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President Biden is more persuasive that we thought. He implored your local gas station owners to lower the price. And they did. They cut their average 5-cents a gallon profit by 95 cents.

While most Americans are concerned about the economy, inflation at 9%, and high prices for food and fuel, President Biden’s main issue is climate change. Regardless of the effect on the lives of average Americans, he is determined to cut greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 to half the level they were in 2005.

The President does not have a majority of votes in Congress to adopt dramatic changes, so Senator Whitehouse from Rhode Island is demanding he use Executive actions to cut fuel use. Yes, he is from a state where you could bicycle from one side to the other, eat lunch, and get back home before dark. This winter, I guess he’ll shut off the fuel oil furnace and burn wood instead.

Texas and California have already experienced rolling blackouts when air-conditioners are running at full throttle. Manufacturers have to cut back production in favor of residential comfort. Wind and solar energy are weather dependent. On extremely hot days the wind does not blow as much. And it is still hot at sundown. The usual “backup” generators are not available. Operating a gas-powered power plant at less than half capacity is not economical so they go out of business.

I’ll keep repeating a key point until someone in charge recognizes it: the federal agency responsible for anticipating changes in energy use (the EIA), says that in 2050 we will use slightly more oil and gas than today. Solar and wind, while increasing rapidly, will only be the third most used energy source in 2050. So please stop demanding we shut down the amazingly efficient and productive energy sources that have kept this country at the top of the global economy and provide for our national security.

Do you have any endangered wildlife on your land? The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has decided it’s necessary to protect the habitat not only where these rare animals are, but where they might want to move to in the future. They may have spent their entire existence in California, but they may decide Texas is more habitable. This places limits on farming and ranching and drilling. In western Oklahoma the lesser prairie-chicken (grouse) is endangered. Old-time ranchers who say they have never seen one on their fields are still regulated. Concerning oil drilling, when the Alaska Pipeline was planned the environmentalist were scared it would cut the population of caribou. But the caribou love standing under or next to the raised sections because they get warmth from the flowing crude oil.

Last week, Saturday to Monday, I was in Nashville for the annual conference of the National Speakers Association, called Influence. We had a lot of younger, lesser-known high-energy presenters on the main stage. Plus, a few “seasoned veterans” shared their wisdom about the speaking business (which, I’m reminded, is really the “meetings business”).  A huge highlight was a performance by The Oak Ridge Boys. (I got terrific photos, and a short video of “Elvira.”)

If you have followed me for a while, you know my favorite group of professional speakers is the “Tall Women.” I have been their “official photographer” since 1996. To be in this exclusive fun group, you have to be at least 6 feet tall. This year we missed the founder of the group. Jeanne Robertson, 6’2”, former Miss North Carolina, passed away last August, while preparing at home for another theater show (she had 55 booked). By the way, if you want to listen to great humor, look her up on YouTube. If you want to buy a CD or DVD, go to:  www.storejeannerobertson.com.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“I think we put too much emphasis and importance on our so-called High standard of living.  I think that ‘high’ is the only word in that phrase that is really correct.  We sure are a-living High. Our Children are delivered to the schools in Automobiles.  But whether that adds to their grades is doubtful….  It’s also a question what we can convert these 4 billion filling Stations into in years to come.  But it ain’t my business to do you folks’ worrying for you.” Saturday Evening Post, June 2, 1928 

“You always learn something. I know now why they call ’em ‘After Dinner Speeches.’ That’s because they can’t be made during a meal. I thought you could talk anytime, but you can’t. You got to get ’em full first. In fact, the best way to do it is to get ’em so full that they have to stay and listen. They can’t get out.” WA #224, March 27, 1927

President Biden told us why we are paying record prices for gasoline and diesel. It’s because we support Ukraine. What? And he added another reason: individual gas station owners are overcharging.

Here’s the real reason: the Biden Administration is doing everything in its power to cut the supply. Eliminating most leases on public lands (and charging more for them), adding extreme regulations on proposed pipelines, and almost prohibiting drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts. Yes, they are allowing an insignificant 11 well sites in the Atlantic. The drillers may have to work around the thousands of windmills being installed from North Carolina to Maine. Federal regulators are determined to keep big banks from lending money for drilling anywhere.

