Award Winning Idea? I think SO!

How are Americans still going to bed hungry?

A Grilled Stuffed Chicken Burrito is 89 freaking cents! Sure it's not the most nutritious or healthy but it's 89 cents and FOOD!!! Plus with all of the calories and a fair amount of protein, it should keep you hungry for hours. And, if you really wanted to splurge you could get a side dish of nachos for 69 cents. If you want to get totally funky with your bad self you could upgrade the nachos to Triple Layer Nachos for a whopping 10 more cents or the Nachos Supreme for...wait for it...20 more!!!!! I'm not trying to be completely insensitive to people's struggles but how are there still people going hungry in the US? I just created a comprehensive way to cure hunger in the US...just repeat the Taco Bell bonanza 3 times a day. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner; ALL TACO BELL BABY!

If Taco Bell is selling a huge burrito for 89 cents, what does it cost them? 40 cents? 50 cents?

Grilled Stuffed Chicken Burrito

Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 325g

Amount per Serving
Calories 640 Calories from Fat 207
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 23g	35%
Saturated Fat 7g	35%
Trans Fat 0.5g
Cholesterol 65mg	22%
Sodium 2160mg	90%
Total Carbohydrate 73g	24%
Dietary Fiber 7g	28%
Sugars 6g
Protein 34g	68%

Vitamin A	10%
Vitamin C	8%
Calcium	30%
Iron	35%

---

Est. Percent of Calories from:

Fat 32.3% Carbs 45.6%

Protein 21.2%

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Autism - "In My Language" and The Human Camera

One of the top stories on digg today is about an autistic girl who sings the national anthem. It reminded me of this video I watched years ago that was incredibly fascinating, and insightful into the world of autism. The first half of the video is in "her own language" and the second half, 3:30 mark, is her explaining in english what is going on.

It took me a long time to find the video so i'm posting it...

Here's another video I watched years ago that's amazing. He's called the human camera.

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Does He Look Like a Bitch

I used to love Guess Who and still Love Pulp Fiction. Great Mashup!

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Spelling Bee

The National Scripts Spelling Bee is one of the greatest sporting events of the year. It pits brains and...well that's pretty much it. Brains vs. brains. I am completely enamored by the event mostly because I can't spell worth a dam (that's a spelling joke). The stress these kids go through as they stand on national television alone, just them and a panel of supposedly super smart adults who have the spelling of the word in front of them so it's easy to look smart, would make the common person crap their pants. It's surprising how many of the contestants left are of Indian descent. Here's an example of one of their names: Mouctika Paluri.

Here's a GREAT word i just learned.

hebdomadally: occurring every week

without missing a week; "she visited her aunt weekly"

On a related note, what's the deal with the word Biweekly? It has 2 definitions which appear to be in contrast with each other.

- Occurring twice a week

OR

- Occurring once every two weeks

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Housing Sales Up or Down?

I have two points to make about last months new housing sales reported today.

1. When housing sales for the month of April rose .3 percent with a +/- margin of error of 14.5 percent how can anyone use the number as a positive or a negative number. It is statistically irrelevant. "Margin of Error" is exactly that, the margin of error.

2. Sure, March to April sales have increased .3 percent (bullshit number) but April 2008 to 2009 sales have plummeted 34 percent +/- 11 percent (making the 34 percent statistically significant because even with the margin of error it's still a positive number). I woke up today to a cnn.com headline with encouraging news, HOME SALES RISE. They smartly removed the article shortly thereafter. I wonder what their editor does because they do this every month when the housing reports come out.

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GM is Worthless

You should all be thrilled with this investment you made over the last couple months. You have invested close to 20 billion dollars, that's 20,000,000,000 (yep that's 10 zero's you see there) in a company that had close to no chance of surviving from the start. Well, the inevitable is here, well almost here. On Monday GM will most likely officially file for bankruptcy.

I asked a very smart person today why GM's stock prices isn't $0?

His response: "Stupidity (and the certificates make good wallpaper, which usually retails for about $10 per foot)."

I had to share.

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Where did Stupid Videos go before YouTube

I read yesterday that there are 20 hours of video uploaded to YouTube EVERY MINUTE! Just think about that for a second. Every minute of every day people are uploading everything from this awesome video,

To this...

