Cash for clunkers and it continues to get more bizzarro

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Cash for Clunkers-situational Conservatism

We spoke of our conservative friend whose conservative ethics were obviously somewhat situational as he had no problem using tax payer dollars along with some of his hard, cold cash to get him a brand new truck for 12,000 large.

Well apparently this program has become a booming success as our intrepid leaders in Washington are wanting to throw another 2 billion at a program that helps people with money get a new vehicle financed by people without money.

I'm sure my conservative friend who made up the difference between his rebate and the selling price with "CASH"  didn't realize that some of the tax dollars that were helping him get his vehicle were coming from a lady friend who owns an old truck that takes most of what she makes to keep running.

Problem is she don't have no 12,000 grand in cash and between medical bills and keeping her clunker running can't afford payments.  

But then, that's the luck of the draw isn't it.  In a democracy where those that have can vote to insure that those who have not will have less.

See the insanity is, they are destroying the traded in clunkers. Many of which are a whole heap less clunky than the clunker she is stuck with.

But hey, at least we are bailing out the Dealers who ran their business into the ground.  Capitalism at it's finest.  Free markets in all there glory. Bullshit personified.

Cause like how many years have we known that oil is becoming a finite resource?  How many years have we known that gas guzzling SUV used to transport soccer mom/dad to the grocery store or ballgame were not being nice to the environment?

And what did these folks who knew that shit do?  Went out and bought freaking gas guzzlers anyway!

And what are the consequences of their stupid decision?  We give them money to buy a new vehicle???

And where is the outrage from the right that preaches self reliance, self responsibility, fiscal conservatism, less taxes.................?  Oh Damn that's right, their out buying new gas guzzlers!

Gives a whole new meaning to "Ride Free" doesn't it?Add to Technorati Favorites

More civilian surveillance

SEATTLE, Aug 2, 2009 The U.S. Army indicated Sunday it is investigating a civilian employee who allegedly infiltrated antiwar groups and accessed their plans and other information.

The New York Times reported John J. Towery is a criminal intelligence analyst for the Force Protection Division for Fort Lewis near Tacoma, Wash., who spent two years in covert activities gathering names and e-mail addresses of members of war protest groups.

Stephen Dycus, a Vermont Law School professor specializing in national security issues, said the military is prohibited from conducting law enforcement or covert surveillance among civilians for intelligence purposes except in very rare circumstances, none of which seems to apply in this case.

"Infiltration is a really big deal," Dycus said. "It raises fundamental questions about the role of the military in American society."

Force Protection
is a publicly traded company (FRPT: NASDAQ)that provides blast- and ballistic-protected products used to support armed forces and security personnel in harm's way. The Company designs, manufactures, tests, delivers and supports its blast- and ballistic-protected products. Its specialty vehicles are designed to protect their occupants from landmines, hostile fire and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). It is a provider of United States military’s Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle program. The Company also provides Cougar Mastiff, Cougar Ridgback, Cougar Wolfhound, and Buffalo mine-protected vehicles to the United Kingdom Ministry of Defense.

And the corporate/Governance alliance branches out.Add to Technorati Favorites

1%'s vs. stupid.

Every once in awhile in the world of motorcycling an incident crops up that causes conflict between MC's (motorcycle clubs) and "other" riders.  I am firmly convinced that when a person buys a motorcycle, besides being provided with an owners manual that teaches them where the starter button on their new bike is,  they also need to be provided a manual entitled, "Survival Rules for Wannabe's" and not allowed to leave the showroom until they have read it!  Cause it only takes one "asshole" to "fuck it up" for the rest of us.

Now I totally understand that no one reading this is an "asshole" or a "wannabe". And I hope that in turn it is understood that the thoughts expressed here are my own and not representative of any other organization or group.

But here's a reality ok.  There was never a patch with more truth in it than the one that says something like, $20,000 and 15,000 miles does not a biker make.  Another reality o.k.?  Most people riding motorcycles now days are not "Bikers". They are cagers/citizens/suits that happen to ride motorcycles.

Now you would think that  one would not have to make that distinction/statement. But then somebody with new chaps and vest with flash patches that doesn't understand the difference lets their "alligator mouth" outrun their "tweety bird ass" and  ends up causing problems for those that weren't looking for any.

So here's the gig, if you belong to a motorcycle organization that allows you to buy a patch, sew it on and call yourself a member, well good.  There are some fine riding clubs and Motorcycle Rights organizations and other associations out there that allow that.  Just keep in mind that the money you spent on such a patch buys you just that, a patch and nothing else.  You want anything else besides a paid for patch you got to earn it. And money won't buy it.

That paid for patch doesn't buy you any street cred, privileges or rights. It does not make you a bad ass. And it does not make you a "Biker".  Hell you can join a Motorcycle Rights Organizations (MRO) such as ABATE (now known as "American Bikers Aimed Towards Education"or some other permutation of the original "Bikers against Totalitarian Enactments" abandoned after ABATE decided to go politically correct in an effort to access state and federal money, i.e. sell out) for example and "not even own a motorcycle?"

It ain't even close to being  anything like a "MC" (Motorcycle Club). MC members earn their patches and it is not done easily. Most "riders" probably have no desire to join an MC. Which is probably a good thing. Because most riders could not pass muster.

Now you may not like or advocate for the lifestyle exhibited by some MC members and you do not have to.  In fact in most cases they really don't give a shit about what anyone else thinks. But you best respect it.  Were it not for them you probably would not be free to ride many of the places you do ride and do many of the things you do.

This is not to say that one has to be an MC member to be a "Biker". There are plenty of independents out there that have earned their cred in other ways. They just choose to go their own way. But they too understand that without respect there is no freedom.  That if you want respect you have to give it. It is all about respect. You can not buy respect.

It's really no different in the rest of the world.  You learn who to respect and who not to respect.  And because so many people who ride motorcycles now days are not "bikers" the motorcycling population has become a caricature of itself, a joke, a target for cagers to run over with impunity because they and  those who govern them have learned that they can. We as a whole, have lost respect.



So if you bought a patch and declared yourself a member of some organization and do little or nothing to support that organization then:


A. You are an embarrassment and despite what you may think real "bikers" notice that shit and know who you are. An example might be the person who buys a PGR banner to put on their windshield, keeps it on their windshield,  rides on one mission and never does anything else but ride around town with a PGR banner on their windshield. Do you not understand that "some" PGR riders that have got up at 3:00 in the am and ridden hundreds of miles in the cold and rain look at you as a freaking "wanna be".


B. Eventually the organization that allows you to ride on their coat tails without contributing anything will become a caricature of  what it was meant to be and lose not only respect but it's effectiveness.

This site advocates freedom but understands that freedom has to be earned and fought for.  I understand that it may seem a paradox, but without a police force or army you have no freedom.

Now just as an aside we have noticed a large number of persons wearing "route 66" patches. We was thinking Route 66 must be getting an awful lot of motorcycle traffic these days.Add to Technorati Favorites