Art that jangles the nerves:Six different unions...

Art that jangles the nerves:

Six different unions protested when artist John Marshall’s “Monument of the Unknown Government Employee” went on display in the City Hall rotunda in 1992.

The unions objected to the image of workers reflected in his installation, which consisted in part of a generic briefcase-carrier as well as a coffee urn on a pedestal (see photo). We gave it a bad review because there wasn’t a second pot for decaf drinkers.

The controversy was gratifying, but Marshall has now achieved an even greater honor: Permission to install “Monument” in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington for a two-week period.

He still has to raise $8,000 for expenses, however, and he hasn’t had much luck soliciting businesses. “Folgers turned me down,” Marshall said. “No sense of humor.”

“Monument,” which itself has had an extended break of several months, is ready to go. “The urn’s great,” he said. “I just have to rinse it out.”

PROBLEMS 95: Microsoft, as your tired ears may know, is using the Rolling Stones song “Start Me Up” to advertise its new, much-hyped Windows 95 operating system. Louis Mraz of Mt. Washington comments: “My wife, Lauri, points out that Microsoft for some reason left the second line of the song off. But after reading about all the problems with Windows 95, she figures there may be a good reason.”

The second line of the song is, “You make a grown man cry.”

PICKS TO DOUBLE CLICK: Nick Scott of Redondo Beach, while perusing the Internet, found some other Stones titles that troubled users of Windows 95 may find more appropriate:

--”Not Fade Away”

--”I’m Going Down”

--”Pain in My Heart”

--”Bitch”

--”It’s All Over Now”

--”Shattered”

--”Play With Fire”

--”(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”

--”You Can’t Always Get What You Want”

And, of course:

“Nineteenth Nervous Breakdown.”

MONUMENT OF THE UNKNOWN JUNK MAIL RECIPIENT: We mentioned that Susan Tellem received a bill addressed to “No Name” and that the mail brought Jan Haas an ad addressed to “End of Roll.” Well, Dean Terlinden showed us a note he got from a book club addressed to “No Advertising Matter.”

miscelLAny Betsy Goldman and Don Pinnell of Venice are disenchanted with the new, error-filled Beach Information Signs in their area. The signs state that “Abott” (sic) Kinney founded Venice, “promiting” (sic) it as a residential community, and that Venice later voted to “consolodate” (sic) with L.A. Oh, yes, there’s also a reference to Los “Angles” (sic). Of course, some Venetians would probably say that last spelling is proper.