AUTO INDUSTRY RESCUE - WHAT IS YOUR REACTION???

In these past few months we have focused upon the Big 3's policies and practices. I am afraid they will be back for more in almost a year. I would be surprised if they were not back for more in the near future.

Ive worked in the auto industry for many years and for the sake of the many non UAW supplier plants and their employees it will help them more in the short term. It is not a popular decision but it is one of compassion that needs to be made for the sake of the supplier base.

The employees of the supplier base to the big three are a mix of Union contract and non Union Contract workers. These are people that are hard working, the ones that are your next door neighbors. They don't have pensions or Jobs Banks or even 100% benefit coverage.
For many years the supplier base has been bearing part of the burden of the big 3's overhead having to sell parts to the Big 3 for little or no margin so the big 3 can cover their overhead. Many call it the "Lopez Doctrine" after a former President from GM who introduced supplier purchasing strategies that are some what harsh.
95% of the supplier base now do not have the wages and benefits of the Big 3 hourly employees. Yet these suppliers are indirectly at the mercy every three years during contract negotiations as it has impacts on them as well. When I think of the loan the government is giving out I hope that this is going to keep the suppliers in work

I think this is wrong, the guy is right BG doe not have a great fan base

BOWLING GREEN FIRES GREGG BRANDON
Posted by Michael David Smith on November 29, 2008, 9:47 p.m. EST
Bowling Green has fired Gregg Brandon after six years as head coach, the school announced today.
Brandon, who got the Bowling Green job when Urban Meyer left to become the head coach at Utah, finishes his tenure at Bowling Green with a 44-30 record, including 6-6 this season.
“This was a difficult decision, but ultimately I believe it’s time for BGSU football to make a coaching change,” said athletic director Greg Christopher. “Gregg’s time at Bowling Green has been marked by a number of accomplishments. I want to thank him for his dedication and commitment to Falcon football. … Finding the right person to lead the young men of our football team is our top priority.”
The firing comes just 10 months after Brandon signed a contract extension through the 2011 season. But it was a rough off-season at Bowling Green, where members of the team got into legal trouble and failed out of school. Brandon also didn’t make any friends when he criticized Bowling Green fans for low attendance. He won’t have to worry about how many fans turn out at Bowling Green anymore.

I just dont see the rationale in this. He has to be one of the better underpaid coached in Division I. I guess BG just cant commit to a sucessful program.

How Corrupt is my state??

HOW CORRUPT IS YOUR STATE? From CNN's Veronica DeLa Cruz:

Here are the 35 most populous states ranked by their corruption rate:

Louisiana (1)(7.67), Mississippi (2)(6.66), Kentucky (3)(5.18), Alabama (4)(4.76), Ohio (5)(4.69), Illinois (6)(4.68), Pennsylvania (7)(4.55), Florida (8)(4.47), New Jersey (9)(4.32), New York (10)(3.95).

Tennessee (11)(3.68), Virginia (12)(3.64), Oklahoma (13)(2.96), Connecticut (14)(2.80), Missouri (15)(2.79), Arkansas (16)(2.74), Massachusetts (17)(2.66), Texas (18)(2.44), Maryland (19)(2.31), Michigan (20)(2.14).

Georgia (21)(2.13), Wisconsin (22)(2.09), California (23)(2.07), North Carolina (24)(1.96), Arizona (25)(1.88), Indiana (26)(1.85), South Carolina (27)(1.74), Nevada (28) (1.72), Colorado (29)(1.56), Washington (30)(1.52).

Utah (31)(1.4117), Kansas (32)(1.4109), Minnesota (33)(1.24), Iowa (34)(0.91), Oregon (35)(0.68).

My Response:

Wow, Ohio is only fifth! I am only surprised that we were only fifth! I live in the state that elected Jim Traficant for over 8 terms! We had people STILL voting for him as a write AFTER he went to jail! At least Blagojevich has his own hair!
We have had one of the worst Governor’s in the NATIONS (not just Ohio) History, Taft! We are still discovering all of his schemes! How very quick we were to forget about the miscues of ACORN in the last election? It worries me how many votes in Ohio ACORN may have falsified in the last election.
Marathon Oil has owned several Congressmen from the Fourth district; Tennyson Guyer whose widow picked Smiling Mike Oxley, who hand Picked four time Ohio High School State Wrestling Champion (but has never held a real job!) Jim Jordan! Way to go Ohio!
The Blagojevich scandal is the tip of the iceberg. Who in the American Public really thinks that our Government is not for sale? Maybe we should investigate them all! It is supposed to be a public service isn’t it?
Why do I think that way? Because if I did what a lot of these people have done in the past, I would be in checking into jail with OJ. It has been this way all through history “ET TU Brute!”
The best is yet to come fellow Buckeyes!; Jim Traficant gets his hairpiece back in March when he gets out of the Pokey!

This one makes me smile as well

Click on the Title to go to the link about the two legged dog.

Citi-Group Bail-Out

Citi-Group Bail-Out: The Government is about to fork over hundreds of billions of tax payer dollars to once financial giant Citi-Group, while GM may never see its share of the $25 billion the Big Three have been seeking. What are your thoughts on the Citi-Group bail-out? Should the Government take care of one and not the other? Both?

I realize that we have already given Citigroup 25 Billion before. Unlike the Big 3, Citigroup will provide a service the Big 3 cannot; a product we can use. A Bank that provides credit, loans and banking service world wide vs. a promise of an electric / hybrid car that will probably never become a reality.

Citibank has a history of providing the customer with service, the Big 3 have a legacy of bad untimely products, arrogance towards their suppliers and schemes to divest themselves of underachieving subsidiaries that have ended up already costing the taxpayers millions.
Those recent examples include Delphi, Visteon, Mopar, the infamous but little known Peregrine Stamping that GM used to get rid of ten underachieving Fisher Guide Plants one of which became one of the state of Michigan’s worst environmental cleanups.
Why should we as tax payers continue to pay for the Big 3’s blunders as we have done so many times with many local tax payer bases already saddled with the legacy of closed GM, Ford, Chrysler, Delphi, Visteon and Mopar facilities with little hope of anything in return.

Prop 8 & Obama's Blog

Two topics being discussed in the CNN Newsroom today: Prop 8 protests have started to swell, not just on the West Coast, but across the country, plus this....Obama may have to give up his Blackberry because of security concerns??!

We all need to accept the fact that Prop 8 was passed 52.46 vs 47.54% (see LA Times Nov 5th PROPOSITION 8 AND PROPOSITION 22
Gay marriage ban: A tale of two votes ) The opposition to Proposition 8 missed their chance this election.
I empathize with the homosexuals right to Same Sex Marriage, its just that I am in the minority right now. Even with this increased voter turnout with younger people with sympathetic views it did not pass. I am afraid overturning proposition 8 will not occur until another presidential election.

Mr President elect, you need to give up the Blackberry, it gave me carpal tunnel. Now how embarrassing would that be to have a president with Carpal Tunnel?

Faith the dog, I love this story

Thanks Daryn

Did I experience any trouble voting?

No problems, I travel a great deal and I vote absentee. I only have missed one election since I was 18.
Voting absentee used to mean that when I did vote, I was given the honor of Jury duty on a regular basis but now it means that I vote with dead people registered by ACORN.

What challenges would you like to see President-elect Obama take on first? What should be the priorities? National security? Healthcare? Economy?

All three of these are important but I have to say economy is first on everyone’s list followed closely by healthcare.
On the economy; what a hornets nest to walk into! Unemployment is rising. The good news is that gas prices are coming down. However, how long are gas prices going to stay down? There are not a lot of easy solutions to the credit crisis and the Zero down interest only sub prime loan may become our generations “Buying on the Margin.”
Banking just took a bail out and now the automakers want one as well. So tell me this, we gave the bankers a bail out, can we get them to ease up on foreclosures now? So, if we bail out the automakers how about a 30% discount on our next new car.
Healthcare has been a mess for some time. If you want a true testament to our healthcare system, go to south Texas and find the border town of Weslaco, Texas – Nuevo Progresso, Mexico http://www.shop-progreso.com . It is a small town of dentists, Pharmacies and assorted cosmetic surgeons. You can walk across the border and get all your RX carry to the US border station and all they are concerned with is if you brought any liquor in Mexico and are bringing it to the USA. You can see retirees pushing and oxygen cart with one hand and holding and armful of RX in another crossing the border. You can talk to any of them and they will tell you why they are there; Cheap RX without a prescription, cheap dental work, cheap small procedures done by Doctors and Dentists many of whom have their license in the USA or were educated in the USA.
National security, well, we as a nation tend to let it slide until some one does something to us and makes us angry. We cannot afford to do that with the Russian Bear getting aggressive and China beginning to flex their muscles. That is the way we as a nation are.

Abused Spouse's be careful, seek help

Man fears wife's revenge if he ends abusive marriage
DEAR ABBY: My son, "Marshall”, is in an abusive marriage. This week, while his military unit was training in another state, his wife had his cell phone turned off. Then she took a cash advance (over the credit limit) against the card Marshall uses while away from home, and canceled his ATM card so he would not have access to money. She did all this because she was angry with him.
Marshall had to leave his training early and fly home to straighten out the mess.
Abby, she has locked him out of the house and made up allegations of physical abuse and reported them to his command. I have never met anyone so vindictive. This has happened repeatedly during their nine-year marriage.
They have two young sons. Marshall is miser¬able, yet he is hesitant to free himself from her control. He keeps saying she will just do something worse. Even with her history, he does not see it as abuse.
Have you a list of abusive characteristics in women you could print?
Maybe if Marshall sees it, he will recognize it for what it is. I am afraid he will eventually lose his job or his life. WORRIED SICK IN CALIFORNIA
DEAR WORRIED SICK:
It has been a while since I printed the warning signs of an abuser. Although they were originally intended to describe a male abuser, many of them apply to both sexes:

1. PUSHES FOR QUICK INVOLVEMENT:
Comes on strong almost from the beginning Beware of behavior like this by anyone. Pressures the new partner for an exclusive commitment almost immediately.
2. JEALOUS:
Excessively possessive; calls constantly or visits unexpectedly. Prevents you from going to work because you might meet someone, checks the mileage on your car.
3. CONTROLLING:
Interrogates you intensely (especially if you are late) about whom you talked to and where you were; keeps all the money; insists you ask permission to go anywhere or do anything.
4. UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS:
Expects you to be the perfect mate and meet his or her every need.
5. ISOLATION:
Tries to cut you off from family and friends; accuses people who support you of “causing trouble." May deprive you of a phone or car, or try to prevent you from holding a job.
6. BLAMES OTHERS FOR PROBLEMS OR MISTAKES:
It's always someone else's fault if something, goes wrong.
7. MAKES OTHERS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS OR HER FEELINGS:
Says, "You make me angry," instead of; “I am angry," or say, "You're hurting me by not doing what tell you."
8. HYPERSENSITIVITY:
Is easily insulted, claiming hurt feelings when he or she is really
Manipulating the relationship. Is always claiming injustice of things that are just part of life.
9. CRUELTY TO ANIMALS OR CHILDREN:
Kills or punishes animals brutally. May expect children to do things far beyond their ability (whips a 3-year-old for wetting a diaper) or teas¬es them until 'they cry. Sixty-five percent of abusers who beat their partner will also abuse Children.
10. "PLAYFUL" USE OF FORCE DURING SEX:
Enjoys throwing you down or holding you down against your will during sex; finds the idea of rape exciting.
11. VERBAL ABUSE:
Constantly criticizes or says blatantly cruel things, degrades, curses, calls you ugly names. This may .involve sleep deprivation, waking you with relentless verbal abuse.
12. RIGID GENDER ROLES:
Expects you to serve, obey, and remain, at home.
13. SUDDEN MOOD SWINGS:
Switches from sweet to violent in minutes.
14. PAST BATTERING:
Admits to hitting a mate in the past, but says the person "made" him (or her) do it.
15. THREATS OF VIOLENCE:
Says things like, 'Ill break your neck" or "I'll kill you, then dismisses them with, "Everybody talks that way" or 'I didn't really mean it."

www.DearAbby.com

CNN is Bia's, Yes they are

Today I responded to a blog I follow on Face Book. It was presented at 11:25 am EST on CNN by Veronica DeLaCruz. They wanted to know what I though about the Candidates Foreign Policy Plans. Having Minored in Foreign Affairs in College and Being home today, I responded. They presented it out of context as expected. The question and link are stated below:

"Good morning everyone! Please keep the discussion going on Homeland Security. How do you feel about where the candidates stand on issues like the War on Terror, Guantanamo Bay? Please take a look at this link and post your thoughts!!"

http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/issues/issues.homelandsecurity.html

What I Said:
National security is a subject near and dear to my heart. I work in the military and aerospace arena and I need to bring to light that besides the medical device industry, it is one of the few areas of our economy that has any growth and that the US lead's the world in. Most people in the US forget that we are hated around the world due to envy. You are always envious of the biggest / richest / most prosperous people. In the international arena is no different. We do need to be vigilant versus aggression.

It is time we revitalize our public diplomacy arena. The practices of the CIA and TSA / DHS are more than draconian. Having a new approach outside of those agencies is a good start. Advantage McCain
The patriot act and the Telecom Bill are not imposing to me as I really don't have anything to hide. We need to rebuild our friends as well as enemies. Deciding who those enemies are is the hard part. We have some allies I think we could do without and a stern hand is needed, Advantage Senator McCain.

Dismantling Gitmo with a Military Trail is a good first step. Having a plan for the rest is better, Senator McCain has a plan, in looking at Senator Obama’s plan I see a lot more rhetoric than plan. Call me Joe the Veteran /Engineer but I like a straight answer. Advantage Senator McCain

What CNN presented:

It is time we revitalize our public diplomacy arena. Having a new approach outside of those agencies is a good start. We need to rebuild our friends as well as enemies. Deciding who those enemies are is the hard part. We have some allies I think we could do without. I guess no one in the Dorms had any thing worth while to say.

Tired of Being Screwed, gas prices around zip codes 45822 & 45885 are almost 30 cents a gallon higher than in areas more than 50 miles away.

Today, October 23rd, I traveled from home to Maumee Ohio, about a 110 mile trip. When I hit Findlay Ohio Gas is 2.29 a gallon, then again it is always about 30 cents less than it is here in Saint Marys and Celina. Why, well we are tourist area!
What a load of shit!
A polluted lake that the State of Ohio EPA agreed to allow reduce the water quality of for an ethanol plant! That counts as a place for flocks of tourists. The roads arte clogged with them! NOT!
It irritates me that its always been this way and the worst part about it is no one does or says any thing about it. Id love to tell every one in the area boycott the gas stations in the area for a week but there are a lot of folk in this area that never leave either Auglaize or Mercer County.
Well here endeth the lesson.

Shape of things to Come for Mercer Energy

AP
Ohio ethanol plant operator files for bankruptcy
Friday October 17, 12:24 pm ET
Ohio ethanol plant operator says design flaws, credit crunch led to bankruptcy filing

LIMA, Ohio (AP) -- The operator of an ethanol plant in northwest Ohio is filing for bankruptcy protection.

The president of Greater Ohio Ethanol blames the current credit crunch and a flaw in the design of the plant near Lima.

Gregory Kruger says the design flaw forced the plant to use much more water than planned, causing the company's water bill to go up much more than they expected.

The plant began production in July after months of delay.

Kruger says the plant is continuing to operate and buy corn from farmers.

Comments removed

I removed the comments about my ex wife. It wasn't doing any good. Its now time to move on and see what life has to offer away from the drama. Slainte HUD

Mercer Energy

NOW is our last chance to be heard!

In fact, the citizens will decide the height of the Industrial District.

Your help is needed! We need volunteers to go door-to-door in the East Jefferson North and South precincts. You do not need to live in the East Jefferson North or South precincts to help pass out flyers. We will provide you with the flyer to clarify that a 'NO' vote will mean the 45 ft. height restriction will stay in place.

To learn how you can help, contact Larry at larrymyers@cox.net or call Karen at 419.394.5203.

(Vote NO! Keep 45ft. Door-to-Door Coordinators: Karen James & Larry Myers)

I'll be free soon and everything tells me thats a good sign

“You are only starting on your path to success.” From a Panda Express fortune cookie.

Some Christians believe Jesus will come back to fix this corrupt world. Certain Jewish Sects propose that the Messiah will soon appear on earth for the first time. Among Muslims, many predict the 12th Imam will return and bring salvation to humanity, In India, devotees of the Vishnu expect the avatar Kalki to arrive on the scene and carry out a great redemption. Even the Buddhist prophesy Maitreya, the chosen one who will establish universal peace. Personally, I suspect that the whole point of our spectacularly confounding moment in history is that each of us must become our own savior. The coming year will be an excellent time, Aquarius, for you to master the art of doing that: being your own savior. Moreover, it starts now. (P.S. you can perform a great service to those who haven’t yet figured out how to be their own saviors.)
From a horoscope in the Houston Chronicle, January 2007

2007 was the year I awoke from a bad dream and saved myself. I learned to shake off the numbness and reawaken my spirit within me. Now I’m learning to be happy again despite the theft of my dogs.

I just read and article (by Mary Thurwatcher, Cox News Service) on a self help book, my ex used to insist I read nothing but self help books and would chastise me when I read what I wanted, called “Happy for No reason” by Marci Shimoff. I’m not sure I want to read the book but I like the steps in the synopsis of the book.
Take ownership of your happiness. Accept that being happy is up to you and that you have the ability and power to be happier by changing your habits. Take responsibility to all the events in your life in a way that supports your happiness. Those who are happy for no reason orchestrate the events in their lives when they can. When they can’t they change their responses to those events.
Don’t believe everything you think. We have 60000 thoughts a day, I have 120000, and a lot of those are the same ones. They say 80 percent are negative. Know that your thoughts are not always true – so you shouldn’t believe everything you think. Happy people are more skeptical of their negative thoughts.
Let love lead, then focus on gratitude. Before you go to sleep think of five things you are grateful for and write them in a journal. Practice forgiveness- compassion is the key. Spread loving kindness; wish the best for everyone.
Make your cells happy. Exercise and Eat right.
Plug into your spirit. Live a life inspired by purpose. Gotta find that purpose.