the proverbial not

DCDC had a Prom.

2008-02-21T16:24:00.001-08:00

"If you plan it, they will come", said the little voice inside our heads. Day after day, we worried, "Will there really be enough people interested in an adult Prom? Could we actually pull this off?" The answer, as last Saturday night would so firmly attest to, was a resounding "YES". As it turned out, the fine people of the DCDC establishment were in fact overjoyed at the idea of a Prom. They hit the thrift stores in droves, in search of the perfect, and in some cases aptly anachronistic, attire. They found dates. They ordered corsages and boutonnieres. They made restaurant reservations. They posted nominations for Prom King and Queen, writing eloquent and appropriately cliche prose about their fellow DCDCers. And when the night rolled around, they came ready for the party of all parties, well-oiled and ready to shake some proverbial ass.

As the head of the Prom Committee, I promised my fellow DCDCers a decorum reminiscent of our days at high school dances. Although we were initially enthusiastic about the infamous balloon archway, which we thought would be an appropriate portal into yesteryear, we quickly decided that the construction as well as the costs of such a structure would exceed its potential benefit. And so the first lesson in the economics of Prom decorating was had. But not to worry, we managed to find mildly affordable, yet plenty cheesy, party adornments at Tuscaloosa's one-stop shop for all your party needs, "PartyMakers". With gold and silver-colored balloons, crepe paper, and stars we transformed the party room at the Children's Hands On Museum (our venue) into something truly "promtastic" (see photos below).

When Andy chose our Prom theme, "An Enchanted Night of Memories to Remember", I remember thinking that it might be a little ambitious--I mean not only did the night have to be enchanted, but it also had to be chocked full of memories. That would be a lot to live up to. But as the night progressed, I realized that the spirit of our theme had indeed already manifested itself! If they weren't dancing to the beats of Michael Jackson, Prince, Madonna, and the like, they were over at the photographer's corner getting Prom pictures made, or merrily cavorting with each other, swilling beer and talking about how this was the best party in Tuscaloosa---EVER.

Some choice photos are provided for your viewing pleasure. Check out the entire photo collection here. And, if you're so inclined, check out DCDC's website for a complete up-until Prom timeline.

Takin' It To the Streets

2008-02-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

In the true spirit of grass-roots politics, Andy and I took to the streets on Saturday hoping to use our combined persuasive power to round up some votes for Obama. This was my first ever experience canvassing, and though I was a little nervous at the get-go, my excitement to be a part of the campaigning process soon outweighed those jittery tummy rumblings. As was the case in South Carolina, targeted areas for canvassing in Tuscaloosa were the African-American neighborhoods. We visited a predominately working class black neighborhood, hitting about 40 or so houses during the course of the afternoon. Even though a lot of folks weren't home, the people we did talk to were very receptive and positive about Obama and his message. At one of the last houses we visited, we met a woman who said she was on the fence between Hillary and Obama. It was our first real test. We had to convince her that Obama was clearly the better candidate. So we turned our sweet-talk on (mostly Andy), and I'm pretty confident that by the end of it she was at least teetering towards the Obama side of the fence. After all, how can you dispute the fact that Obama was the only candidate to open offices in Alabama? That alone sends a clear message to most people that he cares about our state.

Perhaps the best part of the afternoon was our run-in with 4 neighborhood kids, who stopped their Saturday afternoon bike-riding to help us knock on doors on their street. They were real interested in what we were doing of course. Who was this Obama guy? Could they have a poster to hang up in their room? And they were very helpful when it came to figuring out which door to knock on. He never comes to the front door, you gotta go to the garage. I heavily recommend canvassing with kids. They make it a lot easier on both parties.

Anyway, I know I have only canvassed once, but I would sure do it again if given the opportunity. I feel like it was a positive experience, and one that challenged me to do something I would have never thought I was capable of doing. I know it's cliche, but Obama has really put the power back in the hands of the people! And he's empowered ordinary people like me to help make a difference in our communities. And come Super Tuesday, we'll see the fruits of our labor. Obama will win Alabama!

AlaObama Unite!

2008-01-28T16:54:00.000-08:00

photo by Tommy Stevenson, Tuscaloosa News

I have never had a president who inspired me the way people tell me that my father inspired them. But for the first time, I believe I have found the man who could be that president — not just for me, but for a new generation of Americans.
---Caroline Kennedy, in her Sunday endorsement of Obama in the New York Times (read it here)

"If not now, when?" These were the mantric words spoken by the 50-year old woman who introduced Obama at Sunday's rally in Birmingham. She used this watchword to describe not only her feelings about volunteering for her first political campaign, but also to characterize the prevailing sentiment around Senator Obama's 2008 bid--that the time for his run was NOW, and not later after he had been "seasoned" by Washington. He often says again and again (we heard it here in Birmingham as well) when someone questions his premature candidacy, "I decided to run because of what Dr. King called the `fierce urgency of now.' Because I believe there is such a thing as being too late, and that hour is almost upon us."

And so, the tall, lanky Senator from Illinois, the Washington neophyte and harbinger of change, took the stage at UAB's Bartow arena, surrounded by 11,000 cheering, jubilant people. His recent South Carolina primary victory on Saturday was only more fuel for the fire, and was proof that the South may have a stronger democratic voice than previously given credit for, and that a black candidate can in fact have mass appeal--black, white; young, old; rich, poor; and even Democrat, Republican (more people are crossing the party-line after being disillusioned by the failed W. Presidency). “We’re going to write a new chapter in the South, we’re going to write a new chapter in American history”, Obama proclaimed. But as a black man, he also payed homage to pioneers of the Civil Rights movement, like 96 year-old Amelia Boynton Robinson of Tuskegee who was seated in the crowd, and acknowledged those present who lived the Birmingham of 1963. It was with great historical significance that he, an African-American presidential hopeful, stood in the same city that once earned the nickname "Bombing-ham" and turned police dogs and water hoses on peaceful demonstrators. In the hour that followed, Obama delivered a passionate sermon about change and the need for unity. In an all-encompassing message, he spoke about disrupting the politics of status-quo and fixing a broken country, all the while inspiring and empowering us to be a part of that process. We were driven to our feet on many occasion, clapping loudly, verbally affirming all of his promises to reform education, change the health care system, and end the war in Iraq. And by the end of it, I think I can safely say some of us were a little misty.

As we hurdle on towards Super Tuesday, when many of us will be voting in the Democratic primaries, I urge you to consider Obama. Eight years of my and so many other young people's cognizant political life have been mired in the presidency of George W. Bush. Because of him, we have become cynical about our country. Because of him, the gap between the rich and the poor has grown exponentially. Because of him we have been entangled in a war over oil, where we now have a new generation of veteran amputees. Because of him we have lost recognition as a world power. Because of him people have lost faith in our government. The time for change is now. And the name of that change is Barack Obama.

