Gobsmacked!

Wow, Rose, that was a real drive-by shooting. Not that there's anything wrong with it of course. Heh.

Most of all, I'm surprised that MSNBC saw fit to print Jill Nelson's rant in the first place.

Well, I'm not one to hold back.

I can't believe they printed that either.

One wonders if MSNBC isn't wildly experimenting to see if it can strike a chord and find an audience.

God knows they could use one.

I learned to tune the lady out when she said women parading around in bikins by choice, was as bad as women being forced to wear burkhas - Sheesh!

Picasso's Guernica is currently located at the Prado in Madrid. Considering the trouble the Spanish had in getting it there, it would be major news if it left the country for exhibition outside Spain.

I am willing to be proved wrong on this--but Guernica never hung in the UN--unless Ms. Nelson is refering to a copy (or maybe a poster in the gift shop).

So on top of making a major league ass of herself, Ms. Nelson is also redecorating the UN.

BTW Rose, it was Dan Ackroyd who uttered that imortal phrase.

Paul:

As I understand it, the version of Guernica that hangs in the UN is a tapestry recreation of Picasso's work.

Relax,

Jill's "work" is to enrage the right with transparent lies and mean-spirited distortions so that we all talk about her. Sort of like a good, old-fashioned forum troll dressed up in big media garb.

The Guernica was covered because of Powell's visit? Come on - isn't this just a bit too...poetic?

Ara has it right. There is a tapestry reproduction of "Guernica" in the UN. And I'm quite sure Secretary Powell must have marched in and demanded that it be removed, lest the world be reminded of his intention to murder Iraqi children.

By the way, the UN also has on display there a large statue of an elephant sporting a gigantic erection. Apparently, they have redecorated to strategically put potted plants in front of the offending phallus. I'm sure Powell must be behind that too--Republicans want to ban sex I think.

RE: Elephant phallus:

Are you sure Powell'd want something like that covered up? Can you think of a better expression of Republican prowess and their desire to make the world their bitch?

I have actually sat in the very room in Toronto where Ayckroyd and his friends invented the Blues Brothers. It's a storefront on Queen St. that was adapted as a residence some time ago, and an acquaintance from the misc.writing newsgroup lives there now.

MSNBC has been publishing Jill Nelson's articles for years. They probably have a contract to publish whatever she delivers to them. And it is true that I've never read anything she has written that really made sense to me.

Rosemary,

This ignorance would make interesting conversation if it were not so prevalent. This woman who is spouting the vapid, liberal line has obviously not gotten over the 2000 Presidential election yet.

People will believe this junk since it appears on television and in print. It is the old negative precedent thing. This points out something more interesting. One ignorant woman wrote this drivel. Many more ignorant people will believe it. The toughest challenge I discovered in politics is getting one’s message out. It is even tougher when you constantly encounter people who are massively misinformed about current events. No matter how hard you try there is always some poor soul out there who just does not get the message. It is sad to say that many people are gullible enough to believe this article. I guess what the ancient Romans said millennium ago in another context is still true today in a different one. Ignorance is invincible.

Elephant phallus! What? Who? Where?

In certain societies, a phallus is a potent symbol of prosperity and abundance. An elephant with said tool being symbolic of something or other, apparently. It was a gift to the UN from some African country.

For what little it's worth - that skit was called ``Count Pointercount'' and it was a parody of a (then) regular feature of Sixty Minutes called - oh, I'll let you guess.