Could a message's effectiveness be measured by the intensity of the reaction to it? There seems to be some indication of that, so perhaps the bumperstickers have served their purpose by hitting just a little too close to 'prime time.' You were the one who asked the question "now what do I do?" and then when some of the answers you get don't quite agree with what you wanted to hear, you want to take it out on the messenger (after all, I didn't make up any of those slogans). When you ask such an open-ended question, it should come as no surprise that you're going to get a plethora of answers that run the gamut, from bumpersticker philosophy to whatever.

You do offer some good suggestions. Yeah, chuck the papers in the can along with the tube. And Oprah's book list? Thanks for the humor - though not being familiar with what Oprah reads I am inclined to give her the benefit of the doubt and conclude that she at least occasionally recommends something worthwhile. Sitting by the fire and listening for the drums sounds like a great idea, especially outside in this neck of the woods where autumn has splashed a few colors around.   

And yes, I will continue to base my philosophies on whatever I deem relevant, regardless of its source. Thanks for the encouragement. And I encourage you to do whatever you deem appropriate as well. Best of luck to you and your TV.