I honestly don't know what they expect us to do.

Gas prices are going through the roof, which means the cost of living is going up all around. We went into a Wendy's the other day and they no longer let you have free refills on their drinks! A meal that used to cost three bucks now costs more than five and it's 20% smaller.

Just about every month I get a letter from one of the vampires that sucks my money out of my account explaining to me that rates have to go up. Do they? I signed on at a particular percentage, a particular rate, for a particular amount. I missed the clause that said, "We reserve the right to go up when we want." So if I'm to continue getting the services I need or want, I have to just suck it up?

I think the problem is there are too many monopolies. Supposedly it's against the law to have a monopoly, but that doesn't seem to make a difference when businesses are owned by the people writing the laws. Shocking that gas prices would by sky-high when you discover that all the oil companies are owned by senators and congressmen. And imagine my surprise when I have to pay an extra ten bucks for cable and I find that the company has ten or twelve government officials on its board of directors.

You know, I'm a Conservative. I'm not one to feel a sense of entitlement and demand that the government support me in everything I do. I'm not asking for anything of the kind. What I want from my government is to enact and enforce laws that are just and fair - that protect me from the slime-balls out there and punish the slime-balls for being bad. I don't want to suckle from the government teat. I want it to do it's job... serve me and the public with our own interests at heart.

We forget that the government works for us. We roll over on civil liberties and freedoms and give the employee all the power. Since when was this acceptable? Sizeable chunks of my income get drafted away from me, beyond my control, to pay for salaries and programs that are meant to serve me and my fellow countrymen. So why am I always hearing about programs that frankly just tick me off?

Why is the cost of living going up? And just what the heck do they propose we, average American citizens, do about it?

In many small towns across America, being elected Mayor is an honor. It's not a paid position. In fact, in some towns the Mayor has to keep his or her day job the entire time they're in office. They work hard. They sacrifice much. I'm of the opinion they should be paid something, some bit of income in exchange for what they do. But I'm actually quite pleased that there are people who are dedicated enough to their home town to take on that kind of work and responsibility for free. So why can't that be the case for all government officials?

How about a stipend program? No huge salaries, just government stipends that remain the same across the board. After all, most of the people in high positions of government are multi-millionaires anyway, right?

The point I'm trying to make is this: When there's a "budget crisis" in my household my wife and I have to sacrifice a few things. We have to cut expenses. We have to tweak the budget and make sure we have enough back to pay the bills each month. Unlike the government, if WE don't pay the bills we lose everything. No one would ever tolerate us having a deficit of trillions of dollars.

But the government doesn't seem to follow the same rules. They aren't cutting back. They aren't reshuffling. They aren't sitting down in the middle of the night to figure out what they can get rid of and what they must keep, and how they're going to be responsible for the money they're managing for me and you.

Yes, it makes me angry. It's unjust and unfair. There's a system in place that takes but never gives. And statements such as "the price of freedom" are pure garbage. The price of freedom doesn't have a dollar figure attached to it. It's paid by diligence and loyalty and the sacrifice of a few for the good of the many. Our freedoms are "inalienable." They're rights given to us by simply being born. The government was established to maintain those rights. Instead, it has devolved into a vampiric creature, feeding off of our income and never returning anything to us at all.

The cost of living keeps increasing with no declines. Laws are written that protect industries like insurance but they place no limits on what insurance companies can do. Oil prices increase because of shortages but little money is ever allotted to finding alternative fuels. And the whole time, the President can afford suits that cost more than my car. Privilege of office? Sure. But it's a slap in the face of everyone who struggles just to pay the electric bill each month. It's like pouring lemon juice on the wounds of those who spend every waking moment worrying about how they're going to pay rent.

I don't know what they expect us to do. But something drastic is on its way, I'm sure. Sooner or later people will wake up and realize that the inmates have been running the asylum. And at that point everything becomes Bedlam.

J. Kevin Tumlinson is the Editor of ViewOnline Magazine. You may reach him via e-mail at kevin@viewonline.com. He pays his electric bill with monopoly money.

Technology is moving us closer and closer to the point where television and the web are merging. It's likely that in the next five years we will see a tremendous shift in the paradigm of broadcast TV, and many cable and satellite companies may find themselves scrambling to change the structure of their companies or face extinction. In fact, the likelihood is that most of the existing cable and satellite providers will not exist in five years, at least not as we now know them.

The reason for this shift is that Internet technology has finally begun to catch up with the demands of the public. Issues with file size, compression and bandwidth are now being resolved to the point where one can log on to a television network's web site and view his favorite television series in a crisp, large picture. With compression software getting better and connection speeds getting faster, it's only a matter of time before television makes a transition that was completely unforeseen only fifteen years ago.

Video on the web has always been the Holy Grail. Since the inception of the World Wide Web in the early 90's, many have tried to come up with a viable, watchable means of broadcasting online. Almost from day one it was assumed that video online was the way to go. And one can hardly argue as in the past decade we've moved from dream to reality.

Recently ABC announced that they would begging releasing some of their programming on the ABC web site (www.abc.com). These programs would be available for free with limited commercials and could be watched at any time simply by logging on to the site. The show plays in a stylish and attractive "theater," in a large enough format that it's clearly visible. Best of all, however, the video and audio quality are extremely high. This is the dream that web surfers have coveted. Free television programming available online and maintaining the highest possible quality. Even the "limited commercials" are less intrusive and more pleasant than their television counterparts.

This is a bold move by ABC, and other networks are sure to follow as they see the success of this innovation. It could be the first step towards a completely integrated Internet/Television concept.

Rumors in the wind contend that in addition to this you may also be able to pay a monthly subscription to watch programming without commercial interruption. In fact, services such as Instant Media (www.im.com) and Vongo (www.vongo.com) already offer you high quality video downloads for a monthly subscription. It's like having commercial free cable television and all the premium channels for about $30 a month.

The future? Most like cable and satellite companies will jump on this band wagon, focusing primarily on being Internet Service Providers (ISPs). The most likely avenue for change will be in offering equipment that can both surf the web and allow you to watch your programming on your television screen. But as computer technology becomes better, cheaper and more accessible you can look for manufacturers such as HP and Gateway to get into the home entertainment market rather heavily. Expect to see "Media PCs" become the next big thing.

The trend towards broadcasting entirely online is one that is long over-due. The viewing public wants the freedom to watch programming on their schedule. They crave the flexibility of being able to pick and choose in an à la carte fashion. No more re-runs, pre-empted programming or sweeps campaigns. The public wants their shows on their terms, and we're finally seeing a movement in the right direction.

Perhaps more interesting than the offerings of established networks, however, is the fact that opening up the Internet for broadcasting will create a level playing field for even amateur producers. For the first time in history if anyone wants to try their hand at a television series they have all the means to do so. With a video camera, editing software and an internet connection anyone can become a network, thus giving the public BILLIONS of channels to choose from. And you thought nothing was on before.

The web is the largest entertainment network ever known. In the history of mankind there has never been an avenue that so readily allowed the average person to compete with an established multi-million-dollar company. It will be interesting to see what happens when the public becomes it's own provider.

J. Kevin Tumlinson is the Editor of ViewOnline Magazine (www.viewonline.com). You may contact him via e-mail at kevin@viewonline.com. He provides his own entertainment.