Drew Dowdell

Tweetdeck has done that to me MULTIPLE times. but I have no problem saying f@#k

That's like asking why we can't retrofit a '73 VW Bug with Voltec technology. You might be able to do it, but the end result would be messy. It is completely different reactor design. It doesn't use water to cool itself. It doesn't require the massive facilities to operate. Many of the advancements can't be retrofitted, it'd be like retrofitting a 1971 Camaro to be equal in safety and performance in every way to a 2011 Camaro. You're just as well to start from scratch. Only difference is that no one looks at a 1971 reactor and goes "that's a classic!" A number of things can be addressed with older reactors, though, and had the Japanese reactor been a little more prepared for a massive tsunami, it might not be facing the current issues (though it's becoming clear that the info we're being given is far from complete - it'll be interesting to see how much of that is Japan trying to cover their butts & how much is just because it's hard to get communication straight when dealing with an emergency.) I expect at the very least we'll see systems to ensure better reliability of backup power generation and some way to handle excess hydrogen production. Oh, it's become quite clear that the Japanese (government? Power company? Both?) have been lying to cover their asses and "save face" this whole time. That much became obvious when the US-issued guidelines for Americans entailed an evacuation zone more than twice the radius of the Japanese government's radius. Tokyo Power Company - A Subsidiary of Toyota Motor Company?

I've never advocated that every car EVAR needs to be RWD. But lets have a few. GM has a cheap and expensive RWD sports cars. Lets have a cheap and expensive large RWD car... maybe even a coupe. This was started way back in Fritz days. And it's timing is most important. The big RWD Caddy won't be ready for a few more years. In the meantime, Cadillac needs something to sell. The STS is dead (though I think it could easily be refreshed) and the DTS has old hardware. Cadillac CANNOT be just CTS, SRX, and Escalade. Putting out the XTS does a few things: 1. It removes the STS and DTS from the lineup - this frees up room at LGR for more CTS production and at Hamtrammak for Volt production 2. The XTS can be built in Kansas City, Lake Orion, Oshawa, or Shanghai using excess capacity for the Lacrosse, Regal, or Malibu. The RWD Caddy will get here. Just not yet.

If the U.S. Government wasn't in such a rush to dump their shares, GM might actually get back to zero balance. But because of cries of "Socialism!!!", the Whitehouse has to get their fingers out of GM ASAP, which means GM will live with the stigma of taking government money for at least 30 years.

I'd go a step further and have the shifter removed and replaced with push buttons.... but I've been that for a while

I'm sure they don't like driving around in something like that, either. For all you know, some idiot in a SUV backed into the car and took off... and the victim got a parking ticket for being pushed into a bus loading zone, while getting hardly enough pay at work to feed/house their kids. (This happened to a co-worker, actually...) I guess the poor should just be marched into the Soylent Green factory, eh? If you don't like what some people are driving, leave them a check for a nicer car. Some cars just aren't safe to keep on the road. I've seen a Crown Vic on the road down in Miami that had not a single exterior light installed. That is simply not road worthy. I don't care if you're poor, if your car is in that bad of condition, take a bus or have a friend pick you up.

Blackberry is dying. The back end costs are too high. We have thousands of them here at work and they are universally hated. Everyone wants something... anything... other than a Blackberry.

4 model Subaru is outselling 10 model VW in the US and you think they're borderline?

Wonderful. But it still remains that what's widely in use is this inferior, delicate form of the technology. Also, I wouldn't quite believe everything coming out of China. As someone who was involved in some high speed rail research for use in California, it turns out that a lot of what they put out in press releases is...let's just say wildly optimistic at best. If the technology exists and is ready to address all of these issues/shortcomings, then why isn't it being implemented? Why no retrofits? You can't put a price on the safety and wellbeing of hundreds of thousands of people, nor can you on environmental devastation. The technology I refer to is a German development that the Chinese have adopted. It's not a new concept, the basic idea has been around for most of the atomic power age. We just decided to go the difficult route for some reason.

It's strange that some of the oldies like the Lucerne, DTS, and Impala have it available while the CTS, Regal, Cruze, and Camaro do not.

You weren't just em-bare-assed by what they saw?

Wait, the first gen CTS-V didn't have a handbrake? Never knew that None of the first gen CTSes had a hand brake.

It's effectively replacing both the STS and the DTS in the lineup. Outselling those two shouldn't be terribly hard. Edit: I don't see it doing much service as a custom body vehicle. It may replace some Town Car Sedans, but that's about it.

Welcome. I see you've already been stirring the pot.

that's only because of a STUPID 70s era policy that prevents reprocessing the spent fuel into new fuel..... like the Chinese do. There are also new style reactors that have a heat imposed self limiting system. The hotter the reactor gets, the further apart the fuel is spread. It's a natural force of physics that requires zero human intervention and zero water to remain cool (relative to a melting reactor)

and I appreciate that. There is a fear surrounding nuclear power that gets whipped up when an accident happens. This isn't even an accident, but a natural disaster.

knock it off in here guys, back to the Malibu spy photos.

he's met some of us in person.

far more people have died from the Tsunami than will ever die from the radiation from the meltdown. far more people will die from not wearing sunscreen than will ever die from the radiation from the meltdown.

I've cut nesting quotes down to 5 max.

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.... and carries the nuke codes.

The only position of leadership I care about is sales. Who cares who has the most HP and the most of anything if the car doesn't sell. But look at how the MKS, DTS, S80, Acura RL sell. Those are the $40k + front drive sedans, all sales dogs. Lucerne near dead, Park Ave, Aurora, and Bonneville are dead, front drive Chrysler LH platform is dead. Big front drivers, especially luxury ones are fading. There are too many good rear drivers that can mop the floor with FWD cars in handling and ride at the XTS's price point. MKS - not distinctive enough DTS - older hardware older design S80 - and in the end... it's still a Volvo RL - What? you mean a Super De Lux AWD Accord TL Brougham with the plow prep package doesn't sell well? Ride has nothing to do with the layout of the drive train. Want some other sales dogs? Infiniti M Infiniti Q - (canceled) Lexus GS (outsold by the STS... THE FREAKING STS.. some months) Cadillac STS - (canceled) Lincoln Town Car - (canceled) Lincoln LS - (canceled) I guess large RWD cars are fading.....

Have you ever been in an S-class cab?