Humorless Bureaucrats

Inhabitants of Oak Lawn, Ill. apparently have a hard time understanding the meaning of the large red octagons posted on street corners through the city. So in an effort to get people to actually stop, the city installed smaller signs below their larger, legal counterparts to get motorists attention while providing them a half-hearted chuckle. (Read more here)

This is another example of the lack of humor that government types exhibit. Have you ever spoken to an I.R.S. agent? Lot’s of good times.

What a Cap and Trade bureaucracy would look like!

Holy crap!! The following chart is from the U.S. Chamber of commerce and it carefully details how the Lieberman – Warner climate bill would work. Woe to us if this bill ever gets put to law. This would be just another big and expensive government mandate that promises more than it can deliver. See the whole report in PDF form here

HT: Heritage Foundation

Donate blood and get some free gas!

Yup, that’s right, folks. Step right up!

In order to give blood donors a break from gas prices, the Red Cross is entering all volunteer blood donors, who give blood between June 1, 2008 and June 30, 2008, into a drawing for one of two $750 gas cards. (Read more here)

Where the problem is

Ronald Reagan on Libertarianism

Ronald Reagan speaking in a 1975 interview with Reason magazine:

“If you analyze it I believe the very heart and soul of conservatism is libertarianism. I think conservatism is really a misnomer just as liberalism is a misnomer for the liberals—if we were back in the days of the Revolution, so-called conservatives today would be the Liberals and the liberals would be the Tories, The basis of conservatism is a desire for less government interference or less centralized authority or more individual freedom and this is a pretty general description also of what libertarianism is.”

“Now, I can’t say that I will agree with all the things that the present group who call themselves Libertarians in the sense of a party say, because I think that like in any political movement there are shades, and there are libertarians who are almost over at the point wanting no government at all or anarchy. I believe there are legitimate government functions. There is a legitimate need in an orderly society for some government to maintain freedom or we will have tyranny by individuals. The strongest man on the block will run the neighborhood. We have government to ensure that we don’t each one of us have to carry a club to defend ourselves. But again, I stand on my statement that I think libertarianism and conservatism are traveling the same path.”

In-law couch

Seven Blunders of the World

1: Wealth without work

2: Pleasure without conscience

3: Knowledge without character

4: Commerce without morality

5: Science without humanity

6: Worship without sacrifice

7: Politics without principle

---Mahatma Gandhi

A National Treasure

Pithy comments on race by Thomas Sowell:

William F. Buckley’s wife once mentioned in passing, at dinner in her home, that she had been involved for years in working with a school in Harlem. But I never heard her or Bill Buckley ever say that publicly.

Nor do conservatives who were in the civil-rights marches in the south, back when that was dangerous, make that a big deal.

For people on the Left, however, blacks are trophies or mascots, and must therefore be put on display. Nowhere is that more true than in politics.

The problem with being a mascot is that you are a symbol of someone else’s significance or virtue. The actual well-being of a mascot is not the point.

It would do us well in this country to be a little more careful and discerning with some of the policies implemented in order to help minorities. Some of those policies actually hurt and don't help. Sowell, as always, uncovers and exposes some of the inconsistencies still alive and well in our dealings with race. The man is a national treasure.

Remember the Fallen on Memorial Day

Bob Barr wins Libertarian candidacy

Noooooo!! This is a terrible mistake by the Libertarian Party. Barr, in my opinion, is not a Libertarian.

Venezuela: Land of 12-cent gasoline

From Business Week

Global oil prices zoomed up to $135 a barrel this past week. But that doesn't worry Roberto Morales, a 33-year-old Venezuelan businessman. Morales, who drives a compact Volkswagen Gol, still pays only $1.32 to fill up his car with 11 gallons of high-octane gasoline, thanks to Venezuela's subsidized fuel price.

"This is crazy but I'm not complaining," says Morales. "Gasoline here is cheaper than water."

Comment: If countries like Venezuela, China, Saudi Arabia and many others ended their subsidizing of gasoline for their respective populations, I’m sure that it would curb global demand with current crude oil prices. Of course, that would also mean big problems for the ruling regimes in these countries. Let’s just say that subsidies for gasoline in these countries aren't going to be dropped anytime soon.

