It's true that every older generation thinks things are "getting worse". Nothing new about that. Things usually get worse in some ways while getting better in other ways, and it's hard to sort that out to a single conclusion. The stuff that's gotten worse draws more notice from people, that's all. The kids when I was a kid were often sadistic little bullies, by the way! :-) I doubt that's gotten any worse.

But I'll say this, C-flat: the reason for the increasingly vulgar music & video stuff that has you distressed can be expressed in 2 words...

"marketing" & "profit" (primarily driven by TV, now being driven increasingly by the Internet)

I would feel almost helpless to deal with it if I had any children, but I guess I would still try to. Since I don't though, my solution is simple. I don't watch TV at all, and I avoid other commercial outlets (like radio) if I possibly can. I also don't tend to buy heavily advertised products (if I am aware of that advertising in the first place, and specially if I don't LIKE the ads).

It would sure be a laugh if 100 million other people started behaving as I do...and then watch the marketing system go into a blind panic!

But hey, that'll never happen. :-) The public in general is as predictable as Pavlov's dog, it seems.

We need a friggin' revolution, but I doubt we'll get one any time soon. I know what Castro was fighting for in 1959, and I don't blame him one bit. He was right.

- LH