Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist

Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Journalist @baltimoresun writer artist runner #amwriting Md Troopers Assoc #20 & Westminster Md Fire Dept Chaplain PIO #partylikeajournalist
Showing posts with label Business Auto Industry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Business Auto Industry. Show all posts

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Washington Post: Toyota announces recall of 437,000 Prius

National News: Toyota announces recall of 437,000 Prius, other hybrid cars worldwide

News Alert: Toyota announces recall of 437,000 Prius, other hybrid cars worldwide 02:07 AM EST Tuesday, February 9, 2010
--------------------

Toyota is recalling about 437,000 Prius and other hybrid cars worldwide to fix brake problems, company President Akio Toyoda announced at a press conference Tuesday in Tokyo.

For more information, visit washingtonpost.com:
http://link.email.washingtonpost.com/r/E5QODK/SSE69/DDNKNR/3WASXF/X0UF1/CM/t

Toyota recalls hybrids worldwide Toyota announces recall of about 437,000 Prius, other hybrid cars worldwide to fix brake problems. Associated Press 2:19 a.m. ET

By YURI KAGEYAMA The Associated Press Tuesday, February 9, 2010; 2:19 AM

TOKYO -- Toyota says it is recalling about 437,000 Prius and other hybrid vehicles worldwide to fix brake problems - the latest in a string of embarrassing safety lapses at the world's largest automaker.

Find the entire article here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/08/AR2010020801037.html?hpid=topnews

Insurer warned U.S. of Toyotas in 2007

20100209 sdosm WaPo Toyota announces recall of 437000 Prius
*****
Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

Sunday, June 28, 2009

This Day in History: Workers assemble first Corvette in Flint, Michigan

Welcome to the THIS DAY IN HISTORY newsletter from History.com

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June 28: General Interest
1953 : Workers assemble first Corvette in Flint, Michigan

On this day in 1953, workers at a Chevrolet plant in Flint, Michigan, assemble the first Corvette, a two-seater sports car that would become an American icon. The first completed production car rolled off the assembly line two days later, one of just 300 Corvettes made that year.

The idea for the Corvette originated with General Motors' pioneering designer Harley J. Earl, who in 1951 began developing plans for a low-cost American sports car that could compete with Europe’s MGs, Jaguars and Ferraris. The project was eventually code-named "Opel." In January 1953, GM debuted the Corvette concept car at its Motorama auto show at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. It featured a fiberglass body and a six-cylinder engine and according to GM, was named for the "trim, fleet naval vessel that performed heroic escort and patrol duties during World War II." The Corvette was a big hit with the public at Motorama and GM soon put the roadster into production.

On June 30, 1953, the first Corvette came off the production line in Flint. It was hand-assembled and featured a Polo White exterior and red interior, two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, a wraparound windshield, whitewall tires and detachable plastic curtains instead of side windows. The earliest Corvettes were designed to be opened from the inside and lacked exterior door handles. Other components included a clock, cigarette lighter and red warning light that activated when the parking brake was applied--a new feature at the time. The car carried an initial price tag of $3,490 and could go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 11 or 12 seconds, then considered a fairly average speed.

In 1954, the Corvette went into mass production at a Chevy plant in St. Louis, Missouri. Sales were lackluster in the beginning and GM considered discontinuing the line. However, rival company Ford had introduced the two-seater Thunderbird around the same time and GM did not want to be seen bowing to the competition. Another critical development in the Corvette's survival came in 1955, when it was equipped with the more powerful V-8 engine. Its performance and appeal steadily improved after that and it went on to earn the nickname "America's sports car" and become ingrained in pop culture through multiple references in movies, television and music.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
General Interest
1953 : Workers assemble first Corvette in Flint, Michigan
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihVideoCategory&id=59384
1519 : Charles elected Holy Roman emperor
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5130
1914 : Archduke Ferdinand assassinated
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5131
1919 : Keynes predicts economic chaos
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=6942
1969 : The Stonewall Riot
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5132

American Revolution
1836 : Former President James Madison dies
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=735

Automotive
1914 : Ferdinand assassinated in Austro-Daimler
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=7491

Civil War
1862 : Confederates capture the St. Nicolas
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=2226

Cold War
1948 : Yugoslavia expelled from COMINFORM
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=2712

