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Bipartisan Forum

2008-01-07T18:47:00.000-05:00

Statement from the Bipartisan Forum

Crossposted from the University of Oklanhoma:

America is in danger. Our ability to meet and solve the problems that face us is seriously compromised. National surveys reveal that an unprecedented seven out of ten citizens believe that life for their children will not be as good as their own. We are headed in the wrong direction. We share their deep concern and frustration. Our nation is indeed at risk.

Approval for the United States around the world has dropped to historically low levels, with only one out of four people approving of our country’s actions, even in nations that are our longtime allies;
We have eroded America’s credibility and capacity to lead on urgent global and foreign policy issues including terrorism, nuclear nonproliferation, climate change, and regional instabilities.
Our budget and trade deficits are out of control. We are squandering our children’s future. The ominous transfer of our national wealth has made our economy vulnerable, and our economic strength and competitiveness are both declining. Middle-income Americans are struggling to keep their homes and jobs and educate their children.
We are not as secure as we should be. Our military is stretched thin and our nation remains vulnerable to catastrophic terrorism.
We are being held economically hostage because we have no energy policy worthy of the name.
Our educational system is failing to prepare our children to succeed in a globalized and technological world.
Nearly 50 million Americans remain without health insurance, and the cost of medical care continues to spiral.
The failures of bridges in Minneapolis and levees in New Orleans are harsh metaphors for the reckless neglect of our infrastructure.

These critical issues are uniquely interlocked and we must have a national strategy and prioritization of resources. We are failing to address them because rampant partisanship has paralyzed the ability of our government to act. If we allow polarizing politics to continue, we will remain a nation divided and no matter who is elected this fall, he or she will not have a mandate for governing. Too many in both our parties have sought to energize their bases instead of reaching out to address the issues that concern our nation as a whole. They appeal to extremes and marginalize those in the commonsense center.

In order to break this partisan impasse, we urge the presidential candidates to provide:

clear descriptions of how they would establish a government of national unity;
specific strategies for reducing polarization and reaching bipartisan consensus;
plans to go beyond tokenism to appoint a truly bipartisan cabinet with critical posts held by the most qualified people available regardless of political affiliation; and
proposals for bipartisan executive and legislative policy groups in critical areas such as national security.

National elections present an opportunity for candidates and citizens to have a serious and civil discussion of the imperative issues facing our country at home and abroad. Today, we urge our fellow citizens, including the news media, to join us in asking the candidates to address these challenges.

If as a nation we begin to ask, debate, and address these and other fundamental issues, we can renew our commitment to community and empower those we elect to govern effectively.

We are convinced that if we establish a government of national unity, we can meet these challenges head on, develop a cohesive strategy prioritizing our responses and matching our goals with our capabilities. In short, we believe that if we unify, we can turn America’s peril into America’s promise and face our future with optimism.

Isn’t it time that we make America into the dream our forefathers wanted?

Isn’t it time for a real chief executive who knows what needs to be done and how to do it?

Isn’t it time for Mike Bloomberg to get in the race?

Tell him what YOU think by signing the petition and telling your friends. It is because of YOU he will join the race.

Black eyed peas Where is the love

2007-11-22T21:01:00.001-05:00

How Toyota Became 'America's Car'

2007-10-29T21:11:00.001-05:00

How Toyota Became 'America's Car'
Book Excerpt: Consumers Who Consider the Automaker a Local Company Are Missing One Key Point By Peter M. De Lorenzo

Published: September 24, 2007 Forty-seven years ago, I remember being glued to the set for the season debut of "Bonanza," the most popular show on TV, which back then garnered ratings numbers comparable to today's Super Bowl. This episode would be special, because not only would it be in full color for the first time, but Chevrolet, the show's sponsor since its inception, was withholding all commercial messages until the end of the program (a bold and unexpectedly dramatic move for those times). Instead, it would run a five-minute film on the entire lineup of all-new Chevrolets for 1960.

All-American? This assembly line above may be in Princeton, Ind., but Toyota's multibillion-dollar profits still go to Japan.
Photo Credit: Zbigniew Bzdak

Things were different back then. A Western about a widower and his three sons on the Ponderosa was the No. 1 TV show. Chevrolet was, far and away, the most popular car in America. It was truly one of America's "All-American" brands; an icon, along with Coca-Cola. And its theme, "See the USA in your Chevrolet," went on to become one of the most memorable and popular themes in automotive-advertising history. GM was on its way to flat out dominating the American market, and Chevrolet dominated almost every segment in which it competed, with a remarkable combination of style, performance and value no other car company could match.

But a lot has happened to America and its car market since then. The dawn of safety regulations came in 1966. Emission controls became a real factor in 1971. And the Japanese onslaught began in earnest in the early '70s as well. Today, the American automotive landscape is fundamentally altered.

Ubiquity
The Japanese carmakers are part of the American automotive establishment. They build their cars here in factories all over the country, with American white-collar and blue-collar labor. The Europeans, led by the Germans, have taken broad swipes out of the performance and luxury segments in this country too. In 1979, GM controlled 48% of the domestic car market. In 2007, it's struggling to hang on to 25% of it. And the most glaring change? For all intents and purposes, Chevrolet has been usurped and replaced by Toyota in the hearts and minds of the American car-buying public. Toyota is everywhere, dominating in a wide range of segments.

Toyota has become ingrained in American society to the point that Americans working for Toyota, whether at its factories or dealerships, consider it an American company. And it's easy to see why, what with Toyota selling more vehicles in the U.S. than it does in Japan on a regular basis. A lot of people would even argue that it really doesn't matter anymore who owns Toyota, that it's a moot point and that nationalistic concerns should have nothing to do with it.

Add to this the fact that, to people in cities across the U.S., where Toyota is the reason they are able to feed their families, pay for their kids' education and make a comfortable living, it doesn't matter to them who Toyota really is in the global scheme of things, because to them it's a local company. It's involved in their local communities and it provides them with a comfortable standard of living. And if you look at it that way, they're absolutely right.

But I offer a different perspective.

Detroit to blame
And no, this will not be some maudlin, jingoistic "Buy American" diatribe. I'm certainly not going to dispute the fact that the American automobile companies brought their current predicament upon themselves -- because they absolutely did. They ignored the seriousness of the competition from their Japanese competitors for so long that by the time they woke up to the reality of what was happening, it was way too late.

The Japanese products were better, more reliable and -- before their inroads into the luxury market -- often cheaper than anything from the traditional Detroit automakers. And in most cases, this is still true today, because although the quality "gap" has grown smaller between domestic and import manufacturers, the fact that the Japanese can build their vehicles for far less cost means that the domestic manufacturers from Detroit will always be playing catch-up in a market that has no time for catch-up.

Every day of every week, Detroit auto executives face a daunting disadvantage against Toyota. Toyota's cost structure allows it to operate with a revenue-per-vehicle number that is as much as $6,000 per car better (depending on the vehicle) than that of the typical U.S. automaker. This is a result of Detroit's daunting health-care cost burden of $1,500 per car; its monumental legacy costs from thousands of retirees' pensions; and the oppressive union contracts negotiated in Detroit's last "heyday," which prevented the automakers from closing plants unless they paid the displaced workers 85% of their wages. Detroit's inability to cut costs enough prevents it from even remotely competing with the Japanese cost structure.

Add the Japanese government's orchestrated manipulation of the yen designed to benefit "Japan Inc." at every turn, and you have a laundry list of horrors for Detroit auto executives that are crushing in scope. But Detroit is culpable too. As a matter of fact, Detroit has hastened its slide to oblivion at every turn.

Irreparable harm
So really, it's not that hard to see why Toyota has supplanted Chevrolet as "America's car." GM's dismal mishandling of its passenger-car brands over the past 20 years has permanently damaged the one brand it absolutely couldn't afford to damage -- Chevrolet.

I saw for myself, while at Chevy's ad agency, how GM siphoned huge amounts of dollars away from Chevrolet marketing and advertising so it could prop up Saturn's remarkably average product lineup -- a lineup Chevy executives could not, or would not, for the life of them, figure out how to expand. I saw major Chevrolet product launches given a token amount of money almost as an afterthought, just so that Saturn could get one more enhanced promotional program under way.

And I was there to see Chevrolet's market share literally fall off the radar screen out in California (except for trucks) as Toyota basically became the "people's car" for a majority of consumers on the West Coast. GM's willful and intentional dismantling of Chevrolet has to be one of the most egregious mishandlings of a brand in automotive history. GM marketing blunders literally destroyed the quintessential American automobile franchise in less than 20 years.

But GM wasn't alone. The domestic manufacturers squandered their dominant position in the U.S. market en masse because they were consistently the highest-cost, lowest-quality producer in a game that the Japanese had single-handedly redefined to be as one of lowest cost, highest quality. And now we are well into the second generation of buyers who, thanks to the Toyotas of the world, have never owned a domestic brand of car or truck.

Winning hearts and minds
During this time, Toyota never wavered from its game plan. It slowly and methodically wove itself into the American economy. Complaints of taking American jobs away were met with an emphatic rejoinder -- it simply built plants here and hired American workers. And its suppliers built plants here too, and hired American workers. And it recruited local businesspeople to buy and run its dealerships. It sponsored motor sports and other sporting events on a national level. And it sponsored Little League teams on the local level. It sponsored the arts in cities across America and contributed to a wide range of charities and educational programs. It's done an absolutely superlative job of winning the hearts and minds of the American people.

It's no wonder people consider Toyota an "American" car company -- because for their money, and their communities, and their educational and cultural institutions, and their charities, Toyota, for all intents and purposes, is an American car company. As a matter of fact, no other car company -- Asian or German -- has so blatantly promoted itself as an American company. Yes, of course, Honda has been assembling motorcycles and cars in Ohio for nearly 30 years, but it hasn't gone as far as Toyota has in adopting an American persona. The same is true for BMW and Mercedes-Benz. They build cars here, and they participate in community affairs, too, but the lines never seem to blur between the origins of their company and their U.S. outposts.

Peter M. De Lorenzo is a national columnist who founded the influential Autoextremist.com and author of 'The United States of Toyota.'

But Toyota has always been a different story. Some of the most respected business leaders in communities all over America are Toyota dealers. Or work for a Toyota suppliers. Or sell Toyotas. Or work for Toyota directly. Roger Penske, for instance, owns the world's largest automobile dealer, Longo Toyota, in California. There are millionaires (and a few billionaires) all across America who have made their fortunes either directly or indirectly from Toyota. Look around you. People all over your local community drive a Toyota or Lexus and think nothing of it. Your friends, your neighbors and your co-workers.

To them, Toyota is more American than baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet. Hell, most people don't even remember when Chevy was any of that. Toyota has become an accepted part of the American fabric. It's just no big deal. After all, if Detroit can't compete, too bad and tough. It's a dog-eat-dog world, and only the strong survive, right? And why should I buy an American car when they're just not as good, right?

Washing of hands
Well, yes and no. On one level, that's certainly all true. Buy what you like. Like what you buy. And get the best quality for your money. If that happens to be a domestic brand, fine, but don't sweat it if it isn't. After all, Detroit is ultimately responsible for its predicament, and it's not my problem, right?

Maybe so, but let's not forget one key point.

Toyota may provide for comfortable livelihoods all across America. It may even be your own car or truck of choice. It might even have provided you with a scholarship to go to school. But after all is said and done, there is one simple reason why Toyota never has been and never will be an "American" car company:

Well, 13.2 billion reasons, actually.

Toyota earned $13.2 billion net profit in 2006. And where, exactly, did those profits go? It seems there's one very big thing that isn't American about Toyota, and that is where those profits go at the end of the day. To me, that makes Toyota a Japanese company, plain and simple. A company that is now inexorably woven into the fabric of this country, but a Japanese company nonetheless.

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2007-10-28T21:52:00.001-05:00

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2007-10-28T21:50:00.001-05:00

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Federal Reserve Districts Seventh District Report

2007-10-28T21:42:00.001-05:00

October 17, 2007

Federal Reserve Districts
Seventh District--Chicago

Economic activity in the Seventh District continued to expand at a modest pace in September. Consumer spending and business outlays continued to rise. Labor market conditions were mixed by industry and location. Residential construction declined further, while the pace of nonresidential development was generally steady. Manufacturing expanded at a similar pace as in the previous reporting period. Household lending declined, while business lending edged higher. Overall wage and cost pressures were similar to those in the previous reporting period. The corn and soybean harvest was running ahead of the normal pace and a record corn crop was almost assured.

Consumer Spending
Consumer spending continued to increase at a gradual rate. The back-to-school shopping season ended on a positive note after getting off to a slow start. Retailers were cautious about the upcoming holiday season. One retailer said that it will keep lighter-than-normal inventories because of uncertainty about this year's holiday shopping season. Auto dealers reported flat to modestly improving sales during late August and September. Several dealers noted that used car sales have outperformed new car sales in recent months. A national restaurant chain said sales were increasing at a slower rate than earlier in the year. Tourism activity expanded at a modest rate.

Business Spending
Business spending rose again in the District. Current capital outlays increased slightly from the previous reporting period. Overall, contacts indicated that their capital spending plans for 2008 called for modest gains over expected spending in 2007, and few firms budgeted cutbacks. Freight hauling ran above seasonal norms during September, but one shipper said the first days of October were soft. Changes in labor market conditions were mixed by industry and location. Tool manufacturers continued to try to expand their payrolls, though several said they were struggling to find qualified workers. A trucking firm began to offer mileage guarantees and more generous time-at-home policies in order to attract drivers. Retailers in Illinois were cautious in hiring, and many planned to use a greater-than-normal proportion of temporary workers during the upcoming holiday season. A staffing firm reported that billable hours in District states continued to decline modestly from year-ago levels, and it expected this trend to persist in the near-term.

Construction and Real Estate
Residential construction and home sales continued to weaken in most areas of the District. Contacts said that tightening credit for jumbo mortgage loans has contributed to the declines in local housing markets. Builders added price discounts and incentives, though one said the strongest incentives were aimed at potential buyers of mid-range homes. Showroom traffic became more sporadic throughout the District. Builders' cancellations began to edge up again, with many customers forced to withdraw from contracts after failing to sell their own home. Construction material shortages abated because of the slowdown in building. Looking ahead, a contact from Wisconsin projected building conditions in the area would be little changed until the end of 2008. The pace of nonresidential development continued to be steady. One contact reported concern about the decrease in absorption rates from last year. In the Chicago area, office rents increased from the last reporting period, and in the suburbs office vacancy rates rose. Contacts from across the District noted that the recent volatility in financial markets has decreased the financing available for nonresidential development projects.

Manufacturing
Manufacturing expanded at a similar pace as in the previous reporting period. Manufacturers in a number of industries continue to report strong demand from abroad; this included producers of machine tools, heavy equipment, and steel. Domestic demand for agriculture machinery continued to be robust, and shipments of mining and oil and gas extraction equipment remained strong. In contrast, sales to domestic customers of other heavy equipment, particularly construction machinery, continued to trend lower, and one analyst said there was heightened uncertainty about the outlook for both residential and nonresidential construction. There was some moderation in sales of machine tools to domestic customers, though as one contact described it, the pace of activity was still "wild." Automakers maintained modest expectations for light vehicle sales; one noted that the slowdown in housing markets was a significant risk for the industry, even bigger than rising oil prices. One automaker said that additional production cuts were likely at the end of this year or early next. Steel producers described domestic demand as soft but stable; still, one steelmaker noted that domestic producers were gaining market share because foreign producers were cutting back their shipments to the U.S. and opting to sell in markets with relatively stronger prices. Steel inventories continued to move lower. Capacity utilization of gypsum wallboard continued to fall, and one contact expected declines to continue into 2008, coinciding with a protracted decline in homebuilding.

Banking and Finance
Household lending declined modestly on balance. Applications for home equity lines of credit were down notably and lines outstanding were lower as well. One banker attributed the trend to both moderating home prices and tighter credit standards. Demand for mortgage refinancing was stable as most borrowers faced higher rates. New mortgage originations continued to trend lower, and lenders were tightening standards and approving fewer applications. Mortgage credit quality deteriorated modestly as delinquency rates for both first and second mortgages increased. Business lending edged higher. One bank noted that its customer base has been "utterly unaffected" by credit market dislocations. Business credit quality remained favorable overall, however quality deteriorated for homebuilders. Standards and terms of commercial loans were little changed. One bank said it was disappointed in the results of its efforts to increase pricing on its loans in the wake of recent credit market disruptions.

Prices and Costs
Overall wage and cost pressures were similar to those in the previous reporting period. Manufacturers indicated that input costs were generally stable. One said they were "not happy" about the price of oil and that some suppliers have been considering, but not yet implementing, energy surcharges. A steelmaker expected steel prices to stabilize in the coming months. Wallboard prices continued to fall in line with the decline in residential construction. In contrast, a toolmaker said it was able to implement price increases. A nationwide retailer said wholesale prices were moving higher but it was limiting the passthrough to consumers; and a restaurant chain said it had not implemented any price increases during the reporting period. A staffing firm reported that its pay rates rose at a steady pace.

Agriculture
Harvesting in the District was ahead of the normal pace at the end of the reporting period, and a record corn crop is almost assured. Contacts reported above-average, though not record, corn and soybean yields in Iowa and Illinois. Yields in Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin were less affected by a summertime drought than had been anticipated by some observers. With soybeans drying too fast, many farmers reversed the normal order and harvested soybeans before corn. Transportation and storage problems emerged due to the size and speed of the harvest. The problems were compounded by movement of crops harvested in 2006. In addition, currently, cash prices for both corn and soybeans are enough lower than futures prices that farmers have a big incentive to store crops until 2008. Rail and truck transport has been slow when available, and storage bins reported that labor was in tight supply. Large export sales helped boost corn and soybean prices during the reporting period. Milk and cattle prices were up; hog prices were down, as meatpackers have been cutting back their purchases in the spot market.

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Federal Reserve Meeting Sept 18, 2007

2007-10-28T21:37:00.001-05:00

Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee
September 18, 2007
A meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee was held in the offices of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 8:30 a.m.
Present:

Mr. Bernanke, Chairman
Mr. Geithner, Vice Chairman
Mr. Evans
Mr. Hoenig
Mr. Kohn
Mr. Kroszner
Mr. Mishkin
Mr. Poole
Mr. Rosengren
Mr. Warsh

Mr. Fisher, Ms. Pianalto, and Messrs. Plosser and Stern, Alternate Members of the Federal Open Market Committee
Messrs. Lacker and Lockhart, and Ms. Yellen, Presidents of the Federal Reserve Banks of Richmond, Atlanta, and San Francisco, respectively
Mr. Madigan, Secretary and Economist
Ms. Danker, Deputy Secretary
Ms. Smith, Assistant Secretary
Mr. Skidmore, Assistant Secretary
Mr. Alvarez, General Counsel
Mr. Baxter, Deputy General Counsel
Ms. Johnson, Economist
Mr. Stockton, Economist
Messrs. Clouse, Connors, Fuhrer, Kamin, Rasche, Slifman, and Wilcox, Associate Economists
Mr. Dudley, Manager, System Open Market Account
Ms. J. Johnson, ¹ Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Board of Governors
Mr. Frierson, ¹ Deputy Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Board of Governors
Ms. Bailey ¹ and Mr. Roberts, ¹ Deputy Directors, Division of Banking Supervision and Regulation, Board of Governors
Mr. English, Senior Associate Director, Division of Monetary Affairs, Board of Governors
Ms. Liang and Mr. Reifschneider, Associate Directors, Division of Research and Statistics, Board of Governors
Mr. Wright, Deputy Associate Director, Division of Monetary Affairs, Board of Governors
Mr. G. Evans, ¹ Assistant Director, Division of Reserve Bank Operations and Payment Systems, Board of Governors
Mr. Blanchard, Assistant to the Board, Office of Board Members, Board of Governors
Mr. Oliner, Senior Adviser, Division of Research and Statistics, Board of Governors
Mr. Meyer, Visiting Reserve Bank Officer, Division of Monetary Affairs, Board of Governors
Mr. Small, Project Manager, Division of Monetary Affairs, Board of Governors
Mr. Natalucci, Senior Economist, Division of Monetary Affairs, Board of Governors
Mr. Luecke, Senior Financial Analyst, Division of Monetary Affairs, Board of Governors
Ms. Beattie, ¹ Assistant to the Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Board of Governors
Ms. Low, Open Market Secretariat Specialist, Division of Monetary Affairs, Board of Governors
Ms. Holcomb, First Vice President, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Messrs. Judd, Rosenblum, and Sniderman, Executive Vice Presidents, Federal Reserve Banks of San Francisco, Dallas, and Cleveland, respectively
Messrs. Dzina and Hakkio, Mses. Krieger ¹ and Mester, and Messrs. Rolnick and Weinberg, Senior Vice Presidents, Federal Reserve Banks of New York, Kansas City, New York, Philadelphia, Minneapolis, and Richmond, respectively
Messrs. Krane, Peach, and Robertson, Vice Presidents, Federal Reserve Banks of Chicago, New York, and Atlanta, respectively