Now with two Kennedy endorsements under his belt, I leave you with an unofficial third. In 2005, at a ceremony for what would have been RFK's 80th birthday, Ethel Kennedy asked Obama to speak, referring to him "as our next president". That same day she later said: "I think he feels it. He feels it just like Bobby did. He has the passion in his heart. He’s not selling you. It’s just him.”

Want more? Check out Andrew Sullivan's December article in the Atlantic Monthly: "Goodbye to All That: Why Obama Matters".

Obama's response to Bush's State of the Union Address:

Asheville Calling

2008-01-23T12:14:00.000-08:00

Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of St. Bernardus! That's Lane, beer snob numero uno, doling out some of his premium birthday libations. Yes, the son-of-a-gun turned 29 this past Sunday (which by the way marks the official "one year to go" for George W. Bush), and decided to share some of that tasty fermented goodness with his other beer snob friends (numero dos, tres, and quatro, not pictured), who were there to celebrate the momentous occasion.

The long Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend lent itself to a leisurely visit in Asheville, NC with friends Lane and Sarah, who have recently returned to the the Upper South from a stint in the resort town of St. Simon's, GA. We were also joined by the newly bearded Nate Judd (which he affirms is in no way a "protest beard", like so many of those dubious facial frocks that adorned the comics of the Late Night circuit as of late, but rather the fruits of his laziness). As always, a visit to the Seabolts' house is a much-welcomed respite from the banality of Tuscaloosa--a chance to visit nice restaurants, see film, and most importantly to drink good beer. And I should also say, to be in community with such dear friends! Although the temperatures were brisk, we managed to enjoy the wintry landscape by strolling around in Asheville's downtown, taking a hike in the woods, and making the short trek to the neighborhood pubs, boggans and scarfs in place. And when it got cold enough that we couldn't feel our noses, we found repose back at the house, cozied up by the fireplace, on the couch with the latest crossword puzzle (part of Lane's daily routine, way to keep those synapses firing man!), or doubled over laughing at something (a wise-crack by Andy, or a lively if not interminably long game of Trivial Pursuit, where the rolling of the dice was interspersed with the spraying of Febreeze).

Congrats to the Seabolts for their newly improved and renovated (thanks to their labor-intensive efforts) house, to Sarah on her burgeoning art career (check out her stuff at www.sarahseabolt.com) and to Lane on his musical endeavors (check out some of his art and his music at www.laneseabolt.com - how sweet, his and her websites!). And also on one stinkin' cute dog named Vern (see below).

The Year of the Dems

2008-01-10T16:52:00.000-08:00

Hey-ya sports fans. It's 2008, election year--the final days of George W. Bush's failed presidency are upon us. Are you fired up, ready to go? So goes the campaign mantra for Senator Barack Obama, who currently holds one of the two coveted democratic primary crowns. It turns out that corn is not the only King in Iowa. For Obama supporters (and it seems the political analysts), the momentum coming out of a big win in Iowa was sure to cement victory in New Hampshire, but alas Senorita Hillary worked her magic, milking those tear ducts for some much needed image boosting post-Iowa defeat. What could have very well been a moment of authenticity, turned out to be more grist for the spin machine. Was Hillary's display of emotion real, or was it politically calculated? I'm not sure, but it looks pretty sketchy, and well-placed to me. See below:

Well, at any rate Hillary 1, Obama 1. Next up, Nevada.

I'm happy to say that I took on a third (yes everyone knows three's a magical number) volunteer commitment this week, at the Obama office in Tuscaloosa. It's been fun so far meeting energetic folks who are hoping to see an Obama win in the Alabama primary come February 5. I also have to say the office is probably the most diverse place I've been in Tuscaloosa, in terms of race, class, and age. I guess that's what I like about Obama--he's got mass appeal, and though the pundits are saying that he appeals to the elite, highly educated crowd, I think the demographic is more widespread than that. If anything, African-Americans have someone to get behind, and that's a demographic in Alabama that needs to be represented. AlaObama Unite!

Rockin' Around the Crafty Tree

2007-12-03T12:38:00.000-08:00

(to the tune of "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree")

Rockin' around the Crafty Tree
At the DCDC Swap
Mistletoe hung where you can see
And people shoppin' til they drop!

For the last couple of weeks I have been heavily immersed in all things crafty, frantically trying to beef up my stash of goods for the DCDC Holiday Crafts Fair and Swap Meet (which I also organized). Yes, I've been burning that midnight craft oil, fashioning jewelry, and testing the limits of human patience by convincing myself I could knit a fingerless glove in a day. So needless to say, I've been busy. And thus, I haven't given as much attention to my other creative outlet--this blog. But I am happy to report that the fair is over, and with it my daily crafting quota!

I was one of 13 other vendors participating at the Crafts Fair. Many were other fellow DCDC members, looking for a chance to hawk their wares to the non-traditional crafts fair crowd. There were soap makers, potters, bakers, book artists, clothing designers, knitters (me!), jewelry makers (me!), and more! We all assembled under the pavilion at the Arboretum, for a beautiful day of holiday commerce and just pain old fun. The sounds of Charlie Brown's Christmas kept us in the mood, as we sipped mulled wine, and snacked on yummy baked goods! I sold a few a things at my table, including the felted bag you see in the foreground (one of my big ticket items). I also got commissioned to knit some more wristbands with the DCDC logo (if you look closely you can see one in the picture). And of course, I got some much needed external gratification! Watch Andy interviewed about DCDC on the Tusc Tube by clicking here.

Into the Wild

2007-12-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

That's Kierra. She is one of the participants in the after school program I've been helping with at Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School. She along with the other two girls in the program, Terriana and Josalin, visited the Arboretum for the very first time on Friday afternoon. We took a nature hike, walked on a tree platform, visited the butterfly garden, and made some leaf rubbings. Aside from being a little chilly, the girls enjoyed exploring their surroundings. I could tell from their reactions to the landscape that they had not spent much time in the outdoors. It was fun to see them craning their necks to look at the towering trees and get excited about little things--like breaking open the fallen seed pods of a honey locust tree, discovering that thyme smells when you rub it between your fingers, and laughing at the acorns with their funny little "hats" on!

Kierra, Josalin, and Terriana at the top of the butterfly garden.

Tomorrow they may wrap fishes in it...

2007-11-27T11:14:00.001-08:00

But I was a star for one whole minute...

For those of you who do not hold the movie "Newsies" to the critical acclaim that I do, the title of this post may seem a little enigmatic (It's the musical story of the 1899 Newsboys strike in NYC, starring dreamboats Christian Bale and Bill Pullman! Cheesy I know, but what can I say...those little newsboy orphans with perfect pitch and rousing dance numbers enthrall me!). But the gist of it is that Andy Grace, like those striking Newsies making newspaper headlines, enjoyed temporary stardom last Monday night. In addition, our historic downtown theater shone his name in bright lights, and within her doors held a crowd of moviegoers eager to see Andy's latest opus. This was the second Alabama debut of his film "Backstage" (the first was at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival in Birmingham).

