Loan Package Yay, Bailout Nay
As of this writing, the loan package for the $25 billion loan package for the auto industry went through while the $700 billion bail out for the financial services industry was a bust. Granted, the latter will probably come up for a vote again shortly and pass in some modified form, but for now the Bush 
Administration and Congress have been rebuked by the American people.
Some people wish that the auto industry loan package would have failed as well (or instead), but I think that what it offers to the American taxpayer is something that can benefit everyone, namely low cost loans to help General Motors, the Ford Motor Company, Chrysler LLC, and industry suppliers catch a breath as they retool their product lines to build smaller, much more economical cars.
Sure, a case can be made that the Big 3 were not on the mark product anticipation wise when gas prices suddenly surged up past $4 per gallon, but U.S. energy policy is also to be blamed — if we drilled here now and were less dependent on foreign oil, we wouldn’t be held hostage by foreign governments and speculators who have been driving up the price of oil to ridiculously high levels. I firmly believe that we could supply all of the gas that we want from our own resources and charge less than $2 per gallon for it. That’s another argument, but one that can be made.
As far as the $700 billion bailout goes, seeing it defeated pleases me to no end. I’m not in favor of a corporate hand out, but I’d be all right with a government work out where the feds would lend investment bankers money provided that their executives accepted no bonuses, the people who got us into this mess were prosecuted (or, in the case of some members of Congress stepped down — e.g., Christopher Dodd and Barney Frank), and the entire lending industry was overhauled. I’m not looking for additional regulation, just the enforcement of the many laws already on the books.
As far as GM, Chrysler, and Ford go, they aren’t likely to see one cent for some time, possibly not until 2010. If the current financial crisis worsens, even those monies could be jeopardized, so let’s hope that this bump in the road doesn’t turn into a mountain otherwise much more difficult times will still await us.
Cars 2, The Sequel, Set To Run Summer 2011
Fans of the animated hit movie, Cars, will soon have several opportunities to reacquaint themselves with the blockbuster movie and storyline.
Beginning this October, Disney Channel, Toon Disney, and ABC Family will air a three-part series of 
animated shorts (called Cars Toons) featuring the character Mater from the original Cars movie. Toon Disney will show the three together in October, Disney Channel will repeat the series beginning in November, and ABC Family will include the series as part of its annual “25 Days of Christmas” programming event beginning on December 23rd.
Though Cars was surpassed by other Pixar hits in initial popularity including Wall-E and Toy Story, Disney Consumer Products reports that the franchise will generate a whopping $2.5 billion in global sales for 2008 alone or $5 billion since its Summer 2006 debut.
Pixar Animation Studios and Disney are working on a sequel to the Cars movie, Cars 2, which will hit the big screen in Summer 2011. Pixar says about the move, “All the world’s a racetrack as racing superstar Lightning McQueen zooms back into action, with his best friend Mater in tow, to take on the globe’s fastest and finest in this thrilling high-octane new installment of the “Cars” saga. Mater and McQueen will need their passports as they find themselves in a new world of intrigue, thrills and fast-paced comedic escapades around the globe.”
All of the original lovable characters will return with the same voice overs from the celebrities including: Owen Wilson as Lightning McQueen, Bonnie Hunt as Sally, Paul Newman as Doc Hudson, Cheech Marin as Ramone, Tony Shalhoub as Luigi, John Ratzenberger as Mack, Larry the Cable Guy as Mater, and Michael Wallis as Sheriff. Additional stars will fill the new roles although no one has been named yet.
The original Cars was a hit with young and old, presenting a fun, even historical review of the racing industry, particularly the exploits of the early 1950s era Hudson Hornet. Some critics faulted the writers for stepping back in time instead of paralleling current racing industry trends, but the response from fans has proven that Cars was still successful.
Top of the Line Acura TL Model Gets Manny Tranny
You'll have to wait until next fall to see it, but when the top of the line Acura TL SH-AWD model arrives it'll have something else to offer besides a slushbox. Yes, Honda has announced that the 2010 Acura TL will come equipped with a 6-speed automatic transmission, marking the first time that its Super-Handling All Wheel Drive version of the TL comes so equipped.
"The new manual transmission equipped TL SH-AWD® really allows the enthusiast driver to take full advantage of the performance of Acuras SH-AWD® system," said Dick Colliver, executive vice president of sales, "Not only is the new manual transmission model the best performing Acura TL ever, it is the top handling performer among every vehicle in its class." The new tranny will be paired with the Acuras 3.7L V6 and is as Honda says, "...is approximately 110 lbs lighter than the Sequential SportShift automatic transmission to further benefit acceleration, braking and cornering."(Source: American Honda Motor Co., Inc.)
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