Quality Weenie

If I Didn't Have Animals

If I Didn't Have Animals . . . .

I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.

My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.

All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.

When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel.

When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.

I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.

I would not have strange presents under my Christmas tree -- dog bones, stuffed animals, toys, treats nor would I have to explain to people why I wrap them.

I would have money ....and no guilt to go on a real vacation.

I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grandkids thru college.

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE.

My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.

My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere.

My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.

I would no longer have to Spell the words B-A-L-L-, F-R-I-S-B-E- E, W-A-L-K, or T-R-E-A-T.

I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.

I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.

I'd look forward to spring and the melting of snow instead of dreading mud season.

I would not have to answer the question "Why do you have so many dogs/animals?" from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.

How empty my life would be.

Romeny Flip Flops - McCain Will Not Get My Vote

During Michigans primary, Romney promised that he would do all he could for Michigand and it's Auto Makers.

As I thought, he told Michigan what it wanted to hear ...

Romney agreed, saying: "I side with states being able to make their own decisions, even if I don't always agree with the decisions they make."

The statement seemed at least partly at odds with statements made in December to The Detroit News editorial board, in which Romney expressed concern that energy legislation pending in Congress would give states the ability to set tougher standards and make it more difficult for domestic carmakers to recover.

Or did he tell California what it wanted to hear?

After the debate, Romney's campaign issued a statement in which he said that the federal government, not individual states, should set limits on carbon emissions.

As for McCain, he never has had nor will he ever have the domestic auto makers best interests at heart.

The Arizona senator was asked if he supports California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's effort to set emissions standards for automobiles, an effort that General Motors, Ford and Chrysler oppose and that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has rebuffed, sparking a legal fight.

"I applaud the governor's efforts and that of other states in this region and other states across America to try to eliminate the greenhouse gas emissions that are causing climate change," said McCain.

That is a big slap in the face to Michigan.

McCain's campaign confirmed that Schwarzenegger -- who has earned enmity from Michigan lawmakers such as Rep. Joe Knollenberg for his support of auto regulations -- will endorse McCain at a Los Angeles event today.

I will never vote for McCain, I can't not vote for someone who doesn't care if an entire industry gets washed down the drain, along with hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Stop Puppy Mills

When people think of puppy mills they think of ...

Popular usage of the label "Puppy Mill" has it as a large facility, where dogs are crammed into cages, fed little, uncared for, with little or no human contact, and forced to breed heat cycle after heat cycle, while an uncaring owner reaps profits.

In the past few years there have been more and more "busts" and the media has publicized the closing of some of the larger mills. In some of the pictures you see dogs stacked in cages, feces and urine covering those on the bottom rack, sometimes as many as five dogs to a crate made to hold one or two, and crates by the dozen.

Did you know that 91% of all puppies bought in Pet Shops come from just 9 states (MO, KS, OK, IA, AR, NE, SD, PA, MN)

But do you know how the health of the puppy your buying is affected by those conditions?

Owners who buy from pet stores or puppy mills, even backyard breeders often face serious illnesses requiring extensive veterinary care shortly after bringing the dog home. In some cases the dog has long-term and ongoing problems.

Those conditions make for health problems for the puppies, not only because of the conditions they are born into, the health of the mother but also because of inbreeding.

I am a member of a few doggie forums and let me tell you a story I have been keeping track of just this past week ..

The puppy miller was going to put down the senior IG's because they were all used up but thankfully IG rescue got there to save them.

The foster mom for Mandy had her a week and noticed that she looked pregnant, it was confirmed from her vet and 2 weeks later Mandy went into premature labor.

The foster mother watched and Mandy birthed a boy puppy but then started bleeding badly. The foster mom rushed her to the vet and this is what was found.

Mandy's uterus ruptured into two. If Mandy would have birthed any more puppies they would have been birthed into her belly. Mandy suffered eclampsia and needed a blood transfusion.

Let me say that again, her uterus ruptured into two.

