Detroit Melting Down Again

I am aghast at the news reports coming out of Detroit on the UAW workers caught on tape during their lunch hour behaving badly. These are not stupid guys. And every damn one of them knew better. I am so damn disappointed in every damn one of them for this stupid, stupid behavior.

These guys knew exactly what they were doing. And they also knew, every one of them, that there is a group in that plant that is pushing for the new 2 level platform and pay scale. The new lower level payscale people have been turning people in for work rules violations for a while now. And a large amount of the new people on the lower wage scale and in a different local are related to the union representatives at that plant, common gossip says. I would never know this for sure, only the common gossip.

So, you have a huge disruption in the company with multiple owners and then bankruptcy, unknown UAW changes as the upper echelon and International does not commincate with the local, Chrysler management scrambling to keep their jobs and taking that out on the hourly, treating suppliers like shit (which shut down the plant how many times), and having the Italians take pictures of your lunch bucket on a table-and when maybe things might be getting better-y'all decide the local party store and park is the way to keep your jobs.

The thing is everyone is under the gun now. And yes, I am sorry to have to tell you this, everyone represents their employer. At work or not, what you do is who you are.

You guys know who you are and I know who you are. And every damn one of you sorry assholes need to get up and apologoze to your co-workers and apologize to the American people who loaned you the money (not for the first time) to stay in business.

And for the asshole too lazy to get out of the minivan and pick up the bottle after he missed the trash can, were you trying to keep your union brothers and sisters in the Parks and Rec crew employed. Slob.

Scary Christmas

Guess the flight home won't be as bad as I thought. I think they let you pee now.

Black cloud is still here tho, the shower thing burst and we had to have the stooges back.

Here Chrysler has to hire a bunch of people (over 100) by the end of January and they don't have any takers. Hmmm. No one wants to come to China. It is not that bad. Not as bad as moving to Mississippi. And they don't speak English in Mississippi either.

Flying home tomorrow. More later.

Laughing My Ass Off

Heard a report on the news that Fix It Again Tony is going thru and "fixing" the three headed dog cast-off known as Plant Loco. Let me tell you the UNSUBSTANTIATED rumors I have heard so far.

Tony made the Plant Manager mow the lawn with his own mower, and made all upper management do the same. Said lawn looked like shit when they were PURPORTEDLY finished. Although the windows looked better, they were done by the people without their own mowers.

Tony made them paint one section SAID TO BE KNOWN as the test area the floors white. First problem, order booties at $2.60 a pair to walk on the floor. Second problem, hilo could not load part without driving on the white paint. Third problem when the operators were constantly mopping the white floor in their white booties they were falling on their asses. Fourth problem, health and safety.

Audit of vehicles for Customer Issues SUPPOSEDLY now shifted to the, just let us call him TONY wish list. Parts, suppliers, equipment, operators, and Plant Loco staff has not changed. So why would the outcome change. Dude this is the same shit different day.

Now they can't paint (rumor is they may need electricity and switches and sensors turned on to accomplish this task), send people home early every day, want fixes for no money, and stand around accusing people of being full of shit. Note, full of shit was a rumor yelled at somone in front of many witnesses that do work at a car company you would know. Note it is my understanding that the person accused of being full shit gave as good as they got, and no defective parts were ever found. Take that Gregory the Worm.

And they wonder why Toyota and Honda did great numbers in cash for clunkers. WTF.

Funny of the day, I get to stand around and watch people scream at each other instead of me.

Being Indisposed is just as bad on Unemployment

You know how when you are really sick you sit around and bitch about the shit that needs to be done and you can't? This is the same shit you of course could have done yesterday, last week, last month. And you think, all right as soon as I am able THIS SHIT WILL GET DONE!!! Same shit different day. But really this time I have to get on the ball.

Peed normal this afternoon, albeit orange today versus blue yesterday. Urologist called and said if it still hurts tomorrow, call. Umm.

