Meet Nobel Laureate Ferid Murad

This is a picture of Dr. Ferid Murad, FangLei Zhuang (a friend and fellow Lambowitz lab member) and myself at the graduate student potluck dinner following the Paul D. Gottlieb Lecture. Dr. Ferid Murad recently gave a lecture as part of the Paul D. Gottlieb Lecture Series at UT Austin. Dr. Murad received the Nobel Prize in 1998 for for his discoveries concerning nitric oxide as a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system. His discoveries led to the development of cardiovascular drugs such as Viagra. I am very appreciative for Dr. Murad's willingness to come to UT upon our invitation. My friends and I initiated the Paul D. Gottlieb Lecture series in 2003 and we have been fortunate to bring 4 Nobel Laureates to Austin as part of the series. In the fall, I will be the official host for Dr. James D. Watson, co-discoverer of the structure of DNA. Dr. Watson is one of the most famous scientists of the last century. I am excited that he has accepted our invitation to come to UT.

My Boogie Bahn Blooper

Cara and I went to Schlitter Bahn on Saturday with her students. We didn't partake in too many of the attractions, but my withdrawals for surfing forced me to try the Boogie Bahn. Take a gander at these skills!

Six Flags Over Texas

Here's a short video clip of our trip to Six Flags over Texas for Cara's Middle School Band Trip.

Mary Matalin and James Carville speak at the University of Texas at Austin

James Carville was actually very entertaining while discussing contemporary politics. He makes some very interesting predictions.

Mary Matalin

Dedicated to those seeking love

I've been fortunate to find the love of my life. One way that I know that I'm in love is because sometimes it seems that no matter where I look, I am surrounded by love. For some, though, love seems hard to come by. The message in this video is that love is where you find it...sometimes it's in the least expected places.

Birthday Party for Ishmael Soto

This weekend Cara and I went to a birthday party for Ishmael Soto. Ishmael is the father of one of Cara's private lessons students and he happens to be an accomplished sculptural artist. The party took place at the Mexic-Arte Museum in downtown Austin, Texas where he currently has an exhibition of his work.

Artie Henry Middle School UIL Performance

Cara's students recently performed at the UIL competition at Georgetown High School. They earned perfect scores. We were very proud of Cara and her band students.

Physics Nobel Laureate - Steven Weinberg discusses the Origin of the Universe

This is a video clip of Steven Weinberg discussing the Origin of the Universe. The lecture is part of the Middleton Lecture sponsored by the LBJ Library. Lady Bird Johnson, the former first lady, was in attendance. Some people say that my videos are boring so I included a special surprise at the end. Enjoy!!!

I'd like to introduce you to Esmee Denters

I discovered this 18 year old girl from Holland on YouTube and I think that she is incredibly talented. In the last year she has posted videos of herself singing songs while sitting in her bedroom. She became so popular on YouTube that record producers have approached her and now she is working on some recordings. This song demonstrates why she is so popular. Check it out!

A weekend of music

Cara's parents came to visit along with our new friends, Joanne and Yates. We made the most of their time in Austin by taking in as many shows as possible. The result was a Texas-sized portion of music, dancing and great food.

Zilker Kite Festival - Austin, Texas

The day was so nice that Cara and I had to get out and do something. Fortunately, the Zilker Kite Festival was taking place. Here's a little video of our day at the park with the dogs.

Currently Reading

I'm currently reading Eyewitness to Power by David Gergen. For 30 years, David Gergen has been an active participant in American national life. He served as director of communications for President Reagan and held positions in the administrations of Presidents Nixon and Ford. In 1993, he put his country before politics when he agreed to first serve as counselor to President Clinton on both foreign policy and domestic affairs, then as special international adviser to the president and to Secretary of State Warren Christopher.

David Gergen is a professor of public service and the director of the Center for Public Leadership at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is also editor-at-large at U.S. News & World Report. Mr. Gergen also regularly serves as an analyst on various news shows, and he is a frequent lecturer at venues around the world.

David Gergen recently gave a lecture to a group of students attending a leadership conference on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. After the lecture, I had the privilege of meeting Mr. Gergen and getting him to autograph my copy of his book. Now, I'm reading it. Like his lecture, it has already proven to be somewhat dry, but the content reveals Mr. Gergen's intimate relationship with history as it unfolded. I am enjoying it mainly for its historical perspective and the wisdom that Mr. Gergen conveys, whether it be a quote from Nixon or his own take on historical events.

