Major pain at the pump according to Yahoo.

Retail gas prices began April at $3.26 a gallon nationwide but crept up to $3.57 per gallon by the last week, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. They set a record on Wednesday, rising to a national average of nearly $3.62 a gallon.

And people are starting to get the hint, sales of big trucks and SUV’s are down. Actually, the big three aren’t doing so well. My car is already small and gets around 30 mpg so no need to switch.

Although a small Mercedes would be soooo nice. I can dream. Hey, Rev. Jeremiah Wright has two, guy sure knows how to live.

On the brighter side, the Dow hit 13,010.00. Finally. Again. Had topped 14,000 a while back before all that bad economic news tanked it. And people are spending more. Er, just looks like it.

Don’t be fooled by a larger-than-expected increase in consumer spending. People aren’t buying more - they’re just paying more for what they buy.

Comforting, not. Oh well, there is discretionary spending still. Just have a refrigerator go out and you’ll have to spend big bucks to replace it. But barring any more disasters, I won’t be buying much at all.

They always get it wrong, the MSM. Case in point.

While pursuing peace with Abbas, Israel continues to pursue Gaza militants involved in attacks on Israel.

Terrorists not militants, terrorists who attack and kill innocent Israelis civilians.

Hamas confirmed that a “leading commander” was killed in an Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza on Thursday, and its military wing vowed to avenge the death of Nafez Manzur.

“The blood of our late commander will not be shed in vain,” the statement read. “We have the full right to respond in the time and place that we choose.”

Israel said Manzur was involved in the capture of Cpl. Gilad Schalit, an Israeli soldier seized in June 2006 after militants from Hamas and two allied factions tunneled under the Israeli border and attacked a military post. Two other soldiers were killed in that raid.

Seem to me airstrike and subsequent death of Manzur was justifiable retaliation for the attack and subsequent casualties the Israelis suffered at the hands of Palestinian terrorists. And further action on the part of the Palestinians should be reason for retaliation on Israel’s part. Seems like this could go on forever. Actually it won’t.

Schalit remains in captivity in Hamas-ruled Gaza as talks have stalled on swapping him for hundreds of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons.

Rather an unfair exchange, one innocent soldier for hundreds of terrorists, held in prisons for good cause. Release one of them and they would just commit more acts of terror on Israel. Release hundreds and results could be disastrous. No telling if they’d actually release Schalit. I have my doubts.