The Dude Abides

2007-11-13T11:27:00.001-08:00

This weekend we tried our hand at social philanthropy, and I think we can safely say, we damn well succeeded. Andy's efforts to bring the Coen Brothers' film "The Big Lebowski" to the Bama Theater (as an official DCDC event) were finally realized, and met with wild triumph amongst many of Tuscaloosa's residents. We met early to imbibe in White Russians, or "Caucasians" as they are so cleverly called in the film, and listen to Bob Dylan, Kenny Rogers, Townes Van Zandt, and others on the film's soundtrack. The goal was to try and raise money for a local non-profit, the Hale Arts Project, which currently is teaching photography and creative writing to children in the Black Belt town of Greensboro. We were amazed at the turnout! 134 people showed up, thus contributing their admission dollars to our cause. After our costs were recouped, we ended up making $500 for the organization, which will enable them to buy several digital cameras for the kids. Cha-ching.

In other weekend news, my Mom and Dad came down for a quick visit on Thursday, and were able to join me for an evening of bluegrass at the Bama Theater. The event featured celebrated fiddler Ruby Jane Smith and main act, the Claire Lynch Band, as part of Alabama Public Radio's 25th anniversary. The next morning I was able to give them a tour around the Arboretum, where I've been working for the last couple of months.

Let's Make a Rock Video

2007-11-05T21:24:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, Joey Thompson, an old friend and college roommate of Andy's, returned to his alma mater, but this time with band in tow. The Archibalds, named after the famed Tuscaloosa rib shack, made an appearance in T-town on Friday night, as part of their first rock-n-roll tour through the southeast. With two days off until their next gig in Atlanta, they decided to partake of Andy's film skills to make a little music video. The video posted here was envisioned, filmed, and edited all in an entire day. We enlisted our friend MC to play the female role, since she has a flair for pageantry, and seems to have quite the costume stash. If you look closely you can even see a gold necklace with her full name, Marie Christine. How classy is that? The dancing bride was a serendipitous addition to the video, as she just happened to be getting photographed in the park, and didn't mind playing along.

If you're interested in hearing the Archibalds, check out their MySpace page.

The Scariest Pumpkin of All

2007-11-02T08:08:00.001-07:00

Well, October has come and gone, and with it the holiday that encourages our creativity, and tests our ability to carve likenesses out of the sallowed flesh of pumpkins. Andy chose to use his blank canvas, as many an artist do, to offer us a subtle commentary on the powers-that-be, and perhaps a glimpse into his worst nightmares realized. The likeness of this pumpkin, in case you couldn't tell, resembles our current Vice President, Dick Cheney, and was modeled after last week's cover of the New Yorker, a sketch of what I'm sure many would agree, is the scariest pumpkin of all. And what's equally scary, and just a little weird, is the recent announcement that Cheney and Obama are somehow distantly related! What!?? Yes, according to a press release a couple of weeks ago, Lynne Cheney revealed that while researching the family tree for her recent book, "Blue Skies, No Fences," she discovered her husband and presidential hopeful Barack Obama were eighth cousins, both descendants of a French Huguenot named Mareen Duvall. Yikes, that's a little spooky. I wonder if this little piece of information will matter one way or another to American voters. And does this mean if we elect Obama that we've participated in the perpetuation of dynasties in American politics? Well, it's a stretch but they are related. And Dick Cheney has now been a part of four administrations--Nixon, Ford, Bush Sr., and W. And by the way, if we were to elect and then re-elect Hillary, the nation will have endured 28 consecutive years of governing by the same two families, the other of course being La Familia Bush. There's a Hendrik Hertzberg piece in the Talk of the Town of the aforementioned New Yorker issue that discusses the history of dynastic politics. Check it out, it's really interesting.

I chose a more light-hearted subject for my Halloween pumpkin, a simple black cat, Zooey's doppelgänger if you will.

Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

2007-10-29T13:36:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday, Andy and I played dress-up, and attended the College of Communications annual Hall of Fame-- a black-tie affair held at the North River Yacht Club, a stronghold of Tuscaloosa's wealthy businessman Jack Warner. Warner is the President of Gulf States Paper, but also dabbles in the Arts (as all well-respected billionaires do), owning one of the largest personal collections of early American art in the world. His museum, housed in a former hunting lodge, displays paintings from the 17th-20th centuries, and according to most is quite an impressive exhibit (I have yet to visit). Anyway, that's Warner in the painting behind us. We found it comical that he had a portrait made of himself as a free-spirited cowboy, servin' up coffee for all his "pardners" on the range. Oh, and I should point out that he is not even dead yet! Don't you think it's a little premature to have a portrait of yourself hanging in the entryway of one of the buildings you own? As for the rest of the decor, it was a mix of marine-related oil paintings, mounted deer heads, and more cowboy-themed art, all woven into a seemingly patriotic melange, a shameless display of opulence reminiscent of the Gilded Age.

But enough about Jack Warner. The event itself was a tribute to this year's inductees to the College of Communication's Hall of Fame. Every year, the college selects several noteworthy Alabamians and honors them for their work. It's quite a soirée, with a bonafide cocktail hour, which I might add included delicious appetizers and a snappy little jazz band, and a full blown dinner. This year's MC was even a celebrity--ABC News Correspondant John Cochran (apparently, he's from Alabama). In addition, the Center for Public Television (Andy's employer) produces a short video about each of the inductees. One of this year's most notable inductees was Charles Moore, the famed Civil Rights photographer, who captured so poignantly on celluloid the early fight for desegregation in Montgomery, the integration at Ole Miss, and the demonstrations in Birmingham (think fire hoses, police dogs). Andy produced the segment on Moore, and included some of Moore's most famous photographs, set to a background of one of the theme songs of the Movement, "Keep Your Eyes on the Prize". Needless to say, there were not a lot of dry eyes in the audience when the lights came up. If your interested, some of Moore's best photos of the Movement are collected in the book, “Powerful Days: The Civil Rights Photography of Charles Moore”.
Also, you can see Andy's rough cut of the piece he made (without the professional narrator - see if you can spot the voice) below. Warning, though - it's 6 minutes and a huge file. Probably will take a few minutes to download (Dialup? Wait for the DVD...).

The Kitty Thermometer

2007-10-25T15:02:00.001-07:00

Well, according to our kitty thermometer it looks like the 'cat days' of summer have finally left us! Yes, the cold weather has arrived, and with that our cat Franny's transition from spread eagle pose under the fans, to cozy kitten pose on our bed. Our transition into fall has also been noticeable. Gone is the cacophony of the air compressors buzzing in the neighborhood. Gone are the hot and sweaty bike rides home from work, forcing Andy to traipse around the house shirtless. Gone are the days where we opt for cooking supper on the grill outside, in order to spare our house the 10 degree temperature rise that occurs when we use the gas range. We've swapped our shorts and tees for sweaters, boggans, and warm pantaloons. And we get to use our seat heaters in the Volkswagen!