1. Attended portion of the meeting relating to the discussion of approaches to stabilizing money markets. Return to text

In the agenda for this meeting, it was reported that advices of the election of Charles L. Evans as a member of the Federal Open Market Committee had been received and that he had executed his oath of office.
By unanimous vote, the Federal Open Market Committee selected James A. Clouse and Daniel G. Sullivan to serve as Associate Economists until the selection of their successors at the first regularly scheduled meeting of the Committee in 2008.
The Manager of the System Open Market Account (SOMA) reported on recent developments in foreign exchange markets. There were no open market operations in foreign currencies for the System's account in the period since the previous meeting. The Manager also reported on developments in domestic financial markets and on System open market operations in government securities and federal agency obligations during the period since the previous meeting. By unanimous vote, the Committee ratified these transactions.
The information reviewed at the September meeting suggested that economic activity advanced at a moderate rate early in the third quarter. After expanding at a robust pace in July, retail sales rose at a somewhat slower rate in August. Orders and shipments of capital goods posted solid gains in July. However, residential investment weakened further, even before the recent disruptions in mortgage markets. In addition, private payrolls posted only a small gain in August, and manufacturing production decreased after gains in the previous two months. Meanwhile, core inflation rose a bit from the low rates observed in the spring but remained moderate through July.
Private nonfarm payroll employment rose only modestly in August, and the levels of employment in June and July were revised down. The weakness in employment was spread fairly widely across industries. Residential construction and manufacturing posted noticeable declines in jobs, employment in wholesale trade and transportation was little changed, and hiring at business services was well below recent trends. Both the average workweek and aggregate hours were unchanged in August. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.6 percent, 0.1 percentage point above its second-quarter level and equal to its 2006 average.
After posting solid gains in June and July, total industrial production edged up only a bit in August. This increase was attributable to a surge in electricity generation, as temperatures swung from mild in July to very warm in August. After large gains in the preceding two months, manufacturing output declined in August, held down by a decrease in the production of motor vehicles and parts. High-tech output rose only modestly in August, but production gains in June and July were revised up considerably.
Consumer spending appeared to have strengthened early in the summer from its subdued second-quarter pace. Although auto sales were weak in July, real outlays for other goods rose briskly. At the same time, spending on services was up moderately despite a drop in outlays for energy associated with relatively cool weather in the eastern part of the United States. In August, consumption appeared to have posted another solid gain. Although nominal retail sales outside the motor vehicle sector were about flat (abstracting from a drop in nominal sales at gasoline stations associated with falling gas prices), vehicle sales stepped up and warmer weather likely caused an increase in energy usage. Real disposable income rose further in July, as wages and salaries posted a strong gain and energy prices came down. However, household wealth likely was providing a diminishing impetus to the pace of spending, reflecting recent declines in stock market wealth and an apparent further deceleration in house prices. Readings on consumer sentiment turned down in August after having risen in July, and the Reuters/Michigan index remained near its relatively low August level in early September.
The housing sector remained exceptionally weak. Home sales had dropped considerably this year: Sales of new and existing single-family homes in July were down substantially from their averages over the second half of last year. Demand was restrained by deteriorating conditions in the subprime mortgage market and by an increase in rates for thirty-year fixed-rate conforming mortgages. In the nonconforming mortgage market, the availability of financing to borrowers recently appeared to have been crimped even further. Most forward-looking indicators of housing demand, including an index of pending home sales, pointed to a further deterioration in sales in the near term. Single-family starts slid in July to their lowest reading since 1996, and adjusted permit issuance continued on a downward trajectory. Although single-family housing starts had come down substantially from their peak, the drop had lagged the decline in demand, and as a result, inventories of new homes had risen considerably. In the multifamily sector, starts in July were in line with readings thus far this year and at the low end of the fairly narrow range seen since 1997. Meanwhile, house prices generally continued to decelerate.
Orders and shipments of capital goods posted a strong gain early in the third quarter. In particular, orders and shipments of equipment outside the high-tech and transportation sector registered a robust increase in July, and data on computer production and shipments of high-tech goods pointed to solid increases in business demand for high-tech. In contrast, indicators of spending for transportation equipment were mixed. Aircraft shipments in July and public information on Boeing's deliveries suggested that domestic spending on aircraft was retreating somewhat in the current quarter. While fleet sales of light vehicles appeared to have moved up in July and August, sales of medium and heavy trucks remained below the second-quarter average. More generally, surveys of business conditions suggested that increases in business activity were somewhat slower in August than in the second quarter.
Book-value data for the manufacturing and trade sectors excluding motor vehicles and parts suggested that inventory accumulation stepped down noticeably in July from the second-quarter pace. Inventories of light motor vehicles rose again in July and August. The number of manufacturing purchasing managers who viewed their customers' inventory levels as too low in August slightly exceeded the number who saw them as too high.
The U.S. international trade deficit narrowed slightly in July, as exports increased more than imports. Sharp increases in exports of both aircraft and automobiles contributed importantly to the overall gain. Exports of agricultural products and consumer goods were also strong. In contrast, exports of industrial supplies and semiconductors exhibited declines. The value of imported goods and services was boosted by a large increase in imports of automotive products. Higher imports of capital goods excluding aircraft, computers, and semiconductors and of oil also contributed to the overall gain in imports.
Economic growth slowed in the second quarter in most advanced foreign economies, except the United Kingdom. The step-down was most pronounced in Japan, where GDP contracted, but was also substantial in the euro area, where total domestic demand rose only slightly. Although growth remained robust in Canada, data late in the quarter, including retail sales, indicated a more significant weakening in activity. This softness appeared to have continued into the third quarter in some economies. In July, indicators for Europe generally moderated, on balance, from their second-quarter levels; those for Canada and Japan, however, slowed more notably. Most of the readings available on economic developments after August 9, when financial turmoil intensified, were measures of confidence. They dropped, on average, but otherwise were consistent with the indicators reported for July.
Data through July suggested that economic activity in emerging-market countries remained robust. Output in the Asian economies soared in the second quarter, and several countries posted growth at or near double-digit rates. In Latin America, output in Mexico and Venezuela rebounded sharply from earlier weakness. Indicators for China in July pointed to only a modest slowing of output growth from its torrid pace in the first half of the year. The scant data for August received thus far provided little indication that the turmoil in financial markets had a significant negative impact on real economic activity in emerging-market economies.
After rapid price increases earlier this year, U.S. headline consumer price inflation was moderate in both June and July. Although food prices continued their string of sizable increases, energy prices fell in June and July and gasoline prices appear to have dropped further in August. Core PCE prices rose 0.2 percent in June and 0.1 percent in July. On a twelve-month-change basis, core PCE inflation in July was below the comparable rate twelve months earlier. Step-downs in price inflation for prescription drugs, motor vehicles, and nonmarket services accounted for nearly all of the deceleration in core PCE prices. Although owners' equivalent rent decelerated over the past year, this change was largely offset by an acceleration in tenants' rent and lodging away from home. Household surveys indicated that the median expectation for year-ahead inflation declined in August and edged down further in early September to a level only slightly above the reading at the turn of the year; the median expectation of longer-term inflation in early September remained in the range seen over the past couple of years. The producer price index for core intermediate materials rose only modestly in July. Compensation per hour decelerated in the second quarter. Nonetheless, the increase over the four quarters ending in the second quarter was noticeably above the increase in the preceding four quarters and well above the rise in the employment cost index over the same period.
At its August meeting, the FOMC decided to maintain its target for the federal funds rate at 5-1/4 percent. In the statement, the Committee acknowledged that financial markets had been volatile in recent weeks, credit conditions had become tighter for some households and businesses, and the housing correction was ongoing. The Committee reiterated its view that the economy seemed likely to continue to expand at a moderate pace over coming quarters, supported by solid growth in employment and incomes and a robust global economy. Readings on core inflation had improved modestly in recent months. However, a sustained moderation in inflation pressures had yet to be convincingly demonstrated. Moreover, the high level of resource utilization had the potential to sustain these pressures. Although the downside risks to growth had increased somewhat, the Committee repeated that its predominant policy concern remained the risk that inflation would fail to moderate as expected. Future policy adjustments would depend on the outlook for both inflation and economic growth, as implied by incoming information. The FOMC's policy decision and the accompanying statement were about in line with market expectations, and reactions in financial markets were muted.
In the days after the August FOMC meeting, financial market participants appeared to become more concerned about liquidity and counterparty credit risk. Unsecured bank funding markets showed signs of stress, including volatility in overnight lending rates, elevated term rates, and illiquidity in term funding markets. On August 10, the Federal Reserve issued a statement announcing that it was providing liquidity to facilitate the orderly functioning of financial markets. The Federal Reserve indicated that it would provide reserves as necessary through open market operations to promote trading in the federal funds market at rates close to the target rate of 5-1/4 percent. The Federal Reserve also noted that the discount window was available as a source of funding.
On August 17, the FOMC issued a statement noting that financial market conditions had deteriorated and that tighter credit conditions and increased uncertainty had the potential to restrain economic growth going forward. The FOMC judged that the downside risks to growth had increased appreciably, indicated that it was monitoring the situation, and stated that it was prepared to act as needed to mitigate the adverse effects on the economy arising from the disruptions in financial markets. Simultaneously, the Federal Reserve Board announced that, to promote the restoration of orderly conditions in financial markets, it had approved a 50 basis point reduction in the primary credit rate to 5-3/4 percent. The Board also announced a change to the Reserve Banks' usual practices to allow the provision of term financing for as long as thirty days, renewable by the borrower. In addition, the Board noted that the Federal Reserve would continue to accept a broad range of collateral for discount window loans, including home mortgages and related assets, while maintaining existing collateral margins. On August 21, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York announced some temporary changes to the terms and conditions of the SOMA securities lending program, including a reduction in the minimum fee. The effective federal funds rate was somewhat below the target rate for a time over the intermeeting period, as efforts to keep the funds rate near the target were hampered by technical factors and financial market volatility. In the days leading up to the FOMC meeting, however, the funds rate traded closer to the target.
Short-term financial markets came under pressure over the intermeeting period amid heightened investor unease about exposures to subprime mortgages and to structured credit products more generally. Rates on asset-backed commercial paper and on low-rated unsecured commercial paper soared, and some issuers, particularly asset-backed commercial paper programs with investments in subprime mortgages, found it difficult to roll over maturing paper. These developments led several programs to draw on backup lines, exercise options to extend the maturity of outstanding paper, or even default. As a result, asset-backed commercial paper outstanding contracted substantially. Investors sought the safety and liquidity of Treasury securities, and yields on Treasury bills dropped sharply for a period; trading conditions in the bill market were impaired at times. Meanwhile, banks took measures to conserve their liquidity and were cautious about counterparties' exposures to asset-backed commercial paper. Term interbank funding markets were significantly impaired, with rates rising well above expected future overnight rates and traders reporting a substantial drop in the availability of term funding. Pressures eased a bit in mid-September, but short-term financial markets remained strained.
Conditions in corporate credit markets were mixed. Investment- and speculative-grade corporate bond spreads edged up; they were near their highest levels in four years, although they remained far below the peaks seen in mid-2002. Investment-grade bond issuance was strong in August as yields declined, but issuance of speculative-grade bonds was scant. Speculative-grade bond deals and leveraged loans slated to finance leveraged buyouts continued to be delayed or restructured. Bank lending to businesses surged in August, apparently because some banks funded leveraged loans that they had intended to syndicate to institutional investors and perhaps because some firms substituted bank credit for commercial paper. Although markets for nonconforming mortgages were impaired over the intermeeting period, the supply of conforming mortgages seemed to have been largely unaffected by recent developments. Broad stock price indexes were volatile but about unchanged, on net, over the intermeeting period. The foreign exchange value of the dollar against other major currencies fell, on balance.
Investors appeared to mark down significantly their expected path for the federal funds rate during the intermeeting period, evidently in response to the strains in money and credit markets and a few key data releases, including weaker-than-expected reports on housing activity and employment. Yields on nominal Treasury securities fell appreciably across the term structure. TIPS-based inflation compensation at the five-year horizon was about unchanged, while inflation compensation at longer horizons crept higher.
Growth of nonfinancial domestic debt was estimated to have slowed a little in the third quarter from the average pace in the first half of the year. The deceleration in total nonfinancial debt reflected a projected slowdown in borrowing across all major sectors of the economy excluding the federal government. Although it decelerated in the third quarter, business-sector debt continued to advance at a solid pace, boosted by a surge in business loans. In the household sector, mortgage borrowing was estimated to have slowed notably, as mortgage interest rates moved up, nonconforming mortgages became harder to obtain, and as home sales slowed and house prices decelerated. M2 increased at a brisk pace in August. The rise was led by a surge in liquid deposits and in retail money funds as investors adjusted their portfolios in response to the turmoil in financial markets.
In preparation for this meeting, the staff continued to estimate that real GDP increased at a moderate rate in the third quarter. However, the staff marked down the fourth-quarter forecast, reflecting a judgment that the recent financial turbulence would impose restraint on economic activity in coming months, particularly in the housing sector. The staff also trimmed its forecast of real GDP growth in 2008 and anticipated a modest increase in unemployment. Softer demand for homes amid a reduction in the availability of mortgage credit would likely curtail construction activity through the middle of next year. Moreover, lower housing wealth, slower gains in employment and income, and reduced confidence seemed likely to restrain consumer spending in 2008. Despite the recent difficulties in some corporate credit markets, financial conditions confronting most nonfinancial businesses did not appear to have tightened appreciably to date. But going forward, the staff anticipated that businesses would scale back their capital spending a touch in response to financing conditions that were likely to become a little less accommodative and to more modest gains in sales. With credit markets expected to largely recover over coming quarters, growth of real GDP was projected to firm in 2009 to a pace a bit above the rate of growth of its potential. Incoming data on consumer price inflation that were slightly to the low side of the previous forecast, in combination with the easing of pressures on resource utilization in the current forecast, led the staff to trim slightly its forecast for core PCE inflation. Headline PCE inflation, which was boosted by sizable increases in energy and food prices earlier in the year, was expected to slow in 2008 and 2009.
In their discussion of the economic situation and outlook, meeting participants focused on the potential for recent credit market developments to restrain aggregate demand in coming quarters. The disruptions to the market for nonconforming mortgages were likely to reduce further the demand for housing, and recent financial developments could well lead to a more general tightening of credit availability. Moreover, some recent data and anecdotal information pointed to a possible nascent slowdown in the pace of expansion. Given the unusual nature of the current financial shock, participants regarded the outlook for economic activity as characterized by particularly high uncertainty, with the risks to growth skewed to the downside. Some participants cited concerns that a weaker economy could lead to a further tightening of financial conditions, which in turn could reinforce the economic slowdown. But participants also noted that the resilience of the economy in the face of a number of previous periods of financial market disruptions left open the possibility that the macroeconomic effects of the financial market turbulence would prove limited.
Although financial markets were expected to stabilize over time, participants judged that credit markets were likely to restrain economic growth in the period ahead. Given existing commitments to customers and the increased resistance of investors to purchasing some securitized products, banks might need to take a large volume of assets onto their balance sheets over coming weeks, including leveraged loans, asset-backed commercial paper, and some types of mortgages. Banks' concerns about the implications of rapid growth in their balance sheets for their capital ratios and for their liquidity, as well as the recent deterioration in various term funding markets, might well lead banks to tighten the availability of credit to households and firms. Tighter credit conditions were likely to weigh particularly on residential investment and to a lesser extent on other components of aggregate demand in coming quarters. Meeting participants also noted that financial market conditions, while seeming to have improved somewhat in the most recent days, were still fragile and that further adverse credit market developments could well increase the downside risks to the economy. Even after market volatility subsided and the recent strains eased, risk spreads probably would be wider and credit terms tighter than they had been a few months ago. Although these developments would likely be consistent with longer-term financial stability, they were likely to exert some restraint on aggregate demand.
In their discussion of individual sectors of the economy, participants noted that recent data suggested greater weakness in the housing market than had previously been expected. Furthermore, recent financial developments had the potential to deepen further and prolong the downturn in the housing market, as subprime mortgages remained essentially unavailable, little activity was evident in the markets for other nonprime mortgages, and prime jumbo mortgage borrowers faced higher rates and tighter lending standards. The faster pace of foreclosures as subprime mortgage rates reset was also seen as posing a downside risk to the housing market. Nonetheless, participants observed that conforming mortgages remained readily available to creditworthy borrowers and that rates on these mortgages had declined in recent weeks. Moreover, conditions in the jumbo mortgage market were expected to improve gradually over time.
Although employment probably was not as weak as the most recent monthly data had suggested, trend growth in jobs had fallen off even prior to the recent financial market strains, and participants judged that some further slowing of employment growth was likely. Indeed, financial services firms had already announced layoffs, largely reflecting mortgage market developments, the demand for temporary workers appeared to have softened, and the most recent weakening in construction employment was likely to continue for a while. Moreover, if declines in house prices were to damp consumption, that could feed back on employment and income, exerting additional restraint on the demand for housing. Nonetheless, to date, initial claims for unemployment insurance did not indicate a substantial and widespread weakening in labor demand, and labor markets across the country generally remained fairly tight, with several participants citing continued reports of shortages of labor from their contacts in some sectors.
Participants thought that the most likely prospect was for consumer expenditures to continue to expand at a moderate pace on average over coming quarters, supported by growth in employment and income. However, some participants saw indications of a possible weakening of consumer spending. Sales of automobiles and building materials had flagged of late, and survey measures suggested that consumer confidence had been adversely affected by the recent financial market developments. Also, a further tightening of terms for home equity lines of credit and second mortgages seemed possible, which could weigh on consumer spending, especially for consumer durables.
Participants reported that recent financial market developments generally appeared to have had limited effects to date on business capital spending plans and expected that business investment was likely to remain healthy in coming quarters. The access of investment-grade corporate borrowers to credit so far remained unimpeded, and rates on investment-grade bonds had declined in recent weeks. Moreover, participants noted that many capital expenditures were internally financed, making them less sensitive to credit market conditions. Nonetheless, the pace of financing for lower-rated firms--including issuance of both speculative-grade bonds and leveraged loans--had slowed sharply over the summer. Participants also noted that standards and terms for commercial real estate credit reportedly had tightened, and that credit availability for homebuilders could be trimmed going forward. In addition, contacts indicated that business executives in parts of the country had apparently become somewhat more cautious and that some were delaying investment outlays in view of heightened economic and financial uncertainty.
Some participants noted that foreign demand remained robust and net exports appeared strong. Port utilization rates reportedly remained high. Participants discussed the turbulence in foreign financial markets and noted that unusually high precautionary demand for dollar-denominated term funding in Europe had added to strains in U.S. interbank markets and contributed to a wide spread between libor and federal funds rates.
Participants made only modest revisions to their outlook for inflation in the period since the Committee's last regular meeting. Still, they recognized that incoming data on core inflation continued to be favorable, and they generally were a little more confident that the decline in inflation earlier this year would be sustained. Inflation expectations seemed to be contained, and the less robust economic outlook implied somewhat less pressure on resources going forward. Participants nonetheless remained concerned about possible upside risks to inflation. Higher benefit costs, rising unit labor costs more generally, reduced markups, and levels of resource utilization both in the United States and abroad that remained relatively high were all cited as factors that could contribute to inflationary pressures. Inflation risks could be heightened if the dollar were to continue to depreciate significantly.
In the Committee's discussion of policy for the intermeeting period, all members favored an easing of the stance of monetary policy. Members emphasized that because of the recent sharp change in credit market conditions, the incoming data in many cases were of limited value in assessing the likely evolution of economic activity and prices, on which the Committee's policy decision must be based. Members judged that a lowering of the target funds rate was appropriate to help offset the effects of tighter financial conditions on the economic outlook. Without such policy action, members saw a risk that tightening credit conditions and an intensifying housing correction would lead to significant broader weakness in output and employment. Similarly, the impaired functioning of financial markets might persist for some time or possibly worsen, with negative implications for economic activity. In order to help forestall some of the adverse effects on the economy that might otherwise arise, all members agreed that a rate cut of 50 basis points at this meeting was the most prudent course of action. Such a measure should not interfere with an adjustment to more realistic pricing of risk or with the gains and losses that implied for participants in financial markets. With economic growth likely to run below its potential for a while and with incoming inflation data to the favorable side, the easing of policy seemed unlikely to affect adversely the outlook for inflation.
The Committee agreed that the statement to be released after the meeting should indicate that the outlook for economic growth had shifted appreciably since the Committee's last regular meeting but that the 50 basis point easing in policy should help to promote moderate growth over time. They also agreed that the inflation situation seemed to have improved slightly and judged that it was no longer appropriate to indicate that a sustained moderation in inflation pressures had yet to be shown. Nonetheless, all agreed that some inflation risks remained and that the statement should indicate that the Committee would continue to monitor inflation developments carefully. Given the heightened uncertainty about the economic outlook, the Committee decided to refrain from providing an explicit assessment of the balance of risks, as such a characterization could give the mistaken impression that the Committee was more certain about the economic outlook than was in fact the case. Future actions would depend on how economic prospects were affected by evolving market developments and by other factors.
At the conclusion of the discussion, the Committee voted to authorize and direct the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, until it was instructed otherwise, to execute transactions in the System Account in accordance with the following domestic policy directive:
"The Federal Open Market Committee seeks monetary and financial conditions that will foster price stability and promote sustainable growth in output. To further its long-run objectives, the Committee in the immediate future seeks conditions in reserve markets consistent with reducing the federal funds rate to an average of around 4-3/4 percent."
The vote encompassed approval of the text below for inclusion in the statement to be released at 2:15 p.m.:
"Developments in financial markets since the Committee's last regular meeting have increased the uncertainty surrounding the economic outlook. The Committee will continue to assess the effects of these and other developments on economic prospects and will act as needed to foster price stability and sustainable economic growth."
Votes for this action: Messrs. Bernanke, Geithner, Evans, Hoenig, Kohn, Kroszner, Mishkin, Poole, Rosengren, and Warsh.
Votes against this action: None.
The Committee then resumed its discussion of monetary policy communication issues. Subsequently, in a joint session of the Federal Open Market Committee and the Board of Governors, Board members and Reserve Bank presidents discussed additional policy options to address strains in money markets. No decisions were made in this session, but it was agreed that policymakers should continue to consider such options carefully.
It was agreed that the next meeting of the Committee would be held on Tuesday-Wednesday, October 30-31, 2007.
The meeting adjourned at 3:55 p.m.
Notation Vote
By notation vote completed on August 27, 2007, the Committee unanimously approved the minutes of the FOMC meeting held on August 7, 2007.
Conference Calls
On August 10, 2007, the Committee reviewed developments in money and credit markets, where strains had worsened in the days since its last meeting. Participants discussed the condition of domestic and foreign financial markets, the Open Market Desk's approach to open market operations, possible adjustments to the discount rate, and the statement to be issued immediately after the conference call.
On August 16, 2007, the Committee again met by conference call. With financial market conditions having deteriorated further, meeting participants discussed the potential usefulness of various policy responses. The discussion focused primarily on changes associated with the discount window that would be directed at improving the functioning of the money markets. Most participants expressed strong support for taking such steps, although some concern was noted about the likely effectiveness of these measures and one participant also questioned their appropriateness. In light of the risks posed to the economic outlook by the tighter credit conditions and the increased uncertainty in financial markets, the Committee felt that the downside risks to growth had increased appreciably, but that a change in the federal funds rate target was not yet warranted. However, the situation bore close watching.
At the conclusion of the discussion, the Committee voted to approve the text below to be released the following morning:
"Financial market conditions have deteriorated, and tighter credit conditions and increased uncertainty have the potential to restrain economic growth going forward. In these circumstances, although recent data suggest that the economy has continued to expand at a moderate pace, the Federal Open Market Committee judges that the downside risks to growth have increased appreciably. The Committee is monitoring the situation and is prepared to act as needed to mitigate the adverse effects on the economy arising from the disruptions in financial markets."
Votes for: Messrs. Bernanke, Geithner, Fisher, Hoenig, Kohn, Kroszner, Mishkin, Moskow, Rosengren, and Warsh.
Votes against: None.
Mr. Fisher voted as alternate member.

