Winner: Cash for Clunkers Program --- Loser: Associated Press

In a recent AP story entitled: Trucks & SUVs are popular Cash for Clunkers sales, there's some very disingenuous reporting going on. The title of the story was obviously created so that news bureaus would latch on to it as it sounds like there's some real news there. But if you read the story (instead of just hearing the chosen highlights on TV or radio), there's a whole other story within the story. The AP actually switches vehicle class names from "SUV" to "Crossover" in the seventh paragraph when attempting to justify the title of the story! Huh? Yes, there's no SUV listed in the top 20 sales during the life of the program.Then the AP correctly states that the decent selling Ford Escape and the Honda CR-V (5th and 6th in program sales respectively) are Crossovers and not SUV's (but we know that SUV has become a pejorative term and therefore more useful in AP's sensationalized headline). Crossovers are not SUV's because they are built on "car based" frames and not "truck" frames and therefore drive and operate like cars. And not mentioned in the article is that these vehicles also get gas mileage comparable to (and in the case of the Ford Escape Hybrid model - much better), than most medium sized passenger cars. Yes, trucks were sold (people still need these vehicles) but not more than passenger cars and not enough of them to break the top 5 of all vehicles sold under the Clash for Clunkers program. Only two trucks (Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado) cracked the top 10 in sales (8th and 10th respectively) and their combined sales were barely better than the number one seller during the life of the program - the Toyota Corolla. (Side note: the top 10 trade-ins during the program were all trucks, vans, and SUV's. But that didn't make it into this AP story. See the August 26th press release at http://www.cars.gov/ for all the details.)

But there was another story inside this story which wasn't reported widely. And I quote from the story's last paragraph, "Transportation Department officials have noted Cash for Clunkers achieved a 60 percent improvement in fuel efficiency because of the trade-ins." So beyond the positive economic benefits of this successful program, the environment and our country's security (less reliance on foreign oil) were also winners. Loser? The Associated Press because they're guilty of a disingenuous headline.

8 Years Later

Black Friday, Pearl Harbor, JFK Assassinated, Man Walks on the Moon, Nixon Resigns, and September 11th. They are all significant moments in the history of the United States of America. People who lived during those moments all have memories shared by millions of other Americans. Great-Grandparents, grandparents, parents, and their children share these memories from generation to generation. That's how we humans grow. We learn from those experiences and hopefully become better. Better citizens. Better leaders. Better people.

And we remember all those who lost their lives eight years ago today. We remember those loved ones who lost loved ones on that terrible day. We remember those heroes that rescued people in NYC and at the Pentagon and those who died trying.

And we don't forget those twisted individuals who in the name of their fanatical beliefs tried to put out the flame of liberty and democracy with their evil, hateful deeds. They failed to break us and they helped further unite us.

God bless America.

Reckless Bikers, I hate thee...

Reckless Bikers, why do I hate thee?

10. You have no reflective items on your bike or person.
9. You don't wear a proper helmet.
8. You fail to signal on turns.
7. You disregard stop signs.
6. You disregard stop lights.
5. You weave recklessly through auto traffic.
4. You drive recklessly around pedestrians without warning.
3. You acknowledge no speed limits while on the street.
2. You incorrectly believe that everyone else is at fault.
1. You lack common sense.

And yes, I do own a bike and when I go out riding it's with a reflective helmet, flashing rear light, and I adhere to the traffic laws when I'm on the street. Peace out.