...Cadillac

General Motors has had a tough decade capped with a bail out from the U.S. government. Things seem to be going a lot better for them lately, mostly on paper, but some of that can be seen in their cars which have been doing just as good as their foreign counterparts. I recently saw a concept car that Cadillac created called Ciel. I am already a huge fan of this car. Sadly with most concept cars it will probably not go into production as is, but even if some version of this funky futuristic retro machine goes into production I will be pleased. In the past I have seen some awesome concepts from Cadillac. I remember reading Car and Driver magazine as a 6th grader and seeing some awesome cars that never got off the ground, due to their lack of money and the lack of practicality. The closest thing to those concepts that was produced was the CTS, which is not too bad, but it is stating to show its age. The good news for those who like the design is that GM has been considering its options for a flagship car that's even larger than the upcoming XTS. A senior Cadillac source says that a go/no-go decision will likely be made within a matter of months. GM claims the open-top four-seater could be powered by a twin-turbocharged version of the company's 3.6-liter direct injection V-6 engine, paired with a hybrid system using lithium-ion battery technology. The problem with most American car companies is styling. Even the least reliable car companies sell a lot of cars, especially Range Rover, due to their statues and styling. American cars have a long history but have lacked great styling that is beyond practical. I think this car could set a standard that all other cars will have to match or surpass. I am giving Cadillac a Digit Up and I am going to have a little faith that I will see something very similar to this on the road within the next 5 years.

...General Motors

General Motors is about to make a lot of its 48,000 hourly workers very very happy. These workers will be receiving bonus checks of $4,000 dollars. Engineers and managers will be receiving a bonus of 4 to 16 percent of their salary and the top bosses will get up to 50% of their salaries as a bonus. In all GM will be handing out bonuses totalling more than $400 million. Last year the company made $4.2 billion in profit through the 1st 9 months, and they are expected to post a profit for the last quarter of the year as well. I would love to give this a Digit Up, but I cannot. GM was given $49.5 billion in those auto bailouts and they have only paid back $23 billion. Before they go handing out money so willy-nilly they should pay off their loans. Yes the workers could help jump start the economy in Detroit, which could use it, this is just not a smart move. The Associated Press calculated that the white-collar bonuses could total more than $200 million, so they will be giving out over $600 million for 1 good year of business, 1 good year and they are still in major debt. They are not alone though. Chrysler plans on giving out bonuses, even though they also took a $12.5 billion bailout and they lost $652 million last year. Ford is also handing out bonuses, which I approve. They did not take any government money and posted a profit of $6.6 billion last year. Adding to this the United Auto Workers union (UAW) runs out this year and they will certainly have an issue with the white-collar bonuses. GM has a large pension plan for ts workers and these current bonus grabbing workers will be future pension grabbers in no time. GM needs to prepare for the future and save as much money as they can. Obviously history escapes them because it was this same lack of financial responsibility that landed them on Capital Hill begging for bucks 2 years ago. At this point I see them bankrupt again but this time being bought by the Chinese government, they really like Buicks over there. I am giving General Motors a Digit Down.

...Skins

So MTV has a new show, that I am not watching, called "Skins". It is based on a British show of the same name. Basically it is about high school teens acting badly. Drugs, sex, rock and roll, parties, sex, etc. Advertisers have been pulling ads left and right; Wrigley, Taco Bell, General Motors and maybe more to come. The Parents Television Council hates this show with a passion calling it "the most dangerous show for children that we have ever seen..." They also think the show is boarder line child pornography, since some of the actors are under 18. Even some within MTV are bickering over the show and think that maybe the show should have never made it to air. Anyway the show is here and it received 3.3 million viewers for its 1st episode, major numbers for cable television. I remember when Jersey Shore aired. MTV lost sponsors and people wanted the show cancelled. now we are on season 3 and the stars of the show have become a part of pop culture, household names, and millionaires. So all of the backlash over this show is just going to help it get more viewers. I am giving MTV and Skins a Digit Up. I am sure this show will become something very popular.

...Pontiac

And so it ends... After 84 years General Motors has decided to end the production of Pontiac. The sad thing is I thought that they already ended it. GM is still trying to cut its debt and along with many other brands they had to sell or end Pontiac just had to bite the dust. Since I have been alive the only thing that the ever made that seemed cool and acceptable was the Firebird and the Trans AM, other than that they just seemed like horribly styled Chevrolets. While those with Pontiacs can still get them serviced and worked on at any GM dealership and if under warranty it will still be honored, after this weekend any Pontiac left on a dealership will be considered used. I cannot say that I personally am sad to see this brand go, it was already dead. Most people still think of the Pontiacs of the 60's, mainly the GTO, but that was decades ago and when they decided to make a new GTO it looked more like a Grand AM with a body kit, shame. As long as Chevy, Cadillac and Buick are still being produced, no other brand under GM is safe. Actually I could see Buick going away within a decade or 2, what is the purpose of it...really? Anyway I am giving this news a Digit Up because I am sure this will cause something semi major to happen at GM, although I still will not care, this brand needed to die.

...China

China has been on the radar for many decades, and now they are making news for good and bad. China has moved all the way to #2 on the world power list, according to their economy valued at $1.33 trillion. America is still #1, but this is still major. In the past years many, including me, have doubted if China's power was real or just some elaborate bubble waiting to be burst. Although It could still be a bubble, until proven we will have to recognize China as a legitimate superpower. If you do not watch the markets then you do not understand how major this is. China jumped over Japan, Germany, France and Great Britain to become #2. They are now the main trading partner in the world, not America or China. A decade ago analyst wondered if Japan, whose economy is mature and its population quickly aging, was going to top America, but now it could be China? China is still not as urban as Japan and it has a new generation of young adults seeking economic success. They have a lower standard of living and much room to grow. All of Wall Street was abuzz when china said it was going to revalue its currency. To this day it is still in the air hat they will do. Some fear that it could make our dollar even weaker than it is while others think it will actually make the Yuan weaker.
Now let us shift gears and look at another development in China, their military. The Pentagon's annual assessment shows that China's military power is secretly grower stronger. They have suspended their military-to-military talks with America, so we have no clue as to why they are trying to build up their army. They refuse to meet with officials here to talk about their military and have been unclear on their views on Iran, sometimes yes and sometimes no. They have more than enough money to invest in their military so it should come as no surprise that they are. China was not a threat to us, or so we thought, we were always looking over the Middle East and Russia. I do believe that Russia would have our back if we needed them before China simply because China buys our debt, makes our things, and helps us greatly, especially General Motors who is selling more cars there than here.
So you have to think about it. It took China 30 years to get to #1, so is it a fluke? In 50 years or less could they be #1? They have pretty much everything on their side right now. America has been through things and have come through them OK, but this is a new age. technology is available to everyone. They have a major control in the markets they can influence a lot of things. They have a lot of extra money to spend freely and a military that is growing larger daily. Although they have a large chunk of the world's population on land roughly the same size as America, they survive on $3,600, 3rd world wages, and yet they continue to grow. I am going to give this news a Digit Down, because in the long run this could spell trouble for not just America, but the world.