Brian F. Madigan
Secretary

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Whats New with Blogs and Wacky Wii's

2007-10-21T21:33:00.000-05:00

Important Stories and More from Ziff Davis
By Lance Ulanoff

October 16, 2007

Our Favorite Blogs 2007
Blogging has become an international obsession. I consume my fair share of them, though I do not yet have one of my own (I don't count the WNN blog). Perhaps I don't need to start one because there are already so many good ones out there covering a myriad of topics. PCMag.com's Blog Editor Brian Heater scoured the web (and the minds of a bunch of PCMag editors) to collect an excellent list of blog content destinations. I don't think there's a dud among them. You can check out the whole list and even download a Blog Favorites file for your desktop.

10 Wacky Wii Accessories
My daughter has a Wii and pretty much everyone in the family plays it. I'm partial to Tiger Woods Golf and my daughter's getting hooked on MySimms. The power of the Wii and its huge popularity (9 million units sold and counting) is undeniable. So why shouldn't there be an iPod-like cottage industry of accessories devoted to blinging your game console? PCMag has collected 10 of these wacky Wii-ccessories. My personal favorite is the all chrome case. It's sooo shiny.

Fit PCA Tiny Linux PC that Fits Anywhere
I saw ExtremeTech Editor Loyd Case's Fit PC in person and all I can say is, "Wow." A full-blown PC that I can drop into my pocket (and that doesn't cost a bundle). It even includes Ethernet and modem ports, as well as two USB ports and a VGA-out connector. It comes with a Linux build, but can accommodate Windows XP, and costs less than $300. This is a review you have to read to believe. I saw it and I barely believe it.

Apple Continues to Tout Web Apps for iPhone
You cannot hack the iPhone without risk of bricking it and Apple's not planning on opening up the popular device to third party developers. Apple does, however, have an idea for how you can run new apps on the phone that are not from Apple, but you may not like it. The concept certainly made mobile analysts Sascha Segan grumpy. Our software blog Appscout has the details and Segan's cranky take.

What's Wrong with Open-Source Software?
The open source community reminds me of Woodstock in upstate New Yorkfull of feel-good hippies with cool ideas, and virtually no interest in joining the big business commerce grid. The hippies will be just fine, but open source could be at a cross-roads. How long, columnist John C. Dvorak asks, can it continue on the "we're good, Microsoft is evil" path before they realize that the open source movement is starting to resemble the very industry it so despises? Dvorak examines open source's slow deterioration and ponders where its cherished projects, like Firefox, are heading. It's another sobering read from the master.

Internet Music's 3rd Revolution
Digital music is going through some very big changesagain. MP3 is reemerging, major music empires are embracing DRM-free music, subscription is showing legs and big music acts are selling their tunes direct. Blogger and Former PCMag EIC Michael Miller has seen it all and wonders aloud where this new revolution is heading. He examines all the options and offers his own ideas (and asks for yours). I wonder if it would be easier for all of us to simply start making our own music. I can play a bit of guitar and have a passable voice Oh, never mind.

Gateway's Sub-$1K Quad-Core PC
Well, that was fast. A quad core PC for under $1,000, and before 2008. Gateway's just announced one and it's likely that other major manufacturers will follow. It's going to be a great system buying season. Get more details in PCMag's news report.

Review: Palm Centro
Palm's OS may be in trouble (or stagnating, take your pick), but the company still has a few tricks up it sleeves, including the new $99 Centro. Essentially a squished Treo, this product failed to inspire at the recent Digital Life show. Still the review shows that Palm did get some things right. Get all the details and slideshow in PCMag's report.

3D Graphics Performance in Team Fortress 2
Wanna know how true geeks test 3D graphics performance? First they take an intense, multiplayer 3D game (Team Fortress 2), then they grab some new graphics cards from leading manufacturers. After that it's all running, shooting, and frames per second. At least that's my take on it. The gearheads at ExtremeTech, however, do a much better job of explaining and making it all sound, well, a lot more dignified. Learn what it takes the pound the you-know-what out of a graphics card in ET's special report.

ET Wire: So Wait. Computer Use Doesn't Cause Carpal Tunnel?
I love ET's new Wire reports. They're always interesting and sometimes funny. The latest one I read talks about how carpal tunnel syndrome may not related to PC usage. Interesting, though I imagine the whole thing needs more study. Visit ET Wire throughout the day for more deep tech tidbits.

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Personal Internet Usage At Work

2007-10-14T19:26:00.001-05:00

There have been quite a few articles about personal internet usage at work in the news lately. Employees are instructed to guard themselves against potential retaliation for violating company policies.

We all know that people overwhelmingly use the internet for personal purposes at work on occasion. The cost and time employers spend monitoring personal internet usage is getting to the point of being paranoid.

Lets be objective about this for a moment. Do any of us really think that the supervisors making a big deal out of personal internet usage aren't themselves using the internet for personal purposes? Do supervisors make or receive personal phone calls? Aren't personal phone calls also violation of company policies? Aren't personal phone calls just as disruptive to workflow as internet usage? Looks like we all forgot about that one in the midst of the hype about internet abuse. The bottom line is that, many executives, policy makers, managers and supervisors are among the biggest abusers of company resources. That abuse does not begin or end with internet usage either.

We all need to be reasonable and respect company resources. We should not abuse them for personal gain. The key word here is "abuse." We should all remember that when employees are told to follow strict company policies regarding internet usage. We should also guage our behavior against that of managers and supervisors. If our manager abuses company resources, documenting some of those abuses can come in handy if you are ever disciplined for activity that your manager is also guilty of.

Maybe corporate executives and policy makers should consider how petty their concerns about employee internet abuses will look compared to the huge multi million dollar compensation packages earned by many top companies executives. Huge bonuses that frequently correlate with mediocre stock performance. Maybe executives are spending too much time on the internet? I doubt they will see it exactly the same as the rest of us do. But doesn't it feels good to remind them of their extravagance in the wake of petty corporate policies?

Michael Thomas

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Tort Form - Myths vs Realities

2007-10-04T20:38:00.001-05:00

"Tort Reform" --a failed experiment in legal-social engineering.

Michigan has "tort reform" coming out of our ears and it has failed to deliver on a single one of its promises

[This Viewpoint was published in the Lansing State Journal, Detroit Legal News, Oakland County Legal News, and Ingham County Legal News]

Recently the big business lobbying group, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, issued a widely criticized study asking for still more "tort reform" a PR phrase describing limits on the right to civil trial by jury and special loopholes and favors for powerful interests.

These special interest pleas for more corporate welfare, coming during Michigan's current economic hardships, and after decades of their twisted logic and broken promises, is just plain repulsive.

For more than twenty years these big business lobbyists have promised that if we give them just one more special immunity or additional "get-out-of-jail-free" card they will make so much money we will all be better off.

Sadly, our lawmakers have listened and believed. And we let them.

But the current juxtaposition of our ailing economy, the wreckage of our justice system, and Chamber's plea for still more special favors for special interests bring to mind the classic definition of insanity: "Doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for different results."

The insanity seems even more apparent if you realize that Michigan is arguably the most "tort reformed" state in America.

How "tort reformed" is Michigan?

· This month Forbes.com ranked Michigan's tort system third best out of fifty in American in their Best for Business ratings. Last year we were number two. A telling evaluation of our state's "tort reform" saturation and stark contrast to our abysmal rating in every other category.

To paraphrase the Forbes.com study, we seem to be maxed-out on "tort reform" but the wheels are falling off everything else.

· Crains' Detroit Business noted that the rabidly pro-business American Justice Partnership has declared "Michigan's liability climate is conducive to growth and jobs creation." AJP ranks us number seven out of fifty in the category of "litigation climate." Since Michigan's "tort reform" Godfather John Engler is the head of AJP, that ranking is especially noteworthy.

AJP says we have lots of "tort reform." Yet we don't have any job growth.

· Since the creation of our unique absolute "drug industry immunity law," Michigan's once booming pharmaceutical industry has all but fled the state. Pfizer recently took 2700 jobs out of Michigan and moved them to states without our liability immunity law.

Jobs flee from the most perfect example of "tort reform" extant absolute immunity and they settle in states with good old-fashioned civil justice accountability?

Do you see the pattern?

It is time to stop this insanity. It is time to admit that we have been fooled. "Tort reform" is just a scam.

"Tort reform" was sold to us circus-style as a magic elixir, with hearty handshakes and slick promises of huge savings, jobs thick on the ground, hyperactive economic growth, and sunshine blowing in all directions.

Instead, we have a hobbled justice system that functions as a puppet for special interests, tens of thousand of injured, wronged, cheated people who have no way to hold wrongdoers accountable, hundreds of millions of dollars in costs dumped on our taxpayers instead of being paid by those who are responsible for screwing up, and an economy that is behaving exactly and precisely as if the snake oil of "tort reform" were poison. Because "tort reform" is poison.

We should all be ashamed of ourselves for buying into the lies and ridiculous promises of "tort reform" in the first place.

It is time to stop listening to the Chamber of Commerce's recycled ads for the patent medicine that got us into this mess. It is time to listen to some smarter, saner, less self-interested voices:

"I consider [trial by jury] as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution." --Thomas Jefferson

"Representative government and trial by jury are the heart and lungs of liberty. Without them we have no other fortification against being ridden like horses, fleeced like sheep, worked like cattle and fed and clothed like swine and hounds."

--John Adams

"Trial by jury in civil cases is as essential to secure the liberty of the people as any one of the pre-existent rights of nature." --James Madison

It is time to be honest about the failed doctrine of "tort reform."

Robert M. Raitt
President, Michigan Association for Justice

[formerly the Michigan Trial Lawyers Association]

Gursten, Koltonow, Gursten, Christensen & Raitt, PC, Southfield.

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Wind Power - Is it an important part of future power sources?

2007-09-30T22:35:00.001-05:00

Thursday September 27, 2007

The Real Value of Investing in Wind Power

Categories:

Wind Energy

Tags:

poll

Wind power has often been criticized for being less than practical, monetarily. Is it green? Yes. Will it save you green? Well... if you wait long enough, it will--if you put one in your backyard, you might have to be willing to stay in your current house for more than a decade to recoup your costs. It's a long-term investment.

What about large-scale wind? Ecotality points us toward this survey of Delaware residents. Delawareans are more than willing to fund a proposed offshore wind farm (in lieu of a coal or natural gas plant)--even though it wouldn't come cheap; it would cost about $5 a month, per resident, for 25 years.

On the other hand... there's practical cost, and then there's real cost. Marine policy scientists who ran the survey noted that the monetary value of the health benefits resulting from cleaner air make this investment a great one--worth more than $1 billion over 25 years. Wind is suddenly looking pretty financially smart... and kudos to those in Delaware for their long-sightedness!

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Posted By: Katherine Montgomery

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Google Gags

2007-09-30T22:33:00.001-05:00

Sabotaging Google

09.24.07

The easiest way to attack Google's dominance is by compromising its search results. The recent glut of keyword-heavy Chinese sites is a step in that direction.

By John C. Dvorak

A reader, Courtney Cox (no relation to the actress), recently pointed out to me that the top results of recent complex Google searches turned out to be inane Chinese sites that were not even parking sites, just an assortment of keywords that somehow got indexed and brought to the top of the results list. After seeing a few of these sites, I have to wonder what's going on. Is it sabotage?

Let's start by showing you a typical site: http://vmk.wtoxd.cn/xmijotb.html (there's some annoying Active X here. So visit at your own risk). This site was the top result listed when the search term "reset mp3 player m240d" was entered. And here are the full search results, in which nine of the top ten results are these weird Chinese sites.

Courtney sent me numerous examples of this phenomenon, and it's obvious that the more specific and detailed the search request, the more likely Google is to list these Chinese sites. The issue has apparently been reported to Google, but if the basic algorithms allow this sort of result, even banning the specific sites will not stop this sort of abuse.

Right now the motives behind this phenomenon are obscure, unless it's being done just for testing purposes. You know, like underground nuclear testing.

I'm reminded of some news reports I read in The New York Times as I was doing some Civil Warâ"era research in old copies of the paper circa 1860 to 1870. At that time, the telegraph was the hot technology, and it was being built out all over the country using telegraph poles and wires strung everywhere. During this era it was not uncommon for one of the telegraph companies to chop down the poles and cut the wires of another telegraph company. There were constant news stories about it, and this sort of thing still exists. It's no different than a phone company "accidentally" unhooking a competitor's DSL rig in the central office during the burst of open-access activity in the 1990s.

I remember my first visit to China 20 years ago, listening to the long lectures about how China intends to become a capitalist nation. The Chinese liked to say they were going to emulate American capitalism. Ever since then I wondered what that meant. Would it mean chopping down telegraph poles? The American way?

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Bush says that America pulled out of Vietnam too early!

2007-08-22T18:58:00.000-05:00

Bush says that America withdrew from Vietnam too early

The public is outraged at a recent speech by president Bush. That speech is quoted below from Yahoo News. If we take the presidents comments to their logical conclusion, we have to assume that if he had been president in the early 1970's, America would not have withdrawn from Vietnam. The public is asking, "does he even know what he is talking about."

President Bush discusses attrocities of In Cambodia,.............." the Khmer Rouge began a murderous rule in which hundreds of thousands of Cambodians died by starvation, torture, or execution.

In Vietnam, former American allies, government workers, intellectuals, and businessmen were sent off to prison camps, where tens of thousands perished."

President Bush conveniently left out that Hundreds of thousands innocent civilians have already died in Iraq. Mr Bush also conveniently omitted that fact that his administration has rutinely supported countries that persecute, torture and kill tens of thousands of their own citizens each year when there was an economic benefit to doing so (I am sure all my readers have heard of China). Full article below.

Bush draws Vietnam parallel in warning over Iraq withdrawal

Wed Aug 22, 3:32 AM ET

US President George W. Bush in a speech on Wednesday will warn that a US withdrawal from Iraq could produce a catastrophe similar to what occurred in Southeast Asia after US forces left Vietnam.

According to excerpts from Bush's address released in advance on Tuesday, the president charges that an early exit from Iraq would "pull the rug out" from under American troops just as their efforts are paying off.

Bush's speech ties anti-war forces in the Vietnam era to the hundreds of thousands of people killed in the aftermath of the US pull-out, and hints at a parallel disaster in Iraq if US forces leave too soon.

"Many argued that if we pulled out, there would be no consequences for the Vietnamese people," he said according to the advance transcript.

"The world would learn just how costly these misimpressions would be. In Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge began a murderous rule in which hundreds of thousands of Cambodians died by starvation, torture, or execution.

"In Vietnam, former American allies, government workers, intellectuals, and businessmen were sent off to prison camps, where tens of thousands perished.

"Hundreds of thousands more fled the country on rickety boats, many of them going to their graves in the South China Sea," Bush said, pleading for patience with the US-led security crackdown in Iraq.

Bush was scheduled to deliver his speech to the annual convention of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) group, which claims 2.3 million members, on Wednesday in Kansas City, Missouri.

He also said that US withdrawal from Vietnam was a key element of the anti-US talk of Al-Qaeda leaders.

"There was another price to our withdrawal from Vietnam, and we can hear it in the words of the enemy we face in today's struggle -- Al-Qaeda," Bush said, pointing to speeches by Osama bin Laden and his number two Ayman al-Zawahiri in which they mention Vietnam in connection with US government weakness.

"Here at home, some can argue our withdrawal from Vietnam carried no price to American credibility, but the terrorists see things differently."

Meanwhile, US troops in Iraq "are carrying out a surge that is helping bring former Sunni insurgents into the fight against Al-Qaeda, clearing the terrorists out of population centers, and giving families in liberated Iraqi cities their first look at decent and normal life."

"As they take the initiative from the enemy, they have a question: Will their elected leaders in Washington pull the rug out from under them just as they are gaining momentum and changing the dynamic on the ground in Iraq?" he asked.

"My answer is clear: We will support our troops, we will support our commanders, and we will give them everything they need to succeed," said Bush, who linked the painful US defeat in Vietnam to the situation in Iraq.

"Three decades later, there is a legitimate debate about how we got into the Vietnam War and how we left," he acknowledged.

"Whatever your position in that debate, one unmistakable legacy of Vietnam is that the price of AmericaÂs withdrawal was paid by millions of innocent citizens whose agonies would add to our vocabulary new terms like 'boat people,' 're-education camps,' and 'killing fields.'"

The US president previously drew a parallel between Vietnam and Iraq in November during a visit to Vietnam.

Bush had said that one lesson of the bloody US military defeat there a generation ago was that the United States must be patient in Iraq.

"We'll succeed unless we quit," Bush said.

Asked whether the US defeat in Vietnam offered lessons, Bush replied: "We tend to want there to be instant success in the world, and the task in Iraq is going to take a while."

Critics of Bush's handling of the Iraq war have also invoked the US experience in Vietnam but drawn different lessons, saying escalating the US military presence in Iraq will only make matters worse.

Corporate Culture

2007-08-11T16:33:00.001-05:00

New Thread: Fear, Corporate Culture, Potential
By Salesforce.com

Posted: 15 Jul 2007 08:04 PM CDT

As much as better processes, such as sales processes, can help an organization improve short-term results, the best strategy for systemic long-term growth depends entirely upon your people and management philosophies. For example - do you reward risks and failure, or punish them? (You might say you reward risks, but what have your actions communicated to your organization? What did you do to the last person who tried something new and failed?)

In addition to simple sales improvement ideas, I believe cultural and organizational ideas can set the stage for even more fundamental, long-term success of a team or company. However, from my personal experience, I know people (like yourself) will fall into one of three categories:

a) Believer. "Yes!" You get it and connect with these new ideas. You see how they can benefit your organization and are willing to try some out,

b) Skeptic. "No way Jose." You think these ideas are impractical because "this isn't how things work in the real world," or you're

c) Agnostic. "Where's the proof?" You aren't sure about all this yet, but it's intriguing enough to keep reading about it, perhaps even try something at some point if it really seems relevant to a particular situation you're facing and there is some proof of success.

Classic corporate culture is, at its root, based on fear and insecurity (I'm speaking in generalizations here, so yes I realize there are exceptions). This fear shows up symptomatically in ways such as:

*Insecurity (I'm afraid of what people or my boss will think of the truth, so I have to massage it)

*Secrecy (I'm afraid that if this something is known, either to coworkers or other companies, it might hurt me)

*Parent-child relationships (I'm afraid to let you do something different than what I want. I say "no" a lot)

*Control (I'm uncomfortable without control)

*Denial (Failure cannot happen; failure is unacceptable)

* Mistrust (I don't trust my boss, reports or coworkers)

Just as someone who's individual personality is fearful, paranoid and in denial can't live up to their full potential, these same values in a corporation holds back the entire organization's potential and growth.

What unlocks growth? Trust, integrity, corporate self-confidence and transparency...more to come on ways and examples of how to actually put this into practice.

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Email List Building

2007-08-03T21:56:00.001-05:00

List Building: The Basics and Beyond

9 ideas for building your email list

by Gail Goodman, Constant Contact CEO

Want to get more results from your email marketing efforts? Grow your email list! This month's article covers the elementary steps of list building as well as some more creative ideas. (If you've got list building 101 covered, then skip down to 202.)

101: The Basics

When you first get started with email marketing, it's normal to have a smaller list. It takes a concerted effort to get in the habit of asking for email addresses. There are people who have been email marketing for years and still aren't taking advantage of all the opportunities they have to grow their list. Don't let that be you!

Here are a few simple things that you can do to build your list:

Put a "Join My Email List" sign-up box on your website. Constant Contact and other email marketing service providers make it easy for you to do this. And it's important that you do. Your website is the first place most people look when they want information about your business. It's great when they visit your website, but are you capturing their email addresses? Don't miss the chance to start building a relationship with them.
Ask your customers for their email addresses and permission. Whether it's over the phone or in person, don't forget to tell customers about your email communications and ask if you can add them to your list. If you have a physical store, put out a sign-up book in a prominent place. If your business is internet-based and your only customer communication is through email, send them a follow-up email after an order and ask if they want to join your list. If you have employees who interact with customers, train them to ask as well.
Ask those you meet when networking and at trade shows to join. When you meet people at networking events and trade shows tell them about your free e-newsletter or your email-only specials and ask them if they would like to join your list.

202: Beyond the Basics

Want to take it to the next level? Here are some creative ideas that you can put into practice:

Offer incentives for signing up. It's amazing how a freebie or a chance to win a prize can be just what a person needs to "take the plunge" and sign up for your email list. Your giveaway doesn't have to be costly; it can be as simple as sharing your expertise in the form of a free whitepaper or guide. Make it clear to those who sign up that they will be added to your list.
Run a "Forward to a Friend Contest." In your email newsletter, let your contacts know that if they use the "Forward to a Friend" link to send this month's newsletter to at least one new recipient, they will be entered into a drawing for a prize. One of the many useful things about using an email marketing service provider is that you can see which subscribers forwarded your email to a friend. With that knowledge, you can easily run the contest.
Partner with a related business or organization. Think of a business or organization that is related to your business, but not a competitor. You can work together to promote each other's email communications to your customers. Some good partnership examples are a tax accountant and a financial planner, a public relations firm and a website designer, or a theater and a nearby restaurant. Highlight your partner as a guest writer in your newsletter and ask that they do the same for you. At the end of each article, invite readers to join that author's email list.
Include a "Join My Email List" link in all online content. Do you have articles on your website or on other websites? Do you have your own blog? This is another great opportunity to add people to your list. Include a link that takes readers to your sign-up page. Your copy could read, "Like this article? Get more like it in your inbox. Subscribe today for our monthly e-newsletter."
Include a "Join My Email List" link at the bottom of your email signature. This is great advertisement and it's free. Add one line that describes the benefits of your newsletter or email promotions like, "Get our monthly newsletter with tips on how to grow your business" or "Receive weekly coupons for exclusive discounts."
Promote your email communications in all printed materials (including your business cards!). It's easy to forget about email when doing a printed piece. Whether it's a brochure or a direct mail postcard, don't forget to add a line asking the receiver to sign up for your free newsletter. Business cards are a great place for a quick promo as well.

By putting some of these tactics into action, you will see your list increase over the months and years to come. More contacts mean more opportunities to bring in new customers and build lasting relationships with them.

Do you have more ideas for growing an email list? Share them with us and with other Email Marketing Hints & Tips readers on our online forum by clicking on the link below.

