… became a national park on this date in 1930. It had been a national monument.
Established to preserve Carlsbad Cavern and numerous other caves within a Permian-age fossil reef, the park contains more than 100 known caves, including Lechuguilla Cave—the nation’s deepest limestone cave at 1,567 feet (478m) and fourth longest.
… of Bea Arthur. Maude is 84.
… of Harvey Keitel. He’s 67. Keitel was nominated for the best supporting actor Oscar for his performance in Bugsy.
… of Stevland Morris. He’s 56.
Only 12 when he began to record for Motown, Steveland Morris grew up on vinyl in the public eye.
His first hit, “Fingertips – Pt. 2,” under the name of Little Stevie Wonder, rose to No. 1 as an R&B shouter in the mold of Ray Charles.. He then steered toward ballads with “I Was Made to Love Her” (1967) and “For Once in My Life” (1968).
After turning 21, Wonder wrested artistic control over his career from the Motown hit-making factory; the results were such No. 1 hits as “Superstition” (1972), “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” (1973), “I Wish” (1976) and “Sir Duke” (1977).
Many of his ‘70s songs dealt with politics and ghetto life, but by the ‘80s he had returned to more predictable material, such as “I Just Called to Say I Love You” (1984) and “Part-Time Lover” (1985).
… of Joe Louis, born on May 13, 1914. (He died in 1981.)
When some called Louis “a credit to his race,” sportswriter Jimmy Cannon responded, “Yes, Louis is a credit to his race — the human race.”
He also was a credit to boxing, which often contributes to the worst in the human race. His championship reign, from 1937 until he retired in 1949, is the longest of any heavyweight. With his powerful left jab, his destructive two-fisted attack that he released with accuracy at short range, and his capacity for finishing a wounded opponent, the 6-foot-1½ fighter defeated all 25 of his challengers, another record.
Louis also was a winner with women. Though married four times, including twice to his first wife, he discreetly enjoyed the company of both African-American and white women, including Lena Horne, Sonja Henie and Lana Turner. (ESPN.com)
… of Richard Steven Valenzuela, born on May 13, 1941.
In the course of his short life, Ritchie Valens left a lasting impact on rock and roll with the classic rocker “La Bamba.” A high-energy reworking of an old Mexican wedding song, its driving simplicity foreshadowed garage-rock, frat-rock and punk-rock. Ironically, “La Bamba” was the B-side of “Donna,” a paean to Valens’ girlfriend that rose to #2 on Billboard’s singles chart. “La Bamba” also charted, peaking at #22. This double-sided smash is one of the greatest rock and roll singles of the Fifties. (Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
Valens was killed in 1959 in the plane crash with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper. He was 17.
President Al Gore reports on the State of Union.
Video from Saturday Night Live (May 13).
NewMexiKen is taking a couple days off. No computer. No blogging.
Back Sunday or Monday.
Here’s three:
21. Ron Howard: He was cute as Opie, passable as Richie, but now as Ron Howard, he’s just plain weird-looking. Especially with a beard.
22. Clint Howard [Ron Howard’s brother]: Ron’s younger, balder, and weirder-looking brother. Yes, weirder looking than Ron Howard.
23. Bill Gates: To quote Dana Carvey: “Gates apparently made a deal with the devil: ‘You can have $60 billion, but you have to go through life looking like a turtle.'”
The Phoenix has the other 97.
Early this year, the Book Review’s editor, Sam Tanenhaus, sent out a short letter to a couple of hundred prominent writers, critics, editors and other literary sages, asking them to please identify “the single best work of American fiction published in the last 25 years.”
THE WINNER:
Beloved, Toni Morrison (1987)
THE RUNNERS-UP:
Underworld, Don DeLillo (1997)
Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy (1985)
Rabbit Angstrom: The Four Novels, John Updike (1995)
‘Rabbit at Rest’ (1990), ‘Rabbit Is Rich’ (1981), ‘Rabbit Redux’ (1971), ‘Rabbit, Run’ (1960)
American Pastoral, Philip Roth (1997)
There’s a list of books that received multiple votes, links to reviews, and more at What Is the Best Work of American Fiction of the Last 25 Years? – New York Times.
NewMexiKen thinks almost anything Malcolm Gladwell writes is worth reading. Including this on a study of health in the U.S. and the U.K.
Wow, fascinating sidewalk art. Unbelievable, really.
Good ones last night from Jay Leno:
“The price of gas is getting so high, this morning I saw Patrick Kennedy and Rush Limbaugh carpooling to rehab together. You never see that.”
“More problems for Congressman Patrick Kennedy after his car accident. According to the police reports he acted disoriented and his speech was slurred. Today he was charged for impersonating Paula Abdul.”
“In recent memory, only four presidents have had lower approval ratings. The president of Exxon. The president of Chevron. The president of Texaco. …”
Following up on Functional Ambivalent’s fervent wish — dare I say, demand — that there be no more Bushes, Clintons or Kennedys elected president, NewMexiKen proposes that the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution be amended.
In Section I, after:
No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once.
Insert:
Further, no person shall be elected to the office of President if their father, mother, sister, brother, child, or spouse has been elected to, or held the office of President.
“Reggie Hayes of the Fort Wayne (Ind.) News-Sentinel, on California Gov. Arnold Schwarzengger asking the NFL to put two teams in Los Angeles: ‘No matter how many times I hear that, it sounds preposterous. But it’s true: Arnold Schwarzenegger really is the governor of California.'”
NEW YORK—Pro-life advocates celebrated approval of the new anti-abortion drug UR-86 by the Food and Drug Administration Tuesday, calling it a “safe and effective method” for terminating pregnant women while leaving their unborn children unharmed.