The took the other 3 puppies via c-section. One puppy died within minutes, another puppy was very small and couldn't suckle so they were tube feeding him. He died within 2 days. The other 2 puppies are healthy.

Mandy is 9 or 10, which means (including this litter) she has birthed around 18 or 19 litters.

Makes you sick doesn't it.

So how do we stop this?

Every single puppy sold from a pet store came from a puppy mill, or a backyard breeder. How can I make such a blanket statement, tarring them all with the same brush? Simply because there is not one, single responsible breeder out there who would allow one of his or her dogs to be marketed out like regular merchandise to whomever can lay down the cash.

So how do you what a responsible breeder looks like?

A responsible breeder must know where their puppies are going.

A responsible breeder will interrogate the potential buyer about their home, family, living arrangements, other people that share their house, their past, and their future. Police interrogations have nothing on a breeder trying to find the best possible home for his or her dogs. One I spoke with a few years ago sent a five page questionnaire, on top of the fifty or so questions she asked me over the phone.

A responsible breeder will sell with a contract.

The Contract:

When you buy from a responsible breeder you will be signing a binding contract stating that if something (anything) happens, to this dog the breeder is the first to be told. This may seem a little extreme, but there is a very legitimate reason behind this. If your new dog develops hip dysplasia four or five years down the road, she'll know to pull the parents from the breeding line.

You sign that if something happens to you, and you can no longer care for your dog, she will be notified, so she may take the dog back into her care or find it a new home. (See #4)

You agree to spay or neuter your new pet as soon as possible to help prevent unwanted litters if your dog was bought as a companion.

You agree to abide by any other terms and conditions set forth in the contract. If that means getting hips certified at age two, or eyes certified, you do so.

As daunting as this is, if you think this over, you will realize that she has done this to protect her dogs. And most people have no trouble signing these contracts with a clear conscience.

A responsible breeder will take back into her care, any dog at any time that has been bred from her breeding lines. And often even dogs that were not.

A responsible breeder will do her very best to make sure that none of her dogs ever end up in a shelter.

A responsible breeder can guarantee your new dog's freedom from genetic diseases and defects for life, knowing that she has done the very best to breed best possible parent to the best possible parent and both were free from genetic problems.

Rescues will do the same thing (except for genetic testing, they don't know where the dog came from usually)

The USDA does have jurisdiction over kennels and breeders, they don't get the attention that they deserve.

California Will Tell You What To Drive

Since California is being sidetracked by the Government on the air emissions deal, they have found a way to tell you what you can drive.

California has made it clear that it will restrictgovern what you drive and those vehicles will be small and hopefully hybrids or electric vehicles.

Without attracting a lot of attention (the news media, where are you?), a new $2,500 tax is about to be added to many cars. The higher cost of excercizing freedom of choice will allow the government to decide whether you should drive large, safe cars or cars that are smaller and not safe or comfortable.

Do what I say, not what I do ...

The result is likely to be that the wealthier folks can by cars they want but others can only buy what the state says they should. Once again we see Democrats making life ‘better’ for the the poor and middle class among us; I wonder when the middle class and poor will stop voting for the party that says they are their ‘champions’?

Again, do what I say, not what I do ...

To enshrine the concept into law, the Democrat controlled California Assembly is expected to vote soon on the California Clean Car Discount Act, which, if passed, would be the first law in the country imposing charges and granting rebates based on a vehicle’s emission of carbon dioxide and other gases. There would be a registration fee of up to $2,500 on new larger, more comfortable and safer cars, while less ‘polluting’ cars like the Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, Nissan Sentra and other fuel-efficient cars would get rebates - once again the power of the government to dictate what is ‘in your best interest’ through taxation at work.

I think we have already established that California hates the domestic auto industry and will do anything to twart them every chance they get. California wants it's residents to drive foreign cars and are passing laws to make sure that happens.

Daniel Sperling, director of the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies and a member of the Air Resources Board said "Industry argues that market signals don’t exist for consumers to buy low-greenhouse-gas and fuel-efficient vehicles, this bill fixes the market forces."

Translated that means: People don't really believe in Global Warming so we are going to force them to accept our point of view.

