Jumat, 19 November 2010

GE Buys 25,000 Electric Cars To Kick-Start Market !!!

Author: bbc.co.uk

Lowongan Kerja - It hopes that its purchase of 25,000 electric vehicles will drive the development of a network of charging stations, and other related products, which it produces.

Its first order is for 12,000 Chevrolet Volts, which will start to roll off GM's production lines this month.

GE will use them as company cars and lease them to corporate customers.

It intends to buy the 25,000 cars by 2015. It will use some of them in its own fleet.
The rest will go into its Capital Fleet Services business, which leases cars to corporate customers.

GM said it wanted to "lead wide-scale electric adoption and generate growth for its businesses".

GE's Jeff Immelt said he hope the purchase would "move electric vehicles from anticipation to action".

It predicts that the nascent electric vehicle market could be worth $500m (£310m; 366m euros) in revenue to GM over the next three years.

General Motors Getting Ready For Profitable Future

Author: bbc.co.uk


Job Indonesia - A year-and-a-half after the US automotive giant General Motors (GM) filled for bankruptcy protection, the Cadillac factory in Lansing, Michigan, is still churning out cars. - Job Vacancy

The Grand River Assembly, which lies about 90 miles west of Detroit, is gearing up production, hiring hundreds of new workers and getting ready to start producing a Cadillac that will be both smaller and much less thirsty than those it used to make.

Lowongan Kerja - The model is a powerful symbol of a new beginning for the bruised carmaker after last year's $50bn - £31bn at current exchange rates - bail-out by the US taxpayer.

But symbolism will not do for GM's new chief executive Dan Akerson, a former telecoms executive and naval officer known for his keen, at times even combative, focus on figures.

They are beginning to look impressive. GM made $2bn net profits during the July to September quarter, a dramatic turnaround from a near-$1bn loss during the same period a year earlier.

"The results of the third quarter clearly point to the amount of progress that GM has made," says Mr Akerson, who also has a background in private equity investment.

With sales remaining strong during the last three months of the year, GM expects to make a profit for the year as a whole.

"Although we're a different company, it's worth noting that last time GM reported a profitable year was 1994," Mr Akerson says.

Making better cars
Dan Akerson, chief executive, General Motors Mr Akerson is known as a combative executive who focuses closely on financial figures
With Mr Akerson at the helm, GM is getting ready for the second leg of a long and painful journey.

The first, which was run by his predecessors Fritz Henderson and Ed Whitacre, was all about pushing through a harsh restructuring, all under the watchful eye of a board of directors representing the US government's 61% stake in the group.
The second phase of GM's revival is about to start as the government and its co-owners - the Canadian government and the union - get ready to pass majority control of the company back to private investors.

And it is clear that this phase will have to be product-led.

In recent years, the quality of many of the models made by GM has fallen short of the quality products delivered by many of its rivals, and so the company reputation has suffered a great deal.

Mr Akerson is eager to fix that.

He knows well that building quality cars can be costly, so this year GM has spent close to $5bn on capital expenditure.

Next year, and in the years ahead, Mr Akerson is expected to spend even more - and he is eager to pass on the message.

"We've just started doing a better job in marketing our brands to consumers," he says.

International challenge
But making better cars will not be enough without further changes to GM's corporate culture, as well as a bolstering of morale in a company that has seen tens of thousands of jobs go in a matter of months.
Improved financial risk management is also vital, according to Mr Akerson, who has been pushing for closer monitoring of what profit margins different units within the firm deliver, as well as for a more deliberate approach to currency risk.
And of course, Mr Akerson says, "we continue to be vigilant in reducing cost".
But the biggest challenge will be to rebuild relations with both customers and government officials, workers and dealers, across the pond.
This is particularly important in Germany, the largest car market in Europe, where deep wounds were inflicted last year during lengthy talks with both the unions and the government.
Mr Akerson is fully aware of what needs to be done. "We know we have much work to do. We still have to fix Europe," he says.
Private investors, preparing to buy GM shares, will hope he also knows how to do it.

