Basically this year has evolved into one of the biggest and busiest years in my life. To start off, the company I work for has just purchased three, no.. four stations, and we're moving them into our place. One TV station in our building was cramped. But now in addition to the NBC station we have an ABC, CBS, Fox, and America One channel. In fairness, AM-1 is now programmed out of Findlay, OH, so we're not really the custodian of the property. But Fox moved in July 13th, and ABC and CBS will be here August 17th.
Oh, and did I mention that all these stations are HD-SDI/embedded audio, and that control will be from a central 12' x 20' room? Oh, and did I mention that all the RF plant comes over here as well, so we have multiple transmitters? Oh, and did I mention that we're coordinating as many as eight contractors at the same time in the building putting up satellite dishes, downlink terminals, building a new transmitter building, installing antennas and feed lines, and on, and on. Basically I've been working about 55-65 hours a week, sometimes seven days straight.
In my spare time, (yeah, sometimes there is that moment), I've been doing the books for the blind recording, or taking my friend Dave (who has brain cancer) on trips, or trying to find time for relaxation at home working on my music library.
I've had to put some things on hold in my life, such as; Eagles and Elks lodge, ham radio, vacations, and a few other things. I'm still hitting the Lions Club when there is not a conflict.
With some hope, I think this will all end around September 25th, (unfortunately too late for the NRC convention). But I look at it as the light at the end of the tunnel.
So if I'm a little hard to reach, and have not been visible in the community, it's just that I'm REAL busy.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go see my therapist, Dr Jack Daniels. He has a way of mellowing me out. :D
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( 2.9 / 162 )Last night NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams had a story about GM on the verge of emerging from bankruptcy. This morning the story below was in the Toledo Blade (Sat 11 July).
Debbie and I commented to each other last night during the news that GM has nothing that we would want to buy. Back in our younger days we had cars like her Subaru and I had a Gremlin with the straight 6 engine. Before that I had Volkswagens. Both small cars, but highly efficient. I can remember driving to Memphis, Tennessee, and it costing me perhaps $20 round trip. To save you the calculations, that was 833 miles each way.
GM claims to have found it's soul, but what are they selling. Choices are high priced hybrids or the same old gas guzzlers. And the government is not helping matters with their "cash for clunkers" project by the low mileage numbers. I guess if I drive like a wild man and get 8 miles to the gallon, and then get a truck with slightly higher fuel efficiency. Some savings, $39,000 for 12 mpg. A real help to the economy and environment.
I saw "Mr. Wheels" this morning and commented on what my wife and I discussed and he reminded me that Volkswagen had the least markup of all cars, thus the reason why dealers were few.
For now I think I'll drive the 92 Roadmaster, which I can squeak out 20 mpg with if I'm careful. I would love to find a small car like a Volkswagen, Gremlin, ect. The problem is it needs to be fuel efficient, and under $18,000. No frills; no GPS, 5.1 surround sound system, no heated seats, power mirrors, etc.
Give me something basic, inexpensive, and usable to drive to/from work. If you make it totally electric I might pay more. But till then, no thank you.
And to the politicians who keep using my tax dollars to bail out these folks... unless you are going to take some cuts, don't ever expect my support.
Click on RELATED for original story...
Article published July 11, 2009
GM exits bankruptcy; CEO vows better performance
(AP) DETROIT — General Motors completed an unusually quick exit from bankruptcy protection on Friday with ambitions of making money and building cars people are eager to buy.
Once the world's largest and most powerful automaker, new GM is now leaner, cleansed of massive debt and burdensome contracts that would have sunk it without federal loans.
But GM, whose 40 days under court supervision was far shorter than anyone predicted, faces the worst auto sales slump in a quarter-century.
At a news conference, CEO Fritz Henderson said the revamped automaker will be faster and more responsive to customers than the old one. It will generate cash and repay billions in government loans ahead of a 2015 deadline.
