Complex Issue - Simple Argument

Senate Approves Embryonic Stem Cell Bill

Without getting into all the minutiae of all the arguments revolving around stem cell research, I just wanted to recognize and applaud this statement on the issue from White House Press Secretary Tony Snow (an inspired choice for the job if ever there was one):

"The simple answer is he thinks murder's wrong," said White House spokesman Tony Snow. "The president is not going to get on the slippery slope of taking
something living and making it dead for the purposes of scientific research."

I would add that it's not just something living, but someone... but the point is right on target. How anyone could have supported the bill in question and still consider themselves pro-life is beyond my understanding.

Word of the Day: "Mondegreen"

While looking up the expression "safe as houses", I came across this interesting word:

Mondegreen - (noun) "a word or phrase resulting from a misinterpretation of a word or phrase that has been heard"

Here's the origin according to Random House's "The Mavens' Word of the Day" feature:

This word was coined by the author Silvia Wright in an article in Harper's in 1954. The poem in question was an old Scottish ballad called "The Bonnie Earl of Murray," which contains the couplet, "They hae slain the Earl o' Murray/And laid him on the green."

Ms Wright heard this as a child as "They hae slain the Earl o' Murray/And Lady Mondegreen," and went through life in sorrow for poor Lady Mondegreen until she encountered the ballad in written form and realized her error.

This phenomenon is relatively common, and it's useful to have a name to apply to it. A classic example is "Gladly the cross-eyed bear," for the hymn actually going "Gladly the cross I'd bear." Fans of the genre are referred to Gavin Edwards's book Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy, the title a mondegreen from the line in Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" that actually goes "Scuse me while I kiss the sky." The book, to which there have been several sequels, contains several hundred examples of song-based mondegreens, of which perhaps the best is "The girl with colitis goes by," from "the girl with kaleidoscope eyes," the real line in the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

One of my other favorite mondegreens is "Bingo Jed Had a Light On" -- a mangled rendering of Steve Miller Band's "Big Old Jet Airliner". What is your favorite (or memorable) mondegreen?

"Just when I try to weasel out, they pull me back in..."

With apologies to "The Godfather" for the above, and with a hat-tip to M.C. Hammer for the below:

"Oh-oh oh-oh oh-oh... Here comes the hammer!"

Judge Sparks has apparently put the kibosh on "former Congressman" cum "current candidate" Tom DeLay's attempt to run from the political consequences of his, um, "questionable" dealings while in office.

Via Chron.com: Judge's ruling keeps DeLay on ballot

Although the article states that "Details of Sparks ruling were not immediately available," it does summarize the ruling that "...Republicans cannot replace former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay on the ballot for the 22nd Congressional District race."

"Sparks ruling halts the process of replacing DeLay on the ballot, but the GOP is expected to appeal the decision to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals."

Having not read the justification for the decision yet, I have no idea how likely the GOP may be to prevail on appeal, but if the judge's decision stands, it sure throws a nice "wrench" into the "Hammer's" engine.

"If the Republicans lose on appeal, DeLay will have to decide whether to campaign for an office from which he already has resigned."

But who will staff the office?

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave..."

Ken Lay, R.I.P.

I was never much of a fan of Ken Lay... to the contrary, I was disappointed and shocked that a man who had contributed so much to the community would preside over such an (ultimately) immoral and egregious organizational collapse.

Nevertheless, I was a little bit shocked and saddened to read this via the Houston Chronicle:

ENRON'S KEN LAY DIES: 'HIS HEART SIMPLY GAVE OUT'

"Convicted Enron Corp. founder Ken Lay suffered a massive coronary Tuesday and died, according to Dr. Steve Wende, of First Methodist Houston. He was 64."

A more detailed bio/obit can be found here.

He was in Colorado awaiting sentencing when he died. Thus, despite being found guilty on all six counts that related to Enron fraud -- including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, perpetrating wire and bank fraud, and making false and misleading statements to employees at a company meeting, as well as to banks, securities analysts and corporate credit-rating agencies -- Mr. Lay never served a day in jail for those crimes.

By passing on July 4th, Ken Lay joins such other notable Americans as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe. Granted, he did not contribute as greatly to the American experiment as these men, but he will certainly go down in history -- unfortunately not as the corporate giant he once was, but as an icon of corporate greed, manipulation and excess.

R.I.P., Mr. Lay. May the Lord have mercy on your soul.