Claudia’s Visit - With Pictures!

Amity's mother, Claudia, visited us this past weekend. During her visit, we toured Chinatown, Columbia University Medical Center, Columbia University, The Cathedral of St. John the Devine, Rockefeller Plaza, Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Fairway Market, the Cloisters, Queens (without Ryan), and beautiful Inwood.

Of course, there was significant Olympics-watching, tea-drinking, and cousin-visiting. In fact, Claudia was able to visit BOTH of her grand-nieces!

Here are some pictures:

The gang at Columbia University, all hail Her hallowed name.   Behind us is Low Library, which bears a certain resemblance to the Library of Congress, especially on the inside. The face of the building, directly about the Corinthian columns, reads

King's College Founded in the Province of New York, By Royal Charter in the Reign of George II, Perpetuated as Columbia College by the People of the State of New York, When they became Free and Independent - Maintained and Cherished from Generation to Generation.  For the Advancement of the Public Good and the Glory of Almighty God.

 Amen.

Rockefeller Center.  Can you detect the wistful look in their eyes? We had just walked past the ice skating rink (below Prometheus there in the background--he's hard to miss, what with the gold).  Still plenty of holiday cheer in this plaza to keep me going until next December. 

Directly after this stop, we crossed the street to check out St. Patrick's Cathedral. Our impromptu visit to St. Patty's was inspired by our earlier visit to the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, up by Columbia. What a nice segue....

/sighs.  Oh St. John the Divine....  Look at the stained glass inside this Cathedral!  This is in my favorite chapel, which is the one directly behind the High Altar.  I really want those lamps.  This picture doesn't do them justice, either.  Although, they probably don't look so good without true "cathedral ceilings" to go with.  Sad.


Claudia and Amity are really only in this picture to provide scale.


Each of the chapels is equally stunning, and should appeal to a variety of tastes in neo-gothic cathedral connoisseurs.

We still have yet to swing by and hear Evensong on (I think) Wednesdays.  Popping into this Cathedral in a rainstorm or otherwise unpleasant day is really an excellent way to center oneself in a quiet, reflective, art-filled, beautiful space--which leads me to (wow, I'm on a roll!)...

While not visible in this picture, the Cloisters are simply stunning.  Amity and I ran past here on Sunday (part of a 5.5 mile jog).  Here are Claudia and Amity, right after leaving the museum.  Behind them is the rest of Fort Tryon park, the drop-off into the Dykman Street valley, and then back up to Inwood Hill.  Just over Amity's right (our left) ear is the Hudson River and then New Jersey.

Aren't they sweet?

Pomology

Not just the study of hands, it would appear. ;)

As a native Washingtonian, I am particularly in love with Apples--tasty, crispy, and truly one of the most important foods in anyone's diet. Grown the world over, the apple is a native of (are you ready to be shocked?) Kazakhstan. Years and years (millennia) of careful cultivation took what was a tiny, tart, bitter fruit into the glorious apples we know today.

Of course, as a child, the only apples I remember in the store were the Granny Smith, Golden and Red Delicious (poorly named in my opinion). Then came the Fuji, Gala, Braeburn, and more. And, of course, today, there's the Pink Lady, Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Cortland, McIntosh, Crispin, Macoun and more. Did you know, though, that the science of fruit studies (pomology) led to some beautiful artwork, funded by the American taxpayers. Regardez:

Ever eaten a Lilly of Kent? Neither have I. But I want to now.

And that's the point! The USDA's pomology archive in the National Agricultural Library is full of beautiful watercolors, detailing the variety of apples grown around the country. And that's not all. Pears, apricots, citrus, berries…

Thank GOD no one had a camera 100 years ago! Now I want to grow something.

In case you want to check out the USDA archive of watercolors, click here.

George Washington Carver

We all know about the Land Grant University system (enabled by the forward thinking Senator Morrill of New York in 1862) that provided Federal funding to the states to allow for agricultural research. It turns out that there were three rounds of Federal funding. The first, in 1862, was to all states. The second, in 189?, was to provide an opportunity for former African-American slaves to gain higher-education. The third, in 1994, was for Native Americans. Check out the map:

In the second round of grants, it's clear that the vast majority of these universities are in the southeastern US. One of these is the famous Tuskegee Institute (later of the famous Tuskegee Airmen and the infamous Tuskegee public health scandal), championed by Booker T. Washington. One particularly interesting professor and researcher there was George Washington Carver. He spent his time investigating new ways to use agricultural production, so as to help farmers increase profitability. What is interesting (FINALLY we get to the point, right?) is the list of inventions ascribed to him and his research. (NB: he didn't necessarily invent each of these for the first time, but found a way to make them with current agricultural products in the South.)

Attributed to Carver

Adhesives

Axle Grease

Bleach

Buttermilk,

Cheese

Chili Sauce

Cream

Creosote

Dyes

Flour

Fuel Briquettes

Ink. Instant Coffee

Insulating Board

Linoleum

Mayonnaise

Meal

Meat Tenderizer

Metal Polish

Milk Flakes

Mucilage

Paper

Rubbing Oils

Salve

Soil Conditioner

Shampoo

Shoe Polish

Shaving Cream

Sugar

Synthetic Marble

Synthetic Rubber

Talcum Powder

Vanishing Cream

Wood Stains

Wood Filler

Worcestershire Sauce

From Tjossem, Sara F. Struggles for Sustainability, February 15, 2010.

I feel lazy.

Oh Maui...

Not sure how this guy got the picture Amity and I tried to take over and over…  Look at this, from the top of Haleakela.

From NASA Picture of the Day

From the Department of Zoonotic Transmission Vectors

If only the Gates Foundation had a time machine.  Then who knows what might have happened in Egyptian history.  King Tutankhamun, the boy king who died mysteriously at the tender age of 19, was felled by a mosquito.  King "Tut", as he is colloquially known, is most famous for having the most complete tomb in the Valley of the Kings.  Tutankhamun was, apparently, also born with a cleft lip and a congenital bone disease - which may be ascribed to his parentage.  Until recently people considered him the son of Amenhotep III.  New DNA findings released in Febraury, however, point to Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten) and his sister.

Tutankhamun was also the first Pharoah to be worshiped as a god in his own time - as much good as that did him.

Either way, it's interesting that malaria has been lethal (and just as "equal opportunity" in who it kills) for millennia.  Other famous people taken down by malaria:

Emperors/Kings

Titus Ceasar

Otto II

Charles V

Edward IV

Oliver Cromwell

Popes

Gregory V

Sixtus V

Damasus II

Pius

Leo X

Urban VII

Conquerors

Alexander the Great

Genghis Khan

and many more!!

So add King Tutankhamun to the list!

His arms and legs flail as if independent from his body!

Of course I'm refering to Michael Flatley, Lord of the Dance.  Or, as he's known around here, "Lionel". 

While our graduate student budget does not allow for the purchase of kitty tap shoes, I'm sure our tenancy in this building would be significantly shortened were we to outfit Lionel with his own pair of stomps.

Think I'm kidding?  You be the judge:

First: Michael Flatley - (as a side note: "Part Two?! On DVD?!)

And...

Just sayin'....

Quote of the month

True, I first posted this on Google Buzz…  but it bears repeating:

“Wall street owns the country. It is no longer a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, but a government of Wall Street, by Wall Street, and for Wall Street. The great common people of this country are slaves, and monopoly is the master.” -- Mary Elizabeth Lease ~1890

This, as a part of agrarian revolts in response to falling agricultural prices, and subsequent increasing indebtedness of American farmers.  While not deemed "too big to fail", farmers did get a hand from the government - in the form of increased research funding and a more aggressive USDA - one that ultimately fell into the hands of a growing agro-business industry (funded by Wall Street!).

Dispatches?

So clearly I chose the (new) title of this blog with aesthetics as my primarily focus.  "The Indian Road Dispatches" seemed the right mix of geography and kitsch.  A title that, to me, is reminiscent of telegrams, the Pony Express, and a hint of Walden Pond.  Then I looked up the word "dispatch" on Google.  Little did I know that when I invoked the Pony Express and telegrams, what I was truly invoking was the O-K Coral, and the lawless West.  Check out the following definitions:

• dispatch - send away towards a designated goal
• dispatch - complete or carry out; "discharge one's duties"
• dispatch - an official report (usually sent in haste)
• dispatch - murder: kill intentionally and with premeditation;
• dispatch - the act of sending off something
• dispatch - dispose of rapidly and without delay and efficiently
• dispatch - the property of being prompt and efficient; "it was done with dispatch"
• dispatch - kill without delay; "the traitor was dispatched by the conspirators"
• dispatch - killing a person or animal 

Kill, Kill, Kill? If I read these definitions properly, this blog is not only rather violent (see definitions 4, 8, 9 and possibly 6), but also a bit....impersonal? (6 and 7). I mean, these definitions don't come right out and say it, but "rapid" and "efficient" paired with "murder" and "kill" doesn't exactly conjure the Walden Pond imagery I was hoping for.

Alas.

I suppose we'll just focus on definitions 1,2,3 and 5.  And, if things get a little dull, well we've got all the fun definitions up our sleeves.

....and We're Back

Take two.  A new blog, a new home, a new life.  Let's see how we do?!

I feel like I should be writing "dear diary...  I can't wait to write in you every day..."

How does one write a meta-blog post?  You know, the existential, why-I'm-blogging message that justifies and ultimately sets the stage for a future series of blog posts for an audience that does not (yet) exist?  God only knows... 

In all honesty, I wanted to have a blog that would allow me to post things that are interesting to me.  As great as g-chat status messages are, I'm looking for something more permanent.  And perhaps more sophisticated?
Because Amity and I are both doing some really interesting stuff, and being exposed to a wide array of cutting-edge research and ideas, it seems appropriate that we share! 

So The Dispatches are that vehicle.  Public Health, Sustainability, Energy (renewable and non-), Agriculture, Food Systems, Climate Change, Human Rights, Development, Ecology...  and certainly more.

We look forward to sharing!