Below are some video clips of the highlights of the lecture:

Daniel Johnston at the Parish Room

I dragged Cara, Chad and Mireya to see Daniel Johnston this weekend. I'm intrigued by Daniel Johnston because he has such an unusual life story. He is an Austin music legend with cult status and when I heard that he was playing in Austin, I had to see him. I'm still intrigued.

As with other talented but troubled artists such as Syd Barrett, Brian Wilson, and Roky Erickson, Daniel Johnston fights a daily battle with the chronic mental illness that has plagued him nearly his entire life. However, despite recurrent bouts of delusional behavior wherein he has physically endangered himself and others, Johnston has carved out a respectable, influential career as a singer/songwriter of extraordinary talent which has grown since his first crudely recorded cassette was released in 1980. He became the singer/songwriter of choice of the alternative/underground rock scene, and at various times has had his work championed by members of Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, Butthole Surfers, Half Japanese, Nirvana (Kurt Cobain was often photographed wearing a Daniel Johnston T-shirt), and numerous others. ~Biography courtesy of www.rejectedunknown.com
Warning: I made this video a little creepy to reflect Daniel's dark side.

Cara's getting her band ready for UIL

This is the Artie Henry Middle School Concert Band I Pre-UIL performance. I think they've done an excellent job preparing for UIL. Send Cara luck!

Check out my close encounter with Barack Obama

At the end of the video, you'll see that he walked right up to me. I didn't get to shake his hand because I was making this video of the moment.

Help my buddy Matt raise money for Big Brothers and Big Sisters

I recently received the following email from my buddy, Matt. I would like to help him meet his goal and beyond, so if you have a couple of bucks or more to donate to The Big Brothers and Big Sisters Foundation, please help. Click on the picture to go to his donation page.
Cheers!

I have volunteered for my company's 2007 Bowl for Kids team and I sure could use your help. I'm part of a 5 person team and we're each hoping to raise at least $125 by THIS SATURDAY NIGHT February 24. We bowl on a night when other architectural, engineering, and design firms bowl. Ultimately, we compete against STG, GS&C, Bury, and many others.

TBG Partners bowled last year and had a great time raising money for the local Big Brothers Big Sisters chapter. Although we weren't the top fundraisers, it was still good to know that we could help out a great cause. This year we've set our goal to be the largest supporter of Big Brothers Big Sisters in our division.

I'd appreciate any financial gift you'd be willing to provide me with. No amount is too small, everything helps! Please visit my personal donation page and help me reach or exceed my goal.

Thanks for helping!

Guess Who's Coming to Austin?

I'm sure that I'll be producing a video for this event so I'll post it as soon as it is done.

Currently Reading - State of Denial

So, I finished reading "From Baghdad with Love" in a very short time. It was a really nice story about a soldier's endeavors to bring a stray dog from Iraq to the US. It was definitely an uplifting story so I won't ruin it by revealing the details. I enjoyed it for the story about the dog, Lava, and because it gives some insight into the inner workings of the military in Iraq. It's a quick read so you should read it yourself.

I'm already halfway through "State of Denial" and I must say that it is one of the most engrossing books that I have ever read. Composed by Bob Woodward, the Washington Post journalist famous for his stories about the Nixon Watergate scandal in the 70's, this book is very well written with incredible details about the Bush Administration's build up and execution of the War in Iraq. I have a difficult time putting the book down once I start to read it. I am amazed at the level of access to conversations and relationships between the pentagon and the white house that he has. I am stunned by the frankness with which Woodward reveals the failings of the administration, in both decision-making and communication. If you read a single book about the war in Iraq, you must read this one. I'll write more about this book in the future.

I'm also really excited that Woodward and Bernstein, the other Watergate journalist, will both be coming to the University of Texas at Austin on March 23, 2007. Like Norman Mailer's visit, I hope to see their lecture and get an autograph.

Recently completed:
From Baghdad with Love
by Lt. Col. Jay Kopelman with Melinda Roth
1984
by Eric Blair (George Orwell)
The Naked and the Dead
by Norman Mailer
My War: Killing Time in Iraq
by Colby Buzzell
No God but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam
by Reza Azlan
Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War
by Anthony Shadid
The Places in Between
by Rory Stewart

Click the picture

Because baby pictures always make you feel better...

This is a picture of Lainey Roth, daughter of Adam and Suzy Roth. Isn't she gorgeous?!

