September 28, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Park beautification in Staunton

I spent a couple hours on Saturday morning joining local school teachers, police officers, and a "motley crew" of public-spirited volunteers at a Community Day event held at the Booker T. Washington Community Center, located on the west side of the historic "New Town" neighborhood of Staunton. It was the first time I had been there, and I was amazed by how steep the streets are; it's quite a view from up there. We spent most of the time digging holes, shoveling mulch, and planting plants and bulbs in the playground. When we were done, it looked just great. The weather was overcast and it drizzled occasionally, but at least we didn't get rained on.

The event was part of a broader crime prevention program, targeting the alarming rise of street gangs in this area. Attorney General Bob McDonnell (see Web site) spoke to the volunteers about the need for this kind of community service to raise hope and (by implication) combat deliquency. Assistant Attorney General Phil Figura was the main organizer of the event, and several staff members joined him. I was very impressed by the large outpouring of good will, showing once again what a solid, vibrant community Staunton is. As the article in today's News Leader pointed out, however, much will depend on whether there is a sustained community effort to maintain the Community Center and playground.

Lowe's contributed a large quantity of flowering plants, mulch, tools, and supplies that were put to excellent use. Several employees of Shenandoah Valley Security pitched in, and several local companies contributed supplies, such as Blue Ridge Lumber. Tom Sheets, the company president, was in attendance, along with his wife Peggy. They were the hosts of the campaign fund-raiser for State Senator Emmett Hanger in May 2007.

(Full disclosure: My presence at this community event was motivated in part by politics, with the understanding that there was to be no political activity.)

September 27, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Paul Newman passes away

Paul Newman, who died yesterday at the age of 83, was one of the greatest actors and most engaging personalities of the 20th Century. I remember him most vividly in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), as well as The Sting (1973), in both of which he co-starred with Robert Redford. Here are some other Newman movies I enjoyed the most:

• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
• Exodus (1960)
• Cool Hand Luke (1967)
• Fort Apache the Bronx (1981)
• Absence of Malice (1981)

I have yet to see the highly-regarded Road to Perdition (2002, with Tom Hanks), but I'll have to do so soon. For the complete list of his cinematic and television achievements, see the Internet Movie Database.

Paul Newman was well known as a conscientious social activist, and was involved in a number of liberal causes. Compared to most of his peers in Hollywood, however, he showed more genuine concern for the less-fortunate, and was never one of those irritating "pious" grandstanders. One of them that I used to support many years ago is the Center for Defense Information. Tonight on Larry King Live, they rebroadcast an interview from 1999 (?) in which Newman talked about the Scott Newman Foundation (now Center), which was established after his son died of a drug overdose in 1978. It aims primarily to discourage the movie industry from glorifying substance abuse. Newman also had his own brand of salad dressing. In January, he and his wife Joanne Woodward (also an actor) celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. That must have set a record for Hollywood couples!

In sum, Newman's abundant charm, sincere character, and lifelong devotion to his profession into his eighties were almost unparalleled. He brought laughter and inspiration to millions of people, and his is the perfect example of a live well lived.

September 18, 2008 [LINK / comment]

Red state, red insect

Here is another close-up nature photo from our trip last month to Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, in the southeastern corner of the Old Dominion. My apologies for (implicitly) interjecting politics into Nature, but that's what happens during campaign season.

Ruby Meadowhawk Dragonfly, at Back Bay NWR.

September 11, 2008 [LINK / comment]

That's what I call a "slugfest"!

Jacqueline noticed something strange on the side of the balcony while we were having dinner with some friends recently, and was disgusted when she realized what it was. Fortunately I had the new Nikon digital camera ready for the photo op:

Great Gray Slugs, in a "romantic" encounter.

Not only are slugs slimy, disgusting garden pests, their behavior is positively shocking, according to our standards anyway. According to the often-reliable Wikipedia,

Slugs are hermaphrodites, having both female and male reproductive organs.
Once a slug has located a mate, they encircle each other and sperm is exchanged through their protruded genitalia. A few days later around 30 eggs are laid into a hole in the ground, or under the cover of objects such as fallen logs.
For a species of slug that has an unusually elaborate mating procedure, see Great grey slug. A commonly seen practice among many slugs is apophallation. The penis of these species is curled like a cork-screw and often becomes entangled in their mate's genitalia in the process of exchanging sperm. When all else fails, apophallation allows the slugs to separate themselves by one or both of the slugs chewing off the other's penis. Once its penis has been removed, a slug is still able to mate subsequently, but using only the female parts of its reproductive system.

Eew-w-w! I'll be posting more photos of other creepy critters soon...