If the approach taken by the proposed law isn’t bad enough, environmentalists want the air board to use its "zero-emission vehicle" regulations to require auto companies to move to a 100% hybrid-electric fleet by the end of the next decade.

California wants to control what the auto industry manufacturers and what people drive and they will not stop passing laws until that is achieved.

Toyota Has Temper Tantrum Over #2

Seems the spoiled Toyota is having a temper tantrum over losing, again, to GM for the Global Sales leader of 2007.

Toyota may have fallen short of General Motors in global vehicle sales last year, but it's beaten its U.S. rival in another measure — global vehicle production.

In the latest neck-and-neck numbers race between the world's top two automakers, Toyota Motor Corp. said today it had made a record 9,497,754 vehicles worldwide in 2007, up 5.3% from the previous year.

That's about 213,000 more automobiles than the 9.284 million that GM made last year.

GM sold more vehicles then Toyota did in 2007, but Toyota being the spoiled child that they are says they produced more vehicles then GM, by 213,000 vehicles.

Selling a vehicle and making a vehicle are two completely different things.

And Toyota just admitted that they have 213,000 vehicles sitting around that they couldn't sell.

That is a hell of a lot of vehicles.

Anal Retentive? Me? Nooo

You Are Totally Anal Retentive

Yup, you're so uptight - people definitely have called you "anal." You're the type of person who's so OCD you organize your M&Ms before eating them. You have so many rules and rituals, it's hard for you to let loose and enjoy life. So go ahead and mix up your alphabetized CD collection. Live a little!

I do organize my M&M's by color before eating them ...

Now Who Do I Vote For?

Today, I have withdrawn my candidacy for president of the United States. I hope that my country and my party have benefited from our having made this effort," Thompson said in a statement.

This kind of pisses me off because I feel he never really made much of an effort.

There are no other Republicans that I feel comfortable with or that I could accept their views that I don't agree with.

Hell, maybe I will go 3rd party this year.

Not A Great Start To The Year

Thursday's are also turning out to be a bad day too.

I got an email on Thursday afternoon informing us that my cousins wife's sister died that morning.

We went to pay our respects on Sunday. She was 55, was diagnoised with cancer over the summer and given about 6 months to live. Her son got married for her in early december so she could see him get married.

It's only mid-January and we have already been to two funerals of people who died way before they should have.

This is getting depressing.

Happy Birthday

A Big Happy Birthday to my blogsissy Lee Ann!

May you have plenty of cake and since it's your birthday, cake doesn't have calories!

Enjoy!

The Good And Bad Of The Interview

So the interview was Monday

The bad -
The hiring manager called in sick that morning so I didn't get to interview directly with him, he sent in a Senior Quality Engineer to interview me in his place. I also interviewed with the Quality Manager.

The good -
The Senior Quality Engineer I interviewed with was someone I actually worked with when I first started out at Ford. He said he remembered me right away, I vaguely remember him.

He said they needed a Quality Engineer with plastics background because they didn't have one, 90% of my background is in plastics.

When asked what 3 of my strengths were I answered, root cause analysis, communication and quick learner. He then stated the position mostly does root cause analysis and that is one of the things they are looking for in a candidate.

What's next -
They had some more people to interview and if they really liked any of those that interviewed on Monday they would bring them back to interview with the hiring manager and then make a decision.

Decision should be made in 3-6 weeks (but the HR manager said closer to 3 weeks then 6 weeks).

So I am hopeful since I have everything they are looking for, especially the root cause analysis and plastics part.

That Was Difficult

The Funeral was yesterday, they only had a viewing/service at the funeral home.

When we went into see Brian the only way I can discribe it was surreal.

I really expected him to open his eyes and sit up and say just kidding.

I have been to many funerals, but of those who have lived a full life and it was not an unexpected death.

This one just, I don't know freaked me out.

I still can't believe it.

The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it. - RW Emerson

Mr Weenie and I and all our friends are roughly the same age.

Some we have know since kindergarden,
and some just more recent.