The new company will build more cars and trucks that consumers want and launch them faster than in the past, the CEO said. GM also announced plans to experiment with auctioning new cars on eBay, expanding on an existing partnership covering certified used vehicles.
"We recognize that we've been given a rare second chance at GM, and we are very grateful for that. And we appreciate the fact that we now have the tools to get the job done," he said.
Known for its sluggish decision-making process and bloated management ranks, GM will create a single, eight-member executive committee to speed up day-to-day decision-making, replacing two senior leadership forums.
Henderson, 50, said General Motors Corp. will streamline its bureaucratic management structure, cutting U.S. salaried employment by 20 percent, or 6,150 positions, by the end of 2009. The cuts include 450 executive jobs.
Henderson, who was promoted to chief executive in March, will run the global company and oversee its North American operations. GM's former chief operating officer, Henderson was chosen when President Barack Obama said former CEO Rick Wagoner's restructuring plans didn't go far enough.
Top executives at the new company will focus on business results, new vehicles, brands and consumers.
Bob Lutz, a legendary industry executive, was "unretiring" to become a vice chairman responsible for creative elements of products, marketing and customer relationships, Henderson said. Lutz, 77, had previously planned to retire at the end of the year after more than four decades in the auto business.
Nick Reilly, who has served as GM's Asia-Pacific president, will become executive vice president of GM's international operations based in Shanghai, China.
The new company will focus on customers, cars and culture.
"If we don't get this right, nothing else is going to work," Henderson said at GM's Downtown Detroit headquarters. "Business as usual is over at General Motors."
The automaker is launching a "Tell Fritz" Web site to allow owners and the public to share their concerns with senior management, and Henderson plans to go out on the road every month.
He said GM plans to partner with eBay in California to allow consumers to bid on vehicles just as they would in a typical eBay auction. They could also choose a "Buy it Now" option to purchase the car at a set price. Dealers would still distribute the cars. A deal between eBay and GM hasn't been completed yet, however, and both sides say they have been in discussions.
"As a culture, General Motors needs to be prepared to experiment and adjust," he said.
New Chairman Edward Whitacre Jr. said GM's trip through bankruptcy protection had been extremely challenging. "There have been a lot of long hours, there have been a shuttering of plants, there have been painful layoffs."
Whitacre told reporters after the news conference he expected to have GM's new 13-member board in place in about three weeks.
GM, in a viability plan presented to the government, said it would break even before interest and taxes next year, and be slightly above break-even for 2011 on a pretax basis.
"Sitting here today, I don't have any reason to disbelieve those numbers," Henderson said, giving no details of when the company would make a net profit.
The company's logo will remain blue with white underlined GM letters, although the company had considered changing the background to green to symbolize an environmental focus. GM has no plans to change the background, Henderson said.
He said the U.S. government, which owns a majority stake in GM, has vowed that it would not get involved in day-to-day decisions.
The Treasury Department released a statement Friday afternoon crediting GM's restructuring with saving both the automaker and "tens of thousands" of American jobs.
"The hard work of charting a path to viability now rests with GM's board and management," Treasury said in its statement. "But we are confident that we remain on track to ultimately see returns on these taxpayer investments."
GM received $19 billion to $20 billion more in federal aid on Friday, the remainder of the $50 billion it will receive, Henderson said. A large part of the money will be held in escrow.
Turning a profit will not be easy. GM has piled up losses and survives only because of government loans.
Besides the U.S. government's 61 percent controlling interest, the United Auto Workers union gets a 17.5 percent stake of the company through its retiree health care trust, and the Canadian government will control 11.7 percent. The remaining shares went to bondholders of the old company.
Concessions made by the United Auto Workers union just before the company entered bankruptcy protection have brought GM's labor costs down to where they are fully competitive with Toyota Motor Corp., Henderson said.
The parts of GM not moving to the new company will become part of "old GM," a collection of assets and liabilities that will be sold to pay creditors.
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