Pfizer, manufacturer of UR-86—dubbed the “last-morning-ever pill”—said the drug is intended only for occasions when the mind-set or politics of the mother threaten the life of the fetus.
Youngest Sweetie, Reid, just six weeks old, had some hardness and swelling in his chest when his mother gave him his bath Saturday evening. Here’s part of her story:
We headed to the emergency room, where we spent the next eight hours. It turned out he had a bacterial infection in his chest, a development that is not uncommon in infants, but still a major concern, obviously. …
Reid handled it very well. I handled it slightly less well, but did my best. The ER doctors had an extremely difficult time getting the IV in place, and actually tried about seven or eight times. It was torture for both Reid and me. I don’t know who cried harder. After the umpteenth failure, over several hours, I actually picked Reid up off the table, as they were looking for another place to stick, and told them that we were done. (In the end, after we were transferred [by ambulance], the children’s hospital brought in a neonatalogist, who put in the IV with no problem.)
At the time it was an emotional response more than anything else, because I felt I literally could not stand to see Reid get hurt one more time. I was actually somewhat embarrassed by my outburst. But looking back, I’m so glad I did it. Doctors can be so intimidating, even when they aren’t actively trying to patronize you. We hate to question them, and they hate it too! But I think sometimes they need to be reminded that they are treating people — in this case a little teeny people — not just solving puzzles.
Reid responded well to the antibiotics in the pediatric unit and was home by Monday night. He’s recovering nicely.
So is his mom — who wishes only that she’d spoken up after two or three tries, rather than waiting as long as she did.
Follow the fuss but still haven’t gotten around to watching or reading Stephen Colbert’s speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner? Chicago Sun-Times television critic Doug Elfman has an edited transcript (following his column). Here’s a taste:
To just sit here, at the same table with my hero, George W. Bush, to be this close to the man. I feel like I’m dreaming. Somebody pinch me. You know what, I’m a pretty sound sleeper, that may not be enough. Somebody shoot me in the face.
Is he really not here tonight? The one guy who could have helped.
By the way, before I get started, if anybody needs anything at their tables, speak slowly and clearly into your table numbers and somebody from the NSA will be right over with a cocktail.
President Bush thinks his brother Jeb should run for President.
No. No no no. Absolutely no. No more Bushes. No more Clintons. No no no a thousand times no. A million times. A million billion kajillion times.
And no more Kennedys either.
I’d vote for a Truman or a Lincoln, though.
The last spike was driven to complete the American transcontinental railroad on this date in 1869.
Two years ago on May 10, NewMexiKen posted two entries on the subject:
And the Continent was spanned with iron and Promontory Summit.
Last summer I posted photos from the historic site.
Few write as well about the cycles of life as Anne Lamott. A nice essay from Sunday’s Los Angeles Times. Savor.
First published here a year ago today. He’s still driving.
Kiplinger’s ranks the best cities to live: “You told us your ideal city is fun, vibrant and affordable. We found dozens that fit the bill.”
Top five
I’d say their information on Albuquerque home prices is a bit dated, but otherwise they’re right. Albuquerque is a smart place to live (unless you have kids in public school).
And, of course, as they say, “Unfortunately, no database could allow for another top priority: proximity to family.”
Terrific new images of the earth produced by NASA.
Click image for 579KB view of the western hemisphere. Click here to learn more and for other images.
Once upon a time about ten years ago NewMexiKen attended a conference in Memphis, Tennessee. Great city — Graceland, Sun Studio, Peabody ducks, the historic Lorraine Motel, B.B. King’s.
And FedEx. The FedEx distribution center is there. Every evening FedEx planes from all over fly into Memphis, the packages are sorted, and by early morning the planes head out with their new load.
Because of crowding at the conference hotel, I stayed at Memphis Airport. The first night I was awakened about 2AM by the sounds of jets taking off. I looked out the window to see FedEx aircraft taxiing. Scores of planes, one right behind another, so close to the hotel I could see the pilots in the cockpit. The commotion kept me awake for a couple of hours. The second night I was so exhausted I slept through it. The third and final night I actually went outside and watched. Take-offs less than a minute apart for more than two hours. Incredible.
Here’s a fun video of FAA radar showing FedEx planes landing at Memphis, trying to avoid a thunderstorm.
U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson in Dallas April 28:
“He had made every effort to get a contract with HUD for 10 years,” Jackson said of the prospective contractor. “He made a heck of a proposal and was on the (General Services Administration) list, so we selected him. He came to see me and thank me for selecting him. Then he said something … he said, ‘I have a problem with your president.’
“I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He said, ‘I don’t like President Bush.’ I thought to myself, ‘Brother, you have a disconnect — the president is elected, I was selected. You wouldn’t be getting the contract unless I was sitting here. If you have a problem with the president, don’t tell the secretary.’
“He didn’t get the contract,” Jackson continued. “Why should I reward someone who doesn’t like the president, so they can use funds to try to campaign against the president? Logic says they don’t get the contract. That’s the way I believe.”
In case you don’t know, that kind of political favoritism in contracting is in fact illegal. And Secretary Jackson is bragging about it.
U.S. Geological Survey geologist captures panorama of San Francisco from a kite to commemorate similar photo showing 1906 earthquake aftermath. Fascinating. And a great photo.
“if i were an inventor-type, i’d be working on: musical breast implants. iBoobs.”
“I’ve talked to every president since Abe Lincoln.”
Mike Wallace, who’s requests for an interview have been repeatedly denied by George W. Bush. Wallace is 88 today. He has talked to every president since John F. Kennedy.