I just had to post a couple of these...

To see more smackdown on Carolina, click here.

2005-2006 Artie Henry Middle School Cadet Band

I made this video last summer for Cara's band. It was her first year at Henry Middle School and I thought it would be a good keepsake. I'm posting it now, because I don't think that I've posted it on my blog, yet. I just recently moved it from Google Videos to YouTube.

Peace Rally in Austin, Texas January 27, 2007

As some of you may know, I have been a proponent of the war in Iraq since the beginning. However, like many who chose to lend their support to the President, I feel that I have been deceived. First, it was the failure to adequately negotiate with the United Nations to form a true coalition of the willing. Then, it was the failure to assemble an adequate military force to execute the war. Third, it was the failure to establish a post-war plan. Fourth, it was a failure to find any significant stockpiles of WMDs. Next, it was a failure to properly oversee the methods of interrogation, ie. Abu Ghraib. Sixth, it was a failure to educate members of the government and military superiors of the complexities of Iraqi internal strife (this was actually one of the first failures but it became apparent when neither of the heads of the committee overseeing intelligence could answer the question of whether al Qeada was Sunni or Shi'a). Seventh, and most sickening, at some point we decided to scrap the Geneva convention resolutions. Shall I continue? The Bush administration has violated so many of the things that once gave us a moral authority that I can no longer keep track.

Believe it or not, I am still optimistic that the troop surge may help with the violence in Baghdad, but I'm losing my resolve. I have been steadfast in my defense of the war, but I'm becoming anxious and confused. I am coming to grips with the idea that American soldiers will never convert the Iraqis to a peaceful existence. But, I am not comfortable with simply removing those troops from Iraq and leaving the country to the fanatical vultures who will swoop in and fill the void. I do not know what to do or who to believe. In my heart, I know that the American soldiers are representing us well in Iraq, but my mind tells me that the people of Iraq are so warped by religious fanaticism and hatred for the west that America cannot help them reach freedom. They do not want it badly enough. If you asked me what we should do, I would say we should stay, but I cannot say what our role should be. Bush has screwed up such a great opportunity that we may be forced to withdraw. What then?

So, that being said, I recently attended a peace rally in Austin. I had the idea that I would ask a few people questions about the war and perhaps their comments would help me find my own version of peace with this issue. I recorded this video at the rally and made this little mini-doc.
Enjoy!

Currently Reading

So, I'm currently reading From Baghdad with Love by Lt. Col. Jay Kopelman with Melinda Roth. I received this book as a Christmas gift from my mother-in-law and I'm really enjoying it. It is a story about a stray puppy named Lava that lives with members of the First Battalion, Third Marines during their tour in Iraq. It is easy to read compared to the last two books that I have read so I look forward to a few days of pleasant reading.

The last book that I completed was 1984 by George Orwell. I chose to read this book because it came up in a recent discussion and I wanted to revisit the subject addressed in the anti-Utopian novel. No doubt, I could write pages of commentary on the parallels between the world described by Orwell and modern times, but it would be a heavy subject to post here. I would like to recommend to everyone that you read this novel and think critically about where our society is headed.

I will include one of my own ideas, though. The grossest and most disturbing point made in the book is the dehumanization of mankind by the government. This is not my biggest fear. I do not fear the government because democracy protects us, to some extent, from government-backed oppression. My biggest fear is mentioned in the Afterword of 1984 which was composed by Erich Fromm. My biggest fear is corporate dehumanization. What I mean by corporate dehumanization is the power that corporations have over our freedom to think and the chance that this will lead to a loss of humanity for the sake of corporate domination. Fromm describes it using the example of a person who works for a big company that claims that its product is better than all its competitors' products. This person does not concern himself with determining whether it is a true fact that the product is the best, rather he concerns himself with convincing us, the customers, that his company's product is the best. This type of thinking is called "mobile truth." And, I can see its ugly head appearing today in the large corporate media upon which we depend for our daily news. No one disputes that Fox, CNN and NBC are competing against each other for viewers/readers. And, no one disputes that these news organizations target the content of their news dispatches to specific demographics while maintaining that they are "fair and balanced" or "the most trusted source for news." It is clear that O'Reilly, Hannity and Colmes, Olberman, etc. are exercising "mobile truth-telling" and all the while the consumers, you and I, are at a loss for the true truth. My fear is that truth will be lost in the battle for the "trust" of the consumer. The battle for trust will lead us to instilling "faith" in our news sources. And, faith will lead us to war...war in America, to determine who possesses the truth. There is hope, however. The embodiment of hope, to me, comes in the form of modern information sharing technologies, specifically, internet web sites like YouTube and the entire blogosphere of which you are partaking by reading my blog. As long as individuals have the ability to share information, we will all have access to the truth.
Cheers!