Chrysler's New Lifetime Warranty Program

2007-07-28T19:56:00.001-05:00

Chrysler's warranty deal shows confidence

Lifetime powertrain guarantee a big step

July 27, 2007

BY TIM HIGGINS

FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

Chrysler, the automaker with the most recalls in the industry last year, announced Thursday that it has started offering a lifetime warranty on the engines, transmissions and drive systems for most of the vehicles it makes -- the most aggressive guarantee to be offered by a carmaker.

"It's pretty incredible," Alan Helfman, vice president of Helfman River Oaks Chrysler Jeep in Houston, said of the announcement to dealers, which took effect immediately for Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep brands.

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Chrysler has struggled with the perception that its vehicles have lower quality compared to foreign automakers such as Toyota Motor Corp.

Chrysler did poorly in the recent J.D. Power and Associates annual study of new-vehicle quality, and in 2006, Chrysler had 2.3 million vehicles called back in 27 separate recall notices, which was three times as many as in 2005. Chrysler has recalled 975,443 vehicles this year.

Michael Omotoso, senior manager of global powertrain at J.D. Power, said Chrysler has made improvements, including the four-cylinder World Engine going into the Chrysler Sebring and other vehicles and the upcoming V6 Phoenix Engine.

"It's a very big step," Omotoso said. "They have had quality issues in the past. But they've improved their quality recently."

He noted that the new warranty could be costly if the company continues to have quality problems.

"They must be confident or hoping they can take care of those quality issues in the next year or two," he said. "This seems to show confidence."

Chrysler is being acquired by private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management.

Dealers said this new move will strongly combat the perception that the quality isn't there. "It will nullify all concerns. We have the best warranty in the business now. Toyota doesn't give that. Nissan doesn't give that. Put your money where your mouth is, big boy," Helfman said.

Bill Golling of Golling Chrysler Jeep Dodge Inc. in Bloomfield Township says the new warranty will help sell vehicles.

"It does say exactly what we all believe, which is that our products are as competitive as anybody out there," he said. "I know the quality is good in them, and our customers who own them know the quality is good in them. Now we are going to make sure everybody knows how much we believe in it."

Chrysler said the lifetime warranty will cover the cost of all parts and labor needed to repair engine, transmission and drive systems on most 2006, 2007 and 2008 model-year vehicles. The warranty does not apply to diesel and SRT8 vehicles. It is limited to the first registered owner or retail lessee, the company said.

The owner must have the powertrain inspected -- for free -- by authorized Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge dealers every five years.

The warranty "is a statement of confidence to our customers to the reliability of their powertrain. It's peace-of-mind reassurance for as long as they own the vehicle," said Steven Landry, Chrysler executive vice president for North American sales.

It's not a so-called bumper-to-bumper warranty, which covers all issues with a vehicle, but still deals with vehicle parts that are expensive to customers if trouble arises.

Landry said: "The powertrain is the most important part, that's the go-to part of the vehicle that people are more concerned with versus light bulbs and stuff like that."

Chrysler's previous powertrain warranty was for three years or 36,000 miles.

Rebecca Lindland, analyst with Global Insight, said the new warranty is a good marketing campaign. "It is a great way to close a sale," she said. "It is also a very effective way to sweeten the deal without necessarily piling on the incentives."

Speaking of limiting the warranty to the original owners, Lindland added, "It does to a certain extent put a cap on it because it if you sell the vehicle it doesn't go with it."

Hyundai Motor Corp. is an example of an automaker introducing a warranty to help turn around its reputation. Introducing a 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty helped the automaker convince buyers that it was serious about quality.

Landry said Chrysler aimed to do even better.

"When we looked at the quality of our product, the quality of our powertrain and durability and reliability, we came to the decision that we don't want to match everybody. We want to go way beyond that, we want to be unprecedented, we want to show the confidence we have in the product," Landry said.

Contact TIM HIGGINS at 313-222-8784 or thiggins@freepress.com. Reporter Justin Hyde contributed to this report.

Never Again

Wow Johnny, I guess he told you! With that kind of intelligent discourse spewing from antonio, I suggest you back off and bow to the power. (hemi power of course) LOL

Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 8:25 pm

antonio311

Sorry JohnnyG, you seem to be under the average on the IQ point scale. It was the Hemi that basically produced 1 Horse power each cubic inch, and who made that.......Chrysler engineering. Not Toyota or Ford or BMW. You have little to NO intelligence....It's ok...I'll teach you. And as for the Hemi being a ploy, your just plain an idiot!!! I'm sure you've never seen the inside of a Chrysler engine....If you did...like i have, you'd know the Hemi is the actual shape of the combustion chamber...which in this design creates more power and torque. It's not a ploy....you idiot. Your just retarded, you shouldn't talk about things you know nothing about! Also I like fords, they just have to build better cars. Their on their way, but compared to Chrysler and GM....they have a long way to go on car design, styling, and manufacturing. No other manufacturer is offering a lifetime warrenty....they simply don't believe in or stand behind their products. Cheers Chrysler!

Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 6:29 pm

JohnnyG

antonio311- It looks like you fell for the marketing ploy of the "Hemi" engine too. Here is a favorite quote of mine "Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it." Looks like you were among many to fall for the trick of the "Hemi" mark. The "Hemi" name is just another tool for Chrysler to sell more vehicles. It may be a desent engine, but it is nothing compared to the old Hemi's. But people like you fall for the gimick, just like more will fall for this warranty gimick. If they were really serious they would have made it bumper to bumper and pass it on to their CPO program.

Oh for your info, Ford is making better cars, they just received a lot of awards and praises this year for severeal of their vehicles, not just the Mustang. Not to mention the F-150 has been the number 1 selling pick-up in the USA for 30 years and running. Only "good" vehicle that Chrysler has is the 300 (Wranglers and Grand Cherokees are nice too). Toyota and Honda make great cars (I hate Toyota's though) and they are both innovative car makers. BMW's are amongst the best engineered cars on the planet and make one of the most desired and anticpated marks (M3). I think you are just jealous that you can't afford a BMW and you envy the "jerks" that buy them (I'll be one of them I guess in 6 years).

thomaja- I'm not going to buy a car just because of a warranty, if you do that, then you are not an intelligent car buyer. A great powertrain warranty that is not passed on to pre-owned buyers who will be the ones that actually need the warranty is not that great at all. Also it's not a back to back warranty.

Posted: Sat Jul 28, 2007 5:34 pm

antonio311

Chrysler makes the best & highest quality engines available. All i have to say is...............Hemi. Chrysler quality will soon be among the highest in the industry. Especially in detroit. I think Ford has a better chance of going under than Chrysler does, although i would never want that to happen! Ford has to start building better cars. They do have one good car....the mustang..thats about it. But as for Honda and Toyota.....just plain junk. I wouldn't waste a dime on either. Another piece of junk....BMW. and the people who drive those are all jerks. Just look how their driving the next time you see a BMW...!

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:24 pm

thomaja

I once told a guy if he put his hand on my girlfriend, I would pop him in the mouth. He did, so I did. Hard. Really hard. He lost a tooth. I kept my word. Chrysler is keeping it's word by promising value in a car. "If you buy it, we will stand behind it." Isn't that what all of us were looking for in the first place? Somebody to stand up and stand behind what promised? If you read this article and are hell-bent on buying a foriegn vehicle, nothing will change your mind.

Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2007 7:06 pm

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Real Estate Sales

2007-07-28T19:54:00.001-05:00

New home sales plunge

Purchases of 1-family houses fall 22.3% since June '06

July 27, 2007

BY GRETA GUEST

FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

Sales of new one-family houses in June fell 6.6% from May and a whopping 22.3% from last June.

The new home sales were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 834,000 in June, according to estimates released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

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In the Midwest, which includes Michigan, 121,000 new homes were sold in June, a 17% drop from May and a 28.4% fall from June 2006.

The seasonally adjusted estimate of new houses for sale at the end of June was 537,000. This represents a 7.8-month supply at the current sales rate.

The median sales price of new houses sold in June was $237,900; the average sales price was $316,200.

And houses were taking longer to sell in June, an average of six months, compared with 5.7 months in May and 3.6 months in June 2006.

Bryan Mazurkiewicz, a third-generation builder and owner of Orchid Development in Clinton Township, said he has offered up to $25,000 in incentives to sell homes in his Breton Woods subdivision in Macomb Township.

Mazurkiewicz has sold 28 of the 56 lots at the development at 25 Mile and Hayes roads. His homes start at $294,900 and are selling, but slowly, he said Thursday.

So far, he has sold eight houses since October and has deposits on three more.

"This project has been better than most that I have done. Seven years ago, we were building 55 homes a year, but considering the market we are actually doing pretty good," Mazurkiewicz said. "In a normal market, I'd be sold out. There is no doubt about it."

While 300 interested buyers have visited the subdivision in the past four months, many are hesitant to buy because they have a home to sell first. In those cases, Mazurkiewicz helps clients with real estate services, paying part of the commission to help them sell, and he gives them extras in the new house to make up for any price cuts they have to take to sell.

Meanwhile, he said he will hold on to the 15 lots he has left to build on when the market turns.

"I almost need more lots, but I don't want to commit to more until things improve," he said.

Contact GRETA GUEST at 313-223-4192 or gguest@freepress.com

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PC Magazine

2007-07-28T19:52:00.001-05:00

I N T H I S I S S U E

Welcome to today's Inside PCMag.com newsletter.

Tired of adding wires upon wires to your PC workstation as more peripherals hit the market at breakneck speed? Well, there's a chance that you could be saying good-bye to a couple of those pesky cords sometime soon. Wireless USB (WUSB) products are finally set to hit the market in the coming months, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) said on Monday. Will you rush out to buy these new gadgets or wait until they become standards before bringing them home?

Review Roundup: Worldwide Wireless Downloads
Review: A Deluxe, Small-Format Photo Printer
Review: Opera Mini 4.0 Is a Downloading Must
Dvorak Online: Me and My Mac
News: Fuji's New Digital Cameras
Security Watch: Beware of .DOC Spam
New: PCMag.com Mobile
2007 Small Business Awards: Call for Nominations/

Review Roundup: Worldwide Wireless Downloads
Traveling overseas doesn't mean you have to leave the comforts of your home wireless network behind you. AT&T's BroadbandConnect high-speed network has come a long way in the past year and is the best option for globe-trotting businesspeople who often spend time in Europe. These five advanced cellular products for the BroadbandConnect network deliver global high-speed surfing.

Review: A Deluxe, Small-Format Photo Printer
In the past, Sony's small-format photo printers, though high in quality, have been vexed by other shortcomings. With the Sony Picture Station DPP-FP90, though, they seem to have left most of their demons behind themfor the most part, that is. They are stellar in terms of output quality and speed, but there are still a couple things that we wish were up to par. Check out the full review on PCMag.com to see what those are.

Review: Opera Mini 4.0 Is a Downloading Must
Odds are that the browser that came preloaded on your cell phone is a bit clunky, tired, and, well, slow. Opera Mini 4.0, now in public beta, comes with an "intelligent zoom" that lets you scan an overview of a Web page and then zoom in for a closeup, along with other sweet surfing features that earn it our mark as an Editors' Choice for mobile Web browsers. See all it has to offer in the full review.

Dvorak Online: Me and My Mac
We know, we know, the thought of John C. Dvorak using a Maclet alone liking itseems a bit far-fetched. But it's true. A while back, in a particularly Mac-filled office, Dvorak got himself an iMac and found himself pleasantly surprised by it. What about the machine made him change his way of thinking about Apple-branded computing? He's got his reasons. Read them all in this week's edition of Dvorak Online.

News: Fuji's New Digital Cameras
Not to be outdone by Panasonic's recent superzoom intelligent camera announcement, Fujifilm has unveiled five new camerasthe stylish 7.2MP Z10fd, the 8MP FinePix S8000fd superzoom, the 12MP F50fd, and the entry-level FinePix A920 and F480all due out this fall. The new crop of digicams packs top-tier features into stylish packages that will surely appeal to the discriminating camera buyer. Find out all about them in the full PC Mag report.

Plus: Samsung Introduces Advanced HD Players

Security Watch: Beware of .DOC Spam
The last couple of months have seen a surge in PDF spam. This isn't a surprising development. Once users get good at filtering out one form of spam, you expect the spammers to move on to something new that might work better. The newest method coming 'round the bend may be Microsoft Word .DOC files. Head over to Security Watch to find out what schemes to keep an eye out for.

Plus: LinkedIn Vulnerability Exposes Users

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Take the Internet to Go: Yahoo!Go puts the Internet in your pocket: mail, news, photos & more.

Powerpoint Video Bloopers

2007-07-26T18:29:00.000-05:00

What Does the Public Think of Michael Moore's New Movie?

2007-07-20T12:11:00.000-05:00

Beyond Social Networking - Myspace and Linkedin Are Only the Beginning

2007-07-17T20:48:00.000-05:00

The Web is rife with social-networking sites promising to offer the Web community an experience they haven't seen before. Here are five that actually deliver the goods.

By Errol Pierre-Louis

Thinking of a time before social networking Web sites is like trying to remember what it was like before color television. How did bands get people to listen to their crappy music before MySpace? What did college students do with their laptops during class before there were Facebook walls to write on, LiveJournal to update, and friend requests to accept? What was life like back when there wasn't a place to upload all those self-portraits you shot in the mirror? Social networking has gone from a phenomenon to a fixture in today's world.

While social-networking mainstays like MySpace, LinkedIn, and Facebook are all about the friends you can attract to your network, other sites use social networking to enhance more traditional features. For instance, customizable Internet radio has been around forever, but Last.fm combines it with social-networking options to take music-recommendation to the next level.

The following services go beyond the usual social-network friend-hoarding contests, and are actually good for doing things. Whether you're looking to discover new music, show off your camera skills, or participate in a news community, these services connect you to others that share your passion.

Last.fmLast.fm

Between streaming radio stations and social networking, Last.fm gives you a lot of ways to get to know your music. Like Pandora, Last.fm creates custom radio stations based on your music preference. Unlike Pandora, these recommendations come from the site's users, not expert opinion. Connect with other Last.fm users and share your stations with each other, or use last.fm strictly as a free Internet radio service that caters to your individual taste.

MOGMOG

For music geeks looking for an appealing balance of social networking and music discovery, MOG is the place to be. The site puts musicians and fans on a level playing field, creating a close-knit community centered on blogging, reviewing, and music sharing.

Fotolog.Fotolog

This site takes a fun, addictive new spin on the blogging/photosharing genre. Fotolog is the photographic blog that gives limits members to one photo day with the hopes of forcing people to make sure they post something memorable. The idea looks like it's working well as Fotolog features some of the most interesting pages and high quality photography you'll see on social networking site. With clean, fast loading pages and tons of fascinating content and sub-communities to discover, Fotolog is a worthy addition to your current blogroll and network of social-networks.

Topix.comTopix

Where other news sites are great at telling the news, none provide quite the interactive news experience as Topix does. As the largest news community on the Web, Topix puts the power of the media in your hands providing quality local news content the big players don't deliver. Topix personalizes the news to your preferences, bringing you the news important to your neighborhood or topic of your choice. Besides reading, submitting, and discussing the news Topix also allows those especially passionate about their community to become a Topix Editor, enabling people to manage their own Topix news page.

GoodreadsGoodreads

If you're a bookworm looking for like-minded literary community to share your thoughts and opinions, you owe it to yourself to check out Goodreads. Where sites like Amazon provide recommendations from an automated database, Goodreads provides user-driven recommendations from your friends and other users. Goodreads offers an easy to use interface and the cataloging tools to allow users to expand their literary horizons.

Still want to read about more social-networking standouts? Check out our earlier roundup of more sites that do it a little differently, as well as our recent feature on the social-networking space as a whole, MySpace Nation.

Media Criticism-Courtesy of Homer Sympson

2007-07-17T20:35:00.000-05:00

Homer Simpson Has What the Bancrofts Want Editorial independence.
By Jack Shafer
Updated Friday, July 13, 2007, at 4:04 PM ET

Homer Simpson. Click image to expand.The Simpsons
When the Bancroft family said "no" to Rupert Murdoch's $5 billion offer to buy their Dow Jones & Co. property in the spring, they actually meant "yes." After Murdoch opened his wallet, the Bancrofts started negotiating guarantees of "editorial independence" for company flagship the Wall Street Journal as a precondition for a sale. Rightly, the rotten old bastard has chaffed at the Bancrofts dictating the future operation of a property for which he's willing to pay an above-market rate.

Editorial independence may be rare in Murdoch's News Corp. empire, but it's not unheard-of. For example, if News Corp. employees toe the shifting Murdoch line, they're granted all the editorial independence they can carry on their stooped backs. Or, if they're the inventors and proprietors of a phenomenally successful News Corp. property—such as The Simpsons—Murdoch and his minions know well enough to keep hands off.

In an oral history of the show published in the August Vanity Fair, cartoonist Art Spiegelman remembers that he begged show creator Matt Groening not to work for Murdoch's Fox network. "They're gangsters!" Spiegelman told Groening.

But protected by the "titanium shield" of writer-producer-director James L. Brooks (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Taxi, Terms of Endearment), The Simpsons was exempted from Fox control. "The studio might get upset and they might make notes, but we didn't have to take them unless Brooks said we had to take them," says Brad Bird, an early supervising director of the show and director of The Incredibles and Ratatouille.

The show quickly became a hit, and the staff flexed its power. "Why do we have to change it? We're The Simpsons," an über alles-esque motto attributed by interviewee Colin Lewis to David Mirkin, who ran the show in seasons five and six. "We're in control because they want their hit show, and I will get to Saturday night and I won't deliver them a show, and then they will have to air what I give them," Mirkin is credited with saying.

If only the Wall Street Journal could retool itself as a successful animated sitcom before Murdoch takes over …

One of the joys of writing about Murdoch is that you never go wanting for material. Last night, while searching news databases for a different subject, I stumbled across a 1984 Wall Street Journal article by Jane Mayer, now a staff writer at The New Yorker, about how Murdoch uses his publications for personal gain. Mayer writes:

After [Murdoch] bought the New York Post in 1976, the paper was blatantly supportive of Hugh Carey's bid for reelection as New York's governor. After his election, Mr. Carey's administration granted a multimillion-dollar contract to run the state's keno and lotto lottery operations to Leisure Systems Inc., whose chairman was Mr. Murdoch. State and company officials denied any quid pro quo.

The lotto license was subsequently revoked when Mario Cuomo became governor in 1982. Mr. Cuomo, who also declines to be interviewed for this story, had been consistently opposed by the New York Post. Murray Kempton, a former Post columnist who now writes for Newsday, a Long Island, N.Y., newspaper, says, "They expected Cuomo to be vengeful, and he was. They were in shape by that time to make a lot of money on lotto, but he took away what Carey had given them."

"Baloney!" says Mr. [Roger] Wood, the Post executive editor, about both allegations.

In 1980, an Australian airline owned in part by Murdoch applied for a $290 million loan from the federal Export-Import Bank of the United States. Mayer continues:

The loan request was made the day Mr. Murdoch had lunch at the White House with Jimmy Carter. Three days later, the Post endorsed Mr. Carter in the New York Democratic primary. Four days after that, the loan was approved. A congressional investigation found no impropriety but criticized the Export-Import bank for acting too hastily.

Mayer talks to Jack Newfield, then a columnist at the Village Voice, then owned by Murdoch—but one property that he never tamed. Newfield speaks thorns over Murdoch's habit of using his outlets to push his political views. "He doesn't have to come into the newsroom and personally slant stories. Reporters anticipate his needs—like Russia under Stalin," Newfield says.

Murdoch Street Journal reporters, there are your future options: Write it funny or write it like Pravda.

Addendum, 5:40 p.m.: Reader Alan Vanneman directs my attention to the June 2007 Playboy interview with Matt Groening in which Groening explains that the show's freedom is not absolute.

Groening: Fox News gives me a headache and not even so much for its political content but the spinning logos and American flags and music designed to scare you shitless. Who needs it? We make fun of Fox News on the show. The most fun we had was putting a news crawl like theirs across the bottom of the screen. It said things like "Rupert Murdoch: terrific dancer," "Brad Pitt plus Albert Einstein equals Dick Cheney," "Study: 92 percent of Democrats are gay," "The Bible says Jesus favored capital gains cut."

Playboy: What was the reaction at the network?

Groening: We were forbidden ever to do it again. Fox said it would confuse viewers. I don't see how you would think it's real news on a cartoon show, but we'll see.

******

Isn't comparing Murdoch to Stalin unfair? I mean, unfair to Stalin. Send Murdoch musings to slate.pressbox@gmail.com. (E-mail may be quoted by name in "The Fray," Slate's readers' forum, in a future article, or elsewhere unless the writer stipulates otherwise. Permanent disclosure: Slate is owned by the Washington Post Co.)

Roman Catholic Church Appology

2007-07-17T12:02:00.000-05:00

Fwd: Don't Miss Tuesday's Free Webcast: How to Boost Client Satisfaction - and Service Margins

2007-07-16T12:26:00.000-05:00

PC Magazine PCMagCast <pcmagcast@enews.pcmag.com> wrote:

Date: Fri, 20 Jul 2007 07:10:13 UT
To: michaelinlivonia@yahoo.com
From: PC Magazine PCMagCast <pcmagcast@enews.pcmag.com>
Subject: Don't Miss Tuesday's Free Webcast: How to Boost Client Satisfaction - and Service Margins

As a subscriber to Small Business Update, we're pleased to invite you to our next FREE PCMagCast.

Boost Service Margins and Client Satisfaction with Remote Services
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 2pm ET/11am PT
Duration 45 minutes

In an increasingly competitive business environment, is it possible to improve customer satisfaction and still remain profitable?

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New Things I learned at Last Week's Web 2.0 Expo,

2007-07-15T11:57:00.000-05:00

Here are the eight shiny, new things I learned at last week's Web 2.0 Expo, and why they signal the end of the world as we know it.

By Jim Louderback

I spent much of the early part of last week at the big Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco. Unlike prior Web 2.0 events—where a small core of tech leaders met to plan the revolution—10,000 foot soldiers showed up to learn how to win the war. It reminded me of some of the early Internet shows of the mid-'90s, or the Windows conferences before that. I learned a lot, particularly about some of the new terms and new ways people are building these new-age businesses. Here, in no particular order, are some of the new ideas that the Web 2.0 army are talking about.

Here are the eight shiny, new things I learned at last week's Web 2.0 Expo, and why they signal the end of the world as we know it.

Virtuous Circle This is the ultimate nirvana for the user-generated Web 2.0 world. It goes something like this: Create tools that help people create blogs; they create blogs that talk about our tools; and then they inspire people to read the blogs, buy the tools, and then make their own blogs! Unfortunately, it's really just a self-referential group of people picking each other's pockets. It reminds me more of Spy vs. Spy, or a terminal game of Duck Duck Goose, than a group hug.

