Brits and Americans II: How I view them

As a whole, I loved the British. The friends I made in the UK were terrific, and I hope many of them will remain lifelong friends. Perhaps any comment I make beyond that will bleed toward stereotype, but I'm going to try. Keep in mind that what I say is by it's nature a generality, and there are probably a thousand exceptions to any statement I make.
The Brits generally believe Americans have no understanding of irony, and when I say that, I mean their sense of irony. British humor tends to be understated and subtle. Consequently, it can be difficult to tell when people are "winding you up" as they would say. Once you get to know someone, it's pretty easy to detect, but I think the British excel at doing it off the cuff to strangers. Americans (including myself) can get a bit frazzeled by it at first. I was told by a stranger at a nightclub that Jewish Americans tended to be exceptions to the "lack of irony" stereotype, but I wouldn't make that claim myself.
I remember making a phone call to the cinema to ask if I'd have any trouble getting tickets for a movie, as I was afraid they'd sell out. The man on the phone replied, without missing a beat, that "I might get in an accident or something on the way over" but otherwise, it shouldn't be a problem. I loved every minute of it, particularly when I could fool my friends the same way.
One of the other British passions is that of the drink. Yes, this is a stereotype, and there are plenty of exceptions. But as a general rule, their social life revolved around finding a good pint at the pub. A night out often meant having 5 or 6 pints and grabbing a quick meal on your way between pubs. It's not that a good meal wasn't appreciated, or that it was a requirement to get drunk, it was just the general focus of a night out, even among the late 20's early 30's crowd. With Americans, it is socially acceptable, and often encouraged to be a drunk college student, or even a drunk early 20 year old, but as you approach 30 it isn't quite as well looked upon.
There are plenty of other generalities that can be drawn upon: The stiff upper lip (in my experienced sometimes true), the passion for tea (true for many, but by no means all), and their bad food (not true at all). Their weather was amazing: it would rarely drop below freezing or get anywhere near 90 F, but the weather would change 30 times over the course of a day. Consequently, nothing kept you from doing things outside. I did a walk in Dartmore in 50 knot winds. Like everyone else I suppose, they were funny, serious, passionate, reserved, sarcastic, idealistic, generous, and of course complex. The two years I spent in the UK were amazing, and I hope to return again and again.

Brits and Americans I: How they viewed us

When I left England, where I spent the last two years of my life, my friends gave me a Xenephobe's guide to the English. I hadn't really looked through it until recently and came upon an amusing comment about Americans. Namely:
The English like Americans and in many ways would probably like them even more if only they didn't insist on being quite so...well...American. The English regard Americans as English people who turned into something else as the result of an unfortunate misunderstanding, and who would be a lot happier if they had the sense to turn back again. Then they would start talking Proper English.
I did not have problems making friends with the Brits, or indeed the many other nationalities that I met while in the UK. I was often told "You're too nice to be an American", or "You're too quiet to be an American".
These comments were said in the nicest way of course. And, in a sense they may have been true. Americans, particularly American tourists, can be quite loud. Occasionally, we are pushy, obnoxious, naive, and of course overweight. However, we are also of course quiet, modest, kind, intelligent, and thin. I never got a sense that brits don't' like Americans. Quite the reverse. I did get a sense they took an odd pleasure in dumb things we'd do.
The BBC loved to run stories of very very rural Americans somewhere deep in Texas whose only other human contact was rifle practice with their siblings.
Their favorite target, was of course GW Bush. He was the embodiment of what brits saw as wrong with America: He loved guns, god, oil, and didn't listen to Europeans. Despite what their Prime Minister believed, almost all of my friends despised him.
The truth is, of course, stereotypes only get you so far. They are usually based on some element of truth, but truth that is distorted and oversimplified. What counters the stereotype is what is interesting. As they got to know me, and realized that Americans can understand their sarcasm, they can keep their mouth shut, and can appreciate walking, they realized the stereotypes weren't also true. I also hoped I helped them appreciate that even the most loud, overweight, gun-toting right wing American came from somewhere. They have their own views on the world which, even if I didn't understand it totally, shouldn't be discredited. And now I've got lots of British stereotypes to talk about. But, I'll save it for a different post.