Recently completed:
1984
by Eric Blair (George Orwell)
The Naked and the Dead
by Norman Mailer
My War: Killing Time in Iraq
by Colby Buzzell
No God but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam
by Reza Azlan
Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War
by Anthony Shadid
The Places in Between
by Rory Stewart

A great idea...

Ice Storm

Well, it wasn't too long ago that I said that Austin rarely gets any really cold weather. I guess I'll have to eat those words. We got enough snow and ice to shut down the city for a couple of days. It doesn't take much. Here's some video of our little ice storm.

Pernell - Fanny Pack!

This video was made by our wedding videographer, Pernell Disney. When we met him at the wedding, we knew that he was a nice guy, but we had no idea that he was so funny and creative. If you don't know it, the song is a remake of Justin Timberlake's song Sexy Back. Enjoy!!!

Martin Luther King, Jr. - I have a dream speech

Have you ever listened to the "Dream" speech in it's entirety? If not, please click the link below and listen carefully. It is powerful.

Currently Reading

Finally, I completed reading The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer. It may not be a compliment to say that reading this novel was hard work, but I think that it can be understood by anyone who has taken the time to read every word on the 720 pages of this novel. While reading this book about soldiers battling the Japanese in WWII, at times, I felt like I was right there in the the thick of it with them. As the soldiers willed themselves up Mount Anaka, as they struggled to march through the jungles of the island of Anopopei, as they fought with one another to find their place among the platoon's heirarchy, I felt that I, too, endured all of their battles. Mailer says in his introduction to the fiftieth edition of this novel that the reader should find hope upon completion of this work. I mostly felt relief. Now, though, I find that I continually revisit the situations in the novel and feel a sense of appreciation for the lessons learned. I think that the stories in this novel will forever be with me.

Remaining in the time period of the Naked and the Dead, I am now reading Eric Blair's (George Orwell) 1984. Both novels were written in the mid to late forties and I am curious to see if I can recognize any parallels. I did not plan it this way, but I look forward to studying 1984 in the context of Mailer's book and comparing this to the current political atmosphere. Although I've read this book previously, I'm sure that my perspective has changed since I was in ninth grade.

Recently completed:
The Naked and the Dead
by Norman Mailer
My War: Killing Time in Iraq
by Colby Buzzell
No God but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam
by Reza Azlan
Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War
by Anthony Shadid
The Places in Between
by Rory Stewart

Wideawake - Jammin Java, Vienna, Virginia

This is video that I recorded at the Wideawake show on July 21, 2006. I had to seriously think about whether I wanted to attend this concert the night before my wedding, but I just knew that if I had gone back to my hotel room after the rehearsal dinner, I would have tossed and turned in bed thinking about the next day. After seeing WA, I slept like a baby. What a great week we had!!!

Glenn's Birthday Party

This has been a long time comin'. Here are the pictures from Glenn's 30th Birthday party. It took place before Christmas, but it took a while for the pics to make it to the internet. It's hard for me to comprehend that people our age can still party like this, but, hey, you only live once!!!



To see all of the pictures, click here.

Christmas and New Year's Eve 2007

A Very Puggy Christmas!

Cara and I had another great Christmas. Details coming soon...


Cara and I had another great Christmas. Details coming soon...


Cara and I had another great Christmas. Details coming soon...

Cara's Christmas Concert - The Artie Henry Middle School Concert Band

This is video from Cara's Christmas concert which took place on my birthday. I can't believe that these kids are middle school students. It was wonderful to see that all of their hardwork paid off. Great concert! Hope you enjoy it.

Christmas lights!!!

I took this video of one of the fraternity houses at the University of Texas at Austin. I can't get over the fact that the guys who decorated this house are the same guys whose front yard is usually littered with empty beer cans. Every year they do a great job of decorating their house and since I have to walk by it to get to my car each night, it puts me in the Christmas spirit.
Cheers to the men of Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity.
Pay attention for the surprise ending. It's very impressive.