As if there was any chance a human could beat a freaking BEAR! The bear doesn't even know he's in a challenge but then again, IT"S A FUCKING BEAR! Pay close attention to the commentators, absolultely hilarious! "He's an eating machine!"

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Oil at 60

Just heard a great point on CNBC. Unfortunately, I don't know who made the comment but this was the gist of it...

We are arguably in the worst recession since WWII and oil is still trading at 60 dollars a barrel. I have a hard time seeing demand for oil lower than it is right now again in my lifetime. It just shows how susceptible we are to huge swings in oil pricing if supply were cut or we entered a geo political controversy.

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Living with the Enemy

The Lakers blew a nice first half lead and went back to their dysfunctional ways down the stretch. As a result the Lakers lost and the Denver Nuggets fans are getting cocky. I'm surrounded by these assholes...Come on Lakers, step it up!!!!

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Where this started...

The original reason I started this blog was to create a place to write down some of the crazy dreams I have...Well, if you haven't noticed it sort of transformed into something different. Well, here's a dream I had last night.

Once upon a time there was a guy named Doug. He loved to play games and his favorite game was monopoly. This is how they all start...

It was a cold windy day in Denver. It's an ominous sunset and for some reason i'm in a shopping mall parking lot with a security guard, two adults, and a very attractive chick (shocking right?). As i'm about to park I hear over the radio an emergency warning of an impending tornado. Before I have time to react I can see it forming. The winds start swirling no more than 100 yards away. The clouds start to come together and there's lightning flashing and thunder booming towards the center. In the background there is a shockingly beautiful sunset but there's no time to stand around. I yell at the rest of the group to run for shelter. Because this is a dream there's a stand alone 2 story bathroom in the middle of the parking lot. I kick down the door and we enter. We are all looking for a place to hide knowing that if we don't find a better shelter we are all doomed. I find a door that leads to a basement and call the others. As i hold the door open the tornado approaches at a shockingly fast speed. The door slams, and we hold on for dear life. Legs and arms braced against the walls. The roof goes first. Then the entire fist floor is lifted off the ground. I look up and can see up the spiral of this giant tornado and it's amazing. It's twirling in slow motion as if it's harmless but i know better. Others are screaming but I'm calm as could be. As quickly as it started it ends. Instead of being thankful I'm alive, I immediately look at the innocent security guard and start yelling at him. In hindsight I realize he's an innocent bystander but in my dream I can't believe his incompetence. I can vividly remember saying, "why don't you know how many people were in the mall!" As if it would be his job to record that...I berate him for an extended period of time. I'm concerned that people were swept away in the tornado. Gone, never to be seen again...Then I wake up...

Here's the craziest part. I've never seen a tornado. Also, why was I so mean to this guy?

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Billion = Million

It's like we all forgot how to spell million...

The craziest part is that the "m" key is easier to hit than the "b" key...

Our government refuses to hand out anything less than a couple billion these days. Why aren't we outraged that the government gets to choose what industries to bail out?

This is from the NYT as of February 4, 2009. Notice all of the Trillions and billions floating around...

February 4, 2009

Adding Up the Government’s Total Bailout Tab

Beyond the $700 billion bailout known as TARP, which has been used to prop up banks and car companies, the government has created an array of other programs to provide support to the struggling financial system. Through April 30, the government has made commitments of about $12.2 trillion and spent $2.5 trillion — but also has collected more than $10 billion in dividends and fees. Here is an overview, organized by the role the government has assumed in each case.

THE GOVERNMENT AS INVESTOR

$9.0 trillion

SPENT: $1.6 TRILLION

Includes direct investments in financial institutions, purchases of high-grade corporate debt and purchases of mortgage-backed securities issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae.

THE GOVERNMENT AS INSURER

$1.7 trillion

SPENT: $330 BILLION

Includes insuring debt issued by financial institutions and guaranteeing poorly performing assets owned by banks and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

THE GOVERNMENT AS LENDER

$1.4 trillion

SPENT: $528 BILLION

A significant expansion of the government's traditional overnight lending to banks, including extending terms to as many as 90 days and allowing borrowing by other financial institutions.

