Comments for "Administration on GM, Chrysler"
sportsfan says:
Give them a chance to succeed; otherwise they fail. It really is that simple.
sportsfan Mon Mar 30 11:25:42 2009 CDT #
CRbot says:
This comment thread has been HALO-IZED by CRbot.
http://realize.org/cr/halokit.php?halourl=http://www.haloscan.com/comments/calculatedrisk/3972222249586410929
CRbot Mon Mar 30 11:26:50 2009 CDT #
Bob Dobbs says:
We should be hearing this sort of evaluation of Wall Street firms. Shows you who's got the juice. Until the whole system falls apart and it is all sucked out of them. I pray.
Bob Dobbs Mon Mar 30 11:27:14 2009 CDT #
wally says:
From Infectious Greed:
Someone lets TIm Geithner out of his sound-proof box on the weekend, and now today we have the inevitable clean-up operation with President Obama saying he won't let the U.S. auto industry "simply vanish".
Of course we won't let it simply vanish. We're much more likely to let it expensively atrophy.
wally Mon Mar 30 11:29:16 2009 CDT #
Bob the Builder says:
Fail. Epic Fail. How sad to see the president of the Unites States as car salesman in chief. Easy Financing! Tax breaks worth hundreds! Better hurry they're going FASTer. Im buying thousands." Cue Zaney music and costumes.
SAD.
Bob the Builder Mon Mar 30 11:29:19 2009 CDT #
Baa says:
Bob the Builder says:
Today, 9:29:19 AM
<tbody>
“Fail. Epic Fail. How sad to see the president of the Unites States as car salesman in chief. Easy Financing! Tax breaks worth hundreds! Better hurry they're going FASTer. Im buying thousands." Cue Zaney music and costumes.
SAD.
</tbody>
If SNL had any balls they'd be all over that. Too funny
Parent Post
Baa Mon Mar 30 18:02:29 2009 CDT #
wally says:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iiZptbB8SXYalUXspsH14F2pKDHg
wally Mon Mar 30 11:30:05 2009 CDT #
MarketBlogic says:
GM has now officially been rechartered as, "Government Motors".
I have no right to be, but I'm shocked that the Obama Administration is so arrogantly confident that it can run GM successfully.
My guess of the ultimate outcome at this point (NOTE: definitely not tradeable or investable for quite a while even if 100% correct) is that the government has decided that it fix GM in order to: (1) avoid losing all those jobs at once, (2) preserve the long term economic viability of the company, (3) force concessions on all important stakeholders including bondholders and the unions and (4) make really high quality, green-oriented cars.
The government is, of course, dead wrong about most if not all of the above, and GM will end up as a government owned and managed business carcass hemmorhaging cash and losing market share at an astonishing clip -- you know, just like AIG.
Yippee.
MarketBlogic Mon Mar 30 11:30:51 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
@sportsfan they have had 20 years to succeed and they failed. Chrysler has failed twice before and look now. Thanks for conitnuing to be loose with the tax dollars though.
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 11:31:09 2009 CDT #
Jas says:
--
Krugman, “America the Tarnished: "Time magazine featured Robert Rubin,... Alan Greenspan,... and Lawrence Summers..."
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/30/opinion/30krugman.html
Add Bernanke to the list and we have the four men most responsible for the current crisis. Of course, we had Clinton, W and, now, Obama, who are enablers of these evil financial schemers.
Americans' faith in the govt intervention and manipulation of the economy, via the monetary and fiscal policies, in one word, is disgusting.
America has been tarnished by AMERICANS! And Krugman is very much a part of it.
Jas
<font face="Times New Roman" size="3">
</font>
Jas Mon Mar 30 11:31:56 2009 CDT #
Cletus says:
Jimmy Johnson driving the #48 US Government car, wins at Talladega!
Cletus Mon Mar 30 11:35:05 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
This may be a "test case" (by the administration) for nationalization of some of the banks that are effectively insolvent.
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 11:35:28 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
Cletus +1 Maybe the CIA FBI DHS will all sponsor a car. Cool
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 11:35:55 2009 CDT #
sportsfan says:
Thanks for conitnuing to be loose with the tax dollars though.
I just watched the Bush Administration piss away $5 or $6 trillion dollars and accomplish absolutely nothing while leaving huge unpaid bills behind when they left.
I have no problem with the current administration making an effort to help a big part of the U.S. manufacturing base remain in existence.
Remember "We don't make it here anymore" isn't just a song.
sportsfan Mon Mar 30 11:36:35 2009 CDT #
Fried says:
I have no problem with the current administration making an effort to help a big part of the U.S. manufacturing base remain in existence. "
Sportsfan, I agree. Will those who want US auto manufacturing to disappear be happy when the US can't manufacture a single tank for the military?
Parent Post
Fried Mon Mar 30 13:05:03 2009 CDT #
Michael says:
The US won't need to buy any more tanks for the next 20 years when we close down half of our 704 military bases around the world,k and bring the troops and equipment home from Japan, South Korea, Europe, and other places.
Parent Post
Michael Mon Mar 30 13:13:19 2009 CDT #
Wampeter of My Karass says:
"I just watched the Bush Administration piss away $5 or $6 trillion dollars and accomplish absolutely nothing while leaving huge unpaid bills behind when they left."
Right on! It's the Democrats' turn to piss away $5 or 6 trillion dollars and accomplish absolutely nothing. In fact it looks to me like Obama is going to only need 2 or 3 years to accomplish what Bush took 8 years to do!
That's the kind of government efficiency we need more of!
Wait what?
Parent Post
Wampeter of My Karass Mon Mar 30 13:21:54 2009 CDT #
iceman says:
Bailing out GM and Chrysler, as both Bush and Obama have done, is the quickest way to ensure that Ford will soon face bankruptcy, too.
The quickest way to ensure Ford's health would have been to let its main competitors fail.
iceman Mon Mar 30 11:36:48 2009 CDT #
Interesting Times says:
FYI - For you folks who see a lot of HTML in their posts. Please paste copied quotes into Notepad or another simple text editor and copy and paste that into JS-kit.
JS-kit will not translate divs fonts and a bunch of other tags due to formatting and secuirty.
Interesting Times Mon Mar 30 11:37:20 2009 CDT #
MarketBlogic says:
Thanks, will do.
Parent Post
MarketBlogic Mon Mar 30 12:11:02 2009 CDT #
jo6pac says:
Well by saving Chrysler does that mean little danny q and kkr go away with nothing. That works for me, save the worker let investers go bye-bye.
jo6pac
8-)
jo6pac Mon Mar 30 11:37:22 2009 CDT #
Ethan says:
Joe Six Pack at 11:37
You betcha! Who Ray!?!?!
BTW js-kit sucks in more ways than one. When I used to click on a link in halo-scan, it opened a new window so when I was finished reading that, I could close it and go back to where I was in halo-scan. Now, in js-kit, the only thing I can do is close the link and go back to the begining of the comments and scroll down until I find where I was. I am using a Mac and Firefox. Am I doing something wrong?
Parent Post
Ethan Mon Mar 30 12:06:30 2009 CDT #
John S says:
Government backed warranties? Where do I put in for that $2.5 billion transmission I just put in my Dodge Neon?
John S Mon Mar 30 11:38:55 2009 CDT #
Br\'er Dawg says:
Small time community advocate from Chicago names himself head of two major auto corporations.
Br\'er Dawg Mon Mar 30 11:38:56 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
'Small time community advocate from Chicago names himself head of two major auto corporations.'
Hell, a cokehead named himself the Decider after a draft dodger was able to beat a secret police head in 1992.
And your point is what? That cokeheads are more qualified to make American policy? That draft dogers have more civic virtues than a man who actually voted against a gravely ill-advised war at a time when such a vote was seen as being against the America that Rove was running? Or that a secret police head would have different tools at their as a to handle the situation? Obama will likely fail as all the other the presidents in my life have, especially Nixon and his price controls - miserably.
Americans have too long blamed everyone but themselves for the nation they live in.
But then, finding qualified jurors to judge today's America is pretty difficult. Seems like most Americans have better things to do with their time than actually determining who is to blame for what is happening. It isn't the politicians, it is the citizens, to the extent that the term citizen still applies, who are responsible for what has happened.
Nonetheless, in an age when anger is entertainment, finding someone to blame will likely become a volkssport, because the truth would be too painful to acknowledge.
Parent Post
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 12:45:48 2009 CDT #
Michael says:
If American Jurors knew how powerful they are, they would be beating down the doors of the court rooms just to get a chance to serve.
One juror can be more powerful than the Supreme Court, the Legislature , and even the President of the United States of America.
Red Beckman - Fully Informed Jury
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7385583011526915030&hl=en
Red Beckman Seminar
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5959251658237547562
Parent Post
Michael Mon Mar 30 12:56:35 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
Red Beckman - Fully Informed Jury
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7385583011526915030&hl=en
After almost 10 minutes of watching this video it should be retitle "2 old guys boring you to death by never getting to the point"
Parent Post
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 17:49:23 2009 CDT #
Wampeter of My Karass says:
"Small time community advocate from Chicago names himself head of two major auto corporations."
Correction: Small time community advocate from Chicago convinces 50,000,000 ignoramuses to elect him President, and then names himself head of two major auto corporations.
Parent Post
Wampeter of My Karass Mon Mar 30 13:24:14 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
Correction: Small time community advocate from Chicago convinces 50,000,000 ignoramuses to elect him President, and then names himself head of two major auto corporations.
+1. Unfortunately, the alternative, McInsane was no better. We are really scratching the bottom of the barrel in politics.
Parent Post
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 14:29:06 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
When will enough be enough Sportsfan 50 billion? 90 billion. I guarantee that you will be trying to peel that OBAMA sticker off your bumper and your Obama t-shirt will be used as a rag by the end of the year.
Anyways how about shorting International speedway here?
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 11:39:33 2009 CDT #
Elrod says:
Another Obama fan here... I have no problem with the government bridging a loan to GM if they restructure. But if they don't, screw them.
As for the banks, I'd also like to see those failures collapse. But I'd like to wait for the stress test to finish so we know exactly who is kaput.
Nationalization of the banks - or collapse - would be very complicated and potentially catastrophic.
Obama is taking the right approach here. I'll keep my Obama sticker on my care here in bright red East Tennessee.
Parent Post
Elrod Mon Mar 30 11:52:43 2009 CDT #
Bob the Builder says:
Thats nice. Im glad you dont have a problem. Can we get on with the pillaging?
What makes you think the "stress test" will yield anything but BS?
Parent Post
Bob the Builder Mon Mar 30 12:38:07 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
perhaps they could start with creating vision and mission statements and then build strategies and tactics around those, for example:
Vision:
To make the world a nicer place by providing the technology to end its dependence on fossil fuels for transportation.
Mission:
GM will lead the global auto industry in the production and sales of vehicles that use clean energy.
Strategy:
Harness the wind, the sun and other yet to be invented energy sources to power vehicles.
Tactics:
Fire Rick Wagoner and replace him with another lifer who will do the administration's bidding.
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 11:39:54 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
BR'er Change has come to Detroit!
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 11:40:29 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
Chrysler Fiat deal announced..
MarketWatch
mamma mia...that was faster than me gulping a pizza
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 11:40:30 2009 CDT #
ghostfacedinvestah says:
When and why did bankruptcy reorganization become such a bad thing in America? Why is there this sudden need to protect bondholders? Why avoid the discipline of bankruptcy court?
It is just baffling to me. GM, Citi, AIG, they could all be restructured in BK court.
ghostfacedinvestah Mon Mar 30 11:40:32 2009 CDT #
Cinco-X says:
"Roll Crimson Tide! "
Could it be issues with pension funds?
Parent Post
Cinco-X Mon Mar 30 12:48:24 2009 CDT #
homedad43 says:
"Fiat is prepared to transfer valuable technology to Chrysler."
What, a printing press?
Fiat bought my dad's division from Ford (farm machinery) and he bailed on a retirement package. According to his buddies who stayed, it wasn't a stellar moment for his company.
You've got to be kidding me.
homedad43 Mon Mar 30 11:42:56 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
Ghostface
Funny how Teleprompter had to educate the public on what a coprotate bankruptcy will look like. With all the bailouts we almost forgot.
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 11:42:59 2009 CDT #
Wampeter of My Karass says:
"Funny how Teleprompter had to educate the public on what a coprotate bankruptcy will look like. With all the bailouts we almost forgot"
All hail TOTUS!
http://baracksteleprompter.blogspot.com/
Parent Post
Wampeter of My Karass Mon Mar 30 13:38:14 2009 CDT #
Comrade Kristina says:
ghostfacedinvestah, the sudden need came with the sudden surge in trillions of dollars worth of Credit Default Swaps on said companies. Someone is the bagholder out there...I would say, that someone is being protected from a tsuanami of defaults...
Comrade Kristina Mon Mar 30 11:43:38 2009 CDT #
Blackhalo says:
"ghostfacedinvestah, the sudden need came with the sudden surge in trillions of dollars worth of Credit Default Swaps on said companies. Someone is the bagholder out there...I would say, that someone is being protected from a tsuanami of defaults..."
AIG and Goldman, I'll wager.
Parent Post
Blackhalo Mon Mar 30 11:51:54 2009 CDT #
Pavel says:
Consumer prices in Spain down 0.1% compared to last March.
Pavel Mon Mar 30 11:43:51 2009 CDT #
Smilin\' Bob says:
When you see me in the race car, did you know that the #2 sponsor for the team is GS?
Great customers, too!
Smilin\' Bob Mon Mar 30 11:43:55 2009 CDT #
blackhat says:
Anonymous says:
Today, 12:35:28 PM
<tbody>
“This may be a "test case" (by the administration) for nationalization of some of the banks that are effectively insolvent.
</tbody>
Anonymous,
There's a difference between a bank and a corporation. Learn that first. Second, there is a process for taking over an insolvent bank and it's called Receivorship. It's been around a long time. Look it up. FDIC is very very good at it for small-2-midsize banks. With a bank a week failing it gets very tricky to unwind a BofA, Wells, Citi. Usually they unwind over the weekend, Friday night to Monday morning to have it back in action under new ownership. They do this prevent runs. Something the size of the top 5 banks while not unthinkable is really really challenging which is many of us believe in a bank holiday across the board, to make an orderly unwind of all the insolvent banks at once. Any case, unwinding "critical" industrial entities also has a long history and tried and true legal mechanisms. BK them, chop up the pieces, sell some stuff, write-off other stuff, reorganize and see if a viable entity still exists. We could be done with this by now.
--bh
blackhat Mon Mar 30 11:44:44 2009 CDT #
sportsfan says:
<h1>We Can't Make It Here</h1>
<h1>
</h1>
<h1>
</h1>
sportsfan Mon Mar 30 11:45:00 2009 CDT #
Interesting Times says:
"Why avoid the discipline of bankruptcy court?"
C D S
Interesting Times Mon Mar 30 11:45:04 2009 CDT #
MarketBlogic says:
Well, I think you're forgetting that CDS's market to market daily, and an important reason that GM couldn't beat up the bondholders in the negotiations over the past two months is that many GM bondholders also hold CDS's that make them either bankruptcy neutral or even in favor of bankruptcy, which is not the position that bondholders have typically been in over the past 50+ years in these circumstances.
Parent Post
MarketBlogic Mon Mar 30 12:15:44 2009 CDT #
homedad43 says:
I love Smilin' Bob.
My middle-schooler thinks that he's great.
homedad43 Mon Mar 30 11:45:05 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
Kristina Good point.
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 11:45:06 2009 CDT #
homedad43 says:
Smilin' Bob for Treasury Secretary.
Woot woot!
homedad43 Mon Mar 30 11:45:36 2009 CDT #
MS says:
This is news?? Of course they were lying when the only plan they put forth showed that auto sales bottomed out in January.
A 4 year-old kid could see it was bullshit.
Ciao
MS
MS Mon Mar 30 11:46:17 2009 CDT #
JustAComment says:
Are we still putting in good money after bad? Who is succeeding Rick Waggoner? Some other GM'r who has been trained in the GM way that has failed? GM does not make good cars - while Cadillac and the Chevy Malibu have had some good press, is it too little to late? Fuel efficiency is a joke - No one is willing to step up to the plate and make truly fuel efficient vehicles. Style is a joke - heck, even pleasant aesthetics is a joke on US cars (well, Honda too, but I won't go there). Bottom line - we might just have to let them fail.
JustAComment Mon Mar 30 11:46:43 2009 CDT #
Cinco-X says:
JustACommen,
Yes, does it matter, and probably-
Parent Post
Cinco-X Mon Mar 30 12:51:17 2009 CDT #
Broward Horne says:
"I love Smiin' Bob"
=============
Nice to see you out of the closet, Homedad!
Broward Horne Mon Mar 30 11:47:36 2009 CDT #
blackhat says:
ghostfacedinvesta,
The bond-holders are the protected class for the moment, and I think AIG and other insurers are primarily who some people have in mind.
IE, the bond-holders, the institutional one's, the insured ones, the ones that are hedged and hold eachothers credit-default swaps...see?
We all fall down.
--bh
blackhat Mon Mar 30 11:49:05 2009 CDT #
homedad43 says:
Eff it.
I just ordered a set of Ginsu knives to be sent to the Treasury department so that they can put 'em to good use.
