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NASCARRISES FROM RURALAND OUTLAW ROOTS

JAZZA NATIONALTREASURE

STATE BIRDSFLYING HIGH

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JAZZA NATIONAL TREASURE

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FLYING HIGH

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NASCAR RISES FROM RURAL AND OUTLAW ROOTS

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Contents

NORMANBORLAUGTHE MAN WHOFED THE WORLD

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THIS WEEK INAMERICAN HISTORY

QUOTE OFTHE WEEK

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THE U.S.MERCHANT

MARINEUNSUNG HEROES

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JAZZA NATIONAL TREASURETheWhite House recently hosted 150 youngmusicians fromWashington andNewOrleans to attend jazz classes, taught byWyntonMarsalis and other jazzmusicians. The event, whichincluded swing and blues lessons and later a performanceby several artists, is the first of a music series sponsored byFirst Lady Michelle Obama. Country music and classicalmusic days are also planned.

And, indeed, the First Lady is correct. BeforeRock and Roll and Hip Hop there was Jazz.Originating in New Orleans, Jazz more thanany other art form truly represents the spirit ofAmerica. Born of oppression, and built uponimprovisation, advanced by a confluence ofAfrican, Latin American and European music,Jazz has fused different nationalities, ethnic-ities and cultures to create a sound all it’s own.

In many ways, it is the sound of freedom. Jazzwas born in the 1800’s on the plantations ofthe South. African Slaves sang spirituals tocelebrate, to mourn, to worship, and to softenthe hardships of work. Improvision and acertain back-and-forth were basic to the sound.This music of the plantations blended withthe European-American musical tradition tocreate the basis for blues, ragtime, and othermusical forms from which jazz evolved.

Jazz stayed primarily in the South until the1920s, when it migrated north during thetwenties, ignited by the Hot Jazz of LouisArmstrong. During the depression, DukeEllington and Fletcher Henderson broughtthe captivating sounds of Harlem to dancehalls across the country and helped createwhat was known as the Swing Era. As musictastes changed and rock and roll becamepopular during the 1950s, Miles Davisinitiated a new era in jazz, and by this time

the entire nation, geographically speaking,became the audience

Since the early 20th century, jazz hasspawned many subgenres, from New OrleansDixieland dating from the early 1910s, to thebig band swing of the 1930s and 1940s, tothe bebop of the mid-1940s, to Latin jazzfusion in the 1950s and 60s, to jazz rockfusion from the 1970s and 1980s. Ever evolv-ing, several new subgenres — such as smoothjazz and nu jazz — emerged in the 1980sand 1990s, and into the 21st century so-called “straight ahead jazz” appeals as estab-lished stars like Dave Brubeck, Sonny Rollins,Wayne Shorter, Jessica Williams and, ofcourse, Wynton Marsalis, continue to perform.Numerous young musicians have steppedup to play both the mainstream and to adda whole new level of experiment.

In 1987, the US House of Representativesand Senate passed a bill declaring jazz aunique form of American music, stating,among other things, "...that jazz is herebydesignated as a rare and valuable nationalAmerican treasure to which we should devoteour attention, support and resources to makecertain it is preserved, understood andpromulgated.” At least for once, Congressgot it right.

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“Today’s event exemplifies what I think the White House, the People’s House,should be about,” Mrs. Obama told the audience. “This is a place to honor America’s

past, celebrate its present and create its future.” Saying that the musicalgenre was part of her childhood in Chicago, Mrs. Obama described jazz as “anoutstanding artistic model of individual expression and democratic expression.”

SEE PHOTOGRAPHS OF WYNTONMARSALIS AT THE WHITE HOUSE >

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All 50 states have a “state bird.” While there are over 800 species of birds in NorthAmerica, each state legislature has its favorite and each state designates its own officialstate bird. Most are unique to a state, but some favorites — like the Cardinal, WesternMeadowlark, Goldfinch and Mockingbird — represent several states. At the otherextreme, there are rare birds like the Ptarmigan of Alaska and the Nene Goose of Hawaii.The selection of state birds began in 1927 with several states jumping in. The laststate to choose: New York in 1970.

HERE ARE A FEW OF OUR FAVORITES:

STATE BIRDS FLYING HIGH

AMERICAN ROBINAmerican Robins are a sign to many people thatspring has arrived. They are red-breasted birdsvery familiar to bird watchers. The Robin is thestate bird of Connecticut.

AMERICAN GOLDFINCHA small finch about 5 inches. It's thickconical bill is good for eating seeds. Insummer, the male is bright yellow, withblack wings, tail and forehead patch. Thefemale is duller; in winter they are bothduller. Goldfinches are the states bird ofIowa and Washington.

