Road Trip

Sorry for the temporary silence, I've been as delinquent as Yo/Mo, and even, dare I say it, Ms. U!! Or is it Mrs. U. now, how does that work when you keep your last name? I guess it won't matter, since she'll soon be Dr. U...and we won't be allowed to make direct eye contact, or show her our backs as we exit a room...

But I digress. Been a tough couple of days. But now we're at the AAPA meetings in lovely downtown Columbus...which actually is pretty nice, in a comfy hotel, surrounded by folks who like dead people and monkeys. Fun to reconnect. Very easy drive too ('specially since Shannon did it all) -- for which I am SOOOO grateful, given the number of airlines that have suspended service in the last week. Lots of folks got caught in the mess.

Tomorrow the students present their first posters. Pictures to follow. Then a big ND/former field school students dinner, which is always fun. For those not with us...keep your eyes peeled for a postcard!

Reflective Day

I've been listening to quite a few stories about MLK today on NPR. It's the first time I've heard some of Bobby Kennedy's speeches (I was but a wee little peeper when he was alive). They are quite inspirational...and as appropriate today as they were in the volatile 60s.

They make me all the more sure of my vote for Obama. This country needs to be pulled out of its considerable slump -- his thoughtful, articulate, respectful, hope-filled...and dare I say peace-filled message, is not just "nice", it's necessary. He may be young (we're the same age, I think of him as a kid ;-), but seems intelligent enough to know his weaknesses, with the ability to accept disagreement from senior advisors (on his cabinet, for example).

I Did It

It's that time of year - totally buried with meeting preparation and NSF grant review reading. Therefore, I've done nothing but teach and sit in front of a computer screen. As such, I have nothing to write about.

'Cept this -- last week I bowed to the pressure of rampant consumerism and my abnormal affection for all things Mac - and bought an iPod Touch. I LOVE IT !!! Let's me get email any place there's wireless, and I'm amazed at the number of places where I can email. Today I had to take Maz to the vet, and they had an emergency so were running 45 minutes late. I got all sorts of work done thanks to a wireless connection. Hard to beat, and fun to use!

Photo Op

A former student (Jessica) coordinates an educational module about Antarctica, and one of my pictures is on the cover of this month's issue. It's one of my favorite non-penguin pictures, showing the ice layers at a volcano on one of the South Shetland islands. It's a fun site (with obvious good taste in graphic material, to boot ;-). Check it out at:

Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears: An Online Magazine for K-5 Teachers

Whatta Ya Mean "We," Kimosabe ??!

Today Condi said "we knew it would be tough, but we didn't know it would be this tough" speaking about Iraq. Wasn't it Cheney who said in 1998 and 2000 that they didn't go to Baghdad in Bush-41 because it would've been a quagmire??

Isn't he "we" ???!! The capital "W" in "WE"??

Spring Showers

Killer thunderstorms today! I stayed home this afternoon to work on our upcoming AAPA posters (easier to use my large computer screen here for the 200% size difference) and had 3 very attentive kitties hanging quite close as a result. Spring has sprung in the Midwest...

Bummer

Oh well, it was a good run while it lasted. Hopefully they will be welcomed back to campus with cheers.

Tennessee Defeats Irish in Sweet Sixteen
March 31, 2008

Missed One

Here's a story that should've been in the weekly "Random Bytes" - but it's good enough to stand alone. Although I question calling Joe Zias a "leading scholar", the article is a good summary of the controversy over the so-called "Jesus Tomb."

Not Dead Yet: The Lost of Tomb of Jesus
By Thomas F. Madden
NationalReviewOnline.com; March 21, 2008

Ice Hockey

Congrats Irish Icers, they're going to the Frozen Four. I have to admit, I didn't know there was a 'frozen four', but since this is apparently Notre Dame's first time qualifying for the event, it's a big deal on campus.

I hope there's comparable good news for women's basketball tonight.

Random Bytes

What's in a Passport File?All the information your bank tells you to keep secret, and more.
By Juliet Lapidos
Slate.com, March 24, 2008

Earth in Flux: An Antarctic Ice Shelf Crumbles
By Andrew C. Revkin
NYTimes.com, March 25, 2008

Bats Perish, and No One Knows Why
By TINA KELLEY
NYTimes.com,
March 25, 2008

Gay Scientists Isolate Christianity Gene
by Michael McGregor, March 28, 2008
The Daily Tube

Neanderthals wore make-up and liked to chat
by Dan Jones,
27 March 2008
NewScientist.com

Who's bad? Chimps figure it out by observation
March 26,2008; EurekAlert.com

Evolution Gets a Boost: No Cost for Complexity
By Brandon Keim,
March 27, 2008
Wired.com

Real Dedication (sort of)

Well...Earth Hour lasted 4 hours here. I fell sound asleep. Guess I really did my part for the globe ;-)

Cities Switch Off Lights for Earth Hour
By CARYN ROUSSEAU
AP, March 29, 2008
From the Sydney Opera House to Rome's Colosseum to the Sears Tower's famous antennas in Chicago, floodlit icons of civilization went dark Saturday for Earth Hour, a worldwide campaign to highlight the threat of climate change.

The environmental group WWF urged governments, businesses and households to turn back to candle power for at least 60 minutes starting at 8 p.m. wherever they were...."What's amazing is that it's transcending political boundaries and happening in places like China, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea," said Andy Ridley, executive director of Earth Hour. "It really seems to have resonated with anybody and everybody."

...In Chicago, lights on more than 200 downtown buildings were dimmed Saturday night, including the stripe of white light around the top of the John Hancock Center. The red-and-white marquee outside Wrigley Field also went dark.

"There's a widespread belief that somehow people in the United States don't understand that this is a problem that we're lazy and wedded to our lifestyles. (Earth Hour) demonstrates that that is wrong," Richard Moss, a member of the Nobel Peace Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

...In Sydney, Australia — where an estimated 2.2 million observed the blackout last year — the city's two architectural icons, the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, faded to black against a dramatic backdrop of a lightning storm.

Lights also went out at the famed Wat Arun Buddhist temple in Bangkok, Thailand; shopping and cultural centers in Manila, Philippines; several castles in Sweden and Denmark; the parliament building in Budapest, Hungary; a string of landmarks in Warsaw, Poland; and both London City Hall and Canterbury Cathedral in England.

Greece, an hour ahead of most of Europe, was the first on the continent to mark Earth Hour. On the isle of Aegina, near Athens, much of its population marched by candlelight to the port.

In Ireland, where environmentalists are part of the coalition government, lights-out orders went out for scores of government buildings, bridges and monuments in more than a dozen cities and towns.

Internet search engine Google lent its support to Earth Hour by blackening its normally white home page and challenging visitors: "We've turned the lights out. Now it's your turn."

We are ND

'Tis the season when thoughts turn to football. Our season ticket forms came today, and Michael and I will begin our ritual dance. We get our tickets together to have 4 seats in a row, and we send in the form together each year with a letter signed by "Father Driscoll" asking for better seats. It's a bit hard to complain, our seats are indeed pretty great already, but they aren't on the 50 yard line yet, so we have room to improve ;-)

We approach tickets quite differently. He has to counter my insatiable greed which would have us sell all the sets of 4 for a small fortune (even in bad years...of which this will be one). I have to counter his hospitality which would have guests in every weekend to fill the 4 seats for every game.

International Endeavor

Join "Earth Hour" and turn off all your lights & non-essential electrical items tomorrow from 8-9 pm. Apparently this is an activity sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund and a variety of major cities & companies around the world. Seems a pretty easy thing to do, and a nice sense of unity worldwide.

Earth Hour (North America)

Cat Bashing

Interesting program on Science Friday today about birds. I normally wouldn't care much, but having tried to take pictures of cool birds in Antarctica, I've gained a new appreciation (it's hard to do!). Also, they were unnecessarily harsh on cats for some reason... I know where my loyalties lie if sides have to be chosen!

Birds to Listen and Look For in Your Backyard

Death and Taxes

I've spent a chunk of this week pulling together my tax stuff, and I have to say, Huckabee's no income tax plan is looking pretty good at the moment. If the election were held right now, this very minute...I might just be able to overlook his fundamentalist, homophobic, anti-choice, creationist, death penalty platform temporarily...

Oh Happy Day!!!

April 4th, Battlestar is back!! It's a bittersweet thing, since this is the final season - the sooner it begins, the sooner it ends. This Friday there are two specials to get us all ready for the premier. Woo hoo!! Quick Jaime, get cable!

New Dots

My Clustermap (to the left) finally updated yesterday - seems to take forever these days - and I found some fun new dots on the map. Tasmania??! I love it! And Alicia's Bangladesh dot is growing quite large. Oddly however, I seem to have lost an Amazon dot from Becky. And the Hudson Bay dot that was getting pretty large, is also AWOL. I feel robbed!

Can't Make This Up

I've been finishing up a child abuse lecture for my forensics class tomorrow and came across this article. Is this sick, or what? I assumed I misread the title at first.

Dad Gets 25 Years for Microwaving Baby
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NYTimes, March 26, 2008

Clinton Central

Chelsea was apparently well-received today, she spoke to about 500 students & faculty on campus. Hilary comes to town on Friday -- apparently the Clintons can't get enough of the area. Bill & Chelsea on Monday, Chelsea on Wednesday, Hilary on Friday. One would think Indiana might actually have a voice in this election. First time since I've lived here if so.

This time, Chelsea’s all policy: Hillary Clinton’s daughter tackles students’ questions on the issues.
By ED RONCO
SouthBendTribune.com, March 26, 2008

Nail-biter

The women pulled off an overtime victory last night. On to the next round against Tennessee.

Irish knock out Sooners in overtime
By FORREST MILLER
Southbendtribune.com, March 26, 2008