All I know is that this violates every canon of respectable broadcasting.

My car has logged over 72,000 miles.

It's traveled in 10 states (NY, VT, MA, CT, NJ, PA, MD, DE, OH, WV) and one Canadian province (Ottawa). It's never been involved in anything larger than a few scratched bumpers. It's been updated with a new Rockford Fosgate sound system, so the music is perdy. It's even been featured in an episode of "Law & Order" (as the murder weapon, no less!).

Why do I bring this up? Well, my car needs about 15 gallons of gas to go from E to F. When I first inherited said car after I graduated from dear ol' Syracuse University, that averaged about $22.50 per fillup. I used to say with confidence "fill the tank" at every available opportunity.

Now, I'm averaging about $37.50 in one of the highest priced cities for gasoline in the dear ol' US. I don't particularly like New Jersey, but I find myself longing for romps down the NJ Turnpike merely to save the $3 per gallon extra I spend here in Brooklyn. And God forbid I drive in Westchester...

Now, I get news that we're now living in the highest gas increase in our nation's history.

Thank you, W. Congratulations again on your second term, by the way.

Now, OK, I know i'm the eleventy billionth person to chime in on this conversation, and I'm not particularly bringing any new facts to the table. But I do have one fact to offer that I don't think is being nearly mentioned enough:

I know gas prices are high. Please stop telling me that.

I had this revelation on the way to work in a cab the other day. 1010 WINS-AM had a brief report on high gas prices. The reporter visited gas stations in NYC and asked people what they thought of the high prices. And you know the responses, "Man, it's hard." "It's so expensive." "I don't fill it all the way like I used to." And it just hit me. I've heard this interview previously. I read it in the newspapers, saw it on TV. It is literally the only story ever aired about the high prices.

As a wise Spinach-eating sailor used to say, "I've had all I can stands and I can't stands no more."

These reports NEVER discuss governmental pursuits of alternative energy. They never discuss how most cars don't need anything higher than an octane rating of 87, or how some gas stations are charging even higher rates to make a little extra profit. They never discuss hybrid cars or vegetable oil cars or cars with the floor below the driver's seat ripped out so that it may be powered Flintstones-style. They never discuss drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, known affectionately as ANWR (pronounced ann WAHR'). The reports are always "Gas prices are high and there's no end in sight. Suck it, consumer."

So, right here, right now, I make one simple request. Keep reporting on the high gas prices, but please stop reporting ONLY on the high gas prices. Package it with SOMETHING. Show me the vegetable car. Let me read about how this is the highest gas increase in our history, and what is being done about it (which, knowing our current administration and our President - who, let's not forget, started as an oil man in Midland, Texas himself). Bring up progess about ANWR, but also about how modes of alternative energy would actually make drilling in ANWR unnecessary. (For a hilarious bit on why Alaskans are for drilling in ANWR, read this. I especially like the part about how oil pays for schools.)

And hurry up. Challenge the machine. My car's got 40 states to go and is having a hard time finding work in television.