Ejected? WHY!?

*City Councilman from Midland, TX, ejected from studio*

T. Bubba Bechtol, part time City Councilman from Midland, TX, was asked on a
local live radio talk show the other day just what he thought of the
allegations of torture of the Iraqi prisoners. His reply prompted his
ejection from the studio, but to thunderous applause from the audience.

"If hooking up an Iraqi prisoner's scrotum to a car's battery cables will
save one American GI's life, then I have just two things to say..."

"Red is positive."

"Black is negative."

Surprised Dad29 didn't pick this one up from the Law Dog Files.

HT: CL R&R Board

STFU Nagin!

I love people like this. I love people who think that you can rebuild the WTC or New Orleans in 2 years. I love people who think the Marquette IC should be completed already.

In case you couldn't tell, I am being sarcastic. People who think that these things should be done overnight are naive, impatient and just plain dumb. Rebuilding something like the WTC, the Marquette or a whole city takes a lot of time and planning. I would like to see what you are doing Nagin to quicken the process. Oh yeah, that's right, you were taking up too much of your own time trying to cover your ass and get reelected.

STFU already! Any credibility you had blew away in the hurricane. Nobody really cares what you think. How you are going to be interviewed on CBS's 60 Minutes is beyond me, like intelligent people can't see right through you as you try to pass the buck.

Oh wait, it is CBS.

Ford Nissan Deal a Sham

If you haven't been paying too much attention to the automotive news lately, you wouldn't have noticed talks about a possible platform/engine/transmission merger between GM and Nissan/Renault. GM CEO Rick Wagoner wanted absolutely nothing to do with this if you believe DeLorenzo at AutoExtremist.com, and I tend to agree. I also agree with him that Jack Kerkorian is trying way to hard to control the outcome of the company considering that he owns only a small share of GM. I also agree with DeLorenzo that this might be a some smoke and mirrors trick move for Carlos Ghosn, Nissan/Renault's CEO, to get a chance to take on his next "project", conveniently getting away from Nissan/Renault right before the shit hits the fan(see reliability/quality issues).

So what is this I see on MSNBC.com only a couple of hours ago? What is this bogus story that Bill Ford has been speaking with Carlos Ghosn on a merger between the two? This is the biggest bunch of hogwash I have seen in automotive news reporting that I have seen yet. Let me list the reasons why:

1. Mazda. In case you did not know, FoMoCo owns a third of Mazda. Ford and Mazda do share a lot of joint platforms because of this partnership. Examples?

A. The Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan/Lincoln Zephyr are all built off of the highly successful Mazda 6 platform. This platform was developed by Mazda.

B. The new Ford Edge was built off of the highly touted Mazda CX-7 platform.

C. The next generation Ford Focus(already available in Europe) is built off of the highly successful Mazda 3 platform, the fastest selling compact in the class. The Volvo S40(Ford also owns Volvo) is built off of the Mazda 3 platform.

In addition, Mazda supplies many engines for Ford, and vice versa. The 3.0L 6 cylinder Duratec in the Mazda Tribute, the Mazda MPV, the Mazda 6 and the Mazda truck, is built by Ford. I am not too crazy about the engine, but it gets the job done effectively enough. The 2.3L 4 cylinder MZR engine which has just received an increase in orders and is incredibly reliable, is built by Mazda in Japan. This motor can be found in many Ford products, too many to name.

So? Well, what does Ford need from Nissan that they don't already get from Mazda on a platform/engine/transmission line? There would be no "synergy benefits" that I can foresee coming from a merger. None. Especially when Nissan is experiencing a problem with quality and reliability and Mazda is not.

2. Ford doesn't have the same problems that GM does, plain and simple. Although sales in Ford are down, they still have the number one selling vehicle in the country(see the F series pickup truck). They also have a lot of great products in the pipeline. True, GM has some nice products on their lots, Ford just doesn't have financial problems that are looming and anywhere near as threatening. Ford doesn't have to worry about legacy bennies, current bennies, severance packages, strikes, job cuts and billion dollar yearly losses. Ford isn't nearly as reviled by the "Drive By Media" as GM is(more on this in a bit).

3. Nissan has nothing to offer. Nothing. We went over the platforms, engines, and transmissions that Mazda offers. We haven't touched on manufacturing as much, and I realize that. This is where Nissan may help us in North America as they have more plants here than Mazda does. Only three Mazdas are manufactured in the USA in harmony with FoMoCo. Although a small number in terms of platform, all three are high volume platforms in either Mazda, Ford or both.

The Tribute built in harmony with the Ford Escape, isn't a huge seller for Mazda, but it's sibling, the Escape, is a big seller for Ford.

The Mazda 6 is built in harmony with the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan/Lincoln Zephyr. Although the three latter aren't as big sellers as predicted, they have only been in the market less than a full model year. The 6 on the other hand sells very well for Mazda and has received over 100 international awards alone.

Finally, Mazda's B series truck and the Ford Ranger are built in harmony in the US. Of the two siblings, the Ford out sells the Mazda at about 5 or 6 to one. Not the best, but what does Nissan bring to the table that Mazda doesn't in the truck category, the Frontier? Ha.

