regarding the recurring thread going on here about how bad the state of the country is...

There is a book out some may want to read titled THE FOURTH TURNING ..it is about cycles that have recurred throughout all of history. A generation of permissive parents tends to be followed by a generation of strict parents... times of disorder and chaos tend to be followed by an increased call for structure and order. etc etc etc

In a nutshell, even a pendulum only swings so far in one direction before it swings back the other way. There's no point in lamenting that life is different than it used to be... but there IS a point in predicting what GOOD things may be on the horizon.

If you only look for the bad, it's not hard to find... but its a more constructive effort to look for good every day in every situation.

Or not. Your call.