Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, “Run Devil Run/The Big Guns”.
There’s a difference — a fundamental one — between (a) being pragmatic in trying to implement one’s principles and (b) having no principles at all and glorifying that unanchored emptiness as “pragmatism.”
Whatever the reason, the fact that so many young adults weren’t firmly rooted in the workforce even before the crash is deeply worrying. It means that a very large number of young adults entered the recession already vulnerable to all the ills that joblessness produces over time. It means that for a sizeable proportion of 20- and 30-somethings, the next few years will likely be toxic.
The Communards, “Don’t Leave Me This Way”. With all due respect to Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes (and Thelma Houston) this is undoubtedly the definitive version of this song.
“The Boy With The Thorn In His Side” from Blackpool. I have no evidence and could be completely wrong, but I would bet money that the idea of this scene was the genesis of the whole show, because it’s so on the nose it’s ridiculous.
In other words, Judd Gregg is an idiot, and Barack Obama is an even bigger idiot for seriously trying to get this man to run any part of the executive branch.
