My history lesson

A few days ago I strolled around the campus of the University of Alabama. It is a very attractive campus with a great quad. I wandered and read a lot of the historical markers outside of buildings or areas including the president's mansion which in appearance is a stark contrast from the rest of the campus and is one of the few buildings that was not destroyed by Union troops in the Civil War. However, the one spot that was the most powerful was the entryway to Foster Auditorium. This was the site where in 1963 Governor George Wallace stood and gave a speech to stop desegregation of the school and was forced, by the Alabama National Guard troops (among others) to allow two African-American students to register for classes. For those too young to remember the actual event, you probably remember the scene in the movie Forest Gump depicting the event. Also, NPR did a program on the 4oth anniversary of the event and you can see that there was a lot of behind the scenes action.

The building is currently in a deteriorating state and is slated to be restored but is not at the top of the University's list. Eventually this important piece of American history will be given a proper face lift. All in all, it was incredible to stand on the spot and think about what a turning point it was for the country.

Oh, the Joy of Public Radio

Last night I went to an evening celebrating the 25th anniversary of Alabama Public Radio. For those NPR listeners out there you'll think this was a treat. For those of you who have yet to embrace the world of public radio I certainly recommend it to you....you can find your local affiliate here. It was an evening where the interviewers became the interviewees....Robert Siegel and Debbie Elliot from the program "All Things Considered" spoke about their experiences and memories of how NPR has changed and changed their lives. I must say that as Robert Siegel talked about interviewing countless politicians who never gave a straight answer, he couldn't have been more clear with his answers. It was really impressive to hear them speak and to have them come to Tuscaloosa. Apparently Debbie Elliot got her start at the University of Alabama so it was sort of a homecoming for her.
The only downside was that I thought there was an outside shot for some cake. I was wrong.

As an aside I couldn't stop thinking about this poor little fella.

Science for everyone

I've just finished reading Bill Bryson's book A Short History of Nearly Everything and I just wanted to recommend the book to everyone. It might take awhile to read the entire book, but his way of explaining some basic, but not always easy to understand, scientific aspects of life on earth and life as a human being are incredibly helpful. I think everyone would get something out of this book and I especially recommend it if you are a teacher of science, from 1st grade through college. There are many useful tidbits on possibly helping someone see the science from a different direction than a textbook. I know that you all might not be interested in all aspects of science but the planet Earth is an amazing place and it's well worth learning about its history.

On a separate note, I stumbled onto a site which made me laugh. www.readytofix.com is a site where you could log in (I didn't) and try to find a high end vehicle that has been damaged in some way. You can view a sample of their vehicles, but what really got me was the common usage of the phrase "readily repairable damage", obviously my definition of readily repairable is quite different than this site. My favorite was this 54 Corvette.

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!!

Well, I just returned from watching the Colts-Patriots game at a local sports bar. Remind me to reconsider that activity the next time it pops into my mind. On the way to the sports bar (which serves a full complement of food, mind you) I was reminded that it was Sunday. For those of you who didn't make the immediate connection....there is no sale of alcohol in the state of Alabama at any point on Sunday at any locality. Instead of a refreshing beer I had endless refills of Coca-cola.....so now I'm all amped up on caffeine and probably will have sugar crystals dancing in my head through the night. Now, I've lived in a few states that have archaic liquor laws but it's been awhile...apparently too long since it took an extended period of time (2.5 glasses of Coke) to get over my dashed hopes of a cold beer (or two) while watching the game.

At least I don't live in a dry county.

Well I just found out that there are some extra holidays here in the state of Alabama. Try these on for size.

Confederate Memorial Day-April 24th
Jefferson Davis Birthday-June 5th

These are official state holidays....I'll let you know if there is any observance or celebration of these when they roll around.

Also, Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a dual holiday here and is formally recognized as "Martin Luther King Jr./Robert E. Lee's Birthday". I don't know how well that is accepted here but I didn't hear or read anything about Robert E. Lee on the holiday. However, it seems insulting to include Lee , a representative of African American repression (at least, to many who do not not reside in the south) on the same holiday for Martin Luther King Jr. who strove to eradicate that exact issue.

I know that the Confederacy does not represent slavery as much here in the South as it does in other parts of the country but it is still foreign to me. I did read an interesting book called "Confederates in the Attic" which familiarized me somewhat with what the Civil War meant to people here. Still, there is a lot that I don't fully understand about the South and that has never been more obvious than right now.

Appropiate Exercises

Martin Luther King Jr. was and continues to be a hero for many people who needed to have their voice heard. His words still echo today.

In times of change, eyes are opened

....and I hope also, the mind. I'm trying to learn about Alabama and Tuscaloosa in anyway possible. The first major success was understanding the definition of "garbage comes two days a week and trash pickup is another day." I believe I've got it, albeit after much head-scratching.
And in case you were wondering....here's the lowdown on Tuscaloosa from good old wikipedia.