Random Thoughts Thread

[A Horse With No Name]

It will be interesting to see where the US auto industry winds up. Americans have brought this on themselves, shutter the plants. Every last US plant can shut down.

[G. David Felt]

3 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Hyundai plant raid. Shutter every US plant for all I care, we don't deserve to drive cars if we are going to act like this as a society. 

Pathetic part is that most of those folks here had valid work permits and have skills that America does not have since most Battery / EV production is outside of the U.S.

So much for bringing back Manufacturing when you have such idiots in charge that cannot understand the need to bring in folks with the right skills to train the folks here to do the job.

[G. David Felt]

4 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Hyundai plant raid. Shutter every US plant for all I care, we don't deserve to drive cars if we are going to act like this as a society. 

This video rewatching it again just reenforces that BOTH political parties have FAILED America in fixing immigration!

The people just want to work, pay their taxes and go home.

Love the comments from everyone that says let all companies pull out of the red states and fail.

The more I watch this video the more I have anger for the Idiots of ICE as there is no need for all the chains on these people as if they are mass murders.

I would not blame Hyundai from pulling out and letting this country fall down.

[A Horse With No Name]

2 hours ago, G. David Felt said:

This video rewatching it again just reenforces that BOTH political parties have FAILED America in fixing immigration!

The people just want to work, pay their taxes and go home.

Love the comments from everyone that says let all companies pull out of the red states and fail.

The more I watch this video the more I have anger for the Idiots of ICE as there is no need for all the chains on these people as if they are mass murders.

I would not blame Hyundai from pulling out and letting this country fall down.

Hyundai should, from a moral standpoint. 

Besides...

They actually released a new revision for the jobs numbers, now it's down to "f@#k" according to their words

[A Horse With No Name]

Mexico is doing things right. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

This is fascinating on Carbon fiber and bikes, well developed ideas. 

 

[oldshurst442]

Well well well.

It seems that Canadians are asking our government to look into easing off on our tariffs on Chinese EVs.

1. Western Canadians who produce canola oils are suffering due to the fact that China has tariffs on our canola oil. 

2. China has demanded that we take off our tariffs on their EVs and they have put tariffs on all kinds of our products. Beef etc...  But China seems ready to negotiate if we ease off on their EV tariffs.

3. Canada has followed the US on that because:

a) US is (was?) our business partner...

b) We also have an invested interest as GM, Ford and Chryco do have manufacturing plants running in Canada

c) But...tariffs on Canadian built cars by the US are not good for our economy either.  And a direct result of that is that Canadian msrps have skyrocketed as well

d) Even though Albertans for the most part are luke warm on EVs in general, big oil has managed to dupe them just as much as big oil has duped 'Mericans on EVs...  Albertans are willing to forego Canada's tariffs on Chinese EVs

e) Canadians ALL ACROSS Canada are now favoring to for Canada to ease up on tariffs on Chinese EVs as 

i. Canadians realize that we need to de-couple from the US and find NEW trading partners, even i that means to do business all out with China

ii.Tit for tat. We eliminate tariffs on Chinese EVs, they eliminate tariffs on our products. 

iii. Who needs American cars, expensive American cars, when we could buy cheap Chinese EVs.  

This will sink GM, Ford and Chryco if Chinese EVs flood our market.  

And in turn will sink the USA.

If China augments their prices on their cars in the future, well, so be it.   Trump, Maga and everybody else that doesnt seem to understand what it the hell is going on right now, it is time to wake the phoque up and stop this nonsense.   It is still not too late for the US to pick up the mess they have created unto themselves. But come 2026, I thing its going to be too late.  The US as a leader in anything will be gone.  No global influence. No global financial partners. No nothing.  And in turn , the US will slowly become a country with uber rich peoples, and uber poor.  With never a hope in being a country governed for the people by the people. 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/autos/article/ottawa-considering-scrapping-tariffs-on-chinese-electric-vehicle-tariffs/
 

https://www.thealbertan.com/national-business/ottawa-hasnt-heard-directly-from-china-on-ev-tariffs-agriculture-minister-says-11188279

 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/autos/article/ottawa-considering-scrapping-tariffs-on-chinese-electric-vehicle-tariffs/

[oldshurst442]

Its coming...

