Who's more irrelevant here?
...or, spoken by one who should know, to one who may or may not be...

Gosh oh mighty, gee whiz, golly, is all I can say. There's a definite skirmish happening here. Evidently Former Prezzident Jimmy Carter roundly blasted George W. Bush's poor excuse of an administration as being totally ROTTEN regarding foreign policy. And the Bush administration lobbied back a charge of its own, saying that Carter is becoming 'increasingly irrelevant in today's politics'. Now, it's true that oil began its meteoric rise during the Carter Prezzidency, and of course, there's that Iran Hostage Crisis thing that will always taint ol' Jimmy's legacy. And Prezzident Bush, hoping to preserve what little legacy he has, is trying to make himself look good at another's expense. A case of political "nee-ner, nee-ner, neeeee-nerrrrrr". Well, who has the highest rating RIGHT NOW: Former Prezzident Carter, or Current Prezzident Bush? I rest my case. Dubya's approval rating is just above the comparative worth of a quarter to a dollar. Carter's NEVER sunk that low. So who's more irrelevant here?

Gas rising to above a dollar a gallon in the '70s is probably relatively equal to it being above the three-dollar mark today. Perhaps, proportionately speaking, taking inflation into account, today's gas is probably as expensive as '70s gas. Heaven forbid. Sounds like I'm defending Bush here. Ack. But who is more irrelevant? Nancy Pelosi has accused Prezzident Bush of having a "tin ear" when it comes to intelligently approaching the whole Iraq war issue. And who's paying for the gas it takes to run them war machines? Plus, whichever Bush administration cronies aren't being taken to task by Congress are leaving of their own volition. Me, I'm just kinda wondering how big the tires are, of the wheels that are coming off his administration. That countdown clock on the left of this blog page never looked so good. Bush made it plain long ago that some Prezzident after him would inherit the Iraq war mess. So ol' George, he's markin' time. Pure and simple. Get that Prezzidential pension.
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Another edition of the much-vaunted MSNBC NIGHT WATCH: I've been following the late-nite (early morning, actually) antics of MSNBC as they seek someone, ANYONE, to fill the three-hour, five days a week program slot formerly occupied by Don Imus. And, I'd posted last week that MSNBC is dipping into its own ranks to find a warm body to fill the anchor chair. Last week's contestants, Joe Scarborough (who hosts 'Scarbourough Country' on MSNBC) and David Gregory (an NBC news correspondent who's the LAST guy you'd expect to host a show) actually both acquitted themselves pretty well. But, on Friday, Gregory said that it was his last day as an early-morning anchor. He's a news correspondent, you see. So, this morning, I was thinking, "well, who will it be today? Some news guy? Or some official-sounding wannabee from a bustling local market with national network host dreams?" It could've been ANYONE. So who's hosting the show today?

Jim Cramer, the manic-depressive, extroverted, all-over-the-wall host of CNBC's "Mad Money" investment program, is hosting as I type this. And I tell ya, THAT ONE came from left field! Actually, Cramer seems to be doing pretty well, but I must ask, who's next? I can imagine anyone employed at MSNBC, whether it be receptionists, dietary aides, bookkeepers or janitorial personnel, has a shot at this thing now. It's a wonder the same climate didn't exist at CBS when Dan Rather left in disgrace. Oh, wait it does. Katie Couric, of all people, is hosting the CBS Evening News now. She has all the news talent of your average poodle groomer. Ack. Back to the program I'm currently watching, here's a Cramer quote: "We'll be right back, and when we do, we'll ask: 'Hillary or Obama, who's gonna end up on top?" (That actually might be a better line for a Freudian Therapist...) Anyway, this whole MSNBC merry-go-round thing is interesting. Since I'm an insomniac, it's easy for me to keep y'all posted.
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Fuel for thought: I was looking through some of my old posts last night, and you know, there are times when I bore myself, so I know how you all feel, trying to wade through the hip-deep residue of pretentious mental activity I exude here. I was writing about gas prices last year, and how the price was down around the two-dollar mark, having risen from $1.79 a gallon, and how the then-two-dollar price would be financially constricting and financially disgusting. Fast-forward to now. It ain't even TOURIST SEASON yet, and in some places around the country, it's over $3.50 a gallon.

It used to be, that it took a while to realize the effects of inflation...several years, anyway...well, welcome to the era of Instant Inflation...because gas prices are skyrocketing, everything else will be going up too. Fast-food restaurants everywhere will cut costs by serving meatless hamburgers for a buck. Wait, McDonald's has been doing that for years! I actually saw a soybean sticking out of a McDonald's hamburger patty once. So, I just closed my eyes and ate the thing. Gulp. And now I've gotta figure out how I got from Gas to Burgers...well, either way, it's a GAS ATTACK, huh? Ha ha ha ha HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!! (not bad, if I do say so myself)
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If it can happen there, it can happen anywhere: An out-of-control gunman in Moscow, Idaho, killed a couple of people (one of them a cop) before turning the gun on himself this past weekend. And it's made the national news. Just another incident in America's shameful legacy of making it easy for people who shouldn't have guns to get them. Back off, NRA types! I used to shoot target archery and I wouldn't have wanted anyone to take my bow and arrows away from me. See, I didn't use them to KILL PEOPLE. I went to the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. It's a town that loses half its population when all of the students either graduate or go home for the summer. During the school year, it's a curious cross of cowboys, farmers and students, sometimes side-by-side in the local pubs, which I frequented quite a bit during the two years I went to school there. And the town was in the process of recovering from another killing (of a student) which happened a month and a half ago. And it can happen anywhere. Mental illness and psychological irregularities run rampant, our society gets ever more cold and impersonal, and things like this happen. I wish I knew what the answer was, but I don't. Still, perhaps if we made guns a little harder to get (I did not say 'outlaw' guns), that might be a positive step. How 'bout it?
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I just heard MSNBC's Cramer say he was gonna be on all week long. Ack...I don't think I can take that much of him. He's a nice guy, but definitely not a talk-show host. He's trying to contain himself, but he just looks like he's on the edge of a panic attack all the time. Ack.