Jib Jab Year In Review

I took some time this afternoon to look through a few videos from Jib Jab. Their 2006 year in review titled Nuckin' Futs is spot on. In so many ways, 2006 was indeed an odd one. The dancing children in the video only make it seem more so.

Sadly, not much has changed in 2007. If things continue apace, the crew at Jib Jab should think about recycling the clip.

[Link]

Who Cares About Big Ten Football?

Apparently no one.

[Link]

Stanley Fish on the Existence of God

In yesterday's Times Select, Stanley Fish offers a stunning critique of recent books and arguments made by atheist authors Hitchens, Dawkins and Harris.

For those without Time Select, Fish concludes:

The criticism made by atheists that the existence of God cannot be demonstrated is no criticism at all; for a God whose existence could be demonstrated wouldn't be a God; he would just be another object in the field of human vision.

[Link]

Well and succinctly put.

Romney Campaign Bullies Reporters

Reports are circulating in the Bay State that aides of Ex-Governor Mitt Romney bullied reporters for the New York Times and Fortune Magazine who were covering his campaign.
 

[Link]

The account in today's Boston Globe indicates that one Romney assistant Jay Garrity ordered reporters from each publication to pull over and no longer follow the Governor's motorcade in two separate incidents while on the stump in NH.

On one hand, I'm a bit skeptical.  The article is admittedly murky at best and bullying depends upon your particular definition of the term (though ordering someone off the road seems to fall well within the definition by most accounts).

On the other, one has to wonder what exactly the Romney camp was thinking. Who ever heard of a Presidential candidate that didn't want attention from the press? 

 

Tom Tancredo notably excepted.

Subway Election?

The AP took a swing at the prospects of an all New York Presidential Election in an amusing story on Giuliani, Clinton and Bloomberg released today:

New Yorkers: They are smug, egotistical, and already think they run the country (if not the world). So what is the rest of the nation to do now that three of them are mentioned as White House hopefuls, ready to swap Penn Station for Pennsylvania Avenue?

[Link]

The crux of an all-New York election is a lesson in redundancy.  Ideologically, it would be among the most homogeneous and liberal of elections in America's recent history.  

The simple and preferred remedy for Americans living outside the Empire State is to vote down all three.

Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Missing Lake

Well, Sherlock isn't really on the case, but folks down in Chile sure are wondering where their lake went...

[Link]

Sibling Rivalry

Scientists at UC Berkley have finally settled the ages old struggle between siblings.

Sorry to all you kid sisters and brothers out there. The eldest children really are smarter.

[Link]

Energy Bill Weighed

Responses to the pending energy bill I mentioned earlier this week are finally beginning to trickle-in. Atlanta Journal-Constitution columnist Jim Wooten offers his two cents on the matter at the link below.

[Link]

Wooten's comments are especially useful in assessing the utility of ethanol as expressed in the measure:

Ethanol requires more energy to produce than it generates as fuel, to say nothing of the water required for irrigation in areas like drought-stricken South Georgia. It's subsidized by taxpayers with a 51-cents per gallon tax credit, and it's subsidized again at the pump with a 54-cents-a-gallon tariff on imported ethanol. Go figure.

It remains my belief that any efforts made in developing ethanol-based fuel should come from the private sector. But one of the interesting points Wooten adds is that the current legislation does nothing to actually help consumers- and could, to a great extent, make prices even less affordable.

Another, unusual point of order is that liberals and conservatives alike are rallying against the Democrats' energy plan. The New York Times came out yesterday against three of four main provisions while conservatives have soundly lampooned all four.

More important, the Democrats bad ideas are finally becoming clearer to the American people.

Don't look for that to keep the Dems from trying. While they may lack an energy plan, liberals never lack energy for implementing bad ideas.

Song of the Week: This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race

The Pax Plena song of the week comes to you courtesy of Alternative music sensation Fall Out Boy and is titled, This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race.

FOB has been a recent introduction to yours truly although the group has been around on the order of a few years. Like most success stories they seem to have taken off overnight. Today's featured song appears on their latest album Infinity on High which also includes the hit Thnks fr th Mmrs- a tremendous song in its own right albeit a bit bitter.

