Posts tagged GM

Alternative Auto Industry

December 17, 2008 · Filed under business, cars, development, economics, green living · Tagged , , , ,

My new passion; how to progress into the future without allowing for complete destruction of all things current.  It has to be possible… Although if you ask the Canadian Prime Minister, who, after being unceremoniously removed from power, irresponsibly announced the oncoming depression, even the smart people are beginning to throw in the towel…  Come on millennials, it’s time to take over.

I should preface that a close family relation works for the finance department of GM, the partner of this family relation is connected to me and can’t understand how I am able to separate discussing the demise of the “family business” (GM dynasty we’re talking) from the personal disasters that ending the GM fiasco will ensue.  Easily, I say.  GM is chalk full of smart people who have been lulled into complacency by money.  Hopefully, these smarties will re-engage their brains and innovation will occur with the right stimulus – ie, losing a job and needing to figure out how to create a new one…  Smart people will figure out alternatives to standing in bread lines.  Smart people don’t wait and react, they act and create.  GM people who have some smarts will be just fine out in the open marketplace if they network and share ideas just like the rest of us are doing.  The best part is, they probably can plug in some interesting pieces of the puzzle as soon as they stop flipping out and reengage with productive society.

San Jose State University, beautiful campus, very welcoming, has a student group that produced an emission free, standard outlet (110 volts) plug in vehicle that rolls around at 40 miles per hour.  It cost $80,000 to develop, patents pending, and could be placed on the market at a $4,000 sticker.  It’s got an electric motor and petals.  China’s interested already (although they’ve beaten everyone by putting the BYD on the market)…

Look auto people, the kids are in on the action.  Don’t doubt, charge forward.  Progress happens, don’t bail, jump in.

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Big 3 – next?

December 9, 2008 · Filed under business, development, politics, public transporation · Tagged , , , , , , , , ,

Do you know how close I was to railing against the Big 3 AGAIN for their STUPID stunt?  Why on earth would you DRIVE to DC in the best hybrid models you’ve got in your arsenal if they only get 60% of the MPG that the Toyota Prius gets on average? For the record, Robert Nardelli drove the Aspen Hybrid SUV, 22 mpg highway/20 city, Ricky Wagoner drove the Malibu Hybrid which clocked in a barely respectable 24 mpg highway/ 26 city, and Alan Mulally drove the Escape Hybrid with 31 mpg highway/34 city.  What’s WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE???  The Prius gets FORTY FIVE (45) mpg AVERAGE.  Being this frustrated is exhausting- especially in the wake of Detroit people who cry about legacy and family and all the soft reasons to keep the big three going…  Someone else needs to remind them that this is business, not personal.  I’ve tried, no one listens to me.  I may not be a physicist, mathematician or stats person but those number are pretty easy to interpret.  Detroit cars= bad.  Pathetic showing for America…

However, GM has put out an ad apologising to everyone for sucking so much.  Yes, that’s right, a corporate mea culpa for being greedy and not looking out for the needs of the consumer and allowing their giant massive corporate structures to be removed from a functional course which, as we all are aware, could spell disaster for an entire region of the United States.

Thier ad made me feel a little better.  They admit that I’m both right and not out of line for mentioning that fact.

So now what?

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The Solution for the Detroit Situation

December 5, 2008 · Filed under business, development, economics, green living, politics, public transporation, renewable energy · Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So I’m reading the New York Times review of today’s congressional hearing, you must read it. and I’m coming up with THE SOLUTION.  Congress is debating all of the reasons to NOT bailout the Big Three that we’ve all been thinking about.  The companies aren’t competitive.  They haven’t been for a long time. The unions… (I can’t even go there, unions are such a good idea in theory…) Their product line is inconsistent with the needs of today (my consumer generation) and the people running the show think that it’s impossible to figure it out in time.  (As was suggested by the “tight calendar” line.)

Hey, I think to myself, that’s my money honey!  I have a BETTER idea.  (Actually, I believe many intelligent people have better ideas.  You can probably find a few of them here in the bloggoshere.  FYI, I love how Adrianna Huffington pronounces ‘bloggoshere!”)

What ELSE could we do with 34 billion dollars BESIDES give it to a crappy company.  (This is business, it’s not personal.  Ten cents for everytime you’ve heard that line…)

How about fund 34 of the best ideas for new green transportation (independent and community centric) with a billion dollars each.   Idea makers, lawyers, promotions people, sales people, producers, developers, engineers, advertisers, web people, (I could go on) start your engines!  What do you think will happen??

Alright- before the reveal- I don’t have a good name for this yet, you know, something catchy, quirky, with alteration… feel free to write in with ideas…

AMERICAN TRANSPORT THE TV SHOW!!!!!  Yes!! I said it!!  Make a reality tv show about our collective future.  It would be SO AWESOME!  As every intelligent reader knows, if there are 34 good ideas put on the MARKET, only the best idea will survive to change the world.  Or maybe a few of them will.  Who knows, this is live tv, I mean, economics.  The penultimate businesses will be voted of the island, the market won’t support them/America knows best.  The market naturally chooses the ideas that make the most cents/sense.   Great ideas surface like dot coms and blogs and only the best survive/ inspire audience participation.  (Well, except the Jennifer Hudson fiasco.)   A billion dollars is enough to get the process rolling and we can document it all, show it to America and we can call in and vote.  No,  I’m actually serious.  We vote on the best singers, the best dancers, Trump fires the crappiest employee, Heidi K tells the worst designer that he or she is out, even crappy chefs get chopped up, ON TV!  Let’s talk future transportation.  Let’s document it.  Let America Vote/Buy.  I mean, we are the target market, right?

I’d watch.  I’d call in, or text, or whatever.  If texting fees apply, maybe that can become a slush fund to the winner or something.  I actually think this could be the best idea I’ve ever come up with.  This would be the coolest show, so many people would get jobs.  These are my people.  We all  need jobs!!  Real jobs.  Crackberry style jobs.  Green adverting dollars…. Green fashion… Oh ya, did I mention that it’ll be good for the planet?

This is team building baby.  The bigger the ideas, the bigger the discussion, the better the outcome after everything is thought out.  I’m glad that congress isn’t just a Yes Man for the Big Three.  Way to debate you guys.  Points to Wagoner for a great statement, it’s just lacking proof… My way is better. It’s a huge idea.  Mind blowing actually.  But- we can do it.  Seriously.

Alright, the idea’s out now.  If anyone wants to collaborate, I’m right here.  Just think, you could save me from law school.

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