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SEE A LIST OF THE STATE BIRDSAND MANY MORE PHOTOS >

MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRDThis is a medium-sized bird with a length of 6 to

8 inches. They have light underbellies and black

eyes. Adult males have thin bills. They are bright

blue. Adult females have duller blue wings and

tail, fake grey breast, grey crown, throat and back.

This is Idaho’s pride.

NORTHERN CARDINALSThe male is all red with the exception of the black

patch around a thick triangular or conical bill. It has

a very noticeable pointed crest. Illinois, Indiana,

North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia

have adopted the Cardinal as their own.

BALTIMORE ORIOLEMale Orioles are flame orange or yellow with a black

hood that extends to the back. The tail and wings

are blackwith white wing bars. The female and young

are olive-brown above and burnt orange below. It

is, not surprisingly, the state bird of Maryland.

RHODE ISLAND RED CHICKENThese are utilitarian birds raised for meat and eggs.

Feathers are rust-colored, but darker shades are

known. Eyes are red-orange and they have yellow

feet, with reddish-brown beaks. It is the state bird

of Rhode Island, one of only three state birds not

a species native to the U.S.

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NASCARRISES FROM RURALAND OUTLAW ROOTS

The uniquely American sport has its roots inProhibition and the mountains of Appalachia.This was not a time for Sunday drivers. Thewindy mountain roads were the domain ofsmall, fast cars full of illicit liquor; the driverswanted a payday and the thrill of a policechase. Rum-runners would modify their cars,making them faster and better handling. Thetrade migrated south with the end of prohi-bition, as Southerners remained a big marketfor illegal moonshine. And the men who “ranshine” were eager for car bragging rights.

By the mid-1930’s, Daytona FL became theplace for these early races. In 1936, itbecame the home to the first “Stock Car”race. Drivers from the whiskey and moon-shine circuits would show off their hard-wontalents in a legitimate event. Milt Marion wonthat first race, with fifth place going to aman named Bill France, who would foundNASCAR twelve years later. The desire tobring order to the sport made the creationof NASCAR a foundational imperative. Theformal organization was born in a Floridahotel, its first point system written on a barnapkin. The first official race took place atthe Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1949.

The sport has steadily gained nationalpopularity. The 1970’s saw the first major

corporate sponsorship, cigarette maker R.J.Reynolds. The racing circuit became knownas the Winston Cup, and the sport enteredthe “modern era”. Corporations of all typessoon realized the branding power of spon-soring a driver. Tracks in unlikely placesfollowed. Joining classic southern racewayslike Darlington, Charlotte, Talladega,Martinsville, and Dover were tracks in NewHampshire, Arizona, California and Chicago.The additions, reflecting demographic shiftsin the population and the desire to main-stream the sport, resulted in growth through-out the 1990’s and 2000’s.

A distinct culture has evolved at NASCARtracks, a blend of RV enthusiasts, family-firstparents and country folk looking for a goodparty. NASCAR fans are proud and protectiveof their sport, and identify with the teams,drivers, and culture of racing. The sportcontinues to grow and gain a more diverse fanbase, and a Hall of Fame will open in May2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is atruly American sport, combining a love ofcars, speed with the romance of rural birthand outlaw roots. Combined with an increas-ingly corporate and urban following, thefuture looks promising.

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SEE A COMPLETE 2010 SCHEDULEOF RACES >

It’s been quite a ride for NASCAR, a once loosely-knit racing circuit of ex-bootleggersand good old boys which over time has grown to boast 75 million fans, internationallybroadcast races, and billions in sponsorships and revenues. Topping the NFL in viewers,NASCAR has become more than the Sunday afternoon obsession of the rural south.The last decade has seen NASCAR win the enthusiasm of fans from New England tothe Sun Belt, building tracks and fan bases among Americans of all stripes.

Arguably the greatest American of the 20thcentury. Themanwho defused the populationbomb. Themanwho fed theworld. The fatherof the Green Revolution. These were justsome of the descriptions in obituaries for

Norman Borlaugwho died this fall at the age of 95. And yetnot many Americans knew the name ofthis kindly and modest Iowan.

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Born in 1914 in rural Iowa, where hewas educated in a one-room schoolhouse,Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize in1970 for his work ending the India-Pakistanfood shortage of the mid-1960s. He spentmost of his life in poor countries, teachingthe impoverished farmers in India, Mexico,South America, Africa and elsewhere theGreen Revolution agricultural techniquesthat prevented the global famines widelypredicted when the world population beganto skyrocket following World War II. Ithas been estimated that Borlaug’s efforts,along with like-minded colleagues, savedthe lives of one billion human beings.