Here's to sweatless days and cozy nights! Happy Fall!

Football, Art, and Sedaris...Oh, My!

2007-10-22T14:39:00.001-07:00

Another eventful weekend has come and gone. And this time, we managed to pack in just about everything. From a celebratory low-country boil in honor of Andy's Uncle Reb's passage into his sixth decade, to a Saturday Crimson Tide victory over Tennessee, to an outdoor Arts Festival, and finally to a David Sedaris reading in Birmingham (ok, only I got to go to that). Whew. So you can see why this post is so late. I was recovering.

Yes, the third weekend in October is much anticipated by many Tuscaloosa residents. Every year some of the country's most celebrated folk artists gather against the woodsy backdrop of downtown Northport (our neighboring town), to wow us with their creations, and to tempt those with deep pockets. At this year's Kentuck Festival of the Arts there were over 250 artists offering their wares, many of which have national notoriety, like the Quilters of Gee's Bend and Annie T., the daughter of Mose T., who has taken up where her father left off. And of course there's always a couple of good bluegrass bands playing, and the opportunity to indulge in some good ole Southern Fried-ness. Who wouldn't be tempted by foot long corn dogs, and various other meats on a stick? And what about funnel cakes? It takes me back to my days at the carnival and various amusement parks, chowing down with all the other fat (excuse me, "heavy set") kids!

But in addition to Kentuck, the third weekend in October also brings arch rivals Tennessee (second only to Auburn in the nemesis line) and Alabama to the football field. This year the Vols came to us, so those loyal fans who also like Art, had to miss Saturday at the Festival to support the Team. And disappointed they were not. The upset that ensued renewed faith in those that thought our season was on the downturn.

And what can I say about my evening with David Sedaris? He was a hoot as always. Lots and lots of laughter all around.

Don't They Ever Stop?

2007-10-16T12:49:00.001-07:00

Well, the conservative pundits are at it again. This time, they've decided to make an issue out of Al Gore's recent Nobel Peace Prize win. I mean I'm all for freedom of speech, but come on, this is just ridiculous! And of course leading the smear campaign with a fresh fist full of mud, is none other than (insert your own drum roll here)...the bastion of conservative politics, the kings of opinionated blather, and the downfall of the American media--Fox News. In what's sure to have taken up hours of programming, Fox News decided to challenge the Nobel Committee's selection and to undermine Gore's Peace Prize credibility. On 'Hannity and Colmes', Sean Hannity calls Gore a hypocrite for using a private jet, touting (as the evidential video plays for us viewers) that "[Gore] doesn't exactly follow or adhere to his own environmental preachings", and asking as the talking heads pop up for debate, "does [Gore] deserve to win the Nobel Prize?". In another segment, a commentator remarks smugly, "What do Al Gore, Yassar Arafat, and that crazy Jimmy Carter all have in common?" ("They all won the Nobel Peace Prize?" says the other commentator off-screen). Although, you can view any of the aforementioned clips on YouTube, I've chosen to feature the most outlandish of them all. Just when you think it couldn't get any absurder, some idiot (who happens to be a columnist for the New York Sun) goes on national television claiming that General Petraeus should have won the Prize instead. Oh brother, will they ever shut up?

Our Man Al

2007-10-13T16:08:00.001-07:00

"Al, Al, he's our man, if he can't do it, no one can!"

Well, it's official. Al Gore has joined the ranks of history's most notable movers and shakers. When life handed him lemons, he didn't just make lemonade. He kept going, churning his 2000 presidential defeat into numerous tasty lemon desserts, which some may argue (based on photos of a post-election Gore of some girth), he subsequently ate. Anyway, I'm not here to make fat jokes, but I think we can all agree that being upstaged by a ninny like W. when the popular vote was in the bag, is enough to turn a man (not to mention a nation) to the proverbial tub of ice cream. His fluctuating weight aside, Al didn't let those hanging chads get him down. No siree. He made a step or two or thousand in the right direction, as he, along with his trusty PowerPoint, traveled from city to city, town to town, and country to country, speaking up and out for our endangered Earth.

Gore was first honored in February when the film "An Inconvenient Truth", which follows his climate change crusade, won an Academy Award for best documentary. And now, along with U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, he has snagged one of the highest honors, the Nobel Peace Prize--a feat that although monumental, has many wondering "is there a glitch in the matrix"? Yes, finally there's a little vindication for our administration's dismissal of the climate crisis. An administration who pulled out of the Kyoto Protocol and started a war over oil. An administration that unfortunately has so many media mouthpieces that the truth gets spun into party-speak, modified and twisted into something politically expedient, so that half the country is confusing opinion with fact. One thing's for sure, this presidency has been an example of the power of repetition--if you say something over and over again and believe it to be true even if it's not, people will start to believe it if they hear it enough times. And I think that's part of what happened with climate change. There is a conservative rhetoric (just like with most issues) that is perpetuated by the 24 hour news pundits, and a very noticeable bias in reporting. But now, the Nobel Committee has made a nod in the appropriate direction. By honoring the work of Gore and the UN Panel, they've legitimated the issue and endorsed it as a real problem that needs tackling.

Any way you look at it, Gore's achievement has people talking. For many "Draft Gore for President" hopefuls, it is just more fuel to throw on the fire. I was surprised to find that a simple Google search of "draft Gore" brings up seven different websites whose mission is all the same--to convince Al Gore to run for President in 2008. The poster featured in this blog is from one such site (http://www.draftgore.com). And on the same site you can watch a cheesy promo called "Al Gore the Hope for America" that likens Gore to JFK, and evokes emotion b y using a duo of sentimental music and old black and white photographs of Al growing up in Tennessee, not to mention lots (and I mean lots) of pictures of him with children. It's an interesting request, and not a half bad idea. I guess we'll have to wait and see if he changes his mind. But for now, kudos are in order. Thanks Al for waking us up.

The March to Mount LeConte

2007-10-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

This weekend we packed up and headed for the mountains, leaving the stands of Bryant-Denny in Tuscaloosa for the stands of hardwood and evergreen trees in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Our hopes of solitude were quickly dashed however, when we encountered the droves of tourists on the slow march through Pigeon Forge, many I'm sure on their way to Dollywood or Splash Mountain, or some other terribly kitchy and over-priced activity promised to guarantee good old-fashioned "family fun". Pigeon Forge is unlike any other town I've been to on the outskirts of a national park. I'm not sure when exactly the town received its neon-light enema, but it seems entrepreneurs wagered well, setting up shop along a heavily traveled thoroughfare, hoping to lure in many a passers-by. At some point, I guess people stopped coming for the park, and went straight for the countrified ritz and glitz. But to be fair, it's not as if Pigeon Forge is the only place sucking up all the tourists, because there's also plenty of them within the park itself. After all, the Great Smoky Mountains is the most heavily trafficked (and thus, most polluted) of all national parks, which might have something to do with the lack of a park entrance fee (the only national park without one!). And just so I don't sound too pretentious and cynical, when I was a kid, I did make visits to both Dollywood and the Smokies, and as I recall enjoyed both of the experiences. Although for the record, I only went to Dollywood once and probably visited the Smokies more than a half a dozen times, and I have much fonder memories of jumping in swimming holes with my Dad, hiking Cades Cove with the family, and trying to catch glimpses of black bears in their natural and not so natural habitats.

