Lame Democrats; Soon to Columbus

I don't understand how George Bush continues to get everything he wants. Like some kind of horrible infant everybody now realizes they don't like but still give candy, stuffed giraffes and gift certificates to Chi-Chi's to, he continues to get free reign, dead soldiers and citizens and the run of the U.S. Government. Instead of passing an even more rebuking bill for the president and making the case that it was him and not them letting the soldiers down, which should be a pretty easy case to make at this point, the dundering weak-kneeds of the rubber chicken circuit end up looking foolish, indecisive and driven by nothing other than a desire to whine that it shouldn't be this way.

I wasn't expecting much more, but it's depressing nonetheless.

I showed The Grapes of Wrath and Golddiggers of 1933 today in class - clips, some of the kids, their eyes glaze over, they start doing math homework, something they would never ever otherwise do or they start looking at whatever's on the wall; but a few really get into it, make the connections you hope for and at least once a class bring up something that surprises me - so I like movie days. But I get embarrassed with both of these movies because I love them, and if the kids say stupid things I really want to yank them out of my class and not see them for awhile. But of course, I'll see them in the hall even if I did kick them out, so...easier to show things that are instructive but not loved. But I love the little Soviet-style montage sequence with the tractors in Grapes of Wrath because you know John Ford, right-winger that he was, had so much fun doing that, and Henry Fonda is so good, and the lighting is out of this world and so often creeping and malingering - it's beautiful. And Golddiggers, with that last Busby Berkeley number is so brilliant and picks up on all the dread and sense of lost promise that was 1932/'33. So good. So if some kid is sitting there gleaming a cube, or whatever passes for trig with algebra these days, I want to rip it up.

After school today I walked through McCarren Park - the leaves are so lush this year - it's great! Two B61s went down Bedford as I walked, an all-time record. The day is kind of floating into evening, the air is just a little crisp, rounded on the edges though so that it's comfortable. The Cubs are in San Diego tonight - it feels like San Diego here...