Crime
1975 : A teenage girl's boyfriend murders her parents
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=1050
1993 : A serial rapist strikes in Allentown
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=1051

Disaster
1992 : Two big quakes rock California
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=765

Entertainment
1916 : Lasky Co. and Famous Players Co. merge
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=3404
1928 : "West End Blues" recorded
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=3405
1975 : Rod Serling dies
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=3406

Literary
1888 : Robert Louis Stevenson sets sail for the South Seas
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4016

Old West
1857 : Western writer Emerson Hough is born
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=4565

Presidential
1919 : Harry S. Truman marries Bess Wallace
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=675

Sports
1997 : Mike Tyson bites ear
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=57013

Vietnam War
1965 : U.S. forces launch first offensive
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=1935
1972 : Nixon announces draftees will not go to Vietnam
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=1936

World War I
1914 : Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=705

World War II
1940 : Britain recognizes General Charles de Gaulle as the leader of the Free French
http://www.history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=6502

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Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoffart.com Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1040426835

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

This week in the Tentacle

This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Obamamobile hits a bump
Kevin E. Dayhoff
With the checkered flag in sight, late last Monday afternoon, with only minutes to spare before the 4 o’clock deadline set by Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg caused the fast-tracked Obama economic recovery plan for Chrysler – and GM - to hit a speed bump.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Hypocrisy in Politics! Once More!
Roy Meachum
There goes Donna Kuzemchak again. Reaching for votes in the Democratic primary, Ms. Kuzemchak wants people to believe there was “corruption of implementation of those retirement plan changes.”

'Work To Ride, Ride To Work.'
Nick Diaz
Next Monday, June 15, American roadways will see up to triple the normal number of riders, as beginner-to-expert motorcycle enthusiasts become motorcycle commuters. These commuters will be doing us all a favor by not only commuting via an efficient personal form of transportation, but by doing so on a vehicle with a much smaller footprint than our cars and trucks.

Monday, June 8, 2009
The Summer of Our Political Discontent
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
Looks like it’s shaping up to be a scorcher. No, I don’t mean the summer temperature. I’m talking about the tone of public discourse.

Just Get Over It!
Steven R. Berryman
Finally, some answers to persistent probing questions as to what is apparently the death of the old two-party political system, and the promised bipartisanship of our Messiah-president. As stunningly simple as it sounds, no matter the issue or facts at hand, get used to “We won, you lost; just get over it!”

Friday, June 5, 2009
Obama in Cairo
Roy Meachum
The tone was different but the words were mostly the same we've heard before. The president traveled to Cairo University Thursday for what was billed as his administration's pronouncement on the Middle East. A White House spokesman announced in advance there would be little new; he was right.

Down the Road to…
Joe Charlebois
What H.L. Mencken wrote more than 80 years ago should be flowing from the pages of The New York Times, The Washington Post and, of course, his own Baltimore Sun today. In 1926, Henry Louis Mencken, then a 46-year-old Baltimore native, wrote:

Thursday, June 4, 2009
A Lexicon for Future Reference
Joan McIntyre
Below you'll find numerous links covering the past several weeks noting much of the displeasure with our Frederick County Board of Education. This is more of a keep and reference piece than a quick read. Only if you are truly interested in how Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) is being run and where your tax money is actually going will this interest you.

The Devil in The Details
Chris Cavey
Sunday, as the sun was setting and the speed camera referendum was going down in flames, it was rumored that you could hear music coming from both Government House and the Senate President’s office in Annapolis. Those in attendance, it was said, were reveling in the fact that public referendums in Maryland are almost impossible.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Sotomayor – Break Her and You Die
Kevin E. Dayhoff
At 10:13 A.M. on May 26, President Barack Obama introduced to a breathless nation, a fawning audience, and a mesmerized press, his selection to replace retiring U. S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter – Judge Sonia Sotomayor of the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit of New York.

Sunday Dinners
Michael Kurtianyk
Whatever happened to Sunday dinners? Have they gone the way of bowling and hula hoops? You know what I mean – the fixture of a Sunday dinner when, on a day of rest, you spend the day with family and culminate in a big dinner with all the fixings and desserts. Summers would be an outdoor barbecue and winters would be heartier meals like stew, or pot roast, or some such thing.

Telling Time
Tom McLaughlin
Kuching, Indonesia – “A watch beginning at US$10,000!” I exclaimed. “The time piece,” I was corrected, “is an heirloom to be passed down through the generations.”

Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Murder in a Church
Roy Meachum
A brand-new U.S. citizen emerges from the courtroom waving his legalizing papers exuberantly. He hits a passerby on the nose. The man knocks him down. The new citizen protests: I am an American and have the right to celebrate. The passerby replies: Your right ends where my nose begins.

A Common Sense Approach to Moderates
Farrell Keough
On a recent radio talk show, I was referred to as a moderate. While the comment was meant as a compliment, being a staunch conservative, I took umbrage toward the implication. This led to a conversation about the meaning of moderate and something that seemed timely for an article.

Monday, June 1, 2009
The Empathetic Activist
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
President Barack Obama has thrown down a political gauntlet with the selection of federal Appeals Court Judge Sonia Sotomayor to be the next United States Supreme Court justice.

Not about Judge Sonia Sotomayor
Steven R. Berryman
Today you will be happy to note that I did not fill this space with the abundant fodder falling out from the nomination of 2nd Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the upcoming vacancy on the United States Supreme Court.


20090610 SDOSM This week in The Tentacle
http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/06/this-week-in-tentacle_10.html

Monday, June 08, 2009

Washington Post News Alert 4:05 PM EDT Monday, June 8, 2009

Washington Post News Alert 4:05 PM EDT Monday, June 8, 2009

Supreme Court Stalls Chrysler-Fiat Deal
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled moments ago that Chrysler cannot yet sell most of its assets to Fiat, a move that has been opposed by three Indiana state pension and construction funds. The ruling grants a stay in the sale as the court gathers more data and schedules a hearing on the matter.

For more information, visit washingtonpost.com

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

This week in The Tentacle for May 13 2009


This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Arlington National Cemetery – Firsts of the heart
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As Memorial Day approaches, it is significant to note that today, on May 13, in 1864; the first soldier was buried at Arlington House, also called the Custis-Lee Mansion. We now know the property as Arlington National Cemetery and it is now the revered final resting place of over 320,000 stories of the heart.

Alfred Wallace and Me – Part Two
Tom McLaughlin
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia – The London scientific community viewed Alfred Wallace as a redneck, or, in their lingo of the day, a collector. These were people who went out to the tropics with a butterfly net or gun and brought back animals that were sold to the public.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Pope's New Failures
Roy Meachum
Vatican hypocrisy couldn't be clearer than in the reaction to Notre Dame inviting Barack Obama to address this year's commencement and receive an honorary degree. This president's "mortal sin," in church critics' eyes, derives from his support of abortion rights and for embryonic stem cell research.

Advice from The Voice of Experience – Part 4
Nick Diaz
This is the conclusion of my series on buying a used motorcycle. In my 39 years in the sport of motorcycling, I’ve bought only two new motorcycles, and that was back in the early 70’s. Buying a used motorcycle is one of the most challenging, yet satisfying activities a person can engage in.

Monday, May 11, 2009
Electoral Expectations
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
A recent set of news articles out of Anne Arundel County raise the issue of voter expectations for elected officials.

Anticipating the Air Show! – 2009
Steven R. Berryman
Time to break with your hibernation from the winter blahs; stop getting upset about the politics of Democratic deconstruction and more illegal immigrants for a time. Andrews Air Force base, in nearby Prince George’s County offers the best air show in the region once a year, and it’s this coming weekend!

Friday, May 8, 2009
Shoved Aside Campaign Promise
Roy Meachum
It seems to me calmer on the domestic front, for all the noises and agitation aimed at Barack Obama. Keeping his cool, his trademark, has helped the nation to settle down.

The Great American Melting Pot
Joe Charlebois
Throughout the 1970's, while a youngster would watch the typical Saturday morning television offerings from Hanna-Barbera and Warner Brothers cartoons, there were a series of three minute segments that were educational. These spots covered a wide spectrum of topics such as grammar, history, government, math, economics and science. Of course everyone knows these extended spots as Schoolhouse Rock.

Thursday, May 7, 2009
Rumpelstilskin and Hagen’s Hypocrisy
Joan McIntyre
I will be the first to admit that I could be wrong, but I think I see a method to the madness of Commissioner Charles Jenkins’s recent actions on waste-to-energy (WTE). When final votes were cast, I was less than happy. A decision needed to be made and it wasn’t. Mr. Jenkins threw us a curve.

Dipping Into Your Wallet Again
Chris Cavey
Have you ever had the creepy feeling you were being watched? Perhaps you have experienced the frustration of fighting with the “computer” and coming up on the short end. Or maybe you have felt oppressed by governmental regulation, like you are spending every day in a long line at the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Does Obama Raise Your Fears?
Bill Brosius
For the first time in my long lifetime, I fear for the future of my country, the United States of America.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Planned obedience…or else
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As of last week it appears that a marriage between Chrysler and Fiat SpA may eventually happen; this in spite of the few reports that surfaced recently that the marriage was off once Fiat realized the extent that Chrysler’s labor contracts were, how shall we say politely, less than helpful. Gee…

Swine Flu – Protection and Precautions
Michael Kurtianyk
As of this writing there are over one thousand confirmed cases of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus, commonly known as Swine Flu (more on this gentle misnomer later). The majority of the cases are in Mexico and the United States.

Alfred Wallace and Me – Part 1
Tom McLaughlin
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia – The monsoon season had settled in and my exploring the nearby rain forest had come to a halt. Blinding 24-four hour rains and muddy, slippery paths drove me indoors searching for activities. It was time to pursue my interest in Alfred Russell Wallace.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009
My Kind of Chief
Roy Meachum
Kim Dine was a stranger until ex-Mayor Jennifer Dougherty hired him to run the Frederick Police Department. We did not rush into each other's arms. I was a noted critic of his new boss. After experiencing predecessor "Ray" Raffensberger's need to manipulate, I took a wait and see stance.

'...and awaaaaaay we go!"
Farrell Keough
"I guess there is nothing that will get your mind off everything like golf will. I have never been depressed enough to take up the game, but they say you can get so sore at yourself that you forget to hate your enemies." - Will Rogers

Monday, May 4, 2009
Rebranding the Grand Old Party
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
Last week, Eric Cantor (R., VA) the Republican Whip in the U.S. House of Representative, spoke to the Republican faithful in Frederick. Congressman Cantor, arguably the fastest GOP rising star in the House, laid out a cogent argument for sticking to the core principles of the party and denying the clamor for fundamental, structural change.

If TheTentacle.com were Facebook
Steven R. Berryman
Not being in the mood to write, blog post, or comment, I started to consider some plausible excuses for skipping my Monday Tentacle column for this week.

20090513 SDOSM This week in The Tentacle

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

Thursday, May 07, 2009

This week in The Tentacle


This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Planned obedience…or else
Kevin E. Dayhoff
As of last week it appears that a marriage between Chrysler and Fiat SpA may eventually happen; this in spite of the few reports that surfaced recently that the marriage was off once Fiat realized the extent that Chrysler’s labor contracts were, how shall we say politely, less than helpful. Gee…

Swine Flu – Protection and Precautions
Michael Kurtianyk
As of this writing there are over one thousand confirmed cases of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus, commonly known as Swine Flu (more on this gentle misnomer later). The majority of the cases are in Mexico and the United States.

Alfred Wallace and Me – Part 1
Tom McLaughlin
Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia – The monsoon season had settled in and my exploring the nearby rain forest had come to a halt. Blinding 24-four hour rains and muddy, slippery paths drove me indoors searching for activities. It was time to pursue my interest in Alfred Russell Wallace.

Tuesday, May 5, 2009
My Kind of Chief
Roy Meachum
Kim Dine was a stranger until ex-Mayor Jennifer Dougherty hired him to run the Frederick Police Department. We did not rush into each other's arms. I was a noted critic of his new boss. After experiencing predecessor "Ray" Raffensberger's need to manipulate, I took a wait and see stance.

'...and awaaaaaay we go!"
Farrell Keough
"I guess there is nothing that will get your mind off everything like golf will. I have never been depressed enough to take up the game, but they say you can get so sore at yourself that you forget to hate your enemies." - Will Rogers

Monday, May 4, 2009
Rebranding the Grand Old Party
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
Last week, Eric Cantor (R., VA) the Republican Whip in the U.S. House of Representative, spoke to the Republican faithful in Frederick. Congressman Cantor, arguably the fastest GOP rising star in the House, laid out a cogent argument for sticking to the core principles of the party and denying the clamor for fundamental, structural change.

