Gasoline prices in Reidsville, North Carolina today

Averaging about $3.39 a gallon. Up about 10-15 cents in just a few days' time. And $4.45 has been spotted in at least two places around town. I had to pay a bit more than $50 to fill up my Toyota Camry.

While gassing-up at a convenience store on Scales Street I had a spirited conversation with one guy and his mom, about the high gas prices. We all agreed: we are being led by "lunatics and madmen" who probably can never remember the last time they had to touch a gas-pump nozzle.

The funny thing of it is, it's not necessarily that the oil is "running out" or even refinery problems right now that's causing the outrageous jack-up of prices. It's inflation, a primary reason for that being that the federal government for the past few weeks has been injecting about $38 billion per day into the economy to boost failing financial institutions like Bear Stearns, etc. That's $38 billion per day of fiat money, without anything really backing it.

And now what these "brilliant" leaders are doing is biting the little guy hard in the pocketbook.

Once again I am reminded of that term that came to mind a few months ago to describe the times in which we live: "the Hell Époque". America cannot long suffer this kind of inept, irresponsible management.

Sometimes I wonder if that was the plan all long, in someone's reckoning.