Part of the larger Appalachian Mountain chain, the Smokies provide evidence of the ancient suture between the North American and African subcontinents, an event that occurred roughly 200-300 million years ago when the two landmasses collided, folding and faulting rocks, and uplifting the entire range to heights that at one time would have surpassed those boasted by the present-day Rocky Mountains. Our hike led us to the summit of Mt. LeConte, the third highest peak in the Smokies at 6,593 feet in elevation, by way of the Alum Cave Bluffs Trail, a 10 mile trek from start to finish. The trail was lush with vegetation, and offered us a variety of tree species throughout our ascent. We began our walk through towering thickets of rhododendron, which were so tall that they formed a sort of topiary wall between us and the rest of the forest, and continued through huge stands of hardwoods like oak, maple, and American beech. Many of the dramatic vistas we encountered on the trail revealed the brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges of the first few days of the fall season, but also the dying populations of the Eastern Hemlock, which is losing its battle with the woolly adelgid, a tiny non-native insect. At the highest elevations, we enjoyed the aromas of the Fraser fir and red spruce trees (christmas trees!) as we transitioned into a predominately evergreen stand, giving our finish a certain holiday feel. But don't be fooled, I wasn't only looking at the trees! As I hard-rock geologist, I was especially excited to be walking over, around, and beside Late Proterozoic (~600-800 million years old) metamorphic rocks , consisting mainly of slate and localized pockets of phyllite, schist, and quartzite (see below). We were hiking with two other geologists, so it was a lot of rock talk when we got to geologically interesting areas. One such spot was the Alum Cave Bluffs, which as the name might reveal, was once a site of heavy aluminum sulfate (or potash alum) mining. This site also gives evidence of the huge compressional forces that were at work during mountain building--large pods of metamorphosed sandstone bodies have been flattened and stretched during deformation, and tiny faults and folds can be seen throughout the overhang (see below).

When we reached the summit, we had a quick lunch break and tour of the surroundings before beginning our return descent. It was considerably cooler up top, and I celebrated the fact that I was wearing long sleeves for the first time in several months (I want it to be cold now!) Atop of Mt. LeConte, there are a handful of small guest cabins and a restaurant, which is for paying guests only. The modest and simple facilities were constructed in 1926 and are open from March-November. All of their supplies are either helicoptered in, or carried in on llamas. It's quite a place. But, the summit of Mt. LeConte still falls some 600 feet short of our home back in Laramie, Wyoming!

Rashmi posing on the (slaty) cleavage she'll never have.

Alum Cave Bluff, 2.8 miles from the Summit. Check out that huge quartzite pod in the background!

Taking it all in.

Almost there...

The LeConte Lodge, summit 6,593 ft.

A room with a view!

A Frasier fir leans within a hedge of mountain laurel at the summit.

Wish that I was on 'ole Rocky Top... (he he just kidding)

Aw shucks. That's a cute couple, even it they are all blurry.

Blessed are the Peacemakers

2007-10-02T17:40:00.000-07:00

"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind"--M. Gandhi

Peace Ya"ll. No, seriously peace! The UN has declared today the International Day of Peace and Non-violence, which non-coincidentally falls on the day of the Mahatma's birth (October 2, 1869). And since we are in the midst of wartime, it doesn't hurt to stop and think about our peace pioneers, Gandhi of course being our premier guru in teaching the culture of peace and tolerance. As his beloved India struggled to break free of the British Raj, Gandhi preached the message of unity, and called his people to civil disobedience and peaceful protest. He walked. In one instance, 240 miles from Sabarmati (home of the Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, Gujarat) to the Dandi coast to protest the British salt tax. He fasted. Sometimes for as long as 3 weeks, to protest communal violence and governmental non-cooperation. He meditated. These were his weapons. Powerful, yet simple actions and reactions to injustice and violence.

To celebrate today's significance, the University sponsored 108 minutes of yoga on the Quad, and a lecture by a Political Science professor who recently returned from a Fulbright Fellowship in New Delhi. The slide show and discussion were followed by tasty Indian treats--samosas, channa masala, and chutneys galore! We ate. And then we ate again, toasting Gandhi and peace, somewhat ironically, with our plates full of food.

'Backstage' to premiere at the Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival

2007-09-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

Get your popcorn, cold drinks, Ju-Ju fruits! It's movie time! This weekend we're off to the Magic City for two days of film extravaganza at the 9th annual Sidewalk Moving Picture Festival. Yes, folks come from near and far to attend our homegrown film festival in Birmingham, which this year boasts some 150 films. Andy's recently completed documentary, 'Backstage', about a community theater in Guntersville, AL and their adaptation of "To Kill A Mockingbird", will make its world premiere on Sunday afternoon (September 30). For those of you who didn't know and wanna come, the show starts at 4:30 pm at the Birmingham Museum of Art (Google maps link here). It'll cost you $7 to get in, and you can buy your tickets at the door. Hope to see you there! If not, I'll have an update up next week. Check out the trailer to 'Backstage' below.

Dexa-What?

2007-09-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

It's time for another mid-week post. Just when you thought to yourself: "Well, there's no blog update, I guess Rashmi and Andy had another lame-o weekend", badda-bing I throw a curve ball at you from left field. And everybody knows you can't throw a curve ball from left field. Ha! See how I can turn my mumbled-jumbled colloquialisms into something usable, and more importantly something to chuck down the 'ole humor grist mill?

Another football game befell us this weekend, this time bringing with it our boys from the ATL--Ryan and Nate Judd. They joined us on Friday night for a little convivial drinking at the DCDC, before it was time for Andy to suit up for his filming gig on the Strip. For those of you who don't know, Andy's latest project is a cinema verite documentary about the Tuscaloosa band, the Dexateens. And as is the case many a time, the film's continuum demands his presence, even if it is on weekend nights, or a 10-day tour through Europe. Life's hard when your a university paid filmmaker! So off we all went, merrily down to the Club for an evening of rock and roll. Nate and Ryan and their baby blues almost made it through the first two bands, but in the end had to call it a night, after one too many head nods, and dreams of the Big Sleep. Unfortunately, their body clocks weren't cutting them any slack that night. I sat on, fighting sleep myself, until the Dexateens played, and Andy finished filming. Below you can see a promotional clip of Andy's new film about the band, composed of footage obtained from his UK/Europe trip. Beware expletives abound! (what do you expect, it's rock and roll?)

