Game, Set, Match...

• Average oil company profit on a gallon of gasoline: 9 cents
• Federal tax on a gallon of gasoline: 18.4 cents
• The realization that the government is the real thief in this picture: priceless.

Aaaahhhh, Internet!

Internet is back- the last piece of the puzzle following the Caruthersville tornado of April 2... I can't resist posting one picture from the disaster, within sight of my house; a 40,000 gallon water tank (roughly 320,000 pounds) knocked off its supports like a golf ball falling off its tee:


On a lighter note, I went for a motorcycle ride to Cape Girardeau, Missouri this weekend. Had to check out the new owners of Grassroots BMW. It seems like they are good people, and the service should continue to be just as good as before. Next weekend, the ride will be to Little Rock, with the return journey going through the North-Central part of Arkansas. Should be plenty of scenery, hills, and curves. Can't ask for much more when you're riding.

Tax Day is Behind You,

But you're still working for all the various governmental agencies that mess with your life... After April, you should be working for yourself again. I got lucky this year; my 2005 payments/filing aren't due until June 5, since I live in a Federal disaster area... At least I can get interest on the money until then!

A Refugee No More

Damn! I forgot- I can't say the word refugee- what a Hurricane Katrina-related racist term! I meant that I'm no longer a temporarily displaced citizen. No internet yet, but I'll settle for power and water... Good to be back home.

Tornado!

Some excellent excitement on the natural disaster front- As you may have seen on the national news, Caruthersville was hit hard by a large tornado Sunday night. My trusty NOAA weather radio alerted me about 1/2 hour before it reached our area, so my family and I temporarily relocated to a friend's house in Arkansas. It turned out to be a great decision - houses within sight of ours were totally destroyed. With moderate damage to the house, your host has survived to write plenty more drivel here at D.R., so stay tuned!