Money market fundsThe Treasury originally guaranteed these accounts up to $50 billion, but the program has been extended by the Fed, which has in a few cases had to step in to buy illiquid assets of some funds to help them meet obligations. The Treasury has received $814 million in fees from participating mutual funds. Some 1,900 funds are participating.	Committed: $3 trillion Spent: $4 billion
Commercial paperThe Federal Reserve has become the buyer of last resort in the $1.6 trillion commercial paper market.	$1.6 trillion $178 billion
Federal Home Loan Bank securitiesThe Treasury and the Federal Reserve have begun buying debt and mortgage-backed securities from Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Ginnie Mae.	$1.5 trillion $641 billion
Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF)This program, launched on March 3, will provide loans and accept securities backed by consumer and small-business loans as collateral. Note: $100 billion of the total amount committed comes from the Troubled Asset Relief Program.	$900 billion $5 billion
Public-private investment fundThe Treasury announced details of this program on March 23. The government will seek private investors and use a combination of private and public money to buy nonperforming assets from banks. Note: $100 billion of the total amount committed comes from the Troubled Asset Relief Program.	up to $900 billion $0 billion
Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) | See TARP recipients »In return for bailout cash, the Treasury now owns stock in hundreds of banks, General Motors, Chrysler and the insurer A.I.G. The largest recipients are A.I.G. ($70 billion), Bank of America ($45 billion) and Citigroup ($45 billion cash and $5 billion in support of a loan guarantee). The investments are in the form of preferred stock that pays quarterly dividends, which to date total $2.5 billion.	$700 billion $645 billion
Fannie Mae/Freddie MacThe companies were put into conservatorship and the Treasury initally pledged up to $200 billion to cover their losses. Freddie Mac has now received almost $45 billion and Fannie Mae $15 billion.	$400 billion $60 billion
A.I.G.The Federal Reserve has provided seed money to create investment vehicles to buy, hold and possibly dispose of bad securities held or insured by A.I.G.	$53 billion $42 billion
Bear StearnsThe Federal Reserve bought distressed assets from Bear Stearns to facilitate its sale to JPMorgan Chase.	$29 billion $29 billion
Reserve U.S. Government FundDespite the name, this was a private fund, not part of the government. It was the first big money market fund to experience liquidity problems, and the Treasury eventually bought some high-quality assets to help the fund unwind.	$4 billion $2 billion

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GMAC and the Billions!

The private sector determined long ago that there aren't many people they are willing to make loans to. This is especially true when it came to car loans. In my opinion, this is one of the biggest reasons why US car sales didn't just drop, they plummeted at unprecedented levels. You've seen the spreadsheets posted...all car companies fell but US companies took the cake. Chrysler and GM sales fell close to 50 percent month over month for the last couple quarters. So, based on this logic the government is loaning GMAC another 7.5 billion so they can make loans to potential car buyers. As if the original 6 billion wasn't enough.

"The investment includes $4 billion for GMAC to originate loans to Chrysler buyers and sellers, the Treasury said yesterday in a statement. The remaining $3.5 billion will help Detroit-based GMAC meet capital needs that resulted from the government stress tests. The Treasury said it expects to hold a 35.4 percent common equity interest in the company"

So after the private sector has determined that the loans are too risky to make...if they weren't they themselves would make them...the government will make them. And lets not forget that the government is playing with OUR money. When will we get fed up?

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By 2 interesting ideas I mean FUCK THE EMERGENCY SYSTEM!!!

It turns out you cant change the channel when there's an EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM. WHAT happens when the system is broken? There's an emergency, i can't change the channel when there's a bullshit emergency warning!?!?!??! I should get an hour of my tv watching enjoyment back from the cable company!!!!!!!! 3 WARNINGS DURING THIS 2 sec POST!!!!! Name another business that could pull a bullshit move like this with no repercussions?

ALL I WANT TO DO IS CHANGE THE CHANNEL!!!!! I wish i was joking but i'm not...IT"s STILL ON!!!!!!

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2 interesting ideas

1. Obviously it has been done but maybe they're onto something. I'm wondering if there is a trend, a long term trend beyond this current recession with Japans or any other major stock exchange. Does one react to the other (Japans is much more likely than the US)?

