FUTURE_OF_GM

That's sharp! I actually found a '59 El Camino at a show a couple of weeks ago. Needed a lot of TLC, if I'd only had the money to buy it.

IMO, the Malibu is class leading as an overall package. Of course no one here, least of all a BMW driver, would buy one because it isn't built for us. It's built for clueless Camry buyers and it stomps the Camry and is 100% competitive with the Accord. To me, that's one hell of a victory considering GM has struck out completely for 10-12 years now in this segment. Yes, the G6 is bland and the interior is atrocious. But my point is the similarities in praise verse criticism, which has nothing to do with the product itself. (Sadly)

Asian = Hell no, deathe before that. Domestic = Absolutely! European = Yes, I would consider it.

Well it is supposed to compete with the blob of all blobs; the Lexus ES.

That's just discrimination IMO.

Obviously I fly the confederate flag quite a bit. That's because it is my heritage and I like to honor the many fine men both black and white who died to unite this country. I mean no disrespect to any race or religion. It really bothers me that the KKK and dumb rednecks alike have, for many, ruined what the confederate flag represents. And I look forward to a day (that will hopefully come) in which the 'klan' is dead and people only see the flag for the history it represents. Now, with that in mind; the recent controversy in South Carolina is a bit of a different story. For those of you who don't know, the confederate flag used to fly above the SC house along with the SC flag. That offended a lot of people and the house offered to move the flag to a civil war monument on the premises instead. A lot of people didn't like that idea either and I'm not sure what the final outcome was. I'm of the opinion that the confederate flag, eventhough I do support it should not fly above the SC house simply because it's still too controversial to be in that position. However, I do think it should be flown on the premises above the civil war monument because it is a symbol of that history. As for the Nazi flag... That's a very good question, one that I've never thought about... Am I comfortable with the Nazi flag being flown? Not really, but then that would mark me as sort of a hypocrit given my support for the confederate flag. But then, eventhough Hitler was a warped leader and horrible things happened, I'm sure not every German that fought and died for his/her country shared that same mindset or way of thinking. I guess it's just based on personal judgement. P.S. Regarding the confederate flag; it's pretty obvious what manner it's being flown in by the kind of person displaying it. I know that's using stereotypes, but by in large stereotypes are usually accurate despite being positive or negative.

LMAO!!! Looks like a therapist is needed in Sydney!

Sounds like this reviewer just simply doesn't want to give credit where it's due... It's very begrudging. It's looking more and more like the new Malibu will be like the G6 was... It debuted to AWESOME praise only to be killed (For no good reason) in reviews. Probably a lot of that has to do with the internet '$h! talking' by delusional fans and import humpers alike.

That's unreal man... My heart goes out to the victims families. That guy sounded pretty unstable, makes one wonder how exactly he was allowed to be in the profession he was in.

Yeah, I figure he'll delete all of mine too. People like that are a lost cause. It's like trying not to drown in a bottomless pit of ignorance; a lost cause.

HOT DAMN!!! That was fun!!!

I'm in a relationship... But if I weren't it'd be too easy, especially with the sorority girls, LOL.

That's awesome! I usually do a very realistic costume and throw a party/attend parties. Would love to do a haunted house or field or mill one year!

LMFAO... Last I checked, the LS7 was NOT built in mexico. C&D just can't find much to bitch about these days regarding GM, so they resort to IMAGE damage by asserting that the cars are somehow inferior because they have components from mexico or china. This is because americans connotate bad things (a.k.a Poor quality) with products from these two countries. It's just another less overt way for the media to push it's agenda of "domestic cars have inferior quality" They've just gotten smarter about it. (Only took them 20 something years ) We all know that the ONLY acceptable way to build a car is either IN JAPAN or in america with Japanese parts and ingenuity (If there is such a thing, since they pretty much copy everyone esle and refine)

The media seemed to love the interior at the auto shows... I dunno, I guess it's just a wait-and-see thing.

Hard to tell much because of the camo... Kinda looks like a Civic from the front which is probably not a good thing. At least it doesn't suffer from the "backed into a wall - ugly ass" syndrome that seems to be rampant these days. The rear actually looks pretty conservative.