Hunter and Beau

After going to the Salt Lick, Cara and I went to a Christmas party hosted by the Moore family. Hunter and Beau Moore are students who play with Cara and Robert's bands. I thought that it was great that they have such a musical family. Something about music just makes things feel more cozy.
Thanks for the concert, boys.

Lazy pugs

No commentary necessary.

Thanks to everyone who joined us at the Salt Lick for my Birthday dinner! Cheers!

These days, birthdays don't excite me as much as they used to, but getting together with good friends is always nice. I had a great time at the Salt Lick with the gang. And, my birthday peach cobbler was awesome!!!

Runaway Cab!

I went to junior high and high school with a couple of the members of Runaway Cab, Ned, the lead singer, and Jeremy, the bassist. Their Greenville gigs were always a lot of fun. Wish I could be in Raleigh for this show.
Good luck, guys!

Click here to listen to some of their songs.

Cold!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a rare sight in Austin...ice. This is a picture of ice on the window of my car. It reminds me of scraping ice off the windshield of my jeep in North Carolina. Since I've lived in Austin, I think I've seen snow or ice only twice. I miss the white stuff. It's just one more reason that I look forward to heading east after living in Austin. I love it here, but there are so many things that I don't have here that I once took for granted...trees, seasons, short drives to the beach, snow, pork bbq, bojangles, "real" southern accents, ACC sports, ACC sports fans, humidity, rain, green grass, I-40, I-95, the "smell of football season." The smell of football season? Yes, I know what it smells like on those fall mornings when the cool winds are blowing the orange, red, purple and brown leaves of the oak trees. I really miss all of these things. Am I getting homesick? Yeah, I think so.

Do you ever wonder what I do during my days at work?

Well, one of the things that I do during the day is attend seminars and lectures by scientists from all over the country? These scientists may or may not be in my field of study, but science is science and we can all learn from the discoveries of others. Occasionally a scientist will come to UT who has done work relevant to my field of study. Below you will find video clips from a recent lecture by the renowned developmental biologist Dr. Nancy Hopkins. Dr. Hopkins has been a pioneer in the field of developmental genetics by developing the technology to do large-scale mutagenic screens in zebrafish in order to identify the genes essential for embryonic development. She and the members of her laboratory empirically determined the methods to knock out a broad range of genes in zebrafish using retroviruses. This is relevant to my research because we are also trying to knock out genes of interest in zebrafish. The difference between her research and mine is that I am trying a targeted approach to gene knockouts whereas she was trying to knock out genes at random. Meeting Dr. Hopkins was very inspiring and I hope that someday, I'll be able to share the fruits of my labor with similar success that she shows in these videos.
For non-scientists, the challenge of watching these videos will probably be simply staying awake. Minimally, it may take you back to college or high school biology class, at least for a minute or two.
Enjoy!

Stephanie Elsayed

This is a very short clip of Stephanie's performance in the Marriage of Figaro with the LA Opera Repertory Company. She performed the part of Countess and this video clip includes an excerpt of Dove Sono. The clip is about 1 minute and Steph comes in at the end. What a voice!!!

Jose Ruiz from ReviewPlays.Com says, "Jos Purvis and Stephanie Elsayed sing the roles of the Count and Countess Almaviva, each providing beautiful voicing for their characters...Stephanie is excellent singing Porgi, amor, qualche ristoro ("Grant, love, some comfort"), as she laments her husband’s infidelity."
Read more of the review by clicking here.

Stephanie is a friend of Cara's...and mine...from ECU. Funny thing is that she is from Rocky Mount, my hometown. She also beautifully performed Ave Maria at our wedding.
It's really great to see our friends developing their careers. Can't wait to see the DVD, Steph!

Worthwhile YouTube Video

Being the season for thanks, I thought that I would share the things for which I am thankful:
I am thankful for my beautiful, perfect wife. I feel very lucky that I found a woman who makes me truly happy.
I am thankful for my family...families, who support me and my new life with my bride and who encourage me to continue to pursue my dreams.
I am thankful for my new Mom, Dad, sister and pug-niece, who have welcomed me into their family.
I am thankful for my friends.
I am thankful for my pugs who bring me joy and pain, but mostly joy.
I am thankful that I am able to work on things that challenge me and make me feel that I am contributing to society in a valuable way.
I am thankful for my health.
I am thankful to be living in such a prosperous time.
I am thankful for the opportunities that I have been given in life.
I am thankful for being able to fall asleep at night.
I am thankful for this day.
And, I am thankful for tomorrow.

