Five at 8 – June 1, 2009

Bob CollinsBob Collins Jun 1, 2009

Thank goodness the weekend is over. Now we can get to the Monday morning rouser.

It’s June 1, a day of unfairness for people who live on the even side of the street in communities with odd-even watering rules. Why should “odd people” get two days of watering, while the “even people” get to look longingly where the grass is greaner?

  • Several readings on the subject of government and business. Philip Greenspun considers the true nature of diversity on the Supreme Court; not racial or ethnic diversity, the “life experience” kind. The Supreme Court doesn’t have it, he posits. It’s got the life experiences of people who went to law school. What if there were business experience on the court?

    He uses South Dakota’s George McGovern as an example that people with public service experience make poor businesspeople. McGovern reportedly said he wished he had the experiences he had running a motel before he went to Washington.

    The observations on business and government are particularly keen today because the government is going into the car business lock, stock, and barrel with General Motors’ bankruptcy. So the future of GM, owned by the government, is in the hands of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, which is run by the government.

    Meanwhile, Smart Politics calculates that the Supreme Court is getting younger. Will this bring a new perspective to cases involving young people?

  • What’s the most exciting play in baseball? The inside-the-park homerun, according to Chris Jaffee of the Hardball Times. Harmon Killebrew had an inside-the-park homer on July 4, 1961, by the way. Any old-timers want to explain how that happened?
  • Privatization runs amok in Chicago. The city turned parking meters over to a private firm, and now there’s no place to park bikes, the Sun-Times reports. Meters are being replaced by boxes, which allow people to pay for street-parking by credit card. That brings up a whole ‘nother thread: Do we spend more money when we don’t actually use cash in the day’s mundane activities?
  • Having trouble sleeping? Spend more time on the Web.
  • An hour with John Hodgman. Now you need to figure out a way to fritter away the other 7 hours of your work day. I’ll do what I can to help. (h/t: Open Culture)

    WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON

    This is a big day in the U.S. Senate election as the Supreme Court hears oral arguments starting at 9. Somewhere this weekend — it might’ve been the Star Tribune — I read from a former Supreme Court member that most justices already have their minds made up before the oral arguments in cases take place. I’ll be blogging the arguments and then the subsequent analysis.

    Midmorning – Kerri’s guests include Raleigh Levine, professor of law at William Mitchell College of Law; Jennifer Duffy, senior political reporter, Cook Political Report; and David Gergen, professor of public service at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

    Midday – The Senate analysis continues (as will the live-blogging). Professor Edward Foley of Ohio State University will take a few whacks at today’s hearing and we’ll take your calls, of course.

    In the second hour: A live broadcast from the National Press Club featuring former Vice President Dick Cheney and the recipients of the Gerald Ford Journalism Awards.

    Talk of the Nation – First hour: Saving the car companies. Is it worth it? Add your comment below.

    Hour two: If money doesn’t make us happy, what does? You know, that’s a whole thread of its own. What does make us happy. Maybe I’ll get to that this week.

    All Things Considered – Court reporter Elizabeth Stawicki will put a bow on today’s Supreme Court arguments. NPR will have the update on what looks at this hour to be a huge airline tragedy. An Air France jet is missing over the Atlantic. It’s obviously gone down, but why?

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