GM Shares Jump After Record Public Offering

Author: bbc.co.uk


Indonesia Job - Shares in General Motors (GM) have risen 3.6% on the first day of trading following the carmaker's record public share offering.

Job Indonesia - Shares closed at $34.19 in New York from a start of $33, although they did reach a high of $35.60 during the day. - Job Vacancy

GM raised $20.1bn through its offering, making it the largest share sale in the US to date.

President Barack Obama said the firm was on track to recover the government money spent on bailing it out.

The amount raised could rise to a world record $23.1bn if underwriters exercise an option to sell more shares.

Surprisingly strong investor demand had allowed the carmaker to lift the price of the shares on offer to $33 from the $26 it had initially hoped for.

GM is returning to the market after a $50bn government bail-out.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 173 points at 11,183, a rise of 1.6%.
Mr Obama said: "Today, one of the toughest tales of the recession took another big step toward becoming a success story.

"American taxpayers are now positioned to recover more than my administration invested in GM, and that's a good thing."

Canada, which pumped in $10bn and owns 12% of the stock, said it too would seek to recover some of its investment by selling part of its stake.

Different ballpark
 
The day's trading began on Wall Street when GM chief executive Dan Akerson rang the opening bell on the New York Stock Exchange.
Continue reading the main story

Analysis

This is a very bright start.
The share offering is more ambitious than anyone expected, and the demand for stock seems overwhelming.
Not bad for a company that almost went bankrupt 18 months ago.
But there's still a long way to go if the taxpayers are to get all their money back. The bailout cost them $50bn.
It's thought the government will have to sell its remaining stock at around $50 a share for several years to recoup its investment.
But the bailout was never only about GM. The Obama administration argued that the entire American car industry, with all its associated businesses, was at stake.
So far, the evidence suggests that something is working.
A general revival does seem to be under way, at least in terms of the profitability and competitiveness of the companies involved.
But the cost has been huge: tens of thousands of workers were laid off, plants closed, familiar brands ditched and auto dealers told to look for other work.
And the bailout itself remains hugely controversial, with the administration's critics still seeing it as an unwarranted intrusion of big government into the free market.
It's clearly in the interests of both GM and the White House for the nickname "Government Motors" to become a thing of the past.
"There's a lot of work to do, but today is the beginning of the new company," said Mark Reuss, GM's North American president.
Government officials said the company's strong market debut showed they had made the right choice in rescuing the carmaker.
"This is a bit better than people had been projecting. As to a year ago, it's not even in the same ballpark," Ron Bloom, the Treasury official in charge of the GM investment told Reuters.
"A year ago, people said, 'You have no exit, you have no strategy. This company is not fixed'."
The carmaker has raised $20.1bn from the sale of the shares. However, an over-allotment option, which will be settled over the next 30 days, would add $3bn to that figure, taking GM beyond the $22.1bn raised by the Agricultural Bank of China's market launch.
The share sale, known as an initial public offering (IPO), will allow the US government reduce its current 61% stake in the company to as low as 33%.
GM returned to profit this year for the first time since 2004. The company made $5bn during the first nine months of this year.
Scott Painter from the US car comparison site Truecar.com believes the IPO is a sign of how well the economic recovery is going.
"I think GM having a strong IPO and pricing it at the high end of the range certainly speaks well of America and confidence in America, and GM is a really good indicator of everything that we've been through over the last couple of years and how the recovery is working out," he said.

Why 'Yes' is so hard for the Irish

Author: bbc.co.uk

Job Indonesia - In a radio interview, the Governor of the Bank of Ireland Patrick Honohan confirmed what most people expected - that some kind of bail-out for Ireland seems to be on the way. They may dress it up as a loan for the banks but it will involve tens of billions of euros. Up until the governor's comments, the Irish government was sticking to its line that it did not need rescuing. - Job Vacancy

Lowongan Kerja - And indeed even after the governor had spoken, Irish Finance Minister Brian Lenihan said that his country was not yet at the point of taking a substantial international loan.

