Huckabee for president

I am watching Mike Huckabee on Meet the Press this morning, and he said that tomorrow he is announcing his run for president. He says that in Iraq, he generally agrees with President Bush. I think that is a killer for his ambitions. However, in terms of Republicans, I think Huckabee might be the kind of Republican I would like. He is pro-life, but he also supports affordable or free health insurance for children, so that those babies born are healthy. He doesn't support gay marriage, but also thinks we should support strengthening heterosexual marriage. He seems internally consistent, much more than some Republicans who seem to support some Christian ideals (in order to get votes) but then cut welfare programs designed to help people. However, I am not sure he is "enough" to be president. I will be watching him closely.

"Doctor." "Doctor."

It took me four years, but I am finished now with book-learnin'. On the 10th of January I defended (think swords and armor) my thesis to Ian Bonnell of St. Andrews and Phil Lucas of Hertsfordshire. After four hours, they decided the research (and by extension, I) was fit for a Ph.D., and congratulated me. Over the next couple of days, I made the minor corrections they asked of me, and printed out my final copy of my dissertation. Now I need to get it bound and into the library at St. Andrews, but in general I have completed all the requirements of my doctorate. Woo-hoo!
There were quite a few times when I didn't think this would happen, but at the end of it I can honestly say I was enjoying the research. But, all good things…

Heading over

So, I am headed to Scotland this afternoon. There are many things on which I would like to comment, like the article in the Economist about how ethical food (fairtrade, organic, and locally produced) might do worse for the world. And the response article in Grist about how the Economist is wrong. However, I have other things (warning: large link) to think about right now.

Salt in Central Asia

There is a good article about getting iodine in salt in Central Asia in the New York Times. I was struck by the lobbyists who sprung up to challenge putting iodine in salt, which reportedly can eliminate iodine deficiencies. Iodine deficiencies in pregnant women, by the way, lower IQ points by 10-15% for their babies, and causes cretinism and dwarfism. The cost of the iodine added to a ton of salt is about $1.15, which in my opinion, is a pretty good deal for a 15 point gain in IQ. The article specifically mentions some work in Kazakhstan to convince people that iodized salt is good for you. It is funny, because the reporter mentioned that in Turkmenistan, the dictator in one fell swoop made non-iodized salt illegal, and gave away 11 pounds of iodized salt to every citizen every year. Sometimes even a dictator can do good.

Alternative Energy

Like most people (save oil executives, perhaps), I am very interested in alternative energies. It is sometimes disheartening to see renewable energy shunned in favor for petroleum products for energy needs. With the infrastructure already created to use oil and gas, renewable or alternative energies can't simply be as good as oil, but instead must be much better than oil, in order to be adopted. For that reason I am really excited about some scientific research just released that shows that low input high diversity (LIHD) native grassland perennials can produce a much better return than corn or soybeans in creating energy. The article is in Science, so you may not be able to see it, as it is restricted access. However, the gist of the research is that when a broad variety of native grasslands are planted in agriculturally degraded lands, they can produce over three times as much energy than corn or soybean derived energy products. What is even better is that this grassland biofuel cycle puts carbon back in the ground, so that the entire process actually reduces greenhouse gases. I don't know how much is spent on finding oil each year or transporting it to the places that need it, but these scientists have essentially shown that you can take a barren piece of land, plant a bunch of grasses on it, leave it without irrigation or fertilization, and in result reduce greenhouse emissions and get a (big) net positive production of energy. How cool is that?

Getting busy

Like everyone, things are getting a little bit busy in December. At the first of the month, Courtney and I had our annual cookie party. Now, I am working on astronomy code for Sara, working at the fruit stand about 25 hours a week, and trying to study for my viva. Thus, less updates.
However, I wanted to mention a friend's blog, Its beyond me. Jared is a smart guy. People should listen to him.

Education in the City

There is a fantastic article in the New York Times Sunday Magazine about educating low-income students, mostly in the inner city. I was very impressed with some of the explanations for student success, and think that parents (or prospective parents) would specifically like to know some of the information. I am also enamored with the charter schools mentioned in the article, and would love to see KIPP in the Arkansas Delta.

Selling Kidneys

There is an article about selling kidneys on the Economist right now. They are pro. It reminds me of a paper I wrote once about allowing death-row inmates to donate their organs. Give the article a read, if you have a chance.

Thesis away!