Twitter Transmit your every thought to, well, everyone at the touch of a button! This new micro-blogging platform allows you to annoy your friends with all the mundane things you do every day. So, instead of writing a blog post every few hours that details all of the deep thoughts you've had, you can spew them out to e-mail, IM, and cell phones as soon as you think them! And, with only 140 characters, the more shallow or vacuous, the better! A-list bloggers and Web 2.0 celebrities discovered this service a month or so ago, and already they're addicted. Blogs across the Web are lying fallow as a steady stream of pedantic messages describing what's being masticated, or expectorated, twits incessently from one to many. It's not all champagne and roses, though: Those twitters can get you in trouble if you spew without thinking. So I found out. It's a great tool for finding your friends on a Saturday night. It's a lousy way to build a business.

Headcasting But Twitter is so, like, two weeks ago. Now there's headcasting. Instead of twittering on and on every few minutes, you simply staple a camera to your head and stream your life to the world. Now that audience you've built can watch all the mundane, boring, and occasionally exciting things you do all day, every day. You can tune into Justin Kan's life at Justin.TV, and you could have enjoyed über-blogger Robert Scoble's life as he lived it, but, unfortunately, it was all just too stressful for him. Justin's a sexually ambiguous young professional living in San Francisco (a situation inherently more interesting than that of a middle-aged blogger from the 'burbs). Alas, the only time anyone really wanted to watch (a recent dalliance), he turned the darn thing off. Want to headcast yourself? The new site ustream.tv makes it all possible.

I Phone Generics

2007-07-06T18:15:00.001-05:00

Any Phone Can be an iPhone
06.29.07

Live the iPhone dream on your on handset.

Total posts: 3

By Sascha Segan

Do you have iPhone envy? Are you looking at your current phone and thinking: "I wish I could have an iPhone. Those iPhones, I've heard, are darn pretty hot." Fortunately, there's software that can enable many phones with some, if not all, of the features that Steve Jobs has shown on his fancy magic slab. And all of this comes at a fraction of the price of the iPhone.

iTunes integration
The ultimate iTunes integration actual compatibility with everything including purchased music comes on Motorola's SLVR L7 phone. Tea Vui Huang's popular Mass Storage Synchronizer (http://teavuihuang.com/massstorsync/) lets you sync iTunes (non-purchased) music onto Sony Ericsson, Nokia and Palm Treo phones. On other phones including the Motorola RAZR V3xx, you can use Nutsie, a software application that streams a subset of your iTunes library to you over the air.

iSync
Sure, the iPhone syncs nicely with Macs. But so do many other phones (http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/isync/devices.html) , especially models from Motorola and Nokia. I like the Nokia N80 and E61i, for instance.

Safari
Nokia's smartphones, such as the E61i and N95 actually run a Web browser derived from the same engine as Safari. Other phones though can get full Web browsing power by loading up Opera Mini. In some ways, Opera Mini is even better than a "desktop-class" browser for devices with very small screens because it reformats pages into one long column and collapses menus and navigation bars to reduce scrolling.

Google Maps
You've probably seem the smart-looking Google Maps iPhone ad on TV. But actually, this feature isn't so special. Everybody can do that Google Local for Mobile is compatible with many, many phones. On the Helio Ocean, Google Local even combines with GPS to show the attractions right near where you're standing, right now.

Podcasts
Apple's iPod popularized podcasting, online radio shows that you can take with you. But iTunes is not the only software pushing podcasts onto phones. Melodeo has gone even further with their Mobilcast client. The new version 5 promises better sound quality and runs on a slew of Motorola, Nokia, and Sony Ericsson phones. With it, you can stream podcasts or download them for later listening when you lack a cell signal.

Visual Voicemail
Blackberries get the closest to Apple's Visual Voicemail service thanks to SimulSays from SimulScribe, a service that both transcribes your voice mail messages and lets you step through them in a list. But any phone can take advantage of SimulScribe, which doesn't do the list but sends you your voice mails as e-mails or text messages so you never have to dial in again.

Okay. So maybe this won't give your phone a 3.5-inch screen or "multi-touch" interface, but at least you won't be absolutely seething with jealousy. Anyway, who knows how this iPhone thing will actually perform? Maybe you'll feel you got the better end of the deal with your own pumped-up phone.

In this roundup:

Nutsie
To say it streams your iTunes to you is a gross oversimplification. But Nutsie does an interesting trick, getting you chunks of your familiar playlists over the air on your mobile phone.

Opera Mini
The ultimate mobile phone Web browser shows that many phones can be gateways to the full Internet, not just to that lousy bunch of "mobile Web sites" your carrier wants you to access.

Google Local for Mobile
Free maps everywhere are the goal and achievement of this little app, which runs on a wide range of devices.

Mobilcast
Mobilcast brings hundreds of podcasts to dozens of phones, guaranteeing that you'll rarely run out of material to listen to on your music phone.

Simulsays
and SimulScribe
Together, they're the best thing to happen to voice mail since, well, since voice mail. We'd rather read our voice mails than have to sit there listening to them, and we're betting you agree.

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Any Phone Can be an iPhone

06.29.07

Live the iPhone dream on your on handset.

By Sascha Segan

Bug: Apple iPhoneDo you have iPhone envy? Are you looking at your current phone and thinking: "I wish I could have an iPhone. Those iPhones, I've heard, are darn pretty hot." Fortunately, there's software that can enable many phones with some, if not all, of the features that Steve Jobs has shown on his fancy magic slab. And all of this comes at a fraction of the price of the iPhone.

iTunes integration

The ultimate iTunes integration – actual compatibility with everything including purchased music – comes on Motorola's SLVR L7 phone. Tea Vui Huang's popular Mass Storage Synchronizer (http://teavuihuang.com/massstorsync/) lets you sync iTunes (non-purchased) music onto Sony Ericsson, Nokia and Palm Treo phones. On other phones including the Motorola RAZR V3xx, you can use Nutsie, a software application that streams a subset of your iTunes library to you over the air.

iSync

Sure, the iPhone syncs nicely with Macs. But so do many other phones (http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/isync/devices.html) , especially models from Motorola and Nokia. I like the Nokia N80 and E61i, for instance.

Safari

Nokia's smartphones, such as the E61i and N95 actually run a Web browser derived from the same engine as Safari. Other phones though can get full Web browsing power by loading up Opera Mini. In some ways, Opera Mini is even better than a "desktop-class" browser for devices with very small screens because it reformats pages into one long column and collapses menus and navigation bars to reduce scrolling.

Google Maps

You've probably seem the smart-looking Google Maps iPhone ad on TV. But actually, this feature isn't so special. Everybody can do that – Google Local for Mobile is compatible with many, many phones. On the Helio Ocean, Google Local even combines with GPS to show the attractions right near where you're standing, right now.

Podcasts

Apple' iPod popularized podcasting, online radio shows that you can take with you. But iTunes is not the only software pushing podcasts onto phones. Melodeo has gone even further with their Mobilcast client. The new version 5 promises better sound quality and runs on a slew of Motorola, Nokia, and Sony Ericsson phones. With it, you can stream podcasts or download them for later listening when you lack a cell signal.

Visual Voicemail

Blackberries get the closest to Apple's Visual Voicemail service thanks to SimulSays from SimulScribe, a service that both transcribes your voice mail messages and lets you step through them in a list. But any phone can take advantage of SimulScribe, which doesn't do the list but sends you your voice mails as e-mails or text messages so you never have to dial in again.

In this roundup:
Nutsie (Public Beta)Nutsie

To say it streams your iTunes to you is a gross oversimplification. But Nutsie does an interesting trick, getting you chunks of your familiar playlists over the air on your mobile phone.

MenuOpera Mini

The ultimate mobile phone Web browser shows that many phones can be gateways to the full Internet, not just to that lousy bunch of "mobile Web sites" your carrier wants you to access.

Google Local for Mobile

Free maps everywhere are the goal and achievement of this little app, which runs on a wide range of devices.

State Tax Comparisons

2007-07-04T23:03:00.001-05:00

FSB Who loves small business best? 2006

Which states are low on taxes and light on government regulations? Exclusive rankings for FSB.com from the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council.*

Full list

Rank	State	Index score
1	South Dakota	26.36
2	Nevada	29.92
3	Wyoming	35.84
4	Alabama	40.33
5	Washington	40.42
6	Florida	40.82
7	Mississippi	41.09
8	Colorado	42.68
9	Texas	42.71
10	Michigan	42.74
11	South Carolina	44.56
12	Indiana	44.87
13	Tennessee	44.97
14	Virginia	45.46
15	Arizona	45.75
16	Pennsylvania	45.86
17	Alaska	46.77
18	New Hampshire	47.26
19	Delaware	47.31
20	Arkansas	48.16
21	Illinois	48.49
22	Missouri	49.24
23	Oklahoma	49.46
24	North Dakota	49.85
25	Georgia	49.90
26	Utah	50.10
27	Wisconsin	51.48
28	Maryland	51.85
29	New Mexico	52.51
30	Montana	53.90
31	Nebraska	54.22
32	Connecticut	54.25
33	Louisiana	54.27
34	Idaho	54.52
35	Kansas	54.80
36	Kentucky	56.27
37	West Virginia	56.66
38	Ohio	56.73
39	Oregon	57.06
40	North Carolina	57.48
41	Iowa	57.76
42	Vermont	59.48
43	Massachusetts	61.06
44	Hawaii	62.61
45	New York	62.65
46	Minnesota	63.59
47	Maine	63.99
48	Rhode Island	64.97
49	California	65.12
50	New Jersey	65.35
51	Washington, D.C.**	75.42

Footnotes:
* SBE Council, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit which advocates for reduced government taxes and regulations on small business, tends to lobby for the Republican agenda when it comes to taxes and regulations.
** Washington, D.C. was not included in a study ranking states by liability systems, so DC.'s index score is underestimated.

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Yahoo! oneSearch: Finally, mobile search that gives answers, not web links.

Internet Sell Out Websites

2007-07-04T21:56:00.001-05:00

10 Sites We Liked Better Before They Sold Out
06.26.07

The Web used to be about keeping it real! Now all of the sites that we used to love have turned mainstream, legal, and (gasp) profitable! We still like these 10 sites, but there's no denying they were a lot better before they sold out.

Total posts: 5

By Kyle Monson, Whitney Reynolds, Brian Heater and Dan Evans

		SLIDESHOW (10)

		Slideshow \| All Shots

Money can't buy cool. In fact, money and cool are often inversely related. A perfect example is when a cool Web site gets a huge acquisition-funded payday, and then it proceeds to dismantle all the Web-cred it spent years building.

The Web is littered with these sites and services. Some, like Napster, have faded into obscurity as they've gone legit. Others, like MySpace, just become bigger and, arguably, less cool. We liked all of the sites presented here much better before they started chasing profitability, mainstream acceptance, and/or legality.

Here are a couple of the sites you'll find in our 10 Sites That Sold Out:

Google
http://www.google.com
"Google" wasn't always a verb (Google's legal team would argue that it still isn't). It also wasn't always a massive tech company with diverse products in advertising, search, messaging, mapping, radio, video, news, financial analysis, Web analytics, word processing, and global domination. It used to just be a wicked-fast search engine with a cartoony logo.

Match.com
http://www.match.com
MindBindFind with Dr. Phil? So now our online matches have to be endorsed by Dr. Phil? That just makes us feel more desperate than ever. "You're so pathetic, our regular site can't help you find love. You need a Doctor." Ouch.

Now check out the rest of our 10 Sites That Sold Out slideshow, including Ask.com, Facebook, Fark.com, Last.fm, MySpace, Napster, Times Select, and YouTube.

More Top Tens:
10 Sites We Liked Better Before They Sold Out
Top 10 Wackiest Technology Concepts, Part II
10 Weird Summer Gadgets
Our 15 Favorite Celebrity Websites
10 Wacky Tech Toasters
more

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Sicko Movie from Michael Moore

2007-07-04T21:54:00.001-05:00

Reviews of the latest films.

Sick Joke Michael Moore gathers our rage at America's health-care system.

By Dana Stevens
Posted Friday, June 29, 2007, at 1:29 PM ET

To listen to Slate's Spoiler Special about Sicko, click the arrow button on the player below:

You can also click here to download the MP3 file, or you can subscribe to the Spoiler Special podcast feed in iTunes by clicking here.

Michael Moore
Even those viewers who are ideologically in sync with Michael Moore can find plenty to critique in his methods: the gimmicks, the deck-stacking, the deliberate neglect of opposing points of view. On the other hand, even Moore's worst ideological enemies would be hard put to dispute the basic argument of his new film Sicko (Weinstein Co.): The American health-care system is a sick joke and has been for a very long time.

We don't need Michael Moore to tell us this, of course. We get the clue from the ruinous medical bills that arrive in our mailbox, from our friends' gruesome stories of conditions untreated and claims denied, and even from the mouths of our own doctors. (My GP never misses an opportunity to grouse about the insanity of the insurance labyrinth.) The prize anecdote in our household was when, before having a child, I called my private health insurer to ask about a "family plan": How's this for a family plan, an Oxford rep told me, scarcely bothering to conceal her amusement. Your baby can be covered at the same full-price premium you're paying now, in essence doubling your rates. The people in Moore's documentary, many of whom he found after soliciting their stories on his Web site, tell tales that follow that same Lewis Carroll logic to far darker places.

After offering some brief glimpses of the hell inhabited by those with no health coverage at allthe film opens on a guy stitching up his own slashed knee, then visits a man who had to choose which finger he could afford to keep after a table-saw accidentMoore states that this isn't a movie about them, or their nearly 50 million uninsured compatriots. Instead, he's chosen to focus on Americans who have insurance and find themselves screwed up the yin-yang anyway. This is a wise choice from a rhetorical point of view, because by exploring the dilemmas faced by those who have shoveled out premiums for decades, Moore can show that our status quo doesn't just have a few soft spotsit's rotten to the core.

To give away too much about these people's stories would undermine one of the film's great strengths: the quiet dignity with which the subjects tell their tales themselves. Babies dying on the ride between the nearest hospital and the nearest in-network alternative. Spouses dying of cancer because the HMO deemed lifesaving procedures too "experimental" to try. (Isn't that the whole point of being experimental?) Moore listens to these stories without undue editorializingfor all his bullying of those in power (and, occasionally, the audience), he's a soft touch as an interviewer.

In one of the movie's best segments, insurance-industry insiders frankly admit that their profession is rapacious. A former medical director for an HMO, testifying before Congress, delivers a scathing rebuke both of the insurance industry and of her own role in denying patients care. Another whistle-blower describes the industry's tactics with stark clarity: "You're not slipping through the cracks. Somebody made that crack and swept you toward it." A woman who does customer service for a major insurer weeps as she recalls denying sick customers coverage, then adds, "That's why I'm such a bitch on the phone to people. I just can't take the stress."

The lighter second half of the film takes us on a three-country tour of free universal health care. Moore dashes around Canada, Britain, and France collecting anecdotal data about the superiority of those country's systemsand even if his methods are thoroughly unscientific, it's hard not to swoon with envy at the French SOS Médecins system, with doctors whisking from house call to house call in jaunty white cars. In a London hospital, Moore wanders around looking for the billing department in vain. All this is packaged with the usual Michael Moore jollity, interspersed with vintage clips from a Soviet-era musical about wheat-threshing and a '50s-era LP, recorded by Ronald Reagan, about the dangers of socialized medicine.

It's during the movie's finale, when Moore takes a boatful of sick Americans to Guantanamo Bay in search of free health care, when the deck gets stacked high enough to wobble a little. I don't begrudge him the prank, or the visual gag of shouting "Can we get some medical care?" through a megaphoneI confess to being a sucker for this kind David-and-Goliath political theater. But when Moore gives up on the prison and herds his flock, including three ailing 9/11 rescue workers, through the streets of Havana, his tone becomes almost reverent. An old Irving Berlin tune about the wonders of this tropical island paradise plays on the soundtrackostensibly ironically, but Moore seems to take it at face value. The scenes in a Cuban hospital, where the sick Americans tearfully thank their kind caregivers, are the only ones in the film that feel staged. I wish Moore could realize that he doesn't need to disavow dissenting ideas in order to build his (essentially airtight) case.

This folksy tour of the health-care crisis brings to mind the saying of another American populist, Mark Twain: "Everyone complains about the weather, but no one does anything about it." In a democracy, of course, complaining about something is doing something about it, as long as some of that griping is done at the polling booth. In that spirit, Sicko is less a documentary than a clearinghouse of rage. Though it has its share of voice-over exposition and comic stock footage, the film's real purpose is to aggregate individual health-care horror stories into a portrait of the profit-driven and (literally) inhospitable place our country has become.

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Transformers Movie Review

2007-07-04T21:51:00.001-05:00

Guts, gears and glory

'Transformers' has explosive fun with its robots from outer space

July 2, 2007

BY TERRY LAWSON

FREE PRESS MOVIE CRITIC

While it may not have the panache of the original "Pirates of the Caribbean," "Transformers" is just as much of an unexpected summer surprise. Not only is it full of way-cool machinery, epic robot fights and mind-dazzling effects, it also has more than its quotient of actual wit and fun.

"Wow, this is 10 times cooler than 'Armageddon,' " says an excited teenage boy, inspecting the chaos left from an encounter between the Autobots (the good guys) and the Decepticons (the bad guys), the battling 'bots from outer space.

Sure, it's a self-referential nod to the noisy space epic that put director Michael Bay on the summer spectacle A-list, but Bay at least knows himself: This is the movie that the rock 'em-sock 'em director was born to make.

"Transformers" also has a story that can be followed, if not always as cleanly unfolded as the CGI 'bots, and a cast that is as eager to sell the enterprise as the movie is to shill General Motors vehicles. (One extended sequence could be the best commercial the automaker could have ever conceived, showcasing almost its entire vehicle lineup.)

Shia LaBeouf plays Sam Witwicky, a high school junior whose great-grandfather was a once-famous Arctic explorer whose debunked claim that he discovered a giant ice man overrode his other accomplishments.

Now Sam is shamelessly hawking his ancestor's artifacts on eBay to finance his purchase of his first car, which turns out to be a beat-up yellow Camaro with a mind of its own. (Bernie Mac has a hilarious cameo as a used car salesman.) Though Sam lucks out in using his new chariot to rescue the girl of his dreams, sultry Mikaela (Megan Fox), from her bullying boyfriend, he barely has to time to savor his victory before the Camaro is stolen.

But when he plays follow-that-car on his mom's bike, he gets more than he bargained for: In the "Close Encounters" glow of a still night, the car rearranges itself into a three-story robot and grabs a light beam to make contact with what we presume is its alien leader.

Meanwhile, in Qatar, an elite military team led by Army Sgt. Lennox (Josh Duhamel) and USAF Tech Sgt. Epps (Tyrese Gibson) that has survived a heavy-barrage terrorist attack is menaced by a helicopter that turns itself into an unstoppable weapon, while a smaller robotic agent -- who turns out to be the film's chattering comic relief -- downloads classified codes.

Assuming the United States is under attack, Defense Secretary John Keller (Jon Voight, acting as if he has walked off the set of "24," as a couple of other military types in the film have) orders the best hackers in the nation to be rounded up and given the job of finding out who is behind the system hacking and the attacks.

The civilians include gorgeous, nose-pierced Aussie Maggie Madsen (Rachael Taylor), who unofficially enlists the smartest guy she knows, computer-game geek Glen Whitmann (Anthony Anderson) to assist her: It's Glen, of course, who cracks the code that all the Defense Department geniuses cannot: It's not other humans looking to go to war with us, but warring alien robots using Earth as their battlefield.

So here it is: Cool cars, giant robots from outer space, computer game mayhem and hot chicks -- everything 12-year-old-boys love in one movie. But it's the glee with which Bay and his army of technicians celebrate all of the above that transforms "Transformers" into something beyond an advertisement for the Hasbro toys on which the film was based.

It's the acknowledgement that an obsession with things that can be torn up and put back together is not just normal, but valiant, if not downright All-American. Bay and the writers have even provided a patriotic yet individualistic slogan -- no victory without sacrifice -- that even President George W. Bush and his opponents could agree on.

Of course, things occasionally malfunction: An extended gag about masturbation and a couple of other sexual references seem to have been included solely to obtain a PG-13 rating, so that teenagers will not shun it as a little kids movie. And the final showdown between the noble 'bots led by Optimus Prime (the voice of Peter Cullen) and the evil 'bots under the command of Megatron (Hugo Weaving), goes on forever and ever, wreaking so much havoc that the battle has at least three recognizable locations -- Los Angeles, Detroit and Toronto. "Transformers" is set in none of those places, but in that magical place where a guy -- or a gearhead girl, like Mikaela -- can burn off a lot of fuel and energy.

Contact TERRY LAWSON

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Movie Production Incentives for Michigan

2007-07-04T21:50:00.001-05:00

Ready for action

Financial incentives cast Michigan as great venue for film, TV production

July 2, 2007

BY KATHERINE YUNG

FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

In the race for moviemaking dollars, Michigan hopes to land a major supporting role.

Nearly six months after the state approved new cash incentives to lure movie, TV and commercial filming to the state, three productions have taken advantage of the offer, said Janet Lockwood, director of the Michigan Film Office.

This spring, New Line Cinema's "Semi-Pro" spent eight days shooting at the Michigan State Fairgrounds and various locations in Flint, Lockwood said. The movie features Will Ferrell and Andre Benjamin in a comedy set in the 1970s about the fictional Flint Michigan Tropics basketball team.

In February, opening scenes for "Jumper," starring Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson, were filmed in Ann Arbor and the Downriver area. The Doug Liman movie tells the tale of a teenager with teleporting powers who's on a quest to find the man responsible for the death of his mother.

The incentives also attracted a Michigan commercial production company, Process LLC in Grand Rapids. In June, it filmed part of a spiritual DVD film series called "Nooma" in Grand Rapids and outlying areas.

"I have a lot more money to give away," said Lockwood, who expects two more movie crews to come to Michigan later this year.

She and others in the state hope the incentives will draw Hollywood dollars to Michigan at a time when it can no longer rely on the auto industry for jobs.

The Motion Picture Association of America estimates that a big-budget film can inject $225,000 into the local economy for each day of filming. The number of movies released last year reached a record 607.

Michigan and several other states, such as Texas and Massachusetts, have taken notice, either offering new incentives for filmmakers or sweetening existing ones.

The subsidies have become a necessity for states competing for movie production business. The deals mainly provide tax credits, exemptions and rebates.

In Michigan, companies can get up to a 20% refund of their production costs if they spend more than $200,000.

So far, the incentives have sparked more interest in filmmaking in Michigan in the first six months of this year than in all of 2006, when film revenues totaled only $2 million, Lockwood said.

But other than a few ads in the Hollywood Reporter, the state hasn't been able to market its deals to Hollywood studios in a big way. Michigan's budget crisis has frozen state spending, including the $500,000 over four years allocated to promote the incentives.

"I haven't been able to sell it as I hoped," Lockwood said.

Film revenue in Michigan reached a high of $20 million in 2001, a year that saw the production of "8 Mile," "American Pie 2," "Road to Perdition" and "Super Sucker," Lockwood said. But without any significant incentives, the state hasn't been able to successfully compete for major productions in recent years.

Though Michigan once used to rank in the middle of all states for movie production, it's now in the bottom half, Lockwood said. Its biggest competitor: Canada.

But with the incentives, the situation could dramatically change. Lockwood anticipates Michigan's film revenue could reach $40 million or $50 million in the next two years thanks to the subsidies.

Movie atmosphere

No place in Michigan benefits more from filmmaking than Detroit, the venue most requested by production companies looking for gritty industrial landscapes like those seen in "Out of Sight," filmed in 1997.

The city would like to build a film district, said Al Fields, director of the Detroit Film Office. He envisions a large building with sound stages, offices and studios that would serve as a film incubator for the area.

Executives at the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau also recognize the potential. In April, the organization sent two staff members to help Lockwood promote Michigan and Detroit at a trade show for production companies in Santa Monica, Calif. Further sales efforts may follow.

While moviemaking can bring in big bucks for hotels and restaurants and create temporary jobs, the movie itself can sometimes spark tourism to a city in ways most ads cannot.

For example, hundreds of fans of the 1980 romance "Somewhere in Time," starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, gather at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island during the last weekend of each October to celebrate the film.

Despite this kind of benefit, some people don't think states should be providing special deals for movie studios.

"Someone has to pay for that direct subsidy," said Andrew Chamberlain, an economist for Tax Foundation, a research group in Washington, D.C. "There is no such thing as a free lunch."

To pay for the deals, taxes must either go up or governments need to cut spending, he added.

But such arguments aren't likely to sway states like Michigan that are hungry for anything to boost economic development.

Producers of "Semi-Pro" estimated they would spend $1.2 million in Flint and nearby areas, Lockwood said. The film crew for "Jumper" calculated it would buy $685,000 in local products and services.

And Process, the producer of the "Nooma" series, said Michigan's new incentives encouraged it to hire as many local people as possible for its 40-member film crew. The company estimates it will spend just over $200,000, money that in the past might have gone to cities in Illinois and Florida.

"It's a substantial incentive, and if all things being equal, you can do it in one of two places, obviously you would do it here," said Brett VanTil, Process' executive producer.

With such results, some in the industry are thinking of adding more subsidies. The Michigan Production Alliance, a trade group for film and video production companies and others, envisions offering tax credits to studios for hiring local sound technicians, script supervisors and other production personnel.

"We have the talent pool to make it happen," said Mark Adler, director of the alliance. "There's room to grow."

By KATHERINE YUNG.

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Rent To Own Real Estate

2007-07-04T21:48:00.001-05:00

Rent-to-own gains appeal in slow market

Nontraditional option can benefit both sellers and buyers

July 1, 2007

BY DARRELL HUGHES

FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

Michigan's sour housing market is pushing more sellers to slap rent-to-own signs in their front yards to lure buyers.

At the same time, more purchasers are opting to get into homes using this nontraditional method, some real estate agents say.

Raymond Lemons of RE/MAX Properties Inc. in Riverview said he has closed 10 rent-to-own deals in the past two years compared with none before then. Jaye Simpson of Nextpointe Real Estate Service in Troy said she completed about 15 rent-to-own transactions in 2006 and did 20 in the first three months of this year. Agents say the surge in rent-to-own deals in the region can be attributed to the increase in foreclosures, bad credit resulting from job cuts, homes sitting on the market too long and people not having enough money for a down payment.

Simpson, however, said the jump in her business is due to a decrease in subprime mortgage lending. Such loans are designed to assist buyers who have damaged credit.

"Since that particular portion of the industry is shrinking, rent-to-own is now a new and more popular strategy," she said, noting that lenders are more reluctant to issue subprime mortgages in a less-than-robust housing market.

But Dennis Fassett, owner of Michigan Property Solutions Group in Franklin, said people just aren't saving enough.

"So the result is that when something happens, even something small, people can't recover and they end up losing their homes," Fassett said. "Rent-to-own is then the only way they can get back into a home."

Fassett also said sellers are using rent-to-own more because they're unable to attract buyers. Jeff Wilkinson's Ypsilanti home has been on the market since September 2006. After losing his manufacturing job and moving to Salt Lake City, the 32-year-old is now offering a rent-to-own deal.

"It's kind of a rough market right now," he said. And rent-to-own is "just another option to attract a larger number of people." A rent-to-own agreement has the ability to make tenants' rent money work for them, but terms of the lease have to be explained in detail, Lemons said.

This is how most rent-to-own deals are done:

Option contract.

An option refers to the down payment the purchaser gives the seller. After the down payment, the tenant must pay monthly rent. Portions of those lease payments are applied to the mortgage and the asking price of the house, which decreases the amount owed.

Land contract.

This method is similar to an option, but instead of portions of the monthly lease payments being applied to the asking price, those portions go to the landlord for other housing fees. The tenant is left to pay a monthly mortgage and fees while the asking price of the home remains the same.

When the lease expires for option and land contracts, the renter must finance the total balance of the home. This is known as a balloon payment.

Because leasing terms can be complicated, it is essential for all parties to clearly outline rent-to-own terms, Simpson said. For example, tenants and landlords should figure out who is responsible for maintenance, such as mowing the lawn or unclogging the kitchen sink. Such issues are often overlooked.

"All limitations on the tenant must be in the lease agreement," Simpson said.

This includes remodeling, changing landscaping and policies on whether pets are allowed.

Wilkinson, the seller, is deciding whether he or the future tenant will pay for maintenance.

"I hadn't thought that far ahead," he said, adding that he'll likely have the renter pay for repairs.

Lemons said he dealt with a situation in which a furnace had to be replaced after a rent-to-own deal was completed.

"We just deducted the cost of the furnace from the down payment. So there are ways to get around those kinds of things," he said.

It's best for individuals, buyers and sellers to safeguard themselves from unexpected hangups by clearly identifying the terms of any lease or rules, Lemons said.

Consumers, for instance, should read agreements carefully because some rent-to-buy contracts may include stringent rules that could lead to eviction. In particular, tenants should review language regarding penalties for late payments. Lawyers should also review rent-to-own documents, Lemons said.

Rules "have to be spelled out in the paperwork so that everyone knows what they are responsible for," he said. "There's a lot of fraud going on."

By DARRELL HUGHES

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Saturn SUV

2007-07-04T21:46:00.001-05:00

Saturn Outlook ranked among top sport-utilities

July 3, 2007

BY JOE GUY COLLIER

FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

The Saturn Outlook lived up to its billing as a flexible utility vehicle by placing in not one but two categories in an issue of Consumer Reports set to hit newsstands today.

The Outlook, a three-seat-row vehicle built at General Motors Corp.'s Lansing Delta Township Plant, ranked third among midsize SUVs behind the Toyota Highlander Hybrid and Honda Pilot in the August issue of Consumer Reports.

The Outlook ranked second behind the Mercedes-Benz GL450 among large SUVs. Consumer Reports also included the Outlook in the large SUV rankings because of its roomy interior.

The Outlook is the best-performing high-volume GM vehicle in years, said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports' Auto Test Center in East Haddam, Conn.

The rankings are based on a set of 50 tests and evaluations that measure characteristics such as acceleration, braking, handling, comfort, interior noise and the ease of use of controls and displays.

"It's extremely competitive in terms of the way it drives," Champion said about the Outlook. "It has nice steering, good handling and reasonable fuel economy. The interior fit and finish is up to the competition. It's very roomy inside. It just does what the market is looking for in many ways."

Durability is the remaining question for the Outlook, which was launched late last year and has not been on the market long enough to judge its durability, Champion said.

"With the Outlook, they seemed to have got it all right," he said. "The only thing we cannot say at the moment is whether it's going to hold together."

The ranking in Consumer Reports is significant because the magazine and its Web site are a popular tool for people shopping for cars.

"Our research tells us that Consumer Reports is the most influential by far of all the third-party surveys and rankings that are done," said GM spokesman Tom Wilkinson.

The Outlook represents a key shift for both the Saturn brand and GM lineup. Trying to reverse declining sales, Saturn began launching a series of redesigned and all-new vehicles last year, including the Outlook. Saturn sales were up 30% through May of this year to 103,935 vehicles.

The Outlook also is part of a family of GM vehicles, including the GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave, which fit into a growing category known as crossovers. These vehicles have the space of traditional SUVs, which are built on heavy truck frames but have better handling and fuel economy because they're built on lighter car frames. The Outlook front-wheel-drive model gets an estimated 18 m.p.g. in city driving and 26 m.p.g. on the highway.

"I think there's a lot of interest in the whole crossover segment because of the fuel prices being higher," Wilkinson said. "We're certainly seeing a lot of interest in them."

By: JOE GUY COLLIER

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HMO Cost Increases

2007-07-04T21:44:00.001-05:00

HMO premiums look to be on the rise

In Midwest, 18.4% rate boost predicted

July 2, 2007

BY PATRICIA ANSTETT

FREE PRESS MEDICAL WRITER

HMOs nationwide are expected to raise monthly premiums 14.1% in 2008, the highest rate in four years, a national human resources firm projects.

Two regions -- the Midwest and Southeast -- face the highest average rate increases, said Hewitt Associates, a Lincolnshire, Ill.-based company that helps 160 large companies manage health benefits.

Premiums in the Midwest may increase 18.4% in 2008.

Rates have been steadily increasing since 2005, when Midwest premiums jumped 13.1%. They rose 11.7% in 2006 and 11.5% in 2007.

The projections are preliminary but serve as a barometer of what's to come later this year. The company doesn't compile state-specific data.

Last year, the company projected HMO rate increases of 11.7%; final average rates increased by 8.2%.

Lower-than-expected increases may occur again this year, but they will likely be 10% or more, the company said in a prepared statement.

BY: PATRICIA ANSTETT

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The World Needs More Rebels Like Einstein

2007-07-02T15:15:00.001-05:00

How nonconformity, not rote learning, unlocked his genius, by Walter Isaacson

ALBERT EINSTEIN, AS every kid knows, was a smart guy. But as we discover when we get older, smart gets you only so far. It’s worth remem- bering, especially now, that what made Einstein special was his impertinence, his nonconformity, and his distaste for dogma. At a time when the US, worried about com- petition from China, is again emphasizing math and science education, Einstein’s genius reminds us that a society’s competitive advantage comes not from teaching the multiplication or periodic tables but from nurturing reb- els. Crinds have their place, but unruly geeks change the world. And, as recent research into Einstein’s personal papers shows, there’s no better glimpse into his offbeat creativity than the way he puzzled out the special theory of relativity. As a child, Einstein was slow to speak. This, combined with rebels like einstein had one schoolmaster to send him packing and another to dismiss him as a lazy dog.

Other scientists had come close to this insight, but they were too confined by the dogmas of the day. Einstein was impertinent enough to rethink time. fl APR2007 “When I ask myself how it happened that I in particular discovered the relativity theory,” Einstein once said, “it seemed to lie in the following circumstance. The ordi- nary adult never bothers his head about the problems of space and time. But I developed so slowly that I began to wonder about space and time only when I was already grown up.” Einstein alienated so many professors that he was unable to earn a doctorate, much less land an academic job. At the age of 26, he was working as a third-class examiner at the Swiss patent office in Bern. As it happens, the patent office provided a better launch- pad than any university. On his way to work, Einstein would see trains rolling past the city’s 12th-century clock tower, which by then had been synchronized with clocks in the nearby train station, and many of the patent applications he was reviewing proposed using signals traveling at the speed of light to sync up even more distant clocks. By May 1905, Einstein was convinced of two postulates: First, that the laws of physics, including Maxwell’s equations for electromagnetic waves, were the same for all frames of reference in constant-velocity motion relative to one another, so there was no way to know whether one observer was at rest and the other in motion. Second, that the speed of light was always the same, regardless of the motion of the source. Yet the two ideas were “seemingly incompatible.” He visualized alight beam racing down a railway track. The postulates, taken together, would mean that a man standing next to the track would see the light beam race by him at the same speed that a woman sitting in a railway car would see it—whether she was zooming toward the beam’s source or away from it. Then something delightful happened. Einstein went to visit his best friend, Vlichele Besso, a brilliant but unfocused engineer he had recruited to come work at the patent office. Einstein told Besso about the dilemma. “I’m going to give it up,” he said. But as they walked to work, Einstein took one of the most elegant imaginative leaps in the history of physics. “I suddenly understood the key to the problem,” he later recalled. “Time cannot be absolutely defined.” Imagine lightning striking at both ends of along, fast-moving train. If the light from ‘each strike reaches a person standing on the embankment at the midpoint of the train at the same moment, he would say the strikes happened at the same time. But a person riding inside the train at its mid- point would be abit closer to the front light- ning strike by the time the light arrived; she would say that the light from the front strike reached her first, so the strikes were not simultaneous. From that sprang Einstein’s special theory of relativity. Two events that are simultaneous in one reference frame may not be simultaneous for someone moving relative to that reference frame. Therefore, time is relative depending on your state of motion. Try to catch up with alight beam and, though the speed of light remains constant, time slows down. Other scientists had come close to his insight, but they were too confined by the dogmas of the day. Einstein alone was impertinent enough to discard the notion of absolute time, one of the sacred tenets of classical physics since Newton. “Imagination is more important than knowledge,” Einstein later said. Indeed, if we are ever going to unravel the further mysteries of dark matter, come up with a unified theory, or discover the true nature of energy, we should carve that proclamation above all of our blackboards. ~ WALTER ISAACSON (wisaacson @gmail.com) wrote the biography Einstein: His Life and Universe, due inApril.

Auto Industry Marketing to Youth

2007-06-27T18:39:00.000-05:00

Foreign cars click with young buyers

June 25, 2007

BY DARRELL HUGHES

FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

When it comes to cars, teens and twentysomethings say they want three things: style, performance and affordability.

It's an equation that usually adds up to a foreign car purchase. Experts say the buying trend has taken off in recent years as foreign car companies have gone out of their way to lure younger customers.

Data from the Power Information Network show that those between the ages of 15 and 30 opt to purchase foreign vehicles more than domestic ones. Of the top 10 vehicles preferred by young adults in 2006, only two were traditional domestic brands: DaimlerChrysler's Jeep and General Motors' Pontiac.

Toyota's Scion brand claimed the No. 1 spot. Analysts say that's largely because Scion vehicles are affordable and are easy to modify.

When Jason McGhee purchased his Scion tC two years ago, the 27-year-old was most concerned with whether it was "something no one else could own." McGhee said he looked for cars that were eye-catching, and the Scion was different.

"Scion is almost like snap-on," he said. "It's ready to be upgraded whenever you're ready."

Toyota created Scion in 2003 with the hope that the young buyers it attracts will later purchase a Toyota or Lexus. The brand has three cars -- the tC, xB, xA -- which are specifically marketed to Generation Y, those between the ages of 18 and 25.

The vehicles offer satellite radio and are iPod-compatible.

LaKeith Bradford, a Scion manager at Page Toyota in Southfield, said the company prefers to let the brand speak for itself.

"People want a lot of car for their money," he said. He added that Scion owners typically spend $2,000 or more on vehicle upgrades.

Mazda and Volkswagen are also popular among the younger crowd.

Those companies use culture and events to impress youngsters.

Volkswagen has become known for popularizing music that is often ignored or overlooked.

Mazda, on the other hand, is involved with motor sports events that attract young people to the brand, said marketing director David Klan.

And while the domestic brands don't top the consideration list among young buyers, they are trying to incorporate more technology into their vehicles to woo Gen Y customers, said Christopher Li, a research associate with Power Information Network.

"GenYers are pushing a lot of companies like Ford, GM and Chrysler toward technology. And they're trying to get integrated with current technology," Li said, pointing out that more domestic vehicles are MP3 player compatible.

GM's Chevrolet product communications manager Wendy Clark said the company is monitoring Internet blogs and social networking sites such as MySpace.com and YouTube.com to see what comments young people post about cars.

GM says its Chevy Aveo and HHR have been hits with buyers younger than 30.

Art Spinella, vice president of CNW Marketing Research in Oregon, said the reasoning behind young people choosing foreign cars over domestic is more about perception.

"It isn't anything other than peer pressure," Spinella said, adding that young people are image conscious.

Some buyers disagree, saying young customers prefer foreign models because of better performance and quality.

Paul Brakeman, 18, asked his parents for a Honda Civic.

"We had Ford before and every two years we'd have to replace transmissions," he said.

Edmunds.com industry analyst Alex Rosten echoed Spinella and noted that it is essential for Detroit carmakers to captivate buyers while they're young.

In order to retain young buyers for a lifetime, Rosten said they need to produce smaller cheap cars that are stylish.

Mazda's Klan said manufacturers must be authentic and create valued cars because today's buyers are researchers.

"They seek information on their own terms, and they control the message," he said. "They're not afraid to make their own decision."

Contact DARRELL HUGHES at 313-223-4472 or dhughes@freepress.com.

UAW & Delphi negotiate peace

2007-06-27T18:37:00.000-05:00

TOM WALSH

How UAW, Delphi cut uneasy peace

Supplier survival hinges on vote

June 27, 2007

BY TOM WALSH

FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger is still so furious with Delphi Corp. and its executive chairman, Steve Miller, that he couldn't bring himself to mention either party by name when he tersely announced the tentative contract deal that workers are to vote on today and Thursday.

Rather, the UAW leader said his union had "finalized an understanding with General Motors" that resulted in a deal with GM's "former parts operations" -- otherwise known as Delphi, the corporate name too foul for Gettelfinger even to mention last week.

OK, we get it. There won't be a group hug at the end of this tussle, assuming Delphi workers ratify the deal.

But let's give a hearty round of applause anyway to both key combatants, Miller and Gettelfinger, for doing what needed to be done, no matter how unpleasant, to jar what's left of Detroit's domestic auto industry into survival mode.

Delphi looks like it will get what Miller said he needed at the outset of this two-year marathon: a contract that cuts hourly wage rates by nearly 50%, from $28 to a range between $14 and $18.50; higher employee contributions for health care benefits; and a much smaller U.S. manufacturing operation.

To soften the blow -- and avert a cataclysmic strike -- Gettelfinger persuaded GM to pay more than $7 billion for buyouts of up to $140,000 for departing Delphi employees; annual cash payments of $35,000 for three years to Delphi workers who stay on at reduced wages and rights for some workers to flow back into GM jobs that might become available.

Demands bring outrage

Miller, a former Chrysler Corp. vice chairman who also had corporate crisis experience with Bethlehem Steel, United Airlines and Southfield-based auto-parts maker Federal-Mogul, forced a showdown with the UAW soon after he was named chief executive officer of Delphi in the summer of 2005.

Delphi filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection of its U.S. operations that October.

Hourly workers' wages would need to be cut by half, Miller insisted, to enable Delphi to compete with its chief rivals in the U.S. auto-parts industry.

Health care and other benefits would face similar slashing.

And most of Delphi's U.S. manufacturing jobs would disappear altogether, as unprofitable plants would be sold or closed.

These demands, predictably, were met by howls of outrage from the UAW at the time. Gettelfinger and his union colleagues have repeatedly used words like disgusting, pigs and swine to describe Miller and other Delphi executives.

There is an element of theater in such name-calling.

The UAW, faced with such drastic demands, needed a villain to hate. That way, when Miller exits stage left -- he has already relinquished the CEO's role to Rodney O'Neal and will likely leave Delphi altogether when new private equity owners take over -- Gettelfinger can be seen as having vanquished the villain and persuaded GM to cough up the cash to give workers a soft landing.

Also fueling the emotion was the fact that Miller refused to play by the time-honored rules of the Detroit labor game. He pretty much put his final offer on the table from the outset, leaving the UAW little wiggle room to improve upon it enough to declare victory.

By filing bankruptcy, Miller held the sword of possibly voiding all union contracts over the UAW's head and said in essence, "Here's the way it's got to be. Take it or leave it."

Could Miller have been more diplomatic? Probably. But a message needed to be sent, and he chose not to pussyfoot around with it.

Delphi's hourly wage-and-benefit costs were stupendously higher than those of its competitors in auto parts. Delphi was losing billions of dollars. Incremental tweaks were not going to save the company. Radical, wrenching change was needed -- immediately.

"We're broke," Miller said over and over again.

As anger swelled in Delphi's union ranks, Miller was demonized. At first he took it in stride. "Executive character assassination is the blood sport of collective-bargaining olympics," he said.

But that anger soon fueled talk of a strike to shut down Delphi, which could in turn quickly cripple GM, which at the time was in a pickle of its own, fending off rumors that it, too, might declare bankruptcy as its stock price skidded to a 14-year low.

At 9 a.m. Nov. 23, 2005, the day before Thanksgiving, Miller and GM Chairman Rick Wagoner met to talk about defusing the Delphi time bomb.

GM, knowing it was legally on the hook for at least some Delphi severance and retirement costs, vowed to take an active role in talks between Delphi and the UAW and to provide Delphi interim financial support by not insisting on price cuts for Delphi-supplied parts in 2006.

But GM's most important role was to provide what Miller called a soft landing for thousands of Delphi workers who would either lose their jobs or see their wages and benefits halved in the restructuring. Delphi was GM's in-house parts unit until it was spun off as a separate company in 1999.

GM provides sweeteners to deal

Miller's a smart guy. He knew from the get-go that he was demanding cuts in jobs, wages and benefits that the UAW could never accept, unless it received sweeteners in the form of buyouts, early retirement packages and options for workers to flow back to GM.

Those sweeteners had to come from GM, and eventually they did.

So, did Miller consciously provoke a crisis to force GM to the table?

Why didn't GM act earlier to head off Delphi's Chapter 11 filing, which Gettelfinger continues to call unnecessary and mechanical?

Good questions, but at this point moot questions, assuming workers ratify the deal.

