Plessy vs. Ferguson Redux

This is very cool, I think. Remember high school history classes and "Plessy vs. Ferguson," the 1896 Supreme Court decision that established the separate-but-equal doctrine that held for the next sixty years? This evening Homer Plessy's descendent Keith Plessy, and Judge John Howard Ferguson's descendent Phoebe, are going to be part of a "webinar" held by Save Our Schools, on education as a civil right.

In Plessy v Ferguson, a case that originated in New Orleans, the U.S. Supreme Court held that racially separate but equal public facilities, such as public transportation, were compatible with the U.S. Constitution. Over fifty years later, the Court reversed that decision in Brown v Board of Education in 1954.

The descendants of both Homer Plessy and Judge Ferguson have created a foundation to perpetuate the truth that separate but equal is inherently unequal when decisions are made based on race. Keith Plessy and Phoebe Ferguson have joined forces to advocate for public education in New Orleans.

So over a hundred years later some of the same battles are still being fought. I love the fact that Plessy and Ferguson are on the same side now. And as always, I love people standing up for schools and education.

If you're interested in the discussion, you can register here. The discussion is this evening at 8:30pm (5:30 Pacific). I wish I could listen in--alas, I'm going to be ferrying teenagers around town at that hour.

Your Name in Elements

My spectacularly cool brother in law Jim has a new, frivolous website where you can get your name...not in lights, but in elements. Not all the elements are, like, Earth-science canonical. For instance, my name is composed of the following:

Mithril - A durable silvery metal that is very light and easy to work, mined by Dwarves in Middle Earth. (mith, 'grey', and ril, 'glitter')
Adamantium - The most durable substance ever to be created by Marvel Comics scientists - used by Wolverine and others.
Dilithium - A crystal compound that is used to power space ships in Star Trek.
Elementium - A rare element that came from the Elemental Plane in World of Warcraft.
Latinum - A rare silver liquid, often plated with gold, used as currency by the Ferengi Alliance.
Elementium - A rare element that came from the Elemental Plane in World of Warcraft.
Indium - A very soft silvery-white metal with luster. Used in alloys for mirrors and in electronics. (Gr. indikon: indigo color)
Elementium - A rare element that came from the Elemental Plane in World of Warcraft.
Randomonium - A fluorescent green element which is a viscous liquid at room temperature from Scooby Doo 2.
Oxygen - An abundant gas that makes up 21% of the atmosphere. Extremely reactive and necessary for life. (Gr. oxys, sharp, acid)
Bismuth - A white, crystalline, brittle metal with a pinkish tinge. Permanent magnet with high resistance. (Ger. Weisse Masse, white mass)
Nitrogen - A gas that makes up 78% of the earth's air. Odorless and colorless, but important for life as fertilizer. (L. nitrum, native soda)
Sulpher - A pale yellow, odorless, brittle solid, which is insoluble in water. Strong odor as Sulfer oxides. (Sanskrit, sulvere; L. sulpur, brimstone)

The result?