So, my deadline was the 31 October for my thesis. I ended up sending it on the 3rd November, putting it in a FedEx box to send to Scotland. I already know of a couple of errors in it, but by and large I am extremely relieved to have turned it in. If anyone wants to look at it, go ahead. Be warned that it is about 20 MB and might take a little while to download.

I will continue to work on my research, for Sara and to prepare for my viva in January, but I will have a lot more free time than before. It feels good to be back in the world.

100 pages

So, I am sure all you humanities people will laugh at the brevity of a science thesis. But, remember, a picture (or a plot) is worth a thousand words (I hope). I am still actively working, and it is a jumbled mess right now, but I passed the 100 page mark (sort of). So, if you are having a difficult time getting to sleep tonight, or you have nothing else to do, then feel free to download and take a look at the thesis.

Where am I?

Well, I am in the thick of an extrasolar planet atmosphere, computing rho, tau, kappa, and other greek symbols. I am going to finish my Ph.D. work by 31 October, so I probably won't write much until then. I hope everyone is enjoying the autumn.

Courtney Passed

You can now call Courtney Dr. Hood. She has just passed her viva. She and her mother are coming home tomorrow from Scotland, the land of rain. I am so proud of her.

Ron Moore

Ron Moore is the wildly successful writer and creator of Battlestar Galatica. He writes an excellent op-ed piece in the New York Times about the optimism of science fiction, and specifically, Star Trek. I know science fiction isn't everyone's cup of tea, but the article is a good indication of why so many of us do love it. Also, take a look at Battlestar if you haven't already. It really is great.

Courtney is in Scotland

So, Courtney and her mother are in Scotland right now. Both her parents flew to DC on Friday, and Courtney and her mom both flew to Scotland on Saturday, and I hung out with Courtney's dad on Saturday and Sunday. It was pretty good fun. We headed out to the movies on Saturday night and watched The Guardian. There were certainly a few well-worn cinematic elements, but overall I thought it was a good movie. I was also pleased that it only cost $6.75, which I think was a special price because it was a prerelease movie (it doesn't open until next week, I think). We also got some Hard Times Chili, of which I am a fan (I miss chili cheese hot dogs, but the vegetarian hamburger I had was pretty tasty).
I hope Courtney gets back soon.

Woo Pig Chewy!

So, the New York Times thought it a good idea to write a little profile of my governor, Mike Huckabee. I might not consider myself a republican, but I am very proud of what he is doing to change the attitudes in Arkansas about food. I am much less proud of his attempt to turn this fat-busting into a presidential campaign. Maybe there is a lot more depth to him than I know, but you can't turn one issue (and a small one, relatively) into a presidential bid. Of course, I hope the best for him. Maybe we will have another Arkansawyer in the White House.

An excellent bit of learning

William M. Chace, a former president of Emory University, wrote a nice little Op-Ed piece in the New York Times, entitled, A Little Learning is an Expensive Thing. I thought is was an entertaining and excellent overview of a component of higher education. I thought it was very interesting to hear that more than half the students at selective colleges come from the highest earning quarter of households.

An excellent bit of learning

William M. Chace, a former president of Emory University, wrote a nice little Op-Ed piece in the New York Times, entitled, A Little Learning is an Expensive Thing. I thought is was an entertaining and excellent overview of a component of higher education. I thought it was very interesting to hear that more than half the students at selective colleges come from the highest earning quarter of households.

Could it have been America?

A lot of liberal democrats like to say things like "Bush stole the presidency," and that he wasn't really elected to his office, because of the closeness of the Gore/Bush vote. However, it is interesting to watch a close vote occur in Mexico, and the ramifications of that vote. Could America have descended into that kind of anarchy? Would Gore have ever threatened to set up a parallel government? I hope others would agree that even the imperfect solution of having Bush as president is better than the kind of conflict that might occur in Mexico for the next six years.

Wedding Photos!

We have all our wedding photos, and we have been dutifully culling through them to find the best photos. We have chosen a small selection of best photos, and then a larger collection of photos. Feel free to take a look at them if you have time. We had such a fantastic time at the wedding, and I am glad that it really shows in the photographs.

I ♥ Pluto

The title is an Op-Ed piece written in the New York Times by cartoonist Tim Kreider. I am much more fond of Kreider's explanations and rationale for keeping Pluto a planet than anything I have heard from any astronomer. He sums up very nicely what I feel as an astronomer: Pluto is a planet because it has been for the last 70 years, but that it is silly to induct more into the exclusive club. I have just read that at the IAU the vote is to demote Pluto to a minor planet. I am disappointed, but this is not the first time astronomy has disappointed me, and it won't be the last.