The restitutions drama continues between the Swiss Banks and the
Holocaust Survivors. The Swiss offered 0.6 billion, but 1.5 billion was requested,
so negotiations have broken down. "Ugly caricatures have been appearing in
editorial cartoons" reported a radio voice, about newspapers in Switzerland.
Now the states of New York and California have announced economic sanctions
in retaliation. I myself find this idea of reparations
to "families of survivors" ridiculous.
Today's music would've been "Brown Shoes Don't Make It" by the
Mothers of Invention - I saw their "Absolutely Free" at Big Al's
Record Barn but I didn't get it - I may slip back there tomorrow.
It's July now, his final month, so everything (of what's left) is priced
rock bottom - $5 for LPs, $1 for 45s - half what it was last
month. The original organized-like-a-library stock is gradually being
reduced to thrift-store anarchy - whole shelves now contain an unsorted mix
of disks. I did get the soundtrack to "The King Of Hearts" and a Dave Clark
Five record ("Coast To Coast"). Both had $35 price tags. "The King of Hearts"
was a French "cult" film shown frequently in the mid-70's with "Harold and
Maude". I much preferred the former, and saw it several times - the tale of an
English soldier in a deserted town overrun by the inmates of the local
asylum. Didn't even know there was a soundtrack album, 'til now.
More outrageous behavior from the Republican Right and the
Wreligious Wrong: this case from New York where a substitute
teacher (Mildred Rosario) led her sixth-grade class in
prayer. She was fired. However, various Republican congressmen
feel this need to kowtow to the Christian zealots (in order
to assure their reelection). In today's Washington Post, according
to their columnist Richard Cohen:
...the majority whip, Tom DeLay of Texas, introduced Rosario at a news conference. He was joined by other members of the GOP leadership, including Newt Gingrich, the speaker with multiple personalities. The one on display that day was a homage to the movie 'Dumb and Dumber.' Gingrich condemned the firing and then allowed through his office that he was not familiar with the details of the case. Look, he's a busy man."In the Bible Belt they're praising this woman loudly. According to Cohen (who's rabidly pro-Israel, just so you know where he's coming from) she asked each of her young charges to "accept Jesus as your personal savior". <1> For previous of my Newt rants see here and here.