G.M. Closing 4 Plants in Shift From Trucks Toward Cars

Problem: Managers asleep at the wheel when a change hits that should have been obvious for at least the last 5 years. Consumers respond in logical, predictable fashion.

Solution: Fire people working for said managers, close plants, blame the consumers.

Responding to a consumer shift to more fuel-efficient vehicles, General Motors said Tuesday that it would stop making pickup trucks and big S.U.V.s at four North American assembly plants and would consider selling its Hummer brand.

The moves, announced Tuesday by the company chairman, Rick Wagoner, will slash 500,000 units from the automaker’s overall production, and pave the way for increased investment in smaller cars and passenger vehicles. Within three years, he said, trucks will account for less than 40 percent of the vehicles that G.M. produces in North America, down from about half today.

Mr. Wagoner said that rising gasoline prices had forced a “structural shift” by American consumers away from truck-based vehicles built by G.M.

“These prices are changing consumer behavior and changing it rapidly,” Mr. Wagoner said in announcing the cuts before G.M.’s centennial shareholders meeting in Wilmington, Del. “We don’t believe it’s a spike or a temporary shift. We believe it is, by and large, permanent.” NY Times

Here in Germany people will probably like this though. Even more German/European cars to be sold to America.

Guess which country has world-record exports, while the other has the world´s biggest trade deficit?

The UK non-apology for rendition flights

This is widely heralded as a British MP apologizing for extraordinary rendition:

The Foreign Secretary apologised to MPs today after it emerged that two American “rendition flights” of CIA detainees had landed on British soil, contradicting previous statements from the Government.

David Miliband told the House of Commons that he had now been informed by the US Government that the controversial flights – one en route to Guantanamo Bay and one to Morocco – stopped over at Diego Garcia, the British overseas territory in the Indian Ocean.

He said the US had just alerted the Government to the incidents, explaining the oversight due to “record errors” and was “very sorry indeed” that previous information given by ministers to the Commons had been incorrect. Times

It’s not. He is apologizing for getting information wrong. He is not apologizing for the flights.

That is a huge difference.

SP Times: Some overseas visitors are over Florida

The St. Petersburg Times is the latest with accounts on how international tourism to the US, and particularly to Florida, is falling because international travelers are treated like criminals. Courtesy of that story comes this absolutely priceless quote from a British national waxing on about how not going to America is really not all that bad:

“We found we were missing a hell of a lot not going to Europe,” says Strachan. “The history, the architecture blows you away, especially compared to downtown Tampa.”

Full story here.

A Yuletide greeting

Sit still, will ya?

Who says wire writers can’t have humour in their pieces. Here is the AP dissing Bush for not being able to sit still for a few minutes and listen:

Bush smiled and nodded - then nodded some more - as Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip enthusiastically explained how his government holds paperless Cabinet meetings.

The system, which uses digital signatures, permits legislation to be OK’d with the click of a mouse.

Ansip’s explanation, though, was not as lickety split. He described in detail how the dozen members of the Cabinet - in a room dubbed the “Starship Enterprise” - can vote or make comments online. Cabinet meetings that used last about four to five hours now wrap up in about 30 minutes.

Bush endured the lengthy explanation, shifting his weight back and forth. (…) AP

Spain admits possible CIA flights

Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos has admitted Spain may have been a stopover for secret CIA flights. BBC

Back from vacation

It’s quite a bummer to come back from a beach vacation in France and read this:

DAMASCUS (Reuters) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the Syrian military on Monday to raise its readiness, pledging not to abandon support for Lebanese resistance against Israel.

“We are facing international circumstances and regional challenges that require caution, alert, readiness and preparedness,” Assad said.

“The barbaric war of annihilation the Israeli aggression is waging on our people in Lebanon and Palestine is increasing in ferocity,” Assad said in a written address on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of the foundation of the Syria Arab Army. Reuters

Talk amongst yourselves

Just a fair warning to “old Europe:” tomorrow you’ll have one more Sebi. Don’t panic.

