"We have to maintain the seroiusness of the coup."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/5384544.stm

Hugo's book club

The lead from this story features one of the most bizarre juxtapositions I've ever seen.

"All the authors currently clamoring for a seat on Oprah Winfrey’s couch might do well to send copies of their books to the latest publishing tastemaker: Venezuela’s president, Hugo Chávez."

Still, I'm not sure what's more surprising and encouraging?

1. Noam Chomsky is topping the best-seller list.

2. Noam Chomsky is topping the best-seller list due to an endorsement by Hugo Chávez.

3. Noam Chomsky is topping the best-seller list due to an endorsement by Hugo Chávez at the United Nations.

4. All of this is occurring in America.

Inane

Apparently today's the day when the Marshall Field's flagship store on the Mag Mile gets renamed Macy's after some corporate acquisition or other.

And the people of Chicago -- or what seems like 100 middle-aged white women, at any rate -- are mad as hell and don't want to take it anymore.

Evidently it's traumatic to think of dishonoring the memory of dead grandmothers, so some folks are vowing never to shop at the rechristened Macy's.

I can only assume that the resident Chicago activists on the Politburo -- Meshugah, Abe, Chris, I'm talking to you -- were among the assembled mass engaged in such principled acts of civil disobedience as dressing up and wearing white gloves to cut up your Marshall Field's charge cards in front of the store.

I'd really, really like to see pictures of that.