We've been to their Weddings,
and they went to ours.
We've been in their Weddings,
and they have been in ours.

We are god-parents to some of their kids,
We have been to their kids christenings,
We have been to their kids birthday parties.

But at 40 years old we did not think that we would be going to one of their funerals.

We received a notice this afternoon that a life long friend of Mr Weenie's passed away in his sleep last night.

They went to kindergarden together,
Mr Weenie was his best man at his first wedding,
he was in our wedding.

He was 40 years old and now he is gone.

At this time we do not know the details.

He left 2 kids behind.

He was 40,

Why?

We will miss you greatly Brian ...

Please, Please, Please

I need every prayer, body part crossed, fairy dust, voodoo and chicken sacrafice you can spare.

I HAVE AN INTERVIEW ON MONDAY OUTSIDE OF THE AUTO INDUSTRY!!!!!!!!!

One of three being interviewed out of a few dozen applicants.

I think Karma owns me big time on this one.

UM Grads To Be Demoralized

By having to graduate from EMU stadium in the spring.

The Big House or University of Michigan Football stadium, the traditional graduation cermony site for spring graduates is under construction right now and will not be avilable for spring ceramonies.

So Eastern Michigan University, just 5 miles down the road from UM has offered up their stadium for graduation cermonies. (Because UM doesn't have any place else to hold that many people).

Reaction of soon to be graduates?

True maize-and-blue University of Michigan men and women are white-hot with anger over a plan to move their graduation from Michigan Stadium -- to Eastern Michigan University's football stadium, of all places.

Of All Places?

Hey Robin Erb of the Detroit Free Press ...

You can kiss my ever loving, green and white, EMU 3 degree graduate, fat white ass.

Students planned meetings and a protest to try to force university officials to reconsider.

"After years of living and loving Michigan, it is an insult to deny us our graduation at the Big House," wrote a blogger at bighouse08.blogspot.com, a Web site that sprang up overnight.

"I don't even want to go," said Conley, 21, an Ann Arbor native. "It's completely lost its importance.

Adding insult to injury, EMU's colors are green and white, the colors of U-M's biggest instate rival, MSU, the "two colors I have been taught to detest since birth," Conley said. "You can't throw us in a stadium with those colors."

At least a half-dozen Facebook.com groups protesting the EMU location formed within 24 hours of the announcement and attracted nearly 3,000 members by Wednesday evening.

U-M senior Juhi Aggarwal, who was shocked and dismayed by the change, formed a Weblog and is coordinating a campuswide gathering. Signs of protest have popped up on campus, including one reading: "If I had wanted to graduate from EMU I would have gone there!"

Can you say whiney babies?

And what do EMU students think? I think this sums it up nicely ...

EMU student Jamie Fix finds it ironic that U-M -- which she thinks often has an attitude of superiority -- has turned to EMU for help. "It's really funny they are coming to us,"

Bawahahahahahahahaha

3 Signs Of A Miserable Job

From Yahoo Hotjobs ...

"A miserable job makes a person cynical and frustrated and demoralized when they go home at night," Lencioni says. "It drains them of their energy, their enthusiasm, and self-esteem.

Lencioni identifies the three signs of job misery as anonymity, irrelevance, and "immeasurement."

So I guess I am batting .1000%

Pet Crash Tests

Yes, the crash test dummies do actually have a dog.

You buckle up for safety when driving but do you protect your dog? It's just as important for your dog to be buckled up for not only his safety but your safety too.

Both Lance and Maggie have doggie harnesses that attach to seatbelts and they wear them everytime they are in the doggie mobile.

If your dog is not harnessed or crated during an accident he could not only cause a deadly injury to himself but also to you as he flys forward.

After an accident if you are unable to leave the vehicle on your own accord and someone opens the door your dog could take off and nobody is going to be worried about going after him or if he protects you and won't let others near you the police will shoot him to get to you.

This is a video of a crash test with a belted dog and unbelted dog.

Ford Goes To The Dogs

And is damn proud of it!