The wife and I are Europe-bound and will arrive Monday morning in Cologne, Germany, where we’ll catch the next-best train home to Aachen.

A memorable holiday

This column was written on Jan. 2 but was published in today’s Welcome Back edition of The Oracle.

Most students have set rituals and timetables throughout the year. The very nature of taking classes is one reason for a timetable, and the daily rat race of jobs, errands and trying to keep one’s house presentable (at least to the eyes of peers) makes up for the remainder of these rituals. The winter break, though, is one of those few exceptions when nearly all students leave campus to return home or try to spend some time with good friends and break out of their monotonous routine.

This winter break, I was especially lucky. My wife got vacation time over Christmas, and for the first time in two years, she joined me on my trek to Germany to visit family and friends I hadn’t seen in months, and in some cases, years.
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A city

I took a photo on the flight to Brussels last night. Can you guess what this is? Put it in the comments.

Disneyland turns 50

Fifty years ago, today, Disneyland opened its doors for the first time. The LA Times has an extensive article on its history:

To build his dream theme park in Anaheim a half-century ago, Walt Disney borrowed against his life insurance policy and cashed in property, including a vacation home in Palm Springs, to pay the $17-million construction bill.

When the Anaheim theme park opened July 17, 1955 — with cranky Southern Californians fanning themselves on a sweltering hot day — toilets clogged, the food ran out and women’s high heels sunk into wet asphalt. Disney officials still call it “Black Sunday.”

But from the start, there would be no denying the world’s infatuation with Disneyland, a rite of passage for millions of vacationing families. In the 50 years since Walt Disney leveled Anaheim orange groves, the park has left an oversized imprint on American culture, influencing everything from family entertainment to shopping malls to corporate branding. LA Times

Read the rest here.

Traveling

I’ll be traveling most of the weekend, making my way from Tampa, FL, to Aachen, Germany. Go read a book, or something.

Podcast #5: Space Shuttle and Florida thunderstorm

In this podcast I give a brief update about the Space Shuttle launch that was scheduled for today before I go outside and show you just how surprising Florida thunderstorm can be.

If you want to hear me sprint to safety, you can subscribe to my podcasts here with any podcast app, or here using iTunes 4.9. If you don’t have iTunes 4.9, it’s available here.

A direct link to the piece is here.

More information and links concerning the show after the jump.
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Florida’s beaches deserve protection

Two beaches close to the University of South Florida have been named among the nation’s best, one even taking the top spot. For Floridians as well as the tourism industry, this is good news. It also stresses the need to protect our shores, as there was a time when most of Florida’s beaches would have competed with the beauty of the beaches that are now heralded as exceptional.

The beach close to Fort Desoto on the northern shore of Mullet Key, an island just off the entrance to Tampa Bay, has been named the nation’s best, a distinction that is based both on water quality and surrounding factors. Caladesi Island took the fourth spot.
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Aliens

You know, Germany has come a long way in the last 60 years. It’s a respected member of the international community and may even have a shot at a a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council in the near future.

And then you come across something like this. (Note that it’s not only lame, there are apparently also no women in America. Probably why my brother and I had to import them.)

And yes, I am in a weird mood tonight.

Selling our individuality

We are all beginning to look more and more alike. We wear the same clothes, sold to us under the same brand names, eat the same food, listen to the same music and rely on the same media conglomerates to inform us. For a country that puts so much emphasis on the ?American Dream? and the quest for individuality that comes along with it, this seems a bit odd, to say the least.

Browsing the stores at the Newark, New Jersey, airport this weekend while waiting for my delayed flight to take me back to Tampa, I quickly noticed how unoriginal most stores were. Most of the vendors that could be found in Newark could also be found in Tampa. Since it was dark outside I doubt I could have told which state I was in just by looking at the items sold at the airport, let alone which city.

