What's going on?

Can someone please tell me who left the government in charge? I've been on this earth since 1960, and I don't like the direction we (mankind) are going in.

Last night I was doing my nightly unwind, in front of the television, and realized something very profound. I was watching Apollo 13 with the wifeypoo, and in the movie, when things were going really bad for the flight crew, the news was reporting that people all over the world, including the Vatican, and other religious landmarks, were praying for them. Don't see that too much these days.

Back to the government. Their encroachment in our lives has gone too far. Beside the fact that Federal Income Tax is unconstitutional, now they want to monitor the thermostats in our homes with an FM receiver, and change the settings if they don't like how we have it set. Does this bother anyone else? Please, please, people, we need to take back our liberties, before we become a completely communist state. Don't let this happen. Write to your federal representatives and congresspersons, and let them know what you think.

Inauguration Day Blues

I hate to be the wet blanket, but I have to say that Obama's inaugural address was less than inspiring. It was even a little depressing. I get the fact that he was trying to set low expectations, so he won't be ridiculed when things don't all-of-a-sudden become wonderful, now that he is President. And believe me, a lot of people expect that.

What I expected was something positive. Something to look forward to. Something new and different. Something that a LEADER would say.

President Obama had the opportunity to present an historic speach, and instead he very much delivered more of the same political rhetoric that we know all to well. All he had to do is use himself as an example of what can be accomplished in this great nation, but instead he focused on all the problems we have set before us, and how much work it is going to take to fix it.

Watch this guy.

An article from Glenn Beck, cut and pasted, because I couldn't say it any better myself.

GLENN: All right. You know the rest of this. What does this song actually tell us? What is this song really all about? Can you see by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming. That the banner lasted through the night. So I think what this is supposed to tell us here is that even in the heat of battle, even if the worst -- when you go to bed at night and you think this is not going to stand, the battle goes on. And when the dawn comes again, that banner is yet waving. But here's the key phrase: The land of the free... and the home of the brave.


I ask you if those two statements are true anymore. Are we the land of the free and the home of the brave. Our freedom is slipping by because I believe that we are not the home of the brave anymore, at least too many people are not brave anymore. You may be, I may be. I know our military -- let me ask you this: Name the government institutions that you currently believe in. I'm going to -- just to list a few. Do you still believe in the court system? Do you still believe in congress? Do you still believe in the department of environmental protection? Do you believe in the education system? Do you believe in the treasury making sure that our dollar is sound? Now let me ask you two other questions: Do you believe in our Secret Service? Do you believe in our military? The answer to those last two questions, if you are like me, you answered no to every single one of those questions, and I left out do you believe in the President -- not the office of the President. Do you believe in the Presidents that we've had in the last few. To me honor is retreating. The only place that honor really takes a stand at least for me is, I believe in the Secret Service. I believe those guys are honorable guys. I have seen them. I have seen them and I've spoken to them as they are protecting dirtbags, as they are ready to lose their life for Ahmadinejad. Boy, oh, boy, that's honor. And they do it because, not on our soil. I believe these guys are honorable people. Anybody who doesn't think our military is honorable hasn't met our military. Not to say that there are not some dirtbags in the military, but for the most part it's the one institution that I still believe in, and the reason why I believe in it is because it hasn't become about politics. The reason why I still believe in it is because it's the one institution that is closest to you and me.


The land of the free. You know and I know that we are having all kinds of issues now where things are just too big to fail. We have been a country always of the underdog. We've never went and looked to bail out a king, we've never looked to bail out the big guy. We were always there for the little guy. But the little guy isn't even being listened to anymore. And because of our economy, our economic security, because of our border security, because of our visa security, we're becoming less and less free. Because there's a lack of common sense.


Now, the home of the brave, are we the home of the brave? You bet. Our military will go into any place. Our military will do things that man would make me crap my pants, quite honestly. I'm a friend of Marcus Luttrell, the surviving member of Seal Team 10, The Lone Survivor. What these guys do is beyond my imagination, beyond my worst nightmares. So I do believe that bravery is here. But is personal bravery, are we willing to do the hard things now? Are we willing to sacrifice ourselves for the future of our children? I think the answer to that is yes, but nobody's asking you to do it. Are you willing to say, "You know what? Okay, I'll eat macaroni and cheese so my children can remain free. I will downsize my life so my children can remain free. I will go out and I will take three jobs. I will mow lawns if I have to on the weekends so my children can remain free. I will make sacrifices now that I don't want to make so my children can remain free." That's honor. That's bravery. But no one is asking you to do that now.


I think we should have a new National Anthem. I love the National Anthem that we have, but I think there should be a temporary new National Anthem, and I think there's two contenders and I'd like to share them with ya. And I know this is a little odd for a National Anthem, but the first one was done by Frank Sinatra. There are other versions. You know, we can pick, you know, the version that we like, but listen to the words. You just listened to the Star-Spangled Banner. What does it tell you? It gave you hope that there is a brighter day tomorrow, and that's an important message. But there will only be a brighter day tomorrow if we understand how to get there. And that's why maybe this should be the new National Anthem.


(Music playing)


GLENN: All right. So what do you learn from this song? Why should this be our National Anthem? Because it teaches us there's ups and downs. You are going to be up, you are going to be down, you are going to be high, you are going to be low, but you know what? That's life, and it's okay. The next thing, it's hard to believe, but some people get their kicks, some people enjoy stomping on somebody else's dream. But move on! That's life! I've been up and I've been down. I've been a king, I've been a pauper, I've been everything! And you know what? When I'm down on the ground, I pick myself back up again! I do it! I pick myself up and I ride high! And I'll be down again, but you know what? That's life!


That's the message America needs to hear! Not the rocket's red glare. Things suck sometimes, man. Things suck, but they're gonna get better. But if you pick yourself up and know that there are going to be -- there's no talk about any kind of, "Well, I can't make it because people are against me," some people get their kicks stomping on your dream. But I ain't gonna let it get me down. What happened to that attitude in America? That's the underdog. That's who we've always been! .