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Bad News - the everyday language used by many Americans is becoming more obscene and profane all the time. I read, with a great deal of sympathy and empathy, a column last month by David Little, editor of the Enterprise-Record newspaper. He was lamenting the fact that it was so difficult to take his young children out about town without having to contend with foul-mouthed adults and teenagers at sporting events, restaurants, stores, and shopping centers.

We’ve all suffered from this fetid language not only via personal contacts but also from the rap “music” blaring from the car next to you at a traffic light, and on the bumper stickers of the cars blaring rap “music” from their vehicles next to you at the traffic light, and on the tee shirts of the people driving the cars that are blaring the obscene rap “music” from the cars with the four-letter word laden bumper stickers idling next to you at the traffic light.

I got quite discouraged during my last few years of teaching at Paradise High School because many of the students didn’t see the inappropriateness and offensiveness of their speech in the hallways. I always asked my students to refrain from using such language in my classroom, and, to their credit, they always complied. Young people just need to be taught when and where it is appropriate to use such language. Adults should already know.

Good News - The city of South Pasadena down near Los Angeles has declared itself a “cuss-free zone.”

In an attemptto make a statement about their civility, the city council voted to “elevate the level of discourse” and proclaim swearing and other untoward behavior unwanted and unwelcome in their fair vile. They follow St. Charles, Missouri that earlier this year proposed a ban on cussing in bars. I’m not sure what real effect all these bans might have, but I admire the councils of these cities for taking a stand against offensive language. Of course, I can hear all the crazies now decrying the loss of their “right” to be butt-heads in public (Is “butt-heads” swearing?). This is where the right to swing your fist, ends at the end of my nose.

Don’t we have a right to drive our cars and walk in public places without being bombarded with the offensive language of those who have neither the intelligence nor consideration to speak otherwise? I say we do.

Bad News - Danish police uncovered a plot by Islamic protesters to kill the artist of the drawings of the Prophet Muhammad that sparked deadly riots in 2006. Apparently it is a blasphemy in the Muslim religion to draw such cartoons - punishable by death.

Good News - In a gesture of solidarity, Denmark’s leading newspapers reproduced the cartoons. In any civilized world, the drawing and publication of a cartoon can be offensive and may be decried by those offended. But in the mixed up Muslim world, the artist must be murdered for creating such a drawing. I’m glad that the Danish newspapers did not let such threats, real as they are, prevent them from exercising their own rights to reproduce the cartoons. Freedom must prevail over such insanity.

Good News - for those of you who own Exxon stock. Last month, the company set a new record for annual profits: $40.6 billion. That’s BILLION with a “B.”

Bad News - That’s BAD with a “B” for the rest of us as we are experiencing record high gasoline costs. And don’t tell me that it’s all “supply and demand.” The price of a barrel of oil goes up a dollar and the next day, our prices at the pump are up five cents a gallon. The price of oil goes down five dollars, and it takes two weeks for the per gallon cost to us to come down a penny or two. Oil companies routinely take refineries off line for “maintenance” which allegedly creates a shortage of supply.

We haven’t seen a real shortage of gasoline since the early 1970’s during the Arab oil embargo. Heck, there have been times in our recent history when the cost per barrel was down, the weather was mild for winter, driving was down, and supply was plentiful. Guess what! Prices at the pump went up incessantly.

I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but I am convinced that the oil companies have us over a barrel (pun intended), and they’re going to make their record profits no matter what the current world and economic situation. We’ll have to learn how to consolidate our trips, drive smaller, more efficient vehicles, and use our bikes in order to survive. Good luck to us all!

Bad News - a dying and dangerous U.S. spy satellite, the size of a school bus, was traveling in polar orbit around the earth at approximately 17,000 miles per hour. If not destroyed prior to re-entering the earth’s atmosphere, the results could have been catastrophic for those of us down here.

Good News - a Navy SM-3 missile struck and destroyed the satellite and its 1,000 pounds of toxic fuel 130 miles above the Pacific Ocean last month. The feat was comparable to hitting a bullet with a bullet, and renews and secures my faith in our missile defense system - a faith I pray will never be tested.