The University of South Florida campus is also increasingly falling victim to this trend. The Tampa campus alone now has three Starbucks, all selling the same products sold in countless other locations worldwide. For those students who do not want to spend the little money they have at those corporate-owned coffee vendors, the only other choices are vendors that are owned by other corporations, such as Einstein Bros. Bagels. The rights to sell food to students have been sold by the university. USF has sold out ? literally.

And even if one leaves the cozy comfort of campus, it is getting harder and harder to buy a cup of coffee that is not sold by a corporate entity.
?So what?? the astute reader may now ask. ?Isn?t that also what the American Dream is about? Coming up with a profitable business model and running with it?? It may be, but at what cost?
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got back

I got back to Florida this weekend. My flight was delayed because of the storms in the Midwest and the flights, both from Brussels to Newark and then onto Tampa were the bumpiest I have ever been on. Oddly enough the trans-Atlantic flight was also routed across Scotland, the farthest north I’ve ever taken that route as far as I can remember. But all is well.

Most importantly: All my luggage made it this time. Good job, Continental. Was about freaking time my luggage got to the destination the same time I arrive, for once.

Christmas and otherwise

What I got for Christmas, a Canon EOS 10D:

In other news: I am taking is slow for the next couple of day. Lots of wine make the cold I have bearable, but it’s annoying nonetheless. What better excuse to “unplug man. Get some R&R?” After the chaotic half year I just had taking a break seems like a good idea.

no web

Some information for the faithful readers of this page: I am staying with my brother and there are some web-connection woes that need remedied. The upshot of those is that the flat currently has no DSL and no phone service. That means even dial-up is impossible.

Hopefully this can be fixed soon, but until then there will be sparse posts on this site. (Should be a matter of days, but I am not going to bet any money on the German Telekom to actually be helpful. I could tell you stories…)

Cell phones may be allowed on airplanes

At the moment, there is one area of business life which is free of mobile phone chatter. There is one place where we are spared the endless bulletins on the minutiae of other lives: only when we fly do we escape the mobile phone.

This week, though, the Federal Communications Commission is to consider how to ease the ban on cell phones in aircraft.

It’s expected to look at two measures: increasing competition to bring down the price of using the phones currently on the back of aircraft seats, and starting to look for technical solutions so ordinary mobile phones can function at high altitudes. BBC

Forget mobile phones. I want WiFi on flights. Some flights by British Airways briefly had a pilot project (pun intended) that offered WiFi wireless internet on some flights, but recently decided to discontinue the service. Other airlines such as Lufthansa are also looking into it.

Not sure how the FCC would allow the use of cell phones, but there is usually a way to get online that way too.

made it

Made it to Germany without any problems. This time all my luggage made it as well. Definitely an improvement from my last two trips.

Time to take a shower and go to bed.

For the airplane geeks among you: I am currently onboard a spanking new Boeing 777-200ER. I’ve been upgraded and am in “Business First” class, which amounts to ridiculous amounts of amenities.

My seat reclines by 170 degrees and I have my own power jack for laptops and the like. Naturally there is a cappuccino machine onboard and a X course menu will be served. (I dated this ahead so it would show up on the siteabout the same time we are scheduled to take off)
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phone habbits

To meet up with my Dad, whose plane landed at the same time as mine, on a huge airport I called his cell phone. It took us about two minutes to establish that I was indeed in front of the international traveler lounge and that I would meet him there.

It’s odd how the “older” generations are not used to cell phones yet in the same way “my” generation is. If I had called any of my friends the same conversation would have gone something like this:

“I’m here. Where are you?” and the response: “I’m on my way, meet you in 5.” Click. Done.

No need to say who you are, the phone tells you that anyway when the call comes in.

I do not mean to harp on my Dad, the fact that his cell phone is on now is quite an improvement. But I thought it interesting that while we use the same tools we do not use them in the same ways. (By the way: The free WiFi service at the lounge is pretty damn fast)

trip to the old world

Just got off the flight from Tampa to Newark where I will met up with my Dad. From here we will via Amsterdam to Maastricht/Aachen Airport where my brother will pick us up.