Christmas Tree non-tax and other things

The downstairs neighbor’s dogs were a little noisy today, but nothing huge. I’m pretty sure I heard one of them yakking something up in their bedroom, so it’s worse for them than it is me at any rate.

Washington thought it would be clever and slip in a new tax on Christmas trees, which was wholly designed to create, you guessed it, more government. I’m pretty sure Christmas trees are doing quite well on their own, and if the industry wants to, you know, advertise, they should use their own money to do it and not mine. The prevailing theory amongst conservatives and libertarians is that the very industry insiders lobbying for the creation of the Christmas Tree Promotion Agency or whatever the thing the tax was supposed to fund was called would have been the only people in any position to be hired/appointed to the agency. No thanks, we’re good, move along. That’s the power of social media for you, by the way. There was one blogger that picked it up out of the Federal Registry, blogged and tweeted about it, and then it went *everywhere* in a matter of hours. Complaints and criticism piled up so fast that the Administration was explaining "it’s not a tax" this morning and by noon they had "delayed implementation" of the program.

There was an earthquake up around here today but I didn’t feel it. The USGS says it happened and the event page has been tagged as "Reviewed by a seismologist" so it must have actually happened and not been equipment error or they’d have taken it down. Shame I didn’t feel it, I’m sure I could have used it as an excuse to get out of work tonight. I’m sure some of my stockers probably will. Goobers.

It’s cold and rainy right now, and I’m a bit hungry, but I don’t have time to run all the way to town for something, then tun back and get ready and leave without feeling all rushed. And I just remembered I’ve got to buy gas or I’ll never make it to work, dang it. Good thing I get paid tomorrow. The car tag fee set me back a bit this pay period and I’m about broke.