Well, in the interest of keeping this blog fresh, I'll cutback on my football talk this week. On saturday we took to our pre-game routine, also welcoming back into town Ma and Paw Grace, who joined us for Bama's first loss of the season against Georgia. That's all she wrote!

Hog Tide

2007-09-19T19:37:00.001-07:00

I'm a little out of order here, but I didn't want to leave Alabama's defeat over Arkansas last Saturday unaccounted for. As you can see (exhibit A far left), a few have deemed this victory one for the history books, and have taken to posting their used ticket stubs as souvenir kitsch on Ebay. Crazy, you say? Maybe, but the game itself was one that would make any Alabama fan, or even sports enthusiastic think of preserving evidence of their eyewitness. Alabama's initial 21-0 lead was slowly toppled as the Arkansas Razorbacks came from behind, gaining speed and touchdowns to eventually lead at 38-31 with 8 minutes to go in the game. If this was last year, or the year before that, or any other Shula-coached year, my story would stop here. An Alabama victory in the 4th quarter was not to be had in those days. But during this season, in the year Two-Thousand-Saban (that's the word on the street at least), the outcome would be different. In those last agonizing minutes, the Tide rallied, scoring a field goal and a final touchdown, bringing the score to 41-38 and the clock to an eight measly seconds. It was truly a spectacle, and even I was on the edge of my seat, doubled over, my stomach a mix of nervousness and excitement. I guess somewhere during the four quarters I tumbled off the precipice into Fan-Dom.

In attendance that weekend was La Familia Grace--Paw and Ma Grace, little Sis Sarah and hubbie Luke--and Uncles and Aunts from the Beck side (Reb and Diane, Murray and Diane). Reb and Diane drove (I don't know the proper verb to use here sorry) their boat from Guntersville to Tuscaloosa and tied up to a bunch of other boats on the lock wall of the Black Warrior River (Reb's usual Game-Day parking place). We had a great time brunching with everyone pre-game (see photos below), but were soon off to a friend's 'Hog Tide' tailgate where with the exception of a short jaunt to the Quad we spent the remainder of the day before the evening kick-off. We're up for some more of the same this weekend. The Georgia game will bring with it our friends from ATL, the Judd boys (we'll miss you Lane and Sarah)!

The 4 R's: Reading, 'Riting, 'Rithmetic, and Race?

2007-09-18T18:24:00.000-07:00

For most of us, Governor Wallace's infamous stand in the schoolhouse door at the University of Alabama was just a piece of history that we learned about in social studies class--a reminder of our tortured past as Alabamians, and our tenuous relationship with race. Today in 2007, forty four years later, the ugly "R" word again rears its head in Tuscaloosa, as new school district rezoning has many community citizens outraged at what looks an awful lot like "resegregation". In an effort to assuage the overcrowding that has plagued Tuscaloosa City Schools, the powers-that-be have drawn up a suspiciously unequal rezoning plan, which is forcing mainly black students to relocate to low-performing schools. Naturally black parents are furious, and are turning to the Bush Administration's controversial 'No Child Left Behind Act' for legal recourse. The law itself gives parents the option of moving their child from a failing school to a better one, and as such renders the school board's relocation plan as somewhat illegal. Unfortunately, having not previously followed the local news coverage, I first read of the story when it was picked up yesterday in the New York Times (read it here). The school that was pictured in the article, University Place School, is actually just down the street from our house.

The majority of the low-performing schools in Tuscaloosa are found in an almost exclusively black part of town, called the "West End"--an economically struggling area that has only one grocery store and no bank, but is instead populated by numerous predatory lending businesses, and whose denizens fall mainly into the low-income bracket. Virtually all of these schools did not make what is called "Adequate Yearly Progress", or AYP, the Department of Education's standard for holding school's accountable, and had failing scores in reading and math testing. Today, as part of my second volunteer job at the Center for Community-Based Partnerships at UA, I visited one of these sub-standard schools in the West End, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Elementary School, where we are implementing a reading initiative. Because MLK is a struggling school, it qualifies to receive "Supplemental Educational Services" under No Child Left Behind. Though today's trip was mainly reconaissance, the program will begin in full swing next month. I don't know yet if I'll be on the ground, working hands-on with the kids, but even if I'm not, my involvement with this type of educational outreach is really teaching me a lot.

Although there doesn't seem to be one good answer to fixing the race gap in education, the recent re-zoning legislation definitely seems like a step in the wrong direction. But to look on the flip side, the work being done by the Center and also organizations like the United Way, are real positives for Tuscaloosa schools. And at least somebody is making strides towards educational renewal, even if they are just baby steps.

Thirty, Flirty, and Thriving

2007-09-12T22:15:00.000-07:00

This weekend a few friends gathered in Baltimore to help their favorite Mississippi darling welcome in her thirtieth year. And what's more is, we decided to make it a surprise. While we came together to celebrate our friend, I couldn't help but think we were also celebrating the decade-long friendships that had begun their course while at Sewanee. We met Kelly when she was 19 years old, a wide-eyed gal with a contagious laugh, ready to take on the world (or at least some Art History classes) in those Abercrombie & Fitch corduroy shorts, paired with a matching tee or tank, tucked just so. In fact, the "front tuck" would become her signature look, and we all envied her knack for fashion forwardness. She was one of a kind, and we knew it instantly. Long story short, we've been spectators of and participants in her life for 11 years and counting. How could we possibly miss the big 3-0?

So like vultures on road kill, we descended upon the city (but not as expediently as our feathered foes, due to missed flights and long airport delays), and giggled with delight as we thought of our Kelly finding us hunched and huddled expectantly on her back porch. Mike, Kelly’s beau, had so exuberantly rallied us to the cause, and we the players—the Graces, Shaffers (long live the Queen!), and soon to be wed Foreman-Trahans—were ready for the task set upon us. However, our army was not quite complete and we missed the likes of our compatriots Monsieur and Mademoiselle Doss and of course Fraulein Martha Lynn (soon to be made an honest Frau herself). We made a note of our losses, and took to the front lines, vowing to throw ourselves whole-heartedly into the shock and awe campaign that was our surprise party. In the time leading up to Kelly’s arrival, we went over our plan of action many times, carefully working out our greeting, practicing voice cadences, and experimenting with pre- and post-surprise formations. Needless to say when our guest of honor finally arrived, tired and weary from her long day on the hospital floor, game-faces on, we launched our surprise attack with success.

