As we dove into the upper section of the lake, which at around 40 feet would be all we’d see of it, each of us gawked at the giant cavity from behind our masks. Here, in the soupy, sepia-green lake water, what little light remained seemed to be sucked in by the crater, and even algae did not grow near it. This, of course, due to photosynthetic restraints, but it looked much more sinister.
With the lake basin sloping heavily toward the hole, it was at first dizzying to maintain a sense of place. This was certainly not like the oceanic diving I was used to, with rhythmic waves and lively, moving colors. Leading to somewhere deep and unknown far below the visible ground, and with buried cargo that would prickle my skin on land, the hole in the middle of Little Salt Spring was, in a word, freaky.
I first learned about Little Salt Spring, located in west-central Florida, a semester earlier, while researching limestone holes for a geology lab assignment.
Florida has problems with its karst topography. Because of chemical dissolution, the ground actually caves in. I do not know, however, which came first at Little Salt, the lake or the colossal cavern under it. In any case, when glaciation lowered water levels, earlier people lived on a 26-meter ledge about halfway below its present surface. This happened twice, around time-period medians 10,500 and 6,000 years ago, but subsequent rises in water levels cleared the people out.
These Ice Ages froze up so much water that Miami would be as far inland as Orlando today. Artifacts from the separate groups have yielded various wooden tools, which would otherwise be dust by now; but Little Salt’s waters prevented most of the breakdown.
Perhaps the most astounding facet of the lake is its human remains. Over one thousand bodies are buried in its 200-foot deep waters, carefully interred and yet to be excavated, if ever. So far, the most sizzling of discoveries is a 6,000-year-old skull, with brain tissue intact.
Through the scientific diving techniques course (MSC 201), my classmates and I dove into the lake, employing the skills we had been practicing. Sadly, we also learned about the carelessness of earlier explorers, who lost significant reliquary data and samples.
Today the site, especially its water quality, is imperiled by urbanization (e.g., Naples and Tampa lie to the north).
Considering its immense archaeological data, and despite being a 1979 Science cover story, it has little household-familiarity compared to the Miami Circle. While the headlining Tequesta site is, at most, 2,000 years old, even the youngest residents of Little Salt were there more than 4,00 years earlier. So there is some desire to develop it for public education.
Little Salt Lake is a kind of fountain of youth. But rather than bless bathers with eternal vitality, it offers quiet safekeeping. Like Silverstein’s Giving Tree, it gives sustenance. First, it provided water and shelter to earlier cultures.
Secondly, the lake’s anoxic water chemistry kept these people’s remains and artifacts from deterioration.
Third and lastly, Little Salt Lake is a source of continual mystery, representing one example of UM’s exclusive and innovative research possibilities.
Moreover, Little Salt is the palpable reality of the beautiful, delicate mysteries remaining in our peninsular state, and, truly, much remains to be understood.

1. The Strokes:
‘Is This It?’
The debut from this New York City band has brought back the hope in the rock and rollers’ heart that the future of music is here. Surrounded by well deserved hype and supported by stand out tracks such as Barely Legal and the first single Last Nite, The Strokes bring back the raw power of old school rock and roll and punk with a fresh new twist.

2. Ryan Adams: ‘Gold’

For a couple of years, this North Carolina alt country rocker has been making classy albums fronting his former band Whiskeytown, but the release of this album finally brings him directly to a wider audience. With charisma, poetic lyrics and immeasurable musical aptitude, Adams captivates, impresses, and romances even the most cynical. Songs like New York, New York and Somehow, Someday provide folk rock smart enough for the mind, yet soft enough for the soul.

3. Bob Dylan:
‘Love and Theft’

4. Bjork: ‘Vespertine’

Another instant classic by music’s most daring female artist. An almost immaculate collection of songs that combine Bjork’s piercing vocals and unique electronic vision with a beautiful feel.

5. New Order:
‘Get Ready’
It’s a general misconception that dance-electronic music cannot be smart and creative, and be fun at the same time. Old school New Wavers bring dance music for the thinking man.

6. Rufus Wainwright:
‘Poses’

He has been described to Jeff Buckley on the piano, and this sophomore effort proves that the comparison is not too farfetched. Few current artists evoke so much profound emotion in most part due to a blessed operatic voice and biographical lyrics.

7. Stephen Malkmus:
‘Stephen Malkmus’

8. Manu Chao Proxima :
‘Estacion: Esperanza’

On his own, the multi-lingual former frontman for Mano Negra, has been able to combine African and Caribbean reggae sounds with synthesizers and to make world music intelligent and accessible enough for everyone.