Europe's crisis managers, who have been a busy bunch this year, had not envisaged a situation where a country did not want to be bailed out. Quite the opposite. In setting up various rescue mechanisms they feared the profligate, or those who ran up bad debts, would beat a path to their door.

So when last weekend various officials - some close to the European Central Bank - began briefing that it was only a matter of time before Ireland was bailed out, they did not expect such stout resistance from Dublin.

So why did Ireland try and hold out?

The Irish government is fragile. It faces a difficult by-election. Its hold on power is slight. A bail-out, however dressed up, is a humiliation. It is a judgment on the way the government has run the country.
There is a stigma to being rescued. The image of the Celtic Tiger has long disappeared but the Irish still cherish the memory. For some years they had the fastest-growing country in Europe. To be bailed out would wound Irish pride.

Then there are conditions. One of the reasons that Ireland did so well was inward investment - particularly from the US. Large multinational companies were attracted to Ireland by a corporate tax rate of 12.5%. Others in Europe - including the French and Germans - dislike the tax. They believe it gives Ireland an unfair advantage.
Many government officials in Ireland fear that one condition of a rescue would be to give up their low corporate tax rate. A few days ago, Ireland's Europe Minister, Dick Roche, bridled at the very suggestion. "We are in charge of our own taxes," he said. We shall see what the terms of any loan are.
European Commissioner for the Economy Olli Rehn (archive 
image)
Then there is the not-so-little matter of sovereignty. Already Irish commentators have focused on the EU Economics Commissioner, Ollie Rehn. When they were not reporting on his visit to an expensive restaurant, they asked: "Is he the most important man in Ireland?" Is this unelected official essentially running the country, was the tone of some of the comment.

There are stirrings of unease here at what Ireland may be giving away. When it was announced that a team of experts from the EU, the IMF and the ECB were coming to Dublin, the opposition leader referred to them as "officials arriving to dictate terms of a bail-out to the government".

Ireland for a long period was enthusiastically European. Many smart people headed to Brussels. They embraced the European identity as a way of distancing themselves from their neighbour Britain. They took great satisfaction in seeing Irish companies buying up big hotels in London.

So there is foreboding as to what a bail-out would signify. One Irish commentator wrote today: "Having obtained our political independence from Britain to be the masters of our own affairs, we have now surrendered our sovereignty to the European Commission."

Brian Lenihan has defended the increasing influence of the officials from Brussels with references to European solidarity. "We share our sovereignty with Europe in relation to currency," he said. "We pool our sovereignty in this area, so if you're pooling your sovereignty, you have to act with your partners in whatever steps you take." Yesterday he spoke of a "very supportive reaction from the wider European family".

What the Irish government is hoping for - if the Bank governor is right - is a narrow deal to restore the liquidity of its banks so they can borrow more easily. That would be less of a humiliation.


It should not be forgotten that when Irish voters were first given a say on what became the Lisbon Treaty they voted "No". Irish independence is both young and keenly felt.

So if the country is forced to accept a full bail-out, questions will be asked about the future. Will Ireland ever regain control over its budget and its economy?
And that is a question being asked not just on the streets of Dublin but in Athens, Lisbon and Madrid.

Ian Martin, writing in the Wall Street Journal observed: "A new model of government without direct accountability to voters is being constructed."
That, of course, is the long-term implication of this crisis. Presuming that the eurozone does not fracture, its flaws are being used to give the European Commission much greater powers of scrutiny and economic management. And this may go further. While everyone focuses on Ireland, Greece and Portugal, the gap between these economies and Germany only widens. The price of saving the euro may be that the stronger countries bail out the weaker - precisely what German voters were told would never happen.

