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Program Notes
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First Week (Jan. 5– 11)
Power Play: Deregulating the Old Dominion
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California's decision to deregulate the energy industry plunged the state into
a near crisis situation, with blackouts becoming alarmingly common. Now, with
Virginia poised to follow California's lead and loosen its control over power
providers in January, can anything be done to ensure the inexpensive, abundant
power that we've come to expect? Technology historian Richard Hirsh (VT)
and Irene Leech (VT), President of the Virginia Citizens Consumer Council,
offer their predictions.
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Second Week (Jan. 12– 18)
Mr. Black Sheep Has No Wool
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For Virginia sheep farmers, wool has become a nuisance. A worldwide glut of
the fiber has left them spending more money to shear their flocks than they'll
earn from selling the wool. That's one reason a growing number are turning to
hair sheep. Stephan Wildeus (VSU) and Joseph Tritschler (VSU) extol
the virtues of these four-footed wonders, which require no shearing and produce
tasty chops.
Also featured: Praised for its rot-resistance and its light weight, Atlantic white
cedar was the wood of choice for colonial roofers and boat builders. But over-harvesting
and loss of wetlands have left few stands remaining. Biologist Rob Atkinson
(CNU) and historian Tim Morgan (CNU) recall the long history of the
Atlantic white cedar and discuss efforts to restore it.
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Third Week (Jan. 19– 25)
Your Parents Can Mess You Up
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Too many grownups are still nursing wounds their own parents unwittingly inflicted
in childhood. British poet Philip Larkin used verse to voice the sentiment of
many: "They [mess] you up, your mum and dad. They may not mean to, but they
do. They fill you with the faults they had. And add some extra just for you."
Counselor Nina Brown (ODU), author of Children of the Self-Absorbed:
A Grownup's Guide to Getting Over Narcissistic Parents, examines the impact
that self-centered parents can have on their children. Also featured: Developmental
psychologist Judy DeLoache (UVa), co-author of A World of Babies: Imagined
Child Care Manuals From Other Cultures, discusses the do's and don'ts of child-rearing
in seven cultures around the world.
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Fourth Week (Jan. 26– Feb. 1)
Me and My Car
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It is the most ubiquitous piece of technology in the U.S. The changes it has
brought to the American landscape are many, from drive-ins to the suburbs. The
automobile revolutionized life in the 20th century and may continue to do so in
the 21st. Historian Kevin Borg (JMU) looks at the influence of the "horseless
carriage," including the role it has played in race relations and gender
distinctions. Also featured: Will the car of the future allow us to reduce our
concerns about pollution and escape our dependence on fossil fuels? Some say it
will, if we turn to fuel cell technology. Doug Nelson (VT) offers a primer
on this new form of power.
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