So, overall, why? Why is the merger bullshit? Why is the merger smoke and mirrors technique? We touched on it before, and we will again. This is the "Drive By Media" fabricating and blowing up a story 500 times larger than it actually is. This is Jack Kerkorian leaning on his buddies in SoCal to help him get his way. This is a wannabe small hostile takeover and a chance to make GM look bad. This is the media trying to create something to pressure Wagoner to fall. "Look! Look! Ford is interested, why aren't you Rick?!" It's a bunch of crap. Plain and simple. If you read enough about the automotive industry as I do, you would know there is just as much slant in the "reporting" as there is in the political arena. And, as Peter DeLorenzo would say, you can pretty much count on all this hogwash getting filed at "NotGonnaHappen.com."

I Knew I Should Have Had it Copyrighted...

Someone in the blogosphere stole the beginning of my nomenclature. YOU know who you are. And, as you have been in the blogosphere a mere three months, it is obvious that you stole what rightfully belongs to me! DTD, DCS is watching you.

Terrorists, or Just a Strange Tradition?

From Kenosha News Today:

Kenosha Wisconsin (AP) Two men are in custody today due to the vigilance of a Walmart employee Bernice Hansen. In a statement to Kenosha police by Hansen the two men now identified as Dennis Misner, 23 of Gurnee IL, Adam Morbark 22 of Forest Park IL, entered her checkout lane on Wednesday with a large quantity (reportedly 37 rolls) of blue painters tape and the new Celine Dion compact disc “The Miracle”. Hansen said “With all the terrorist activity going on with stuff like Trac Phones, I just couldn’t see anything good coming out of two young guys running around with all that tape and that Celine Dion cd. That’s when I called my manager.”

Kenosha police sergeant Vincent (Vinnie) Gianaselli said the two men were apprehended and brought in for questioning about the incident late Wednesday afternoon. “There were some inconsistencies in the two men’s stories which lead to what is now an ongoing investigation” said Gianaselli in an interview on Thursday. He continued “Mr. Misner was very stirred up by the incident and claimed the attempted tape purchase was for a painting project and the cd was purchased as a gift for his sister. Mr. Morbark who insisted on being identified only as ‘turbo18tee’ claimed all 37 rolls of tape were intended to be applied to the two men’s vehicles in some sort of yearly ritual they perform called Treffen. Morbark also claimed the Celine Dion cd the two attempted to purchase was just ‘jams’ to be played while the tape ritual was performed.”

Gianaselli said there were still a lot of unanswered questions. Due to the highly irregular nature of the incident and the crossing of state lines, Kenosha PD turned the case over the the FBI field office in Cincinatti OH early this afternoon who at the time of press could not be reached for comment.

Both Misner and Morbark are being held without bond under the guidelines of the recently renewed Patriot Act.

You can't make this stuff up people. These guys were going Treffen, a VW show in northern Illinois. A buddy of mine tipped me off about these two. What a riot.

HT: VENOM

Yeah, Islam is a Peaceful Religion

Apparently these are pictures of Islamic and Muslim protesters in the streets of London protesting "peacefully."


If only I had a Thompson Sub Machine gun with a barrel clip...


Or maybe a hand grenade...


Yeah, this guy here, I would rock his face and send him packing back to Haji land.


What? The USA doesn't have any gas chambers or large ovens. What we can do for you is send you a nice nuke. How does that sound?

These people are insane. And the drive by media will never put this stuff in print or on tv. It will only make Bush's cause look as worthy as intelligent people know that it is.

HT: CL R&R Board

I Have Been Busy

Just like it says. I have been buying up the Cheddarsphere on Blog Shares. Really addicting. Soon, I will corner the local blogosphere on the fantasy stock market, then, the WORLD!!!!! Mwuhahaha!!!!!

Remaining Anonymous

Unfortunately at the next two scheduled blog meet and greets/drinking outings, I will be remaining somewhat anonymous, not by my choice.

This Saturday at the State Fair, the BBA is hosting a meet and greet at the microbrew tent starting at noon. Details here. I will be selling cars in a very "disgruntled" manner having missed this opportunity.

The following Tuesday at Papa's Social Club on 77th and Burliegh will be the third installment of Drinking Right. On Tuesday evening I am pleased to announce that I will be drinking and in a venue just as prestigious as the aforementioned. I will be attending a game at Miller Park. Unfortunately, besides my brother and two other friends, I will not have the opportunity to be surrounded by people who are quite as prestigious as the members of the Drinking Right club. I will be at a Brewers/Cubs game, which we all know are packed with smelly "FIBs." (A whole new rant for a different day)

Sorry to those of you looking to meet or see the man behind the most beloved DCS blog. 'Til then, I will be lurking in the shadows and may be present at the next Drinking Right.

Snubbed By A County

How does it feel to be snubbed by a whole county? Well, at least 18 board members from that county. UW Madison's reigning moonbat lecturer Kevin Barrett should be able to form an opinion on this matter having been on the receiving end of this after Ozaukee county supervisor Joseph Sopko and 17 other Ozaukee county board members voted to contribute $8427 less to the UW extension, or, exactly his salary. Ouch. Talk about rejection. I like the move. I like the move a lot. Hopefully other counties will follow suit. If all 72 counties do, that is nearly $600,000 that UW extension will lose. Hopefully, that will result in the loss of one moonbat lecturer too.

Read the article here.