About to snap

I drive a beater - it has 150K miles on it and a radio that barely works. The CD player no longer works. The tape player no longer works (so no iPod). It will no longer change stations. So I'm stuck with one station all the time - NPR.

Usually this means I drive in silence or with my iPod on the weekends because my local NPR station carpet bombs our market with Prairie Home Companion each weekend. Other than Car Talk, every weekend is a Lake Woebegone marathon. Non-stop fingers on the chalkboard. I can live with it - I don't drive all that much on the weekends.

However, I have a pretty good commute and this week my lack of radio has almost driven me to drink. First, it's that time of year (or month or week - seems constant) when NPR is using 98% of their airtime to ask for contributions. Ugh. Another drive. I hate this.

More importantly, the economy is on the brink of collapse. For most this means anxiety about their jobs, their homes, their families and their livelihood. For me, it means I rarely squeeze in a commute without having to hear an interview with Barney Frank (shown above), Chairman of the Financial Services Committee. He's a pleasant enough looking guy, but has the worst voice on Earth. Does he have teeth? A tongue? Is he perpetually slightly drunk? I can't take it.

I want Congress to give Bernanke his $750B just so I don't have to hear from Congressman Frank again on Monday morning. I'm willing to write my check today for the Wall Street cronies if that's what it takes. I'm willing to pull out of Iraq and send the troops to Massachusetts to unseat Frank's wicked regime. Just please, please, stop interviewing this drunken fool!

I gotta go charge my iPod...

In case you don't trust me, here's your moment of zen - just make sure you don't have sharp objects or firearms close by.