Month: August 2009

Idle thought for a Monday

Years, seasons, lunar months, the day are all the result of physics, but no one seems to know where, when or why the 7-day week originated. Many theorize it represents the seven visible (to the human eye) objects in the sky that aren’t stars (the sun, the moon and five classical planets — Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn). The seven-day week seems to have originated in more than one culture.

Exactly!

this morning I was awoken by my alarm clock powered by electricity generated by the public power monopoly regulated by the US department of energy. I then took a shower in the clean water provided by the municipal water utility. After that, I turned on the TV to one of the FCC regulated channels to see what the national weather service of the national oceanographic and atmospheric administration determined the weather was going to be like using satellites designed, built, and launched by the national aeronautics and space administration. I watched this while eating my breakfast of US department of agriculture inspected food and taking the drugs which have been determined as safe by the food and drug administration.

At the appropriate time as regulated by the US congress and kept accurate by the national institute of standards and technology and the US naval observatory, I get into my national highway traffic safety administration approved automobile and set out to work on the roads build by the local, state, and federal departments of transportation, possibly stopping to purchase additional fuel of a quality level determined by the environmental protection agency, using legal tender issed by the federal reserve bank. On the way out the door I deposit any mail I have to be sent out via the US postal service and drop the kids off at the public school.

After spending another day not being maimed or killed at work thanks to the workplace regulations imposed by the department of labor and the occupational safety and health administration, enjoying another two meals which again do not kill me because of the USDA, I drive my NHTSA car back home on the DOT roads, to ny house which has not burned down in my absence because of the state and local building codes and fire marshal’s inspection, and which has not been plundered of all it’s valuables thanks to the local police department.

I then log on to the internet which was developed by the defense advanced research projects administration and post on freerepublic.com and fox news forums about how SOCIALISM in medicine is BAD because the government can’t do anything right

My source, Discourse.net. He doesn’t know its origins.

Idle thought

At the theater to see Julie and Julia yesterday afternoon, the crowd was — well, let’s just say there were a lot of senior discounts. And it was about 65-35 female to male.

At showtime, when the trailers were supposed to begin, the screen just froze. We all (it was fairly full) sat and chatted and waited. And waited. And waited.

Eventually people started getting restless. Donna said she’d call and started looking for the number. Presently a woman to the left in our same row got up to go tell someone.

Time for NewMexiKen to swing into action. I opened the Fandango app on my iPhone, touched Theaters, selected the theater we were in (which the GPS knew), and touched the phone number. The phone connected to the theater and I told them there was a problem.

That took so little time that the brave volunteer woman was not even to the exit. I announced the theater knew there was a problem. She or someone asked how I knew they knew. I held up my phone and said, “Hey, it’s 2009.”

It was interesting that then, knowing the problem would be attended to, the crowd collectively relaxed. The woman in front of me suggested to all that we talk about health care.

Fortunately the first of the seven — yes seven — trailers began and we didn’t have to beat anyone up.

And the movie was terrific.

August 9th, let’s all go fishing

Today is the birthday

… of Bob Cousy, basketball hall-of-famer. He’s 81. Bob Cousy was a star of such stature that when a new basketball coach was hired by my high school in 1958, his claim to fame was he’d held Cousy to ten points once in college.

… of Rod Laver, tennis hall-of-famer. He’s 71.

… of Ken Norton, boxing hall-of-famer. He’s 66.

… of Sam Elliott, 65 today. Elliott just looks like a cowboy, or the image we think of when we think of cowboy. NewMexiKen liked him best as General John Buford in Gettysburg and he was good in The Contender.

… of Melanie Griffith, 52 today. No longer a working “girl.” She got an Oscar nomination for best actress for that role. Ms. Griffith’s mother is Tippi Hedren, known from the Hitchcock thriller The Birds.

… of Whitney Houston, 46.

… of Brett Hull, hockey hall-of-famer. He’s 45.

… of Deion Sanders. Sanders played for the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins and Baltimore Ravens and was on Super Bowl champion teams with the 49ers and Cowboys. He also played for the New York Yankees, Atlanta Braves, Cincinnati Reds and San Francisco Giants. Sanders is 42.

… of Robert Shaw, born on this date in 1927. Shaw was Doyle Lonegan in The Sting and Captain Quint in Jaws. He was nominated for the Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his portrayal of Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons. A favorite of NewMexiKen is his work as Mr. Blue in The Taking of Pelham One Two Three. Shaw died in 1978.

And Izaak Walton was born on this date in 1593. He’s the author of many books, most famously The Compleat Angler, first published in 1653.

Indeed, my good scholar, we may say of angling, as Dr. Boteler said of strawberries, “Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did”; and so, if I might be judge, God never did make a more calm, quiet, innocent recreation than angling.

Capulin Volcano National Monument (New Mexico)

… was authorized on this date in 1916. The monument is located in northeastern New Mexico.

Mammoths, giant bison, and short-faced bears were witness to the first tremblings of the earth and firework-like explosions of molten rock thousands of feet into the air. Approximately 60,000 years ago, the rain of cooling cinders and four lava flows formed Capulin Volcano, a nearly perfectly-shaped cinder cone, rising more than 1000 feet above the surrounding landscape. Although long extinct, Capulin Volcano is dramatic evidence of the volcanic processes that shaped northeastern New Mexico. Today the pine forested volcano provide habitat for mule deer, wild turkey, and black bear.

Souce: Capulin Volcano National Monument

The second

— and last? — nuclear bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, on this date in 1945.

The BBC provides some facts (the first two are as reported at the time of the bombing):

The bomb was dropped by parachute from an American B29 Bomber at 1102 local time.

It exploded about 1,625 ft (500m) above the ground and is believed to have completely destroyed the city, which is situated on the western side of the Japanese island of Kyushu.

About 30% of Nagasaki, including almost all the industrial district was destroyed by the bomb and nearly 150,000 people were killed or injured.

The bomb, nick-named “Fat Man” in a reference to Winston Churchill, measured just under 3.5m (11ft 4in) in length, had the power of 22 kilotons of TNT and weighed 4,050kg (9,000lbs).

Residents of both cities are still suffering the physical and mental consequences of radiation to this day.

On 14 August Japan surrendered to the Allies.

Jesse Owens

… won the fourth of his four Olympic gold medals on this date in 1936. In Berlin, Owens won gold for the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump and — on August 9th — the leadoff leg of the 400 meter relay (a world record that lasted for 20 years).

35 years ago today

Richard Nixon resigned as President of the United States and Vice President Gerald R. Ford assumed the office as the 38th President.

Nixon Resignation

Click to enlarge.

Idle thought

We only have a rear license plate in New Mexico and the new car has a front license plate holder than cannot be removed.

So I need a front plate.

How about NewMexiKen (like the script above) on a titanium silver metallic background (the car color)?

I’ve never even had a vanity plate. Is this too, too whatever?

August 8th

Today is the birthday

… of Esther Williams, 88. When the national AAU 100 meter freestyle champion found out the 1940 Olympics were cancelled because of the War, she went to Hollywood.

… of Dustin Hoffman, 72 today. Hoffman has been nominated for the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role seven times, winning for Kramer vs. Kramer and Rain Man. Dustin Lee Hoffman is his actual name.

… of Larry Wilcox, 62 today. That’s CHiPs officer Jon Baker.

… of Roger Federer, 28.

… of Marjorie Rawlings, born on this date in 1896. She won the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Yearling.

… of Emiliano Zapata, born on this date in 1879. “There have been men who, dying, have become stronger. I can think of many of them — Benito Juárez, Abraham Lincoln, Jesus Christ — Perhaps it might be that way with me.”

War Dances

I am a big fan of Sherman Alexie and have read a number of his books including The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven and Reservation Blues.

Alexie has a wonderful story in the current New Yorker and it’s online.

The story — it’s called “War Dances” — was so good (funny and touching) that I’ve decided The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven would be a good way to spend a couple of hours today, and I just got it off the shelf.

Greenland

After almost 300 years under Danish rule, the island of Greenland has just taken a big step toward sovereignty. Greenland passed a referendum last year requesting more powers from Copenhagen, and it was granted, taking effect on June 21st, 2009. Denmark still retains control of finances, foreign affairs, and defense, but will phase out an annual subsidy, and give over control of most of the islands natural resources. Additionally, Greenlandic is now the sole official language, and Greenlanders are now treated as a separate people under international law. Although the island is massive – with an area of over 2 million square kilometers (825,000 sq mi), its population is small, with just over 57,000 residents, 88% of Inuit descent and 12% of European descent. Collected here are some recent photographs from all around Greenland. (34 photos total)

The Big Picture – Boston.com

Arthur J. Goldberg

… was born on this date in 1908. Goldberg was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Kennedy in 1962. He subsequently made one of the great sacrifices for his country:

Three years after Goldberg took his seat on the Supreme Court, President Lyndon Johnson asked him to step down and accept an appointment as the United States Ambassador to the United Nations. At first, Goldberg declined the offer, but after much prodding by Johnson, he finally accepted. Goldberg’s change of mind was prompted by his sense of duty to the country during the war in Vietnam. He said, “I thought I could persuade Johnson that we were fighting the wrong war in the wrong place, [and] to get out…. I would have loved to have stayed on the Court, but my sense of priorities was [that] this war would be disastrous” (Stebenne, 348). On July 26, 1965, Goldberg assumed the responsibilities of Ambassador to the UN.