If TheTentacle.com were Facebook
Steven R. Berryman
Not being in the mood to write, blog post, or comment, I started to consider some plausible excuses for skipping my Monday Tentacle column for this week.

Friday, May 1, 2009
Sunrise Without Lennie?
Roy Meachum
Former colleague Katherine Heerbrandt hit John "Lennie" Thompson a mighty whack in her Wednesday News-Post column. At the same moment she was feeding the county commissioner's constituency their favorite dish: Publicity.

Specter Defector
Joe Charlebois
Growing up just north of Pittsburgh, I had the opportunity to have Sen. Arlen Specter as my senator from the time I could vote until 1992 when I left the Commonwealth.

Thursday, April 30, 2009
Health Care Reform – Part 2
Patricia A. Kelly
While campaigning for the presidency, President Barack Obama came up with a health care reform plan, a public private partnership that he believes will help to clean up the present mess and provide closer to universal coverage in the United States. He has now asked Congress to work out the details, but his plan included the following elements:

And to the victor…
Michael Kurtianyk
As a member of the Fredericktowne Rotary, I am proud of the work our international organization has done since its inception in 1905. Its mission is to provide service to others, to promote high ethical standards, and to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.

Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Mockingbird’s Song
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The reclusive and enigmatic childhood friend of Truman Capote, Harper Lee, celebrated a birthday yesterday. She was born Nelle Harper Lee on April 28, 1926, in Monroeville, Alabama.

Malaysian Wedding – Part 3
Tom McLaughlin
Seremban, Malaysia – I returned to the groom’s home after a refreshing sleep. To my surprise, a ceremony was in progress. I thought I had it down about Malay weddings, but this part was not in my file.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Overwhelming Majority
Roy Meachum
At the end of his first 100 days on the job, a significant poll indicates President Barack Obama receives approval from an overwhelming majority of his fellow Americans. Sixty-three percent voted in his favor, 36 percent did not, in a survey paid for by The Washington Post and ABC-TV.

Advice from The Voice of Experience – Part 3
Nick Diaz
Alas, my third installment on buying a used motorcycle, one of my favorite activities. Buying a used motorcycle, as I’ve mentioned before, is much more fun than selling one.

Monday, April 27, 2009
General Assembly Journal 2009 – Volume 12-Part 2
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
Last week, we started a review of the fallout from the just completed General Assembly session. Let's pick up where we left off.

While you were out…
Steven R. Berryman
If you blinked at the wrong moment over the last few weeks, and rely solely on one part of the media paradigm for your news, you may have missed any of these following items. Not necessarily because of media-bias, but simply because we only have so much time and tolerance for added information in our lives:


20090506 SDOSM This week in The Tentacle

Sunday, April 05, 2009

The Tentacle: And Atlas Wept by Kevin E. Dayhoff April 1, 2009


The Tentacle: And Atlas Wept by Kevin E. Dayhoff April 1, 2009

In a move that has given many pause, last Sunday the administration of President Barack Obama ventured boldly into the latest worrisome intrusion into the nation’s private sector by firing Rick Wagoner, General Motors’ chief executive officer.

This is but one of a series of troubling events that paint a bleak picture. The Obama administration has no fear whatsoever of solving the nation’s economic woes by reckless profligate spending, protectionism, strengthening efforts to unionize workers and further introducing government control of private sector enterprise and our nation’s means of production.

All the more disconcerting is the dynamic that the firing of Mr. Wagoner has been roundly cheered by our populist comrades as the populist rhetoric assailing our nation’s financial sector has continued to spiral out of control.

For those who may cheer the exit of Mr. Wagoner, please put this incident into the larger context of the government seizing control of several of our nation’s financial giants.

It was just last week that Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner unveiled plans that facilitate the draconian regulation and ultimate seizure – or nationalization – of financial institutions as deemed by the government to be necessary, or in the national interest.

He said that the nation's economic crisis demands bold action. Hmmmm, this appears to be a recurring theme.

[…]

To understand all of this much more thoroughly, it may be helpful to read Yaron Brook’s Wall Street Journal essay from March 14, “Is Rand Relevant?”

Mr. Brook reminds us that it was in Ayn Rand’s classic “Atlas Shrugged,” that she told the “story of the U.S. economy crumbling under the weight of crushing government interventions and regulations. Meanwhile, blaming greed and the free market, Washington responds with more controls that only deepen the crisis. Sound familiar?”