 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/article/conservative-activist-charlie-kirk-has-been-shot-at-an-event-at-utah-valley-university-a-spokesperson-says/

 

Charlie Kirk got shot. 

Was he just shot at or shot and got wounded and how badly?  

Do not know and I do not care.  Personally I hope the phoqer dies.  I do not care how he dies or when. But when he does die, Im more interested in what his status will be when he tries to go through the Pearly Gates... 

Anyway...Where?  In Utah at a college event apparently.

Utah.  A red state I presume. 

Will Trump deploy the National  Guard?  You now...to quell the violence...

Phoque Charlie Kirk.

Phoque Trump

Phoque Utah (Except the Mammoth.  Hockey is CANADA's GAME!!!)

Phoque Red States

Phoque the US

 

Edited Wednesday at 07:49 PM by oldshurst442

[ccap41]

I know absolutely nothing about the guy, but wishing he was dead is pretty messed up. 

[oldshurst442]

2 minutes ago, ccap41 said:

I know absolutely nothing about the guy, but wishing he was dead is pretty messed up. 

 

 

 Why is it messed up?

Because I am a good Christian?  Or are you a good Christian and YOU push that good  Christian shyte on me?  Anyway,  Who told you THAT nonsense that Im a good Christian? I am not a good Christian.  So...why you judge me. It aint up to you to judge me...   God will judge me so phoque off with your judgey bullshyte...

PS: I did not say I wished him dead.  I said I hope the phoquer dies.  I do not care how he dies or when.  (implying)  One day.   One day he will.  One day...we all die. 

Why do I hope the phoquer dies?

Well...firstly...thoughts and prayers to him.   But...he and only he knows of the sins he committed.  Being such a good Christian himself and not taking gun violence seriously himself.  But when he dies. Today, tomorrow, in 80 years from now. I surely will be curious to see if what his status will be when he tries to get through the Pearly Gates... 

Oh well.  2nd Amendment rights...   He is fighting the good fight and thoughts and prayers to him. And may he not die ironically.  

 

 

 

 

[oldshurst442]

Is THIS messed up?

 

Do you think this is messed up?

 

 

Declaring war on your own people. Declaring war on your neighbor by annexation.   Is that messed up?

Is this messed up?

 

How about this?

Is this messed up?

 

Or are you declaring ignorance???

Ill repeat...

Maybe Trump declares WAR on Utah now that Charlie Kirk has been shot...and apparently has died!!! 

[ccap41]

33 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

Because I am a good Christian?  Or are you a good Christian and YOU push that good  Christian shyte on me?  Anyway,  Who told you THAT nonsense that Im a good Christian? I am not a good Christian.  So...why you judge me. It aint up to you to judge me...   God will judge me so phoque off with your judgey bullshyte...

What in the fck are you talking about? 

[oldshurst442]

PHOQUE CHARLIE KIRK!!! 

I wonder if he gets to go through the Pearly Gates...

Ill find out soon enough. When I die, if I see him in Hell, Ill ask him why are you here?  He will tell me.  And then he will ask me why Im here and Ill tell him that I wished him death...

[ccap41]

34 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

PS: I did not say I wished him dead.  I said I hope the phoquer dies. 

What, exactly, is the difference? 

You hope he dies but you don't wish he dies? That's some semantic BS if I've ever read it. 

It's just wild to me that you'd "hope" somebody dies. Maybe he's a horrible person and I should hope for the same or maybe he's a great person and doesn't deserve your menopause-rage. 

[oldshurst442]

https://www.hindustantimes.com/trending/us/charlie-kirk-shot-in-utah-once-said-gun-deaths-are-worth-it-to-keep-2nd-amendment-101757536149504.html

 

 

https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/charlie-kirks-comments-on-second-amendment-gun-deaths-resurface-after-uvu-shooting-101757535740663.html

[oldshurst442]

 

 

[surreal1272]

It seems to be past time for meds and bed check in some parts of the world.