The ambassadorship proved frustrating for Goldberg, involving many confrontations with Johnson concerning the war in Vietnam. Goldberg came to believe that he could affect American foreign policy better as a private citizen than through a governmental position, and on April 23, 1968, he resigned from the ambassadorship. He returned to the practice of law in New York City from 1968 to 1971 with the firm of Paul, Weiss, Goldberg, Rifkind, Wharton, & Garrison.

[Source: The Supreme Court Papers of Arthur J. Goldberg, Northwestern University School of Law]

Goldberg died in 1990. He is buried in Arlington Cemetery near his friend, Chief Justice Earl Warren.

I keep getting more cynical about our politics

But no matter how cynical I get, I can’t keep up.

With the escalating standard of Republican craziness and whackadoodlism over recent days, I’d been wondering if Sarah Palin would feel pressed to get back into the game, if for no other reason than to defend her brand as chief Republican moonbat.

And I think my question has been answered.

Palin is now out claiming that Obama’s “death panel” might decide to euthanize her Down syndrome baby.

Josh Marshall

Best line of the day, so far

Or take the health care debate we’re presently having: members of Congress have recessed now so they can go home and “listen to their constituents.” An urge they should resist because their constituents don’t know anything. At a recent town-hall meeting in South Carolina, a man stood up and told his Congressman to “keep your government hands off my Medicare,” which is kind of like driving cross country to protest highways.

Bill Maher

It’s a funny column — I had a hard time choosing a best line.

How about?

And I haven’t even brought up America’s religious beliefs. But here’s one fun fact you can take away: did you know only about half of Americans are aware that Judaism is an older religion than Christianity? That’s right, half of America looks at books called the Old Testament and the New Testament and cannot figure out which one came first.

There’s more.

Talking about boys

Excerpts from an email today from Jill, my oldest daughter, and mother of three boys (ages 8, almost-6 and 3).

Anyway, [Byron is] going to go to at least three and maybe as many as six European cities and his flight and all the hotels would be paid for. I want to hide in his luggage for some of it if I can possibly work it out.

Would anyone be available and maybe willing to housesit in the first half of October? (I say housesit because I will lock the children in the basement with water dishes and bowls of food, and tell them not to make noise, if it means you are more willing to do this.)

Early October should be a pretty easy time – only one to two sports per kid, plus piano, plus school – a breeze.

All right, not looking for any commitments, just maybe a “maybe” or a “never going to happen” and an idea of when you might or might not be available in October, and how many days is your maximum possible allotment of the Boy Experience.

Your Devoted Daughter, Jill

I wrote her, “I’m in, as much as you need to make it happen.”

August 7th is the birthday

… of Nathanael Greene, born on this date in 1742. Greene was a major general in the American army during the Revolutionary War and was the primary architect of American success in the south.

… of Ernest Thayer, author of the baseball poem Casey at the Bat. Thayer was born on this date in 1863, attended Harvard where he was an editor of the Harvard Lampoon along with William Randolph Hearst. Hearst offered Thayer a job writing poems for the San Francisco Examiner and “Casey” was published in the Examiner in 1888.

… of Ralph Bunche, born on this date in 1904.

Like his world, Dr. Bunche was a man of many faces and talents, full of paradox and struggle. By training and temperament, he was an ideal international civil servant, a black man of learning and experience open to men and ideas of all shades.

At the United Nations, he had been a key diplomat for more than two decades since his triumphal success in negotiating the difficult 1949 armistice between the new state of Israel and the Arab states.

As the architect of the Palestine accord, he won the Nobel Peace Prize of 1950.

Source: The New York Times obituary for Bunche, 1971.

… of Gary Edward “Garrison” Keillor, born in Anoka (not Lake Wobegon), Minnesota, 67 years ago today.

… of Steve Martin, born in Waco, Texas (but grew up near Disneyland), 64 years ago today. “Well, EXCUSE me.”

… of Newman. Actor Wayne Knight is 54 today.

… of Oscar winner Charlize Theron, born in South Africa, 34 years ago today.