Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Cherokee Cyclists Ride Trail of Tears Route.


Eight young Cherokee cyclists will retrace the route of the Trail of Tears, with a revival of the Remember the Removal ride. Riders were selected by an advisory panel that interviewed and determined each candidate’s interest and commitment to this project. Twenty-five years ago, a similar group of students undertook the same challenge during the first Remember the Removal ride.
The more than 900-mile bike ride will take 23 days, with each day traveling from 40 to 70 miles per day. The riders will stop daily to learn about things that happened along the Trail of Tears.
The Trail of Tears of the Cherokees took place over the winter months of 1838 through 1839. An estimated 16,000 Cherokees were forced by the U.S. to remove themselves and their families from their homes, farms and communities. After being held in federal stockades until deep winter, they were subsequently herded on overland and water routes that moved through territories that represent the present-day states of Tennessee, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas. More than four thousand Cherokees died along the various routes from the harsh conditions of the crossing. Click on the blue title above to link to complete online article.

Thursday, July 09, 2009

Oklahoma Ranks 5th In Nation for Obesity.


The CDC has released the latest study of obesity in the United States. The six worst states were:Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia. These six had a prevalence of obesity equal to or greater than 30%.
Click on blue title to link to website. An animated map shows obesity rate changes for all states from 1985 to 2008.

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Newsweek: 50 Books for Our Times


In a world with precious little time to read (and think), what we need to know is which books—new or old, fiction or nonfiction— will open a window on the times we live in, whether they deal directly with the issues of today or simply help us see ourselves in new and surprising ways.

Check out the top 50 from Newsweek: What To Read Now. And Why

And check the books out here... at the Al Harris Library

Wednesday, July 01, 2009

Is Google actually making us smarter?


Pandemics. Global warming. Food shortages. No more fossil fuels. What are humans to do? The same thing the species has done before: evolve to meet the challenge. But this time we don’t have to rely on natural evolution to make us smart enough to survive. We can do it ourselves, right now, by harnessing technology and pharmacology to boost our intelligence. Is Google actually making us smarter?

Review the article by Jamais Cascio in this month's online issue of The Atlantic

Image: Anastasia Vasilakis