The President’s chief economic adviser, Brian Deese, stated bluntly that we’ll have to keep paying record high prices for gasoline and diesel to support the “future of the liberal world order.” Deese is an economist? I guessed he graduated from Peking University. (His Ph.D. is actually from Yale. So, I was pretty close.)

I’m guessing China’s President-for-Life, Xi Jinping, and the entire leadership of the Chinese Communist Party is happy with Deese’s admission. Xi is thinking, “With the USA taking a back seat, as soon as this liberal world order is established, we can order the world to do whatever we want.”

Back to Ukraine. Our financial support adds up to a lot of (borrowed) money. Our goal should not be to simply support Ukraine ‘as long as it takes.’ Our goal, supported by all NATO countries, should be to defeat Putin and return all Ukraine territory to Ukraine. Putin is targeting civilians in apartment buildings and shopping centers. We and European nations should give Ukraine enough firepower to overwhelm and destroy the Russian military. The invasion started 129 days ago!

Tomorrow is Independence Day. You might be interested to learn that on July 4^th, 55 years ago, I lost my independence, kinda, with a marriage proposal. As a family, including 2 kids, we learned that true independence comes from being dependent on each other. And being dependable.

I just heard that supplies for your local Fireworks show cost 35% more this year. Don’t be surprised if the one in your town tomorrow night ends early. Or your “fireworks” may be a show put on with hundreds of drones flying in patriotic formations.

The big fireworks on our National Mall that’s on network television may also be shorter. But they interrupt it so much you may not notice any difference. For 20 to 30 minutes, I want to watch the beautiful traditional fireworks and hear the loud BOOMS. That’s all. TV producers have plenty of time before or after the fireworks for other entertainment.

Speaking of independence, it is worth recalling that as recent as 2 years ago we were energy independent. It took major creativity and innovation to get there and we should not allow that tremendous national advantage to wither away to satisfy a ‘liberal world order.’

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

          “The 4^th of July just passed and 62 people passed with it, besides 262 wounded. A great many of the deaths were due to gunshots, but most were from [mishandling fireworks].” WA #32, July 22, 1923

“The American people are a very generous people and will forgive almost any weakness, with the possible exception of stupidity.” WA #63, Feb. 24, 1924

The Supreme Court announced two major decisions. One you already knew about last month. (When will they identify the law clerk who illegally leaked the draft?) The other decision allows a law-abiding citizen to carry a gun, even in New York, in accordance with the 2^nd Amendment.

(I had written a couple of lines here about Roe v. Wade which I thought were funny. But my editor made me abort ‘em.)

President Biden invited the CEOs of the big oil companies to the White House to discuss gasoline and diesel prices. When they showed up, he disappeared. He decided the best way to reduce the price of gas was to meet instead with the offshore wind turbine builders.

So, those folks from Exxon, Chevron, Phillips 66 and other oil companies were left with Energy Secretary Granholm. I hope she took notes. They told her the U.S. can refine 18 million barrels of oil per day, which is a million less than 3 years ago. If the Biden Administration would listen, those CEOs could explain where the best locations are for drilling and what pipelines need to be approved. Smaller companies need to borrow money to explore and drill, and the Biden Administration is discouraging banks from loaning to them. With more oil, prices could drop to around $70/barrel. That would reduce the gasoline price about $2.00/gallon. Not the measly 18 cents/gal Federal tax the President proposed to cancel for 3 months.

Do you remember when John Kerry was appointed “Energy Czar?” He took on the self-described task of eliminating all use of fossil fuel around the world. You may have assumed he had an office with a couple of assistants, plus an airplane and crew, and a budget of about $2 million. Well, hang onto your hat; he is requesting $16.5 million. Wow. He probably wants $10 million just for jet fuel.

If Kerry really wants to make an impact on global warming, he needs to park the jet, hitch-hike to Los Angeles, get on a container ship to China, and persuade the Communist leaders to give up fossil fuels. Then take a bus to India and convince those leaders to do the same. Now that would be an accomplishment we would all support. With luck, he might get back in time to vote in 2024.

Since we know Kerry won’t concentrate on China and India, a Texas Congressman wants to fire him and eliminate his entire staff. That may not affect the price of gasoline, but grounding his private jet would reduce global warming more than eliminating all the belching cows.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

  “I will tell you what is the matter with California: it’s modesty, too much modesty… Take the case of oil. You all know we struck oil here in southern California. But did you let anybody else know it?” WA #47, Nov. 4, 1923

The new boss at CNN asked his employees to stop referring to the “Big Lie.” While it used to refer to President Trump’s claim that the 2020 election was rigged, TV viewers now are confused.

Does the “Big Lie” refer to “Inflation is Transitory?” Or “Our border is closed?” Or “$5.00 gasoline is Putin’s fault?”

President Biden and Energy Secretary Granholm consider some information from the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Energy Information Agency as the biggest lie of all. This agency does independent statistics and analysis. It projects that by 2050 our consumption of oil and natural gas will INCREASE.

Yes, oil and natural gas will continue to be our two biggest sources of energy through at least 2050. Solar and wind production will increase rapidly to become a distant third ranked source. I’m guessing all of this extra solar and wind energy will be required for electric vehicles. I doubt many big farm tractors and combines that sometimes operate around the clock will switch to electric. Can you picture a big diesel-powered generator on a truck driving beside the equipment to “charge-on-the-go?”

As a candidate in 2019 and 2020, Joe Biden consistently promised to “end fossil fuels.” Somehow, Americans who voted for him missed that commitment or didn’t realize his policy decisions would lead to record prices for gasoline and diesel and everything that depends on those fuels.

Do you remember last September when Border Patrol agents on horseback were falsely accused by President Biden and Congress members of whipping Haitian immigrants? Within two days everyone knew they were doing their jobs: keeping people from illegally entering the US. Now these innocent men are being accused of “administrative violations.” What violations? Did they feed their horses more oats, sugar cubes, and apples than allowed by Federal nutrition standards? Or were they singing like Toby Keith* about evil forces while giving their horses Lone Star beer after-hours? Okay, that’s silly. If anyone should be accused (and convicted) of administrative violations it’s their boss, Secretary of Homeland Security Mayorkas. He is allowing 2,000,000 illegal immigrants per year, plus “got-aways” that definitely include drug dealers, sex traffickers and terrorists.

Inflation is the top concern today, running over 8%, with no end in sight. An ABC journalist said that except for inflation, the nation has moved forward under Biden. Gerry Baker of the Wall Street Journal at Large replied, “That’s like saying if it hadn’t been for the intervention of John Wilkes Booth, Mr. Lincoln’s visit to Ford Theater that night would have been a great success.”

So, how do you plan for Inflation? Do you load up on goods today because they will cost more next week? Maybe follow this investment advice from Will Rogers: (paraphrased) “Buy land, because they aren’t making any more of it.” But land prices have skyrocketed too. A friend had a tentative agreement to buy a farm for $10,000 per acre. But before he could finish writing the check, another person paid $13,000. This is a 23% jump. But it is not uncommon for top farmland to have increased 20% since last year.

On a lighter note, the Capitol suffered another illegal incursion. Seven people from the CBS Stephen Colbert Late Show were first denied entry. But they were later sneaked into the Longworth office building by a Democrat staff member and allowed to wander the halls. Much like the vast majority of those arrested for the January 6 incursion, they are armed only with cameras. Late at night they were knocking on doors of Congressmen, including Jim Jordan and Kevin McCarthy. You may know that a few Congressmen stay in their offices and sleep on a cot. If one of those Congressmen had opened the door in his pajamas, now that would be funny. Maybe funny enough to get me to watch Colbert on Monday night instead of Gutfeld!.

It’s Father’s Day. To all the children, I hope you were generous but spent no more on presents than your dad could afford. In a Mother’s Day tribute on radio in 1935, Will Rogers added this, “Father had a day, but you can’t find anybody who remembers when it was…  It’s been so confused with April the first.”

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“I see a committee that was investigating the high cost of living, turned in their report: We find the cost of living very high and we recommend more funds to carry on the investigation.” Notes, undated

“Last year we said: ‘Things can’t go on like this!’ and they didn’t. They got worse.” Jan. 11, 1930

Various investigations are dominating Washington and the news media. But the rest of the country has a different idea of what’s important: a solution to health insurance; changes to regulations and tax policy to improve the economy for working folks; and commitments to speed up construction and maintenance of highways, bridges, and pipelines.

