July 2008 Archives

This certainly isn't car-related, but, it's worth knowing about for anybody who follows any sort of tech, or uses a computer in any way!

I don't know about you folks, but there's not a day that goes by that I don't use Google multiple times.  I've been a Google-user for years before they even went public (and I was the guy who thought they were nuts for offering stock at $140.00 per share....darn!!).

Could there be a "next" Google coming our way?

Read on.....

http://techland.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2008/07/28/cuil-not-a-google-killer-yet/

Here's an interesting article on "good deals" in the used SUV world.   We've always said that "every car out there will get sold...it's just a matter of price..." and this article seems to bear that out.

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/autos/0807/gallery.kbb_used_suvs/index.html

Here's an interesting article on "good deals" in the used SUV world.   We've always said that "every car out there will get sold...it's just a matter of price..." and this article seems to bear that out.

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/autos/0807/gallery.kbb_used_suvs/index.html

Here's an interesting article on "good deals" in the used SUV world.   We've always said that "every car out there will get sold...it's just a matter of price..." and this article seems to bear that out.

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/autos/0807/gallery.kbb_used_suvs/index.html

It's very obvious to me (and my banker...) that I don't hang in circles like this, but...did you see that Bill Gates increased his stake in AutoNation to 5+%?  And that Eddie Lampert, the guy who made so much money on Sears/KMart, already owns almost 40%

Hmmm, what do they know that I don't?

Here's the article....

"...Microsoft Corp. Chairman Bill Gates has a 5 and a half percent stake in dealership chain AutoNation Inc., according to a disclosure filed Monday, July 21, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In betting on auto dealerships, Gates joins fellow technology pioneer Michael Dell. Dell announced plans in May to team with former Sonic Automotive President Jeffrey Rachor to start a joint dealership venture. Dell is the founder and CEO of personal computer giant Dell Inc. The stake makes Gates AutoNation’s third-largest shareholder, according to Bloomberg. But he’s far behind the largest shareholder: Hedge fund manager Edward Lampert. As of its latest SEC filing on May 28, Lampert’s firm owned 39.9 percent of AutoNation. Lampert is best known for acquiring troubled retailer Kmart out of bankruptcy and merging it with Sears Holdings Corp. AutoNation, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., has 321 vehicle franchises in 15 states with a range of U.S., Asian and European automobile brands. AutoNation ranks No. 1 on the Automotive News list of the top 100 dealership groups in the United States with retail sales of 328,963 new vehicles in 2007.

Source:  Automotive News

As I add to this blog, I look back historically and see "....hmmm, I wonder what was on my mind way back ___ when I wrote that?" and certainly this "gas crisis" came up fast.  Heck, I was writing about Challengers and Ferraris no too long ago.

So, today, there's an experiment starting.  Below is a link to a story about "falling gas prices"...

http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/23/news/economy/gasoline/index.htm?postversion=2008072306

...and it says that prices are coming down "six days in a row", but still is above $4.00 nationwide.  Since this blog is a repository of "what was important just that day" it'll be interesting to see where we are with fuel prices on January 23, 2009, just six months from now.