Best lines of the day

On its face, “cutting government spending” sounds to most people like a good idea. Even “cutting public spending” doesn’t sound too bad.

But what do we cut when we cut government, or public, spending? We don’t just cut the disbursement of funds. We cut what those funds purchase. And what do they purchase? They purchase goods and services. National parks. The U.S. Navy. Some slight assurance that our air, food, and pharmaceuticals won’t poison us. Public safety (not “government safety”). Education. Highways. Air traffic control. Bridges that don’t fall down. Enforcement of the rules that make a “free market” free, sort of. Basic research. The Smithsonian.

Hendrik Hertzberg

Best line of the day

“Congress consistently brings the government to the edge of default before facing its responsibility. This brinkmanship threatens the holders of government bonds and those who rely on Social Security and veterans benefits. Interest rates would skyrocket, instability would occur in financial markets, and the federal deficit would soar. The United States has a special responsibility to itself and the world to meet its obligations.”

President Ronald Reagan
September 26, 1987

July 19th

George McGovern, a very good man if a very poor presidential candidate, is 89 today.

A bomber pilot in World War II, he flew 29 combat missions before his plane was badly damaged over Vienna and his navigator killed. He survived a crash landing on an island in the Adriatic Sea and won a Distinguished Flying Cross before returning for five more missions. Although both of his parents were Republicans, McGovern ran for Congress in 1956 as a Democrat and won, the first South Dakota Democrat to go to the House of Representatives in 22 years. After a losing campaign in 1960, he was elected to the Senate in 1962, and, upon re-election in ’68, emerged as a leading opponent to the war in Vietnam. He said, “I’m fed up to the ears with old men dreaming up wars for young men to die in.”

Writer’s Almanac (2008)

Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Martinez Cardona was born in El Paso 70 years ago today. We know her as Vikki Carr. She had three top 40 hits, including “It Must Be Him,” which topped at number 3 in 1966.

Ilie Năstase is 65.

Howard Schultz, the developer of Starbucks, is 58 today.

Anthony Edwards, “Goose,” is 49 today.

The artist Edgar Degas was born in Paris on this date in 1834. He is especially identified with dance as a subject. Degas is considered an Impressionist, even a founder of the school, but he rejected the term.

Sam Colt was born on this date in 1814.

Sam Colt’s success story began with the issuance of a U.S. patent in 1836 for the Colt firearm equipped with a revolving cylinder containing five or six bullets. Colt’s revolver provided its user with greatly increased firepower. Prior to his invention, only one- and two-barrel flintlock pistols were available. In the 163 years that have followed, more than 30 million revolvers, pistols, and rifles bearing the Colt name have been produced, almost all of them in plants located in the Hartford, Connecticut, area. The Colt revolving-cylinder concept is said to have occurred to Sam Colt while serving as a seaman aboard the sailing ship Corvo. There he observed a similar principle in the workings of the ship’s capstan. During his leisure hours, Sam carved a wooden representation of his idea. The principle was remarkable in its simplicity and its applicability to both longarms and sidearms.

Colt History

Today’s Photo

Yesterday 8-year-old Kiley became the second of The Sweeties to compete in a triathlon. She swam 50 meters, rode a bike just under two miles and then ran approximately a mile. Competing against girls up to 10-years-old, Kiley finished 13th of 32.

The photo shows Kiley in her transition area before the competition.

July 18th

Nelson Mandela is 93 today.

John Glenn is 90.

Dion (DiMucci) of Dion and The Belmonts is 72.

James Brolin is 71.

Joe Torre is 71 as well.

Martha (Reeves) of Martha and The Vandellas is 70.

Could it be the devil in me
Or is this the way love’s supposed to be

Just like a heatwave
Burning in my heart
Can’t keep from cryin’
It’s tearing me apart

Ricky Skaggs is 57.

Vin Diesel is 44.

Author Elizabeth Gilbert is 42.

Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam is 36. She’s better known as M.I.A.

I fly like paper, get high like planes
If you catch me at the border I got visas in my name
If you come around here, I make ’em all day
I get one down in a second if you wait

All I wanna do is (BANG BANG BANG BANG!)
And (KA CHING!)
And take your money

Actor Hume Cronyn was born 100 years ago today. He was married to Jessica Tandy for more than 50 years. Cronyn died in 2003.

Richard Bernard Skelton was born 98 years ago today. Red Skelton was a star in movies, radio and television from the 1930s to 1960s. His variety TV show ran on CBS from 1954-1970. Skelton was on a plane I was on once. He stood up from his first class seat and did a little monologue for us folks in coach. Skelton died in 1997.

Hunter S. Thompson was born on July 18th in 1937. He committed suicide in 2005.

The assault on Fort Wagner by the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry Regiment was on July 18th in 1863. This is the regiment and assault depicted in the movie Glory. The unit of approximately 1,000 took casualties of 272 that day. Sergeant William Harvey Carney was awarded the Medal of Honor for recovering and carrying the colors at Fort Wagner. He was the first African-American to win the highest honor.

Disneyland opened 56 years ago today.

