Monday, August 31, 2009

GMC is outsourcing American jobs and technology. Where is the UAW, because, GM will close plants in the USA as a result.

When GM is dissolved this time after making the same mistakes as last time and the American people lose their monies, maybe then, the country will learn that backing losers only begets more losers.



Board endorses direction of reorganized GM (click title to entry - thank you)
Wed Aug 5, 2009 1:35am EDT

DETROIT (Reuters) - The board of General Motors Co endorsed the automaker's direction and the focus of management after the first meeting of directors since GM emerged from a U.S. government-financed bankruptcy last month. A...";

GMC has abandoned, ONCE AGAIN, the American Auto Worker. The people of the USA saved the company from complete liquidation and now thanks to 'old blood' at GMC there will be plants manned in foreign nations rather than expanding the production of GM's products in the USA.

The Volt proved to be a hopeful new beginning for the car manufacturer and its work force. An exclusive design of a car that achieved 230 mpg. The sales from such a vehicle would have opened new plants and employed more workers, expanding the USA tax base and increasing the USA GDP while exports of the car helped balance the USA trade deficit. Now, in one simply action by the Board of Directors of GM, there will be production plants of GMC vehicles in India, China and Germany. So much for the loyalty of improving the USA economy, increased work force, expanding tax base and a better position for GM and the USA in the world.

Roger Smith's spirit continues to live in the 'Slimeball Halls' of GMC.



Chevy needs bigger share of GM sales, brand’s boss says (click here)
Jesse Snyder
Automotive News
August 28, 2009 - 2:56 pm ET
DETROIT -- Chevrolet's target as the value brand of a leaner General Motors Co. is to capture 60 to 65 percent of GM sales globally, Chevy boss Brent Dewar said today.

He identified the United States, China and India as Chevrolet's best opportunities for growth but also said Chevrolet intends to double its European sales to 1 million over an unspecified period.
As GM shuts or sells its Pontiac, Saturn, Hummer and Saab brands and reduces the number of U.S. Chevrolet franchises by 1,000, surviving Chevy dealers are being asked to expand and upgrade stores to handle anticipated higher volumes in 2010 and 2011, Dewar said outside a regional dealer meeting in suburban Detroit.
"We're asking them to step up to higher sales targets" that follow a reduction in Chevrolet dealers following GM's bankruptcy and the reduction of brands, Dewar said....




...There isn’t much left of the GM brand, and one wonders what will be there a year from now when GM, the new GM, will be in the midst of an expected initial public offering.The automaker, fresh from Chapter 11, has decided, as was first reported in The Wall Street Journal, that it will phase out attaching a small GM badge in the front bumper of each vehicle. There will be no such badge on 2011 models.As the bandit in The Treasure of Sierra Madre famously said, “We don’t need no badges…I don’t have to show you any stinking badges.”

http://www.businessweek.com/the_thread/brandnewday/archives/2009/08/_there_isnt_muc.html

Big Deal: German Government financed General Motors with taxpayers’ money
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is hesitating to use more taxpayers' money for the rescue of General Motors European carmaker OPEL. But an embarrassing fact remains: According to information from LifeGen.de, the German Federal Government has financed through the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF) two important research projects of General Motors in the past- with German public money.


http://www.lifegen.de/newsip/shownews.php4?getnews=m2009-08-26-4708&pc=s02


Merkel party ally urges delay in Opel decision: report (click here)
Sun Aug 30, 2009 11:47am EDT
..."I think it would make sense to delay the decision until after the federal elections," Hans-Peter Friedrich, conservative parliamentary deputy floor leader, told German daily Die Welt.
"An objective decision could only be made with difficulty in this heated atmosphere in light of the election campaigns," he was quoted as saying in an article to be published on Monday.
Talks to sell Opel have been running for months and loom as a hot political issue ahead of German elections on September 27, because of the state support required for the eventual buyer....