2. it's too late...I guess i forgot the other idea

3. A psycho chick at the bar tried to get her boyfriend to kick my ass tonight. Totally normal... I've never really seen this before. She interrupted a conversation i was having with a friend, then challenged my football knowledge. As if that wasn't enough for me to lose it, which i didn't...she then proceded to tell me that her dad was some hot shit...and by that she said her dad lived down the street from Al Davis (Raiders Owner). I was polite and said; get this...Awesome, that's pretty cool. She proceeded to get aggresive and yell, "Do you know Dave, Do you know Mike, Do you know Steve?" All I could say to that was, No...

The emergency Alert system is going of every 30 seconds...very, very, very annoying...

So, what happens next at the bar? Oh yes, her boyfriend goes ballistic and wants to kill, and i don't use kill lightly, me and my friend. He grows to a giant, steroided out beast and it takes the bar tender, this random and very nice dude next to me and the bouncer to hold him back and push this crazy chick away...oh my god, the emergency alert is going off again!!!!!

This ends with everyone telling us we should leave the bar immediately...ITS GOING OFF AGAIN! CLASSIC GOV. B.S. THEY CANT DO ANYTHING RIGHT!!!!!!!!! HOW IS THE EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM THIS FUCKED UP, IMAGINE A REAL EMERGENCY!!!!!! PANIC, PANIC, PANIC!!!!! HALD OF A COMMERCIAL AND THE EAR PIERCING WARNING IS BACK! ANYONE EVER NOTICE...IT"S BACK BEFORE I COULD FINISH BITCHING ABOUT THE LAST TIME IT INTERUPTED THE SHOW... FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS BS NOT ENOUGH TIME TO VENT BEFORE PIERCING OLDSCHOOL TYPING! WHY IS AN EMERGENCY SYSTEM REALLY STILL TYPING SHIT WITH A TYPEWRITER?!?!?! IT's BACK!!!!!!! what was i even talking about?

So, i was about to be completely destroyed by a giant dude because his girlfriend was crazy...I think they should procreate. procreate to the x'th degree. Have 10 children and raise them in your physcho house. ANOTHER EMERGENCY ANOUNCEMENT!!!!!!!!

Upcoming posts...

1. Road Rage

2. My walk home...it only took 1.4 hours

3. Lakers are the best team ever and commentators are paid to dispute

4. Lowe's should go out of buisiness....when was the last time you were in a Lowes? I mean really, when? I'm pretty sure it was never!

5. MORE EMERENCY ALERT SYSTEMS!!!!!!!

6. DID I HAVE 4+ DRINKS TONIGHT, YES!

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Is Obama getting No Respect?

And after some of his regulatory measures i'm not sure he deserves any...

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Why not

I'm going to track Microsoft because I made a claim and I might as well stick with it...

I called it at 19.50 and it's at 19.75

Here's another I liked a long time ago, Canadian Natural Resources. If you believe oil will return to the 80+ days then love this stock. I was about to explain how they extract oil from Canadian shale but realized it's 4:01 and Dane Cook just started yelling at me on TV. It's time to go to bed, I hate this guy. Maybe Microsoft isn't the best choice...

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Jesus in Jeans

If there was a church i could possibly get behind this would be it because they have a sense of humor. They commissioned a statue depicting Jesus in modern times. His face is smiling, which i still find a little puzzling considering he's pretty much still positioned as if he was on a crucifix. Here's the article:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5318718/Jesus-in-jeans-sculpture-unveiled.html

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Quote of the Day

Quote of the day via Google:

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Teach a man to create an artificial shortage of fish and he will eat steak.
- Jay Leno

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Liftoff

Infrared photo of the Atlantis space-shuttle launch yesterday via Gawker.

P.S. I would love to go to outer space and look at the earth. Come on Richard Branson, make it affordable already!

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Lakers Dominate!

Suck it Houston!

The Lakers played as a team last night and put a thorough beat down on the Houston Rockets. It was a statement game, the first of their playoff run. As a Laker fan it was needed. If the Lakers are to succeed in their goal to not only make the finals but win the whole thing they will need to continue their team play and the bench will need to continue the success they had yesterday.

Phil Jackson, the Zen Master should tell the Lakers to forget everything that has happened in the playoffs so far. He should emphasize that the playoffs start NOW and keep the winning ways going. Besides, it's the refs that will decide the champion right?

I would rather see the Lakers lose to Houston than the Nuggets. Plain and simple.