9. O Brother Where
Art Thou?
Soundtrack
The movie by the Coen Brothers single-handedly brought back the roots of popular music back to America. Legends like Stanley Brothers coupled with more contemporary singers like Allison Krauss and Emmylou Harris make bluegrass, gospel, hobo and folk music for a new, more patriotic nation.

10. Jimmy Eat World:
‘Bleed American’

Runners up: Gorillaz Gorrilaz, Pete Yorn Musicforthemorningafter, White Stripes White Blood Cells, Tool Lateralus.

Personal Velocity starring Parker Posey and Fairuza Balk won the grand jury prize at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. The film is about three different women who must overcome life-altering events ranging from spousal abuse to sudden success.

Rap artist C-Murder a.k.a. Corey Miller has been arrested for the death of a 16-year-old who was fatally shot at the Platinum Club in Harvey, La. on Jan.12. Miller is the younger brother of rap mogul Master P and has recorded several albums for No Limit Records.

Former Beatle Paul McCartney has agreed to perform at this year’s Super Bowl, joining a lineup that includes U2, Mariah Carey, and Mary J. Blige. McCartney will sing the song Freedom with children from all of the 180 countries where the game is televised.

Lord of the Rings finally let hold of its reigns on the box office and made room for the gritty war epic Black Hawk Down which debuted with a strong $29 million over the weekend. Rings fell to number three, beneath the Cuba Gooding Jr. instant classic Snow Dogs.

The X-Files is ending after nine seasons, an incredibly long run by network standards. The show will remain in syndication and a sequel to the 1998 film is in the early planning stages, so all of the remaining UFO enthusiasts will have something to live for.

Accent writer Mauricio Vieira squeezed into a packed Two Last Shoes last Friday for the latest version of FM. The night had a full line-up of electronic talent. Local IDM artists Romulo Del Castillo and Joshua Kay brought back their soulful work as Soul Oddity, of Astralwerks label caliber (Fatboy Slim, Chemical Brothers). Headlining was English electronic artist Carl Finlow; a.k.a. Silicon Scally, bringing his entire set of equipment-an itsy-bitsy Apple iBook. His hour-long set grooved the house with quirky and utterly original Miami bass, made in the U.K.
Miami Hurricane: First of all, how do you define your music? The revved up beats are not accessible to everyone, it’s clear, but after the fifth selection people were demonstrably digging it, especially with the addition of melodic elements.
Silicon Scally: I find it hard to label my music, but thoughtful electro would do. The live set was put together using nearly all new tracks that nobody has heard. I wanted to ease the Miami crowd into my sound, starting slower and very melodic, and gradually move into the more rhythmic stuff and ending in a mixture of both so that the set had a flow and a purpose.
MH: How did you begin to get involved in this type of thing?
SS: I got involved in the music ‘industry’ in 1990. I was a bedroom musician, and started hooking up with local djs and clubs etc. One thing led to another and more and more records came along. I started a house label, too, with my friend and dj Ralph Lawson. Our label 2020 Vision has been going for some five to six years and we’ve had about 75 12″ out and several albums. This output has given me a decent amount of notoriety around the globe and has also helped to get my electro noticed too.
MH: Where do you want to take your music?
SS: I’m always expanding my music. Of late I’ve been entering female vocals into the equation, and see this as being an exciting development, as well as a sexy one! But overall, I’m heading down a very digital path; I’ve sold all my studio equipment and now just use an Apple iBook.
MH: Who did you listen to when you first got involved?
SS: My first contact with ‘dance music’ came in 1989. I’m from a small town and it had no ‘scene’. I came to a study in Leeds, in northern England, and from here started to hear stuff in nightclubs etc. These were my first tastes of house, techno and so on.
MH: What do you listen to now?
SS: I couldn’t tell you names and still can’t! I’ve not got a record player, I don’t buy records and I rarely listen to them. It sounds a bit strange I suppose being as though that’s how I make my living, but I just prefer to make my own stuff and don’t really pay much attention to what goes on around me- I’m trying to do my own thing and keep it original.
MH: What did you think about the crowd in Miami?
SS: The gig in Miami was so special for me. Of all the electro gigs I’ve ever played, this one meant the most to me. I was in the heart of electro land! And I could REALLY feel it- I won’t ever forget that night- thank you Miami Bass crew!
MH: How is the scene in the U.K. currently?
SS: The scene in the U.K. is very small I think, nothing like Miami. My music is very much a niche market. My house music has a much wider audience though and as such, that pays my bills.
MH: What is your method of composing? Can you list a few things you use in terms of equipment?
SS: My method of composing is quite simple. I sit at my laptop and use Cubase VST5. Within this program I can use all manner of virtual synths, drums and FX processors. I normally start by making some beats using NI Battery, then I’ll gradually layer more and more synth elements using plugs like NI Absynth, PRO52, PPG, Waldorf Attack and a vast range of FX plugs. Once I feel I have enough elements, I’ll build them all into an arrangement, then master it down straight to CD within the laptop. I’m totally digital these days. I used to have a full 32 track studio full of gear, but now it’s just me and the ibook (thank God for apple).
MH: Did you ever have any problems with the setup you have, namely the iBook crashing, putting you in a tight situation?
SS: Solid as a rock so far…I know its limits and never abuse it; the show has to go on. There is nothing worse than a club full of paid up punters watching someone’s rig spin out before their eyes- they didn’t pay to see me clown about with wires and a torch; I want maximum stability.
MH: What were your worst and best performances and why?
SS: Worst performance was in the early 90’s with an indie band I was in. They got me into the band to make it a bit more dancey, but to be honest, they couldn’t cut it and played very badly to my computer tracks. On our final fateful gig, it sounded rubbish, and the whole club started booing and shouting “What a waste of money!”- and they were dead right too! Best gig… There have been a load that I’ve loved. As I mentioned, the Miami gig was super cool. There have been many European gigs too that I’ve really loved. The house gigs in our local town with all our local fans are always great too, they all know the tracks and they’re all personal friends so the vibe is sweet.
MH: When are you coming back to Miami?
SS: I’d come back to Miami tomorrow if I could. Everyone I met was super cool. I’d especially like to say a big thanks to Chris St. Cavish from Mass Transit who got me out there for the gig, to Rom from Soul Oddity for putting me up at his crib and showing me round, and to Alpha 606 for the best laugh I’ve had in ages! There are too many people to list really, but to all that I met- A BIG THANK YOU!
Two Last Shoes is located at 2826 N. Miami Ave., tel. 305-438-0810.

