21 January, 2006
The Virginia Reel

a stark, unpleasant reminder the New Year is just the same old year, relabeled, is when the obituaries continue... and they're big ones. maybe not in the same sense that great philosophers or scientists or heads of state pass on to a higher plane....

bullshit. exactly in that sense.

at gut level, LouRawls and Wilson"Wicked"Pickett certainly rate that high. since when didn't soul music spell out the essential truths, the ones faced with, everyday? when did a politician ever excite the mind and feet in pure, unadulterated joy? and, none of those supposedly more "worthy" individuals ever looked as slick in a sharkskin suit.

i don't often flag-wave, or chest-pound like jingoists do, but Pickett's hit,"Land Of 1000 Dances" (second only to Junior Walker's "Shotgun"), makes me proud to have been born American. silly? maybe in the sense that there's no mention of anything other than dance steps that few have ever seen performed, much less attempted... or anything loftier than "feelin' pretty good, now" as the primary objective. but by god, he said we had a thousand of them. and, i'll bet we did, too. all i know is, all that fervor and boom-basticness made me "feel pretty good". especially on Friday nights.

but, there's plenty to make all of those good feelings about my citizenship dissipate. like, reading the news, everyday... and seeing what now passes for "allegiance".

in fact, the word "allegiance" is giving me problems, lately. especially when it means i'm a "liege" to somebody... and "fealty" figures in there, too.

who am i kidding? we still live in the "winner-take-all" feudal system...except the "Lords" wear "business casual", now.

not so long ago, the Lord of my workplace made a special effort to impart among us the importance of praising co-workers for a job well done, to slow a recent revolving-door of ex-employees. true, most of them were railroaded to the exit by the bald-headed, pot-bellied Alabama Devil, appointed for just such a task... but, something in there sounded like "sincerity".

suckers.

on Wednesday, eight people that i've worked with for more years than the age of most Diarylanders were rounded up by Human Resources (which is like saying "Joy Division", and i don't mean the band, either), two of the Lord's argyle-sweatered, badly toupeed dwarves, and NaziBarbie (our supervisor, who has yet to make eye contact), for a meeting.
in this meeting, a "generous" severance package was waved before them, and they were told to choose among them which four wanted to remain employed. the others, after making their decision next Friday, would be immediately terminated.

now we know why so many businessmen make such "desirable politicians"... and vice-versa.
it's all that "fiscal/quarterly report" policy... it's like a dog chasing it's tail: once profits are high, the next quarter, they have to be higher. or some one has to go. and it' won't be a suit, either.

"divide and conquer". yeah, that's what makes America great.

those to whom we supposedly pledge "allegiance" do a little "song-and-dance", too.

but, i ain't buying that record.

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