FOB's music is most easily described as punk-alternative; an admittedly pronounced departure for an ardent country music fan such as myself. But what I enjoy most about FOB's music is its tempo and speed. Anyone needing a shot of adrenaline in the afternoon need look no further than the latest album. Fortunately, the up-beat tempo is seamlessly melded with a cutting edge mix of drums, guitar accompaniment, and even orchestra; all of which combine to underscore the clever lyrics of Pete Wentz and underrated vocals of lead singer Patrick Stump. In terms of style, the sound definitely stays true to its punk origins although there is a bit of R&B mixed in with today's selection.

The lyrics of this song are incredibly well done for a popular album. This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race forcefully presents the importance of free speech and thought for audiences' consideration. If I may indulge my own conjecture, the song also sketches a philosophy for the band's music: arming listeners with the power of words to fight in the battle of ideas. The driving idea behind the song also seems to embrace the medieval notion of singer as bard, poet and scholar. I would normally argue that this role is too much for most public entertainers- after all, how much can Britney Spears and Paris Hilton really contribute to public discourse? But FOB does a good job of rejecting dogma and forcing people to consider their own assumptions; a healthy phenomenon for any culture. In turn, today's song does an unusually good job of marrying provocative lyrics with memorable sound.

The video below tells the story of this tension and presents a complex picture of music in today's society. The band's view of the matter is not clear and leaves any conclusions wonderfully open-ended for listeners and fans to consider themselves. Lyrics follow after the jump. Enjoy.




This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race

I am an arms dealer
Fitting you with weapons in the form of words
And I don't really care, which side wins
As long as the room keeps singing
That's just the business I'm in

This ain't a scene, it's a god damn arms race
This ain't a scene, it's a god damn arms race
This ain't a scene, it's a god damn arms race
I'm not a shoulder to cry on, but I digress

I'm a leading man
And the lies I weave are oh so intricate, oh so intricate
I'm a leading man
And the lies I weave are oh so intricate, oh so intricate

I wrote the gospel on giving up
(You look pretty sinking)
But the real bombshells have already sunk
(Primadonnas of the gutter)
At night we're painting your trash gold while you sleep
Crashing not like hips or cars
No, more like p-p-p-parties

This ain't a scene, it's a god damn arms race
This ain't a scene, it's a god damn arms race
This ain't a scene, it's a god damn arms race
Bandwagon's full. Please, catch another

I'm a leading man
And the lies I weave are oh so intricate, oh so intricate
I'm a leading man
And the lies I weave are oh so intricate, oh so intricate

All the boys who the dance floor didn't love
And all the girls whose lips couldn't move fast enough
Sing until your lungs give out

This ain't a scene, it's a god damn arms race
This ain't a scene, it's a god damn arms race
(Now you)
This ain't a scene, it's a god damn arms race
(Wear out the groove)
This ain't a scene, it's a god damn arms race
(Sing out loud)
This ain't a scene, it's a god damn arms race
(Oh, oh)
This ain't a scene, it's a god damn arms race

I'm a leading man
And the lies I weave are oh so intricate, oh so intricate
I'm a leading man
And the lies I weave are oh so intricate, oh so intricate

Some Cute Kids Just Can't Lie

I'm not typically one to post things about cute kids (although there are a couple of noteworthy exceptions) but this one was too funny to pass up.

It reminds me of all the things I used to blame on my sister when I was so young.

NH Bans Smoking

So much for live free or die...

[Link]

The NYT Energy Bill Recap

The New York Times ran an interesting op-ed today challenging the United States Senate to get serious about reducing America's dependency upon foreign sources of oil and global warming. The Times' editors went on to discuss several key points of the debate ahead lauding efforts to raise CAFE standards and use of renewable electricity; while bemoaning subsidies for coal-to-liquid diesel fuel production and increased funding to ramp up the production of ethanol-based fuels.

[Link]

Surprisingly, the op-ed isn't as terrible as most New York Times op-eds. Many Americans agree (a smattering of economists excepted) that CAFE standards should be raised. If we're going to pay upwards of $3 per gallon each time we fill up, then we might as well get the most bang for our buck (or mile per our gallon as the case may be). It's hard to imagine anyone arguing that getting more mpgs is a bad thing.

