A cold snowy night--just a dusting, though...roads and walks are dry already. Almost broke my backsides going into work though--blimey! The snow had just fallen, and the pavement were wet...and the temps were rapidly dropping, and so the wet turned to a thin coating of ice..and I nearly took a header in my office building's car park.

It's 23 F (-4.7 C) and clear at the moment--10.00 pm, though. Supposed to get down to 13 F, later tonight (that's around minus 11 C). No big snowstorms in the forecast though, just a dusting here and there, in between the sunny days, so that's not so bad. And 13 F, that's no big deal--MINUS 13 F, then I might grouse a bit. ;)

I was reading where Hilary Clinton may be our new Secretary of State, replacing Rice-a-roni Condeleeza Rice--oh good, a secretary of state who prefers brains over fashion tips. I know some people like Rice, but that woman always made me wince with embarrassment, every time she opened her whingy gob.

Ah, I wish mum were alive to see this--the downfall of the republican party, and whole new slate...let's just hope the democrats don't muck it up again, like they did during the Carter administration.

Yeah, Dick Cheany is under indictment in South Texas, for an investment scandal involving a privately run federal prison there. I imagine that after Bush leaves office, a lot of really nasty stuff is going to come out of quite a few overturned rocks.

The heads of the US auto industry testified in Washington D.C. today. The big wigs at the car companies vowing to reduce their salaries to one dollar, if the govt. would approve the bail-out....which proves how very rich these guys really are, if they can so blithely do that! Either that, or they really do have their shorthairs to the wall, and really are scared and desperate.

The gents in suits stressed to congress that if the car companie fail, millions of jobs would be lost---far more than what economists predict. They predict anywhere from 30,000 to 50,000 in national job losses--with an additional 10 to 15 thousand jobs in Europe--, if car maker's file for bankruptcy. The biggest prediction of job losses from a non-partial source, that I've read of is an economist some college in Massachusets, who predicted last week that 150,000 to 200,000 jobs could be lost, world-wide, if car makers go into bankruptcy.

Here's some list of just which car manufactuing plants--including subsidiary's of those makers, might seriously impacted by a bankruptcy filing of one or all of the major US car makers:

IF GENERAL MOTORS FAILS, THESE CARS WOULD BE IMPACTED:

Chevrolet (US)
Buick (US)
Pontiac (US)
Cadillac (US)
Saturn (US)
GMC (US)
Hummer (US)

Opel (Germany) (who is already asking the German govt. for assistance)
Vauxhall (UK)
Saab (Sweden) - 50%
Holden (Australia)
Suzuki (Japan) - 3.7%
Daewoo (Korea) - 50.9%
Shanghai GM (China) -

IF FORD FAILS, THESE CARS WOULD BE IMPACTED

Ford (US)
Mercury (US)
Lincoln (US)
Ford (Europe)
Aston Martin (UK) - 8.3%

Jaguar (UK)
Volvo (Sweden)
Land Rover (UK) - for history, see Rover
Ford (Australia)
Mazda (Japan) - 33.4

IF CHRYSLER FAILS, THESE CARS WOULD BE IMPACTED:

Chrysler (US)
Dodge (US)
Jeep (US

Captial Hill lawmakers aren't really buying into this tale of woe, though. They feel that the car maker's did this to themselves, and are expressing concern that car makers will continue to do business as usual, even after the bailout. Gee, if lawmakers were only more concerned about BANKS doing the same thing, after they got that 700 BILLION bailout. Banks that are continuing to rip off consumers with high interest rates and shady charge, banks that still are continuing to pay top execs million dollar bonuses--while laying off lower-ranking staff.

I am not overly fond of the way the car company's have been having everything their own way for decades--but, so have the banks. Republicans are so incredibly two-faced, phony, lying and hypocritical, it just staggers the hell out of me how ANYONE can possibly take anything that comes out of their over-bloated egotisical mouths, seriously any longer.

Speaking of cars, one is seeing more and more European cars here, of late. A couple of years back, the mini made its appearence, and was instantly a big hit with the rich and trendy. I rather like it, myself. Saturday, as I was leaving my building, I saw my first Smart Car in person (having only seen one once, in a Dr Who episode), parked on the street near my office car park. Some foreign cars are REALLY ugly though. This is my least favourite car of all time:

I don't care what you say, these are UGLY cars.