Old movie deja vu

In the process of driving from work to home, and sometimes from lunch to work at the intersection of 3rd and Nob Hill there are standing on one or more corners, people with large arrows. A commercial arrow because it has "Cash Advance" on it. The arrows are pointing north because that is where a Cash Advance place is located. In the mallish area on the NW corner you can borrow to make it through the week/month. I have been seeing them on this corner, most every day, at least since this summer.
The same thought comes to me everytime that I see these living commercials..."It's a Wonderful Life". That is what I think of...when George is shown what would have happened to his town of New Bedford(?) if he had never been born. The crassness of the commercialism. The shabbiness of closed buildings. The hopelessness of the people stand in the cold or heat holding arrows pointing someone in need the way, to a false salvation.

Is the hopelessness just in me? Have we become the cynical New Bedford? Is it the location...Yakima? Or is it something larger? Are we as a country becoming the New Bedford of Georges alternate path. Is America that New Bedford?

Does this make sense to anyone?

I spent some time just before leaving work talking with one of my friends about politics. I made the statement that Bush had broken the law when he authorized the wiretapping of American citizens private communications. His reply was that he thought that it was a good thing that Bush had done this. It made him feel safer. I restated that Bush had broken US law and had hidden the fact by lies. He had no problem with the lying part either.

"All politicians lie."

That was his defense. The fact that he expects his leader(s) to lie to him. The fact that it is a short step from lying to breaking the law did not seem to bother him. He actually liked the idea that the president broke the law. Thinking, I am sure that it was an extraordinary move made to save the Union instead of an elected official overstepping his legal bounds.

Have we as a nation become so cynical as to expect our elected officials to lie to us? By expecting to be lied to are we not enabling them to lie? Why are we allowing this to happen? Is it that we want to be lied to?

We knew that Clinton was lying when he denied having sex with that woman. We wanted the lie. With a wink wink we went about our lives. The republican party was apoplectic that a husband would lie on national TV about getting a non-marital blowjob in the White House. The same republican party that now rationalizes Bushes lie with saving us. The people.

My question is who will save us from Bush?

It could be just a coincidence that the most depressing day of the year (Monday, January 23, 2006 which is in competition with today also as far as I am concerned) was the same day that Ford announced its plans for closing up to 14 plants in North America. Some of what I have heard has made it hard for me to cry too much. UAW contract includes a clause that makes Ford pay up to 90% of wages to employees for any plant idled, until the next round round of contract talks. They are scheduled for 2007 sometime. A semi soft landing for many. Retirement for some. Hardship and stress for 30000 or more employees no matter how you slice it.

Ford is doing what it needs to do to survive. You don't have to like it. But questions need to be asked. How did Ford, not just Ford but the whole of the US auto industry get to this point. It can't just be the Unions fault. They are by their very nature going to fight for the best contract for their members. Nor can it just be the Auto makers. Do we give them equal shares in this?

January 16, 2006 Al Gore delivered a speech on constitutional issues facing this country. These few words spoken by Gore are arguably one of the most important speeches (so far) of the 21st Century. We are at a critical time in our history.
It is time that the people of this country demand that this administration stop ignoring the Constitution. It is time that the people of this country demand that this administration stop all illegal activities.
It is time that Congress stands up once again to become the deliberative Legislative body that once was a check on the Executive branch. We do not need a rubber stamp Congress. We need a Congress that will exercise its right and obligation to be the branch that makes the Laws. Laws that the Executive branch is legally bound to follow.
Part of the problem is right here in our own 4th congressional district. We have sent ‘Doc’ Hastings to Congress only to have him slavishly regurgitate the administration party line. He is titular head of the disfunctional House Ethics Committee that is strangely silent on the corruption within the Republican Party. His silence speaks volumes about where his allegiances lay. Not with the people that elected him. His silence on the constitutional issues of the wiretapping shows that he does not care about the rights of the people. His silence puts him on the side of breaking the laws that protect us from government. His silence is frightening.

Some things never change...me drunk on a Saturday night is not change...it is just a form of inertia.
Went to McG's tonight...to watch the New England vs the easy to beat team (shit I am too drunk to remember, maybe later...) 28 to 3. Chris is out of town...she went to Seattle to go to a bridal show thingy with our daughter, Megan and friends. She (Chris) called home around 6 ish to tell me about the day and it sounded exciting. She was back at the hotel room having a drink to take the edge off of the day. The talking was mostly one sided, she needed to recap her day. I needed to let her know that I was listening.

Jacksonville...that is the name of the easy to beat team...damn I am good.

Caffeine and alcohol...those are my addictions. Both sooth me...it does not make sense, but I am not a sensible person. Both have a warmth that attracts me. I am a cold person...this I do know. Caffeine, besides the quickening of thought, is taken by me hot, as in coffee, and it is this warmth that caresses my soul...the warmth of alcohol is a caustic warmth...not good for me but...soothing in a chemical way.

Chemicals are what Americans look for to change their world. I am no different. I am a full blown chemically dependant American. A construct of the ideal American. Coffee to get me going every morning and alcohol every evening to mellow out the caffeine jag.

This is not a real journal... I do not feel like I can tell all that I think...my coldness works against this option...