[oldshurst442]

10 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

It seems to be past time for meds and bed check in some parts of the world.

 

[oldshurst442]

 

[Robert Hall]

No great loss, just another right wing rabble rouser POS. 

[oldshurst442]

Now that thoughts and prayers were had...and flags were masted in half.  But not for Minnesota Democrat legislators  though...

A post that I did before all this excitement happened.  So we could get back to car business and show yet another Trump busllshyte action will affect the USA negatively. 

Well well well.

It seems that Canadians are asking our government to look into easing off on our tariffs on Chinese EVs.

1. Western Canadians who produce canola oils are suffering due to the fact that China has tariffs on our canola oil. 

2. China has demanded that we take off our tariffs on their EVs and they have put tariffs on all kinds of our products. Beef etc...  But China seems ready to negotiate if we ease off on their EV tariffs.

3. Canada has followed the US on that because:

a) US is (was?) our business partner...

b) We also have an invested interest as GM, Ford and Chryco do have manufacturing plants running in Canada

c) But...tariffs on Canadian built cars by the US are not good for our economy either.  And a direct result of that is that Canadian msrps have skyrocketed as well

d) Even though Albertans for the most part are luke warm on EVs in general, big oil has managed to dupe them just as much as big oil has duped 'Mericans on EVs...  Albertans are willing to forego Canada's tariffs on Chinese EVs

e) Canadians ALL ACROSS Canada are now favoring to for Canada to ease up on tariffs on Chinese EVs as 

i. Canadians realize that we need to de-couple from the US and find NEW trading partners, even i that means to do business all out with China

ii.Tit for tat. We eliminate tariffs on Chinese EVs, they eliminate tariffs on our products. 

iii. Who needs American cars, expensive American cars, when we could buy cheap Chinese EVs.  

This will sink GM, Ford and Chryco if Chinese EVs flood our market.  

And in turn will sink the USA.

If China augments their prices on their cars in the future, well, so be it.   Trump, Maga and everybody else that doesnt seem to understand what it the hell is going on right now, it is time to wake the phoque up and stop this nonsense.   It is still not too late for the US to pick up the mess they have created unto themselves. But come 2026, I thing its going to be too late.  The US as a leader in anything will be gone.  No global influence. No global financial partners. No nothing.  And in turn , the US will slowly become a country with uber rich peoples, and uber poor.  With never a hope in being a country governed for the people by the people. 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/autos/article/ottawa-considering-scrapping-tariffs-on-chinese-electric-vehicle-tariffs/
 

https://www.thealbertan.com/national-business/ottawa-hasnt-heard-directly-from-china-on-ev-tariffs-agriculture-minister-says-11188279

 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/autos/article/ottawa-considering-scrapping-tariffs-on-chinese-electric-vehicle-tariffs/

[Robert Hall]

Reality is complex.  

[A Horse With No Name]

18 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Well well well.

It seems that Canadians are asking our government to look into easing off on our tariffs on Chinese EVs.

1. Western Canadians who produce canola oils are suffering due to the fact that China has tariffs on our canola oil. 

2. China has demanded that we take off our tariffs on their EVs and they have put tariffs on all kinds of our products. Beef etc...  But China seems ready to negotiate if we ease off on their EV tariffs.

3. Canada has followed the US on that because:

a) US is (was?) our business partner...

b) We also have an invested interest as GM, Ford and Chryco do have manufacturing plants running in Canada

c) But...tariffs on Canadian built cars by the US are not good for our economy either.  And a direct result of that is that Canadian msrps have skyrocketed as well

d) Even though Albertans for the most part are luke warm on EVs in general, big oil has managed to dupe them just as much as big oil has duped 'Mericans on EVs...  Albertans are willing to forego Canada's tariffs on Chinese EVs

e) Canadians ALL ACROSS Canada are now favoring to for Canada to ease up on tariffs on Chinese EVs as 

i. Canadians realize that we need to de-couple from the US and find NEW trading partners, even i that means to do business all out with China

ii.Tit for tat. We eliminate tariffs on Chinese EVs, they eliminate tariffs on our products. 

iii. Who needs American cars, expensive American cars, when we could buy cheap Chinese EVs.  

This will sink GM, Ford and Chryco if Chinese EVs flood our market.  

And in turn will sink the USA.

If China augments their prices on their cars in the future, well, so be it.   Trump, Maga and everybody else that doesnt seem to understand what it the hell is going on right now, it is time to wake the phoque up and stop this nonsense.   It is still not too late for the US to pick up the mess they have created unto themselves. But come 2026, I thing its going to be too late.  The US as a leader in anything will be gone.  No global influence. No global financial partners. No nothing.  And in turn , the US will slowly become a country with uber rich peoples, and uber poor.  With never a hope in being a country governed for the people by the people. 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/autos/article/ottawa-considering-scrapping-tariffs-on-chinese-electric-vehicle-tariffs/
 

https://www.thealbertan.com/national-business/ottawa-hasnt-heard-directly-from-china-on-ev-tariffs-agriculture-minister-says-11188279

 

https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/autos/article/ottawa-considering-scrapping-tariffs-on-chinese-electric-vehicle-tariffs/

This absolutely needs to happen. about 200 countries in the world, 199 need to boycott the US. All for Chinese EV's being sold in place of Ford, Chevy, GMC, Buick products. All for it absolutely. 

I like this guys analysis. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

16 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Is THIS messed up?

 

Do you think this is messed up?

 

 

Declaring war on your own people. Declaring war on your neighbor by annexation.   Is that messed up?

Is this messed up?

 

How about this?

Is this messed up?

 

Or are you declaring ignorance???

Ill repeat...

Maybe Trump declares WAR on Utah now that Charlie Kirk has been shot...and apparently has died!!! 

Ideas have moral consequences, dig through my eleventy billion political posts here. There is a reason for my cynacism. 

Interesting video on Carbon fiber, I am not going to full on mountain bike now that I am turning 60 tomorrow, but I am thinking of building a gravel bike of sorts. 

 

 

[G. David Felt]

No matter what, loss of life is sad and I feel for his wife and kids, I did not like nor would ever support Kirk as he was a racist POS imho.

People like this bring it on themselves when they ignore history and go down the rabbit hole of hate that Kirk and the MAGA movement has done. Wish all the MAGA an early dirt nap! Society will be better off without them.

In regards to the auto industry, Ford, GM and Stellantis have dug their own grave and ignoring technology and moving forward you get what you get and the Chinese have moved forward with society not backwards the way Maga and many U.S. companies have done.

Have a friend who just left at the start of this week for a tech tradeshow in Amsterdam and has informed me very few people visiting their booth and many of those that do tend to be very negative about their products / services. 

My gut tells me that GM Cadillac of Europe is going to fail hard due to the whole MAGA BS in DC.

The big investments in ICE is a MISTAKE and will be a short term bump in profits for Ford / GM / Stellantis, but long term will hurt them.

I honestly am thinking the Blue states need to stop sending the tax dollars to the feds since the Politicians are not representing me and we do not get anything really back to the Blue states, might as well let the red states starve.

It is amazing how stupid the states getting the bulk of fed dollars are.

Least Educated States 2025

Seems the states with the highest wages, best education and healthcare are the blue states.

At this point, if America was to fracture, I could see the whole west coast becoming a new nation and the rest of the U.S. is going to be in a world of hurt.

If Canada makes their own agreement with China and I can see this happening like Mexico did, I agree with @oldshurst442 that the U.S. is screwed and the U.S. auto industry will die over the next 3 to 6 decades. Just like Japan is falling farther behind in the auto industry for moving forward with EVs, Korea and China dominate right now.