Thanksgiving

Tomorrow's Thanksgiving Day so Cara and I are going to Marble Falls for Turkey Dinner. Marble Falls is about an hour long drive into the Texas Hill country so there'll be plenty of scenery. We'll be dining at Patton's on Main, a local fine dining restaurant. Here's our Turkey Day Menu: Menu
Our tradition of going to Fredericksburg has been complicated by the dogs this year so we're just going to make a day trip of it. At least we'll be together.

Cooper's recovery

Cooper's all better now, but he wasn't pleased when I first brought him home. The nurse at Banfield put an E-collar on him and, as you can see, he had a bandage on his leg from the IV. By Saturday morning, he was completely back to normal as if nothing had ever happened. I actually had to calm him several times to prevent him from ripping his stitches. The boy has no fear whether he is taking dives off the back of the couch or running down the stairs so fast that when he reaches the bottom he slides across the tile floor.

Mark and Maria's Wedding

Finally, I'm posting the pics from Mark and Maria's wedding. Mark and Maria chose a beautiful setting for their wedding. They were married at Laguna Gloria Art Museum in Austin, TX. It is located on the lake just below Mount Bonnell. It was my first wedding since Cara and I were married and I thought that it was wonderful.
To see more pics Click Here

Cooper's last picture as a "whole" little man

Today is "N-day" for Cooper. That means that he is being neutered. It's a very sad day. I took this picture on the way to the vet for the big surgery.

A recent pic of Maddie and Cooper

Wurstfest

Last weekend, we went to the Wurstfest in New Braunfels, TX. Wurstfest is similar to Oktoberfest but it celebrates the Bratwurst instead of the beer. Had a great time with Glenn, Beth, Chad, Mireya, Hari and Dede. To see more pics, Click Here.
Cheers!

Norman Mailer

Recently, I posted that I had begun reading The Naked and the Dead by Norman Mailer. I did so because Mr. Mailer would be making an appearance on the UT campus. After attending the panel discussion featuring Mr. Mailer, Larry Shiller and Gay Talese, all of whom are accomplished authors, I was very pleased that I took the time to attend. Mr. Mailer read an excerpt from his latest novel, the Castle in the Forest, and I was mesmerized by the imagery of his words. I cannot wait to read it. I recorded a bit of Mr. Mailer's reading and have included it in the following video clip. I was also fortunate enough to meet Mr. Mailer and get him to autograph my copy of his first novel, The Naked and the Dead.

[Warning - Adult content] The excerpt that Mr. Mailer reads is a description of the "moment of conception" of Adolf Hitler from the perspective of the devil's assistant.

My Life Rating

I recently took a Rate My Life Quiz and here are the results. I would say that it is fairly accurate, but I like to think that my body is as healthy as my spirit. I'm happy to say that my love life is a full 10!

This Is My Life, Rated
Life:	7.4
Mind:	7.5
Body:	8
Spirit:	8.7
Friends/Family:	6.9
Love:	10
Finance:	6.9
Take the Rate My Life Quiz

Happy Veterans Day! My mom recently forwarded this email to me. I hope that it will catch on.

Last week, while traveling to Chicago on business, I noticed a Marine sergeant traveling with a folded flag, but did not put two and two together. After we boarded our flight, I turned to the sergeant, who'd been invited to sit in First Class (across from me), and inquired if he was heading home.
No, he responded.
Heading out I asked?
No. I'm escorting a soldier home.
Going to pick him up?
No. He is with me right now. He was killed in Iraq I'm taking him home to his family.
The realization of what he had been asked to do hit me like a punch to the gut. It was an honor for him. He told me that, although he didn't know the soldier, he had delivered the news of his passing to the soldier's family and felt as if he knew them after many conversations in so few days. I turned back to him, extended my hand, and said, Thank you. Thank you for doing what you do so my family and I can do what we do.

Upon landing in Chicago the pilot stopped short of the gate and made the following announcement over the intercom.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to note that we have had the honor of having Sergeant Steeley of the United States Marine Corps join us on this flight. He is escorting a fallen comrade back home to his family. I ask that you please remain in your seats when we open the forward door to allow Sergeant Steeley to deplane and receive his fellow soldier. We will then turn off the seat belt sign."
Without a sound, all went as requested. I noticed the sergeant saluting the casket as it was brought off the plane, and his action made me realize that I am proud to be an American.
So here's a public Thank You to our military Men and Women for what you do so we can live the way we do.

