"What" is the Meaning of Life.

Every year that I have been in school, the question comes to mind right about the time that term papers are due: "What is the meaning of life?"
Now, I'm no philosopher, but why is the whole world stacked against progress? How come politicians make the rules but they themselves are too dumb to run their own campaigns? Why do our representatives look more like spokesmodels than thinkers? Why is human cloning illegal if it means we could have a whole Senate full of Robert Byrds?
Above all, why are historians so useless?
Why do they love tragedy when the useful past is comedy (thanks, Jim)? Why do they lionize farmers instead of intellectuals? Isn't the current anti-intellectualism in some ways a product of the shame academics feel, the result of which is that they won't discuss ideas? Is the shitkicker in the White House our legacy??
If I could only win the lottery, everything would be OK....
Reminds me of that Springsteen song, Meeting Across the River.