[…]

If Ayn Rand were to alive today, her sequel would be titled “And Atlas Wept.”

Read the entire column here: http://tinyurl.com/c46dm8 The Tentacle: And Atlas Wept by Kevin E. Dayhoff April 1, 2009

http://www.thetentacle.com/ShowArticle.cfm?mydocid=3092

20090401 TT And Atlas Wept ttked


Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com
Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: www.westgov.net

Thursday, April 02, 2009

No Nominee Yet for Secretary of Rustproofing By Dana Milbank


No Nominee Yet for Secretary of Rustproofing By Dana Milbank Tuesday, March 31, 2009; A02


The White House was aiming high with yesterday's announcement that President Obama was pretty much becoming CEO of the American automotive industry.

Minutes before the president's arrival in the Grand Foyer of the White House, a technician in the back of the room tested the teleprompter for Obama's speech. "Fourscore and seven years ago," announced one of the screens in big letters, "our fathers brought on this continent a new nation . . ." In the actual event, Obama opted for a more modest text -- less Lincoln at Gettysburg than Krystal Koons cutting an ad for the family car dealerships.

"If you buy a car from Chrysler or General Motors, you will be able to get your car serviced and repaired, just like always," the president promised yesterday morning from the executive mansion.

And that's not all, folks! "Your warranty will be safe," the salesman in chief went on. "In fact, it will be safer than it's ever been, because starting today, the United States government will stand behind your warranty."

Incentives? Obama's got 'em. "If you buy a car anytime this year, you may be able to deduct the cost of any sales and excise taxes," the president offered. And nobody beats Obama on trade-ins; he wants a "generous credit to consumers who turn in old, less-fuel-efficient cars."

Perhaps the president can interest you in a Chevy Malibu? "In 2008, the North American Car of the Year was a GM," he pitched. And the Buick Lucerne is a real cream puff. "This year, Buick tied for first place as the most reliable car in the world," he declared from behind the presidential seal.

If you buy now, he may even throw in the floor mats.

Playing car salesman is an unusual role for a president of the United States -- …


Read more: No Nominee Yet for Secretary of Rustproofing By Dana Milbank Tuesday, March 31, 2009; A02

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/30/AR2009033002922.html?wpisrc=newsletter
20090331 No Nominee Yet for Secretary of Rustproofing By Dana Milbank
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Saturday, January 24, 2009

My recent columns in The Tentacle on the economy by Kevin Dayhoff


My recent columns in The Tentacle on the economy by Kevin Dayhoff

January 24, 2009

I have had a number of folks recently ask where they may find my recent columns in The Tentacle on the economy:

October 3, 2008
Congress and The Rattlesnake – Part 3
Kevin E. Dayhoff
On May 13, 2008, Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama compared the current housing crisis in the U.S. to the Great Depression in a campaign stop in Missouri.


October 2, 2008
Congress and The Rattlesnake – Part 2
Kevin E. Dayhoff
For several weeks the nation and the world have been watching the financial news emanating from Washington and Wall Street with that “deer in headlights” look as everyone holds their breath in disbelief and worries another shoe will drop.


October 1, 2008
Congress and the Rattlesnake – Part 1
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In response to the increasing wrath of the American voter, the U.S. House of Representatives came to its senses on Monday and voted 288 to 205 to kill the rash and ill-conceived proposed $700 billion bailout of Wall Street.


November 5, 2008
It’s the Congress, Stupid!
Kevin E. Dayhoff
When historians look back on the 670-day, $2.5 billion 2008 presidential campaign, the observations, analysis, second-guessing, and finger pointing will fill volumes. In the end, it was once again, “the economy, stupid” that ruled the day.


November 19, 2008
Rewarding Bad Behavior
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Instead of tooling down the highway in the fast lane, two months after General Motors celebrated its 100th Birthday on September 16, it found itself huddled over at an intersection with fate, harassing passers-by with a tin pan in hand.


November 26, 2008
“The Eight Years War”
Kevin E. Dayhoff
At high noon on Monday, amid cries of alarm that this is the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, President-elect Barack Obama rolled out his all-star economic team and a call for an economic stimulus package that could cost as much as $1 trillion.