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Car Dealers in Washington

It's never easy when you lose your job and there are millions dealing with it every day. There are terribly sad stories being reported about two income families that now have no income and no savings. It's sad, it's terrible, it's a nightmare for them as their credit card debt raises month after month with no end in sight. It's even tougher when the family industry is coming to an end. One of the stories of the day are the auto dealers in Washington petitioning the government to stop GM and Chrysler dealership closures. Like I said above, it's terribly sad but what is the government supposed to do about it? When did we become one giant welfare state. When people no longer want to buy a product, the people who sell it should go out of business!

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GM Bankruptcy, the Executives think So

GM top executives sold almost all of their stock in the company...can you say bankrupt GM? It's now trading at a 76 year low.

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Random Stock Pick

Here's a stock pick right out of left field (i liked that for some reason). I was laying in bed last night when a light bulb went off in my head. Invest in Microsoft. Vista was a nightmare, the economy is a nightmare, technology is getting crushed today. With this being said, almost all businesses are still using Microsoft products and they will be forced to upgrade to Windows 7. Microsoft revenue was hurt this year by companies holding out on their upgrade because Vista was awful but I'm reading the opposite of Windows 7. The tech blogs are saying it's reliable, clean, secure and fast. Plus, while it might seem like Apple is going to destroy Microsoft, that just isn't the case. As the world, and particularly underdeveloped countries adopt computers they use PC's and Microsoft products, not Apple products. Comments and arguments are welcome.

Open:	19.50		Mkt Cap:	176.30B		P/E:	11.41		Dividend:	0.13
	High:	19.83		52Wk High:	30.53		F P/E:	-		Yield:	2.62
	Low:	19.32		52Wk Low:	14.87		Beta:	1.02		Shares:	8.90B
	Volume:	34.54M		Avg Vol:	71.62M		EPS:	1.74		Inst. Own:	60%

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Newspapers

I'm confident that there's a way for newspapers to make money and survive. In fact, this financial apocalypse might be the only thing that will save them. You might be saying, "Are you nuts?" Well, here's my thought. The Newspaper industry is one of the oldest in the world and as a result it doesn't adapt to change quickly. Newspapers were supposed to die when the radio was invented and again when televisions entered every house but it didn't. I believe the entire industry became complacent. The newspaper companies became huge and with all huge companies it takes them a long time to change course. The financial downturn may FORCE them to act quickly and think outside of the box or outright fail. The internet should be looked at not as a problem but as one of the biggest opportunities. It is now easier for them to reach people than ever before. My iphone allows me to have the newspaper at all times! Amazon just released a new bigger Kindle specifically for document and NEWSPAPER viewing! People are reading more than they have ever before (granted it's mostly trashy blogs like this) which is great. There is a need for quality, well thought out news and reporting. There is a need for non-breaking news stories. There is a need for newspapers that the blogger and independent reporter can't fill because they don't have the recourses a big company offers.

One of the newspaper owners put it very well (I'm not sure who it was): The newspaper companies are NEWS companies and not paper distribution companies.

This is exactly correct! Figure out how to make money distributing quality, accurate news. The medium doesn't matter.

While I'm not a very big fan of Mark Cuban he did write a decent article about how he would save the newspaper industry. Here's the link...

http://blogmaverick.com/2009/04/26/1269/

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The Chrysler Nightmare We Paid For

New reports and documents show that Chrysler was in trouble, deep deep trouble for not just the last couple months but for years. Executives have admitted that they have tried selling the company for at least 2 years and found only 1 potential buyer...Fiat. The mighty and resilient Fiat was the only company? That's a scary thought. Now, why when the world saw no potential in saving Chrysler did our government and in turn you and me think it was a good idea to loan Chrysler billions of dollars when bankruptcy was inevitable? Why when almost every company in the world felt an investment in Chrysler was a bad idea did the government take a stake in the company?

The answer is POLITICS, POLITICS, POLITICS! Our politicians don't always make decisions in our best interest and this is a prime example. Would anyone in their right mind loan you 10 dollars and only expect 6 dollars back? Well, I guess I could see it if you charged a massive interest rate for the risk you're undertaking but that isn't the case here at all. In fact, the government's original loan to Chrysler was converted to equity...Awesome!

Let's learn from the Chrysler debacle and force GM into bankruptcy NOW. In the end, it's probably in their best interest and certainly the American publics best interest.

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Add it to the List

Let's add one more thing for Obama to do tomorrow; I want him to emphatically declare that the US does not condone torture! We don't need to debate it's effectiveness (even though most studies show that it is ineffective). It's a matter of principle. The US as a whole is better than that. We are looked at by the world for guidance. We are outraged when other countries torture so how can we even think that it's acceptable for us. Results or Not.

And yes, water boarding is torture.

Here's an interesting article about the once classified report by the CIA's Internal General. Very fascinating stuff.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/11/ig-report-waterboarding-w_n_201733.html

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It's a Contusion! RUN!!!!"

We hear over and over again on injury reports that someone has a contusion. They make it sound like the person is about to lose a limb or even life threatening.

"Lakers Odom has back contusion, is day to day" Thanks espn for scaring Laker fans all over the world.

The headline should read...

"After Odom fell he can be seen telling a teammate that he's O.K. There's no chance that a fucking bruise will keep him out of a playoff game!" Why do we sensationalize everything? A contusion is a fancy doctor word for bruise. Yes, the same kind of injury you get when your friend gives you a dead leg or you accidentally hit your shin on the bed frame. It's a bruise but you don't have million dollar doctors diagnosing it.

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Free Movie Websites

Here's a link to an article that has lot's of links to places to watch free movies (did you get that?)

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/05/08/best-sites-online-to-watch-movies-for-free/

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Just do it Already!

There's a couple things I think the president should wake up tomorrow and change. These things don't need a drawn out debate in congress or a fight between two commentators on Fox News. I want the president to actually do what is right and not care about the political damage that "might" come from it.

I want Obama's day to begin with the legalization of gay marriage. It's rediculous that there's even a debate still raging in this country over it. Why should the government prevent two adults from marrying? It's pretty much as simple as that. We as Americans should be a little embarrassed that we ever had slaves, didn't allow women to vote didn't allow black people to vote AND didn't allow gay people to marry. I challenge you to come up with a single good reason...and arguing that it will lead to people fucking goats isn't a legitimate argument.

Next, probably around 10 in the morning I want Obama to legalize marijuana. It's a fairly harmless drug with fewer side effects and dangers than alcohol. Tell me the last time two stoned people were in a street fight! Let's tax and regulate the distributation of marijuana just like we do with cigarettes. Another reason this needs to be done is that our jails should be filled with dangerous criminals and not drug addicts.

Lastly and possibly the most radical decision of his day is to declare our education system a national emergency and dedicate the hundreds of billions of dollars necessary to rethink and rebuild our education system. When the financial system broke we threw money at it; over a trillion dollars! Why not make the same commitment to our education system. I want Obama to say that it's time we changed the public school system to include 2 years of college. No Child Left Behind was a joke. A good idea poorly executed. Let's not give up let's fix it. I'll probably make this an entire rant in the next couple days...

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Pet Peeve

The volume of commercials needs to be the same as the t.v. show i'm watching! There's nothing worse than having to adjust the volume every commercial.

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Good 'ol Dilbert

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What moves the Market?

Is it just me or is the current bull market based on "not as bad as expected" results? If you really look at home sales numbers or unemployment numbers they are still deteriorating, just at a slightly slower rate. The argument is that it's a sign of the economies eventual recovery but i'm not sure I'm on board.

With this logic, now would be a great time to invest in AIG. They posted a staggering 62 billion dollar quarterly loss last quarter and only posted a 5 billion dollar loss this quarter. WOW! That's an amazing recovery, right? What are you waiting for, they are only 5 billion dollars away from making money again...

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The Messy House

How does a house go from clean to a disaster in a single day?

1. Invite some friends over for a sports game (or Cinco de Mayo)

2. Realize your out of Paper Towels and Trash Bags and decide it's too late to run to the market.

3. Consume beer and tell yourself you will deal with it later

4. Wake up the next day and your house will be a mess.

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Dodge Viper's Future?