Therapists are excellent if you know what you want out of it. For example: DO NOT go to anyone who says they're a psychoanalyst or something of that manner, because usually they are not required to even have a background in the fields of psychology or medicine. Psychiatrists are usually medically minded, meaning their education will be something akin to a medical doctor. That means he/she will most likely evaluate you and then try to CORRECT whatever ails you through medication. It's simply because that's the view they are taught and that's what they specialize in. They consider the brain like any other part of the body; and exercise in chemistry. Psychologists are behavior people. A true psychologist will evaluate you, then try to correct whatever ails you through some sort of behavior adjustment or supplement (Relaxation techniques, positive reinforcement, self evaluation, etc.) and then will only reccommend meds in the most severe situations. If meds are reccommended, you'll have to see a regular doctor for the prescription as Psychologists are not yet allowed by law to physically prescribe meds. (They will be soon though) Speaking from personal experience, I would highly reccommend talking to someone if you think you need to. It isn't a sign of weakness or that you're 'crazy' as some would have you believe (I struggled with this a lot my first time going) It's very rare that you get someone who is a 'bad' therapist. I would advise being completely honest, as the person will have a hard time helping you if you are not. Just look at it like I did: This is how I feel, for better or for worse and if this person doesn't like it, then they don't have to associate with me." It is a very hard thing to open yourself up like that. I'm especially mistrusting and hard to get to know (Most of you know this from my posts here) BUT there comes a point where you realize that the thoughts running through your head are not at all healthy and need to surface some other way besides anger or grief (In my case) I would NOT, however suggest medication of any sort unless you absolutely need it. I did the meds thing for a while and it severly affected my life in a negative way. I went from feeling these intense emotions to not really feeling anything UNTIL I would reach a certain threshold. Then all of that emotion (Usually anger) would flood me at once. It had other side effects as well, I pretty much flunked out of school because I couldn't focus on $h!, I gained a lot of weight, I was tired A LOT, I couldn't drink more than 1 or 2 beers before being at the point of passing out, etc.

The reason you, and countless others, will not buy the argument unless it involves numbers is because the numbers paint the 'beautiful global picture' that everyone wants to see... GDP is not hard to manipulate because it is based on what our country feels is part of it's economy.. Therefore, Toyotas assembled here are counted as part of our GDP eventhough they are not american products, for example. Why is that significant? Because that worker, 1) Isn't seeing as much profit through wages (because the transplants don't have to pay as much) and 2) The communities are not seeing any money reinvested to provide opportunities and a better standard of living. The same thing exists with all of the service jobs. MY POINT: In order to really see the effects of "Free Trade" one must look at the sociological aspect of our society. And simply put, Generation Y is the first generation IN THE HISTORY OF AMERICA that is not expected to surpass the previous generation in terms of standard of living, financial security and essentially, happiness. Our society is now aligning with the rest of the world in that we are moving to a 2 tier society as the spread between the wealthy and the poor widens. This is causing the middle class (Or the american dream that everyone talks about moving here to achieve) to collapse before our very eyes. It's only going to get worse too as more and more jobs are outsourced and the better paying jobs become harder to find.

It's definitely made my family and town a helluva whole lot poorer.

And the bait and switch comes full circle... For years we've heard the various arguments in favor of the 'transplants about how 1) They provide jobs, 2) They contribute to the economy and 3) They're actually american and 4) More plants will come. But the reality is 1) The jobs provided aren't as plentiful or well paying. 2) They hardly contribute anything to our economy in comparison to the big 3. 3) Now the 'transplants' are billed as american, but by god, you let the domestics import something (Like the Equinox motors) and it's front page news that the product isn't american. 4) Despite all this; Toyota has actually SCALED BACK their plans for expansion in the U.S. (This happened right after they officially 'broke' GM this year as #1 automaker) But here's the kicker... We have been the receivers for so long that our culture is apathetic to the whole situation. It's very possible that the Japanese will eventually destroy this industry just like they did small electronics. Unlike the 80's, when america was a culture less divided, you will see NO backlash from americans when this series of events happens either, because even the most staunch DETROIT fans have been 'influenced' by the press that Detroit is 'getting what it deserves' (Look no further than this board for evidence of the constant negativity -- Even the dealers are turning on the company) It sure is fun watching our country fall!!! [/sarcasm] P.S. As for Pearl Harbor... We should never forget the significance of that day and how it relates to our country. Forgiveness is entirely different though; thus the point of my signature... Japan has been FORGIVEN for commiting one of the largest atrocities ever toward the citizens of this country, yet this country cannot forgive Detroit for making a few 'less than stellar' products.