Did you watch the “Show” on Thursday? If so, you probably got a fair idea of the main issues. Whether you’re a Democrat or Republican, the comments gave you something to feel good about, and probably some serious concerns. Watching commentators discuss the testimony on multiple news channels after that hearing reminds me of the descriptions by two blind men who approached an elephant from opposite ends.

These two paragraphs sound like I wrote them today. But I copied them from Weekly Comments written June 12, 2017. Yes, five years ago when FBI Director James Comey testifyed to a Congressional committee. He revealed that President Trump was not being investigated, and that former Attorney General Loretta Lynch ought to be.

The “Show” in June 2022 is the House Select Committee investigating the January 6, 2020, invasion of the Capitol, led by the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers. (Were there any other leaders?) They broke through the “bike rack barrier” while President Trump was still speaking at his rally and by about 3:00 p.m. they broke into the Senate and House.

Those riot leaders and about 2000 Trump followers were cleared out of the Capitol by 7:00 p.m., ending the purported threat to Democracy. Within a couple of hours both the Senate and House were back in session and certified the election of Joe Biden. Total damage was $1.5 million, as estimated by the Capitol Architect. None of the statues in the Rotunda was damaged, including the one of Will Rogers positioned at the main entrance to the House so he “could keep an eye on Congress.”

More than 20 million people watched Thursday night. Most of the other 300 million Americans are likely more concerned about paying $5 a gallon for gasoline and record prices at the grocery store. They may remember that the Senate had already investigated the January 6 riot and made several recommendations to upgrade security of the Capitol.

Meanwhile, a California man flew to Washington to murder Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Let’s be glad the FBI was there to protect him. This may be news to several folks because most media are ignoring it. And a radical group that named themselves after former Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg published addresses of the Justices and is protesting in front of Justice Amy Coney Barrett’s house. By the way, protesting at the home of a Supreme Court Justice is against Federal law.

Do you remember Senator Chuck Schumer’s tirade? He said, “Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you.” Is that incitement?

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“All we got to do in this country to find out something is wrong is just to investigate it.” DT #1577, Aug. 12, 1931

“There is two places where what a person says should not be held against ‘em in a court of law. One is at a dinner, and the other is on the witness stand of a Washington investigation.” DT #2405, Apr. 18, 1934

“From the record of all our previous investigations it just looks like nobody can emerge with their nose entirely clean. I don’t care who you are, you just can’t reach middle life without having done and said a whole lot of foolish things.” DT #2620, Dec. 28, 1934

Excuse me for being a day or two late. You probably know England held a big celebration for Queen Elizabeth this weekend. While she was enjoying a Platinum Jubilee in London for serving 70 years, I was in Ireland.

This “Ireland” is in the middle of West Virginia and is a suburb of Wildcat, where I attended a wonderful family reunion on Sunday. It is held every year on the first Sunday in June and includes decorating graves in the cemetery on the family farm. This tradition probably started before Elizabeth became a Queen.

Family get-togethers for a picnic are a great idea. Or for weddings, or graduations. It’s much better than only doing it for funerals.

High gasoline prices may reduce the enthusiasm for family trips. Interestingly, I filled up at a Wal-Mart in West Virginia for $4.50 a gallon. Got back to Ohio and the price is $5.10.

The Biden Administration was asked what they are doing about high gasoline and diesel prices. The answer: “We eliminated the tariff on solar panels from China.” Also, President Biden will try to increase the supply of crude oil by going to Saudi Arabia. Wouldn’t it make more sense to go to Alaska or Texas?

Even if oil companies were encouraged to drill more wells here, how long would it take to get the pipelines installed to transport the oil to a refinery?

As you contemplate that answer, suppose you wanted to build a 24-inch petroleum pipeline from East Texas to New Jersey. And install a 20-inch pipeline parallel to it. The pipelines would cross the Mississippi River into southern Illinois then run east through Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. How long would that take to construct? With all the red tape, maybe 20 years. Well, 80 years ago, during World War II, the “Big Inch” and “Little Big Inch” were finished and had oil and gasoline flowing in 20 months. (Google “Big Inch Pipeline” to learn the amazing details.)