The Royal Tenenbaums are no less than a regular family doing irregular things. But what makes this family special is their sensational love for lying, stealing, cheating, arguing and fighting- but with their loves come their hates. And with their hates comes a gritty film about divorce, interracial marriage, incest, drugs, and a child’s primary need to be loved. Director Wes Anderson delves into the inner psyche like no other before, and brings to life a beautifully meticulous story.
His third installment to date, Anderson began his road to fame with a small independent film called Bottle Rocket. Catching the appeal of critics and studios alike, he returned with the dry humored Rushmore. Once again, he was acclaimed for his work. But now he’s taken a different turn. Unlike his previous films, Tenenbaums takes a deeper approach to the comedy aspect of family matters.
Anderson and I had the chance to speak about this movie.
He walks to the table in a too-small tailored suit, sneakers, and wire frame glasses, looming over the table. He may not appear to be a major Hollywood player, but the growing sentiment in the business says otherwise. Like his characters, Anderson is nothing like he appears on the surface.
“How long can you keep directing films that don’t make any money?”
“Well, probably not very long,” he replies with a chuckle. Tenenbaums, at a cost of twenty five million, his biggest budgeted film to date, and with a cast of such magnitude, represents to many Anderson’s baptism to the mainstream.
“It’s intimidating to have all these big actors at first, but I pretty quickly became comfortable with them,” he said.
Independent from traditional studio thinking, big names have taken notice of Anderson’s work. This particular cast has put their trust into Anderson’s reputation, sacrificing paydays and their usual creative control for the greater good.
But perhaps the actors are attracted to Anderson’s unyielding internal vision of composition. Every shot is meticulously planned and executed within his head. This is not an easy task, considering Anderson is a fairly new director. Even though inspiration is not hard to come by, his accomplishments come from only the best.
Roman Polanski, John Houston, Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen, all famous for story and characterization, not for their epic nature, are sources from which Anderson draws his creative insight. Though Anderson need not look that far for direction. Similarities run rampant in his own family dynamics.
“There’s a lot of stuff connected to [my mother],” he said. “The main thing that is her is the way that she encouraged the children to pursue all these different activities and expose them to a lot of different things and keep them kind of motivated in all their pursuits.”
And this motivation is what spawned Anderson’s work more than anything. The Royal Tenenbaums is a brilliant film that dares to juggle taboo subjects about life in general. But that’s not all. The layer of thinking lies far beneath the grain, submerged in a world of reality and reverie.
So what’s next in life for Anderson? Will he ever going to give into the big bucks of FX films?
“Well, I don’t have an idea for one, ” he said. “So I don’t know, it might be fun, but it’s certainly not something I’m that excited to do.”
But one thing can be sure, whatever his next project will be, he will not have to take that endeavor alone.
Backing him up will be only the best, for a director that assures nothing but the best deserves it.
The Royal Tenenbaums: featuring Gene Hackman , Anjelica Huston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Owen Wilson, Luke Wilson, Ben Stiller, Bill Murray and Danny Glover. Rated R.