Miller got the contract he wanted. Gettelfinger wrangled generous exit packages for UAW workers leaving Delphi and the opportunity for former GM workers to flow back to the mother ship.

And GM must write some very big checks to make all this happen.

But remember, GM has been in a virtually continuous state of negotiations with the UAW since 2005, when it hammered out a landmark deal to cut retiree health care costs and announced plans to cut 30,000 jobs and idle 12 U.S. plants.

GM-UAW bargaining will merely intensify when national contract talks formally begin next month, and you can bet GM has a lot of ideas for how the union could express its thanks for GM's help in cleaning up the Delphi mess.

Contact TOM WALSH at 313-223-4430 or twalsh@freepress.com.

Podcast on Small Business Challenges

2007-06-25T13:07:00.001-05:00

Get Centered. Using Server-Based Networks to Meet Small Business Challenges
Thursday, June 28, 2007 at 2 p.m. EST/11 a.m. PST
Duration: 60 minutes

At your typical small business, network servers can quickly become part of the heartbeat of the company. If your business isn't using a server-based network and applications designed for them, you may be facing problems with decentralized data, inability to access and share files while on the move, no data backup process, and more!

In this PCMagCast, you'll learn how you can boost efficiency, save money and be more productive with a server-based network. Learn from our experts, experts from Dell, and two small business owners who have instructive stories to tell.

Hear first hand exactly how these two small businesses moved to server-based networks and the benefits associated. Take note of their real-world examples, and hear Dell's experts explain how they can help small businesses with their first server-based networks.

In this Dell/PCMag Webcast, you'll find out about:

How a server-based network can address key small business challenges
What the main components of a server-based network are
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Join this free webcast and get ready to learn from our panel of small business server owners and experts. Register today!

About our Sponsor:
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Real Estate Commision

2007-06-22T14:42:00.001-05:00

KENNETH HARNEY

Slow home sales drive commissions higher

June 17, 2007

Tough times selling homes may be spurring a surprise side effect on real estate commissions: For the first time in years, the average commission on sales nationwide rose slightly last year.

According to a review of revenue and cost data from hundreds of brokerages by the industry publication Real Trends, the average commission rose by nearly one-fifth of a percentage point last year to just under 5.2%. That turnaround came despite the growing numbers of realty firms that offer discounted standard commissions or limited-service options where consumers pay lower fees but perform some of the tasks traditionally handled by full-service realty agents.

A new study by the Consumer Federation of America found that large numbers of Americans are not aware that realty commissions are negotiable. They are. You can always bargain for a lower rate, but agents and brokers are also free to reject your request and turn down your listing.

During the 1980s and early '90s, 7% was considered the standard full-service commission rate in many large metropolitan areas. During the late '90s and into the housing boom years, average commissions dropped steadily through the 6% level and stabilized at around 5%.

One key reason for the decline was the relative ease of selling houses at ever-billowing prices. In the hottest markets, buyers lined up and fought bidding wars for houses. Some sellers asked: Why pay 6% to a realty agent when houses almost sell themselves?

Now the market is starkly different -- sales are down, inventories up, prices anemic -- and a different approach to commissions may be gaining ground. More realty agents are refusing listings that don't come with full 6% commissions. A handful of high-octane agents are even charging 6 1/2 % to 7%.

Another reason for higher commissions: In slow-moving markets glutted with homes for sale, listing agents seek to entice buyers' agents with higher co-op commissions. Most commissions are split between the listing agent and the agent who brings the buyer to the table.

Not all agents agree that tougher times justify full commissions, however. Erin Campbell, a spokeswoman for Assist-2-Sell, a discount realty franchisor, says her firm's agents provide full-service representation for fixed fees ranging from $2,995 to $4,995.

"One of the biggest misperceptions consumers have is that you need to pay full price to get great service in challenging markets," she said.

KENNETH HARNEY, based in Washington, writes on national housing issues. His e-mail address is kenharney@earthlink.net.

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Vacant Real Estate

2007-06-22T14:39:00.001-05:00

Unheeded homes

Neglected unsold properties create neighborhood eyesores

June 17, 2007

BY SUZETTE HACKNEY

FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER

Psssst! Curb appeal really does matter.

Yet with the glut of empty houses -- both for sale and foreclosed -- unkempt properties are increasing in nearly every community in metro Detroit. Instead of homes with neat lawns, trimmed shrubs and bright flowers in place, neighbors and potential buyers contend with thigh-high grass, busted shutters, falling roof shingles and litter, debris and mailers all over the porch, lawn and curb.

Ultimately, that mess decreases everyone's property value.

"If you're not taking care of the house, it is certainly detracting from street appeal, and that is something that could harm any potential sale of the home," said Walter Molony, spokesman for the National Association of Realtors. "It's certainly in the interest of the owner to maintain some presentability so that people will want to go inside."

Molony said the contracts between sellers and agents dictate who cares for vacant properties, but it is unusual for agents to take on such a responsibility, especially in markets with a high inventory, like southeast Michigan.

According to the National Association of Homebuilders, as many as 1.4 million new housing units are sitting vacant, an all-time high. And nationwide, 3.75 million existing homes were for sale at the end of March, the National Association of Realtors reported. That was a 7.3-month supply at the current slow sales pace, compared with a 6.8-month supply in February.

Job transfers, sellers who already have purchased another house and moved, and those who have lost their homes to foreclosure have contributed to the increase in vacant properties in southeast Michigan. Coupled with an overall sluggish market and plunging home values, serious buyers are having a heyday. They expect more for less and can demand it or take their dollars elsewhere.

So there's no debate among real estate professionals that any house on the market should be in the best possible shape. And even though their names may appear on the signs outside homes, agents can -- and will -- only do so much.

"When people look at a street and they find foreclosures and uncared-for vacant properties, it decreases the value of surrounding homes -- that is a statistical fact," said Keith Weber, an agent who markets homes in southern Oakland County. "Sure, I'll mow a lawn, and you won't talk to an agent who says they don't. It may not be my responsibility, but it is my reflection."

The problem isn't only here in metro Detroit.

In Sacramento, Calif., for example, thousands of unsold and empty houses are becoming breeding grounds for mosquitoes because of uncared-for swimming pools, garden ponds and yards flooded by broken sprinklers.

Earlier this month, 6,500 real estate agents were e-mailed a letter from the Sacramento Association of Realtors encouraging them to report any standing water, fountains, pools or ponds as they show homes for sale or visit unoccupied properties.

Weber said he recommends that homeowners hire a company or individual to keep up home maintenance if they must vacate the property, but sellers often get discouraged by the length of time it takes to sell or become resigned that nothing will help push the property.

Foreclosures, he said, are a different concern. Often the homeowners have been forced out of the house and don't have the resources to keep things up. Still, some banks are pretty attentive to foreclosed properties and contract with companies to care for their inventory, he said.

Contact SUZETTE HACKNEY at 313-222-6614 or shackney@freepress.com.

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Auto Dealerships

2007-06-22T14:38:00.001-05:00

DEALERSHIP OVERLOAD | PART 1 OF 3

Excess dealers costing billions

Surplus puts U.S. auto industry at disadvantage

June 17, 2007

BY SARAH A. WEBSTER

FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

EDITOR'S NOTE: This report has been corrected since its initial publication. There are 15,710 independent dealerships that sell GM, Ford and Chrysler vehicles in the United States.

For 25 years, John Santilli has been an ambassador for Detroit, selling domestic cars and trucks off Amvets Memorial Highway, just south of Boston.

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Business is tougher than it used to be. But the New England dealer doesn't just blame Japanese rivals like Toyota and Honda. These days, he also grouses about his fellow Dodge dealers.

At least 10 competing Dodge stores are within a half-hour drive of his store in Brockton, and last year they fought over nearly 4,000 fewer customers than the year before.

"There's waaaay too many dealers," the Massachusetts car dealer said. "Way too many."

Santilli's troubles illustrate what has become one of the most challenging and expensive problems facing Detroit's automakers: too many dealerships.

Once a vast network of mighty money-makers across America, Detroit's retail network has been wounded by years of falling sales. Thousands of stores are struggling and can't afford to deliver the retail experience that could help woo customers back to Detroit's improving cars and trucks.

The automakers do have many profitable, first-rate dealerships nationwide, and dealers for Detroit automakers tend to score well in customer surveys.

But excess dealerships -- amounting to at least 20% nationally -- weigh down the retail network as a whole, ultimately costing sales and adding up to $4 billion annually to the automakers' costs, industry analysts and many dealers say.

The competitive disadvantage is wide for dealers, too. The independent dealerships that sell GM, Ford and Chrysler vehicles in the United States -- 15,710 in all -- sell half as many vehicles per store, on average, as top Japanese rivals, who have fewer than 4,000 retail outlets in the United States.

"We all agree we have too many dealers, but nobody wants to raise their hand and say, 'I'll go,' " said John Daoud, president and chief executive officer of Al Long Ford, a Warren dealership founded by his grandfather. "It's hard to just walk away."

Leo Jerome, a longtime Michigan dealer who owns a Chrysler-Jeep store in Lansing, said there's no question Detroit automakers added too many stores over the years.

"If they could squeeze another one in, they did," he said.

Dealers and industry experts say that fixing this nagging problem has never been more crucial. Detroit's automakers are rolling out some of their best new cars and trucks ever, and they need strong stores, top to bottom, to help attract and impress customers.

Britt Beemer, chairman of America's Research Group, based in Charleston, S.C., said his research in at least 20 markets found that some dealerships turn off consumers.

"One out of three have serious appearance problems," said Beemer, whose firm studies consumer behavior around the world for giants like AT&T, J.C. Penney and General Electric.

Detroit's automakers say they're working to downsize their dealer networks, leaving strong, well-positioned stores across the board. But it's difficult for automakers to accomplish that quickly or affordably because they're hamstrung by state laws, individual dealer contracts and the gritty will of dealers who want to keep their businesses alive -- or don't want to sell out at prices automakers can afford.

Buying out enough dealers to make an impact could cost billions.

Mega-dealer Joe Serra, president of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, said the automakers would be better off if they could streamline stores faster, but he is sympathetic to the challenges.

"I think they're doing what they can," he said. "It's really difficult, and I respect that."

In the meantime, struggling dealerships have less money for advertising, modern buildings, salespeople and customer amenities, such as loaner cars -- all of which can help boost sales.

"The extras go away," Beemer said. "Maybe they don't wash your car when you have an oil change anymore."

Dealership troubles

Santilli's situation in Boston demonstrates the real-world impact of this situation.

To get as many of the shrinking Dodge sales in the market as he could last year, Santilli sold his vehicles with big discounts. But with fewer sales and lower prices, Santilli's Dodge store lost money for the second year in a row. So he can't afford to revamp his outdated facilities and invest in employees and advertising he needs to grow.

In the end, his dealership pales against the new, multimillion-dollar Toyota store across the street.

And he's just one dealership.

Across America, Detroit-brand dealerships had about 800,000 fewer sales to divvy up in 2006 than in 2005. That translates into about $1.2 billion less in combined gross profits for stores, while costs are rising.

Meanwhile, Detroit's automakers spend billions of dollars annually supporting its overloaded dealership network.

That includes the cost of delivering vehicles to stores and offering a variety of administrative services, such as marketing assistance, parts-and-service support, auditing and other behind-the-scenes activities, such as basic communications. In fact, many automakers maintain a division of salaried workers who provide this support, often visiting dealerships in person.

Detroit's automakers are spending $436 more per vehicle to support their dealership networks than the industry average, according to CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, Ore. That translates into $3.9 billion for Detroit's automakers.

To get its dealerships back on track, GM, Ford and Chrysler must downsize 20% to 70% of their dealerships, some experts say.

Steven Girsky, one of the industry's most respected analysts and a former adviser to GM Chief Executive Officer Rick Wagoner, told a group of dealers in Las Vegas in February that U.S. automakers needed to get busy thinning the ranks, "The faster, the better."

Challenges ahead

But this might be the most difficult downsizing yet for Detroit's automakers.

In communities across America, dealers are often formidable pillars, donors to charities, schools, Little Leagues, police and fire departments and local politicians.

"If automakers turn sour on them, they can sour the business," said Jerome, the Lansing dealer.

In every state, dealers also are backed by powerful franchise laws that leave automakers with virtually no power to simply close stores.

Despite their financial troubles, many of the independent dealers who own a franchise t sell U.S. makes are holding onto them, surviving on used car sales and service operations.

Some are hoping Detroit's next upswing is coming. Some are frustrated they can't get automakers to buy out their business at what they consider a fair price. For others, hanging on to the family business is personal.

In the meantime, the competitive disadvantage grows.

Dealers who sell Ford, Chevrolet and Chrysler average fewer than 600 sales per store each year. Those selling Toyota, Honda or Nissan: more than 1,200.

In some markets, Detroit's dealerships average just one-third to one-fourth as many vehicle sales as the Japanese biggest dealerships, according to data obtained by the Free Press. That includes crucial markets such as Atlanta and Chicago, plus big swaths of the nation's two largest auto markets, Florida and California.

"There's 91 Chevrolet dealerships in greater Chicago-land," said Dick Garber, a Saginaw-based dealer who owns nine auto franchises in Michigan, Illinois and Florida. "The market is really, really tough."

Revamp needed

The automaker willing to take on the challenges of a major downsizing of dealerships could be rewarded, experts say. A few automakers, such as Mercedes and Mazda, have already even proved the benefits.

"It's an opportunity," said Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research.

With that end in mind, Cerberus Capital Management, the private equity firm that is in the process of buying Chrysler, is actively evaluating a comprehensive restructuring of the dealership network, people familiar with the deliberations say.

"I think Cerberus will spend some money to put these dealers together," a Dodge dealer in the Midwest told the Free Press. He did not want to be identified because the conversations were private.

During the past decade, Detroit's automakers have spent billions closing factories and buying out workers to adjust for lower sales. But experts believe they have never effectively restructured the face of their business, where new cars and trucks are sold to consumers.

"It's a mess. It's an absolute mess," Spinella said. If the automakers were able to, he said, "they'd probably be cutting dealers as fast as they could."

But they can't.

"It's in the control of the dealers," said Joseph Chrzanowski, GM's executive director of dealer network planning and investments. "They control the market."

Given that complication, Detroit's automakers said they are working as fast as they can.

"It is market by market, deal by deal," said Michael Yatsko, Chrysler's director of dealer operations.

Detroit's automakers shed 322 franchises, or 2% of their stores, last year. At this pace, it would take Detroit's automakers about two decades to achieve the same retail efficiency as the three largest Japanese automakers -- even longer if they can't stabilize their retail sales.

But the average dealership is worth more than $2 million, so it could cost GM, Ford and Chrysler $13 billion in all to eliminate 40% of their stores and boost sales per store close to the levels of top Japanese brands.

Cisco Codina, Ford's group vice president for North American marketing, sales and service, said Ford is not interested in spending its money that way: "We're not going to do that."

Dealer discounts

Dealers, meanwhile, are frustrated.

They tell the Free Press that U.S. automakers have set a self-destructive cycle in place.

Instead of a strategic network of dealerships working together to beat the competition, Detroit automakers have allowed a system to evolve where dealers fight their sibling stores over fewer sales on price. This destroys profits and makes the whole network of stores too weak to successfully compete against rivals.

Quentin Helton, an Internet sales manager at Landers Ford in Memphis, Tenn., explained that dealers have no choice but to slash prices, given the number of Ford dealers and the number of shrinking sales.

"If one Ford dealer says we're going to sell a $20,000 vehicle for $13,900, you have to match that," Helton said. "If not, there are 12 other choices."

About 15 miles away, at Crossroads Ford, dealer Jimmie Walker agreed.

"We, as Ford dealers, we mainly compete against Ford dealers," he said. "We really don't challenge Chevy, Nissan. ... We go out and compete against each other on price. It's not a good thing, but that's what we do."

In market after market, with brand after brand, dealers tell the same story.

At first blush, this price competition might seem good for customers, but experts say it's really not.

Heavy discounting devalues the brands and models that consumers buy, Miller said. So when that customer tries to resell a vehicle a few years later, all the discounting that happened in the interim has depreciated the vehicle faster than expected. As a result, that customer will usually think twice before they buy that same brand again.

Action needed

Dealers say Detroit automakers, in the midst of extensive restructurings of their factories and workforces, need to put the same kind of energy into fixing the front end of the business.

Frank Ursomarso, a mega-dealer based in Delaware who owns both foreign and import stores, said the primary reason Detroit automakers are losing sales is because they have too many dealers.

"It's not unions; it's not pensions," he said. "It's their failure to understand the franchise part of the business."

That's where customers ultimately make the final decision about what to drive.

Jan Krygier, 49, of Phoenix tried to find the Dodge Caliber she wanted at three dealerships. She was so frustrated by the service and lack of inventory at any one dealership that she almost gave up. A fourth store finally came through, and she loves her car.

"I had never purchased an American car before, and was thinking the reception might be a little different," Krygier said. "I thought, 'You're not making it easy for me to buy American.' "

Contact SARAH A. WEBSTER at 313-222-5394 or swebster@freepress.com.

Ultimate Patriot

2005 Ford Freestar. Back and forth with Dorian about 9 times in a year with electrical issues. Recieved $6000, $4000 after lawyers, from Ford for failure to honor warranty. I work for Ford, hourly, and had to lemon law my van.

Kicker is, the day I settled, my battery completely drained. Took it to dealer, got new battery. Haven't had a problem since then.

Basically, if the retards at the dealer would've considered the battery in the first place, one visit.

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 2:23 pm

Ultimate Patriot

2001 Ford Focus, 126, 000 miles, $135 non maitenance related costs. I beat you lunk.

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 2:19 pm

rays70

The import/domestic differentiation has become far less a factor because of the rise of the mega-dealer -- the dealer who owns many brands, domestic and import. These guys have a business philosophy that follows through in all their stores. A local example is Fischer, which runs the Suburban Collection. The Fischers have a couple dozen stores -- Ford, Toyota, Saturn, Mazda, Nissan, Subaru, Buick, VW, Audi etc. These guys are independent businessmen, and they are becoming more dominant in the business.

Personally, the best service I ever had was at Saturn of Troy. Next best is Golling Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge, they are outstanding. The two worst dealers I ever had was a Plymouth dealer and a Toyota dealer. The Plymouth dealer never even contacted me when my lease on a minivan was up -- talk about missing an obvious opportunity. The Toyota dealer could not have been more arrogant. I wanted to buy a Corolla wagon near closeout -- he didn't have one with the features I exactly wanted but I was willing to listen to his offer. He said he wouldn't disclose the offer, nor would he give me a trade-in price on my old Toyota, until I assured him that I was going to buy. I was insulted. I left, went to another Toyota dealer that took care of my needs; the first Toyota dealer called me back a couple days later, but I was glad to tell him that someone had already taken care of me. Truthfully, I have heard that many Toyota dealers adopted a very cavalier attitude, because they know people will buy their product anyway.

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:47 pm

TookieMBA

Oh, yeah, Toyota has some problems. Everything mechanical is going to have problems. But the quality ratio of Things Gone Wrong / Things Gone Right at Toyota makes this quotient negligible.

I have as a spare car a 1990 Toyota Camry, yes it's 17 years old, and I can drive this thing all day and 200 miles with no problems. Now my son is finishing drivers ed and is going to take it from us. My hubby and I drive it all the time. It was to take the pressure off of driving our leased truck, plus with gas prices, we enjoyed tooling around in it. Its a dream to park, the AC is so cold you need your jacket. It drives without stopping. My friend drove IT while her NEW Malibu was in the shop.

But he'll take it for us in a month....Waaaaahhhhhhh. Gotta find another spare car, paid a $1000 for it two years ago.

____________________________
Off Topic: I have a young fella here at a GM dealership that WANTS to move to Michigan (Detroit) and work for the Big Three. He already has family there and is willing to take a bottom rung job to get in. Drop me a line here if you know of anything. Told him I'd help anybody who WANTED to live in Michigan. I starts with just ONE.

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 1:38 pm

Never Again

I owned a â93 plymouth voyager and replaced 3 transmissions. This was a well documented problem with chrysler products and you would think that they would have fixed the problem some 14 years later. WRONG! A neighbor purchased a new dodge nitro 5 months ago. It is now in the shop getting the transmission replaced. (just Google nitro tranny problems) Looks like they havenât learned their lesson. Now, tell me again why I should buy an American car.

Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 9:20 am

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Know Your Loan Terms

2007-06-22T14:37:00.001-05:00

SUSAN TOMPOR

Know the terms of your loan

June 17, 2007

BY SUSAN TOMPOR

FREE PRESS COLUMNIST

Now, here's a public service announcement of sorts: Have you looked at your mortgage lately? Do you know if you have an adjustable-rate mortgage that could go up?

Michigan ranks No. 12 in the nation, with about 24% of its outstanding loans being ARMs, said Doug Duncan, chief economist for the Mortgage Bankers Association in Washington, D.C.

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Nevada ranks No. 1, with 42.9% of its outstanding mortgages having adjustable rates. California ranks No. 2 at 39.7%.

So if your payment goes up, can you afford it?

Big increases

Some surveys estimate that one-third of homeowners have no idea what kind of mortgage they've got.

Douglas Robinson, a spokesperson for the nonprofit NeighborWorks America, said too often people just hear the word "fixed" during the mortgage closing. And the payment is fixed for a bit but not forever.

Is the rate fixed for one year? Two? Or three? Five years? Seven?

The Mortgage Bankers' Association estimates that $1.1 trillion to $1.5 trillion of adjustable-rate mortgages could reset in 2007. And we're looking at a bunch of resets in 2008, too.

We're not just talking about throwing an extra $20 to $50 a month into the mortgage payment either.

Some homeowners could see their payments go up 10% or even 20%. Some people with a $200,000 mortgage could be looking at an extra $200 to $250 a month -- or more.

Higher mortgage payments can fuel foreclosures in some cases, especially if the buyer got a lower monthly payment initially by taking out an adjustable rate. The ARMs helped them stretch into a home they typically could not afford.

Some ARMs were taken out when interest rates were at 40-year lows. Rates are higher now and if the mortgage adjusts, the payment will go up.

In Michigan and some other states, homeowners with ARMs are in double-trouble.

The adjustable-rate mortgage goes up, and it becomes hard to refinance or sell if the home's price has fallen and you have no or very little equity in the home.

Learn your mortgage type

Obviously, having an adjustable-rate mortgage doesn't mean a homeowner is destined for late mortgage payments or foreclosures.

Some people will sell their homes. Some will refinance to a manageable fixed rate. And some mortgages that reset this year will not go up dramatically because of limits built into that mortgage.

However, it's extremely important to know the type of mortgage you've got. Knowing your mortgage could help some families avoid foreclosure, Robinson said.

In the next few weeks, NeighborWorks America and the Ad Council will launch a public awareness campaign advising families facing mortgage trouble how best to avoid foreclosure.

Greg McBride, senior analyst for Bankrate.com, said his firm commissioned a poll of about 1,000 adults. About 34% of homeowners had no idea what kind of mortgage they had.

"It's one of those out of sight, out of mind things," McBride said.

Yet complex, hybrid mortgages can prove troublesome. Some adjustable-rate mortgages involve interest-only payments for the first three years. The rate goes up after three years -- and then you start paying principal and interest, too.

McBride noted that a $750 payment for a $200,000 interest-only mortgage taken out in 2004 could hit $1,440 in 2007. The rate might jump from 4.5% in the first three years to 7.5% this year.

McBride noted that lenders are trying to give borrowers more notice of rate adjustments, say three months or even six months' notice in some cases.

Even so, call your lender and find out what kind of mortgage you've got -- and what kind of payments you might expect ahead.

Contact SUSAN TOMPOR at 313-222-8876 or stompor@freepress.com.

Moody friends. Drama queens. Your life? Nope! - their life, your story.
Play Sims Stories at Yahoo! Games.

Celebrity Blogs

2007-06-22T14:32:00.001-05:00

Our 15 Favorite Celebrity Websites

06.19.07

By Kyle Monson

SLIDESHOW (15)

We see their pictures in glossy magazines. We watch their movies, games, or TV shows. We obsess over their relationships. But in this modern age, there's an even better way to learn about your favorite celebs: Just read their blogs or visit their Web sites.

We spent the last week looking at celebrity Web sites (as did roughly half of the cubicle workers in America) and came up with 15 that are worth following. Some, like JeffBridges.com, are obviously the product of the celeb's own imagination; others, like DaughtryOfficial.com, are slickly designed and have loads of great content. And some, like PatSajak.com, are just surprising (who knew Pat Sajak was a good writer?).

Here are five observations that informed our choices:

1. Flash can be used for good or evil.

2. There are only a few celebrities who actively blog and participate; most of them obviously handed the reins to a webmaster long ago and never looked back.

3. Team sports athletes tend not to have personal Web pages, and if they do, they're not usually good. Perhaps they're not able to open up in a forum where their managers can read what they write.

4. Big-name musicians tend to have very boring Web sites as well. You'll find lots of 30-second samples but no full songs for streaming. Artist pages are often located on a record label's site, which explains the restrictions.

5. Celebrities: Requiring a subscription to read or view the content on your site is idiotic. Who do you think you are, The Wall Street Journal? We automatically disqualified sites with too much gated content.

Here are a couple of the sites you'll find in Our 15 Favorite Celebrity Websites slideshow:

Jeff Bridges

http://www.jeffbridges.com

How cool is Jeff Bridges? He was in Tron, he played "The Dude" in The Big Lebowski, and we're convinced he's got the best Web site of any celebrity, ever. His handwritten blog is stuffed full of news and doodles, and his photo section is arranged like a book with handwritten captions. The doodles are the best part, and they're strewn all over the site.

J.K. Rowling

http://www.jkrowling.com/

The Harry Potter author has a richly interactive Web site, with a diary, news, a detailed bio, and a Rumours section where Rowling takes on the various Harry Potter rumors swirling around on the Internet.

Now, settle back in your office chair, check to see if your boss is safely tucked away in her office, and spend an afternoon or five with the rest of Our 15 Favorite Celebrity Websites slideshow, including Tyra Banks, Ken Jennings (of Jeopardy fame), Beck, Maria Sharapova, Daughtry (that's Chris Daughtry of American Idol fame), Pat Sajak, Tony Hawk, Dane Cook, Bon Jovi, Bob Saget, Jimmy Buffett, Christina Aguilera, and Wil Wheaton.

Free Downloads, Interesting News, Entertainment, Shopping

Find the best of the web quickly and easily!

www.TimewireMedia.com

You can also click here to visit our blog today

Flat Panel TV Guide

2007-06-22T12:05:00.000-05:00

Buying Guide: Flat Panel HDTVs

HDTV TV Set

April 20, 2007

Buying Guide: Flat Panel HDTVs

By Robert Heron

Editor's Note: It's been a long while since we've featured an HDTV buying guide here on ExtremeTech. After all, just look at our last HDTV Buying Guide and see for yourself how prices back then are much higher than they are today. Today we present our buying guide for Flat Panel displays by PCMag.com HDTV expert Robert Heron.

The only thing worse than being unable to attend a favorite sporting event in person is knowing that the event is being broadcast in high definition and that your current TV won't do it justice. Classic sporting events such as the Super Bowl and the Daytona 500 drive many a pixel-deficient fan into stores in search of an HD upgrade, and more often than not that quest ends with a thin, flat television. Mounted on a stand or wall, flat-panel HDTVs are tempting the eyes of sports fans with detailed imagery at increasingly affordable prices. Manufacturers now measure flat-panel longevity in decades, not years, so you'll have to live with your decision. Ensuring long-term satisfaction with an HDTV is easily accomplished with a little planning and some basic knowledge about what makes each of these HD display technologies tick.

It's One or the Other

All flat-panel TVs are based on one of two competing display technologies: liquid crystal and plasma. And though the manufacturers in each camp are quick to point out the supposed weaknesses of the other's tech, steady advances on both sides have resulted in the near parity of image quality, features, and price. This parity provides the prospective flat-panel buyer with a great selection to choose from. Now the big decision between buying a liquid crystal display (LCD) and a plasma display panel (PDP) becomes a personal choice based on one's budget and sense of style. Even so, each of these flat-panel technologies has its own strengths and weaknesses, so a realistic assessment of where and how a new flat-panel TV will be used is an important first step toward narrowing the field of high-def candidates. Continued...

Wireless Technology

2007-06-16T17:56:00.001-05:00

Kiss Those Cables Goodbye?
05.30.07

Organize your desk, unclutter your office, even stream video wirelessly! New technologies promise the moon, but when will they deliver?

Total posts: 1

By Anne Louise Bannon

Some folks start talking wireless and you can almost see visions of connected homes dancing in their heads: Video, phone calls, and network packets enter through a single box, from either the cable or satellite company. From there, five TVs receive high-definition video from a variety of sources, including a digital video recorder, the Internet, a PC, a game console, and a digital video camera, all without wires. The surround-sound system also connects wirelessly. And it's all controlled by a single remote in each room.

To hear such folks talk, we're even now stepping into a wireless nirvana; products will hit the market by the end of this year. Others flat-out scoff.

"There's nothing on the horizon that could possibly do all that," says Mark Bowles, cofounder and vice president of business development for Staccato Communications, which makes silicon chips with some of that potential. "You need a whole lot of bandwidth, and you need to transmit it at fairly high power."

Bandwidth and power: Those are the essential hurdles in the way of full integration of home wireless systems. And as always, the reality is pretty murky, with no clear paradigm, standard, or solution rising above the others. Some companies think ultra-wideband (UWB) radios have potential for high-definition video transmission. Also known as wireless USB, UWB is making its debut in the marketplace as a wireless connection platform for computer peripherals, including cameras, keyboards, and the like. But last winter, an Israeli company called Amimon introduced its Wireless High Definition Interface as an alternative standard. And following in its wake are a variety of people developing WirelessHD.

Three ideas, none perfected and none currently on the market? That suggests a strong probability of a standards war. "Absolutely. I can guarantee it," says Bill Rose, cochair of the technical workgroup for the High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance, or HANA. Rose also chairs the home networking committee at the Consumer Electronics Association. But don't worry, he smiles. The standards war "won't be portrayed to the user. We'll do our best to hide it." — next: Why Wireless Anyway?

Golf Gadgets

2007-06-16T17:55:00.001-05:00

Great Gadgets for Hitting the Greens
Whose dad doesn't love to hit the links every now and again? If your dad is the type to squeeze in a quick nine before work or does business on the 19th hole, then he's sure to love one of these crafty golf-centric gadgets. Grab him an OptoSmart Laser Putting Trainer if his short game could use a little extra polish, or the Twilight Tracer Light-Up Golf Ball to help him track down shots that go astray in the rough. But if you want to go all out, spring for Segway's x2 Golf scooter/cart/caddy.
Laser Putting Trainer	Twilight Tracer
Segway x2	10 Geeky Golf Gadgets

Personal Media Player & GPS All In One

2007-06-16T17:50:00.001-05:00

Fremont, California - April 11, 2007 - Mio Technology Ltd., a leading worldwide supplier of personal GPS navigation devices, announced the availability of an ultra-sleek, entry-level GPS device to meet increasing consumer demand for affordable and portable navigation. Following the success of the Mio DigiWalkerT C310x, the Mio DigiWalker C220 comes equipped with updated map data and is also competitively priced.

The Mio DigiWalker C220 is perfect for users who are new to GPS navigation or those looking for a second device for the family. At an MSRP of $249.95, the Mio DigiWalker C220 is a fantastic choice for a broad range of consumers, from college students leaving home for the first time to retirees heading to spring and summer locales.

"The explosive popularity of the Mio DigiWalker C310x during the holiday season and early this year demonstrates the demand for quality portable navigation devices at a reasonable price," said Kiyoshi Hamai, North American sales director, Mio Technology Ltd. "We are confident that the Mio DigiWalker C220 will follow in the C310x's footsteps; exceeding consumers' expectations without breaking the bank."

The Mio DigiWalker C220 comes with U.S. maps (Alaska and Hawaii included) preloaded on an SD card, allowing users to simply remove the device from the box and go. Turn-by-turn voice and text navigation keeps the driver's eyes on the road, whether receiving directions in English, French or Spanish. The Mio DigiWalker C220 also offers an anti-glare, 3.5-inch display so the sun will not interfere. And with more than 3.5 million points of interest, finding your way to a new café, watering hole, posh restaurant or sports arena is a snap.

Mio DigiWalker C220 Product Specifications

Price and Availability

The MSRP for the Mio DigiWalker C220 is $249.95 U.S. The device is available immediately at Comp USA, Circuit City, Fry's Electronics, Staples and Pep Boys, as well as other national consumer electronics retailers.

About Mio Technology Ltd. (MTL)
Mio Technology Ltd. (MTL) operations are worldwide. Foreseeing that the mobile lifestyle and mobile commerce will be mainstays of life in the near future, the company is dedicated to the development of enabling devices. Its main business is the sale of Mio DigiWalker - branded mobile communication products, such as smartphones, Pocket PCs and handheld GPS systems. For additional information on MTL and its products, the North American headquarters are located at 47988 Fremont Blvd., Fremont, CA 94538. Phone (510) 252-6950 . fax (510) 252-6930 . e-mail at sales@mio-tech.com. The company is online at www.mio-tech.com

Top 101 websites of 2006

2007-06-16T17:42:00.001-05:00

The Top 101 Classic Web Sites of 2006
08.15.06

Total posts: 5

The Internet is as cyclical as it is expansive. Boom, burst, bust, repeat. And yet some Web sites seem to operate outside the fray, delivering a consistent user experience and gradually evolving instead of flaring up or flaming out. Here at PC Magazine, we call these Web sites the classics both because they tend to be established destinations and because they set the standards for the rest of the Web.

Here is our canon of the top 101 classics for 2006, humbly submitted for you perusal. You've probably heard of many or even most of them, but it's our hope that all of our readers will find something new or rediscover a forgotten favorite on the list.

• Apps - PC & Mobile
• Business & Finance
• Careers
• Computing
• Consumer Electronics & Photography
• Health
• Information, Search & Reference
• Lifestyle, Entertainment & Fun
• News
• Oddities & Gaming
• Shopping
• Travel

Outsource Your IT? When is a good time to do it?

2007-06-16T17:40:00.000-05:00

When to Outsource IT
05.02.07

Total posts: 2

By Russell Morgan

What's the right size for an internal IT staff? When does it make sense to build a relationship with an outside contractor to supplement your internal staff? I frequently hear from small- and medium-size business customers about the challenge of finding this balance.

I wish I could give you a mathematical formula into which you could plug specific values and that would then spit out the "right" answer, but I can't. What I can do is give you some things to think about to help guide you in the right direction.

Start by asking yourself a series of questions about your business:

How important is technology in running my business? The more fundamental IT is to running your day-to-day operations, the more likely it is that you will need strong internal IT skills to manage it, or will at least need to take a strong, hands-on role in managing your external staff.

What technology skill sets are critical to my business? Small and medium-size businesses often need many of the same technology skill sets that larger ones do, but they don't have either the luxury of or the need for a full-time expert in each tech discipline. As a result, SMBs may either depend on generalists to handle tasks they're not qualified for, or they simply don't deal with a particular tech challenge. If the task requires 8 hours or less per week, you should consider outsourcing it to a firm with expertise in that area. Look to combine related tasks into a single job to provide better focus and performance management. Be careful about loading many tasks into a single job; one person can stay current in only so many areas of expertise.

What are the skill sets of my IT staff? I find that the smaller the firm, the more likely it is to have a IT staff of generalists with fairly interchangeable skills. Either create some differentiation within the team based on the skills you require (don't forget that each area needs primary and backup coverage) or consider an arrangement with an external firm to provide specific expertise when the need arises.

Do I have a road map for major technology infrastructure upgrades over the next 12 to 24 months? In most cases, a small business won't. The most common split between the use of internal and external IT resources is to have internal resources manage day-to-day production and to use external IT resources for project-specific work. If you do have a technology road map for the next 12 to 24 months, it's likely that you can afford to have your own development staff. Either way, make sure that you involve your production staff in development projects so that the functionality you are creating can be properly managed after the handoff.

What are the growth plans for my business over the next 6 to 18 months? The two elements that most frequently affect its size are technological advancements and user growth. You can learn about the first by keeping up with industry literature; the second requires that you keep your IT staff size in harmony with any growth in your user community.

Finally, remember that using external IT resources isn't about outsourcing to some big, faceless organization overseas. There are lots of small and medium-size businesses in your community that specialize in technology support. They can frequently be found in your local yellow pages or online as technology consultants or solution providers. Look to them to help with any of your external IT needs, based on the criteria above.

Russell Morgan is the president and founder of the Information Technology Solution Providers Alliance (ITSPA), a national nonprofit organization of technology experts headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

Flint Club Newsletter

2007-06-16T17:37:00.001-05:00

FLINT DIASPORA

----------------------------------------

"Spreading the News about Flint"

----------------------------------------

The Newsletter of Flint Club (www.flintclub.com)

Issue 2 (January 2002)

CONTENTS

-- Flint Club Highlights

-- Headline News

-- Service Spotlight

-- Sights and Sites

-- Flint Thoughts

FLINT CLUB HIGHLIGHTS

Flint Club is a new virtual network for Flint, Michigan--and for the people who live in Flint, grew up in Flint, or just love Flint.

The club is a nonprofit organization that aims to link people across the country and the world to the life of the city. By bringing people together, Flint Club mobilizes new resources and creates opportunities, while at the same time encourages dialogue and reinforces friendships. In this issue, for example, Flint Club highlights a new partnership with the Young Professional Council and takes a look at an interesting exhibit happening at Sloan Museum.

Since the last issue, Flint Club has become officially incorporated as a non-profit corporation. This accomplishment sets the stage for officially launching the fundraising drive to reward hard-working high school volunteers who are moving on to college with service scholarships.

Flint will always be a community that prides itself on striving to do better tomorrow than today. Members of Flint Club share this pride and are already making it happen!

HEADLINE NEWS

Here are the important headlines from current stories and recent articles that highlight Flint's communities and shape the city's national image.

Flint Included in Automobile National Heritage Area

http://fl.mlive.com/news/index.sff?/news/stories/20020122f22a4arches.frm

http://www.nasites.com/anha/gallery.asp?name=gallery611

Flint's legacy as the "Vehicle City" is being revived again--and with the U.S. National Parks Service involved it will hopefully prove a more sustainable than the last effort (i.e. Autoworld). The current proposal is to create an Automobile National Heritage Area that would include sites throughout the midwest, including Flint, Detroit and Lansing, and among others. The key sites include Carriage Town and Buick Gallery. The prospect has spurred other ideas like erecting arches downtown that would resemble those that stood from 1899-1919 and which appear in many of the classic pictures of Flint in its early heyday.

Stanley Campaigns Against Recall

http://fl.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20020110f10a2recall10.frm

http://fl.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20020104f4a2recall04.frm

In Mayor Stanley's words, the recall puts Flint "at war against itself." There is no doubt that the recall election on March 5, 2002 will be a pivotal point in the city's history. What is your angle? Grassroots democracy, racial divisiveness, who cares at all? There are too many angles to recount here but the articles from the Flint Journal will update you on this very unusual situation.

Lofts in Downtown Flint

http://fl.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20020101f1a2002downtown.frm

Revitalizing downtown is a perpetual problem, but the latest solution appears to be getting people to actually live there. New houses have recently gone into the old St. John's industrial park, more attention has been given to the Carriage Town neighborhood, and now there is a proposal to create lofts apartments!

And a few collected tidbits of interest to members:

GM 2001 Sales are Up

http://fl.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20020104f4a1gmsales.frm

Flint Homicides are Up

http://fl.mlive.com/news/index.ssf?/news/stories/20020106f6a3homicide.frm

There are always more headlines available at http://www.flintclub.com/news.htm. Remember to forward a copy of interesting news and announcements to flintclub-owner@yahoogroups.com.

SERVICE SPOTLIGHT

In the first issue of Flint Diaspora, Flint Club's commitment to raise $1000 in Spring 2002 to support the matching contribution for two President's Service Scholarships was announced. Efforts are now underway to work with Flint Central High School and Flint Northern High School to promote the scholarship and ensure those qualified candidates will apply. But two scholarships is only the beginning…

Flint Club's vision is to establish a network of scholarship programs across Genesee County. In fact, more than fifty scholarships (two per high school) could be awarded to deserving youth who are serving their communities!

This creates an opportunity for alumni and community leaders from the entire metropolitan area to get involved in Flint Club. Individuals who are willing to dedicate their time and energy to recruiting support for scholarships at specific schools will be invited to join Flint Club's Board of Advisors.

Please consider supporting the current effort financially. 100% of contributions will be applied to the scholarship challenge fund. And, think about joining the Flint Club team to raise funds for Spring 2003. Flint Club wants to support citizens who take initiative, organizations that are community-based, and activities that are educational in nature, and your support is critical to achieving this vision.

The President's Student Service Scholarships is the perfect partnership to advance Flint Club's goals. Through this scholarship initiative each high school (public and private) in the country may select two students among their junior or senior classes to receive $1,000 in recognition of outstanding service to their community.

The Corporation for National Service (AmeriCorps) provides $500 for each scholarship, which must be matched from the local community in order for the scholarship to become available at a particular school. In addition to the scholarship, each student receives an award certificate, letter of recognition, and President's Student Service Award gold pin.

Further information about the President's Student Service Scholarship is available at http://www.nationalservice.org/scholarships.

SIGHTS AND SITES

Each issue brings the latest from around the town and around the web. Flint Club is always looking for new spots to feature, so please forward all special attractions to flintclub-owner@yahoogroups.com.

Sloan Museum, 1221 E. Kearsley Street, Flint, MI 48503, (810) 237-3450

http://www.sloanmuseum.org

sloan@flintcultural.org

When I was at Michigan State University, there was a rivalry on the residence hall floor about which city in Michigan was the worst, and unfortunately at that time there were quite a number of contenders. One of the quips that I was reminded of the other day was "Flint Cultural Center: The Perfect Oxymoron." Funny but false.

Sloan Museum, for instance, has become a first-rate small museum that fulfills its responsibility to take local history seriously, encourage people to explore their world, and be entertaining. And, as of Saturday, it's "Dinomania!" at the Sloan Museum.

The exhibit, judging by the last time it was shown in 1997, may not quite be exactly what it was like millions of years ago and it may not even be as terrifying as Jurassic Park, but these robotic reptiles are really fantastic. The dinosaurs are far more interesting than that old doll display you may remember from elementary school field trips and more hands-on than rows of classic cars.

The Young Professional Council, for instance, which is a group that is organized to support the cultural institutions in the area, has organized a private viewing of "Dinomania!" on Wednesday, January 23^rd from 6:00 to 8:00pm. The pizza and music may disrupt the verisimilitude, but the dinosaurs will enjoy the break from screaming kids.

The King Center, http://thekingcenter.com/tkc.html

The King Center in Atlanta, Georgia was established in 1968 upon the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The center proposes to advance the "Beloved Community," which Dr. King saw as the goal of human society. In a July 13, 1966 article in Christian Century Magazine, Dr. King affirmed the ultimate goal inherent in the quest for the Beloved Community: "I do not think of political power as an end. Neither do I think of economic power as an end. They are ingredients in the objective that we seek in life. And I think that end or that objective is a truly brotherly society, the creation of the beloved community." In addition to information about the activities of the King Center, there are numerous books and published papers from Dr. King available for purchase.

FLINT THOUGHTS

"A house divided against itself cannot stand." Abraham Lincoln

"People here are looking for leaders…We're not having a money crisis on M.L.King [Avenue in Flint]; we're having an idea crisis." Police officer Richard Dicks Jr. in the Flint Journal (1/21/02)

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Subscribers are welcome to reproduce, utilize and distribute any and all portions of this newsletter on the condition that Flint Club/Flint Diaspora is cited as the source. For further information, contact Dayne Walling, (202) 546-0608, flintclub-owner@yahoogroups.com.

Subscribe by sending an email to subscribe-flintclub@yahoogroups.com. Unsubscribe by sending an email unsubscribe-flintclub@yahoogroups.com. Subscription information is available from http://groups.yahoo.com/

Google Tip

2007-06-16T17:33:00.001-05:00

Google Tip: Use a Colon
05.30.07

Total posts: 4

By Sarah Pike

Search engines have gotten so good that I sometimes forget that they offer fantastically useful syntax for more specific results. I'll point these out from time to time, but here are my top three most useful Google search modifiers that use a colon:

site:URL and search term. As in, site:www.pcmag.com "wireless router." Insiders point out that this modifier is even stronger if you drop the www. You can also drop the domain name entirely and search, for example, only .gov sites.

define:word. This brings up definitions, related phrases, and offers to translate the word.

filetype:file extension and search term. It may be obvious, but this lets you search for files with a certain extension, such as PPT for a PowerPoint presentation on your topic.

Minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee September 18, 2007 A meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee was held in the offices of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, September 18, 2007 at 8:30 a.m.
Present: