Money for nothing, and the complaints are free

A cold and my quarterly depression have flattened me the past couple of weeks.

At least I didn't have swine flu, but colds are bad enough. As for the depression, I've lived with it for so long sometimes I don't notice how depressed I am unless I stand back and look at myself. And when I say quarterly, changes of seasons seem to have something to do with my brain chemistry. It's unscientific, I know, but I can just about chart my depressive episodes by what time of year it is, and whether we're in a transition from one season to the next.

Aren't I supposed to be happy when it goes from winter to spring, or spring to summer, or summer to fall? I guess not. It's the way I am and when it happens I just have to ride it out.

But then, my problems are really minor. If anyone would have the right to be depressed it would be President Obama (neat segué there, eh?)

The poor guy inherited the worst economy since the Great Depression, two wars, one of them started by his predecessor and his cronies for their own reasons, and now Obama owns all of it, the economy, wars, Guantanamo, everything! And he's not only being blamed because after nine months in office the recession isn't over and everyone back to work, or for his stand on health care, but he's being criticized for getting the Nobel Peace Prize, as if he ran a campaign to get it.

One humorist said recently that Obama got the prize for "not being George Bush." The editorial cartoonist, Pat Bagley, picked up on that.

But of course Barack Obama can't do anything right, can he? When you've got the hydra-headed right-wing pundits going after him every minute on radio you're really sabotaging everything the guy tries to do.

I'm astounded that people can actually earn a living by bitching, kvetching, complaining and doomsaying. I checked around to see what they earn. They don't do too bad. The main Cassandra of the bunch, Rush Limbaugh, is practically the figurehead for these conservative jaw-jackers. His annual salary is estimated to be $38 million.

Down the food chain of yammering yahoos are Glenn Beck, whose business earns about $23 million a year, Sean Hannity, at an estimated $14 million a year, and at the bottom, the mealy-mouthed Bill O'Reilly, who makes a paltry $4 to $9 million a year (estimated). I think Bill O'Reilly should be given food stamps or public assistance for being paid so little. Next to Rush he's a nobody. Well, next to anybody he's a nobody, but in earning power he's nowhere in the league of Rush Limbaugh.

So on the other side of the aisle we have the liberal Keith Olbermann who makes an estimated $7.5 million a year. I don't know if you add in his duties as a sports commentator, too. Except for the gang at MSNBC I really can't think of too many famous left-wingers, not like our famous right-wingers, who've been at it for a longer time. But I'll bet the total salaries for all of the liberal radio and TV commentators wouldn't add up to Rush Limbaugh's annual salary.

I'd like to make a few million a year by complaining. No wonder I'm depressed. I've been doing it all my life for free.