Zero Hour

• 19:36 @lmnopqk Might want to make sure you can't find a cheap Buffy boxed set somewhere first. Wish I had time to run by S6 this weekend! #
• 19:55 Once again work is trying its hardest to ruin the good mood residue from this weekend. 90 pending tickets, 45 overdue - a new RCMAC record! #
• 20:25 @mishiell *chuckle* If only! #
• 22:09 Well, today *sucked.* #

Republicans block extra taxes on oil companies
By H. JOSEF HEBERT, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Senate Republicans blocked a proposal Tuesday to tax the windfall profits of the largest oil companies, despite pleas by Democratic leaders to use the measure to address America's anger over $4 a gallon gasoline.

The Democratic energy package would have imposed a tax on any "unreasonable" profits of the five largest U.S. oil companies and given the federal government more power to address oil market speculation that the bill's supporters argue has added to the crude oil price surge.

"Americans are furious about what's going on," declared Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., and want Congress to do something about oil company profits and "an orgy of speculation" on oil markets.