Toyota could soon eclipse wounded GM giant

Seems they have found a lucrative market to be graduating so many?... We take Radiology films now in all digital.. we can send them in moments to India and get the report back from an India radiologist... because they do it cheaper.
When our computers go down and we have to call Information systems to troubleshoot the problem.. we are talking to some place several states away... soon that may be India too!
Most of the tech support you get now.. " Dell" for one is from Indian technitians, and I'm sorry to say.... even though some of thier English is not perfect... some of them are pretty sharp!...The techs we have usually frustrate me because the follow a dummy cheat sheet of symptoms and cures and if you take them off track they are lost. They almost 100% of the time will know far less than you about the problem they are supposed to be experts on.
Why? because in our efforts to be cheaper and cheaper and compete, we cut quality.
Those technitians are not technitians at all!!!! :lol:
They get paid close to minimum wage and only know what the cheat sheet tells them.
They have no concept of why a solutions works, nor how to deviate off the map if your cirucumstance does not fit thier profile.

The next time a technitian is walking you through something... take a little rabbit trail with him and ask about another option or feature on the same page he has you on and he will be lost!. because thats not on his sheet!.. Funny but true.

We are quickly becoming a Global economy with Global competition.
When we had all the marbles in our court, we could develope technology as fast or slow as we wanted and the public was none the wiser because they had no other choices..... now if we don't perform.. someone from Japan or elsewhere will..... Its a bitter sweet!...
The bitter is that we all have to work harder to keep our jobs... We are threatened and no one feels safe and secure! Everyone constantly moves up in skill.

Caregivers now do many things only RN's did years ago, RN's now do things only Dr's did, and Dr's are challenged to new technologies and equipment never known before and are so busy they are totally dependent upon the written reports and feedback from the RN's below them. Without the teamwork, the many would die!

The sweet is that we all benifit from the easier life of technology!

For some reason we don't pay well and have lost value for skilled teachers. Just like we try to teach our kids... your future is only as good as your education... yet we have forgotten that as a nation in many instances.

I think those who are allowed to prosper and "lead the world" are those who follow good principles.... enough said.... B)

Those big companies like GM often get the government contracts... My mom worked for them when they did so... she said that was the easiest money she ever made!... she was paid very well to just show up at work and do virtually nothing all day!
And saved enough to put a large down payment on a house... that was about 30 years ago.

GM has enough power still that they could revolutionize the industry... if they had the heart and vision to do it! Someone else will need to run the joint!

Blood may have to run on the floor before they are desperate enough to make such a move!

 

I did.

 

You appear to finally "get it." Now you understand why I was so cross with you, these are VERY complex issues with complex and painful solutions. Though it sure is easy blaming Toyota for all the problems.

Eg: oil imports. Obviously consumption must be decreased. How do you do that? Prohibit any vehicle that gets less than 50 MPG? Slowly add a gas tax? Have steep registration fees for heavy gas guzzling vehicles?

How about industry? The "green field" refineries in China, South Korea, and India use the very latest FieldBus technology for dramatic efficiency gains. Why have the refinery operators in North America been so reluctant to invest in that new technology?

As far as education, when you compare spending to achievement, the U.S. in particular is upside down compared to other nations. In many cases, the high quality engineering programs at American and Canadian universities are starved for students, due to the pathetic SAT entrance scores.

It could be the best and brightest Asian students come to our best universities, siphon up all that knowledge, then return to their country of origin to apply that knowledge against us. Is that our fault or their fault?

I would say it's our fault. If we're too fat, dumb, and lazy to bother, we have nobody but ourselves to blame if others step up to the plate.

 

if the top half were excelling, they could make enough to support the bottom half. but i have grave doubts about that ratio

 

I think you may have hit a valuable point!.. Japan for some time now have made it illegal to own a car for over 2 years or 30000.00 miles..... I may not have my facts exactly right, because I'm going by memory. Thats why we can buy the import engines so cheap with only 30K on them!
Once rules are like that made... companies "have' toperform to sell thier priduct.
Here in washington state, if you own a prius, you don't have to do DEQ testing...
The DEQ rule is what "forced" manufactures to perform.
They are like unruly children exhibiting the basic level of humaness.. sometimes the have to be 'made" to do it against thier will for thier own good!

 

Yea... I think your right.. but the ratios are a bit different..... Don't you like supporting your kids and everyone elses too?

 

Let's see innuendo, irrelevant argument, name calling. I have to conclude you are an unprincilped hate monger that relies on innuendo and name calling rather than relevant argument. Pathetic.