Universities and booze

I read something interesting in "The Badger Herald" our local student newspaper. A group called "Sober Students on Campus" had their first meeting from 9pm to 1 am last Friday night. They had games, movies and free food. Why does this matter? Am I advocating a Teetotalling lifestyle? Hardly! I've certaintly had the odd drink or two, and have spent the odd next morning recovering from said drink.
This being said, I've lived in two college towns and have seen both Universities try very hard to crack down on underage drinking. So, they bust the odd frat party and crack down on bars that serve underage drinkers; They essentially take the wrong tactic.

Students want to go out. They want something to do late at night, they generally want it to involve members of the opposite sex, and they want it to be cheap.
Some students want to only go out and drink. Fine, if you make it difficult for them, they'll just try harder. You can't do much about it. Some students don't want to drink at all. You don't have to worry about them. It's the ones in between that you can influence.
They'll follow the previously mentioned rules to find things to do. If there are fun, non-alcoholic things to do, they'll choose those sometimes, and sometimes choose ones that do involve booze. But, if all the local hang outs shut at 11..They'll find something else to do: namely, go to parties and get drunk.
So, how do universities solve this problem: Open the student unions late. Serve food late, and have fun things to do. Free movies, dancing, music, comedians...Whatever. Penn State did this my senior year, and it was a brilliant idea. At least one student organization is trying it at Wisconsin, and it's good to see. Hopefully the university will support it and make more events like it.
alcohol isn't something that should be feared or shunned, and at a University, at least most people don't have to drive. It's generally an ok place to experiment. But, there should be alternatives. Like post college life, you should be able to get along with and without it. Finding alternatives is a good start.

A science geek post -- What do I do?

On Friday at work, a state senator from the great state of Wisconsin came through the office. Why did he stop by? Well, primarily, his intern was married to someone who works in the building. But, in my naive view of the world, I believe he was actually interested in the research we are doing. So, on that naivete, I'll try and talk a little bit about what I do, and how our work fits in to something that, you, as the average citizen, can relate.
I'm sure many of you watch TV weather forecasts without thinking much about them. A good looking man or woman stands in front of a blue screen and shows various of weather maps, radar images, and satellites. It's these latter images that I'm generally concerned with at work: satellites. How do they work? What are they good for? How do they help you?
Satellites work by detecting radiation. If you imagine radiation as being a wave, it would have a certain wavelength (the distance from crest to crest), and a frequency (the time that passes between peaks). The wavelength or frequency (they are inversely related) determines the characteristics of that radiation. We often describe radiation as being of a certain wavelength or frequency, such as: Radiation in the Infra-red frequencies, or of visible wavelengths. Whether you use frequency or wavelength depends on the application.
Your eyes also work by detecting radiation. They are sensitive to radiation that is emitted from the sun, often called visible radiation. It is usually reflected, or scattered off of objects on our planet, and that is how you can see them.
Satellites have instruments that are sensitive to visible radiation. Since thick clouds are highly reflective of solar radiation, they can be detected quite well in the satellites, and are useful to a forecaster. They can also be distinguished from thinner clouds which don't scatter radiation quite as well.
Another typical instrument detects radiation in the infra-red (IR).IR radiation has longer wavelengths than visible radiation. It can't be seen, but it can be felt; it's what makes cloudy nights warmer than clear nights, and is one of the reasons cities are warmer than the countryside. It's also the primary radiation of concern for global warming.
Essentially, infra-red radiation depends on an object's temperature. The warmer it is, the more IR radiation it emits. High clouds in the atmosphere are colder than lower clouds, thus emitting less radiation.
So, how do these images help? A forecaster can use these instruments to see how clouds and weather systems are moving right now, and predict how they'll move in the near future. They can use them to detect hurricanes in the middle of the ocean, something which was impossible before they were used. They can also be used to study land features, and land use. All in all, even with these two types of radiation, they are extremely powerful. And there are thousands more wavelengths that are being studied as we speak.
So, what do I do? Well, the people I work with are interested in improving those satellite images. We are using them , and additional to detect all sorts of natural phenomenon, in hopes that they will help a forecaster or just tell us more about the natural world.

I'll keep it that vague at this point so that I don't bore the 2 readers that have made it this far. Please post if something isn't clear, or if you found it interesting. If it is interesting, I'll post more science geek posts in the future, including some more details about my work.

Music in "our land"

On Thursday night I went to one of the most phenomenal concerts I've ever been to. Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, Joe Ely, and Guy Clark took the stage, sat on four chairs and took turns playing songs.
If you're not familiar with them, (and I hadn't really heard the last two) they are four singer/songwriters whose incredible talent is matched by their relative lack of commercial success. John Hiatt, whom I'm most familiar with, has written songs that have been made famous by Bonnie Raitt (Thing Called Love), Jeff Healy (Angel Eyes), BB King and Eric Clapton (Riding with the King) and probably many more. Joe Ely and Guy Clark have been playing in the Texas circuit for a long time and supposedly gave Lovett his first album deal. Lovett is probably the most well known, and well worth all of his fame.

They traded stories, joked with each other, sang and played back up, and just looked like they were having a good time. I imagine each of them has so many songs that they could play whatever moves them on a given night. Hiatt complained about the cold of Madison, leading him to play the humorous "Wintertime Blues" and winning local fans by doing it. This lead Lovett to play "Flyswatter/Ice Water Blues", his
song about the Texas heat.
The show ended with all of them playing a phenomenal rendition of Woodie Guthrie's "This land is your land". The first verse and chorus are a well known tribute to the beauty of the America. But the last versus compare that beauty to the injustices of a country with some of the wealthiest and poorest people in the world. Injustices that are still relevant and prevalent today:

The familar chorus is first, followed by the concluding versus:

This land is your land,
This land is my land,
From California
To the New York Island,
From the redwood forest,
To the Gulf stream waters,
This land was made for you and me.

As I was walkin' - I saw a sign there
And that sign said - no tress passin'
But on the other side .... it didn't say nothin!
Now that side was made for you and me!

Chorus

In the squares of the city - In the shadow of the steeple
Near the relief office - I see my people
And some are grumblin' and some are wonderin'
If this land's still made for you and me.

Nobody living can ever stop me
As I go walking
That freedom highway
Nobody living can make me turn back
This land was made for you and me

Radio, What would life be like without it?

I love music. I can't play a single note on an instrument, but I love listening to it. I'm not talking about classical music. I think it's incredible music, but I don't know very much about it, and this blog is about something else.
I'm talking about pop music. It's that song that comes on the radio, grabs your attention and holds it for 4 minutes as you're singing along.
I also love the idea of radio. The fact that you can turn it on, hear a dj play an interesting mix of music: some songs you know and love, and some you've never heard before, but the dj thinks they are so incredible that you'll catch on after one or two listens.
Of course, pop radio is never really like that. It's filled with the same 20 songs across the country that have been tested and well researched. It's so rare that your challenged or surprised by a song, that it essentially doesn't happen.
Of course there are exceptions. KEXP is an incredible public radio station out of Seattle that plays all kinds of interesting music. You can hear them online and really expand your music knowledge. In rare cities, you get the "Adult Alternative" format, which attempts to mix some classic rock with well known and not so well known national acts. And of course launch cast and other services allow you to select some pretty interesting stuff.
But what about just turning on the radio, hearing a local dj who knows music. He or she focuses on some local music. They mix in an incredible popular song, and then throw in an obscure song from a band you know but haven't heard in years. You feel like you actually get to know them, and trust their music tastes. I suppose it is the radio used to be. Might be nice to go back to it someday.

