PONTIAC

You know, you can read newspapers and listen to NPR and you get a picture of the world, but it’s always busted by a venture out of your regular surroundings. Take Pontiac: the American car industry is in freefall, with products that are outdated and made much better by Japan. That comfy view is given the lie by our rental van, a Pontiac Montana, with smart doors that close at a nudge, and a DVD with rear seat TV screen. This beast is a beauty of modest design and function. We purchased a DVD of Richard Linklater’s “Waking Life” at Sig’s and watched some of it in the Continental Club parking lot, gentle late night moist air wafting through our open doors, as we signed a few CDs. This is modern life, made right here in America, or at least partially assembled here. We are modern, global, and on top of our game. Let’s enjoy these moments.