DogCatRadio.com has named Ford Motor Company as the Pet Friendliest Automaker for 2008!

DogCatRadio.com (DCR) gave Ford the nodding dog for its "wide range of models that offer safety, comfort and easy entry access for pets." As part of its evaluative process, DCR analyzed an undetermined number of vehicles' economy, price and "creature comforts."

I sure would have liked to see their evaluators at work, wonder if they got to sniff the rears of the vehicles they tested?

The Ford Taurus X, (ed note: the vehicle formally known as the Freestyle) in particular, was singled out as being the best transporter.

Hey the Doggie Mobile of the Year!

I know when we were looking for my new lease in 2006 we kept the puppers in mind. And guess what, we ended up with the Doggie Mobile of the Year. The puppers must like it because they are always sniffing it's rear in the garage and slobber all over the windows, which is like the puppers kiss of approval!

According to the American Pet Products Manufacturer Association (APPMA), Americans spent over $40 billion on their pets in 2007.

"Pet lovers tend to spend more than the average consumer, and that includes on the cars they drive," says Kathryn Segura, movie industry animal trainer. "As more and more families, single people and celebrities shop with their pets in mind, companies are changing the way they market their products."

Ford better take advantage of this award and produce one hell of a commerical touting the award for the Taurus X (the vehicle formally known as the Freestyle).

Canada's Franenstein?

A Japanese doctor says, “Medicine in my country is so advanced that we can take a kidney out of one man, put it in another, and have him out looking for work in six weeks.”

A German doctor says, “That’s nothing. We can take a lung out of one person, put it in another, and have him out looking for work in four weeks.”

A British doctor says, “In my country medicine is so advanced that we can take half a heart out of one person, put it in another, and have both of them out looking for work in two weeks.”

The Canadian doctor, not to be outdone, interjected, “You guys are waaay behind. We took a woman with no brains, sent her to Michigan where she became Governor, and now half the state is out looking for work

Hey Candidates

You want the secret to winning in Michigan?

I will give you the secret to win all in Michigan.

Come closer ...

closer ...

Ok, here it is ...

Just tell the people you will fix Michigan.

Yep, that's it.

Make noises about outlawing NAFTA, putting heavy tax's on imported vehicles and say nice things about the domestic auto industry. Adding that they are the best would be the whip cream on the sundae.

The win will be wrapped up with a huge bow on it.

The citizens of Michigan want someone, anyone to care about them, because it's obvious our own Gobernor doesn't give a rats ass about us.

I guara-dam-tee you the candidate that does any of the above will win over Michigan citizens hands down.

Incompetence At Energy Companies, NO Can't Be

Info before the story:

When we had our house built by a cookie cutter builder we babysat the building, making sure they did everything as they were suppose to. We also added a lot of extra insullation ourselves before the drywall went up. We had the insulation people out 3 times before they put the correct amount in our attic (it was blown-in stuff). We really made sure the house would be as energy effeicent as we could possibly make it.

Our gas and electric bills are combined (the companies merged). During the summer our electric bills are higher then gas and vice verse during the winter.

Our highest winter bill of 7 winters in the house is $217 (remember gas/electric combined) and that was last winter.

Neighbors around us easily have $500 gas/electric bills during the winter (they didn't make sure their houses were built correctly).

For our AC, in Michigan you can have a second meter installed that is an interuptable meter. Which means they give you a discount for having the second meter in which to run your AC during the summer, but they can cut the power to it during peak hours for 15 minutes of every hour. This hardly happens.

Now onto the story:

We just got a gas/electric bill, it was $532

$532

We came close to stroking out.

Something was wrong with the bill or our furance is about to explode.

Called the gas/electric company and said no way could our bill be $532.

Long story short ...

The person that reads meters in our area wasn't reading the AC interuptable meters. So we were not billed AT ALL during the summer for our AC. Once the gas/electric company found out about the non readings, they came out and read everyone's interuptable meter and billed them for it.

Our added cost was $313 for the second meter from April to October.

Now the interuptable meter is optional, hence the discount if you get it. A lot of people get it and I can only imagine what people's bills were. There had to be some that topped $1000.

Total Incompetence.

Michigan Government Harassess Citizen

Michigan in really starting to be a scary place to live, besides no jobs and new tax increases every month, the state is starting to harass bloggers for voicing their opposition.

The blogger, Save My Michigan, put up a joke listing on ebay selling the State of Michigan. (copy of the listing and Q&A at the link above)

Michigan's goberment found it and the harassment started and hasn't stopped since then.

You may (or not) remember the headline back in October. Apparently someone had put the State of Michigan up for sale on EBay – in response to the budget debacle.

That someone was me.

And what happens next is deplorable.

My husband works for the State of Michigan. When he returned to work on Monday, he received a call from his district supervisor essentially telling him to take down the EBay ad. My husband explained that it was his wife who put it up. A few minutes later, another call was received – take it down now.

It was taken down, but it wasn't the end of this story.

The next day, my husband was put on a 10-day paid suspension pending investigation.

Suspended for an ebay listing.

Then ...

We didn’t know what my husband would be up against – he received no list of the charges they were “investigating”. The union was called, but so were some attorney’s.

The day before our meeting with the attorney’s, my husband received a two page list of criminal charges – most were felonies – which they were investigating.

Yes, the goberment was bringing him up on unknown felony charges.

I started to notice a constant “presence” on my site – ala the State of Michigan – 23 hours a day, 6 days a week. I began to get suspicious that our phones were tapped; we were being “watched”, etc.

The goberment was watching a family because of an ebay listing.

My suspicions were confirmed when we were “told” that the order for investigation came directly from the Governor’s office, in a file marked “Top Secret”. Our sources indicated that in order to try and do some damage control, the Governor was “going after” anyone who dared to breathe the word “Recall”.

I had better watch out because I signed the recall petition that is on the internet.

At five o’ clock the next day, my husband received a call from his supervisor indicating that he could come back to work.

Over 3 months later, we still have no resolution. No formal conclusion to the investigation. It took over a month for my husband to get his computer back at work, and even now, he still does not have internet or email service at work so he can know what is going on within his Department.

They found nothing at the hearing (he invoked his 5th admendment right as advised by his attorneys.

So Michigan's Government is starting to harass citizens who voice disapproval with the crappy assed job they are doing. Yep, that is a good way to spend the money they just stole from us when we can't afford it.

Hey Jenny, how bout concentrating on getting the state back on track instead of engaging in childish revenge tactics?

Winners and Losers

HEY REDNECK!!

At least we win when we go to bowl games!

Bawahahahahahahahahahaha

Which One Doesn't Belong

One of these things is not like the other ..
One of these things just doesn't belong ...

Bet you can't tell which is a headline from Fox and which is from AP ...

Navy ships harassed by Iran

US Boats take defensive action against Iranian speedboats

Read My Lips, No New Taxes

Of course my fingers are crossed behind my back - So says Michigan's Governor Jennifer "It hurts to much to raise taxes, I won't do it again, but I was really lying when I said that" Granholm.

Michigans Lying Dumocratic Gubenor said back in December that she wouldn't raise taxes again because it hurts to much.

Recently, Gov. Jennifer Granholm signed a bill Gilbert sponsored last year that will create a task force and citizen advisory committee charged with proposing alternative revenue sources to pay for the state's transportation needs.

So instead she will assign someone else to raise taxes.

Gilbert said Thursday no legislator "on either side of the aisle" is prepared to raise taxes. He then proposed two solutions that would potentially raise taxes.

Guess that 2.3 BILLION tax increase recently wasn't enough punishment to tax payers.

The state, he said, could adopt a "mileage tax" whereby each persons' mileage would be recorded at the gas pump and taxed in place of the traditional gas tax.

He also suggested the task force consider raising the sales tax one penny.

When will the goberment body of Michigan realize you can not get blood from stone. The problem is unemployment (7.4% in Michigan) and people leaving enmass is the real problem you don't have enough money. Oh and the fact that you refuse to cut spending anywhere.

Environuts Using Climate Scare Tactits on Consumers?

From the data that we are seeing, it looks like the environuts are just using the climate as a scare tactit to force people into smaller vehicles.

But it seems the people are not buying it, literally!

Through November, the small-car segment, which includes the Toyota Corolla, Honda Civic and Chevy Cobalt, rose just 0.4%, compared with the same period in 2006, according to Autodata Corp. The biggest gainer for the year has been crossovers, rising 15.6%. Crossovers offer the space of traditional SUVs, but they're built on car frames, providing a smoother ride and slightly better fuel efficiency.

Wonder just how far the environuts will go to force people to buy what they feel people should be buying?

Take That Environuts

The Environuts and California's Goberment claim that the auto industry isn't building the small, gas sipping vehicles that americans are clamoring for.

Well guess what?

They can take that false claim and stick it in their ass!

For all the hype about high gas prices sending consumers in droves back to fuel-sipping passenger cars, trucks big and small continue to beat cars by a healthy margin in the U.S. market.

This year, passenger car sales are down 3 percent -- almost twice the decline in trucks, according to Autodata Corp., a New Jersey-based firm that tracks vehicle sales.

Yep, that's right. People are not running out and buying cars.

General Motors Corp., for example, has seen double-digit gains in demand for its hulking Cadillac Escalade ESV and Chevrolet Suburban compared with 2006.

Sales of Ford Motor Co.'s Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition also have improved from a year ago, with the Expedition up 12.2 percent for the year. Sales are growing month to month for Chrysler LLC's new Aspen.

Large SUVs still command 5.2 percent of the U.S. auto market

Overall, light trucks claim 53 percent of U.S. car and truck sales, up from 48.7 percent at the beginning of the decade.

Light trucks claim 53% of all sales, 53% OF ALL SALES.

I bet Environuts are sitting in a corner rocking back and forth and drooling right about now.

"The decline in trucks is really not that significant -- the numbers are not telling the story that's being told out there," said Jesse Toprak, Edmunds' chief economist. "Maybe that's the perception people wanted to create so it would become a self-fulfilling prophesy."

Bwahahahahhaha

Trucks rule, environuts drool!

2007 Automotive Vehicle Mileage Sets Records

The 2007 vehicle mileage for the automotive industry has been calculated.

That is an average of MPG for all cars and trucks an automotive manufacturer sold during 2007.

• General Motors Corp.: 29.9 mpg for domestic cars, 31.9 mpg for imported vehicles and 22.6 mpg for light trucks.

• Ford Motor Co.: 29 mpg for domestically produced cars, 29.9 mpg for imported cars and 22.2 mpg for light trucks.

• DaimlerChrysler: 28.6 mpg for domestic vehicles, 24.7 mpg for imported vehicles and 22.6 mpg for light trucks.

• Toyota Motor Corp.: 31.6 mpg for domestically produced cars, 38.5 mpg for imported cars -- largely based on Prius hybrids -- and 23.9 mpg for light trucks.

• Honda Motor Co.: 33.5 mpg for domestically produced cars, 39.6 mpg for imports, and 25 mpg for light trucks.

• Nissan Motor Co.: 25.6 for imported cars, 34 mpg for domestically produced cars and 22.9 mpg for light trucks.

So the difference in domestic made cars is 4.9 miles and domestic made trucks is 2.1 miles.

You also have to take into consideration that Toyota, Honda and Nissan don't sell that many full sized trucks, which is why their trucks mpg is slightly higher than Ford, GM and Chrysler.

So, for all this talk about how supposdily the Japanese are so much better in gas mileage then the domestics it really isn't true at all.

Candidates Energy Plans

Do you know what your candidates Engery plan is?

You don't really hear much about their energy plans except that they have one. But did you know that a lot of the candidates want to dictate what vehicle you drive by wanting outragious CAFE requirements, ones that not one automotive manufacturer will be able to meet.

