Belated congrats to Rob at CrabAppleLane blog for his seventh anniversary of blogging. I first started catching Rob’s enlightened and entertaining posts during Hurricane Katrina, and I’ve been a fan since. As Rob mentions in his post, we actually got together one day a few years ago at a wonderful lunch spot called Liuzza’s, where I had a shrimp po’ boy that knocked my socks off. Rob’s a great guy, and I’m glad I had a chance to meet him. One of these days I’d like to meet one of his and my fellow bloggers, Dave E. up in Minnesota.

—-

Not sure I agree with the alarmists out there predicting a total crash of the U.S. economy, but I will say this:

1) The Democrats in Congress sure seem hell-bent on at least exploring that possibility. I mean, does anyone in their right believe that we can continue adding billions upon billions to our national debt without any consequences whatsoever?

2) It wouldn’t take much for things to spiral out of control. Think about it: Israel attacks Iran, or vice versa? That loon in North Korea really does start a war with South Korea. The governments of Pakistan or Saudi Arabia or some other nuke country falls and is taken over by radical extremists. Let me tell you folks, it wouldn’t take much.

I’m just glad we have a President who has proven extensive foreign affairs experience and isn’t surrounded by a bunch of wussie, blame-America-first radical idealogues. Oh, wait a second…

—-

What is it about the travails of troubled actress Lindsay Lohan that interests people so? I mean, she’s not the first – nor will she be the last – celebrity trainwreck that seems headed towards a very bad place. Maybe it’s just our morbid fascination with people who are richer and more attractive than we are, but seem to be so damned miserable with that cross they bear.

—-

I have to admit, I’m surprised by how easily the Lakers have handled the Suns in the first two games of the Western Conference Finals. Between the Coyotes Bruins-esque implosion in Game 7 of their playoff series against the Red Wings and the Diamondbacks horrendous start, it’s been kind of an awful 2010 for sports teams here in the Valley of the Sun. But that’s OK – our syndicated sports radio gives us LeBron James talk on a 24/7 basis, so what do we care?

—

Pool temp: 84 degrees

…and undoubtedly going higher after tomorrow. I’ll tell ya, there’s a big difference between 81 and 84 degrees; when it gets to 86 it’s absolutely perfecto. If I could afford a pool temperature regulator unit, I’d set it on 86 and you’d never get me out of the water.