A tiny tear welled up in my eyes tonight toward the end of the last episode of "The West Wing." It was a fitting tribute to the work of the writers and actors that brought me enjoyment and moments of deep reflection on civil matters from time to time.
I had hoped that NBC or the actors or writers, whomever it is that made the show's demise inevitable, would have a change of heart and return for another season or two. But it's done, it's finished. It's gone.

Damned DivX!
I signed up for the DivX Crawler back in 2004. Never used the thing and now I can't get logged on to the Web site, and the support tab is a joke. Each time I try to sign in I get an error message, but no option to retrieve my password (which, apparently, has changed because I used the original password issued to me when I paid the fee in '04. Ah hell, what's the use. I'm growing more disillusioned with Internet sales the more I use it.

The real reason I started this entry was sentimentality. I got weepy when "West Wing" ended tonight because it's the next to last episode and I'd really like to see the show continue, at least for another season. I'd like to see what kind of plot twists the writers come up with for the new administration. The potential is there for some interesting forays into the subterranean caverns of D.C. And with a Hispanic president and a vastly changed staff and cabinet, the show could have sprouted wings again! Hell, I never felt like it lost its original sparkle, ya know?
Ah well. As I"ve metioned before, I looked for a dedicated Web site to write NBC to appeal for another season, or sign a petition if one exists, but that went nowhere. (Sigh.)
I will, of course, watch the final episode next week and, I've no doubt, get weepy once again. Good programs are hard to find!
And so it goes. Here's looking at you, kid.

Ineptitude
It's mind-numbing to think that the U.S. is led by a group of inept, nitwits, but there it is. And with their cheerleaders chanting the mantra of "Hooray for us" 24/7 it's no wonder that most of the American voters have been hypnotized for five years, wandering through life in a daze. Thoughtlessness, sloppiness, wrong-thinking and bad decision-making are all rewarded by the administration, setting a wonderful example for all those kids the president pledged not to leave behind. I think he must of meant leave them where they are, not move them ahead. The current policies, both international and national, have no coherent form, no clear direction, no salient ideas far as I can see.
It's disgusting that the fat cats who've ruled every GOP administration continue to bamboozle the public, all the while lining their pockets with obscene amounts of cash, partying till the cows come home with high-priced hookers and presenting themselves as 'good Christians.'

The situation has become so transparently absurd that even the brainless among us is starting to wonder who's at the helm of the ship of state.
But alas, it may be too late for us and the world. There will never be enough science to convince Republicans that global warming is real; there will never be enough evidence to prove to the GOP that our international policies are out of line, out of touch and out of time. And there will never be enough proof to satisfy the conservative zealots who really run this nation that contraception and sex education is reasonable response to the current and long-standing crisis of unwanted pregnancy and rampant STDs among our teens (hell, even younger).
So why argue? Well, that's about all most non-violent folks have to fight against the madness. So raise a voice. Make choice. And start it up, wherever you may be.