Now that we're on vacation, you'd think I'd be outside, right?

Well I was awake until 5:10 this morning; we left for the Grand Canyon at 6:30 a.m., so very little sleep. I'd expected to have a great 'beginning' to the vacation, but we hit some rain and are now 'inside' instead of outside enjoying the weather that we thought would be beautiful (beautiful as to people; not to ducks who love the rain).

Part of the reason I was up all night was I tuned into the C-Span televised hearings about the health-care industry; the mafia-like insurance CEO's as they tried to explain why everyone has to get into the 'mandated insurance pool', or they simply aren't going to be able to give we Americans decent health coverage at a price we can afford.

As they were questioned, one of the panel members asked the CEO about the meanings of certain questions on their own company's application form, and the CEO could NOT even answer those questions himself. Listening to him fumble; mutter, and look as if a death sentence had been handed to him, I nearly jumped out of bed as I realized just how many 'crooks' there really are in this country.

When I say 'crooks', do I mean vultures??? I don't know, but our nation simply has been submerged in 'fees, taxes, and fines'. Do we stop to think about the sales tax when we buy something? Do we think about the various fees added to our utility or phone bill? Do we realize the number of taxes added to cigarette purchases or gasoline purchases - heck, even when we buy a bottle of wine or a decanter of vodka?

We insure against theft from our home; the destruction and damage of our home - our car; we have to carry liability against other parties suing us should they fall in our home, or we bang into their car. We have been paying 'protection money' just as businesses and individuals paid the mafia 'protection money'.

Remember the signs that had to be placed on each house showing that they were paying insurance to cover their home should it catch fire? If the fire brigade showed up and the sign wasn't on the door, the house burned! Remember how long ago that was? Did we realize that this type of thing was only the tip of the iceberg as it tipped our nation toward becoming a nation of fearful citizens living under the governing hand of insurance companies; loan companies, manipulative huge corporations with rules and regulations as well as our own government who has become nothing but a band of war-mongers and terrorists under the name of liberty.

We have a 2-party system that winds up wiping each other's backs and hands as they 'pretend' to carry out democracy in some type of 'free choice' election. It's not an election when it's only a 'this or that' one can choose from. We've got 56 kinds of cereals to choose from on the store's shelves and only 2 parties who can drum up the huge sums of money it takes to campaign for office, and win.

Television is sickening; it's programming our people with its programs. It's a landscape of commercials and images that are not realistic - not even those miserable reality shows come close.

The news always opens with the most horrible and terrifying stories - it might slip in one or two bits of 'good news', but you'll have to wait until they put you through the horrors of the day, so you're sick to your stomach, as they've decided to keep us under 'control', with continued 'fear and worry'.

I could really make this much longer, but it sickens me to write this - it makes me ill as I read through a myriad of blogger posts, that underscore in much more detail, what I'm saying. If these many people can see and know the truth, I'm only encouraged that if the time comes for open revolt and initiating 'real change' (and change for the better), they will leave their computers, and hit the streets in protest and take the action that is so sorely needed.

I see this beautiful country; the trees and mountains around me, and as it rains with the cool water we all cherish so much and tend to take for granted. While we might be able to rely upon Mother Nature a good deal of the time, even she might be throwing the towel as the planet tries to bear the burden of our carelessness and abuse.

I remember reading, 'ye shall know the truth and truth shall set you free' - not true, knowing it doesn't set you free, doing something about adhering to the truth and bringing harmony and equality to every person on the earth, is what sets us all free.

As an addendum: I read through rss feed, http://therudepundit.blogspot.com every day. He doesn't allow for comments on his blog, but I just can't say how much I enjoy the way he tackles the political issues with such candor; humor, and sometimes rather 'crude and rude' expressions. Nevertheless, if you can get past some of his foul language, do yourself a favor, and visit his blog. He addresses the issue of health-care today, just as I did..........