Cal Club Autocross Forums

I don't know Seb. Acorn is going to be running all the Federal aid programs (along with the Census and the Fairness Doctrine replacement) and traditionally they don't view Hispanics as being nearly dark enough.

Randy Chase wrote:Kaiser is hurting also. I have insider info.

Just had a meeting today and unfortunately Randy.......you were right. Some layoffs but in my dept, it's a temporary reduction in hours. They really did try hard to not lay anyone off in my dept. The other alternative was to lower salaries temporarily but then it would be harder to raise them to management's eyes. Easier to just cut back on the hours.

It's really bad out there.

Basically when YOU get laid off, you lose your BENEFITS. One being health-care, and one of many insurers is Kaiser. The trickle down effect is now hitting us. Also company got bit like everyone else when their investments of any surplus cash, got depleted in the stock market.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/18/brea ... perations/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

BREAKING: GM disbands High Performance Vehicle Operations

Coinciding with the release of General Motors' Viability Plan, the automaker has disbanded its High Performance Vehicle Operations team, the crew responsible for the line V-series Cadillacs, the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, HHR SS and the V8 version of the Colorado. According to Vince Muniga, a spokesman for the General, "All high-performance projects are on indefinite hold. The engineers are moving into different areas of the organization, and they will work on Cadillacs, Buicks, Chevrolets and Pontiacs." Muniga went on to say that there are no plans for high-performance versions of upcoming plans, but once (if?) GM is in a better financial position, the team could be reinstated.

Cool to see if they sneak in some Hi Performance bits into My Dad's Buick!

That IS a shame ... I think the Cadillac division really was helped by their motorsports involvement.

Jeff Shyu wrote:http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/18/brea ... perations/

BREAKING: GM disbands High Performance Vehicle Operations

Coinciding with the release of General Motors' Viability Plan, the automaker has disbanded its High Performance Vehicle Operations team, the crew responsible for the line V-series Cadillacs, the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, HHR SS and the V8 version of the Colorado. According to Vince Muniga, a spokesman for the General, "All high-performance projects are on indefinite hold. The engineers are moving into different areas of the organization, and they will work on Cadillacs, Buicks, Chevrolets and Pontiacs." Muniga went on to say that there are no plans for high-performance versions of upcoming plans, but once (if?) GM is in a better financial position, the team could be reinstated.

Well there goes any possibility I'd buy a GM car.

Kurt Rahn wrote:Well there goes any possibility I'd buy a GM car.

C5's are amazingly affordable now..

Well there goes any possibility I'd buy a GM car.

Karen's got $2K in GM bucks from her GM credit card ... yeah ... don't ask me why she's got a GM card instead of a Porsche, Suby, Mazda, Canon, Pizza Hut, etc. card?!

Too bad those monies can't be applied to a used Z06 or at least GM Vette bits.

The current model performance line cars will be available for a LONG LONG time. Just no new development.


I hope those engineers like designing hybrids and plug-ins.


They'll probably be asked to design a GM K-Car.... A nice Reliant automobile....

Steve Ekstrand wrote:The current model performance line cars will be available for a LONG LONG time. Just no new development.


I hope those engineers like designing hybrids and plug-ins.


They'll probably be asked to design a GM K-Car.... A nice Reliant automobile....

you know what the really awesome part is?

the economy won't hit bottom til at least the end of the year, and then you'll have a while before people are actually buying cars again. the big 3 will time it just right to have fuel efficient econo boxes when people have forgotten about the $4/gal days, and are ready for big HP cars again.

there's a few things you can always count on.
1. the fickleness of the american public
2. the short memory of the american public.

Steve Ekstrand wrote:They'll probably be asked to design a GM K-Car.... A nice Reliant automobile....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgoWeNeItzY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Will Kalman wrote:

Steve Ekstrand wrote:They'll probably be asked to design a GM K-Car.... A nice Reliant automobile....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgoWeNeItzY" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

hahahhaahaha..

that's awesome.

Steve Ekstrand wrote:They'll probably be asked to design a GM K-Car.... A nice Reliant automobile....

( but not a real fur coat that's cruel)

KJ Christopher wrote:

Steve Ekstrand wrote:They'll probably be asked to design a GM K-Car.... A nice Reliant automobile....

( but not a real fur coat that's cruel)

Right after I typed that, I went in and cooked a Kraft Dinner..... Macaroni & Cheese. The Cheesiest!

Yesterday I was reading in Forbes Magazine how Loblaw's (a Canadian grocery store - owns Superstores if you've ever been in one) sales had gone up last year including in the last quarter....there was all kinds of interesting analysis and explanation of why they were doing better etc. etc.