The "ever closer union" that some dream of may be delivered on the back of a battered currency.

Billionaire Donald Trump 'may run for US presidency'

Author: http://bbc.in/a9DN39 

Job Vacancy - In an interview with ABC News, the billionaire Republican said he could "easily" spend more than $200m (£126m) of his own money on his campaign. - Lowongan Kerja

Job Indonesia - "It could be fun because I'd like to see some positive things happen for the country," he said.

He added that he would happily take on former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who many believe will join the race.

Mr Trump, who stars in the American version of TV show The Apprentice, said he believed that "everybody's ripping America off".

The 64-year-old real estate mogul singled out China, saying that the country was "getting away with murder" by manipulating its currency.

He said he believed the US was being used as a "whipping post".
"The respect for this country is just not there," he said.

'Led by fools'
 
"I have many people from China that I do business with, they laugh at us. They feel we're fools. And almost being led by fools. And they can't believe what they're getting away with."

In the interview with ABC's George Stephanopoulos, he added that he would probably make his decision by June.

He was asked about the possibility of challenging Mrs Palin, who ran for vice-president in 2008, for the Republican ticket.

"I would take her on. I like her, but I'd take her on," he said.

Mrs Palin has not formally declared that she will stand, but many commentators have said they believe she will.

Life Style Sehat di Ajang Internasional

Job Indonesia - JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Hidup sehat sangat diidam-idamkan setiap orang, baik pria atau perempuan, tua atau muda, warga negara Indonesia ataupun warga negara di belahan dunia lainnya. Tak ada yang menginginkan sakit, sehat sekarang menjadi mode dan tren. Kampanye hidup sehat banyak disuarakan berbagai pihak. Berawal dari kampanye nasional, lantas ide ini menginspirasi Nutrifood untuk menyelenggarakan ajang Mister International 2010 di Jakarta setelah menyisihkan negara lainnya. - Indonesia Job

Lowongan Kerja - Menurut Christian Widi Nugraha, Brand Manager L-Men, penyelenggaraan Mister International bertujuan mengkampanyekan gaya hidup sehat bernutrisi. "Kami ingin memotivasi para pria Indonesia untuk lebih peduli terhadap kesehatan dan penampilan," kata Widi.


Bertemakan Transformation, L-Men ingin menginspirasi para pria Indonesia untuk melakukan perubahan dalam hidup menjadi lebih baik, terutama pola hidup sehat. Terbukti, ajang Mister International 2010 mendapat sambutan positif. Mereka pun datang ke Indonesia. Sekitar 40 peserta dari berbagai negara yang umumnya berprofesi sebagai model ini antusias berpartisipasi. Tahun ini merupakan tahun kelima ajang Mister International digelar oleh Mister Singapore Organization.

Bagi Widi, acara ini memiliki makna ganda. Pertama mengkampanyekan gaya hidup sehat ke dunia internasional. Kedua, memajukan pariwisata Indonesia. Selama pageant period, para peserta kemudian diajak mengunjungi berbagai obyek wisata di Jakarta, Bandung dan Bali. Di Jakarta mereka diantaranya mengunjungi Museum Gajah. Di Bandung, mereka diajak merasakan indahnya suara musik tradisional angklung Mang Udjo dan berlatih silat. Di Bali pun mereka dihibur oleh beragam tarian dan bertandang ke tempat-tempat wisata, seperti pantai Dreamland, Tanjung Benoa, arung jeram di Sungai Ayung, Bali Zoo, dan Bali Classic Center.

"Cuaca di Bali tak beda jauh dengan di Namibia," kata Barnabas Hangey Weyulu (27), peserta dari Namibia ketika asyik menikmati keindahan pemandangan di Bali Classic Center, Ubud, Minggu (14/11/2010).

Selama empat hari berada Bali, selain dipadati dengan berbagai pemotretan, agar tidak jenuh mereka banyak belajar soal hidup, kebudayaan dan masyarakat setempat. Saat memasuki Bali Classic Center di Ubud, Gianyar, mereka terkagum-kagum dengan tari selamat datang yang disuguhkan. Para peserta begitu antusias mendengarkan penjelasan soal kehidupan masyarakat Bali sehari-hari, bersatu dengan alam sekitar. Yang paling mereka sukai adalah berlatih tari kecak dan berbaur bersama seniman Bali lainnya.

Thomas Sebastian (25), peserta asal Indonesia sangat menikmati keindahan Pulau Dewata. Pria yang lahir di Bandung, 3 Januari 1985 ini mewakili Indonesia dalam ajang Mister International. Dengan tinggi 181 cm dan berat 74 kilogram, Thomas tentu menyandang beban berat karena sebagai tuan rumah, dia pasti diharapkan muncul sebagai pemenang.

Namun siapa sangka operasional manager di sebuah perusahaan tekstil ini dulunya memiliki bobot 98 kilogram. "Perlu kerja keras menurunkan berat badan seperti sekarang," ujarnya disela-sela sesi pemotretan di pantai Dreamland, Pecatu. Tak heran untuk menjaga kondisi tubuh agar tetap fit, penggemar musik dan biliar ini rutin ke gym 4 kali seminggu. "Selama 2 jam saya habiskan di gym," sambung Thomas.

Surfing

Namanya sesi pemotretan, sudah pasti diperlukan partisipasi, kedisiplinan, keseriusan para peserta. Untuk itu berkali-kali pengarah gaya berteriak-teriak melalui megapon agar seluruh peserta konsentrasi penuh saat pengambilan gambar di pantai Dreamland, Pecatu, dimana matahari sedang bersinar terik. Ternyata deburan ombak di pantai Dreamland tak mampu membuat Tim Boulenger (25), peserta dari Australia berkonsentrasi.

Tim yang berdiri di barisan belakang sering kali mengalihkan pandangannya ke arah ombak yang datang bergulung-gulung ke pantai Dreamland itu. Pengarah gaya pun tak kenal lelah berteriak-teriak agar Tim melihat kamera. Begitu sesi pemotretan selesai, Tim lah yang paling dulu bergegas meninggalkan lokasi. Dia mengambil papan berselancar dan langsung merasakan deburan ombak pantai Dreamland. Wajar Tim kebelet ingin berselancar atau surfing, pasalnya dia berprofesi sebagai instruktur berselancar di Australia.

Setelah puas menikmati alam Bali, mereka kembali ke Jakarta untuk bersiap-siap mengikuti pemilihan Mister International pada 20 November 2010. Lantas apa saja yang menjadi penilaian para dewan juri? Alan Sim, President Mister Singapore Organization mengatakan penilaian dititikberatkan kepada penampilan fisik, fotogenitas, kepribadian, karakter yang menarik dan kemampuan berkomunikasi. Nah, siapa pemenangnya, kita tunggu.

Jet Lag Bisa Bikin Bodoh !!!

Author: yahoo.com


Lowongan Kerja - Apakah Anda sering bepergian dan terbang melewati zona waktu yang berbeda, terus merasa sulit berpikir normal? Ataukah Anda merasa saudara atau teman yang baru balik dari luar negeri agak tidak nyambung kalau diajak ngobrol? Sebuah penelitian membuktikan, ternyata jet lag bisa menimbulkan efek tak bagus terhadap kecerdasan dan daya ingat. - Job Vacancy

Job Indonesia - Sebuah studi yang dipresentasikan di pertemuan tahunan Society for Neuroscience Senin lalu menemukan, hamster percobaan yang mengalami jet-lag yang ekstrim dan kronis ternyata memiliki kemampuan belajar yabng merosot dan memori yang rendah.

