John Smith

I missed this, how do you know about the terms of his 401-K? Does this guy discuss such things? If he does he's a douch for doing so. I never ever discuss stuff like this with anyone outside of my imediate family or my advisors.

The CEO is directing the failure, he is executing the plans of the board plans which he had a great hand in creating.. So you agree that failure should be rewarded?

GM's benefits pay for 800,000 former employees. That is a shit load of people. Even though the Japanese companies are suffering the same sales losses that their American counter parts are, they are better insulated against the losses for a number of reasons. In spite of having pay and benefits that are very comparable to their union counterparts, the Japanese have simply not been in the states long enough to have a large force of retiree

Not at all a reflection on austrya it is a refelction on this being the web. I used to audit banks (community banks) and when an unemployed person comes in for a loan, any loan they are not getting it without showing an ability to pay. How do I know this from audits? Simple the banks have internal controls and standards

Well there we go. I say confiscate the bike, imprison the guy, and sell his wife and kids into indentured servitude. Ok this guy did something totally ignorant and totally American. But who the F gives out loans to people with no income?

Dwight revealed just a little bit too much information last night.

That

I was thinking the same thing when I saw that booklet. My first thought was

Rememebr not everone is you though.

This is amantra that needed to be sounded in the 1980's when credit rules were relaxed. Now that people are trying to pay off their debts it takes aways fromt he current economy and provides an additional hit. On an individual level it makes perfect sense, on a macro level it damages the economy further. Though I do think your friend buying a motorcycle on credit while unemployed is a bit much. I would have to hear his full story though.

The schmoes, both union and non-union really have very little say when it comes to the direction of the company. Sure the union guys get paid well, but so do non-union carmakers employees and they are suffering crippling sales decreases too. Face it the problem with the American auto makers is the direction that all three companies have been getting from the top. GM

I was talking about this in an earlier thread. At what point do the shareholders revolt? Really they have little power because of the relationship between the boards and the institutional shareholders who have the real power in these companies. I know his salary was probably set a while ago before the serious issues hit, but when their parts division blew up last year the board should have acted. Now 100,000 schmoes working the line or working in offices will get the pinch applied and the CEO will probably get a high paying job elsewhere with a huge bonus foor managing the breakup of GM.

In the long run I am torn on the issue of lobbyists. On one hand we all have the right to petition the government. Lobbyists fill that role for various groups. Oil, clean energy, abortion rights, right to life, automakers, unions, airlines it seems everyone has their lobbyist. It is simply them exercising the right to petition. On the other hand these people are professionals. They live, work, eat and breathe in Washington. They are there all the time. Frequently they move freely between government jobs and lobbying positions. Individual lobbyists become part of the system and in a wa

Isn't that one of the platforms of the republican party? Believe me there are guys i know who would hit that, even without being intoxicated.

The infrastructure needs work. There are some shitty roads where I live that can rattle parts off your vehicle. of course that creates work for parts suppliers and maintenance types. But inreality new roads and highways are needed as our population expands. Roads are built for a certain capacity and are usually over that capacity as they get opened. More use of public transportation might ease the loads, but this is America and no one can tell us not to drive. It's just how we are.

Sorry but Bush and his policies must be front and center. Why? Because we have to drive it deeply into the national conscious just exactly how we got here (30% of the country believes it is a combo of FDR/LBJ/Carter/Clinton and Obama that got us here.). Otherwise the

I believe it did tank. My son likes it though. The songs all sound fairly similar to me. It

I for one do not believe in nationalizing banks or any industry. If we get into something it shoudl be with definate exit plans written out with attainable triggers in place to trip the plans into action. My thoughts on the banks and GM and the financial houses is that from day one last year when doling out money to these guys we should have 1) gotten equity stakes (can be stock or convertible bonds anything really) with provisions for the entities to repurchase the equity when they start to hit certain earnings and financial conditions. This allows us the taxpayer to not just give the cash

Ozzy is still a pioneer, only his pioneering day are over. I would say the first four Sababth albums and his first two solo albums plus a smattering of songs here and there make up his pioneering. And I guess you could say that he is pioneering bad tv now too. Without the osbournes do we get rock of love?

Wake up yourself

http://blogs.suntimes.com/sportsprose/2009..._dallas_sh.html I was hoping he would stay there and continue sowing discontent.

How long before Axl sues him for using the title "appetite for Investment"? I'll guess that Axl will say it iis derivative of and causes financial harm the GNR, which he owns, and is makign money off the Appetite for Destruction album moniker.