Red Fridays.

Very soon, you will see a great many people wearing
Red every Friday. The reason? Americans who support
our troops used to be called the "silent majority." We
are no longer silent, and are voicing our love for
God, country and home in record breaking numbers. We
ar e not organized, boisterous or overbearing.

Many Americans, like you, me and all our friends,
simply want to recognize that the vast majority of
America supports our troops. Our idea of showing
solidarity and support for our troops with dignity and
respect starts this Friday and continues each and
every Friday until the troops all come home, sending a
deafening message that ... every red blooded American
who supports our men and women afar, will wear
something red.

By word of mouth, press, TV let's make the United
States on every Friday a sea of red much like a
homecoming football game in the bleachers. If every
one of us who loves this country will share this with
acquaintances, coworkers, friends, and family, it will
not be long before the USA is covered in RED and it
will let our troops know the once "silent" majority is
on their side more than ever, certainly more than the
media lets on.

The first thing a soldier says when asked "What can
we do to make things better for you?" is ..."We need
your support and your prayers." Let's get the word out
and lead with class and dignity, by example, and wear
something red every Friday.

Currently Reading

A novel that chronicles the story of a platoon of soldiers who are fighting for the possession of the Japanese-held island of Anopopei during World War II. I chose this book because the University of Texas recently acquired Norman Mailer's archives and he is coming to the University of Texas at Austin . I'm hoping to have the chance to see his lecture.

Recently completed:
My War: Killing Time in Iraq
by Colby Buzzell
No God but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam
by Reza Azlan
Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War
by Anthony Shadid
The Places in Between
by Rory Stewart

Cara and I had a great time at Kally and Colm's Halloween party. I was a prisoner and Cara was a police officer. 

Public Service Announcement

This looks great for Shaun!!! 

Watching Cara's flight from Newark to Austin. Cara went home for Margot's wedding to Steve Martinez this weekend. Now, she's flying back home. Can't wait for her to get here.
 

Cara performs with the Artie Henry Middle School Girls Chorus

This is just a little hint of Cara's performance with the Artie Henry Middle School. Even though Cara says this was not a challenging piece, I am always so proud when I hear her play.

Recently found this on the web. It's a description of our patent for targeting DNA in eukaryotic cells. 

Currently Reading

A soldier's story about serving in the US Army during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The author started sharing his experiences in Iraq through his web log: http://cbftw.blogspot.com/ 

Recently completed:
No God but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam
by Reza Azlan
Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War
by Anthony Shadid
The Places in Between
by Rory Stewart

Austin City Limits 2006

In September, Cara and I carried out our yearly tradition of attending the Austin City Limits Music Festival. This was our fourth ACL. The musical lineup was a more conservative group of bands compared to previous years. There were fewer "pop" bands and more veteran musicians. We were lucky enough to catch the following shows:
Thievery Corporation, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Los Lonely Boys, Ray Montagne, Sparklehorse, John Mayer, Van Morrison, The Shins, Aimee Mann, The Raconteurs, String Cheese Incident, Kings of Leon, Willie Nelson, Massive Attack, Jack Ingram, Matisyahu, Son Volt, Ben Harper, The Flaming Lips, G Love and Special Sauce and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. It was another great year of music in Austin. Check out this short tribute to our 2006 ACL experience:

William Kristol verbally assaulted in Austin, TX.

On October 3, 2006, I attended a lecture by William Kristol, the highly controversial neo-conservative political analyst and founding member of the Project for a New American Century. This is what happened:



Dr. Kristol supports a hawkish approach to solving world conflict which has been the basis for President GW Bush's foreign policy. Conspiracy theorists credit Kristol and the PNAC, which includes Paul Wolfowitz and Dick Cheney, for planning and executing the events that occurred on 9/11/2001. See the following video:



I'm curious what you think...

NC State defeats FSU 24-20!!!

This is a deep cut at NC State's Football coach. You have to respect the creator of this little cartoon. NC State fans can be vicious...I'm glad that this guy took a more humorous approach to dissin' our coach. Amato's gotta step it up or he'll be out like Herb Sendek. 

This is a tribute video that I prepared for Cara's first band at Artie Henry Middle School. 

My friend Emily, former laboratory technician in the Lambowitz lab, is now performing with Island Rhythms Hula Company. Very cool!