R.I.P. and WTF

R.I.P. Gretchen! She was a good little truck while she lasted. I bought her used and abused and then drove her into the ground. Hell, despite the recall way back when, I risked my life to drive her, broken, rusted frame and all and she was good to me no matter what. But all good little 1996 Toyota Tacomas have to eventually make their way to the big shiny Tacoma heaven up in the sky, and Gretchen made her slow ascent there yesterday. Sooooooooo, now I get to take the bus. I loathe the bus. If you see me hoofing it to/from work/bus stop, please take pity on me and give me a ride. I'm old.

Also, way to go New York State for taxing us yet again!!! $10 for a pack of cigarettes. Thank goodness Patterson's days are numbered. Lets hope his replacement just so happens to be a smoker with the cojones to undo all of this rigamarole. And before you go on lecturing me about the dangers of smoking, just let me vent here. I know smoking is bad for you. My two year old niece can tell you that. This is just insane. Raising the price isn't going to solve the budget crisis. It's also not going to get people to quit smoking.

But let's give them the benefit of the doubt. Let's assume that people are going to quit smoking because of the tax. Let's take a look at this process a little closer:

Step 1. Raise the tax on already overpriced luxury items to astronomical levels.

Step 2. People quit smoking, not because it's a healthy choice and they really should anyway, but because they're broke and have to choose between their cocaine and hooker habit and the cigarettes. No brainer. Cigarettes lose.

Step 3. People quit buying tobacco and therefore don't pay the tax.

What do these steps add up to???

No money made for the state! And a whole lot of pressure on one of the biggest industries we rely on in this already financially strapped country. Idiots. Does this make sense to you???

If you MUST tax something (I'm against taxes in general, but that's another post completely) increase the tax on alcohol or legalize weed and tax the living shit out of that. Problem solved.

P.S. For any of you smokers out there who are feeling the pinch, roll your own. Easy, inexpensive (for now...and it's still way less expensive than buying the big names), and a quiet way to (slightly) screw The Man. If you decide to take my advice on the DIY cigarette option, buy finely cut pipe tobacco instead of cigarette tobacco. Prices haven't increased on that yet, but they will within the next three months. Hey, who loves ya, baby?