The Times also isn't too far off base in its opposition to coal-to-liquid and ethanol subsidies. Government payouts for these supposedly green technologies shouldn't be a given despite their popularity in Midwestern states. Companies developing the technologies should be guaranteed only the rights to develop, market and sell their wares for the highest price they think consumers will pay.

One point of departure I take with the piece, however, is the portion dealing with the Times' firm support of renewable electricity. The legislation proposed by Senator Bingaman (D-NM) would require utility companies to produce at least 15 percent of their power from renewable energy sources (viz., wind solar and biomass) by 2020. The idea sounds good for the radical, environmental left but the reality is that these command-control regulations would have the net result of increasing already soaring electricity costs in many disparate portions of the country- primarily the south- and do nothing to foster conservation.

The measure would also provide some $13.7 billion dollars in tax breaks for energy companies to develop renewable sources of energy in effect legislating a new market for renewable energy technology. Any good economists knows one cannot legislate new markets. Like the ethanol and coal-to-liquid advocates, energy companies too deserve nothing more than the opportunity to develop, market and sell their technologies to consumers for the highest price they can get for their product. The Times support of this provision seems at best inconsistent given their opposition to coal-to-liquid and ethanol subsidies.

The inconsistency is rooted in ideology rather than principle. Renewable energy sources are popular among liberal Democrats (e.g. most readers of the NYT) while coal-to-liquid and ethanol technologies are popular in Republican leaning states. If the Times' opposition is held on the basis of wasteful subsidies and the need to allow markets to function and develop naturally, then it should oppose all three.

At any rate, these quibbles aside, the Times op-ed provides an interesting look at the coming debate. In my view, the Times gets it right on three of the four provisions. And for the New York Times, being three-quarters right on any issue is way better than being one hundred percent wrong like they usually are.

The Conservative Immigration Paradox

The conservative editorial board of the Washington Times took President Bush to task this morning for continuing to push the seemingly ill-fated immigration bill pending before the United States Senate.

The op-ed remarked:

Obviously, Mr. Bush hasn't ridden a rush-hour bus where no English is spoken, or listened to a business office recording asking "oprima el numero dos." But not even the presidential bubble excuses him from failing to notice the cultural transformation this country has undergone over the past half century. From his inviolate state of oblivion, Mr. Bush views "a backlash against newcomers" as being the only conceivable threat to the assimilation process -- and more. "I am deeply concerned about America losing its soul," he said, bemoaning the country's opposition to illegal immigration. "I am worried that a backlash to newcomers could cause our country to lose its great capacity to assimilate newcomers."

America's soul has been gasping for survival for ages. This has nothing to do with Mr. Bush's "backlash" bogeyman -- which, frankly, sounds like another slap at Americans who want U.S. sovereignty upheld. Maybe Mr. Bush is just being emotional. But it's clear where his emotions lie, and it's not with conservatives. And I don't think they stop at the border, either.

[Link]

A couple of thoughts. Aside from the op-ed's mean spirited tenor, I have no problem with my conservative friends' qualms over border security. Like them, it is also not yet clear to me that the immigration bill in its present form will adequately take steps toward securing our southern border from threat of illegal immigration. This of course, ignores our obviously porous border to the north which raises personal questions about why we aren't as concerned with it but I'll save this for another time. Further, I'm not entirely convinced the President's argument that 'Hispanics do the jobs Americans won't' is at all convincing.

But the question I continue to arrive at as the debate plays out is what alternative conservatives offer given that 12 million (plus?) illegal immigrants already reside in the United States. We're all agreed that amnesty is no solution. In fact, some provisions within the bill have been implemented to allow illegal immigrants to gain immediate citizenship with military enlistment instead.

The fact remains, however, that several million people remain inside the U.S. and deporting them will cost far more than it will to permit them to remain and assimilate into our country through citizenship classes, language acculturation and, of course, taxation.

As a result, the real question becomes, other than a path to citizenship, what would conservatives pose as the amnesty alternative? The resultant question is if enforcement is the solution (viz. deportation is the solution), how do conservatives justify the costs when we are zealously concerned with earmarks and outrageous spending?

CNN: Iraqis Detest Living in Camps

In keeping with the CNN commitment for theatrics, the Cable News Network ran a story today featuring the plight of displaced Iraqis with special emphasis on the make shift camps which have been set up amid the rise of sectarian violence in the country.

Quoting an unnamed expert, CNN sounded the alarm:

"What we do know is that Iraqis detest living in camps and the fact that we are now seeing these types of camps being established is a very bad sign that other options are no longer available."

[Link]

I won't comment on the substance of the story. This is new information to me and for all I know, displacement could indeed be a serious problem in Iraq. But, really CNN, is it at all helpful to quote a UN expert who tells us that it's a bad thing the Iraqis are living in camps? Can it be that CNN has finally found someone even less insightful than Wolf Blitzer?

Of course Iraqis detest living in camps! This isn't news. How silly it would be if CNN reported the story's alternative: "Incidentally, Iraqis LOVE living in camps! So really, this is the best of possible outcomes for the Iraqi people. In fact, they will most likely revert to the grand tradition of Arab nomads and live in camps continually even as their Bedouin ancestors before them."

Investigative journalism has hit a new low in these United States. Unbelievable.

Best Uniform in College Football?

I'm not sure who provided the aesthetic expertise but the talking heads over at Sports Illustrated seem to think that the University of Texas has the best looking uniforms in college football. 

 

[Link]

 

I detect a couple of UT grads on the SI payroll.  Everyone else knows to dismiss puke orange when they see it.

Dartmouth's Larry James, Dead at 62

News has reached me from the Hanover plain that former Dartmouth Dining Services manager Larry James passed away this Tuesday after a brief battle with cancer.

[Link]

It isn't often that person in the food services industry of a college makes such a tremendous impact on the student body but anyone familiar with Food Court during Larry's tenure understands that his personality contained multitudes.

As a young, naive freshmen, straight from the farm, Larry was one of the first figures I encountered as my college career began. The thing I will most remember about him was his consistent effort to address me as "friend." But the effort was so much more than just a salutation. It was entertainment.

Not only did Larry say, "Hello my friend..." he also tried to fill in the blank. This is where the funny was brought. My real name, Torivio, was terribly difficult for Larry to both pronounce and remember. A fact true for most people. In turn, Larry called me everything from Trevor to Tory-o. Ultimately, Larry gave up the attempt, per my instructions, and called me Tory thenceforth- though he would often try my real name from time to time just to be a comedian.

What I found interesting about the exchange and still recall years later is that it wasn't something that had to be done. True, it was a greeting and exchange I came to expect whenever he was working and I was eating. But it wasn't a necessary part of Larry's job. Ultimately, this is true of all friendships. It was C.S. Lewis who remarked:

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.

Larry's efforts to befriend students was exactly so. They added no pecuniary advantage to Larry's job performance or salary but his simple greeting made college more bearable and helped us all to cope with the consistent pressure to succeed and do well. Personally, Larry provided a ready comfort to a kid far from home. For Dartmouth students, his jokes reminded us of the importance of friendships and of the need to get over ourselves.

Lessons from Gaza City

As I sit in my quiet, climate-controlled Boston office, having just returned from lunch, somewhere in another corner of the world political chaos has erupted into violence as Islamic militants vie for control over various security facilities in the Gaza strip.

[Link]

While most will recall the election which put Hamas into power, few may be aware that Hamas has been in a power struggle ever since with moderate elements of the Fatah-led Government which controls Palestine's nascent executive branch.

After a series of skirmishes today, the better trained, better equipped Hamas forces overran the Fatah army and took strategic control of most major military installations along the Gaza strip forcing Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to dissolve the government.

Upon their tactical military gains, Islamic militants immediately began serial executions of surrendering Fatah soldiers.

The AP quotes Hamas militia spokesman Islam Shahawan who said:

"We are telling our people that the past era has ended and will not return," Islam Shahawan, a spokesman for Hamas' militia, told Hamas radio. "The era of justice and Islamic rule have arrived."

