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.

Matthew Flocco and Robert Fangman

Never heard of them? Pity.

In a state as small as Delaware, it’s a wonder that you never ran into Matthew or Robert.

Matthew Flocco hailed from Newark, a graduate of Newark High School, class of 1998. After graduation, Matthew joined the Navy and eventually became an Aerographer’s Mate 2nd Class. He was an avid runner and all-round athlete and loved meteorology. He was teaching himself to play the guitar.

Robert Fangman hailed from Claymont. He graduated from Claymont High School and attended the University of Delaware. He worked for Verizon Wireless for a while, but his love of travel led him to a job as a flight attendant for United Airlines.

Never heard of them? They both sound like interesting fellows.

Matthew Flocco, age 21, was in the Pentagon on the morning of 9/11/2001.

Robert Fangman, age 33, was on board United Airlines Flight 175 on the morning of 9/11/2001.

Both Delaware natives had lives full of promise. Both are gone.

Please remember them and say and prayer for their families who are still dealing with their loss.

Riddle Me This

In the current version of H.R. 3200 as written, low-income families may be eligible for insurance premium subsidies in order to purchase health insurance. Interestingly, though, this subsidy is only available to those who purchase said insurance from a government-established “insurance exchange”, but not if the person wants to purchase said insurance from their employer:

The House health-care bill gives a large subsidy to millions of families with incomes up to three times the poverty level (i.e., up to $66,000 now for a family of four) if they buy their insurance through one of the newly created "insurance exchanges," but not if they get their insurance from their employer.

Why would that be? It seems to be that in order to offer individuals the maximum number of options for selecting their health insurance that all forms should be on the table. Aren’t freedom, choice, and affordability primary goals of this legislation? And if one of the tenets is to subsidize those that need it most, why are their options being limited?

What if someone meets the income criteria for eligibility for an insurance premium subsidy and determines for whatever reason that they would prefer their employer’s plan. Assuming one agrees with such a subsidy in the first place, why would it not apply?

Sounds to me like it is because the government knows best what is good for us. This isn’t choice at all. This is a “come hither” whispered into the ears of the working poor to come to the comfort of the government’s arms. What better way to solidify their constituency for generations than to hold them hostage through a government “exchange” service? They did it with welfare; they will do it with health care.

If the working poor are forced to go through an insurance “exchange service” for coverage and do so, what incentive does the employer have for offering any plan at all? Slowly but surely, insurance coverage, especially for small-to-medium-sized businesses, would disappear.

Instead of expanding options, the insurance exchange will eventually have control over all of them.

Another riddle in the current debate (of which there are many, but are too mind-numbing to deal with all at once) is, “What is the rush”? The MSM political beat and bloggers are characterizing the President’s speech tonight as a “game changer” and a “pivotal test”, and that if a compromise bill is in place this fall it will be a “big victory”.

Why this fall? What is the rush? The majority of the provisions of the current legislation do not take effect for years: isn’t there time to do it right instead of ramming it down the throat of an increasingly-wary country? The portrayal of any kind of legislation as being some kind of imminent emergency is suspicious. And the fact that the Democratic version attacks the entire system (uh, except perhaps tort reform or uh, the ability to purchase insurance across state lines) instead of incrementally instituting improvements is enough to make one shudder.

If General Motors was too big too fail, the House health care legislation is too big too succeed.

Sorry to be such a pain, but I have another inconvenient question: Why does Congress exempt itself from the “public option”?

Predictably, however, the Heller amendment was defeated, with all 21 committee Democrats voting against it. That vote is indicative of the reality that any bill requiring Congress to be covered by the same health care as the public has the proverbial snow ball in Hades' chances of being enacted.

Oh, and even though it is said by bill supporters that it does not cover the estimated 11 million illegal aliens in this country, a report by Congressional Research Service (prepared for members and committees of Congress) not only states that there are no enforcement measures to guarantee such a claim, but also makes the astounding conclusion that unauthorized aliens would be required to have health insurance (see page 4) ! Not that they would, as people who are here illegally by the very nature of their status would tend to stay under the radar, but it shows how the devil is in the details, and that the writers of this bill have no idea what slippery slopes they are entering upon (and have only a cursory knowledge of tax and immigration laws and the varying definitions between the two).

So many questions. Geez, I’m really sorry about that. I hate to be throwing bad mojo at all this hope and change, but peon that I am I think my questions are warranted and should not be scoffed at.

The knee-jerk reaction to these honest questions would be to dismiss me as a “tea-bagger” or some other equally jingoistic term. As Obama supporter Camille Paglia notes:

“…..is in fact just a style of rote regurgitation of hackneyed approved terms ("racism, sexism, homophobia") when confronted with any social issue. The Democratic brain has been marinating so long in those clichés that it's positively pickled.”

Honest issues raised in the debate on healthcare reform are not being raised by some odd minority. Instead, they are being made by the real majority that has been awakened by the sheer arrogance of those members of Congress who have decided that they know what is best for us. We are not railing at the unknown; we are railing at the known. The majority of those opposing the House plan are informed and thoughtful. However, the more informed one is, the more afraid one becomes.

We know what we’re going to hear in the President’s speech tonight. We have questions, and all we will get platitudes and falsehoods.

The sleeping giant has awoken. The usually quiet rubes (have) decided that they want to be heard.

Delaware's Own Larry Binger Starts Fundraising for the 2010 Veteran Wheelchair Games

From his Rolling Sportsman website:

Dear Friends and Fellow Veterans,

By now, most of you know that I did fairly well at the 29th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Spokane, Washington this year and that I brought home the Silver Medal for trapshooting. I was able to do this because of your generous sponsorship and support.

I will be representing the State of Delaware next July at the 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Denver, Colorado July 4 – 9, 2010.

Normally I would start my fundraising campaign in late January and the first thing I would take care of is my airline ticket. However, with the economy being what is, the airlines have just reduced the price of tickets purchased in advance and I find I can get a round trip ticket for under $300.00 if I act fast and that’s why I am holding this fundraiser. Call it a bidding war if you like!!

This Photograph was taken during the 2006 National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Anchorage, Alaska.

This beautiful patriotic photograph is 16” X 32”, double matted – framed and signed by the award winning photographer Joseph Claice.

It has a retail value of $350.00. It will make a great addition to your home, office or club.

Please keep in mind when submitting your bid, I need to purchase my airfare for the 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games as soon as possible.

The minimum acceptable bid is $100.00. I will accept the highest bid that reaches my E-Mail by September 30, 2009. Serious bidders only please. I will pay shipping cost if applicable.

I will post the highest current bid daily on this page until 12: noon September 30, 2009. I will then contact the winner and post the winning bid.

CLICK HERE TO BID FOR THE EAGLE !