Up the river without a paddle (and heading for a fall)

Heading for a fall, acrylic painting, 22" x 29"

Today was certainly one for the history books with the DOW dropping 777 points. I just hope it's not deja vu all over again and we're heading for another depression, but it looks grim. I can't help but get the feeling that we're being held hostage by Wall Street and being shaken down for the few remaining dollars we have left. Let's see, the defense industry and big oil has made a killing under the Bush regime, and so has the financial industry for that matter. But it's apparently never enough and they're going to grab as much as they can before the door hits them in the ass with a new administration. I can't say the Dems have handled this very well and I'm disappointed that they were willing to give Bush, once again, just about everything he asked for with a few minor changes. The Republicans are expert at playing them for fools and it happened again with them turning the tables on the Dems and defeating the bailout bill in the House and making it look as if they saved the country from the fiscal irresponsibility of Pelosi and Co. Brilliant move on Rove's part (I'm sure he had a hand in this), and, oh by the way, there's got to be some serious money being made on this meltdown for those in the know. Apparently, this administration will stoop to anything to hold onto power and enrich themselves. I'm fed up with both parties and for the first time in my life I switched parties, from Democrat to Independent. Now, if we only had a viable Independent party, perhaps we could put an end to the rampant corruption that seems to infect both sides. It would have been interesting to see how Ralph Nader would have changed the tenor of the last "debate" (such as it was). He was on Bill Maher last Friday and when he could get a word in edgewise he totally nailed our problems. Something has to change and soon. I hope it's not going to require a Depression to do it.

Played around with a painting I wasn't so happy with in Photoshop and I'm kind of liking it, but have no idea how to duplicate it in paint. It would require some kind of unifying coat of paint with texture, although how to get the right texture is a puzzle. This will require some thinking. Speaking of which, is there anyone in Washington doing anything remotely like that? The latest bombshell about the Bush administration comes from Pulitzer Prize-winner Ron Suskind's new book "The Way of the World." In it he reports that he has recorded on the record statements from two CIA officials that the CIA was ordered by the Bush administration to forge a letter linking Saddam Hussein to Al-Qaeda to justify the invasion of Iraq. Surely even Nancy Pelosi must wake up sometime to the incessant facts that, just possibly, this administration committed criminal acts and should be investigated. Oh, I forgot, the rules are different in Washington and what might be a criminal act on Main Street America is business as usual in Washington. No wonder Congress has an approval rating of 9%, way below even George W. Bush's. Now that's an accomplishment Ms. Pelosi can be proud of! The Democrats may not be such a shoo-in to the White House if they don't stop conducting themselves like accomplices in these crimes. I wonder if Obama is going to sweep this under the rug too?