20090124 my recent columns in The Tentacle on the economy

Kevin Dayhoff
E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org
His columns appear in The Tentacle, http://www.thetentacle.com/;
The Westminster Eagle /Eldersburg Eagle The Sunday Carroll Eagle - Opinion: http://explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/

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Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Do We Need the Big Three? by George Will Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Do We Need the Big Three? by George Will Tuesday, November 18, 2008

WASHINGTON -- "Nothing," said a General Motors spokesman last week, "has changed relative to the GM board's support for the GM management team during this historically difficult economic period for the U.S. auto industry." Nothing? Not even the evaporation of almost all shareholder value?

GM's statement comes as the mendicant company is threatening to collapse and make a mess unless Washington, which has already voted $25 billion for GM, Ford and Chrysler, provides up to $50 billion more -- the last subsidy until the next one.

[…]

The answer? Do nothing that will delay bankrupt companies from filing for bankruptcy protection, so that improvident labor contracts can be unraveled, allowing the companies to try to devise plausible business models. Instead, advocates of a "rescue" propose extending to Detroit the government's business model for the nation -- redistributing wealth from the successful to the failed, an implausible formula for prosperity.

[…]

Those Democrats, their rhetoric notwithstanding, really care most about the union. "Saving the planet" comes second and last comes the health of the auto companies.

{…}


Read the entire column here: Do We Need the Big Three? by George Will

20081118 Do We Need the Big Three by Will Nov18 2008

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Today in the DC Examiner: An Auto Bailout is Like Sending Arsonists to Fight Fires

Today in the DC Examiner: An Auto Bailout is Like Sending Arsonists to Fight Fires

November 19, 2008

Will Obama back missile defense or back missile defense into history?

Examiner Editorial: Liberals have been saying for decades that missile defense can't work, even as the U.S. Army and Navy are repeatedly and successfully testing land and sea-based systems that destroy incoming missiles. Will Barack Obama listen to the liberals or the military?

S.J. Masty's Time Machine: Maybe Charlie Chan can solve the mystery of who shot the GOP.

Jay Ambrose: Our Denver-based Herald of the Rockies is having second thoughts about Obama's first promises.

Tapscott's Copy Desk: Harry Reid and Robert Byrd falsified government data on job creation. Will the Mainstream Media call them on it?

And don't miss a former GM manager's explanation for why she opposes a federal bailout for Detroit's Big Three: You will find Lori Roman's Op-Ed here: “An Auto Bailout is Like Sending Arsonists to Fight Fires

20081119 Today in the DC Examiner: An Auto Bailout is Like Sending Arsonists to Fight Fires

This week in The Tentacle

This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Rewarding Bad Behavior

Kevin E. Dayhoff

Instead of tooling down the highway in the fast lane, two months after General Motors celebrated its 100th Birthday on September 16, it found itself huddled over at an intersection with fate, harassing passers-by with a tin pan in hand.

William C. Durant formed General Motors (GM) as a holding company in 1908 for Buick. He subsequently took on overwhelming debt by purchasing the manufacturers of Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Elmore and Oakland. After a dramatic drop in automobile sales, Mr. Durant lost control of the company two years later to one of the many powerful bankers’ trusts of the time.

A hundred years later, the “Detroit Three,” – Ford, GM and Chrysler – have lost control of their companies to the United Auto Workers (UAW.)

After decades of being blackmailed with the threat of crippling union strikes, the Detroit Three finds themselves with uncompetitive work rules. It manufactures products which continue to languish with the perception that they lack the quality of their competitors. They offer numerous models, in which the American consumer has little or no interest. They make these automobiles with enormously uncompetitive salaries and benefits; and now the American taxpayers are being asked to bail them out.

Read the entire column here: Rewarding Bad Behavior


Fulfilling A Dream
Tom McLaughlin
“What has possessed you, Tom,” many have asked. “Leaving the country for Borneo Island for a year,” they wonder. “And what about your health?”


Baltimore Hippodrome's "Grinch"
Roy Meachum
What a delightful idea! Baltimore's Hippodrome Theatre decided to bring in for the holidays "Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical."


Tuesday, November 18, 2008
New Terms and Limits in Iraq
Roy Meachum
While George W. Bush's order to invade Iraq made headline news, the several papers I read cast the real outcome somewhere in the back pages.


A Once-A-Year Happening
Farrell Keough


“[A]m I my brother’s keeper?” This was the statement Cain gave to God when questioned about the location of Abel, whom Cain murdered. It has become part of our cultural colloquialisms – generally applied when asking about our responsibility to help others.