Speaking of World War II, on D-Day, June 6, 1944, 156,000 Allied troops, including 73,000 Americans, landed on Normandy beaches. Today, it is hard to imagine organizing such a huge operation to attack an enemy.

Speaker Pelosi is presenting a televised extravaganza Thursday night about the January 6, 2020 five-hour incursion into the Capitol. This will replace all the network programs you enjoy watching. She is hoping this serves as a pilot for a series televised every Thursday until November. House committee members will ask questions, mainly of officials in the Trump Administration.

What they should do is pose the first question to Speaker Pelosi: “If you had called up the 20,000 National Guard troops offered by President Trump on January 4 to surround the Capitol Building, do you believe any protesters would have gotten into the Capitol on January 6?”

They won’t ask her because that would end the entire extravaganza in 5 minutes. All the TV commentators would have to fill the rest of the night talking about inflation, fuel prices, food costs, baby formula, crime in big cities, aid to Ukraine, and abortion… topics Americans are interested in today.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“If you want to know when a war is coming just watch the United States and see when they start cutting down on their defense. It’s the surest barometer in the world.” DT #2116, May 16, 1933

“If we could just send the same bunch of men [and women] to Washington for the good of the nation, and not for political reasons, we could have the most perfect government in the world.” WA #78, June 8, 1924

Nineteen children and two teachers were slaughtered in Uvalde, Texas, by a crazed 18-year-old with a semi-automatic rifle and 300 rounds of ammunition. He and others like him, including the 18-year-old who killed ten in a Buffalo grocery store, should never be allowed anywhere close to any weapon more powerful than a slingshot.

A school can have a great plan for safety and security with a hundred elements. But if even one is not followed, disaster can occur, especially if amplified by poor judgement and bad decisions.

Tomorrow is May 30, Memorial Day. It used to be that May 30, regardless of the day of the week, was always the day to honor those who sacrificed their lives in defense of the country. May 30 was called Decoration Day because those graves were decorated with flowers and/or flags.

While President Biden and other leaders around the world are pushing farmers to grow more crops this summer, one group of farmers is being held back.

According to John Boyd, Jr., President of Black Farmers of America, the U.S. Department of Agriculture promised $5 Billion to “farmers of color” a year ago. But those payments have been held up by a lawsuit alleging reverse discrimination against white farmers. Many of these Black farmers have debts and are unable to borrow money for seed, fertilizer and diesel fuel.

You may be wondering, why would these minority farmers deserve special treatment? For decades discrimination against Black farmers was prevalent in the South. Much of the USDA money allocated to farmers is determined by local county committees, not by USDA employees in Washington. Those committees were dominated by White farmers. They often refused to grant funds, loans or services to Black farmers, which often forced them to sell their land. You may be surprised to know that Black farmers once owned 14 percent of all farms in the country; now just over 1 percent according to USDA.

For John Boyd and other minority farmers, even if the $5 Billion relief funds were released immediately, it may be too late to help increase total crop production needed to alleviate food shortages in poor regions of the world.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement.” (Attributed to Will, but not verified)

“Another Decoration Day passed and Mr. Abraham Lincoln’s 300-word Gettysburg Address was not dethroned. I would try and imitate its brevity if nothing else.” DT #268, May 31, 1927

“This would be a great time in the world for some man to come along that knew something.” DT #1611, Sept. 21, 1931

“Farmers are learning that the relief they get from the sky beats what they get from Washington.” DT #2445, June 4, 1934

If you don’t understand why fuel prices are rising like a helium balloon, let’s pretend the situation is reversed. Yes, this scenario is absurd, but humor me for a couple of minutes. Ok?

The date is January 20, 2041. We have 80% of our energy provided by solar and wind, and only 5% from oil, natural gas and coal. The new President is absolutely convinced that global cooling is about to destroy civilization. Snow and hard freezes in early June in our great Corn Belt states, and killing frosts by Labor Day. Crops and trees suffering from a lack of carbon dioxide in the air. Fear that half our food production would be eliminated. Sea levels falling so rapidly that ships won’t be able to reach the docks for loading and unloading.

