is a common Japanese imitation for the sound of a barking dog.) Besides being cute, it would also be a helpful member of the family. On its own, it could go fetch some groceries or take a child to school.

The OneOne would move itself along like a skater by alternately pushing out with each of its rear wheels. At high speeds it would lean back for better aerodynamics, but at slower speeds it could "stand up" for better visibility.

I can easily see myself utilizing this bad boy for those quick beer runs during that crucial 4th quarter drive towards the end zone when you know that by leaving the house you can potentially miss a pass or an interception heck maybe even a fan running through the field. All kidding aside this concept is relly intrigueing especially the way our lives moves towards the easy and easier way of living. I give Nissan a 10 on concept and thought.

Union free if you ask me...

Here in the Toledo area we have seen reports of families wanting for GM leaders to sit down and agree on a contract. I personally know of three people that are current workers at some of these plants. They bring in a lot of money and have some pretty awesome benefits but if you were to ask me if I'm pro union, I'd have to say no. Unions were good back in the day but what we have today is nothing more than highway robbery. I believe that when you work for a living you actually work for it.

Yes there are some out there that have put the time in for their benefits but what I'm talking about is the ones that continue to punch in and do absolutely nothing all day and get a yearly salary of up to $75,000. Listen, I shop at a store called ALDIs here in Toledo, when I want something for less that's where I go or when I want something that's not food related I shop at Wal-Mart. I don't care what union you're in or what you think the union can offer me as a person, a citizen or a family man you cannot argue the point that when it costs you three dollars for a box of cereal at a union store as a opposed to one seventy five at a non-union shop that at the end of the day unions and union shops are considered to be better. I don't know what the out come will be between these two entities but the one thing I can say is that there are other companies out there (Toyota) that run union free and are still producing profits left and right.

I am currently working in a non-union environment and it's great, yes times are tight and the cost for insurance went up which if anything makes my point all the more understandable as to why I shop non-union stores. This strike will hurt those who are used to the big paycheck because although GM has enough stock for a month they can start a hiring binge and get people to work at yes a lower rate but the job will still be there for them as opposed to nothing. Unions are going to be a thing of the past especially if we are to compete in this global economy with the rest of the world.

Treasures hidden from the world...

I received this information from a co-worker today, my first reaction was WOW. All this time and no one knew what was inside. A true fairy tale.

A New York man retired. He wanted to use his retirement money wisely, so it would last, and decided to buy a home and a few acres in Portugal. The modest farmhouse had been vacant for 15yrs.; the owner and wife both had died, and there were no heirs. The house was sold to pay taxes. There had been several lookers, but the large barn had steel doors, and they had been welded shut. Nobody wanted to go to the extra expense to see what was in the barn, and it wasn't complimentary to the property anyway...... so, nobody made an offer on the place.
The NY guy bought it at just over half of the property's worth, moved in, and set about to tear into the barn....... curiosity was killing him.
So, he and his wife bought a generator, and a couple of grinders.......and cut through the welds.

What was in the barn...............?
Click HERE and see for yourself what was inside.

I'm going to do a little more research and try to find out what they did with the items.

Gas prices can and will change your mood...

Driving home last night from the store I couldn't help but notice that the price of gas at the gas station closest to me was set at $3.29/gallon. No this was not the high octane type, this was for the lower grade that most people buy. I came across this site (GasBuddy.com) when watching the news and although some of the locations that they suggested to go to and fill up at a lower rate were more then just a few, none of them were close enough to me. I didn't see the point of driving an extra 6-7 miles just spend a little less at the pump, it would kind of defeat the purpose of saving money and gas. Click on this LINK to see what is near you here in Toledo.

Toyota USA / GM Japan

TOKYO, April 12 – Toyota Motor announced a management reshuffling today that will elevate the president of its North American operations, James Press, to become the first non-Japanese ever to sit on the automaker’s board of directors.

The changes announced today will increase the number of board members from 25 to 30. James Press was among nine new members appointed to the board. Four members retired, including Executive Vice President Yoshimi Inaba, a popular executive who led Toyota’s important China operations for two years.

The move comes amid increasing worries at Toyota about a possible political backlash in the United States, where Japanese carmakers have prospered while American rivals are struggling. It also reflects the efforts of Toyota, long a solidly Japanese company, to grow more international as it now produces and sells more vehicles overseas than in Japan.

With what's going on with Toyota it now makes sense why GM was excited when the unveiling of the new concepts in New York this same month will create a huge buzz for the younger crowd in the far east.