The most disturbing part of Shahawan's remarks is the certitude with which he speaks. Even as our Congressional leaders would dismiss the war in Iraq as one of lost cause and failure, the words of Hamas remind Americans of exactly what hangs in the balance: the will to initiate Islamic rule by fiat has never waned in the minds of extremists like Hamas which disrupt the social order in Palestine and those militants which unleash carnage in Iraq.

It's an easy and empty platitude for Speaker Pelosi to proclaim the surge a failure. It's almost as easy for Majority Leader Reid to declare with vapid scorn that our defeat in Iraq was foreordained.

Yet, this view seems oddly myopic for leaders of the United States Congress. Sadly, their fascination with political intrigue prevents them from seeing the real dangers of extremist views. As a result, our Congress badly misunderstands the nature of the ideology we confront.

Victory in the Middle East is crucial, not because it represents rising or falling poll numbers. Victory in the Middle East is crucial because its alternative, the victory of extremism, is being seen on the streets of Gaza City today.

True to form. Some on the left have already begun to blame the United States for the outbreak of violence in Palestine. In response, the National Review's Victor David Hanson quipped:

Another [left wing pundit] cited the "culture of violence" unleashed by the U.S. (read Iraq) — i.e., apparently the West Bank was like Nantucket until 2003.

[Link]

It's true Gaza City was never a Nantucket. The views of Nantucket are more concerned with the foolish perks of office and wind mills blocking their ocean views, than with defeating the radical ideology we confront in the Middle East today.

It's a sad day when America's Congressional leaders in Washington should take a lesson from Gaza City.

Tough Love for Obese Kids

A team of doctors from the American Medical Association and CDC has recommended, in essence, that doctors no longer sugarcoat childhood obesity.

[Link]

The panel, which was assembled to make recommendations to the AMA that would better describe and define childhood obesity, found that using less blunt terms such as "at risk" and "overweight" watered-down the severity of the problem.

Shockingly enough, the team now advocates calling obese children obese.

I would never argue that doctors should be rude in counseling little kids about weight problems. It is generally accepted that American society has self self-esteem and superficiality issues as it is without adding crass physicians to the mix.

But doctors should be obliged to tell the unvarnished truth about childhood obesity and help overweight kids and their parents in finding ways to solve the problem.

The key is to be encouraging and solution oriented. To the extent that our talented medical community can speak clearly and with empathy, the team's recommendation should be well taken.

Speaking the truth in love, as a wise God once said.

Song of the Week: Painter Song

After last week's 80s blast from the past, this song of the week is of a more mellow hue. Taken from eleven-time Grammy Award winner, Norah Jones, the Pax Plena song of the week is whimsically titled, Painter Song.

Musically, the song carefully opens with the melded strains of acoustic guitar and Jones' soft vocals. The initial ambiance created by the sound is one which transports the mind to distant places in time as much as it creates a sound which lulls and enchants. What ultimately makes the sound especially unique is its use of the accordion which enters softly for a solo after the opening verse. As the accordion plays, one immediately thinks of Italy and cool summer nights, which only helps to stretch the mind and make the music listening experience last much longer than it really is. The smooth sound of Jones' vocals provide the closing chorus as the song reaches its clear, folksy end.

Although yours truly is utterly bereft of any artistic ability whatsoever, with its eponymous title, Painter Song tells the story of an individual who yearns to be an artist that she might paint memories of a love past. The thought is not one far removed from most but Jones' song gives it a unique narration that makes it eminently translatable. Accordingly, more than any particular feature of the song, it is Jones' peerless voice which prods the mind to reflect upon such distant memories and reconsider those with whom we would meet again in a picture framed only by our mind's eye.

A video of the song with lyrics is below (no real music video exists to my knowledge). Lyrics follow after the jump.




Painter Song Lyrics

If I were a painter
I would paint my reverie
If that's the only way for you to be with me

We'd be there together
Just like we used to be
Underneath the swirling skies for all to see

And I'm dreaming of a place
Where I could see your face
And I think my brush would take me there
But only...

If I were a painter
And could paint a memory
I'd climb inside the swirling skies to be with you
I'd climb inside the skies to be with you

And I'm dreaming of a place
Where I could see your face
And I think my brush would take me there
But only...