Big Daddy's job interview went very well and they promised he would know early next week with feedback if it is not a good fit. Other job offer should be winding up about the same time and 3rd opportunity is on the schedule for probably next week. We have some sun in the sky for right now. Minor opportunities still floating about. I have about another week before I go berserk if I still don't hear about Plant Loco or status change with my job. This new information on lawsuits against Chrysler for secured bond holders and dealers, I feel bad they are losing everything (same as me) but what do they hope to gain in a liquidation sale. There is no one to buy this stuff unless it is a fire sale, and that means even less money for some. And if there is no car company WTF are you going to sell? What people seem to ignore that this all a gamble. Even stuffing your money in mattress is a bet against a fire.

That reminds me of time back in the 80's when I thought a break from automotive would be good and real estate would be better. Yea right, working with people that don't have a clue about money and investing was preferable to working with a game plan at auto manufacturers. I sold this lot for cash and the buyer paid me in cash on a weekend night. What do you do with $50,000.00 in cash? Personally, I put it in the washing machine. Don't ask me why, it seemed like a plan at the time. By the way, my commission was 2,500.00 -not a great take on the problems with this transaction. I had his house listed which he sold to his cousin (yea, right) for no commission, his bathroom floor collapsed during the listing which he fixed himself (this really did give me pause) and I spent quite a bit of time with these people-both examining their 50,000.00 window covering from "somewhere overseas" and looking at the structural defect in the bathroom floor. All the gasoline, wear on my vehicle, advertising his property, signage, etc. came off that 2,500.00. It was then I decided automotive was less stressful.

WTF.

Not Funny Just Down Right Hilarious

Councilwoman Joann Watson, generally viewed as not the stupidest person on the Detroit City Council, (okay that is not saying much) just found out that her $67 and change tax bill on her home was not right. Yep, 67 and change was not enough taxes. Cuz her home was listed on the tax rolls as a vacant lot. Her response was that she was insulted her house was worth so little. This has been going on for years. The house she remortgaged to finance her run for the council seat. AND YOU ASK WHY DETROIT IS SO FUCKED UP. The woman reviewing budgets can't do 5th grade math.

I believe Obama stole a page from Chrysler for the military. There was only 1 jet this morning out of Selfridge for the Memorial Day parades. This would be called an MCM at the three headed dog. Don't remember the exact name of the acronym, but it means cost save-usually at a quality cost. Don't those jet pilots need to train and fly on a regular basis. Oh, excuse me, I forgot=we call that buzzing Manhattan to take pictures.

Big Daddy got word they are working on an offer. Don't know whether to think to the future or hide some more. Either way some serious decisions have to be made and some serious structure to a plan has to be followed. The house will have to be ready for storage, sale, something no matter what happens. If this offer goes through GrrDog will have to find a new home. He is too old to go through immigration and quarantine. Gotta buck up and keep my eye on the ball.

Funny of the day: Big Daddy got himself a birthday present. A Morse Code web sight, so next time we are overtaken by the Martians when AM radio is on we can figure out where they will land. I'm thinking Cobo Hall or Joann Watson's vacant lot.

Just Odd Little Thoughts

I received an email from President Obama asking me to back his health care reform and requesting I write my congresspeople. The thing is the email did not tell me what the reforms actually were. And the only reason I get these emails is I wrote to him when he was running for the job to tell him I did not agree with some of his ideas. He never answered my questions but his peeps did ask me for money. WTF. My first reform would be that all government employees receive exactly the same benefits as the people they represent-medical, salary, vacation, and pension. If most of your peeps are union and get a pension, then so do you. If most of your peeps are like me and have to save my own money for retirement, then so do you. And your money comes from your state, not the feds. Michigan money should not pay for New York bennies.

Funnies of the week:

I was listening to the radio and Big Daddy came in and asked who was doing Morse Code. Yes Morse Code was coming across the radio for about 10 minutes. Was it military from Selfridge or some ham operator? Who knows? Told Big Daddy to brush up on his Morse so he can figure it out next time.

GrrDog came home from the spa with a bow on his collar. This is unusual for GrrDog and Big Daddy mentioned it. Spa peeps said he was a fairly good boy. BiG Daddy mentioned bow was on the collar and not on the top-knot. Spa said GrrDog was not THAT "a good boy". How can such a cute fucker be such a terror. And his terrible gas is back.

