"Mr. President, you're leading us off a cliff. Stop!"

At least Jon Stewart can make me laugh at the insanity of this administration:

Pay Phone Mania

We had a guy at the library today using the pay phone.

When I say using the pay phone today, I mean all day- morning, afternoon, and night. He was going through some sort of break-up with a wife or girlfriend whom he loves very much. I know that because I heard him say it at least 20 times to different people on the pay phone. And I wasn't eavesdropping; he was talking in a voice that could be easily heard by everyone.

He had papers spread out around him which I assume were letters or emails from the lost girlfriend/wife. He read all of them to everyone. And over and over he said, "I'm not going to talk to her. No, I'm not going to call her."

He was told five minutes before 9:00 that we were closing and he would have to get off the phone. At nine, I went up to him and told him that the library was closed and what do I hear him saying into the receiver? "I love you. I care about you. I'm worried about you." He was talking to the girl he told everyone all night that he wasn't going to talk to! And this isn't some love-blind teenager- he was at least in his 40's.

But wait, it gets better. He hung up the phone, was picking up his collection of letters, and says to me, "Major business dealings in Boston." He expected me to believe he was conducting some big financial transaction! I just said, "Sounds like it," as I practically pushed him out the door.

So I got home and just wanted to unwind and forget about the day. Maybe there's something on TV. I flip it on and instantly realize what a mistake that was. Every channel was covering the President's State of the Union address. I mean every channel! Even the Spanish channels had it on (although I liked the translation better than hearing the President).

Seeing the State of the Union address (not watching it, just seeing it for a second before turning off the TV), reminded me of a couple of funny George Bush videos I've seen recently.

Enjoy:

And if you've ever wondered who is responsible for coaching the President in his speeches and appearances, here you are:

State of the Union

President Bush is set to give his annual State of the Union address on the 23rd of this month. A little history for you: the tradition started with George Washington's presidency but was discontinued in 1801 by Thomas Jefferson as too "monarchical." After that, the president sent a written address to Congress which was read by a clerk. In 1913, Woodrow Wilson re-instated the State of the Union address in its present form although some presidents have chosen to send a written address since then.

A website has compiled the text of all the State of the Union addresses since 1790. It really gives insight in to the history of our country and what was on the minds of the people. A lot can be learned from these speeches.

So, what should we look forward to in this year's address?

The news agencies are speculating that President Bush will address energy issues and, as last year, discuss steps that America needs to take to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

Another announcement that seems to be forthcoming at the State of the Union address is a "surge" in troop levels in Iraq. The reports are that the President will send 20,000 more troops to Iraq. This is the complete opposite of the recommondations Iraq Study Group Report and not what the majority of Americans want.

In my opinion, very few can make a more compelling, factual, heart-felt argument than Keith Olberman does on his Countdown show. On January 2nd, he stated his thoughts on sending more troops to Iraq in no uncertain terms. It was one of the angriest I've ever seen him.

It's in two parts. Enjoy!

Part 1:

Part 2: