In this podcast, we join Jennifer Ackerman (Sex, Sleep, Eat, Drink, Dream), Michael Sims (Apollo’s Fire: A Day on Earth in Nature and Imagination), and Susan Freinkel (American Chestnut: The Life, Death, and Rebirth of a Perfect Tree) as they discuss natural history, science, and the interlocking life cycles of humans, other organisms, and the Earth itself. The discussion was a presentation of the Virginia Festival of the Book on Friday, March 28, 2008, in the City Council Chambers. Susan Tyler Hitchcock is the moderator.
On Wednesday, March 26, UVa’s Culbreth Theatre played host to “In Search of Irish America,” a presentation of the Virginia Festival of the Book. Peter Quinn, author of Looking for Jimmy, was joined by author and filmmaker Daniel Cassidy, New York Times columnist Dan Barry, author Maureen Dezell, and journalist and filmmaker T. J. English. The four panelists conducted a lively inquiry into the role of Irish-Americans in history. They concluded their presentation with a song before adjourning to McGrady’s Irish Pub.
The 14th Annual Virginia Festival of the Book kicked off on March 26, 2008 with an event held in the McIntire Room at the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library. In the next fifty minutes, you’ll hear the winners of the Hook’s short story contest, proclamations from local officials, and more. The event begins with Robert Vaughan, president of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.
Dr. Collins earned a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Virginia in 1970, a PhD in physical chemistry from Yale in 1974, and an M.D. from the University of North Carolina in 1977. In the 1990s he led the Human Genome Project. This international effort to decode the entire human genome was completed ahead of schedule and under budget.
During his presentation, titled, “Genomics, Medicine, and Society,” Dr. Collins discussed the revolution in medicine that has resulted from our knowledge of human genetics. Dr. Collins also raised questions about the ethical, legal, and social implications of our newfound knowledge, including issues involving patents, health insurance, disparities in treatment, and genetic discrimination. Dr. Collins also spoke to the implications of genetic research for human spirituality and the need to find harmony between religious beliefs and scientific discovery. He then took questions from the audience.
Timeline for the podcast:
00:00 Introduction by Edward Ridgely, Vice President, Jefferson Literary and Debating Society
02:00 Dr. Collins: “Genomics, Medicine, and Society”
06:00 The Human Genome
12:00 A revolution in medicine
20:00 Ethical, legal, and social implications
35:00 Dr. James Watson’s controversial remarks on genetics and race
39:00 Genetic determinism vs. the human spirit and the need for God
42:00 A glimpse of the future
49:00 Questions from the audience (most questions were repeated by Collins)
54:00 (This question was not repeated by the speaker) Why don’t we skip RNA, DNA, and study the expression of genes, i.e., proteins, directly? (“proteomics”)
1:14:00 (This question was not repeated by the speaker) Can you cite examples of human evolution in action?
1:25:00 End of presentation
This event was recorded by Elizabeth McCullough of cvillewords.com
One of the hottest clean political stories of the year is the race for the Democratic presidential nomination. Senator Barack Obama currently has a slight lead over Senator Hillary Clinton in the delegate count. But, how does the process really work?
That was the general topic of the Charlottesville / Albemarle Democratic breakfast for March 2008. Fred Hudson, Democratic Party chair for VirginiavDj(tm)s Fifth Congressional District, explains the process by which local folks can try to become delegates to the national convention in Denver. Jim Heilman, former Albemarle County Voter Registrar and current international consultant on elections, will review the fairness and intent of various nominating methods vDj” primaries, caucuses and backroom dealing. And a political scientist will review the history and politics of the nominating process1
On March 10, 2008, the Interfaith Movement Promoting Action by
Congregations Together (IMPACT) held its second annual Nehemiah Action
assembly at University Hall in Charlottesville.