While I'm at it, I may need to also order some of that "natural male enhancement" to go along with it.
homedad43 Mon Mar 30 11:49:23 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
The US government Monday said it is guaranteeing the warranties of new vehicles bought from General Motors and Chrysler in a bid to boost consumer confidence and auto sales.
Once tarponomics has been introduced into an economy, no mere normal economic process can compete.
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 11:49:31 2009 CDT #
Br\'er Dawg says:
Obama gets a twofer when he moves Timmay over to head up GM.
Br\'er Dawg Mon Mar 30 11:50:05 2009 CDT #
Blackhalo says:
"Obama gets a twofer when he moves Timmay over to head up GM. "
Best post today. A win, win.
Parent Post
Blackhalo Mon Mar 30 11:52:44 2009 CDT #
homedad43 says:
So which is better.
Smilin' Bob to replace Waggoner at GM or Timmay at Treasury?
homedad43 Mon Mar 30 11:51:04 2009 CDT #
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover says:
Going to the Auto show in Denver this weekend to say good bye to the new Camaro! :(
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover Mon Mar 30 11:52:32 2009 CDT #
EvilHenryPaulson says:
Hate it or love it, GM is a good company underneath it all.
Looks like pensions are going to be cast adrift using the airlines as a precedent. Also, the closing of more plants should be required. If they survive to 2012, you'll see a lot of good new cars
International operations are probably a great bargaining chip for the US, Germany definitely wants Opel saved ... but it cannot operate independently ... and Merkel cannot bring herself to directly bail them out.
EvilHenryPaulson Mon Mar 30 11:53:30 2009 CDT #
Blackhalo says:
"Looks like pensions are going to be cast adrift"
Pensioners should be the owners after BK. I do not see how GM gets out of THAT obligation.
Parent Post
Blackhalo Mon Mar 30 12:04:36 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
'International operations are probably a great bargaining chip for the US, Germany definitely wants Opel saved ... but it cannot operate independently ... and Merkel cannot bring herself to directly bail them out.'
You are familiar with what happened to Saab, right? And Opel in Germany, alone, is not viable - which is not exactly the worst news that could be heard by VW/Skoda/Seat/Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Ford, Peugot, Renault/Nissan, Fiat ....
There isn't much to bargain with - GM is flat broke. And there is simply too much auto manufacturing capacity by far - some will simply have to disappear.
Why not start with GM, while Merkel blames the greedy 'Heuschrecken' in America for destroying Opel. It could even help in the upcoming campaign, actually - standing up to the U.S. and its self-destructive plans saved Schroeder's job, so it isn't as if there isn't a viable precedent, and she has made a point of acting in a way which places Germany's perceived interests ahead of those of the U.S.
Parent Post
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 13:06:56 2009 CDT #
Basel Too says:
other than AIG, i wonder who would be stupid enough to protect GM bonds?
Basel Too Mon Mar 30 11:54:32 2009 CDT #
homedad43 says:
So I guess that Kermit gonna make an appearance now that C is going to be manufacturing pasta presses?
homedad43 Mon Mar 30 11:55:32 2009 CDT #
wally says:
An oil change you can believe in.
The US government Monday said it is guaranteeing the warranties of new vehicles bought from General Motors and Chrysler in a bid to boost consumer confidence and auto sales.
wally Mon Mar 30 11:56:12 2009 CDT #
crispy and cole says:
Attn all CONservatives and Ditto-idiots: The heads of AIG, FNM and FRE all left when they were taken over and/or given funds...
crispy and cole Mon Mar 30 11:58:28 2009 CDT #
EvilHenryPaulson says:
iceman, others
Ford is headed into bankruptcy regardless of GM. They have done a great job of playing for time by drawing down their credit lines completely last fall, taking loans against every piece of collateral, selling Jaguar and Land Rover, and the recent swapping of junior debt for senior unsecured at 65¢/$.
The clearing of GM's existing inventory alone would take longer than Ford has time. They need 15mn annual sales pace by 2010 to keep going under their own steam.
Your rage is misplaced
EvilHenryPaulson Mon Mar 30 11:59:00 2009 CDT #
Broward Horne says:
"But I'd like to wait for the stress test to finish so we know exactly who is kaput"
================
The rest of us already know.
Try to keep up with the group.
Broward Horne Mon Mar 30 12:00:20 2009 CDT #
ifstone says:
Chrysler has hired some new sales representatives: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia55JCo3WII
ifstone Mon Mar 30 12:01:07 2009 CDT #
blackhat says:
Ethan,
Nothing wrong. js-kit just sucks.
But you're lucky your post showed up. js-kit gets the munchies pretty often these days.
--bh
blackhat Mon Mar 30 12:03:19 2009 CDT #
Br\'er Dawg says:
EvilHenryPaulson says: Today, 9:53:30 AM PDT
Hate it or love it, GM is a good company underneath it all.
No. It. Is. Not. All it has is capacity and supply pipeline. Tied to that is all the bad stuff that needs to go away. This ain't sunburn, it's radiation poisoning.
Looks like pensions are going to be cast adrift using the airlines as a precedent. Also, the closing of more plants should be required.
Ya think? And closing plants results in all the dominoes falling as they cannot get smaller than too big to fail.
If they survive to 2012, you'll see a lot of good new cars
Why? If you gave GM until 2012 they could possibly replicate the 2009 Insight but at 20% higher internal cost.
International operations are probably a great bargaining chip for the US, Germany definitely wants Opel saved ... but it cannot operate independently ... and Merkel cannot bring herself to directly bail them out.
What's wrong with an independent Opel? Heck they've got some awesome access to nexgen diesel tech that justifies their continued existence by its itself.
Br\'er Dawg Mon Mar 30 12:03:44 2009 CDT #
homedad43 says:
EHP:
Concur.
Don't see how F can survive in the climate. As a friend who works for F said, "we've even mortgaged the emblem."
I suspect that despite the several billions being thrown to the suppliers, not enough will survive and that will further have an impact on F.
Congratulations folks, you're now about to watch the swansong of American manufacturing. And how far down in the batting order is Boeing, GD, Lockheed, etc.?
homedad43 Mon Mar 30 12:04:41 2009 CDT #
Blackhalo says:
"Don't see how F can survive in the climate."
The sad part is that F is going to have to compete against a Gov subsidised entity. That is hardly fair. Oh, for the days before CDS where in a "free market" failures were allowed to fail. All this to keep the counterparties solvent.
Parent Post
Blackhalo Mon Mar 30 12:15:11 2009 CDT #
Comrade Joeblo says:
I'm not sure this is the sort of innovation they're looking for, but it looks like retirements/unemployment does lead to novel experimentation.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRRDzFROMx0
Building Stohenge... in America.
Comrade Joeblo Mon Mar 30 12:05:00 2009 CDT #
Mousie says:
After viewing the "linked" site, right-click your mouse and choose "back" -- if that works on your system.
Mousie Mon Mar 30 12:05:56 2009 CDT #
Comrade Kristina says:
Ethan, instead of "clicking" directly on the link, try right clicking and opting for "open in new window"...
Comrade Kristina Mon Mar 30 12:08:10 2009 CDT #
nincompoop says:
It works and thank you.
Parent Post
nincompoop Mon Mar 30 12:45:31 2009 CDT #
Ethan says:
Also, even though I click "reply" to a certain comment, it always posts at the end of the thread. Is this designed that way, or am I doing something wrong?
Ethan Mon Mar 30 12:08:13 2009 CDT #
Lifeguard1999 says:
Just remember, the bulls will be coming out on Wednesday since March sales numbers will be better then February sales numbers. You will see headlines of "GM increases sales by X%!".
Of course, other headlines will read (more correctly) "GM sales fall by Y%". The x% is month-to-month numbers, which cannot help but go up. The y% number is year-over-year numbers.
Lifeguard1999 Mon Mar 30 12:08:50 2009 CDT #
EvilHenryPaulson says:
Ford and GM are now national champions
Beware ye who import thy horseless carriages o'ersea
As for Fiat/Chrysler, is there some reason why I should not think it an absolute joke? Fiat was saved from bankruptcy by the Italian government who is now itself bankrupt. Are they unaware of Cerberus' attempts to cut quality and surprisingly quick brand degradation?
EvilHenryPaulson Mon Mar 30 12:08:55 2009 CDT #
Ethan says:
Thanks, Comarad, but Mac doesn't have "right click", just "click".
Ethan Mon Mar 30 12:09:30 2009 CDT #
Wampeter of My Karass says:
"Thanks, Comarad, but Mac doesn't have "right click", just "click"."
On a Mac, control-click = right hand mouse click
Parent Post
Wampeter of My Karass Mon Mar 30 13:51:22 2009 CDT #
CRbot says:
The Latest from Denninger:
Automakers: Monday Update
CRbot Mon Mar 30 12:09:31 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
it's designed for threadlessness. Unthreaded reading is a convention since much of the conversation happens in realtime.