Sad state of affairs that idiots chose stupidity to run this country, but as I have also said, both major political parties are to blame for the FAILED Immigration system as well as Phouquing up SS / Medicare.

[oldshurst442]

I love when it our Prime Ministers are passionate about hockey!!!

 

 

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6619565/2025/09/11/hockey-connor-mcdavid-mark-carney-canada-extension/

 

“Let’s face it. We are in a crisis,” Carney said. “The global trading system has been upended. Supply chains have been destroyed. McDavid is unsigned. This is not a transition. This is a rupture. It’s in times like these you have to draw back in and remember what you have. Draisaitl. Hyman. Nugent-Hopkins. We’ve got to draw on those strengths. We’ve got to draw on those values.

 

 

“And Connor, if there’s anything we can do in the upcoming budget. We’re spending less, we’re going to invest more so we can bring that Cup back to Canada.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

I like a lot of this guys analysis, he explains well why American manufacturing is declining at a greater and greater pace and why jobs are moving away from the United States. 

 

[A Horse With No Name]

This guy gets the toxic state of America right on so many levels. it's pretty much cooked. 

Drew feel free to delete this if need be. 

[surreal1272]

1 hour ago, A Horse With No Name said:

This guy gets the toxic state of America right on so many levels. it's pretty much cooked. 

Drew feel free to delete this if need be. 

100% spot on analysis of Kirk. Yes, the way he died was horrible, no matter what side of the political spectrum on which you stand. However, let us not ignore the man's ACTUAL words and actions that helped fuel the "radicalization" of certain factions in this country and create this exact scenario where someone decided to take matters into their own armed hands. Ten years of pure madness fueled by one giant narcissistic A-Hole in D.C.

Edited 10 hours ago by surreal1272

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, surreal1272 said:

100% spot on analysis of Kirk. Yes, the way he died was horrible, no matter what side of the political spectrum on which you stand. However, let us not ignore the man's ACTUAL words and actions that helped fuel the "radicalization" of certain factions in this country and create this exact scenario where someone decided to take matters into their own armed hands. Ten years of pure madness fueled by one giant narcissistic A-Hole in D.C.

IIRC the other founder of Turning Point died of Covid after denying safety steps for covid or something. You can argue morality and logic, but the impacts/results/effects of what you do are objective and real. 

A bit of non political fun, this is gorgeous. 

If I wasn't turning 60 years old today, I would drive that damn thing. 

Edited 8 hours ago by A Horse With No Name

[oldshurst442]

9 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I like a lot of this guys analysis, he explains well why American manufacturing is declining at a greater and greater pace and why jobs are moving away from the United States. 

 

 

Id like to add:  Because it seems NOBODY wants to talk about the REALITY OF WHY manufacturing will NEVER come back to North America no matter WHAT kind of monies we throw at it to try to bring it back. And FYI, NOBODY is REALLY investing in ACTUALLY bringing back manufacturing to North America...

 PRELUDE

Nixon opened up the door to do trade with China. (not a bad thing)

Reagan allowed Wallstreet and corporate America to move manufacturing from the US to China.  (In hindsight, a very bad thing for what it was to be) 

CHAPTER 1

The industrial revolution arrived. It supercharged the British Empire and it helped to introduce a young country into being a very powerful nation in the decades to come.  We are here to talk about the young nation and not about the British Empire.

CHAPTER 2

Ultimately, the industrial revolution brought many innovations on how to produce and manufacture even more efficiently and faster.  It helped win a world war or two and the last man standing so to speak allowed this young nation become almost the sole superpower on the planet.

CHAPTER 3 

Many many many products were produced.  Many many new technologies came to be that introduced a new modern society. And those new modern products also brought with them NEW MANUFACTURING TECHNIQUES.

CHAPTER 4

Remember when I said that this new nation rose up to the challenge to help win a world war or two?  Well, it was the industrial revolution ace up the sleeve that the USA had and the sheer amount of war machines produced efficiently and with speed was the key to these victories.  Especially that last world war.  When the war was over, the USA enjoyed the technology of mass production that was the envy of the world. (remember the bolded part.)