Tidak hanya terhadap kecerdasan, menurut Erin Gibson, peneliti dari Universitas California, Berkeley, jet-lag juga merupakan ancaman yang serius terhadap kesehatan. Studi ini menunjukkan bahwa orang yang jenis pekerjaannya mengharuskan dia kerap mengubah pola tidurnya memiliki potensi yang tinggi mengidap penyakit-penyakit kardiovaskular, diabetes dan kanker.

Gibson dan koleganya membuat jadwal tertentu buat hamster percobaan ini dengan cara memajukan jadwal siang dan malam buat hewan ini selama enam jam setiap tiga hari dalam periode hampir satu bulan. “Tak ubahnya naik penerbangan dari New York ke Paris setiap tiga hari,” ujarnya seperti dikutip Wired.com. Jumlah total tidur sang hamster sejatinya tidak berubah, tapi jam-jam bangun dan tidur betul-betul berubah.

Jadi kalau Anda sering-sering bepergian jauh naik pesawat, jangan lupa sering-sering baca buku supaya tetap pintar dan tidak pelupa (pikun)..

Ziarah ke Makam Private Harry Potter

Author: yahoo.com - Job Vacancy



Lowongan Kerja - Sebuah pemakaman di Israel kedatangan rombongan penggemar Harry Potter, yang datang untuk berziarah makam seorang yang juga bernama Harry Potter. - Job Indonesia

Prajurit Harry Potter dulunya adalah seorang tentara Kerajaan Inggris yang tewas di sebuah pertempuran pada 1939. Saat itu ia berumur 18 tahun, tapi di makamnya ditulis 19 tahun, sebab ia mengaku 1 tahun lebih tua saat mendaftar masuk ketentaraan.

Kata seorang pemandu wisata di kota Ramle, tak ada hubungan antara prajurit Harry Potter dengan tokoh karangan JK Rowling. “Tapi nama itu memang laku dijual,” ujarnya, seperti dilansir Yahoo! Movies UK & Ireland.

Ziarah para fans ke makam itu dimulai sejak lima tahun lalu, dan makam itu makin populer setelah dicantumkan di sebuah situs daring (online) pariwisata. “Kalau tak dibilang Harry Potter dimakamkan di sini, tak adalah yang bakal ke sini,” kata warga Tel Aviv, Josef Peretz.

Stress, Arumi Minta Bantuan KPAI !!!

Author: kapanlagi.com


Job Indonesia - Artis cantik Arumi Bachsin memilih untuk kabur ketika dirinya akan dijodohkan. Sampai akhirnya, bintang Film 18+ itu meminta bantuan Komisi Perlindungan Anak Indonesia (KPAI) setelah dirinya pulang dari berlibur di Singapura. - Job Vacancy


Lowongan Kerja - "Jadi saat dia pulang ke Jakarta, Arumi berusaha untuk menghindar. Soalnya kan pas di Singapura dia dibantu Miller, kalau di Jakarta dia bingung. Dia pun mencari jalan, dan kira-kira jam 8 malam Arumi menyuruh si lelaki itu membeli sesuatu. Nah, begitu si lelaki itu pergi, Arumi mencoba untuk kabur diam-diam dan pergi ke KPAI," ujar ketua KPAI, Hadi Supeno saat dihubungi wartawan, Kamis (18/11) malam.

Sampai saat ini, Arumi pun berada di bawah lindungan KPAI. Hadi mengakui jika Arumi berada di tempat yang dirahasiakannya. Ini untuk mencegah agar kasus ini tidak melebar dan semakin ruwet.

"KPAI memberikan perlindungan dan membawa ke tempat rahasia. Saat kabur aja dia menyamar pakai jaket, kacamata hitam karena takut. Dia diikuti terus sama teman-teman pria itu," ujar Hadi.

"Kondisi Arumi kasihan sekali, sambil nangis. Dengan keadaan tertekan sekali. Saat ini Arumi berada di tempat yang dirahasiakan di Jakarta," tambahnya.