According to IMPACT officials, over 1,900 members from twenty-eight
church congregations were present. They gathered to obtain public
commitments from local healthcare agencies and from local government
officials to address a lack of adult dental care and the need for affordable housing.
If you had a choice – to buy valtrex generic online or to buy an expensive but branded one, what would you choose?
On Thursday, February 28, 2008, author Andy Straka spoke at the New Dominion Bookshop about his newest novel, Record of Wrongs. Straka gave a description of the characters and plot of his book, which is a departure from his mystery series featuring private investigator Frank Pavlicek. He discussed the research behind Record of Wrongs, including the real-life events that lend credibility to his fictional account.
On Tuesday, February 26, 2008, author Susan Gregg Gilmore spoke at the New Dominion Bookshop about her writing career and read from her debut novel, Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen. She then answered questions from the audience about the novel and her writing process. Gilmore concluded her presentation by answering the most pressing question of all: Just what is a Dilly Bar?
On February 24, 2008, Chief Billy “Red Wing” Tayac of the Piscataway Nation gave a talk at the University of Virginia on issues affecting today’s American Indians. His appearance was hosted by the American Indian Student Union and the Charlottesville Center for Peace and Justice. Representatives from those two organizations introduce themselves. More information about the event can be found here.
Dr. Nicholas Joukovsky is currently a Professor of English at Penn State University. He received his A.B. from Princeton, then went on to receive his M.A from Berkeley and Doctoral in Philosophy at Oxford University. In 2001, he published the literary collection Letters of Thomas Love Peacock. His literary expertise lies in 19th century Romantic and Victorian literature, particularly Thomas Love Peacock and the Shelly circle. He is also Chair of the Academic Committee for the College of the Liberal Arts, which is appropriate given the title of his speech, “In Defense of Plagiarism.” His speech will attack the fundamentalist, societal notions that ALL plagiarism is wrong, underscoring some of its literary merits with academic communities. He wanted to emphasize that he will not be defending all forms of plagiarism
Dr. Joukovsky answered questions on plagiarism as it stands today, the Honor Code and its effectiveness at watch-guarding plagiarism, basic ethics, and literary tradition.
On February 17, 2008, The Albemarle-Charlottesville Branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People celebrated the national organization’s 99th anniversary at an event held in the auditorium at Jackson P. Burley Middle School in Charlottesville. The theme of the day was “Standing on the Promises.”
We recorded the event, and now bring you the highlights. The master of ceremonies for the event is Mrs. Janette B. Martin, Vice-President of the Albemarle-Charlottesville NAACP. Timeline for podcast:
0:51 – Reading of original poem, God, Give Me the Strength by Miss Bekenwari Idoniboye.
3:38 – Mrs. Janette B. Martin welcomes the audience, and introduces the guests
5:05 – Mrs. Shirley Roundtree, President, Fluvanna NAACP, reviews the history and purpose of the organization
8:05 – Dr. M. Rick Turner, President, Albemarle-Charlottesville NAACP, addresses the issue of continuing segregation in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.
4:27- Rev. Michael Turner, President, Staunton NAACP, speaks to the vitalness of the organization’s work.
6:37 – Rev. Mildred Middlebrooks, President, Waynesboro NAACP, remembers those who sacrificed their lives for justice.
22:22 – Mr. Brandon Kelly, President, UVA NAACP College Chapter, reviews current threats to and triumphs of the struggle for equality.
24:28 – Mrs. Martin introduces the youth speakers, Christen Edwards and Shelby Edwards.
On February 13, 2008, the Kluge-Ruhe Collection of Aboriginal Art at the University of Virginia sponsored the first John W. and Maria T. Kluge Distinguished Lecture in Arts and Humanities, featuring professor Terry E. Smith of the University of Pittsburgh. The lecture was introduced by Collection Director Margo Smith, who announced the date’s historical significance.
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On Tuesday, February 26, 2008, author 
On February 24, 2008, Chief Billy “Red Wing” Tayac of the 
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