From our Fascism's Alive and Well Department, this is quote of the week material:
"It's like a congressman who's a farmer and serves on the agriculture committee, or one who's on the finance committee even though his wife works at a bank. It has nothing to do with policy."
That's from a spokesman defending Illinois congressman Jerry Weller, who is being called upon to step down from his seat on the international relations committee due to the conflict of interest created by his impending marriage to Zury Ríos Sosa. The CoI isn't so much that she is herself an elected rep in Guatamala. No, it's more that her father is the notorious Gen. Efraín Ríos Montt, one of those death-squad guys of whom Reagan and Bush I were so fond in the 80s.
Interesting tidbits about the next Tom Waits album. Good blog, bad blog name. But isn't it usually the opposite?
No piano? Hard to fathom. See the full press release, with tantalizing hints: "Rock steady," "Latin," "African," etc. The lyrics are an eyeful, too. In fact, this is exemplary PR from Anti Records. Something tells me Tom doesn't write the copy himself, unlike certain other lame-ass pseudo flaks who shall remain unnamed.
At least two songs are "punctuated by a live band and turntable playing along to Waits' home recorded voice percussion." Fine by me: It sounds like Filipino Box Spring Hog, which is my all-time favorite song about the BBQ season. Nothing more appetizing than old Brown Betty with a yellow wig . . . Yum!
Spending a few days this week in Madison -- the Berkeley of the Midwest -- prompted encounters with Naderites handing out leaflets. I admire the kids' passion and idealism, but I wish I'd had a printout of this to hand them in exchange.
I also had dinner with some soon-to-be-former colleagues who, I was stunned to learn, have appallingly reactionary views of the election. I never would have taken these people for Republicans, but there they were, telling me they plan to vote for Bush again, though offering no defense (as if there were one) for his policies. Their reason for voting GOP? Taxes. Any idea how many people's lives could have been improved with the hundreds of billions we'll eventually spend before leaving Iraq? Annual budget of the National Science Foundation: $8 billion. Department of State: $11 billion, of which less than $4 billion goes to foreign aid (aka "actually fighting terrorism"). More fun comparisons at the White House budget pages.
He'll see by his grave
On the stone that remains
Carved next to his name
His epitaph plain:
Only a pawn in their game