Chrysler has been trying to sell the Dodge Viper line for some time now. I'm wondering what will happen to one of my favorite cars once the merger between Fiat, the Canadian government and the US government is completed. Yes, you read that correctly; 2 governments and FIAT will try to run a company. Try to remember the last time you even considered buying a Fiat? And then tell me the last time the government efficiently and cost effectively ran ANYTHING. I'm talking about the same institution that spends 12 bucks for a stapler and thinks they're getting a good deal. If you couldn't tell, I'm ecstatic about the US government becoming part owners of private institutions. The pride of our capitalistic society is quickly eroding. The same capitalistic society I was told helped defeat the Russians and Communism. But, long story short my beloved Dodge Viper might disappear. The car that originally shoved a giant truck engine into a light weight sports car all in an effort to go ridiculously and unnecessarily fast without thinking about braking or turning. So, if the dam Italians, US Gov. and Canadian Gov. decide to discontinue one of the coolest cars America has ever produced, I say this ...FUCK YOU!

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Auto Sales - April

Below is a chart via autoblog.com comparing '08 and '09 auto sales. The biggest change from past months is the fact there there isn't a single brand with positive sales numbers. Previously, KIA and Subaru managed to squeak out positive results.

When comparing sales numbers from previous months it appears that the sales decline has leveled. But keep in mind that almost every auto company is offering unprecedented discounts to customers which can't last forever.

. Brand Volume April 2009 April 2008 DSR* DSR 4/09 DSR 4/08 . Ford -29.96% 116,263 165,997 -29.96% 4,472 6,385 . Chevrolet -26.71% 115,265 157,265 -26.71% 4,433 6,049 . Toyota -42.19% 112,345 194,350 -42.19% 4,321 7,475 . Honda -24.51% 92,216 122,155 -24.51% 3,547 4,698 . Dodge -48.24% 43,138 83,348 -48.24% 1,659 3,206 . Nissan -36.28% 42,258 66,318 -36.28% 1,625 2,551 . Hyundai -13.56% 33,952 39,280 -13.56% 1,306 1,511 . Kia -14.83% 25,606 30,066 -14.83% 985 1,156 . GMC -35.75% 20,467 31,854 -35.75% 787 1,225 . Jeep -41.69% 19,670 33,733 -41.69% 757 1,297 . Volkswagen -16.10% 16,289 19,415 -16.10% 627 747 . Mazda -32.07% 16,139 23,760 -32.07% 621 914 . BMW -41.26% 15,705 26,735 -41.26% 604 1,028 . Subaru -6.69% 15,649 16,771 -6.69% 602 645 . Mercedes-Benz -28.15% 14,565 20,271 -28.15% 560 780 . Lexus -39.21% 14,195 23,350 -39.21% 546 898 . Chrysler -54.76% 13,874 30,670 -54.76% 534 1,180 . Pontiac -54.86% 10,838 24,009 -54.86% 417 923 . Buick -29.51% 8,928 12,665 -29.51% 343 487 . Acura -32.34% 8,813 13,025 -32.34% 339 501 . Cadillac -41.94% 8,337 14,359 -41.94% 321 552 . Mercury -40.65% 7,662 12,910 -40.65% 295 497 . Saturn -56.38% 7,367 16,888 -56.38% 283 650 . Audi -9.31% 7,010 7,730 -9.31% 270 297 . Lincoln -42.23% 5,973 10,340 -42.23% 230 398 . Infiniti -48.29% 4,932 9,537 -48.29% 190 367 . Volvo -36.92% 4,503 7,138 -36.92% 173 275 . Mitsubishi -55.86% 3,919 8,878 -55.86% 151 341 . Mini -22.41% 3,657 4,713 -22.41% 141 181 . Suzuki -73.70% 2,543 9,669 -73.70% 98 372 . Porsche -35.28% 1,853 2,863 -35.28% 71 110 . Hummer -61.64% 913 2,380 -61.64% 35 92 . Saab -43.54% 892 1,580 -43.54% 34 61 . . COMPANIES . General Motors -33.69% 173,007 260,922 -33.69% 6,654 10,035 . Ford Motor Company -31.56% 134,401 196,385 -31.56% 5,169 7,553 . Toyota Mo Co -41.87% 126,540 217,700 -41.87% 4,867 8,373 . Honda America -25.26% 101,029 135,180 -25.26% 3,886 5,199 . Chrysler LLC -48.10% 76,682 147,751 -48.10% 2,949 5,683 . Nissan North America -37.79% 47,190 75,855 -37.79% 1,815 2,918 . BMW Group -38.43% 19,362 31,448 -38.43% 745 1,210

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