If I were a painter
And could paint a memory
I'd climb inside the swirling skies to be with you
I'd climb inside the skies to be with you

Thoughts on Love and Self from Thomas Merton

Having taken an unscheduled afternoon eye appointment, this Monday afforded me the luxury of having ample time to ruminate on my latest volume from Thomas Merton titled No Man Is An Island. Written some fifty years ago, Merton's title nevertheless speaks to the all too modern phenomenon of living in isolation from other people or being alone in a crowd- an idea, none too far removed from yours truly on occasion. The substance of his opening pages expands upon this idea by exploring the nexus of individualism and community.

To begin, Merton quotes from the book of Mark 12:31. In this excerpt, Jesus notes that the second greatest commandment is You shall love your neighbor as yourself. As an individual who prides himself on rooting out clever turns of phrase, Merton's summary of this passage is singularly fascinating to me. Taking the phrase from Mark wholesale, Merton makes an excellent inference: if we hate ourselves, we cannot help hating others (Merton, p.XVII). His conclusion of the prologue is that if we live for others, we will gradually discover that no one expects us to be "as gods”. In other words, like Tillich, Merton argues that our ability to love others depends upon our interconnected willingness to accept ourselves- we must possess the courage to be.

Several thoughts. First, his wordplay on love and hate is brilliant. I would offer that the notion of self-hate or self-doubt has the greatest destructive potential whenever we feel inadequate for any reason. The simple fact which Merton elucidates is that we ought never to condemn ourselves because doing so leads to disobedience to Christ. When viewed through Merton’s lens, being obedient to Christ's call to love others is entirely contingent upon our willingness to love ourselves first. His point is that love of self is implicit in the Lord's call to love others.

Second, the natural extension of Merton's thesis is that we must ultimately arrive at a point of self-acceptance (acceptance defined as a full, personal embrace of all individual virtue and vice or limitation). In turn, self-acceptance becomes nothing less than our personal commitment toward working out our own salvation (Philippians 2.12) for it is a tremendous fear to accept and admit our personal limitations no matter what they may be.

Once this acceptance occurs, Merton proffers that judgments cast upon the self by others become void. Any teeth in their bite turn into useful critiques and can be embraced as fact because the greater point is that the God of all grace loves us just as we are. Rejection becomes acceptance at the foot of the cross. So much the better.

The related lesson is that self-acceptance empowers us to love- both the self and others. Impossible standards of perfection which we create for ourselves become specters we need not fear since the irresistible joy of God's embrace is that we are by definition imperfect. Indeed, it is actually our idiosyncratic imperfections which make us human and provide a basis upon which we can love and be loved.

Scathing Reviews of Fred Thompson

For the past several weeks, ex-Tennessee Senator Fred Thompson has been the 800lb gorilla in recent GOP debates with every pundit from Hannity to Colmes wondering how his campaign might change the Republican primary dynamic.

Unfortunately, Thompson's candidacy is only interesting insofar as most Americans have not endured his responses to any specific policy question. Far from would be GOP savior, in a recent interview with CNBC's Larry Kudlow (seen below) Thompson appears, well, mortal. Or Lumbering and non-answering if you believe Marc Ambinder.

I'm admittedly biased, but there are far more well spoken candidates currently in the field with sharper ideas and vision for the direction of the country than Fred Thompson. Thompson may be novel for now but my prediction is that once he announces his intent to compete, he doesn't show quite so well when pitted against the rest of the field. Don't believe me?

See for yourself.




[Via Real Clear Politics]

Hillary Clinton's Abortion Compromise

At a forum on faith and politics yesterday, Democrat Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton called on Pro-Life and Pro-Choice camps to find common ground in the debate on abortion and proposed a national goal of zero abortions as an ideal towards which both sides could work.  

[Link]

Sen. Clinton then went on to reiterate her commitment toward making abortion "safe, legal, and rare."

The obvious fact that Pro-Life and Pro-Choice views are antithetical toward one another notwithstanding, Sen. Clinton's position brings up an interesting question:

If abortion should be a safe and legal procedure, then why should it be rare?

