The Blame (Board) Game

A note from singer Marcia Ball, a deep friend in the sometimes shallow heart of Texas:

'Austin has become home to quite a few Katrina and Rita evacuees. Many of the musicians say they’re here temporarily and will return to New Orleans. Many of their wives are looking for houses to buy in Austin. Grassroots efforts are providing housing, jobs and instruments, information and services. Officially, it’s a confusing nightmare – cluster-f*** says my husband, Gordon. So he and his friend Bill turned it into: "The Blame Game."'

According to a column by John Kelso in the Austin American-Statesman, this post-modern version of snakes and ladders costs ten bucks and "when you play the game, it works pretty much the same way things worked for the poor schleps stuck in New Orleans. No matter what you roll, you are screwed." Marcia sees a possible series in the works, including "Pin the Crime on the Crony." It seems Marcia's husband Gordon Fowler and friend Bill Christofferson market these things through a site called zzzingers.com, which also has an array of message t-shirts. (My personal favorites: "When the Rapture comes, can I have your car?"; "God told me he's never talked to this George Bush guy in his life"; and a peace symbol with "Bring it on" written beneath.) Of course we could make up games and t-shirts about Iraq, too. But, ya know, that's really hard to laugh at, even to keep from crying. - CD