Rex Parker Does the New York Times Crossword had a fight with Evil Doug. Over rap music. On a blog about puzzles. This only confirms my earlier observation that blogs deteriorate the longer the bloggers sign on, bloggers think their opinions matter, blog owners think they are relevant and this whole venue is hilarious. Sometimes it is fun, once in a very great while you may learn something and mostly it is hoo-haa. And this fight happened one of the very few days I actually worked this year so I missed the whole damn thing and only caught up on some of it today. Drat, Egad, and I am irked. Word of the day antithetical, written by Orange, the smartest person I don't know.

Gossip

People are indicating that Chrysler could go back to work in the next few weeks. I pray it is true so I can make my house payment.

Don't Ya Love Joe Biden and of course NY banks

Good ole Joe, it is guaranteed that whatever comes out of his mouth will "shock and awe". Wonder what all the people on the train said to him. Guess we know Obama told him to get his ass on the train and smile, dammit, smile.

Then Chrysler retirees cannot cash their checks cuz some bank stopped payment and a judge had to say, well pay the people. No, not the suppliers, contractors, or your cronies---the retirees. I wonder if everyone knows just how close to disaster all this really is. I am laid off until August 3rd, which I think means I have to look for work. I am not sure of all the rules but my company sent me 5 pages to read while I am already laid off. Alrighty.

Pedicure day so toes are cute and I am ready to take on the Grandma story.

Grandma lives next door and her daughter and son-in-law live 3 doors down next to the Clampetts. Grandma is about 96 now and was going strong until this winter. She is a pip. When we overheard her bitching about the huge fir tree, which Big Daddy tells me was really a bastardized Blue Spruce, we decided to take a look. Don (the ghost and former owner) kept the bottom trimmed so it never looked right but got huge. So huge we could not get near it from the backyard which was surrounded by the huge bug infested hedge, nor the front unless we walked down Grandma's drive and snuck behind it. No wonder she bitched.

When we gathered to cut it down she asked me why it never bothered us. Well, we go to work at 4 or 5 AM and come home late and it is on the other side of the house where we never go. Who opens the window treatments when they are never home. Needless to say the former tree area had no grass. We paid to have the stump removed, put in dirt for a flower bed next to the foundation and put down the best grass seed. Not good enough for Grandma. Then we had the seed wars.

I planted some spring bulbs and forgot about it.

The next year we did the back yard. I did the weird thing with grass as it was only 3 feet wide. Put down layers of newspaper, then leaves (plenty from the Don the Ghost tree) covered with so many inches of dirt and watered. Sure enough, next year grass was gone. We took out the hedge and Big Daddy put down a patio. Ohio Tumbled Blue Stone delivered too many times by the skid (6 tons altogether) for a little back yard. At the end I told him if it wasn't finished by Labor Day I was divorcing him and marrying a Mexican to finish the patio in exchange for his green card. It was finished. Yard was simple, acceptable, somewhat barren-but looked ready for business in the near future.

We were ready to go to New Orleans for our 25th anniversary when 9/11 happened. I was in an assembly plant with co-workers from France and a young Jr. tech. It was so surreal as I had been telling the French they could not go home until they solved their problems when Bush shut down the airlines. Now they were stuck. And so was I.

Stay at home, well, let us garden. Put in a few things. Grandma commented. She wanted a lilac bush. I put in a pink oriental lilac as this is a small yard and they are quite small and can be pruned. SHE HATED IT. It was the wrong color and not French. Grrr. She has also hated snapdragons, marigolds (the expensive white ones) thyme, tarragon, rosemary, oriental poppy plants, bachelor buttons (which she had planted first) and anything I planted. She hated my grass, my dog, and my mulch. She will not weed behind her dying bushes but goes back and kicks off the mulch. She also does not use PREEN. Grrr. Now she wants a rose bush. WTF.

So we started giving her some wine whenever we traveled cuz she watched the house, yea right, and maybe I will plant a damn rose bush even if I can't grow them. Because you know if you get to 95 or 96 well, WTF.