Mike Huckabee Stands Firm on Creation

I was stuck at the office working late tonight and admittedly missed the GOP Presidential debate. Just wanted to get that out there in the interest of full disclosure.

Nevertheless, whereas I am merely mortal, the effervescent blogs are out in force and excerpts from the proceedings have already made their way to YouTube.

One thing I can say- tonight, Mike Huckabee hit a grand slam in his answer to questions about his views of Creation.

Any description I can offer will only detract from his reply. Please, watch the response below in its entirety.

Song of the Week: Walk of Life

We're all about change here at Pax Plena. After a one time song of the week siesta (due largely to a confused blogger coming off a long weekend), this week's Pax Plena song of the week is back with a vengeance. Stretching the boundaries of genre, good taste and form, the Pax Plena song of the week comes to you courtesy of 80s sensation Dire Straits and is titled Walk of Life.

Time for a scary confession of the sort I typically try to avoid on this blog.

More than any song, Walk of Life defined the earliest memories of my childhood. To this day, I can vividly recall the backseat of my parents dusty, fourth generation Chevy Monte Carlo as we bustled down the country roads of Cotton County listening to the radio. Blaring on the radio was nothing less than our featured tune Walk of Life. Oddly, for some reason, I also recall associating elephants with the song. Silly dancing elephants. Apparently, somethings remain beyond the realm of apprehension. Nevertheless, released in May of 1985 Walk of Life is easily the earliest song I can recall. As an avowed connoisseur of country music, the realization troubles me. Then again, on another level, it really doesn't. What self-respecting 20-something didn't hear Walk of Life as a youngster? And what product of the 1980s wasn't wrought in ostentatious hair and a mellow beat? It could have been worse after all. I might have been born during the 1970s- suffice it to say I'd much rather have been young during the Reagan years than the Carter years any day.

Musically, what Dire Straits did best in the song was take rock 'n' roll back to its roots. Literate lyrics, simple chords, and syncopated rhythms. In fact, the song as performed on an acoustic guitar features mainly the A and E chords that any beginner would learn straight away. What most sets the song apart from other works and gives it its rockabilly feel is the memorable keyboard riff and bass guitar line which sustains the song throughout its four minute duration. One word comes to mind while listening: happy. The music video follows suit. While the British version is markedly different, the U.S. video features sports bloopers and features cameo appearances from Michael Jordan to Roger Clemens (back before the Yankees sucked).

Lyrically, the song was said to describe the plight of young music artists trying to make it big in the days before mass marketing and record deals. Think music bard as opposed to American Idol. It's interesting to note that for an optimistic song, there are a number of darker references but the melody and keyboard riff make it difficult to do anything but smile- in my case, perhaps nostalgically. Feel free to indulge your 80s music craving with the music video below. Lyrics follow after the jump.




Walk of Life

Here comes Johnny singing oldies, goldies
Be-Bop-A-Lua, Baby What I Say
Here comes Johnny singing I Gotta Woman
Down in the tunnels, trying to make it pay
He got the action, he got the motion
Yeah, the boy can play
Dedication devotion
Turning all the night time into the day

He do the song about the sweet lovin' woman
He do the song about the knife
He do the walk, he do the walk of life

Here comes Johnny and he'll tell you the story
Hand me down mu walkin' shoes
Here come Johnny with the power and the glory
Backbeat the talkin' blues
He got the action, he got the motion
Yeah, the boy can play
Dedication devotion
Turning all the night time into the day

He do the song about the sweet lovin' woman
He do the song about the knife
He do the walk, he do the walk of life

Here comes Johnny singing oldies, goldies
Be-Bop-A-Lula, Baby What I Say
Here comes Johnny singing I Gotta Woman
Down in the tunnels, trying to make it pay
He got the action, he got the motion
Yeah the boy can play
Decidation devotion
Turning all the night time into the day

And after all the violence and double talk
There's just a song in the trouble and the strife
You do the walk, you do the walk of life

Primary Colors: The Candidates and Their Banners

Having scoured the internet, it recently occurred to me that few efforts have been made to corral the Presidential candidates and their official campaign banners. This surprised me for a couple of reasons.

First, consider how much thought and effort goes into creating a Presidential label. Today's campaign banners more or less note an official branding for a candidate- not unlike like the Nike swoosh defines the Nike corporation or the lone red sock defines the Boston Red Sox. It's basic marketing and the hallmark of modern elections. Given this, it only makes sense that we would be curious as to which campaign has done a better job of marketing their candidate and this is at least partly done through comparison.

Second, we are an inherently judgmental culture. We critique people everyday on the basis of their appearance and style. It's only natural that we would be interested in taking a glance at the candidates official banners and see what we like and dislike with immediacy. This was certainly the case in 2004 as campaign paraphernalia adorned supports at each campaign event and distinguished the candidates from one another.

Nevertheless, to my surprise, few efforts to corral the major candidates banners have been made up to this point. In turn, I present below for your aesthetic judgment the campaign banners for each of the major candidates.

The Republican Campaign Banners:

Mike Huckabee:John McCain:
Mitt Romney:

Rudy Giuliani:

The Democrat Campaign Banners:

John Edwards:

Barack Obama:

Hillary Clinton:
I won't weigh-in on the other candidates' banners but I will offer a couple of thoughts on my candidate's banner.

I can not help but think that Mike Huckabee's exploratory committee banner below has a better color scheme than his official banner for President displayed above. The blue hues with white have a sleeker look to them than the mustard yellow, blue and red combination he displays at campaign events.

I'm sure as a candidate Huckabee has bigger issues to consider than his campaign colors, but if the campaign staff ever gets wind of this post and are looking to market the team better- they would do well to consider revamping the color scheme. Simply inserting "President" in white beneath the name would be a good start.

Bush Scolds GOP

The Washington Times trumpeted the news today that President George W. Bush once again scolded Republican lawmakers for their rebellion against his proposal for comprehensive immigration reform.

By all accounts, the President did exactly this.

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Perhaps it's the Oklahoman coming out in me, but I'm reminded of an adage my Grandmother used to tell us when we kids tried to get our way by fiat- you catch more flies with honey. The President could get further down the road of immigration reform if he tried to persuade and compromise while building a coalition rather than scolding the people whose support he hopes to gain.

There are, of course, moments to stand firm. The President's veto of the Iraq defeat resolution was justified and spot on. In this case, however, the President wants to move ahead with the measure so it makes more sense from him to rally allies to his cause rather than calling them out for their opposition.

I wonder what his rationale is for shaming lawmakers into compliance?

Americans Approve of Interracial Dating

The Pew Research Center weighed-in with some interesting statistics today on views of interracial dating in these United States.

According to the survey, a whopping 83% of Americans approve of interracial dating- a dramatic change from the last survey taken some 20 years ago when the public was nearly divided on the issue. Blacks, however, still approve of interracial dating more than whites (97% and 81% respectively). The views of other ethnicities were oddly excluded from the survey.

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At any rate, the obvious read of the numbers is that fully 17% of the population disapproves of interracial dating. Unfortunately, experience has taught me that this is mostly correct.

Barack Obama: a Pink Flamingo on Every Lawn

Okay- Barack Obama didn't really say that, but his healthcare plan released last week amounts to basically that: it's ubiquitous, kitsch and over priced to the tune of $65 Billion dollars. Like most Democrat policy solutions, the proposal will be paid for courtesy of tax increases on dividends, capital gains and inheritances.

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For liberals, the policy makes sense. After all, what better way for America to follow Europe's lead than by stifling economic productivity and providing sub par medical care? But given recent headlines, Sen. Obama would do well to recall exactly why the TB infected flier insisted on returning to the U.S. for treatment. Suffice it to say, the traveler opted not to check into a British NHS facility for a reason (viz. he feared for his life European healthcare).

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As for kitsch, the scariest point of the story is that Obama's competition wants to spend even more outlandishly on the universal healthcare experiment. John Edwards' plan, for example, would peak somewhere around $120 Billion.

But even while Barack Obama would take us a step closer toward socialism, Americans can take heart. The pink flamingo of which I spoke will soon return to the market after a year-long production hiatus.

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