So, the President takes immediate action to eliminate solar and wind energy, “Our future as a human race depends on converting all energy sources to fossil fuel.” The first action, with support of Congress, is to allocate $10 Trillion to increase fossil fuel use from 5% to 90% in 8 years. The second action is to order that within 2 years all wind machines must be shut down and solar collectors covered with thick blankets.

By January 2043 all solar and wind energy has been shut down except for a few illegal locations called suneasies and windstills. Because it takes months or years to ramp up the previously decimated fossil fuel industry to drill wells and open coal mines, Americans are paying outrageous prices to heat their homes even with thermostats at 55 degrees. When questioned, the Secretary of Energy laughs and says the problem is price gouging by big energy companies (which are just emerging from bankruptcy). The Secretary of the Interior announces the only leases for new oil or gas wells will be on abandoned solar farms. With all this misery, there is one bit of good news. Illegal immigration from Mexico has completely stopped. In fact, Mexico and Central America are facing a crisis of Americans trying desperately to move there.

Back to reality in May 2022… In President Biden’s haste to convert all energy use to weather-dependent renewables, energy supplied by coal, oil, gas and nuclear has been smeared, beaten down and regulated to the point where total energy available cannot meet the demand.

I’m fortunate the Disinformation Board has been shut down. Otherwise, my silly story about global cooling would get me thrown off social media, email, and the Post Office would only deliver once a month.

Someone even more fortunate is Hillary Clinton. We’re just now learning that it was the Democrat candidate for President in 2016 who personally directed and financed the disinformation Russia-Trump collusion story.

Why was the Disinformation Board, headed by Nina Jankowicz, “paused” after only 3 weeks? Probably because the #1 disinformation item was the claim that the Mexican border crisis is being “effectively managed.” The man who uttered that ridiculous bit of disinformation was the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas. He was Jankowicz’s boss. How could she rat out her boss?

Are you ready for a shortage of electricity and gasoline? A professor at MIT, Edmund W. Schuster, warns that because of the premature closing of fossil fuel electric power generation plants, we can expect blackouts this summer, even in the Midwest. And gasoline inventories are extremely low. Even at $6.00 a gallon, gasoline may be rationed.

So, imagine a hot week in August, no electricity (air-conditioning) for hours at a time, and you can’t get enough gasoline to drive to the mountains to cool off.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“Everything nowadays is a Saying or a Slogan… Even if you want to get married a sign will stare you in the face: ‘You get the girl, we will furnish the Ring.’ That has led more Saps astray than any misinformation ever published, outside the Prize one of all, which is: ‘Two can live as cheap as one.’ That is the biggest Bunk Slogan ever invented. Yes, two can live as cheap as one if you don’t want to eat or wear anything during its lifetime. Two can’t even live as cheap as two, much less one.” WA #122, Apr. 12, 1925

“Now Rumor travels Faster, but it don’t stay put as long as Truth.” Ether and Me, 1927

We have been told to expect a shortage of food because of Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Nobody told us the first major shortage would be baby food.

And where were our news media three months ago? On February 17, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ordered Abbott Nutrition to recall products and shut down a Michigan facility that produces 40% of the infant formula consumed by babies in the US.

Let that sink in. Four out of every ten babies, except the ones being breastfed, depended on that facility for 100% of their food supply.

On February 17, the loss of 40% of our baby food supply should have been the No. 1 headline story on every TV network and newspaper in the country. And it should have stayed No. 1 until a 24/7 “warp speed” effort tracked down the problem and got the plant back at full capacity. Unbelievably, it took 3 months for the FDA to clear the plant.

Can you imagine the reaction to an immediate 40% reduction of any other essential product? Suppose 40% of households had the electricity shut off for 3 months. Or 40% of farmers had no diesel fuel for their tractors at planting time for corn and soybeans.

Please don’t consider me callous for mentioning this shutdown occurred because 4 babies got sick and 2 died. How many babies have suffered from a lack of approved formula or from a poor substitute?