On a more down-to-earth level, I figure their grocery sales increased was because people are eating out less and buying groceries instead at one of the cheapest places around (Superstore is like a Costco of groceries by the way).

I bet Kraft dinner sales are up too! Back to university days anyone?

So maybe grocery stores are a good investment these days ... particularly the low end ones ... :ibrightdea:

Reijo

Reijo Silvennoinen wrote:So maybe grocery stores are a good investment these days ... particularly the low end ones ... :ibrightdea:

Reijo

funny you should say that.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-g ... 0264.story" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Albertsons to close 9 supermarkets

Four stores will close Friday, the rest in April. In other cost-saving moves, Ralphs is demoting more than 150 meat cutters, and Vons has fired 97 workers this year and is moving others to part time.
By Jerry Hirsch
February 19, 2009
The slowing economy is spawning store closures and layoffs in Southern California's typically solid grocery industry.

Exactly.....Superstore is a discount-type of low-priced grocery store.....huge aisles of big boxes of food etc.....kinda looks like a Home Depot inside with the high ceilings and open trusses etc.

So probably Safeway and other regular grocers up here are hurting too but not the discounters.....like Walmart.

People are watching their money. Go figure.

Reijo (I know I am ... and have been surprised how much further my money is going these days ... less Starbucks ... less eating out ... less solo events ... )

Reijo Silvennoinen wrote:Exactly.....Superstore is a discount-type of low-priced grocery store.....huge aisles of big boxes of food etc.....kinda looks like a Home Depot inside with the high ceilings and open trusses etc.

So probably Safeway and other regular grocers up here are hurting too but not the discounters.....like Walmart.

you have no idea how hard WM is pushing for us to put a grocery box into every single existing Walmart.

the unions are fighting tooth n nail along every turn though.

guess that's what keeps the WM lawyers busy, and the union fees rolling.

Reijo Silvennoinen wrote:... less solo events ... )

I suspect that part is due to you moving away from sunny SoCal to a very snowy place rather than a concious decision.

Reijo Silvennoinen wrote:I bet Kraft dinner sales are up too! Back to university days anyone?

Top Ramen, baby! No can doctor it up better than me! Gotta love a 33 cent meal!

Christine Berry wrote:

Reijo Silvennoinen wrote:... less solo events ... )

I suspect that part is due to you moving away from sunny SoCal to a very snowy place rather than a concious decision.

Go figure, eh? Took the S2k out for a ride the other weekend (nice dry roads for a change - snow's melting! By the way, I might add it is quite sunny here too....sunny Alberta ... but cold)....my God is the S2k different than the clunker T100 Toyota truck I've been driving this winter! Have to do more driving in it to prepare for the spring....and maybe the SD NT.... :^)

Reijo

Reijo Silvennoinen wrote:

Christine Berry wrote:

Reijo Silvennoinen wrote:... less solo events ... )

I suspect that part is due to you moving away from sunny SoCal to a very snowy place rather than a concious decision.

Go figure, eh? Took the S2k out for a ride the other weekend (nice dry roads for a change - snow's melting! By the way, I might add it is quite sunny here too....sunny Alberta ... but cold)....my God is the S2k different than the clunker T100 Toyota truck I've been driving this winter! Have to do more driving in it to prepare for the spring....and maybe the SD NT.... :^)

Reijo

Are you saying you are prepping the T100 for AX??
Based on what I saw it should be a real lightweight from all the metal that has rusted off. LOL
JP

John Prosser wrote: Are you saying you are prepping the T100 for AX??
Based on what I saw it should be a real lightweight from all the metal that has rusted off. LOL
JP

Hmmmm....is that legal weight removal? Maybe I should be driving the S2k in the winter!

Reijo

Going back to the other "off-topic" note, here's another food retailer doing very well - thank you very much:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/090219/b ... ngs_nestle" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Perhaps there are still good investment opportunities out there after all!

Reijo

Actually, Nestle isn't a retailer. If you went down 3-4 supermarket food aisles blindfolded and randomly threw 10 items in your cart, 4 or 5 of them would be Nestle products. That's how huge they are. Got a friend who used to work for them.

I just read somewhere that Walmart sales are up but their profits are down. Just like everyone, I'm sure they are squeezed between higher costs and pressure to maintain low prices to stay competitive. Grocery stores have notoriously low margins so any squeeze on them is felt quickly. At my local Vons, the strike several years ago cleared out all the good jobs. Gone are the 30-40 year olds making a decent living, replaced by teenagers making gas money and doing really-I-could-care-less work. Now the store has big chunks of empty shelf space with many standard items in short or no supply. They look like a place about to fail. Even the produce has turned to crap. Fresh and Easy looks like the new model. No one works there except for that kid overseeing you doing self checkout. Who knew the automat was the standard for our future.