Oyez oyez oyez

On this date in 1803 Marbury v. Madison was argued before the Supreme Court.

Marbury was the case that established the Supreme Court’s standing as the arbiter of the Constitution.

On this date in 1856 Dred Scott v. Sandford was argued before the Supreme Court.

Scott was the case where the Supreme Court ruled that persons of African descent could never be citizens of the United States whether free or slave and that the federal government had no constitutional authority to limit slavery in the territories.

Thomas Alva Edison

… was born in Milan, Ohio, on this date in 1847.

Edison’s stature has diminished since his death; technology has evolved so much since then. But he was still a hero when he died in 1931. These are the sub-headlines from his obituary in The New York Times:

World Made Over By Edison’s Magic

He Did More Than Any One Man to Put Luxuries Into the Lives of the Masses

Created Millions Of Jobs

Electric Light, the Phonograph, Motion Pictures and Radio Improvements Among Gifts

Lamp Ended “Dark Ages”

He Held the Miracle of Menlo Park, Produced on a Gusty Night 50 Years Ago, His Greatest Work

The Undiscovered World of Thomas Edison is an informative and interesting essay from the December 1995 Atlantic Monthly.

February 11th

Today is the birthday

… of actor Leslie Nielsen. Lt. Frank Drebin is 83.

… of Conrad Janis. Mindy’s father on Mork and Mindy is 81.

… of Tina Louise. Ginger, the movie star from Gilligan’s Island, is 75.

… of Burt Reynolds. Bandit is 73. Burt — his real name is Burton Reynolds — was nominated for a supporting actor Oscar for Boogie Nights.

… of Gerry Goffin. Married to Carole King while they were still teenagers, Goffin is 70.

Songwriting partners Gerry Goffin and Carole King composed a string of classic hits and cherished album tracks for a variety of artists during the Sixties. A brief sampling: “Up On the Roof” (the Drifters), “One Fine Day” (the Chiffons), “I’m Into Something Good” (Herman’s Hermits), “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” (the Shirelles), “Take Good Care of My Baby” (Bobby Vee), “Chains” (the Cookies), “Don’t Bring Me Down” (the Animals), “Take a Giant Step” (the Monkees) and “Goin’ Back” (the Byrds). The prolific duo, who remained married for much of the Sixties, even tapped their babysitter to sing one of the songs they’d written, and the result was a Number One hit and a new dance craze: “The Loco-Motion,” by Little Eva.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

… of Sheryl Crow. She’s 47.

All I wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling I’m not the only one
All I wanna do is have some fun
I got a feeling I’m not the only one
All I wanna do is have some fun
Until the sun comes up over Santa Monica Boulevard

… of Governor Sarah Palin. Grandma Palin is 45.

… of Jennifer Aniston. She’s 40.

… of Q’orianka Kilcher. Pocahontas in The New World is 19.

Lincolnalia

A short quiz on Lincoln and the National Park System from National Parks Traveler.

NewMexiKen’s Sources

For a long time I maintained a separate page of links to many of the sources I consulted in writing this blog. Eventually I realized it was quicker to find most things on the web — including familiar web sites — by Googling. Further, I was reading most blogs via their RSS feeds. I almost never went directly to the site in a browser.

Ultimately I dropped the links page (and only one reader ever asked me what happened to it).

Recently I’ve found the number of bookmarks (favorites) accumulating again. Some sites, like newspapers and The Huffington Post for example, publish so much I can’t review it all in an RSS reader. I find I need to browse some front pages (like we did with print) to see what’s new and interesting on those sites.

So I am building a new links collection. Most of the links will be to websites that are not easily followed with RSS, but I will include some blogs as well.

You can find this evolving list at NewMexiKen’s Sources.

Idle thought

The Secretary of the Treasury’s name is Timothy Geithner.

I am no doubt overlooking a number of people, but I am having a difficult time thinking of another “famous” person with the name Timothy or Tim.

I mean other than the mouse in Dumbo.

Oh, and Tiny Tim.

What the Debate Is Really About

The two parties are pretending to argue about the efficacy of the stimulus bill. They’re really arguing about the role of government in our society and economy, in the middle of a crisis and after decades of neglect. They’re arguing about whether health care, education, energy, and infrastructure are necessary areas for substantial federal spending and oversight. That’s why the stakes in this argument are higher than the final price tag on the stimulus package.

George Packer, The New Yorker

Best line of the day, so far

“An old joke from my younger days: What do you get when you cross a Godfather with a deconstructionist? Someone who makes you an offer you can’t understand.

“I found myself remembering that joke when trying to make sense of the Geithner financial rescue plan.”

Paul Krugman

When they hand out the Nobel Prize for Best Lines of the Day Krugman may take home a second laureate.

Disconnect

CNBC had Nouriel Roubini and Nassim Taleb on yesterday. Watch the discussion (10 minutes) as the CNBC crew displays a complete disconnect with what Roubini and Taleb are saying.

As Josh Marshall put it: “These two guys are talking about a deep structural crisis in the world economy. And these CNBC yahoos can’t stop asking for stock tips. Really surreal.”

Pathetic, too.

Update: See also this video.

Best line of the day, so far

“Anyway, this is the starting point for any analysis of the Senate from now on: 36 Senators — 87.8% of the Republican delegation — are irresponsible hypocrites.”

Paul Krugman, who explains briefly in a blog post titled “The crazy 36.”

How Bad Is It?

Take a look at the employment chart Karen Tumulty posted.

Thanks to Bob Ormond for the link.

Time for some honesty

A-Rod isn’t the only one having to face the truth. Karen also admits to using a questionable substance.

2-9-9

Today is the birthday

… of Roger Mudd, 81.

… of Nobel Prize-winner J.M. Coetzee. He’s 69.

… of Carole King. Tonight You’re Mine Completely, You Give Your Love So Sweetly — at 67.

… of Joe Pesci. Tommy DeVito is no longer a “yute,” he’s 66.

… of Barbara Lewis. Baby I’m Yours and I’ll be Yours Until the Stars Fall from the Sky — or until she’s 66.

… of Alice Walker. One assumes her birthday cake is The Color Purple as she turns 65 today.

… of Mia Farrow. The former Mrs. André Previn, Mrs. Frank Sinatra and significant other of Woody Allen is 64.

… of Senator Jim Webb, 63.

… of Travis Tritt. He’s 46. Here’s A Quarter (Call Someone Who Cares).

… of Julie Warner. Vialula is 44 today. Seems like an occasion to watch Doc Hollywood.

Samuel J. Tilden was born on this date in 1814. Along with Andrew Jackson in 1824 and Albert Gore in 2000, Tilden in 1876 shares the honor of winning the popular vote and having the electoral vote stolen from him.

Grammy

What woman has won more Grammys than any other woman?

Hint: She has 26.

Second hint: Aretha Franklin is in second place.

Third hint: She won five last night.

Idle thought

Did you ever think that life is just like American Idol and you’re Paula Abdul?

P.S. All you need to remember about American Idol in two words — Jennifer Hudson.

[She came in seventh in the third season. Since she has won an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a Grammy (tonight), and sang the National Anthem at the Super Bowl.]

Best line of the day, so far

“I really don’t understand how bipartisanship is ever going to work when one of the parties is insane.”

John Cole

Feb 4

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