Parents have been warned to not substitute any “homemade concoctions.” But you have probably seen social media postings of a typical “formula” from many years ago. It is a precise mixture of evaporated milk, water and Karo syrup. Of course, the ones bragging about it are the ones who survived. (I may have thrived on it myself.)

President Biden announced he is attacking inflation. Since diesel and gasoline prices are primary sources or causes of price increases for many products, the President took immediate action to reduce production of diesel and gasoline.

What? Yes, he eliminated oil-rich areas of Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico from production and made it harder to construct pipelines to economically transport fuel. And instead of allowing the experienced geologists and engineers to test, calculate and decide the best locations to drill, the Secretary of Interior in Washington, DC will tell the companies where they should drill.

President Biden announced a way to add to our food supply. He is encouraging farmers who grow wheat to plant soybeans after harvest. It’s a good idea. Many farmers already do that. The only problem is that most wheat is grown west of the Mississippi River. Much of that region is in a severe drought that will likely cut wheat yields drastically. Kansas, the leading wheat state, will harvest about 20% less than the 10-year average, according to USDA estimates.  Not much chance of growing soybeans planted into parched ground in July.

A special treat for you tonight, if you read this quick. A total lunar eclipse will occur across the country tonight, around midnight on the East Coast. It’s called a blood moon because it’ll be mostly red.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“It’s all right to fix the world, but you better get your own smokehouse full of meat first.” DT #2636, Jan. 6, 1935

“The big event for people who go in for outdoor amusements was the Eclipse… It was also the only thing that went off on schedule. I wish those scientists would run the railroads.” WA #112, Feb. 1, 1925

This is Mother’s Day.

Here’s Will Rogers in 1930, “My own mother died when I was ten years old.  My folks have told me that what little humor I have comes from her.  I can’t remember her humor but I can remember her love and her understanding of me. 

“Of course, the mother I know the most about is the mother of our little group.  She has been for twenty-two years trying to raise to maturity four children, three by birth and one by marriage. You know, there ought to be some kind of a star given to any woman that can live with a comedian.  Now, that little compliment ought to repay for the flowers that I forgot to get today.” (Radio, Mother’s Day, 1930)

The Federal Reserve Board met and raised its official rate by half a percent to a target of one percent. That is still far, far below the rate needed to tamp down inflation which is over 8%. The Dow has been on a roller coaster this year with a lot more downs than ups.

Will Rogers wrote often about the Federal Reserve Board, “If a 1 percent raise in rate [from 5% to 6%] can upset the whole of Wall Street, then they are working on a mighty slim margin.” (DT #881, May 23, 1929) A few weeks earlier he wrote, “There is two things that can disrupt business in this country. One is war and the other is a meeting of the Federal Reserve.”  (DT #837, April 2, 1929) You will recall that a few months later, in October 1929, the stock market crashed, starting the Great Depression.

The Federal Reserve by itself can’t control inflation. The President and Congress need to act. So far, the Biden Administration has been adding fuel to the flaming inflation rate. They may know how to cool inflation, but refuse to do it.

For the first time in over 200 years, someone in the inner circle of the Supreme Court broke a sacred trust by printing a 100-page first draft of an opinion and sneaking it out of the building months before a final version will be announced. This is shameful. I hope they catch the culprit soon before they do more damage to the Supreme Court.

Putin’s war on Ukraine has reached 75 days. He thought it would be over in 3 or 4 days. We celebrate V-E Day today (Victory in Europe, May 8, 1945) while Russia celebrates on May 9. Since Putin can’t claim a great victory over Ukraine, there is speculation he may ramp up attacks. He could order the slaughter of thousands more civilians, destroy more industries, and wipe out wheat harvest and the planting of other crops. All of our aid in the future, even more than the $33 Billion being considered in Congress, must be for direct military aid to help Ukraine defeat Putin and restore their original border.

The Kentucky Derby win yesterday by Rich Strike, an 80-1 long shot, will be talked about for decades. That horse was not even in the field until the day before. Rich Strike winning could only be topped by a Model T Ford winning the Indy 500.  As Will Rogers said, “Money, horse racing and women are three things the boys just can’t figure out.”  (DT #2679, March 7, 1935)

[Correction from last week: on Twitter I’m @WillRogersToday]