We all have our moments. Moments of madness.

Not the kind they keep talking about in commercials. This need to paint everybody up for "State" university and make them seem like drunken idiots in normal situations. But then I've probably railed against advertising enough for a while. But those completely idiotic attempts to sell crap is one of my madness triggers.

For the last week or so people have gone mad about immigration. Everybody claims they want to fix this problem. And then, when plans come out, they don't agree with any of them. I'm not sure what to say about immigration. I'm not a business owner. I don't have maids. I think everyone I know is in the country legally, and I don't hire illegal workers.

Hell, I don't "hire" anybody, although I did give this guy $20 to help me clean up my front yard. Even though he kind of did a half-assed job. Complained about everything under the sun and decided much of the work was impossible. But, he told me it was his father's birthday, and he had to buy the old man something. I'd just cashed an unemployment check that day, so I guess I was feeling generous. But he was just an ordinary madman. Not an illegal immigrant at all.

You'd think I'd have an opinion, since I live in a border state. But I don't have a problem with people from Mexico coming into the US for work (legally or illegally). Companies I've worked for have used illegal immigrants for certain jobs, but I didn't get all huffy about it. When you label your country as the land of opportunity, you should back up your words, right?

Ordinary madmen and women and children are taking to the street about this issue. They have been driven mad by proposed legislation.

Interesting. Three years ago, millions of people around the world protested proposed actions by the US government in respect to Iraq. The US government chuckled and then put its big military foot into a pile of shit. They tried to wipe the shit off, but it kept spreading. Soon it was up to their belt buckles. Now, they are covered in it. So much so, they can't even smell it anymore. Because everything smells like shit.

Much of my regular madness has been triggered by the mess of war in the Middle East. I try to keep it in check, but every time the shit spreads, I go a little more nuts.

I have, from time to time, tried to figure out what kind of madness the Prez and his buddies contracted to make them do this. Why they keep repeating themselves while they talk about moving forward. I've noticed the potential for progress keeps getting bigger and bigger--probably because they've been taking five steps backward for every half step forward.

None of us are getting any saner on this issue.

I saw a relatively sane ex-general on TV today. He was pushing a book about the war (like everyone else on TV every Sunday), but he seemed really sane in his thoughts. Why doesn't the Prez listen to a guy like this? Oh yeah, they think he's crazy.

I tried to use a cell phone last night. I got the number dialed (punched in), it rang, but no one picked up. Then the thing started to list off all the things I could do (leave a call back number, leave a message, do both, do neither, try to call again, call 911...), so I waited for the beep. There was a beep, but it was the beep of the phone turning off. I am so nuts, I can't use phones. This is part of my ordinary madness.

I see time jump. It's almost eleven in the morning, but yesterday, at this time, it was almost ten. Maybe I'm so crazy, I'm sane.

I wonder sometimes if I have a place in this world. If maybe I'm too old to be useful. Or too old to be doing the things I do. But then I see everyone else walking in circles. I see well-worn paths get deeper. I figure I'm probably okay in my madness.

Matt Worley and his band played a benefit last night for underprivileged public school kids who need band instruments. He has no kids, but, somehow, singing other people's songs off-key will help their lives get better. He might have just gone over the deep end.