Clinton - government should require an enormous hike in the fuel efficiency standard, to 55 miles per gallon by 2030. Clinton would introduce $20 billion in "green vehicle bonds" to help U.S. automakers retool their plants to meet the standards. She also would set an agenda to reduce electricity consumption nationwide by 20 percent from projected levels by 2020.

Edwards - "Edwards believes that everyone should be able to drive the car, truck or SUV of their choice and still enjoy high fuel economy," BUT "American cars and trucks are less efficient than they were two decades ago (ed note - wonder where he got those statistics) and [fuel economy] standards in China, Japan, and the European Union are between 40 and 100 percent higher" (ed note - because they drive tiny cars) than in the U.S., the site says. To help turn things around, Edwards would raise CAFE standards to 40 miles per gallon by 2016, (ed note - impossible to meet)which he says would reduce oil demand by 4 million barrels per day. He would provide $1 billion a year to help American automakers develop advanced technology.

Obama - would double fuel economy standards within 18 years (ed note - impossible to meet). While he doesn’t set numerical targets, that translates as a dramatic increase to about 44 miles per gallon for light trucks and 55 miles per gallon for passenger cars by 2025.

Rudy - New York’s former mayor supports expanding nuclear power and greater investment in alternative energy sources such as bio-fuels, renewable energy and clean coal.

But while he favors entrepreneurship in advanced hybrid and fuel-cell electric vehicles, he’s against tighter CAFE rules.

Huckabee - He focuses mainly on developing nuclear power and energy from renewable resources.Huckabee urges conservation, but doesn’t mention regulating oil use through CAFE restrictions, and his campaign did not respond to a request for comment on fuel economy.

McCain - "We need to work together to increase CAFE standards to a level that is practical and achievable for all new vehicles, foreign and domestic, because improved fuel economy will help our nation achieve national energy security, reduce carbon emissions, and improve local and regional air quality

Romney - While he wants to improve the fuel economy of vehicles, Romney said he favors government working with auto industry management and labor. "We want to support and strengthen the domestic automobile manufacturing sector, not give it a chop at the knees," he said. "We're going to hit much higher mileage standards. But CAFE has been an uneven and distortive type of mechanism for doing that."

Romney said the solution is to develop renewable and sustainable energy sources, and he listed nuclear power, bio-diesel, bio-fuel, ethanol, cellulosic ethanol, liquified coal, clean-burning coal and coal whose CO2 can be sequestered.

Thompson - His approach is to reduce demand for oil and gas, and to promote alternative and renewable fuels, advanced technologies "and other diverse energy sources." However he voted in 2002 in favor of an amendment to terminate CAFE standards under a plan that would have let Congress veto any increase in fuel economy requirements. (all emphasis and ed. notes are mine)

So to sum it up the dumocrats want to end the domestic automotive industry and make everyone ride bikes, use candles and stop breathing while the Republicans wants everyone to beable to chose which vehicle they want and look towards nuclear and renewable energy.

Guess it isn't to hard to know which party to vote for.

10 Best Engines

Engines, the heart of your vehicle.

But who has the best engine?

Audi AG: FSI 2.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-4

Daimler AG: 3.0L DOHC V-6 Turbodiesel

Ford Motor Co.: 4.6L SOHC V-8

General Motors Corp.: 3.6L DOHC V-6

General Motors Corp.: 6.0L OHV V-8 Hybrid

Honda Motor Co. Ltd.: 3.5L SOHC V-6

Mazda Motor Corp.: DISI 2.3L Turbocharged DOHC I-4

Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.: 3.7L DOHC V-6

Toyota Motor Corp.: 3.5L DOHC V-6

Top 5, NOT ONE Japanese engine.

Toyota just makes it into the Top 10 at number 10.

Guess the Japanese really don't know the heart of a vehicle.

Break Over

I am back at the Intelligence Sucking Black Hole known as work.

Blog reading, commenting and posting will commence again.

2008 - Starting Off With A Bang

2008 isn't starting out how one would want.

We got 6 inches of snow ...

We were suppose to get 10 inches but the storm weakend quicker than they thought (thank the good lord for that).

Gratuitous snow pictures