October 31, 2008
October 28, 2008
I Bet Toyotas Panties Are In A Bunch
Consumer Reports annual car reliability survey is out and Ford was deemed the best domestic brand.
Ford Motor Co. builds the most reliable American-brand cars and trucks. So said Consumer Reports, in its respected Annual Car Reliability Survey, which was released Thursday during an Automotive Press Association luncheon in downtown Detroit. "Ford is doing exceptionally well," David Champion, the senior director of Consumer Reports' Auto Test Division, said during a presentation at the Detroit Athletic Club. "Nearly all Fords are average or above," he said.
And the money shots that made my freaking day?
"They are extremely close to Toyota and Honda.""Ford's reliability is now on par with good Japanese automakers," the December magazine says
The Ford Fusion is on the cover of the magazine!
McCain Voters Love Domestics
Just another poll to prove that Obambi voters hate the American way.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a person's car or truck can indicate who they support in the race between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain.McCain has a lot of support among owners of domestic cars and SUV and pickups. Obama supporters tend to own foreign makes, smaller cars and hybrids.
October 26, 2008
I Salute Pregnant Women
Cause I don't know how you do it, day after day after day of dealing with the nausea.
Arthritis meds today and good lord I am afraid if I move lunch is going to come up.
I hope after time these side effects will go away.
Probably shouldn't have had Spagetto's for lunch, they will look nasty coming back up.
Blech
October 23, 2008
October 22, 2008
Umemployment Up In 47 States
The overall jobless rate may have stayed unchanged, but for citizens of 47 of our 57 50 states it doesn't matter.
And Michigan has lost the top spot to Rhode Island.
Michigan’s September jobless rate of 8.7% was surpassed by Rhode Island’s 8.8% rate. Other states with worsening jobless rates were California with 7.7% and Mississippi with 7.8%Overall, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported this week that jobless rates were up in 47 states and the District of Columbia over the past 12 months and down in three states. The national unemployment rate was unchanged in September at 6.1%, up from 4.7% a year earlier.
Looks like other states are finally feeling the pain Michigan has had for the past 3 years.
The Nissan Ram?
Boy the shit is really hitting the fan now, I think deals are further along then anyone is saying.
She envisions General Motors Corp. buying Chrysler from Cerberus Capital Management LP, keeping the Jeep brand and minivans, and packaging the Ram complete with its stamping, powertrain, transmission and assembly plants, for sale to a third party such as Nissan.
When this much thought has gone into a maybe sale, you know it's just around the corner.
I Called It
And it hasn't even been the 2 years that I predicted!
A person briefed on discussions about selling Chrysler LLC says the automaker could be sold in pieces to other companies.Chrysler's majority owner, Cerberus Capital Management LP, has been talking with General Motors Corp., the combined companies Nissan Motor Co.-Renault SA and other companies about selling Chrysler.
The person said Tuesday night that many combinations are being discussed. The person asked not to be identified because the talks are private.
It's been all over the papers here (Big Headlines, front page) that GM and Chrysler have been in talks for a merger but todays headlines just confirm what everyone around here knew would happen when Cerberus bought Chrsyler.
Cerberus only bought Chrsyler to tear it up and sell it in pieces to the highest bidder.
Winters Noteable Moments
There are specific moments during Winter that us Northerners always mentally note of on the calendar when they happen and compare that date to previous years.
The one none of us look forward to is the first heavy snowfall, the one where the snow blower has to come out.
Another is the actual first snow flakes we see, it's more of a "oh shit winter is coming" thought.
A dreaded one is the first day the winter coats come out.
But the really big hated one?
The turning on of the furnance.
It's usually a contest amoung friends and family to see who's the first and last to do so.
Our record is November 1st, the earliest is September 30th.
Today is that day for this year.
It's 63 in the house and the sun isn't warming up the house as quickly as it has done the past couple weeks.
BTW, it's 11am and it's only 40 degrees outside.
I hate Winter.
October 21, 2008
Adventures In Disease Modifyers
The current meds I am for my arthritis are not as effective as they had been, so my doc has started me on a more "serious" Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs (DMARDs).
Methotrexate, some might recognize it as a cancer drug but it is also the old gold standard of Auto Immune system drugs.
It's only once a week and at low doses but the side effects are not pleasant at all, Nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, drowsiness or dizziness and minimal hair loss.
Started my first doses this past weekend, didn't have the vomiting but the day is totally wasted. If I am still the side effects are pretty minimal, but any movement brings them all on.
They also have me on high doses of Folic acid, it's suppose to help keep the side effects to a minimum.
The bad part is that the drug bascially destroys your immune system. It's my immune system that is attacking me, so they want to suppress it so it stops destroying things. Which means anybody I come into contact with that has a cold, flu, chicken pocks, measles, etc I have about a 90% chance of getting.
I can't even be around anyone that has gotten a "live" vaccine because I can get the disease the vaccine is trying to prevent in them. They actually say that in all the literature I have read about the drug, they also tell you to wash your hands after any contact with people. I have started to carry around a tube of hand sanitizer.
I also have to have blood tests every month to check white/red cells, liver, kidney, etc functions because the drug can destroy those too.
I won't know for at least a month if it's working or not. But I am looking at it this way, what doesn't kill you will only make you painfree!
October 19, 2008
Your Prayers Worked - For Now
Mr Weenie found out on Friday that there will be no lay-offs for now as they have some new work coming in that will keep them busy.
But it's not off the table, they could bring the subject up again after the new year.
So far now his life is spared!
October 11, 2008
Oh Good God, Pray For Me
Pray for me like you have never prayed for me in your life.
Mr Weenie just announced that work is looking for people for temporary layoffs till the end of the year.
Mr Weenie wants it bad, very bad.
Oh, we have nothing to worry about finances at all. He would get 95% of his pay and really our finances have always reflected our underlying worry about getting laid off, we are set for quite awhile.
But good god the two of us home 24/7 for 2 months.
Someone will die, a horrible, painful, grisley death.
We are not a couple who can take that kind of time together. We are ready to kill each other after just a week vacation.
Even the dogs are shaking in the corner.
God have mercy on me.
October 04, 2008
McCain Gives Michigan the Finger - UPDATED
McCain announced this week that he is abandoning Michigan.
Michigan Republicans scrambled Friday to stanch potential damage to their election chances after Sen. John McCain's sudden decision to halt his presidential campaign, including TV advertising, in Michigan.
Giving Michigan the big middle finger.
I received my absentee ballot in the mail today, I will be making my vote during the week.
I was going to hold my nose and vote for McCain but now I will not.
If McCain gives up this easily on something that isn't going his way how is he going to act for the country when it's gets hard.
He could have silently pulled out, he didn't have to embarass the entire state by publically announcing Michigan is a lost cause and he doesn't want to spend any more time or money on the state.
McCain has thrown the residents of Michigan under the bus and from the sound of it he has also thrown any small chance he did have of winning Michigan under the bus too.
UPDATE 10/5/08
Seems as if some don't believe McCain has pulled out of Michigan
The decision to end Michigan-specific ads and transfer paid staffers elsewhere means Michigan likely won't see much of McCain in the waning days of the campaign and likely ends his hopes of becoming the first Republican to win the state since 1988."Our operations will be scaled back, but will still be in place in Michigan," said Mike DuHaime, McCain's political director. The campaign said it would shift money and staff that had been targeted toward Michigan into Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Maine.
As I noted in the comments, McCain has ...
Pulled all Radio and TV ads from Michigan (I haven't seen an ad since Thursday)
Moved staff to other states
Cancelled all upcoming appearances that had already been scheduled.
Sounds like McCain has pulled out of Michigan to me.