CHAPTER 5 

Eventually, manufacturing left the USA to go to China. The world followed suit.  China produces the world's gadgets.

CHAPTER 6   (THIS IS THE IMPORTANT CHAPTER THAT NOBODY TALKS ABOUT)

China has invested TRILLIONS of dollars in manufacturing. Why? THE WORLD depends on it. China holds itself PROUD to be the world's producer of goods. China wants to CONTINUE TO BE the world's producer of goods. So...China has upgraded their manufacturing plants to be very very state of the art. They will CONTINUE to INVEST not only in monies to ALWAYS RENOVATE their manufacturing plants, but they TEACH their populace to go to ENGINEERING schools so they could ALWAYS have STATE OF THE ART MANUFACTURING. 

CHAPTER 7    (ALSO IMPORTANT THAT NOBODY TALKS ABOUT)

The USA actually stopped renovating in manufacturing looong before the manufacturing plants left for China. But that is not the issue. The issue is, there are NO monies invested RIGHT now to bring back manufacturing. There are NO plants being built.  LOL tariffs...   And where are those monies from the tariffs?  

No American company has invested in manufacturing plants to be built. No American company has worked with AMERICAN engineering schools to teach graduating students to manufacture goods in the USA to actually be with techniques of the early 2000s let alone 2025.  Loooooong gone are those 1930s/1940s/1950s techniques...  We are in 2025 let us not forget.   The USA doesnt even have the TOOLING of those 1930s/1940s/1950s plants. Those were sold to China and elsewhere in the world, but those metal tooling dies right now, have probably been recycled. NEW technologies to manufacture...

 

CHAPTER 8  (A TRUTH THAT WILL PROBABLY HURT BUT DEFINITELY NOT TALKED ABOUT)

A certain American does not favour education.  This certain American favours ignorance.   MOST Americans do NOT want to work in a factory.  But ALL Americans do NOT realize MODERN factory work is NOT how it used to be.  To be fair, Apple iPhone workers in China committing suicide because of shytty work hours is also loooong gone. But then again, American media does not allow for  American peoples to know what a modern manufacturing plant consists of.  Also, engineering is too hard for those subset of Americans to actually learn how to manufacture goods in a modern state of the art way to not only compete with China, but to surpass their prowess in manufacturing to BRING BACK manufacturing from China to the USA. 

 

CHAPTER 9 (ALSO IGNORED)

And even if, some manufacturing plants came back to the USA.   There is something that we learned DURING the industrial revolution that says the USA will NEVER get ANY manufacturing plants back.  Sheer volume.  The WORLD has China to produce its goods.  China will ALWAYS remain CHEAPER to produce there just BECAUSE of economies of scale.   The skilled labour is in China.  The raw materials are shipped to China to produce whatever you want to produce. ALL the plants of whatever you have thought of producing whatever you want are ALL in China.  All kinds of different ports exist in China to accept ALL kinds of RAW materials.  ALL the ports are huuuuuge in China. ALL the ports are state of the art.  The BOATS to ship ANYTHING ALL OVER THE WORLD are ALL in China.  The boats are huuuuge and the ports could accept them.  And ALL that coordination is done by STATE OF THE ART communication, education and logistics.  

PS:  China and the Chinese government subsidize world ports. The USA once did that...  The USA declares the  Panama Canal as their own.  Past history is past history in subsidizing the canal, but China actually finances it PRESENTLY to open up a bigger canal.  The USA whines abut the name of Gulf of Mexico....   

 

In 2025, CHINA is the envy of the world in manufacturing techniques.  

 

No...manufacturing is NEVER coming back to the USA.   Forget about tariffs, ICE agents, DOGE, assassinations, school shootings and everything wrong (or right) about right wing politics  and left wing lunacy.  THOSE are  just ADDED reasons NOT to do business in the USofA. 

Edited 2 hours ago by oldshurst442