Three Amigos on the Road to Ruin

GM, Ford, and Chrysler. 

The 'Three Amigos' of American corporate ineptness.

They are failing (GM is very close to gone), so what are their options?

1. We bail them out (they'd prefer that)

2. They merge (goodbye Big Three, hello Big Two, or even Big One)

3. They get bought out by other (probably foreign) investors.

4. We let them fail if that's what happens (they definitely don't want that)

From a strictly how-dumb-can-they-be-let's-teach-them-a-lesson vindictive point of view, I'd say option #4, especially for giant GM (the bigger they are ... etc.)

Based on what's best for the country, however, I'd say throw them into the market and see what can be arranged using options 2 & 3. 

If all else fails, throw the chumps a lifeline.  

But they'd better be grateful if we do ... I'd expect to see by way of thanks:

- Inexpensive, high-mpg, safe cars

- Alternative fuel vehicles

- Zero emissions vehicles

Oh, and lest we forget...

- Provide Health and Retirement Plans for their workers

- Pay us back (what, you thought it was a GIFT?)

Add to those good things a few, higher-end performance and luxury vehicles to keep the well-heeled happy, and that should be a good job well done... 

No Rest Before The Test

The last Democratic President, Bill Clinton, didn't announce his staff until shortly before his inauguration.   

President-Elect Obama announced his chief of staff only days after his election win.  He is building his team as fast as possible.  

And he needs to.  Today he'll be making a public announcement on the economy.  He's already spoken with world leaders on the crisis.

With a leadership vacuum in the Bush administration the size of a stellar nebula, Obama has been pressed to, in essence, govern before even taking office.

Has there ever been a lamer duck than George Bush?  Has there ever been a President-Elect given less time to rest before the test of office?

Team Building 101

And Barack Obama thought winning the election was tough.

Now he's got to choose the people who will largely run the country for the next four years, and his picks have to be good.

What qualities should Obama be looking for?  Let's make a short list:

• Loyalty.  I know this may sound extreme, but team members need to stand behind their leader. No petty politics or survivor-like behavior allowed.  Differences of opinion should be expected and open discussion encouraged, but once the President makes his decision, everyone needs to close ranks behind him.  If as a team member, you can't abide by a decision, then resign and write a book about it.

• Enthusiasm.  Leading a country is a hard job.  Long hours, little sleep, and lots of second guessing of every move you make.  And that's just the President.  His team will need to work even harder, to stay ahead of the curve and keep their boss well informed.  At times, they will just want to give up, quit and write a book.  Enthusiasm will keep them going, and they will need lots of it, along with plenty of coffee and sugary snacks.

•  Intelligence.  Members of the President's team should be among the best and brightest in government.  Not asking too much, you might think, but the President has to be realistic.  The very smartest people in our society won't take the job.  The smartest 'in government' will, and that's the best we can hope for. 

• Persistence.  One of the toughest jobs team members will face is dealing with congress and their not-so-silent partners, the lobbyists.  Just when you think you have an 'understanding', some lobbyist will mess things up and you will be back to square one.  Persistence - the fine art of getting up, dusting off, and trying again, is essential.

And

• Steadiness.  Team members will face at least four years (unless they quit and write that book) of relentless stress, often extreme.  Ordinary folk might crack like cheap vinyl and fail their President at the moment he needs them the most.  So the last, but not least, of qualities to consider is the emotional steadiness to weather the intense ups and downs of the job.  
  

So there you have it.  The short list of qualities that should be requirements when Barack Obama forms his team.  Of course, he should give some consideration to experience, but as we all know by now, that's not essential...

Class on Display

In the aftermath of the historic victory of President-Elect Barrack Obama, we were treated to two impressive displays of class:

Senator John McCain gave perhaps the most inspiring speech of his campaign, indeed his career, in his gracious and humble concession to Obama's victory.  During the speech, he skillfully quelled a few ugly outbursts amongst his followers, and, by the end, had brought them around to looking forward in a hopeful, if poignant, way.  Class.

President-Elect Barrack Obama accepted his victory with an eloquent speech that beautifully summed up the hopes of his supporters while acknowledging the fears of his opponents.  His gracious and positive treatment of his former opponent went a long way towards bridging the gap between jubilant Democrats and demoralized Republicans.  Class.

Both men deserved our praise last evening. Their moves to immediately heal the wounds of a painful campaign gave great hope about our future to the citizens of the United States and our friends around the world. Class.

Fateful Day

Very first thing I heard on the morning radio news: a commentator noted that today's election will be historic, no matter which party wins.  

On the Republican side, you can elect the oldest man ever to a first term.  And the first woman to be elected Vice President.

Triumphant Democrats will place the first African-American in office as President. 

Every registered voter can participate in making history.  So get out there and make a difference.

I can't bear to look

It's mid-day on Monday November 3rd, and I've decided to stop looking at the polls.

They are just making me paranoid.

Obama still has a healthy lead, but McCain is inexplicably chipping away at it in the 'battleground' states.

It could be due to exhaustive campaigning on McCain's part (he IS tough, isn't he?)  

It could be due to exhaustion amongst Obama's crew (they've been working VERY hard.)

I hope it's one or both of those reasons, because I'd hate to think that racism has anything to do with it.

Like I said, paranoid...

So no more polls.  I know who I am voting for,  but I will need all the time I can get before tomorrow to wade through all the propositions ...

The Entropy of Black Holes

According to a science program I saw on TV, the universe will expand forever, resulting eventually (100 trillion years, or thereabouts) in a cold, dark, lifeless, universe of decomposed matter. 

They say that accelerating expansion due to the repulsive forces of matter together with entropy dictates this end.  As galaxies move further and further apart, there will be less concentrated heat and light to keep things 'cooking', and as stars burn out fewer will be born as a result of this lowered concentration of heat and light. Entropy will assure that complex forms will degrade into less organized states.

Near the end, they predict a universe filled with black holes, but say they too will degenerate and die.

But here is where they lost me, and I'll share some of the questions and thoughts that came to me while watching:

 If a black hole is a center of gravitation force so powerful that NOTHING can escape, how would entropy work?  Black holes will continue to pull in matter no matter how cold and dark the matter is, and no energy will escape.  So what could lead to black hole death?

Maybe entropy is suspended in black holes.  Perhaps, in the universe the TV show depicts, black holes will be a saving grace.   

As matter in the universe cools to absolute zero, perhaps the repulsive forces will weaken, slowing or reversing expansion.  And maybe the ever growing black holes will provide enough gravitational force to pull matter back together.

Maybe the black holes will coalesce eventually into a single point of gravity, resulting in another big bang?

Or maybe the energy released when matter collapses past the event horizons of countless black holes will heat the matter in the universe, restoring the repulsive forces, resulting in another era of expansion. And so on, in an endless cycle.

Of course, as a non-mathematician, I lack the tools to explore these questions further than simply posing them.  

Black holes and entropy - fun to think about on a cloudy, wet day, fueled by a post-Halloween sugar high.