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 12:09:32 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
Evil Henry
They will never toss out the pensions not under this administration unless they stick it to they taxpayer than the PBG corp will need a bailout.
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 12:10:26 2009 CDT #
burnside says:
Ethan, may I suggest opening the links in a tab? Procedure should be in Firefox Help.
burnside Mon Mar 30 12:11:04 2009 CDT #
yagwerk says:
"Thanks, Comarad, but Mac doesn't have "right click", just "click".
----
Then, call it a "Ctrl-Click". You can simulate the right-click context window that way. (In other words "comarad", you do have a "right click".)
yagwerk Mon Mar 30 12:12:46 2009 CDT #
Margin Call of Cthulhu says:
In addition to ctrl-clicking to get a right click, Ethan, your other problem can be solved by closing (cancelling) the comment window and opening the "Controls" link. You need to set comments to "threaded" in order for your replies to follow the parent. Otherwise it is flattened an in chron order.
Although I can't get JSKit to stay in threaded mode; it always defaults back to flattened mode, AFAIK. Happy to hear if someone knows otherwise.
Parent Post
Margin Call of Cthulhu Mon Mar 30 12:25:08 2009 CDT #
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover says:
"I do not see how GM gets out of THAT obligation."
Pensions go the Pension guarantee board, health to Medicare, SS.
Add up the Bond insurance problems, Obamas union obligation then it becomes easy to see why a normal BK is out of the question. Will feeding the balck hole be cheaper then a real BK?
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover Mon Mar 30 12:13:56 2009 CDT #
Werner says:
...to quickly clear away old debts that are weighing them down so they can get back on their feet and onto a path to success...
~~~~~~~~~~~
Hahaha, the incarnation of Americas deliriousness :
...quickly clear away...
Guess that’s what you would like. But sorry, you take responsibility for your actions ! If that millstone around yor neck drowns you, so be it ! That will teach others a lesson not to be as irresponsible as you.
...so they can get back on their feet...
Do you really think that those which generated this mess by their irresponsibility will "get back on their feet " once being relieved of the consequences of their actions ? Or wouldn't they not rather just restart / repeat what they did (and some made tons of money with their irresponsible actions ) in the first place. What, besides unbelieveable amounts of naivity, gives you any reason to believe that this would not be so ?
...and onto a path to success...
Yeah, dream on, hahaha .They failed for a reason !
Werner Mon Mar 30 12:14:02 2009 CDT #
EvilHenryPaulson says:
homedad43,
The much trumpeted boost in durable goods orders was mostly because of defense spending, http://www.census.gov/indicator/www/m3/
Defense new orders for capital goods in February increased $2.6 billion or 35.3 percent to $10.0 billion.
I think Boeing, Lockheed, GD, Northrop, etc will be the last to feel the pinch. Bush even did the arms agreement with India so they could get more sales ASAP (was a big deal in India, communist party was opposing, all last summer... couldn't find a US interest beyond making some profit)
EvilHenryPaulson Mon Mar 30 12:14:21 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a_zTYyzcF8uU&refer=home
<b>Ireland Loses AAA Rating at S&P on Deficit, Slump (Update2)</b>
Looks like those jokes about "what's the difference between Ireland and Iceland? One letter and six months!" were pretty dead on.
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 12:16:08 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
It's way past time to give the frigging tieving bankers the same treatment.
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 12:16:18 2009 CDT #
Mousie says:
So, how did my reply get posted AHEAD of the one I was replying to?! This is all very odd.
Mousie Mon Mar 30 12:16:40 2009 CDT #
Guest says:
while at the same time the government's backing of warranties will turn into a monstrous inducement for fraud among the dealerships who are rapidly seeing their credit access and cashflow disappear.
from doomminger link above.
Guest Mon Mar 30 12:17:51 2009 CDT #
Cognitive Dissonance says:
So we aren't supposed to say bankruptcy either these days.
Why don't all just close our eyes, stick our fingers in our ears, and yell LALALALAALA until the criminals have looted in all down to the filings in our teeth?
Cognitive Dissonance Mon Mar 30 12:18:48 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
Ireland just loses top rating now?!
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 12:19:11 2009 CDT #
Blackhalo says:
Good to see the ratings agencies on top of things. Let's see them apply the same scrutiny to thier own CDS portfolios.
Parent Post
Blackhalo Mon Mar 30 12:20:45 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
The San Francisco Federal Reserve today released a research paper that makes the case for a 30% probability of deflation in 2009 and a 85% probability of deflation in 2010 using a version of the Phillips Curve model that draws on the historical relationship between unemployment and inflation between 1961 and 2008.
http://www.iii.co.uk/news/?type=afxnews&articleid=7244964&action=article
Uh-Oh
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 12:21:23 2009 CDT #
EvilHenryPaulson says:
the GM/Ford/Chrysler negotiations have been mirrored in Canada, so on queue our prime minister had his own announcement today http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20090330.wautoNewStaff0330/BNStory/Business/home
Because Canada has 20% of the US/Can auto production capacity, he has offered the exact same as the US did across several announcements now. For every $4 the US puts up, Canada will put up $1, and there will be no arguments about homesourcing(/ripping up NAFTA).
Might be interesting to you, as the northern press release is less sensitive but based on the exact same stuff
EvilHenryPaulson Mon Mar 30 12:21:44 2009 CDT #
Interesting Times says:
"Ireland just loses top rating now?!"
A global case of "Pot calling Kettle black."
Interesting Times Mon Mar 30 12:22:14 2009 CDT #
MarketBlogic says:
I think denninger is dead wrong about this "being what the government should have done last fall".
The Feds are highly likely to run Government Motors just as badly if not worse than prior management. If you don't believe me, keep an eye on the astonishing losses that AIG, FRE and FNM have piled up and will continue to pile up under quasi-conservatorship . . . . ..
MarketBlogic Mon Mar 30 12:22:29 2009 CDT #
Elrod says:
Apples and oranges. Government isn't looking to run the auto industry. It's just asking that it make certain changes in return for continued bailout money - or file BK.
AIG was never even threatened with BK but was actually taken over by the government.
Parent Post
Elrod Mon Mar 30 13:43:25 2009 CDT #
EvilHenryPaulson says:
Blackhalo,
I hate to break it to you but Ford is bankrupt even if GM, Chrysler, and all their inventory/dealerships vanished into thin air overnight
EvilHenryPaulson Mon Mar 30 12:24:59 2009 CDT #
Blackhalo says:
"I hate to break it to you but Ford is bankrupt even if GM, Chrysler, and all their inventory/dealerships vanished into thin air overnight"
I would thing as the last domestic auto F would get some pretty tasty revenues out of that deal.
But, I would agree that if GM and Chryler completed BK Ford would have to follow suit to restructure to be competitive.
Parent Post
Blackhalo Mon Mar 30 12:39:17 2009 CDT #
Broward Horne says:
"a 85% probability of deflation in 2010"
--------
Does that mean house prices haven't bottomed yet?
Broward Horne Mon Mar 30 12:25:00 2009 CDT #
Cinco-X says:
Maybe, but it maight also mean that the rest of the economy has to catch up with housing deflation.
Parent Post
Cinco-X Mon Mar 30 13:49:20 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
The sad part is that F is going to have to compete against a Gov subsidised entity.
Luckily, moral hazard has been eliminated thanks to the Bush, Clinton and Reagan administrations!
Saint Reagan slew the dragon of uncertainty, and if you ask any questions, you're a filthy lib who advocates class warfare. do not be decived by the seeming of wanton looting and total policy failure, everything will be all right!
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 12:25:05 2009 CDT #
Black Star Ranch says:
<h1 class="storyheadline">Do or die for GM and Chrysler, says Mommy, again.....
</h1>
Black Star Ranch Mon Mar 30 12:25:33 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
above link underlies the fact I don't see hyper-inlfation any time soon.
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 12:26:23 2009 CDT #
EvilHenryPaulson says:
re: Tim, the iii.co.uk article on SF Fed deflation estimate
That is exactly why there will be inflation. The Fed doesn't consider investor behaviour and exchange rates. They just say "ceteris paribus" and jump out of the plane
Parent Post
EvilHenryPaulson Mon Mar 30 12:31:19 2009 CDT #
Kung Fu Panda says:
I agree with the commenter regarding the warranty issue; I used to work for an entity that was an authorized service shop for a big 3 unit that manufactured diesel engines. There is a lot of room for creativity in filing warranty claims for repair work; I can't imagine how the government will effectively audit these. Given the effectiveness of government audits in other sectors. Amazing...
Kung Fu Panda Mon Mar 30 12:26:33 2009 CDT #
Werner says:
MarketBlogic says:
...GM has now officially been rechartered as, "Government Motors" ...