The rest of the weekend was a happy blur. Once the initial surprise was out of the way, and Kell came to believe we were really there and not just a figment of her daze and moderate alcohol buzz, on came the next surprise--we would be kicking her out of her bed for 3 whole nights! Yes, we the players, her near and dear, forced the poor 30 year-old onto the floor. Alas, had we no scruples? But she obliged, and we allowed her generosity. On Saturday, we awoke to a glorious brunch prepared by the hands of Kelly's Baltimore gang, Mike and his roommate Tom, Maria and Lucia, and enjoyed it leisurely on the front porch well into the afternoon. The evening took us to Camden Yards, to enjoy America's favorite past time, and consequently America's favorite baseball team the Red Sox take on the hometown Baltimore Orioles . We stood, over-priced hot dogs and beers in hand, above the Bull Pen and watched as the score steadily climbed in favor of the Orioles. Rachel and Josh waited patiently for Matsuzaka, the famed Red Sox pitcher, to make his way into the Bull Pen, but were equally excited when the other Japanese pitcher, Okajima, took notice of their shouts in Japanese. The night wore on, and we bid adieu to Kristin and Shaffer, who left us for their warm bed awaiting them in DC. No sporting event experience is complete without a photo with a crazy fan. So before heading out, we jumped in for a shot with a Red Sox fan who painted his head like a baseball ("Baseball Head"), who seemed to be a popular photo sidekick the entire evening (see below). Sunday brought a new addition to our posse, my sister Shashi, who drove in from DC for an afternoon of lazy river tubing in the quiet town of Monkton, MD. We settled into our tubes, after acclimating to the very chilly waters, then reserved ourselves to a couple hours of floating fun, where we tossed the tennis ball, bumped into rocks, dodged some logs, enjoyed the picturesque landscape, and laughed at how slow Josh was floating. Oh, and Rachel even encountered a snake! The day kept lending itself to new opportunities--it was my first time tubing, and then later that evening I would also have my first go at breaking into some Maryland crabs. But then there was Monday. And as the familiar cliche reminds us, all good things must come to an end. And so it did.

So Kelly, thank you for your thirty years. And for enriching eleven of mine! Events like these remind me of my blessings, and perhaps my luck that friends such as these would have stumbled upon my path. Here's to more celebrations in the years to come! (P.S. Check back for the video later, Andy has got to figure out how to capture HD footage)

Roll Tide Roll

2007-09-02T09:03:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again. A sea of crimson-clad fans converged upon Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday ready to welcome in another season of Alabama football, and rally behind the man they hope can bring the Tide back to national prominence. Even though I've lived in Tuscaloosa for one full football season (the first fall we were here, I skipped out and went to India), it is always kind of overwhelming when I take my first step into the stadium and remember the enormity of it all. And I'm not talking just about the size of the stadium, but also about the weight that football holds in the region. Even as an Alabamian myself, I still look at football season in Tuscaloosa as a bit of an unknown quantity, a cultural gem that begs to be observed and studied and picked apart. And as such, I always feel a little detached during the first game--like an outsider with her anthropological notepad observing the species in their natural habitat...

Andy and I joined the ranks of the other 90,000 plus folks, and made a day of it. Living close to campus, we took our bikes first to a fun little Bloody Mary tailgate at a friend's house, then weaved through the hordes of people walking up and down and around the Strip and the Quad. We landed for our traditional pre-game drink and cheer at the watering hole of choice, Egan's bar. Then on to the stadium for an introduction to what folks are calling "The Great Saban Experiment" (Saban is the hyped new coach). Several touchdowns and Roll Tides later, and the damage had been done. The team had ushered in a new season and a new coach with a whopping 52-6 defeat over Western Carolina. And so it begins...

Albert Maysles Visits the Druid City

2007-08-31T07:48:00.001-07:00

It's not often in life that we get a chance to meet our heroes, let alone interview them. Today, celebrated documentary filmmaker Albert Maysles visited the campus of UA, and participated in an informal Q&A session facilitated by our very own Andy Grace. The Maysles brothers (brother David is now deceased) were responsible for a number of classic documentaries in the late sixties, early seventies, the most well known of which were "Salesman" (1968), a look into the lives of four Bible salesman, "Gimme Shelter" (1970), about the 1969 Rolling Stones' concert tour that culminated at Altamont, and "Grey Gardens" (1975), a moving portrait of the eccentric Bouvier-Beales in their dilapidated East Hampton mansion. There has a been a recent resurgence in the film Grey Gardens, due to it's success as a Broadway musical this year. And I must say if you are ever in the Big Apple, you must see this show! Christine Ebersole gives a remarkable performance as Little Edie--I think she even won the Tony. We got a chance to see the musical this March while visiting NYC, and it was quite literally one of the best pieces of art I've ever seen. Not to mention packed with show-stoppin' tunes that really give Little Edie her place in the sun (finally!).

After a charming hour with the famous octogenarian, replete with insights into filmmaking, vignettes of his current projects (he's working on a film called "In Transit" about encounters in trains), as well as a look into the future of the documentary medium, I got to ride on some coat tails and join the big wigs for lunch. Unfortunately, I got stuck at the "kid's table" with four other people, and except for the occasional eavesdropping, missed out on Andy chattin' up his American idol. But I can't complain, because it's not everyday that T-town receives a non-football associated celebrity!

When the Levees Broke

2007-08-29T20:11:00.000-07:00

Has it really been two years since Katrina? It's hard to believe that it was two years ago that Andy and I threw our housewarming party, right smack dab during the weekend that Katrina was feeding off all that warm air over the Atlantic, rapidly morphing from a Category 3 to a Category 5 level storm. While we were drinking beer and playing bocce bag, nature was getting ready to throw its first punch to the Gulf Coast. I remember thinking it was odd that Katherine made the trek to Tuscaloosa, laundry bag in tow, but thank God she did, because she would need those extra clothes when forced to temporarily relocate post-storm. She would not return to New Orleans after the festivities were over.

It all seems kind of surreal now. We watched the news coverage, the lines of cars exiting the city, the lines of people entering the Superdome, all the while hoping that the storm would lose some steam before it decided to make it's landfall. And then we woke up the next morning, and it seemed that the storm had done just that. Sure there was damage, but New Orleans had been spared. We sighed. We were relieved. And then before we could draw our next breath, it began. The levees broke (click here to see the graphic). We returned to the television. We watched in agony as the city began to flood, as the water level in the bathtub kept getting higher and higher. We watched while the people in the Superdome waited. Waited for food, water, rescue. We watched a cityscape change into a lake of submerged houses, with little black dots on the roofs. And we watched to see what our government would do. And we waited.

Two years later and the people of New Orleans are still waiting. Andy made this video ('Tourist of the Apocalypse') when we went down for New Years in 2005. We were shocked that 4 months after the storm, little progress had been made. But now, after 2 years I'm appalled that more has not been done. And that Bush continues to tout: "We're still paying attention. We understand", while many neighborhoods have not yet recovered, while health care continues to struggle (click here to listen to a NPR story about the mental health care crisis), while crime sores (click here to listen to Katherine's friend Eve deliver a NPR commentary), while the levees are still not fixed, and while most everything about New Orleans is still in a state of temporary disrepair (at least let's hope it's temporary).

Even though Katrina reminds us that our relationship with nature is tenuous, and that our attempts to control nature are often thwarted, I don't doubt for one second that New Orleans won't fight back. It's got tenacity, spunk, and a spirit that is not easily dampened. People believe in New Orleans. People need New Orleans. I for one, will be heading south soon to reacquaint myself with the Crescent City. Po-boys and Dixie beers are calling...

My Secret Garden

2007-08-28T15:50:00.001-07:00

Welcome to The University of Alabama's Arboretum!

After a long summer of job searching, I decided to vent some frustrations and spend some time volunteering at the University's Arboretum. Unfortunately, I chose the hottest month of the summer to delve into the great outdoors. But despite the heat (and the skeets), the leafy walls of the arboretum were a welcomed respite from the sights and sounds of Tuscaloosa proper. So every morning a don my wide-brimmed gardening hat, put on the sunscreen, and let those pruning shears fly.

A birdhouse tree is a nice accoutrement to the garden of zinnias in the foreground.

A pair of passion flowers where butterfly larvae are known to make their home.

A view of the children's garden.

A butterfly meets its match.

The Fightin' Eighty-Second

2007-08-22T12:43:00.001-07:00

Over the last few weeks, the news has been inundated with reports of the largest toy recall in history. As millions upon millions of Mattel’s Chinese-made toys are being recalled because of lead-based paint, I thought I might say a few words on the vicious antagonist in this story.

As a geologist I am well aware of the eighty-second element on Mendeleev’s periodic table. It is a poisonous heavy metal, a most capable neurotoxin, and a substance that has had quite a long tenure under the EPA’s regulatory control. Many believe lead to have poisoned the Roman Empire, and thus in a manner of speaking, contributed to its eventual demise. In that time, lead was routinely added to wine in order to sweeten the taste. It could be found in make-up, pots and pans, water pipes, and in coined currency. Up until the late-seventies/early eighties, when the EPA stepped in, lead could be found in products like gasoline and paint. And as we have gathered from recent events, lead can still pop-up when we least expect it—in mass-produced sweatshop toys, in old houses, in our soil and water, and even in the air we breathe.

Although the old skull and crossbones pretty much sum up the lead lexicon these days, I would like to offer an alternative side to lead. Like for example, I bet few are aware that when allowed to form compounds, lead can contribute to some spectacular mineral specimens. Paired with sulfur, the two make galena, the metallic mineral that is the stuff of marine hydrothermal vents called black smokers, and also of ore deposits; with carbonate, comes cerussite—a mineral, which often forms beautiful cream-colored prismatic crystals; with vanadium, the uncommon mineral vanadinite springs to life, bringing with it vibrant hues of red and orange; and the list goes on. Lead’s isotopes (atoms of the same element that have a different number of neutrons) are important players in the field of geochronology (i.e. the dating of rocks, minerals, sediments, and fossils). The radioactive decay of various isotopes of uranium and thorium, produce the radiogenic lead isotopes—206Pb, 207Pb, 208Pb—which, consequently can be used in tandem with their respective parent isotopes, as well as the naturally occurring 204Pb, to act as geologic clocks to the specimen in question. The U-Pb geochronology method has been used to date meteorites and lunar rocks, as a proxy for the age of our own Earth. And it’s been used to date the earliest remnants of our Earth's crust, the 3.0-3.5 billion year old rocks of places like Wyoming, Canada, South Africa, and Western Australia.

Even though lead will most likely keep its current reputation as a deadly nuisance, we know that in the field of geology, lead will at least boast a few redeemable characteristics.

No Fan Left Behind

2007-08-16T22:58:00.000-07:00

"Oh, I wish I was in the land of cotton, fat folks
there are not forgotten, Look Away! Look Away! Look Away! Dixie Land." Ok, so I tweaked the lyrics just a bit, but it works doesn't it?

Just in case you needed proof that Alabama indeed has an obesity problem (a whopping #2 in the nation, bringing up the rear behind Mississippi), here she blows. As part of the "No Fan Left Behind" program, this Bama souvenir store decided to go truly egalitarian and accommodate everybody--and i mean, every body. After 5XL made its autumn debut to much acclaim two years ago, the design team decided that with a little sweat and tears, they could have the 6XL ready in time for the 2007 season. That's a whole lotta Bama Pride. Here you go Saban, six fans for the price of one. The question is are they making Auburn t-shirts that big?

Keep Em Separated, Remembering Partition

2007-08-15T21:31:00.000-07:00

“Long years ago we made a tryst with destiny, and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge…At the stroke of the midnight hour, while the world sleeps, India will awake to life and freedom. A moment comes, which comes but rarely in history, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the soul of a nation, long suppressed, finds utterance…”
-Jawaharlal Nehru,
August 14, 1947

Sixty years ago today India became a free and independent nation, casting off the shackles of an interminable despot, and being born anew. At the stroke of midnight on August 14, 1947, the British would at last officially quit India, leaving recklessly behind fragments of its Empire to wrestle and writhe alone in its new state. As it emerged from the dark chasm of birth, the bastard child of imperialism was left gasping for air. Gandhi’s vision of unity was immediately supplanted by an onslaught of sectarian violence, and accompanied by a mass exodus of biblical proportions, as millions of Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs struggled to find their rightful place within India’s newly drawn borders.

The last viceroy to India, Lord Louis Mountbatten was dispatched to India in March of 1947, and given the task of hastening Indian independence. What resulted in a little over five months time was the partitioning of ‘Mother India’ (and its 562 princely states) into two independent nation-states: the secular India, which consequently was a Hindu majority, and the Muslim Pakistan. Though many charge Mountbatten’s expedient division as the catalyst for communal bloodshed, giving one man the responsibility of neatly stitching up nearly one hundred years of imperial rule can hardly be considered a cakewalk. Scapegoat or not, posterity is most likely to remember Mountbatten as a symbol, or at least a product of the British Empire’s lasting hubris. And what of poor Cyril Radcliffe, the London barrister, who was commissioned with the impossible task of drawing India’s new borders? Doomed from the get-go, having never before set foot upon the land he was soon to so inappropriately divide, Radcliffe’s uncertain pencil lines are also cited as a trigger for the carnage that followed partition, as well as the Hindu-Muslim/India-Pakistan tensions that continue today. And of course, we know what became of Kashmir. Neither Pakistan nor India successfully sequestered the former princely state, and over time this disputed region has been the site of three Indo-Pakistani wars, and arguably will remain a stalemate for more years to come.

And sixty years later, what has the United States gleaned from history’s lesson in nation building? As the U.S occupation of Iraq presses on toward the five-year mark, and the debate over exit strategies grows louder, the sectarian violence continues unabated. And one has to wonder if a little bit of history might manage to repeat itself.

For those interested in the subject of Indian partition there is a new book out: “Indian Summer” by Alex von Tunzelmann. Read the reviews from the Houston Chronicle and the New Yorker. And an old favorite of course is "Freedom At Midnight" by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre.

Happy Birthday India!