Goodness knows I’m getting tired of hearing “the sky is falling” messages from people about how using cell phones is bad for you.  For years people have been trying to link cell phone usage with brain cancer, and now they are trying to link it with decreased fertility in men?  Good grief!  Get over it already!  If there is decreased fertility in men, where exactly are they holding their cell phones?

Happy 235th birthday, U.S.A.!!!!  I am proud to be an American.  What with a niece and a nephew both in the Army and both war veterans, it is difficult not to puff out my chest when the flag goes by in the annual parade.

Although the country is going through some difficult times right now, what with two wars and the economy, most people in this country are still proud to call it home.  And, I believe, our country will survive and prosper in generations to come.  We have always done it in the past, and after all, history does tend to repeat itself.

Think about what you did to celebrate this year.  Did you go to a parade? Did you go watch some fireworks? Or maybe you attended a cookout with family and friends.  I did all of the above.  I stood proudly with my hand over my heart as the American Legion post marched by with 13 flags to symbolize the original 13 colonies.  I do live in an area where a lot of the Civil War was fought and where many many soldiers died to give us the country we have today, and I am proud of it.

Think about all the lives that have been lost and wars that have been fought the next time the flag passes by you in a parade or you notice it flying over the Post Office, and be proud to be an American.

I hate watching the news these days.  There seems to be nothing but muggings, murders, shootings, accidents and then there is the economy.  Tonight they tell us that Medicaid will be out of money soon and those people who depend on it will be out of luck and won’t be able to get health care.  So much for Obama Care.  I also hear that in 3 weeks the Federal Government will be out of money (again) and will not be able to pay its debt (so much for the big bail out).

I wonder how much of our hard-earned social security funds they will dip into this time?  It seems strange…if an individual person can’t pay their bills, they are taken to court and a judgment is put against them.  Their wages are garnished.  They have to find a way to deal with it.  Why is our government different?  They just simply dip into reserve funds for the elderly and the disabled whenever they feel like it and we are supposed to sit here and take it?

I don’t know about the rest of the country, but I am tired of paying taxes and then have our government programs taken away from us.  I realize that we have to pay taxes and taxes have to go up in order to keep these programs alive, but this is starting to get out of hand.  What am I supposed to do when I retire (if that ever happens)?  I think that I will be working until the day I die.  What do you think?

I read on the news today from Amnesty International’s website that Iran has announced that it will stop executing children.  That kind of surprised me because I did not realize that Iran executed children the first place!  The article continues to explain that this may not apply to children who are convicted of murder, but that in most cases where a child has already been sentenced to execution their sentences will be commuted to life in prison instead.

I don’t know what other crimes a child would have/could have committed to get a death sentence other than murder!  I have to say that the customs of other countries when it comes to legal issues sometimes really amaze me!

I was amazed at how many people came knocking at our door today to encourage us to go vote (of course for THEIR candidate) and how many people came knocking at our door, offering us a ride to the polls, and how many phone calls we got today with the same objectives in mind.  I am so very glad that the polls are now closed and the door knocking and phone calls have stopped.  I voted today, and I hope you did too!  Now we wait to see who the winner is.  I hope that the results will be met with good sportsmanship and dignity by the candidates and the voters alike.