Some mysterious signs have sprouted in the vicinity of Duke's East Campus. They say:

Group of 88

Supports Dale Jr.

Say what?

"Group of 88," we're guessing, must refer to the Duke faculty members who signed a notorious advertisement placed in the student newspaper shortly after the Duke lacrosse case exploded in 2006. It was widely criticized as prejudicial in the case.

And could "Dale Jr." refer to anyone than the NASCAR driver named Earnhardt?

Inquiring minds want to know. What's the connection?

Tom Friedman, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and New York Times columnist, will speak at Duke later this month.

Friedman will give the 2008 Terry Sanford Distinguished Lecture Monday, Sept. 22 at 5:30 p.m. in Page Auditorium on Duke's West Campus.

The event is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. Tickets are available at the Duke Box Office, online here, or by phone at (919) 684-4444. 

Friedman has a new book to sell — "Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution and How It Can Renew America," and he'll be signing copies of it prior to his talk. You can get the autograph without attending the talk if you'd like; a ticket isn't required for the book-signing.

The globe-trotting columnist's previous books are "The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century," and "The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization."

Paid parking is available in the Bryan Center parking deck.  

There must be something in the water over at Duke's Freeman Center for Jewish Life.

Six couples who met at the center or were heavily involved there while students at Duke in recent years are getting married, reports a Duke Hillel newsletter.

What the heck's going on over there?

"It's a welcoming place so a lot of people feel comfortable there," said Barry Lichman, a 2006 Duke graduate who this weekend will marry Rachael Solomon, class of 2005. "It might be just a big coincidence!"

Joining other Triangle universities that help faculty, staff and students pay for transit service, Duke University says it will offer reduced-price bus passes at discounts of more than 60 percent.

A 30-day pass for Durham Area Transit Authority buses, for example, which normally sells for $36, will cost $12 for Duke community members.  A 30-day Triangle Transit / Capital Area Transit regional pass priced at $64 will be available for $24. Other options also are offered.

The sharply reduced rates are offered for Duke faculty and staff members who renew the passes regularly and pay for them by payroll deduction, and for students through their accounts with the university bursar.  Those who pay by cash or check will be charged slightly higher prices.

Details are online at http://www.parking.duke.edu/buspass

Other Triangle universities previously have made moves to subsidize transit service.

Students, faculty and staff at N.C. State University ride Triangle Transit and CAT buses for free, and Meredith College community members also get a free ride on CAT.

Chapel Hill Transit’s fare-free service relies heavily on subsidies from UNC-Chapel Hill, and from $66 in yearly fees paid by each student.

Duke also has a carpool program that includes free campus parking with carpools of four riders or more.  Details are at http://www.parking.duke.edu/ or by phone at 684-7275.

Wondering who the folks working at our local universities are supporting for president?

 This should give you an idea. According to campaign contribution data available here, Duke employees have made 186 donations to Barack Obama totaling $84,493.

By contrast, Duke employees have made 21 donations to the John McCain campaign totaling $13,426. 

Other tidbits - Duke employees made 24 donations worth $12,000 to Hillary Clinton and 17 donations worth $11,050 to John Edwards.

Over at N.C. Central University, employees have made nine donations to the Obama campaign totaling $3,029. No NCCU employees have given to the McCain, Edwards or Clinton campaigns. 

The website tracks donations of more than $200 and does not account for money people can donate through political action committees. 

Last week, we reported on a  push by college presidents, including Duke President Richard Brodhead, to get a national discourse going on lowering the drinking age in an attempt to combat binge drinking.

Here's an interesting column from someone who doesn't think it's such a good idea. 

Thomas Szigethy, who instituted a number of innovative substance abuse programs at the University of Connecticut, is Duke's new associate dean and director of the Alcohol and Substance Abuse Prevention Center.

As the new school year begins at Duke, Szigethy will begin meeting with students, parents, faculty, staff and other interested groups on and around campus to discuss issues surrounding alcohol and substance use on Duke’s campus.

From the Duke University police log this morning:

August 7, 2008 

5:23 a.m.  Duke Hospital North. Larceny. A delivery person reported the theft of 4 bins of berries from the loading dock.

(Only two possibilities come to mind — it was either a bear, or someone who really likes smoothies.)  

I logged on this morning to see the baby robins on the Duke University Office of News and Communications Webcam (see yesterday's post titled "Animal Planet, eat your heart out.")

Fortunately for them, they've learned to flap their little wings. Unfortunately for the 100-plus viewers who tuned in yesterday to watch them, they've moved somewhere out of the Webcam's view.

Their closest observers were kind enough to post this notice in the birds' nest: "Birds have flown away."