a Geographer's Place

Here it is: my 1983, four-door Mazda GLC. Why is it my favorite car ever? Maybe it’s my favorite because it was the first car I ever bought on my own. Although I did have to borrow the $300 from my gracious sister—whom I paid back way before the deadline we had set. Or maybe it was the fact that I could fit all I owned in it: I could actually live in the car. Or maybe it was the manual moon roof: flip down the crank handle and turn it (like a non-electric window, only on top of the car’s ceiling). Or maybe it was the fact that it easily topped 100mph…or that it was small enough to switch drivers over the hood while driving…that’s right: out the window, across the hood, and into the other window while speeding down the freeway. Ask Jared. He was there. Or maybe it was all the road tripping I did in it from 1993 to 1994. Or maybe it was the $250 Alpine stereo I installed myself…so loud the car almost bounced. Good thing I had sexy aluminum rims! When I think hard, it was my favorite ...

My first car was a 1979 Ford Pinto . It’s pictured below on the left-hand side (this is the only picture of it I have). The location in this picture is where we used to go during the “hot” summers in Northern Utah: “The Flumes”! Basic fluvial processes were at work: when moving water gets forced into a smaller area, the velocity increases…so as the water got “squeezed” into the “flume”, the current got stronger and faster. And at the other end of the flume there were “rapids” big enough to “surf”! Really. We must have gone “fluming” a hundred times in the early 1990s. “We” means Jared (my brother), Todd (my cousin, jumping in the picture), and various friends. But this blog is about my Pinto … The Pinto was given to me by a “friend” of the family (I use “friend” very loosely, since he sort of came and went…and no one knows where he is now). I was offered a choice by this friend of the family: a 4-speed stick-shift 1979 Ford Pinto or an almost-new 1989 Ford Mustang convertible. At t...

As a Geographer, knowing where you are is paramount. So, before I embarked for the Isle of Spice (Grenada) several years ago, I purchased a behemoth of a watch—the ultimate watch for a Geographer: the Casio Tri-sensor Titanium solar-powered watch. It was top of the line Casio at the time. It had an altimeter (measure altitude), barometer (measure air pressure), thermometer, and a digital compass! I spent more for this watch than I did for my first and second cars combined! It was a great watch. All the sensors worked wonderful. I took it snorkeling, sea- and river-kayaking, swimming, hiking, camping, and through several countries—including a trek higher than 5150 meters in the Andes! And I never had a problem with it. Then, a couple weeks ago, all of the sudden, it died. The little “charging” sign keeps flashing. You’d think, living in Arizona with all the sun we have (it’s still in the 90s!), this SOLAR-POWERED watch would stay “charged”. I’ve had it “charging” for days. But still th...

11 November to 25 November. My favorite fortnight of the year. For three reasons: First, Veteran’s Day falls within the week. The fact that our Veteran’s only get two days each year that focuses on them is appalling. But at least, collectively, they are officially recognized for their valuable service. The military represents an important part of this Country. Even if you disagree with how it’s administered or how it does things, it’s tough to deny their powerful influence throughout history. If I felt worthy, I’d salute every veteran—past, present, and future—with pride. But I feel inadequate next to those that have served our Country, and I can only let them know the admiration I hold for them. I am honored that they risk their lives for me. Their service, what they do, symbolizes our Country’s ideals. Second, it’s Geography Awareness Week! For several years the second week of November has been set aside to promote Geography. While some people say it’s important to know the locatio...

In my quest for Professordom, I search everywhere. I turn over every stone possible, extending my search even internationally. But this advert really caught me off guard. The job title says, “Assistant Professor of Geography”. Read on and it says the candidate will be responsible for teaching “World Geography…in the Department of Humanities”. That’s exciting! Geography in the Humanities. Right up my alley. But then, listed as the first requirement: “Ph.D. in History”. Even funnier, it says, “Ph.D. in History required for this position”. WHAT ?? It’s bad enough that people confuse Geography with geology, but having someone with a PhD in history teach geography? The students will be getting a world history class instead of a world geography class. And there is a HUGE difference. Trust me. I've taken many history courses (it was one of my undergrad majors before I found Geography). I’ve also worked closely with Historical Geographers (who use history as a method to do Geography). T...