Bom Dia, Senhor Romney!

Obama will turn this country into a European style economy, or so Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan tell us (and will continue to tell us right through November 4th if not longer). Great news! The only question is which one? I'm hoping it's Portugal. Sure, the economy's shit but think of the wine, the sardines, the coastline, fado... To celebrate our coming Europeanization, here's the title sequence to the great Wim Wenders film  Lisbon Story. A German sound recordist, played by Rüdiger Vogler, has been summoned to Lisbon by his eccentric filmmaker friend (Patrick Bauchau). His trip south takes him through the newly borderless European union. He celebrates Europe as "mi patria" but, ironically and pleasingly, the film becomes a valentine to the very particularity of Lisbon and Portugal. Interspersed with the radio stations he picks up on the trip is the incomparably beautiful music of Lisbon's own Madredeus (the band becomes a character in the film). Next stop, Lisboa!