Spain Doesn’t Rule Out Aid If GM Drops Opel-Sale Plan (Update1) (click here)
By Javier Marquina
Aug. 28 (Bloomberg) -- The Spanish government said today it wouldn’t rule out giving financial aid to General Motors Co.’s Opel unit even if the U.S. carmaker decides to keep the European division.
Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Spain is “following intensely” the negotiations on a possible sale of Opel. Asked whether Spain would still offer aid if GM decides not to sell Opel, Zapatero said his government is “ready to give help to different alternatives for Opel and GM in Spain.”...

No one's paying attention to the Atlantic? There are three significant circulation systems...

The 3rd tropical system is noted west of Liberia off the African shore.


August 31, 2009
0815z
UNISYS Water Vapor North and West Hemispheric Satellite (click here for 12 hour loop)

Besides the 'near shore' turbuence of the Gulf of Mexico, there are three tropical waves in the Atlantic. They are large tropical systems, the one nearest to North American is immediately east of Grand Turk and the Bahamas. The second system is directly east of the Lesser Antilles and the third is west of Liberia ,off the African coast.

The 'severe' storms have been occurring in recent years during this 'late summer' season, but, have not yet occurred past Labor Day. However, the hurricane season with minor turbulence has extended into January of the following year, which in this case would be 2010.


It's Human Induced Global Warming. Strange things happen.

August 31, 2009
1430z
UNISYS Water Vapor GOES East Satellite (click title to entry for 12 hour loop - Thank you)


August 31, 2000
1217 gmt
Tropical Atlantic Satellite





August 27, 2009
Fall River Mills, California
Photographer states :: It was hot and windy today - this fire started from HWY299E - appears we had a careless motorist - possible cigarette out the window? Just speculating for now. Fortunately the only house up there is several yards away and saved!....this is most likely where the fire started.....

California Drought Fires theatened homes and Mount Wilson Observatory


Click here for USA interactive Drought Map


If Hurricane "Jimena" stays on course it will follow the coast of North America in a nearly directly northern path. The storm may be diminished be the time it meets with California, but, it might still be carrying a lot of water. It is California's best hope.


August 31, 2009
1430z

UNISYS Water Vapor GOES West Satellite (click here for 12 hour loop)


August 26, 2009
Angeles National Forest
Photographer states :: An LA County Fire Department Firehawk helicopter makes a water drop on the Station Fire burning in the Angeles National Forest. This is one of two fires burning in the area.

The weather at Glacier Bay Nationa Park (Crystal Wind Chime) hasn't changed in weeks;

Nah, it will never happen on Earth. It is all a bunch of talk. Scientists make predictions that NEVER come true.

Well. Guess what?

It's happening !



Elevation :: 33 ft
Lat/Lon: 58.8° N 137.0° W
Local Time: 7:07 AM AKDT (GMT -08)
Temperaure :: 50 F
Conditions :: Overcast
Windchill :: 50 F
Humidity :: 94%
Dew Point :: 48 F
Wind :: Calm
Pressure :: 30.06 in (Falling)
Visibility :: 0.5 mile
UV :: 0 out of 16
Clouds :: Overcast at 300 ft (Above Ground Level)


Higher ocean acidity will affect Alaska fisheries (click title to entry - thank you)

By Jeff Richardson
Originally published Monday, August 24, 2009 at 12:00 a.m.

Updated Monday, August 24, 2009 at 5:57 a.m.

FAIRBANKS — A University of Alaska Fairbanks researcher has confirmed what scientists have suspected for years — the state’s seas are becoming acidic at a faster rate than more temperate waters.
The growing level of acidity could be a big problem for Alaska sea life, since shellfish — and the animals that eat them — might be damaged by the changing environment.
“Ocean acidification is a today problem, not a 100 years from now problem,” said Jeremy Mathis, a UAF chemical oceanographer. “We’re at the tip of the spear, I think.”...