Thursday, October 11, 2007

Washington Hotel Precautions

I've stayed in hotels all over the world, people, but this is the first time I've seen one that restricts you from going up in the elevator unless you stick your room card into a slot first. The reason, obviously, this is a very moral and traditional town but with a significant hooker problem.

And a madame problem.

Food Safety



No luck on finding a place to cool my heels at Barbara Lee's office. They were at capacity with cheerful interns working away at every desk. I introduced myself as a constituent and Scott, Nicole, and another young woman who excused herself, tended to the voter being as friendly as possible.

After asking them to thank Rep. Lee for being the only decent representative in either body, except for John Conyers,
well, okay, my favorite, I left, shuffled along those endless hallways with all the flags posted next to everyone's doorways, and posters with faces of all the dead soldiers from the particular representative's states. If you peek into a Republican's office invariably there is a photograph of the time that that god-fearing person shook hands with Ronald Reagan.

A long line of suits and lobbyist-plastic fembots were arranged against the wall, so I got in line. It was for a hearing on food safety, and all the recalls of meat, and spinach, and hot tub sealant (which makes an excellent cream cheese substitute as long as you don't breathe the fumes), and, invariably...China. Those bastards!

Dangle-SPAN


This morning I got up early to go to the House Judiciary Committee hearing on "Selective Prosecution within the Justice Department," which also could've been called, "Using Gonzales and Busting Karl Rove's Enemies," but it was canceled. Nobody showed up, but they don't tape a note to the door or anything, you just have to be in the know. I went upstairs to Conyers' office and a young man called somebody on the phone and said, "Eh, Matt, ya' guys got anything today? No? Okay. No sir, everything's postponed."

So then I bummed my way around the Rayburn Building with my heavy bag electronics equipment and books that was as heavy as a sack full of gold bricks, and went looking for a congressional office where somebody might let a citizen take a load off his feet.

Live From Washington

Oh boy, Things are happening fast. The copyright conference is going on in the Cannon Office Building Caucus Room. I made it through security with my little scanner, laptop, a bunch of pens and Airbornes, a Wacom tablet, etc.

Chairman Conyers spoke for ten minutes about copyright and his trips to China. An author gave an incomprehensible speech about the lacrosse rape case and the book he's writing.

Highlights of my "speech:"

Hello, my name is Lloyd Dangle. I am considered to be the Issac Hayes of cartooning. Pause. Nobody laughed! I felt like Fred Thompson, "could I have some applause please."
I'm actually blogging here in the corner of the room on an unused podium. I better get out of here and scan elsewhere where I can find a connection. Sketches in an hour.

Monday, October 08, 2007

Live-Blogging Thursday


I'm packing my scanner and toothbrush for DC and I'm going to be LIVE blogging on Thursday from the House office building. Tune in right here.