A good idea

The good idea of the day award goes to Tom Friedman in his February 6th article in the New York Times. He discusses dropping the reward money offered by the US government for the capture of bin Laden and Zarqawi and proposes:

to use [the money] instead to sponsor an essay contest for high school students in Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Syria and Egypt. The contest entry form would say the following: "In 2,000 words, write an essay on one of these two topics: 1. Why do you believe the Arab-Muslim world is fully capable of achieving democratic, representative government and how do you envisage it coming about through peaceful changes inside your country, without any American or other outside help. 2. Write an essay about the lives of any of the great medieval Arab or Muslim mathematicians, scientists or philosophers and how their innovations helped to shape our world today."

The winners would be awarded visas and four-year scholarships to any accredited university in America to which they could gain acceptance. The winning essays would be posted on the Web in English, Arabic, Urdu, Farsi and French. What do you think would make America more secure? Rewarding one person for turning in bin Laden or putting thousands of young Arabs and Muslims through American schools?

I've always felt that if we spent half as much of our energy trying to make it easier for foriegners to come to the US, and encouraging them to study and work here, than combating terrorism with weapons, we'd be in much better shape. You don't tackle terrorism from the top down, you have to start at the grassroots and move up. Mr Friedman's idea would be a great symbolic way to begin.

The Superbowl and the rest of the world

Ah superbowl Sunday. One of the many American "holidays" of food, sports, and booze. If you went out shopping during the game, the traffic would be non-existent, and you could easily get the best seat at the movies.
When I was in England of course, very few people understood it. I did have a family that I was friends with, that was a bit of an Americaphile, so they had a superbowl party. It's not quite the same watching the game at 11 o'clock at night, with a few rugby commentators and one ex-nfl player. And, there were no commercials? What's the point of a superbowl without the commercials?
But, during the European football (soccer) championships, while England was still a competitor, we had two or three days of food/beer gatherings. Emotions were high as the English rooted for England, and the Scots and Welsh supported whoever was playing England. What fun!
And how about the Rugby world cup. How many of you knew there WAS a rugby world cup? The final was England versus Australia with the game in Australia. When the game ended, it was about noon in England, with the English victorious. I wandered from my apartment into town, and had to dodge a drunken supporter pouring out of a bar and throwing up on the street. At noon!
In the US they probably would have taped it to show it at prime time so they can sell commercials, but that's an entirely different blog.
I just find it amazing that some things can be so absorbing to a given country/culture, and completely lost on another. Oh well, enjoy the game!

Blog dump

So it's been a while since I've written. I feel almost guilty. I don't really know how many people stop by here to see if I've updated, but I figure if they do long enough, and I haven't, they'll of course stop reading. Well hopefully the dry spells won't last too long, and the 3 readers that I have won't stop stopping by.
I could of course make up lots of excuses. I've been too busy. My cat keeps sitting on the keyboard while I'm trying to write. The network is down. I was kidnapped by space aliens who removed by ability to write complete sentences. Etc..Etc.
But, I suppose it's more a question of laziness. Sometimes when I come home from whatever after work activity I've been at, I'm just not in the mood to sit down and put some thoughts on the screen. Once I actually do it, it's a bit cathartic, and of course it doesn't really take that long to do a rough blog. If I'm actually trying to say something intelligent, that's an entirely different question, but sometimes it's fun just to do a brain dump (like this post) and sorta see where it goes.
If it's completely unintelligible, then such is life. So, out of curiosity, how do the various people who happen to pop by my site do their blogs? Do they just write, run the spell check (maybe), and go? Do you think about your post, write it on paper, and edit many times before you post?
I'm curious about the basic writing process for many of you for the various bloggers. Is this a brain dump, or a carefully planned exercise in thought. Thanks, and may the blogs continue...