American Pie

On this date in 1959, Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. (the Big Bopper) Richardson died in a plane crash in Clear Lake, Iowa. I have been listening to Don McLean's elegiac American Pie, which was released on February 3, 1971 and been searching for information on the cryptically mysterious lyrics. I found a couple of excellent sites, here and here.

I have been feeling a lot of political despair in the last several years. Here we are embroiled in a grim war embarked upon for all the wrong reasons, and a polarized, angry electorate, and it makes me think of the 60s. I couldn't bring myself to watch the State of the Union address last night. So I remind you of this date, and this song, and its sad survey of a time of turmoil in this country's life. I wish I could feel that we have come further than we have.

SpongeBob SquarePants again

wayfairer is absolutely right. You must read this essay by plaidder about why the SpongeBob Squarepants controversy matters. An excerpt:

This battle matters, people. No matter how stupid it looks. This is not just about whether same-sex parents will ever be visible in children's television, or whether gay people will ever be treated right in this country. This is about whether the voters of the next generation will believe that tolerance is a virtue to be encouraged or a vice to be avoided.

I was struck strongly by how the analysis in this essay dovetails very neatly with what Lakoff was arguing about the Religious Right's point of view in his excellent book Moral Politics which I've been pimping ever since minnehaha lent it to me.

Read the essay. It's important.