Walkersville’s Welcome Wagon
Joe Charlebois
Well, the ugly head of unforeseen consequences has reared its ugly head. The Town of Walkersville, in its determination to keep the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community from building their worship and conference facilities, has ultimately broken the back – if not the pocketbook – of the Banner School family.


Monday, November 17, 2008
Avoiding The Temptation
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
I supported John McCain throughout the recent presidential election. Having written an entire column about why, there's no reason to re-plow that field.


Befuddled in Frederick
Steven R. Berryman
What strange days we are living in. My sympathy goes out to those whose intellectual process it is to attempt to make sense of the world around them.


Landfill & Waste-to-Energy Q & A
Joan McIntyre
My last column (from November 6) generated many questions. Trash in Frederick County certainly seems to be the hot topic. Trash is a given and we need to get out of our holding pattern. So, here I've done my best to address many of your questions.


Friday, November 14, 2008
Newly "Dis-Organized" Party
Roy Meachum
Three months after Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn in as the first Democratic president since Woodrow Wilson, Oklahoma-born comedian Will Rogers said on his weekly radio show: "You've got to be optimist to be a Democrat and you've got to be a humorist to stay one." Mr. Rogers was also quoted: "I belong to no organized political party – I’m a Democrat."


Thursday, November 13, 2008
Onward and Upward, Not Backwards
Tony Soltero
Now that the election is behind us, there's no shortage of analyses being offered by pundits left, right, and center about “What It All Means.” So here are a few bullet points of my own as a contribution to the discussion.


My President
Patricia A. Kelly
I’ve lived a pretty long time. I was alive and conscious during the civil rights movement. In fact, during that time, my mom drove my brother and me through the South every summer to visit my grandparents.


Wednesday, November 12, 2008
The Incredibly Shrinking Republican Party
Kevin E. Dayhoff
The ink is hardly dry on the “historic” election of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and already those with 20/20 hindsight are dissecting and revising the two-year ordeal, known as the 2008 presidential election, with the conviction of someone who has just seen a flying saucer land in the backyard.


Just Bustin’ Out All Over
Tom McLaughlin
It was as if a massive salt water wave swept over the country and washed away all of the hate and intolerance. I felt cleansed, jubilant and am still high from the November 4 election results. No more African-Americans, or Chinese-Americans, or Native Americans. We are all Americans.


Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Please, Jennifer, Not Again
Roy Meachum
Jennifer Dougherty's loss record for elections stands four-to-one after Tuesday's drubbing by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett. The only time she won, incumbent Mayor Jim Grimes shot himself in the foot. Repeatedly. When she tried for a second term, her own party dumped her; the first mayor in modern times to be defeated in a primary.


“It’s Good To Be A Teacher…”
Nick Diaz
Work-to-rule, teachers’ contract, planning time, Board of Education, FCTA, negotiated agreement – these topics, and more, have surfaced recently in Frederick concerning local education issues.

Monday, November 10, 2008
Election Post Mortem
Steven R. Berryman
Election 2008 is over. America now has a new president-elect, and an opportunity to evaluate just what Barack Obama’s victory means. Here are some lessons learned along with some 20/20 hindsight.

20081119 This week in The Tentacle

Friday, June 06, 2008

20080606 A lesson to be learned from Ford versus Toyota

A lesson to be learned from Ford versus Toyota

Hat Tip: Grammy June 6, 2008

I received this allegory in an email. It was simply too true to not pass on and post…

A Japanese company (Toyota) and an American company (Ford) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.

On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.

The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.

Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person rowing.

Feeling a deeper study was in order, Ford management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion.

They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.

Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to Toyota, the Ford rowing team's management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 3 area steering superintendents, and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.

They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the' Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners, and free pens for the rower. There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes, and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses.

The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for po or performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year's racing team was out-sourced to India.

Sadly, The End

Here's something else to think about:

Ford has spent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of the US , claiming they can't make money paying American wages.

TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside the US The last quarter's results for 2007:

TOYOTA makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.

Ford folks are still scratching their heads.

IF THIS WEREN'T TRUE, IT MIGHT BE FUNNY

(I drive a Prius.)

####

20080606 A lesson to be learned from Ford versus Toyota