As a young scientist, Borlaug helpeddevelop the basis of the Green Revolution:hybrid crops selectively bred for vigor;shuttle breeding, which decreased cropdisease; and cereals that can grown in allclimates. The result was more reliableharvests and tremendous increases in out-put. Though the message spread fast, inthe mid-1960s, India and Pakistan wereexceptions and famine struck. Borlaugarranged for a convoy of 35 trucks to carryhigh-yield seeds to India and Pakistan.Operating despite a war between thetwo countries, he helped the Pakistanisbecome self-sufficient in wheat produc-

tion within three years and India in theproduction of all cereals within six years.

After this triumph, and the Nobel PeacePrize, Borlaug turned to Africa. At thatpoint, Borlaug became the target of envi-ronmentalists who denounced him becausehis techniques used pesticides and fertilizer.As the criticism intensified, he told aninterviewer that Western environmentalistswere “fashionable elitists” and who "havenever experienced the physical sensationof hunger. They do their lobbying fromcomfortable office suites in Washingtonor Brussels.”

In the late 1980s, Borlaug found privatefunding his programs in African. Thefinal triumph came when the RockefellerFoundation and the Bill & Melinda GatesFoundation announced a major expansionof high-yield agriculture throughout Africa.Borlaug received many awards, includingthe Presidential Medal of Freedom andthe Congressional Gold Medal. One otherlegacy: he founded the World Food Prize,which has become the equivalent of aNobel Prize in agricultural science. It isbased near his hometown in Iowa.

THE MAN WHO FED THE WORLD

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NORMAN BOURLAG SPEAKSABOUT HIS LEGACY >

Pictured Left: Inspecting ears of hybrid seedcorn. Reinbeck, Iowa. September, 1939.

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UNSUNG HEROESTHE U.S. MERCHANT MARINEThe United States Merchant Marine has atradition of being in the forefront of everyAmerican military action and has servedwith distinction in every conflict. Theiractivities have been marked by heroism,self-sacrifice and determination. At thesame time, Merchant Mariners have rarelyreceived the attention or credit of theother U.S. armed services.

The Merchant Marine refers to the fleet ofU.S. civilian-owned ships operated by eitherthe government or privately that transport ofgoods and services in and out of the U.S.In peacetime, they are responsible for ship-ping cargo and passengers. In wartime, theMerchant Marine automatically becomesan auxiliary to the Navy, and is called on todeliver troops and supplies for the military.It is a strange hybrid: civilian in peace, andmilitary in times of war.

The first wartime role of an identifiableU.S. merchant marine took place in 1775when a group of citizens, hearing the newsfrom Concord and Lexington, captured theBritish schooner HMS Margaretta. Thissuccess led the Continental Congress toauthorize private citizens to interrupt theBritish supply chain all along the coast.Since then, the Merchant Marine hasplayed a role in all subsequent Americanwars, including the Civil War, the WorldWars, Korea, Vietnam, and the Gulf War. In

most recent times, the force has sea-liftedequipment and supplies into combat in Iraqand provided humanitarian assistance to thegulf coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

A great injustice has been the failure to giveMerchant Marine veterans full benefits.This was particularly disturbing at the endof World War II; they were the lifeline of theAllied war effort, delivering troops, materiel,food, fuel, and every essential needed forvictory over the Axis. In doing so, they suf-fered losses so high that the casualty rateswere kept secret. At war's end, the otherbranches were honored by parades and givenmedical and educational benefits and homeloan guarantees — but the members of theMerchant Marine received none.

In 1988, President Reagan began the processof righting this wrong, signing a law grant-ing veteran status to merchant mariners whoserved in WWII. Still, many of these veteransnever enjoyed the benefits, and a lingeringsense of unfairness remains. The fight goeson: there is currently a bill that has passedthe House, but not yet the Senate, to pro-vide modest monthly payments to 10,000Merchant Marine veteran. It is called,appropriately, Belated Thank You To TheMerchant Mariners of WWII.

SEE EXCERPTS FROM MEN WHO SAILEDTHE LIBERTY SHIPS, A TV DOCUMENTARYON THE MERCHANT MARINE >

QUOTE OFTHE WEEK

Anyone who trades libertyfor security deserves neitherliberty nor security.— BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

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2002.President George W. Bush signed the Department of HomelandSecurity into law, a bureaucracy tasked with fighting terrorism.This came as a reaction to perceived weaknesses in U.S. anti-terrorism efforts, as exemplified by the 9/11 attacks in 2001.Former Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge was placed in chargeof the new Department.

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TAKE A LOOK AT THE RECENT GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FORA NEW CONSOLIDATED DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY >