Bopping Around the Tubes

Blogging has been light lately; a bit under the weather for about a week, and feeling a basic ennui about the news being reported. But I can comment on a few things.

Who could possibly have predicted that this would happen? (emphasis added)

Edmunds.com reports that “September’s light-vehicle sales rate will fall to 8.8 million units . . . the lowest rate in nearly 28 years, tying the worst demand on record. After the cash-for-clunkers program boosted August sales to their first year-over-year increase since October 2007, demand has plunged. In at least the last 33 years, the U.S. seasonally adjusted annual rate has only dropped as low as 8.8 million units once — in December 1981 — with records stretching back to January 1976.”

“Many people regard February as the darkest month of the recession, but even then (sales were) higher, at 9.1 million units,” adds Edmunds.com statistician Zhenwei Zhou.

So....a faux demand instituted a faux jump in sales and then the hangover begins. I predict that sales slump will last at least through the end of this year, which bodes a couple of cold months for bloggers like Alphecca.

I would liken the whole scheme to running out of Viagra at the most inopportune time.

Like many others, I have been following the recent scandals involving less-than shall we say kosher goings on a various ACORN offices across the country. The story unfolded at Big Government. Delaware Libertarian has opined on the predictability of the responses in the local blogosphere, and I generally agree with him. I don't know what my response would have been predicted to have been, but I'll tell you my true and honest reaction as the stories unfolded:

Pure, unadulterated, practically guffaw-inducing, stomach-hurting laughter.

I mean, did you see the "pimp's" outfit? C'mon, R operatives. You can do better than that. I am sure that in a Democratic "sting" in a similar vein would have had a much better pimp outfit than that. Geez, it's embarassing.

And for liberals to decry "Gotcha Journalism"? Guess what? Gotcha.

No better or worse than any liberal exposes. Except for the pimp outfit. C'mon, no self-respecting pimp would wear that. Worst.....pimp.......evah !

After I recovered from my uncontrollable laughter, I started thinking on it a bit. I am sure that ACORN in many areas does some good work, and it is kind of unfair to paint an entire organization with a broad brush based on the actions of a couple of jerks. But you also have to wonder how these jerks could be a part of the organization. Sure, there's always bad apples, but they have to work in an environment that either encourages or tacitly turns a blind eye.

When one sucks off of the government teat long enough without accountability, well, this shit is gonna happen. I've seen it happen. Often, people think they are doing a good thing. One wonders how they would get that idea.

Delaware Libertarian throws a bone to the ACORN defenders. While I have no reason to believe that ACORN of Delaware is anything but above board (at least in its handling of foreclosure issues), just as one bad example doesn't prove anything, neither does one good one.

As with most situations, there is no right or wrong. It's a little bit of this and a little bit of that. Those who are dogmatic on either side need to take a breath.

I do, however, support a full audit of all of ACORN's operations. It appears as though they self-report, but nothing from an independent source. It is a matter of course that agencies that receive government largesse are audited not only for finances but also for procedures. I don't see how anyone could oppose that.

Errr, enough about ACORN. It appears as though Obama has already thrown them under the bus. Let's move on.

The 9-12 march in Washington occurred. People are bantering about the size of the crowd. Twenty? Twenty million? I can't believe the energy that is expended on the discussion. I say, Who Cares?

Random thought: If someone is a Teabagger, what does that make someone who disagrees with them...a Teabaggee ? Naw, I doubt if they could hold their breath long enough.

I was feeling better by Saturday, and we rode down to Seaford Harley Davidson for some Delmarva Bike Week festivities. It was a beautiful day and we had a good time, but unfortunately we have a friend in Seaford who happens to have a 14-year-old-son who happens to have Guitar Hero (with accompanying drumset and karaoke). Chainsaw played the drums to Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, and also did a duet with another friend to Lynrd Sknyrd's Simple Man.

Another problem: I haven't figured out how to get video off of my Blackberry yet. It's good, though. One of these days I'll get into it.

So, we head off into another week of the Congress critters doing their mischief.

Just another week, but I will leave you with this quote from Daniel Webster in 1837 which came to me via an e-mail from Jim Rash, Delaware State Chair of the Libertarian Party:

“I apprehend no danger to our country from a foreign foe … Our destruction, should it come at all, will be from another quarter. From the inattention of the people to the concerns of their government, from their carelessness and negligence, I must confess that I do apprehend some danger. I fear that they may place too implicit a confidence in their public servants, and fail properly to scrutinize their conduct; that in this way they may be made the dupes of designing men, and become the instruments of their own undoing. Make them intelligent, and they will be vigilant; give them the means of detecting the wrong, and they will apply the remedy.”

That is all.