Obama's grandmother, the woman who raised him, dies one day before the election. Madelyn Lee Payne "Toot" Dunham, 86, died of cancer, Obama and his sister say. The timing is ridiculous. He saw her last last week, knowing she was failing. [more inside]
posted by CunningLinguist on Nov 3, 2008 - 431 comments

Bandhu Scott Dunham makes kinetic sculptures out of glass, including the steam engines that power some of them. He discusses how they are made in this podcast. For videos of these sculptures in action, you can view the collection in his gallery or watch some home videos.
posted by Upton O'Good on May 1, 2008 - 5 comments

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty The St. Petersburg Times reported this week that Army Sgt. 1st Class Paul R. Smith, killed in action in Iraq on April 4, 2003, will be posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Sgt. Smith had always said he would give "all that I am to make sure all my boys make it home." The Medal of Honor is awarded "for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty." Marine Cpl. Jason Dunham, killed in Iraq in April 2004 after he threw himself on top of a grenade to protect his fellow Marines, has been nominated for the Medal of Honor.
posted by mlis on Feb 5, 2005 - 6 comments