Next, Third Rock from the Sun or as we know them the "Clampetts"

Chrysler News

Well I heard different things this morning, but really they are all about the same news. Two locals (thank you my peeps for calling)(and one grade 93) from Plant Loco report: Hourly and Salaried Bargaining and Contract plant workers are indefinitely laid off with a hope to return date 4-6 weeks. Same for our friends across the border. Now the Unemployment offices will implode again because indefinite lay-off means you must register your resume or whatever to seek work. I wonder if we will all work for the Unemployment people soon.

Well, on to the cookie lady. This was a sad house from the beginning. First a drug addict, on a trust fund, with 3 very evil German Shepherds lived there. It took me a year to run her off. The dogs were a nuisance and a danger to everyone. Once a German Shepherd was running thru my yard and ran into the garage. I hit the switch on the garage and shut the door and called the police. I told them a very menacing and frightful dog was locked in my garage and I feared for my life. The cops came and surrounded the garage, weapons ready and opened the door. Said dog looked their way with a Fritos bag over his head. He liked my garbage. And then the owner, not the evil drug dealer, ran up crying "Pookie, Pookie thank god we found you." He was so happy with the Frito Bandito (as the cops called him) and I was "Curses, foiled again."

Then the drug addict rented the property to what appeared to be people running a group home. This was actually not bad. No one ever outside and no noise, no parties, no dogs. Though the house was really going downhill at this point.

Then the cookie people bought it. It took them a year to renovate. Don't know why but it did appear they gutted the house. Maybe it was pay as you go. Now this is another corner lot with really no yard except for the front. When I say no yard on the back and one side I mean maybe 2 to 3 feet between the house and lot line. Enough to mow. And this is a two story so large house on really small lot. Well on the street side of the driveway and next to the drive way they put in a small patio with a privacy fence. Okay, ya wanna go sit outside sometimes. Then they put in flower beds along the front walkway, some plantings around the porch. A big bush and flowers in the middle of the front yard. Some more plantings around the front. Then they connected the bush in the middle to the foundation plantings. Next a vignette reminiscent of My Old Kentucky tucked in the corner. Then a wishing well vignette next to the sidewalk at the edge of the property. Now there are two huge mud holes on either side of the public sidewalk in the halfway point of the property obviously waiting for a vignette of their own. Oh, by the way their fucking Christmas wreath is still up on their chimney. It is May.

Now you may wonder how my neighbors get their names. Some are obvious, some are due to shocking behaviour. Right after the cookie people moved in they invited everyone to their house on Halloween eve for cider and donuts at 8 PM on a Sunday. They did this by tying a beribboned invitation to my door. Big Daddy asked if I was going. As I reminded him I get up between 3 and 4 AM to go to Plant Loco to get my ass ripped I thought I should stay home and concentrate on packing my bag with pins, foam, pen, pencils, coffee mugs and Tylenol. Shortly thereafter I returned home to another colorful note tied to my door inviting us to join a new neighborhood group by sending in my phone and email information. THE last straw was an invitation a few weeks later to come to the cookie party they were hosting as a get to know your neighbor party. There are 14 people on my street and the majority are whack jobs, what is there to get to know.

Next, me and grandma

Chrysler filing for Chapter 11

Obama just got off the news, Chrysler going into bankruptcy court and don't worry be happy. Oh, and buy American. Oh, and finance thru GeeMack. Who the fuck is GeeMack? Did he possibly mean G.M.A.C. known here in town as General Motors Acceptance Corporation, or is there a new player in town. Or did his vaunted auto team not tell him GMAC is an acronym that everyone in automotive knows. This is embarrassing. And where the fuck is Chrysler Financial -I thought owned by the three headed dog? Maybe I am mistaken.

What is buy American as said by the president? Don't buy a Prius as Toyota never built one here as they claimed they were going to do, but buy a Camry and fuck Chrysler? Buy a Ford F150 not a Highlander? What is American when Mexico shut down there parts factories today as the pig flu is getting out of hand? And just who is going to fix your car on the Obama warranty plan when the dealerships are shutting down? Is Michelle going to replace your O2 sensor?

Go GeeMack