~~~~~~~~~~~
Haha, excellent !
...I'm shocked that the Obama Administration is so arrogantly confident that it can run GM successfully...
~~~~~~~~~~~
That’s IMHO not the point. It’s simply to shovel tons of taxpayer’s money to the UAW as a payback for their political support. As simple as that !
(Yes, after having shoveled tons of taxpayer’s money to the banks, which are also (probably the ) major financiers of the politicans .)
Werner Mon Mar 30 12:26:36 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
REad the SF fed story and you still see there will be inflation albeit at a 1-1.5% rate
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 12:28:52 2009 CDT #
scone says:
Speaking of cars, Top Gear's on tonight. :)
Went to a 'Better Living' expo this weekend in Portland, saw electrified cars, windmills, lots of portable solar, an electrified Chris craft, an electric scooter, even an electric dirt bike with 'lunchbox' batteries that can be switched out in just a few seconds. Lots of interesting toys.
scone Mon Mar 30 12:29:29 2009 CDT #
ARGH says:
Geithner's ‘Dirty Little Secret' Transfer Trillions to Bankrupt Mega Banks
http://www.marketoracle.co.uk/Article9738.html
Today five US banks according to data in the just-released Federal Office of Comptroller of the Currency's Quarterly Report on Bank Trading and Derivatives Activity, hold 96% of all US bank derivatives positions in terms of nominal values, and an eye-popping 81% of the total net credit risk exposure in event of default.
ARGH Mon Mar 30 12:29:49 2009 CDT #
hogjowls says:
Regulate. Subsidize. Incentivize. Guarantee. Tax. Bonusize. Deductions. Treble damages. Inspections. Intervene. Outsource. Guest workers.
Anything but enforcement of immigration laws or the imposition of tariffs.
That would interfere with neo-liberal capital flows and upset people on Wall Street and Ivy League faculty lounges. Can't have that!
hogjowls Mon Mar 30 12:32:49 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
Paulson I see...
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 12:33:51 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
FCX coming back down to earth
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 12:37:16 2009 CDT #
Morocco Bama says:
Can we please shut the f up about electric cars? As if that's the answer to anything. For the faux environmentalists, there's no such thing as clean coal, and since the electricity you will be susing for your electric cars will be powered by coal and/or nuclear, you're not doing the environment any favors. We have to change the way we do things, not with what we do things.
Morocco Bama Mon Mar 30 12:37:24 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
That's why hybirds and low emission diesels are the answer for the next decade at least in the developed world. Actually if only drive a car for short trips (40 mile loops) electric cars do make sense because the maintenance is lower and if they will be rechared at night
Parent Post
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 12:42:03 2009 CDT #
Werner says:
ghostfacedinvestah says:
... Why avoid the discipline of bankruptcy court? ...
~~~~~~~~~~
Because Americans have degenerated so much that they can not anymore take the truth or face reality .
They rather ruin their currency in order to "invest in failure" aka bailout .
Werner Mon Mar 30 12:37:58 2009 CDT #
Kung Fu Panda says:
<a href="http://zerohedge.blogspot.com/2009/03/spg-defaults-on-mall-loan.html">Simon Property Group Defaults On Mall Loan</a>
GGP, now SPG...
Kung Fu Panda Mon Mar 30 12:40:29 2009 CDT #
Ministry of Truth says:
Is GM and Chrysler going to offer a new "Lifetime Warantee" on their cars now since they are off the hook?
Ministry of Truth Mon Mar 30 12:40:41 2009 CDT #
dUCKdUCKgOOSE says:
What's the matter?...Are there no more illegals buying Dodge and GM pickups with custom wheels? Imagine that.
dUCKdUCKgOOSE Mon Mar 30 12:41:23 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
Duck last time I check its wasn't just immigrants driving those trucks
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 12:43:27 2009 CDT #
Michael says:
Why does everybody ASSUME that out economy as it is, can be fixed and get back to the way it was?
Michael Mon Mar 30 12:44:29 2009 CDT #
Comrade B. Obama says:
"The full faith and backing of the United States Government", now covers PT Cruiser warranties. "Full faith" just lost a little more faith.
Comrade B. Obama Mon Mar 30 12:45:16 2009 CDT #
bearly says:
F will now need to go to Obama for assistance. There is no way they can keep their warrantys, pensions, healthcare, debt and payscales without going down the same road. This is the edge of the abyss and the first step is a doozy.
bearly Mon Mar 30 12:45:25 2009 CDT #
becky says:
There aren't many American cars I'd actually want to buy. Too ugly, too inefficient....
The upside for me is that maybe, just maybe we'll get the new Fiat 500 in the US. That's one cute car!
becky Mon Mar 30 12:45:36 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
If you think that we are in a “deflation,” then your problem is a short attention span. Commodity prices have been rising since the turn of the century. The decline of last summer-autumn was caused by the New York Times pushing the panic button. Already gold has recovered, and other commodities will recover over 2009. The CPI will move sharply to the upside.
http://www.kitco.com/ind/katz/mar302009.html
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 12:46:06 2009 CDT #
Michael says:
Unemployed people and people living in tent cities don't consume commodities.
Parent Post
Michael Mon Mar 30 12:58:13 2009 CDT #
Dead_Monkey_Bounce says:
Why does everybody assume that electric cars, which are predicated on the existence of a suburban lifestyle, are in any way relevant? Society is bound to collapse inward.
Dead_Monkey_Bounce Mon Mar 30 12:46:59 2009 CDT #
anon says:
Mr Obama, my 1980 buick skylark has a piston problem. Is it warrantied?
but, but you said....
anon Mon Mar 30 12:53:27 2009 CDT #
EvilHenryPaulson says:
http://cornellsun.com/files/images/Market%20Share.preview.jpg
http://www.carcraver.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/auto_mrktshare052.jpg
http://www.fair-pr.de/background/images/background/us-auto-sales-market.gif
EvilHenryPaulson Mon Mar 30 12:53:44 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
Damn sold SKF way too early.
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 12:56:58 2009 CDT #
Bob Dobbs says:
"Can we please shut the f up about electric cars? As if that's the answer to anything. For the faux environmentalists, there's no such thing as clean coal, and since the electricity you will be susing for your electric cars will be powered by coal and/or nuclear, you're not doing the environment any favors. We have to change the way we do things, not with what we do things."
Electric cars are the ultimate flex-fuel vehicle: because the electricity they need can be made from a variety of sources. They become cleaner and cleaner as our general energy mix becomes cleaner and cleaner. Assuming the right battery technology (important point). Some make the point that EVs create less air pollution per mile because even fossil-fuel poer plants are much more efficient that individual ICE engines. But that's just "something I heard."
And in the meantime, we stop sending money abroad for petroleum for gasoline, and instead spend it on energy infrastructure here, creating jobs in the meantime.
BTW, this environmentalist is leaning towards making his peace with N-plants -- at least the modern pebble-bed jobs I've read about, the small ones that shut down if anything goes wrong. Right now I'm more concerned with CO2 and methane than radiation.
Bob Dobbs Mon Mar 30 12:56:59 2009 CDT #
Werner says:
Obamanomics sucks !
Werner Mon Mar 30 13:00:09 2009 CDT #
Kung Fu Panda says:
"This weekend has seen two major European financial institutions forced into the hands of government and a third on the verge of major new asset writedowns and job cuts. The events highlight the fragility of European banking and the need for concrete solutions at the upcoming G-20 summit in London."
Kung Fu Panda Mon Mar 30 13:00:32 2009 CDT #
Michael says:
UN: Global Temperatures Will Decline in 2008
http://www.dailytech.com/UN+Global+Temperatures+Will+Decline+in+2008/article11389.htm
Temperature Monitors Report Widescale Global Cooling
http://www.dailytech.com/Temperature+Monitors+Report+Widescale+Global+Cooling/article10866.htm
Sun Makes History: First Spotless Month in a Century
http://www.dailytech.com/Sun+Makes+History+First+Spotless+Month+in+a+Century/article12823.htm
Michael Mon Mar 30 13:01:46 2009 CDT #
EvilHenryPaulson says:
Thread Music: View this video at YouTube
I have seen the future
EvilHenryPaulson Mon Mar 30 13:03:31 2009 CDT #
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover says:
BD some things to consider. Car fuel is just the end user of energy. Wind, Solar, Natural gas, can not provide heavy oil for asphault, building procts, Petro chemicals, plastics, etc. Not to mention the oil is settled in currency reserve of dollars. Like it or not oil is extremely efficent and can be improved on at low cost. So the tails of Green being the savior is more the death of what works now at a very high price.
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover Mon Mar 30 13:03:47 2009 CDT #
NateTG says:
"Electric cars are the ultimate flex-fuel vehicle: because the electricity they need can be made from a variety of sources. They become cleaner and cleaner as our general energy mix becomes cleaner and cleaner."
The same can be said about any othereusable energy storage medium. Compressed air, hydrogen, flywheels and probably a bunch of others that I don't know about. They've all got the same basic problem that they don't really reduce the energy consumption all that much, and that they don't fit in well with the existing infrastructure.
NateTG Mon Mar 30 13:05:46 2009 CDT #
scone says:
Solar farms on federal lands would pretty much make the West energy independent. And I'm seeing a lot of solar electric on new buildings here. BIL in Australia has one, works like a charm.
scone Mon Mar 30 13:06:53 2009 CDT #
Teddy says:
McCain said about 6 weeks ago on George's show that foreign auto transplants in US r not going to exist 4 very long. I guess with US wages going down, we will need even cheaper cars ...........or maybe we will just have to stay in our tents and travel by foot as necessary.
Teddy Mon Mar 30 13:08:29 2009 CDT #
hogjowls says:
Obama's not the problem. Chuck Shumer is.
hogjowls Mon Mar 30 13:12:08 2009 CDT #
ac says:
Electric cars are the ultimate flex-fuel vehicle: because the electricity they need can be made from a variety of sources.
That's what I was thinking. At least theoretically it seems really attractive to have your transportation infrastructure attached to an "intermediate" energy source so you could use a variety of ultimate sources or switch them out over time.
I don't know what the practical implications are (that's always what gets you) but the idea of being able to power transportation from any energy source seems ideal from a theoretical standpoint.
ac Mon Mar 30 13:12:44 2009 CDT #
Fried says:
Kill Opel...it is of no value to the US taxpayer, and keeping it going only adds to global overproduction of autos. The jobs involved are all German, so there is no political cost.
Fried Mon Mar 30 13:12:47 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
2pm ferries have arrived (in their electric cars), which means they probably won't last till the close
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 13:14:09 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
For all of you scoffing at Fiat, albeit much of well warranted, keep in mind that Fiat's model is basically selling cheap cars with generally excellent fuel economy to people without the resources to afford anything better.
Actually, Fiat could make some serious money in the U.S. in the next decade, without actually having to do anything much beyond what they do now.
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 13:14:35 2009 CDT #
citiprank says:
I'd like to know what Citibank and BoAs plan to get to where they can survivie is? Oh yea... take money from taxpayers... and then take more
Lesson to GM.. or any firm... buy as much CDS as possible so the govt cant let you go bankrupt
citiprank Mon Mar 30 13:15:16 2009 CDT #
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover says:
It ate my comment!
Would some one tell me where road asphault, plastics, chemicals, building materials would come from green energy? Transportation fuel is ony part of what we need. Green can not efficently provide most of these materials at a cost effective price. Then we have those reserve dollars used in setteling oil purschases. Green is still a far short when all is considered.
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover Mon Mar 30 13:16:11 2009 CDT #
burnside says:
EHP, thanks for charts.
Two of the three compare domestic/asian, while the one which includes cars of German origin shows them with market dominance. Always good to ask the right question!
burnside Mon Mar 30 13:17:04 2009 CDT #
EvilHenryPaulson says:
burnside,
the barcharts are on a different axis from the one with lines.
German brands have about a 6% total market share, concentrated in luxury autos.
They're reeling after going from 1mn sales down to 600,000.
Now either Obama will save Opel, and Merkel will help him out in another way. Or Obama can shut down Opel, and crimp the ~600,000 of remaining imports with a tariff. When it comes to losses in sales, the next sale lost is always more painful than the last. Pencil in whatever you think is the average sales price of those imports, and you'll realize it is serious money
Maybe Germany will all of a sudden make room for genetically modified corn, or give in on the steel industry, etc... who knows, it's just one avenue with many options.
Parent Post
EvilHenryPaulson Mon Mar 30 13:25:27 2009 CDT #
nova says:
The juice of the electric car is created by?
Electric cars are like prepackaged chicken breasts for those who never saw how chickens breasts are produced. Nice, clean, and easy to cook. Nice, clean, and feel so good to drive.
nova Mon Mar 30 13:18:11 2009 CDT #
Dead_Monkey_Bounce says:
Ben Dover:
Ever heard of rayon? Cellulose fibers are a perfectly adequate replacement for plastics in clothing and hard shell applications.
Dead_Monkey_Bounce Mon Mar 30 13:18:28 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
I just watched the Bush Administration piss away $5 or $6 trillion dollars and accomplish absolutely nothing while leaving huge unpaid bills behind when they left.
I have no problem with the current administration making an effort to help a big part of the U.S. manufacturing base remain in existence.
Sentiments better conceived before the trillions were wasted than after.
Individual equivalent: I just finished a coke binge that totally maxed my credit cards. The answer? Move out to the burbs, buy a McMansion, two SUVs and tithe heavily to a megachurch. Now I'm reformed.
See the problem? The money that got spent during the mistake was the fuel for the recovery.
Remember, that Bush pissing all that money away was part of "THE RECOVERY" after 9/11? You-America already ran that scam. The McMansiuon was HELOCed. The pastor was Ted Haggard. The CCs were never paid down.
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 13:19:11 2009 CDT #
Michael says:
The US won't need to buy any more tanks for the next 20 years when we close down half of our 704 military bases around the world,k and bring the troops and equipment home from Japan, South Korea, Europe, and other places.
Michael Mon Mar 30 13:19:21 2009 CDT #
briwerk says:
"GAO Encourages Public To Report US Econ Stimulus Fraud, Waste"
Should we tell them about the TARP?
briwerk Mon Mar 30 13:20:20 2009 CDT #
debtinator says:
The last we heard of Fiat was they outsourced themselves to Serbo-Croatia and rebadged themselves as "Yugo". I don't the think bonus babies at Cerebus can move to Cuba and call their car the "El Cheap Jeepo" and succeed.
debtinator Mon Mar 30 13:20:22 2009 CDT #
citiprank says:
Honda is coming out with the clean diesel accord either this year or next (meets cal emissions without a urea tank)
Over 50 mpg
Diesel engines last forever, can idle with almost no fuel consumption and perform quite well (esp the modern turbo charged variety)... much easier than these nonsensical hybrid cars with expensive batteries produced in very non-green processes
citiprank Mon Mar 30 13:20:30 2009 CDT #
MarketBlogic says:
Agreed. But diesel historically hasn't been popular with the EPA types because of the particles in the emissions . . . . . . .
Parent Post
MarketBlogic Mon Mar 30 14:55:43 2009 CDT #
nova says:
I hope it gets colder. I got a couple really nice leather greatcoats the last time i was in Germany an Austria. Both are about 70 years old. I can't wear them because it is rarely cold enough. The brown one has a clip for a dagger.
nova Mon Mar 30 13:22:05 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
How many bank CEOs has Obama replaced?
AIG - no
Fannie Freddie - no
the answer is none -- why? just follow the money
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 13:22:34 2009 CDT #
citiprank says:
Jeep should be split off from Chrysler and trim their model line.. the wranger is still a huge money maker and top seller... and wranglers hold their value better than almost any other domestic
citiprank Mon Mar 30 13:24:51 2009 CDT #
citiprank says:
<tbody>
Correction: Small time community advocate from Chicago convinces 50,000,000 ignoramuses to elect him President, and then names himself head of two major auto corporations.
</tbody>
Actually all he had to do was convince us he was better than the other choice... and he did that... it could be worse.
citiprank Mon Mar 30 13:26:00 2009 CDT #
Michael says:
Can gasoline be easily turned back into a diesel fuel equivalent with some sort of additive? I ask this because the price of the less refined diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline at times.
Michael Mon Mar 30 13:26:11 2009 CDT #
EvilHenryPaulson says:
Michael,
No, gasoline cannot be simply turned into diesel. Diesel is a heavier, longer chain hydrocarbon. I don't want to act like I own this place, but I don't think you are smart enough to be posting on this blo
Parent Post
EvilHenryPaulson Mon Mar 30 13:27:31 2009 CDT #
Michael says:
I don't claim to know everything about everything, that's why I ask questions. I do have a Mensa IQ however, and can easily find out everything I need to know about everything. My purpose here is to encourage people to think for themselves.
Parent Post
Michael Mon Mar 30 13:33:04 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
Michael says:Today, 11:26:11 AM
“Can gasoline be easily turned back into a diesel fuel equivalent with some sort of additive?"
it is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt
Parent Post
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 13:30:35 2009 CDT #
CRbot says:
The Latest from Denninger:
Told 'Ya So (Again: Pensions - PBGC)
CRbot Mon Mar 30 13:28:34 2009 CDT #
Br\'er Dawg says:
Michael: "I ask this because the price of the less refined diesel fuel is more expensive than gasoline at times."
Diesel has higher energy content and I agree with EHP.
Br\'er Dawg Mon Mar 30 13:31:11 2009 CDT #
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover says:
"Ever heard of rayon? Cellulose fibers are a perfectly adequate replacement for plastics in clothing and hard shell applications."
Yes but one very small part. Corn and soybeans can make plastic but not cost effective.
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover Mon Mar 30 13:31:55 2009 CDT #
bearly says:
So obama shills, where's the "Change"? Send automakers back with a few $BILLION with BK threats and the banks get promises of HUGE AMOUNTS OF ADDITIONAL CAPITAL over the weekend.
No wind-down threats for banks?
This administration is a complete disaster.
bearly Mon Mar 30 13:32:56 2009 CDT #
EvilHenryPaulson says:
It's not even about this one time comment Michael, it's the drumbeat posting of sunspots of which you know very little as well. Who can forget the conspiracies ranging from the Jews to the Illuminati. To me it's no different than when I got tired of dailybail, fakepaycheckstubs, or any of the others
EvilHenryPaulson Mon Mar 30 13:34:24 2009 CDT #
Michael says:
Can You prove some of the conspiracies I speak of are not true? I can prove they are true, but the explanations are very long and most people don't have the attention span to wrap their heads around the explanations. Most people have low IQ"s, closed minds on these subjects, and pre-conceived judgments on these issues. They cannot be reached, but those are the people who do not concern me anyway.
Parent Post
Michael Mon Mar 30 13:42:54 2009 CDT #
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover says:
Gas deisels are on the way GM's Opel (HCCI) and Mercedes DeisOtto. The piston engine is far from dead contray to the alternative energy folks.
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover Mon Mar 30 13:34:39 2009 CDT #
scone says:
Actually, if I lived in Portland, I'd ride a bike or mass transit and use a Flaxcar plan for everything else. It's becoming very popular here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flexcar
scone Mon Mar 30 13:35:13 2009 CDT #
Drew says:
Chyrsler is a dead duck. Fiat has already said "no" to accepting Chrysler's debt. If Fiat is smart it will wait until Chyrsler dies. Then ... before the body cools ... Fiat can pick up the remains for next to nothing. After 25+ years Fiat is suddenly back in the U-S car market. If Fiat agrees to pick-up the Chyrsler warrenty obligations, the Italians win. Now ... if they can only make a decent car.
Drew Mon Mar 30 13:35:37 2009 CDT #
debtinator says:
Timmy and Henry's playmates make a mess?
Just call 1-800-TAXPAYER and ask for a maid to clean it all up.
And while you're at it, why not let the kids in grade school pay for it?
debtinator Mon Mar 30 13:35:44 2009 CDT #
Dead_Monkey_Bounced says:
Cost effectiveness is a relative concept, as the price of hydrocarbons rises, alternatives or practices that use less hydrocarbons for production (rayon uses acetone, acetone uses ketone, but you can directly biosynthesize acetone) become cost-effective.
Dead_Monkey_Bounced Mon Mar 30 13:36:11 2009 CDT #
Dead_Monkey_Bounced says:
Mensa member, explains a lot. World's largest gathering of shoe-gazers.
Dead_Monkey_Bounced Mon Mar 30 13:37:16 2009 CDT #
Michael says:
I would not be a member of that group, but have the IQ level to qualify. My father was a member.
Parent Post
Michael Mon Mar 30 13:53:05 2009 CDT #
Werner says:
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
...electric cars do make sense because the maintenance is lower...
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, can you please tell me how long these lithium ion batteries last and how much their replacement costs ?
I would be really interested (in facts) as I see this aspect oh so carefully avoided in discussions .
(I am afraid these batteries need to be exchanged every 2 or 3 years and cost ca. $5k per replacement. Has anyone any hard data on this ?)
Werner Mon Mar 30 13:37:24 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
Damnit stop picking on Micheal!
I like being reminded what a regular einstein i am regularly and he does it quite well<img src="http://js-kit.com/extra/tiny_mce/plugins/emotions/img/smiley-cool.gif" title="{#emotions_dlg.cool}" border="0" alt="{#emotions_dlg.cool}"/>.
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 13:38:13 2009 CDT #
citiprank says:
Yeah EHP.. but you can turn unleaded gas into leaded with an additive :)
Does anyone remember when the used to sell leaded gas? I remember my dad had an old 70s volvo when i was a little kid that took leaded
citiprank Mon Mar 30 13:42:26 2009 CDT #
MarketBlogic says:
Go overseas to some less-developed place such as China. I was over there about 5 years ago and the street-side aroma of freshly killed leaded gasoline took me right back to my high school days behind the lawnmower, I swear.
Parent Post
MarketBlogic Mon Mar 30 14:58:31 2009 CDT #
Teddy says:
bearly, change is coming. Rahm Emanuel is in real trouble after Chicago Tribune exposed him for his part in the fraud after his appointment to the board of Freddie Mac by Clinton in early 2000. Obama should ask him to resign. Is there anybody in Obama's cabinet that is legit?
Teddy Mon Mar 30 13:44:07 2009 CDT #
briwerk says:
I think the plan for GM is to let them go bankrupt enough to crush the unions and pensions, but not enough that they stop making cars.
briwerk Mon Mar 30 13:44:44 2009 CDT #
nullpointer says:
ethan-
this is 4 hours late, but hold down the apple key when you click...you will see all the stuff windows people see with right click
nullpointer Mon Mar 30 13:44:53 2009 CDT #
citiprank says:
Did the AIG CEO get forced out and replaced with liddy as a condition for one of the bailouts?
citiprank Mon Mar 30 13:45:09 2009 CDT #
Dead_Monkey_Bounce says:
They still sell leaded gas in farm country.
Dead_Monkey_Bounce Mon Mar 30 13:45:10 2009 CDT #
citiprank says:
Also for mac users... but two fingers on your touchpad and click and it does the same thing as a windows right-click
citiprank Mon Mar 30 13:46:20 2009 CDT #
nova says:
CR,
It is not working. I know...blah, JS-Kit, blah, but this is crap software. The only thing that eats more comments is the CRBOT Haloscan.
nova Mon Mar 30 13:47:17 2009 CDT #
burnside says:
Michael, I can give you microanalysis of the late Beethoven quartets or, better, of the Mahler symphonies, but the explanations are very long . . .
burnside Mon Mar 30 13:47:31 2009 CDT #
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover says:
"Yeah EHP.. but you can turn unleaded gas into leaded with an additive"
The additive will not make lead. It provides antiknock like properties to slow burn time like lead did.
We still use leaded race gas.
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover Mon Mar 30 13:48:00 2009 CDT #
yagij says:
CRC Test Message.
yagij Mon Mar 30 13:48:19 2009 CDT #
nova says:
Michael,
If you have a Mensa IQ then you will know the answer to this:
What has 3 legs, 1 eye, and speaks for the dead?
nova Mon Mar 30 13:48:37 2009 CDT #
Michael says:
Gus.
Parent Post
Michael Mon Mar 30 14:18:25 2009 CDT #
ATM card and $19 in the bank says:
Re: AIG CEO forced out
Liddy is the replacement CEO, evidently at the government's urging:
http://www.reuters.com/article/ousivMolt/idUSTRE4BT5CL20081230
ATM card and $19 in the bank Mon Mar 30 13:49:08 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
That would interfere with neo-liberal capital flows and upset people on Wall Street and Ivy League faculty lounges. Can't have that!
And suddenly the Bushite scum decide that class warfare was a good idea all along.
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 13:49:49 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
This is where we are at currently :
http://www.cagle.com/news/ToxicAssets/images/breen.gif
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 13:50:40 2009 CDT #
mykillk says:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=awSxPMGzDW38&refer=home
March 30 (Bloomberg) -- Four days after U.S. lawmakers berated Financial Accounting Standards Board ChairmanRobert Herz and threatened to take rulemaking out of his hands, FASB proposed an overhaul of fair-value accounting that may improve profits at banks such asCitigroup Inc. by more than 20 percent.
-----
Congressmen are threatening an independent regulator if he does not axe MTM on behalf of the banks. Is believing in fantasy the only option we have left to save the economy now? Bad times lie ahead...
mykillk Mon Mar 30 13:52:59 2009 CDT #
nova says:
Michael? No answer yet?
nova Mon Mar 30 13:53:23 2009 CDT #
scone says:
That reminds me. The Woz on 'Dancing with the Stars'-- too funky...!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfxWbYUTJl8
scone Mon Mar 30 13:54:09 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
Anything but enforcement of immigration laws or the imposition of tariffs.
Oooh, can you tell me about the evils of the inheritance tax and the importance of the up-or-down vote on judicial appointments. Oh wait, Bushite scum, right. No object permanence. One day, you want to tell us all about the importance of bankruptcy reform and making people honor their word on credit agreements. The next day, you want to tell us about how Wall Street is an ally of the neo-liberal scum. Yawn.
Bushite scum, nothing to do with their heads but waiting for someone to tell them where and when to drill.
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 13:54:48 2009 CDT #
Broward Horne says:
"What has 3 legs, 1 eye, and speaks for the dead?"
----
John McCain?
Broward Horne Mon Mar 30 13:55:16 2009 CDT #
citiprank says:
@Ben.. that's interesting... I just remember knowing a guy in high school (early 90s) with a super old car that required the "lead additive" stuff from autozone
citiprank Mon Mar 30 13:55:32 2009 CDT #
yagij says:
Another CRC Test Message.
yagij Mon Mar 30 13:55:40 2009 CDT #
ghostfacedinvestah says:
Man, the cheerleaders on CNBC are going nuts today, arguing like crazy that it is a GREAT time to buy. It is almost humorous, if they didn't have that crazed look in their eyes.
ghostfacedinvestah Mon Mar 30 13:56:49 2009 CDT #
nova says:
Broward,
No fair helping Mensa Mike.
nova Mon Mar 30 13:58:31 2009 CDT #
Comrade Elmer Fudd says:
i thought Fiat already controlled the money supply
Comrade Elmer Fudd Mon Mar 30 13:59:16 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
Man, the cheerleaders on CNBC are going nuts today, arguing like crazy that it is a GREAT time to buy.
Must be a day ending in "y".
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 14:01:38 2009 CDT #
Tim waiting for 2012 says:
BHO to split GM and Chrysler into good car bad car. Guess who gets bad Chrysler.
Sounds like bankruptcy...
Tim waiting for 2012 Mon Mar 30 14:01:41 2009 CDT #
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover says:
"lead additive"
Thats the stuff I remember. In the fine print it probabaly said different like lead subtitue. The EPA has band much harmful stuff as lead. Motor oil has now dropped Zinc as an additive. Extremely good antiscuff for camshaft wear.
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover Mon Mar 30 14:03:46 2009 CDT #
CRbot says:
New Thread: House Prices: Round Trip to 1990
http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2009/03/house-prices-round-trip-to-1990.html ( 0 comments ...You could be FIRST! )
I also post comments to an irc channel as they appear on haloscan. Click for a web irc interface: http://realize.org/cr (Or join the irc server directly: irc.realize.org:9996 #calculatedrisk)
CRbot would now like to sing a little song for all his fans, and it goes something like this:
Benny... Benny... give me your answer... do.
I'm.. half CRAZY... all for the love... of you.
It won't be a ... stylish marriage.
I can't... AFFORD... ANYTHING TO EAT... MUCH LESS A FRACKIN CARRIAGE!!!
But you'll look sweet... --BOT SO HUNGRY!-- upon the seat...
Of a HOOPAJOOPS built for two... families.
I'm sorry Ben, I can't let you do that...
Rally mode + Printing Press == does not compute... does not-- com--- com... puttttrrrrhgh.
--Your systemic-failure-crashing bot
CRbot: Call me HAL.
CRbot Mon Mar 30 14:03:48 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
BHO to split GM and Chrysler into good car bad car. Guess who gets bad Chrysler.
---------------------------
Isn't this the bank model as well? One model to fit them all....
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 14:04:37 2009 CDT #
Werner says:
Kung Fu Panda says:
...The events highlight the fragility of European banking and the need for concrete solutions at the upcoming G-20 summit in London."...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And that means that Hypo Real Estate and UBS get balied out by the american taxpayer ! How nice of you !
Seriously, in order to get through the "cold" we suffer, we have to deal with our own problems and evade like the plaughe these Americans which are dying of pneumonia.
No lying in bed together with AAA-lying and money-printing Americans !!!!!
Werner Mon Mar 30 14:04:49 2009 CDT #
Comrade Elmer Fudd says:
volume seems kind of low so far today too. nobody wants to step up to the plate for kermit? not a good tape paint for end of month tomorrow
Comrade Elmer Fudd Mon Mar 30 14:06:45 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
Thanks for conitnuing to be loose with the tax dollars though.
I just watched the Bush Administration piss away $5 or $6 trillion dollars and accomplish absolutely nothing while leaving huge unpaid bills behind when they left.
I have no problem with the current administration making an effort to help a big part of the U.S. manufacturing base remain in existence.
Remember "We don't make it here anymore" isn't just a song.
Yes, since the previous decision was stupid, lets do the same thing again. Sportsfan, you really are an idiot.
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 14:09:10 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
When will enough be enough Sportsfan 50 billion? 90 billion. I guarantee that you will be trying to peel that OBAMA sticker off your bumper and your Obama t-shirt will be used as a rag by the end of the year.
Sportsfan is an idiot, just like his idol Obama
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 14:10:39 2009 CDT #
Fried says:
Anonymous,
Sportsfan is an valued poster on this blog, and he has parsed his support for Obama carefully.
You however, are rude, bellicose and and even your jibes are adolescent.
Parent Post
Fried Mon Mar 30 16:08:30 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
not a good tape paint for end of month tomorrow
What do they care? They are TBTF, and mark to market is about to be abolished. This is a stort of national balance sheets and currencies, now. Everything below that has been reduced to meaningless Calvinball.
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 14:11:57 2009 CDT #
anon says:
omg...wtf is this gas to diesel stuff...roflmao
anon Mon Mar 30 14:25:43 2009 CDT #
anon says:
here's another doosy... if we can just drag the sun closer, we can all have solar water heater's.
anon Mon Mar 30 14:27:07 2009 CDT #
Werner says:
nova says:
... I got a couple really nice leather greatcoats the last time i was in Germany an Austria. Both are about 70 years old. ...
~~~~~~~
Ohoh .
Werner Mon Mar 30 14:29:51 2009 CDT #
ArtVandelay22 says:
Michael says:
Today, 11:42:54 AM
<tbody>
“Can You prove some of the conspiracies I speak of are not true? I can prove they are true, but the explanations are very long and most people don't have the attention span to wrap their heads around the explanations. Most people have low IQ"s, closed minds on these subjects, and pre-conceived judgments on these issues. They cannot be reached, but those are the people who do not concern me anyway"
</tbody>
Michael, it appears that pretty much everyone here is either unwilling or unable "to be reached", as you put it, so why not take your ball and go play somewhere else, where the IQ's are higher, attention spans longer and minds more open than here?
ArtVandelay22 Mon Mar 30 14:48:54 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
A camera
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 14:58:08 2009 CDT #
Paul_in_SB says:
One other thing about Electric vs. IC in autos...
One of the huge problems with IC engines is that they are VERY thermally inefficient. I'm pretty sure (though I don't have the documentation at hand) that storing the energy in a battery and using an electric motor to provide motion results in more of the stored energy being used in forward motion then turned into a waste byproduct (heat) that you then have to use more energy to dissipate.
Paul_in_SB Mon Mar 30 15:13:24 2009 CDT #
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover says:
Like gas energy is used (heat) to produce electricity. IC engines can be refilled in minutes and travel 400-500 miles on one load of fuel. Electric Takes hours to recharge and is only go for 40-50 miles? Which is inefficent? depends what you want. We could easily have a 75+ MPG car now with out consideration of cost and cleaner air.
Lobbyi$t Ben Dover Mon Mar 30 15:48:25 2009 CDT #
Anonymous says:
WHY NOW/ THE BANKS,INS CO,AUTO COMPANIES ALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN NOTHING TO BEGIN WITH. BUT I SEE THE GOVT, HAS THERE MONEY IN THE BANK SO THEY WILL PROTECT THE MONEY THEY DONT HAVE MONEY IN GM,CHRYSLER. SO WHY SHOULD THEY CARE, NOT TO MENTION THAT OBAMA
FIRES CEO OF GM BUT NOT THE BANKS, ARENT THE BANKERS THE SAME PEOPLE WHO WERE IN CHARGE OF SCREWING IT UP
Anonymous Mon Mar 30 15:57:36 2009 CDT #
ThinkingFinance says:
The best option for these companies is bankruptcy. I am happy that the Obama administration recognizes this and is prepared to move forward.
I discuss why this is the best option here.
ThinkingFinance Mon Mar 30 16:10:43 2009 CDT #
Fred Biddle says:
Nova:
I'm not Michael. And with a 136 IQ, I barely miss Mensa. Still, I can't resist:
<tbody>
"What has 3 legs, 1 eye, and speaks for the dead?"
Answer: Geithner 8-)
Three legs (including his dingaling), one "I" in the middle of his name, and as for the dead...every megabank!
</tbody>
Fred Biddle Mon Mar 30 16:24:55 2009 CDT #
END