Typical bias... But then again, why the hell did GM even produce this car again?

The analogy was based on looks alone... Reliability and performance are entirely different issues Besides, sorority girls are just as slut-a-liciuos as playmates (Or at least it's that way at my college, which is why we commonly refer to them as Sorostitutes. )

3 comments: 1) This is a ploy for votes and nothing else... Don't mistake it for the Republicans (or democrats for that matter) actually giving a $h! about the country. EXAMPLE: The PUBLIC is souring on free trade, so the ADVISORS have informed the candidates about that and now the candidates are talking out of the other side of their mouths... It's typical politics. 2) It's not like it matters now anyway... Just let our government try and put sanctions on these countries and watch the backlash that happens. We have outsourced ourselves so much now that we have become dependent on these countries to the point that we must continue whoring the country out to survive. We all saw what China was proposing when our government tried to regulate trade with them and it'll be just as bloody for everyone else. America was sold a long time ago, and the buyers are happy milking us for money. 3) I agree 100% that our next president will UNFORTUNATELY be a democrat. Bush has screwed the Republicans over for quite some time now. UNFORTUNATELY, because that means either Obama or Hilary will get office. Hilary is an extremist and Obama is completely clueless and *BOTH* hate Detroit. It's not hard to see the "crash and burn" right around the curve that both our automotive industry and our country are facing.

This is typical academia bull$h!... Most colleges consist of either flaming liberals or staunch conservatives (Depending on the curriculum) The liberals hate GM for what they are in terms of 1) American 2) Popular and 3) Proud The conservatives hate GM for what they have become 1) Inefficient & 2) Unprofittable. I've had quite a few professors pick fights with me about the industry and it is then that you realize how ignorant, yet well rehearsed these jack offs (REMEMBER: Those who can't do, TEACH) are. One of my majors is Psychology... Had this obviously liberal professor touting (In Social Psychology) how we should trust well established, unbiased sources such as ConsuCKer Reports. Then a few classes later he explained how we should NEVER trust a "survey" of a product because of reciprocation. (The consumer feels indebted to the manufacturer because they got what they wanted--- a new car, and thus will give the manufacturer a glowing review. Also; confirmation bias, where the buyer views the world a certain way and then selectively chooses information to confirm that view (THINK: Jap cars are better) So I stopped him dead in his tracks and explained to the class how he just contradicted himself... You should've heard the bumbling response I got in which he tried to 'ride the fence' I spent the rest of the semester writing all of my papers on Toyota in a negative light. I did this because I knew that he drove a Toyota Camry (Don't ask me how, I had some spare time ) I did get an A in the class tho... Putz #2 My I/O Psych teacher... An Acura driving conservative. I/O stands for Industrial/Organizational Psychology (What I might ultimately do) and deals exclusively with the business world. So while being typical, lefty psychologist one must also be conservative to deal with the clientele: typical business men. He goes into this rant about how Mercedes quality went down when CHRYSLER bought Mercedes... He was a nice guy and I hated to bust his balls, but I just *couldn't" resist (After all I am FOG, LOL) Once corrected about both the purchase and the fact that MB quality has been in decline for MUCH longer than 1998 to present, he didn't offer much of a fight. Then there are the cool guys too I guess... Had one professor who was a little odd and drove a huge old Buick LeSabre. He openly admitted that he still had GM stock, yet he did think they were fresh out of ideas. (This was during the bankruptcy time) Had an accounting teacher, foreign but conservative... Drove a Chevy Blazer, son drove a Lexus (Again, don't ask me how I know all of this... ) He often used GM and Ford in examples, seemed pretty indifferent but alsio STRESSED that business is cyclical and that he had no doubts that Detroit would be back in profits within 2-3 years simply because of the cycle and them readjusting their product mix.

I have a friend that swears up and down he can get 40 MPG in his 90's Civic if he drives under 50 everywhere... I'm not so sure about that, but it's a pain in the ass in general trying to ride with him or lead/follow him somewhere. FWIW...