 

i doubt if i qualify as the "successful" half.

dont own a house (sold it to pay my bills)
income is no where the medium income level for my area.
current job is not anything i would call a career choice (nor would anyone else!!)

however, i dont have any bills including car payments (see above)

i dont really have a real want for anything (not interested in owning a house at this time since i would relocate instantly if i got a job i wanted...however only looking south...not willing to move to a colder climate)

i do contribute to charity. PBS, World Childrens fund; sponsor a boy and a girl (no sexism here) and St. Jude's Children's Hospital (and will continue to do so until Marlo Thomas gets ugly...which will probably be LONG after i die)

and i contribute 20% of my income to my 401K. although i qualify for retirement from another company, i hold no hope of ever receiving a dime. (wouldnt be much anyway)

 

That's why I favor rules and regulations that are strict about quality and/or environment. A lot of folks think ISO 9K and ISO 14K programs are bunk, I think they at least force change.

Some folks have commented on steep entry barriers to Asian countries. Part of those steep entry barriers involve quality standards - eg Six Sigma - that North American companies are very hard pressed to deliver.

Depending on what good/service you offer, doing business in Asian countries is actually more lucrative then doing business here. I mentioned the process control field which I am most familiar with.

Do you think I'll even bother trying to discuss new FB's that increase loop efficiency 4% when the North American plant still runs 5-15 psi air equipment from the early 1970's (Or God Help Me the 1960's!), or 4-20 mA analog loops from the 1980's? Of course not.

Since countries like China aren't held back by old and "proven" process control systems, they readily embrace FieldBus networks and all the efficiencies they deliver. They also readily embrace "western" engineers and system analysts who are respectful of their culture, polite, and work hard.

Remember, on the topic of Quality Control, that was NOT an Asian invention! An American by the name of Dr. W.E. Deming came out with SPC/SQC in the 1950's. American companies ignored him, the Asians readily accepted him, and the rest is history:

http://www.deming.org

The Japanese even erected a statue in his honor.

 

It's not supposed to be "good" for the citizens of the United States. It's supposed to be good for the corporations who have exported manufacturing processes to places where labor is cheap, environmental protections are lax, and where "reliable" local governments are likely to keep things that way. Much of that "trade" is simply corporations importing their own products from cheap labor countries for sale here. GM is just as blameworthy as any other coporation in this respect.

 

Hi Dave.. sounds like we are all in the same boat, except I own my home... "well not all of it!" :lol:

I don't know how the market is in your area... but owning a home is my only defense against inflation!.... and if I wanted to sell... well homes sell in about 3 days around here.. at the most, 2 weeks.. so I think you would fare well when time to sell.

I figure the inflation alone just last year on my home is what is buying my prius!!!

Actually just last year I gained about 40K.. the year before that was about 30K.. then I had assessed myself and he gave me a figure 60K above the tax assessed value.

The only reason I'm throwing that at you, is because when I first started my last job 7 years ago.. I declined doing a 403b because I really expected to move South also. Well april of 2003 I finally started an account.. I figured why lose money that they were matching?.. now I'm over 40K later..... I would have had 80K by now if I had started when I started that job.
Just one example of how staying neutral can backfire on you and be a curse more than a blessing.

Renting is good if you are moving within 6 months come hell or high water... otherwise, you'll only make bucks owning.

Same story with my daughter who bought her first home 3 years ago.... they are now worth at least 50 - 60k more now, should they choose to sell.

Thats almost as much as the job brings in itself!...... "even more" when you consider few will save that much money in 3 years and still have that much money left over to walk away with in thier pockets!

I see our area as a good place to retire "from" and like you say, move south and buy twice as much for the same amount... and since when we retire, we won't need as big a home... I figure based on that, I'll live in half the size home and spend 1/4 the amount of my present home to buy it... and have the rest to live off of!

Anyway.... just something to think about... you sound like a really nice guy and I just didnt' want you to miss any opportunities you may want to think about.

Its also off the subject.... sorry

In any conversation in the living room.. its normal to take a few rabbit trails... kinda makes it feel more like home, eh?

 

actually, you may know more about the market in my area than you think. im in Olympia. so guessing im not far from you. and i know about the draw of retiring here is all about. i actually moved here from California and for good reasons.

i say im not willing to go north because i have a friend up in Alaska who is willing to give me a job, but just cant handle the cold on a full time basis. (used to live there so i know what its like)

my dad just moved to Texas in part because my mother died and i dont think he could handle staying in their house, and partly to be near his sister. but where he lives its just the opposite... too hot.

the reason i sold my house was plain economics. had huge bills (thanks to my ex) and sold my house for $200,000 more than what i owed on it. i built the place so would have loved to keep it, but as it is, had to borrow 10,000 to fix it up enough to sell the place.

 

Sounds like you did excellent!... but grabbing a good deal now would still serve you if you will stick around a while..... You californians really bring a trade deficit! :lol:
I'm sure you know the issues to consider.

I am about 200 miles South of you and real estate is nuts!
And my family too is in Texas.... mom lives where its far too humid, but Central Texas is where my dad lives and they get about 300 days of sunshine and its not too wet or too dry.. fresh air and housing cost about half.
There are lots of nice places to live that cost far less....
Anyway.... maybe we may end up close again after be both move!

Anyway Ill try to get back on subject.. feel free to PM whenever....