Trucks, Protests, and Islands

Raising Hell about Rising Fuel
Truckers around the country yesterday joined in a protest to demonstrate against the recent surge of diesel fuel prices. The average price per gallon of highway diesel tops $4 (US) and independent owner operators are feeling the pinch.

Trucks in various locations parked outside of state capital buildings and blared their horns, while others drove at 20 mph to slow traffic to a crawl during rush-hour commutes. With nearly everything that is consumed in the US brought to us by truck, the trickle effect is and already has kicked into gear. Prices will continue to climb as it becomes more expensive to haul all of that 'stuff' that we need. The rate at which freight is charged has not kept up with the cost of fuel, squeezing any profit that a owner operator may have had. There is also the issue of huge insurance premiums that many small owner operators struggle to pay. Maybe they need Optimus Prime (see here) to come and save the truckers from the wrath of the Decipticons...aka Big Oil and Big Government. :-) I can see it now, his new quote will be: "Trucking is the right of all sentient truckers." __________________ (insert nerd quotes here)

Packin some Punch
Dominica announced that the U.S. has delivered four new vehicles for the countries police force. The delivery was part of a plan by the island to make sure that every police post has a vehicle that it can deploy. In a small ceremony, the four vehicles were revealed as well as the upcoming arrival of the US Pre Deployment sector of the Military Reserve. They will be in Dominica in June to provide free health care to Dominicans. Reymond Blackburn also answered the criticism of recent that has surfaced about Dominica forming part of an armed alliance against the United States. This is undoubtly due to the close ties with Venezuela and its leftist president Huge Chavez. Mr. Blackburn stated,

"This country is the most beautiful country in the universe and never before have we seen that strength of the alliance that we have forged, dating back to 1983. So the alliance is strong, I want to say to you again that Dominica will never be part of any alliance, military or economic against the United States of America."

I doubt Dominica would pose much of a threat anyway, as there is no armed militia or military presence on the island. Unless you count cutlasses, then you have an army of ~70,000 strong. Not to worried, not to worried at all.
Cheers!