NMK’s Photo Galleries

Over the years I’ve posted a lot of photos. On a few occasions there were enough to create an album.

NewMexiKen Photo Galleries is a collection of those albums, 11 on two pages.

  • Yosemite Valley April 2005
  • The New Mexico State Fair September 2005
  • Balloon Fiesta and Fais Do Do October 2005
  • A Gathering of Nations April 2006
  • Oklahoma City Memorial June 2006
  • The Great Albuquerque Snowfall December 2006
  • Rocky Mountain National Park June 2007
  • El Morro and El Malpais National Monuments July 2007
  • Mount Vernon February 2008
  • Burning the Zozobra September 2008
  • Cherry Blossoms and Tidal Basin April 2011

The fire

Haven’t mentioned the Las Conchas wildfire in several days. That is the fire that threatened Los Alamos the last week of June.

The fire is three weeks old today. It has burned 156,245 acres (244 square miles) in the Jemez Mountains. It is 65% contained. Great plumes of smoke are visible still; driving across Sandia Pueblo last night I could see the fire, orange glow on the mountains 35-40 miles north. Quite a site.

Dangerousmeta had some wonderful photos of sunset from Santa Fe Friday evening.

Name That Consort

On this date in 1917, King George V, by royal proclamation, changed the name of his family from Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to Windsor. When a German aircraft named Gotha started bombing London, the royal name had become somewhat of a liability.

The family name had come from Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. In addition, Victoria’s mother was the Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. Prince Albert and Queen Victoria were first cousins.

George V was a grandson of Albert and Victoria. Of course, so were Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia — Albert and Victoria had nine children and 42 grandchildren. On hearing that his cousin had changed the family name, Kaiser Wilhelm said he intended to see Shakespeare’s play “The Merry Wives of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.”

By decree, Elizabeth kept the name Windsor for the family and her descendants. She is Albert and Victoria’s great, great granddaughter. Prince Philip, her husband, was born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark. He had no surname, but adopted Mountbatten from his English grandparents when he became a British citizen. He too is a great, great grandchild of Albert and Victoria.

Windsor came from Windsor Castle, which has been a royal residence since 1110.

July 17th Should Be an Annual National Day of Mourning

Billie Holiday died 52 years ago today. She was 44.

Considered by many to be the greatest jazz vocalist of all time, Billie Holiday lived a tempestuous and difficult life. Her singing expressed an incredible depth of emotion that spoke of hard times and injustice as well as triumph. Though her career was relatively short and often erratic, she left behind a body of work as great as any vocalist before or since.

American Masters

July 16th

Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger was published 60 years ago today. It’s sold about 60 million copies since.

Major John Glenn, USMC, set a transcontinental (Los Angeles to New York) speed record of 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8 seconds on this date in 1957. Average speed: 723 mph.

Phoebe Cates (Mrs. Kevin Kline) is 48 today. Will Ferrell, born and raised in Irvine, California, is 44. Football guys Barry Sanders and Jimmy Johnson are 43 and 68 respectively.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner is 55 today. He won the prize for Angels in America.

Bess Meyerson is 87 today. She was Miss America 1945, the first Jewish woman to win the title. Meyerson remained a celebrity into the 1970s, on TV games shows and in politics. I saw her at a reception when she was about 50 and she remained very, very glamorous.

Two Hollywood greats, Ruby Catherine Stevens and Virginia Katherine McMath were born on July 16th. We know Stevens better as Barbara Stanwyck, born in 1907, she was a four time best actress Oscar nominee. And we know McMath better as Ginger Rogers, born in 1911, and an Oscar winner for best actress for Kitty Foyle.

Orville Redenbacher was born in Brazil, Indiana, on July 16th in 1907. With his partner Charlie Bowman, Redenbacher developed the popcorn that bears his name. He died in his jacuzzi at age 88.

Apollo 11 left Florida for the moon on this date in 1969.

The Mission San Diego de Alcalá was founded by Junipero Serra on this date in 1769.

Six epic tales of tragedy and survival on the open seas

Forget what you’d take to a desert island—what would you do if you were stranded at sea? Say, on a fiberglass boat with some fishermen you hardly knew? Or clinging to a dinghy with a pair of drinking buddies? Floating in the open water with your autistic son? The short answer: anything you can think of, including the unthinkable. Here are six stories about people lost at sea who did everything they could to be found.

Longform.org’s guide to castaways

2011 Tour de France

The world’s most beautiful stadium – the entire country of France – annually hosts the most important bike race of the year: the Tour de France. Upwards of 12 million fans line the roads to watch the race. For free. No tickets needed. The race traverses over 2000 miles in 21 days of racing. Every year the route changes, but the mountains are a constant: racers must scale absurdly steep peaks in both the Pyrenees and the Alps before a victory race onto the Champs Elysees in Paris. This year’s tour may be remembered most for the spate of horrible crashes that have eliminated many of the top riders. Most outrageously, a media car hit a cyclist at speed, causing a horrific crash that sent another rider cartwheeling into a barbed-wire fence. Both riders remounted and finished the stage. The race goes on through July 24. — Lane Turner (35 photos total)

The Big Picture – Boston.com