There were a few good things during the President’s speach, at least when he wasn’t being drowned out by catcalls and obscured by flying pillows. 

Nice to hear about assistance for those of us who pay for our own health care.  As a non-homeowner I’m always skeptical about more deductions that don’t seem to matter if one doesn’t have mortgage interest, but I’ll watch it with interest. 

As for reduced dependence on fossil fuels, don’t talk to me about better mileage on cars I might want to buy in five to ten years.  Tomorrow my choices for jury duty are driving 15 miles to the nearest courthouse in about twenty minutes, or taking a variety of public transit options the same distance for between 55 and 90 minutes (each way).  No technology problems to overcome, no foreign despots holding our future hostage, just a management of available resources that makes no economic sense for me to use, and thus a waste of my tax dollars. 

One last thing: what if Americans, not just Africans, had their HIV/AIDS medicines paid for by U.S. taxpayers?