High gas prices drive farmer to switch to mules

From Brietbart

High gas prices have driven a Warren County farmer and his sons to hitch a tractor rake to a pair of mules to gather hay from their fields.

Watch the video of this report Here

The future of high gas prices is here, folks! I’m gonna name my little mule Charlene.

Our Government at Work

HT: Mark J. Perry

Inflationary nightmare

Zimbabwe inflation estimated at more than 1,000,000%

Independent finance houses have said in an assessment that annual inflation rose this month to 1,063,572% based on prices of a basket of basic foodstuffs. As stores opened for business on Wednesday, a small pack of locally produced coffee beans cost just short of Z$1-billion. A decade ago, that sum would have bought 60 new cars.

This is an example of the economic havoc that runaway inflation can inflict.

62% of voters prefer fewer government services with lower taxes

From Rasmussen

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 62% of voters would prefer fewer government services with lower taxes. Nearly a third (29%) disagrees and would rather have a bigger government with higher taxes. Ten percent (10%) are not sure.

HT: Andrew Roth

Exxon facing shareholder revolt over climate change

From the Guardian

A shareholder revolt at ExxonMobil led by the billionaire Rockefeller family has won the support of four significant British institutional investors who will call on Monday for a shakeup in the governance of the world's biggest oil company.

Exxon is facing a rebellion from its investors over its hardline approach to global warming. The firm has refused to follow rival oil companies in committing large-scale capital investment to environmentally friendly technology such as wind and solar power.

Exxon maintains that present green technologies are not financially viable. But critics on Wall Street and in the City fear that the company's reluctance to explore alternative energy will prove to be bad business judgment in the long run as rivals such as BP seek to capture public affection by re-branding themselves as environmentally sensitive enterprises.

Comment: Exxon is going to continually find itself in this sort of pickle with powerful shareholders. It is now very fashionable for corporations to “green” their image in order to sell themselves as being environmentally responsible. Yet, one must ask, is it to Exxon’s benefit to divert an ever larger share of resources to fund environmentally friendly technology, just for branding purposes, as opposed to improving its ability to drill, deliver, and produce petroleum? I know what my greenie friends would say—absolutely. However, since the search for the magical alternative fuel that will replace oil has been going on for 30 years, I seriously doubt that Exxon increasing funds to that end will have an impact except, of course, for making itself look environmentally sensitive. It’s expensive being “green.”

Gas station employee fired for fighting off robber

From Fox:

Mark Beverly, an overnight shift supervisor at a SuperAmerica in Roseville, Minn., was fired in March after he jumped on a masked robber who he believed was attacking a fellow employee.

SuperAmerica said he violated company policy when he came to his colleague's aid in the early morning of March 26. So instead of accolades, Beverly got the boot.

Adding insult to injury, Beverly — who is still looking for another job — has been denied unemployment benefits. He will appeal that decision on June 5.

Save some gas and scale large rocks!

If you just must have your vehicle be four wheel drive but gas prices have been nipping the wallet, here’s an idea. This one needs a gun rack though.

High school grad can’t read diploma

From Times Union:

ALBANY -- David Streck graduated from East Greenbush's Columbia High School back in 2002 but he's never read beyond a third-grade level.

Show a business card or other written document to him and he'll give it a brief stare and tell you the words are meaningless.

t's not for lack of brain power. Streck, 25, said he passed high school math with little problem and he enjoys using computer spreadsheets and building Web sites.

When he drives, he navigates by memory rather than street signs.

But he knows that his future prospects are dim if he can't read instructions on a job application, respond to e-mails or even go through the newspaper want ads.

Comment: This poor fellow was moved along from grade to grade with little help. While the reason that he can’t read is due to dyslexia, the fact that he was able to graduate high school with barely a third grade reading level is baffling and disturbing. Another example of how our tax dollars are wasted away.

Gas Taxes by state

From theAPI


HT: Carpe Diem