Once in a while it's nice for me to assess how things are going that are mostly within my immediate control, and I'm not doing too badly: I have a son I'm proud of who's growing into a fine young man; I have a job that pays decently; my bills, what little they consist of, are paid up to date; my health appears to be pretty good; and I have my dearly-loved shooting hobby.
Sure, I could kvetch about this or that local or national problem, and I do at times, the trick is to keep things in perspective. It's like I always tell my son: living well is the best revenge, and the best way to do that is to not be Madison Avenue's tool, and be highly selective as to what news is read and reacted to. If I'm in a perpetual funk about what is going on in the world and what The Powers That Be are doing overtly and covertly, they've won. That doesn't mean I have a Pollyannaish view of things, but I've found I am much happier when keeping outside manipulation by any party, organization, or entity at bay.

Thanks for letting me get that off of my chest.