With all the tributes pouring in about Michael Jackson, I kinda wonder if high school and college-age kids are thinking, "What's all the fuss about?" All they've known in their lifetime is Michael Jackson the extremely strange recluse and accused child molester. They have no idea just how big he was in the 80's.
And he was big. I remember in college many of us in the lounge watching videos (this when they were still a new art form and fun to watch). His videos for "Billie Jean" and "Beat It" were played constantly, and were very well done. When "We are the World" came out, that seemingly was on MTV and the radio every 5 minutes. He then took videos to a new level with "Thriller." As a live performer, he was incredible. I didn't necessarily listen much to his music, but certainly recognized a music virtuoso.
So, what would these upcoming London concerts have been like? This was supposed to be his big comeback. Would it have been a spectacular rebirth of the King of Pop? Or would it have been like watching Michael Jordan play basketball with the Wizards, or Muhammad Ali trying to eke out one more fight late in his career?
Friday, June 26, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
A Life Cut Short
This past week, one of my former student workers at IU South Bend died of injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident. Jennifer Myers was only 32 and the South Bend Tribune had a nice article on her in today's paper.
Everyone that knew Jen said she was full of life and very fun to be around. That was certainly true. She livened up our office every time she was there. She could be a little brash at times, a little rough around the edges, yet she loved collecting "Hello Kitty" memorabilia. There was never a dull moment when she was around. She was very kind hearted and was always willing to do everything she could do help staff members and fellow students.
Towards the end of her tenure at IU South Bend, she began to lose her direction a bit and wasn't as good a worker as she had been previously. As such, it got to the point that we had to let her go. She graduated shortly thereafter and then started a new job at the local hospital in which she thoroughly thrived. In fact, she said us letting her go was the best thing that ever happened to her, and it was. She was kinda delaying entry into the "real world" and when we forced her into it, she responded quite well. She was one we were very proud of and she would occasionally come back and visit us.
Jennifer's sister, Julie, also attended IU South Bend and worked for us. Today at the viewing I was able to speak with Julie briefly and she and I both recounted a story about Jen that everyone in the office remembers. Julie, an accounting major, was with us first and was a bit more refined. She told us one day that her sister was coming and that "she was not like me at all and we should be ready." Sure enough, she was right, they were certainly polar opposites, but got along very well (they were just getting ready to go on an Alaskan cruise and both had been sent to Australia as graduation presents years ago).
Where is Jen now? That is certainly out of our hands. I know when she was with us, she made it a point that she was agnostic, but I also know that she had come around and had been attending Granger Community Church. Can only hope that at some point, this "Sister of the Wind" motorcyle enthusiast had made a decision so that I can see her again someday.
Everyone that knew Jen said she was full of life and very fun to be around. That was certainly true. She livened up our office every time she was there. She could be a little brash at times, a little rough around the edges, yet she loved collecting "Hello Kitty" memorabilia. There was never a dull moment when she was around. She was very kind hearted and was always willing to do everything she could do help staff members and fellow students.
Towards the end of her tenure at IU South Bend, she began to lose her direction a bit and wasn't as good a worker as she had been previously. As such, it got to the point that we had to let her go. She graduated shortly thereafter and then started a new job at the local hospital in which she thoroughly thrived. In fact, she said us letting her go was the best thing that ever happened to her, and it was. She was kinda delaying entry into the "real world" and when we forced her into it, she responded quite well. She was one we were very proud of and she would occasionally come back and visit us.
Jennifer's sister, Julie, also attended IU South Bend and worked for us. Today at the viewing I was able to speak with Julie briefly and she and I both recounted a story about Jen that everyone in the office remembers. Julie, an accounting major, was with us first and was a bit more refined. She told us one day that her sister was coming and that "she was not like me at all and we should be ready." Sure enough, she was right, they were certainly polar opposites, but got along very well (they were just getting ready to go on an Alaskan cruise and both had been sent to Australia as graduation presents years ago).
Where is Jen now? That is certainly out of our hands. I know when she was with us, she made it a point that she was agnostic, but I also know that she had come around and had been attending Granger Community Church. Can only hope that at some point, this "Sister of the Wind" motorcyle enthusiast had made a decision so that I can see her again someday.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Taking it to the Streets in Iran
30 years ago, protesters were taking it to the streets in Iran, and that's when our embassy was seized. Flash forward to today, more protests are happening, but it's a far different story. They aren't out there protesting the U.S., but their own government.
One thing is certain, Ahmadinejad needs to go. But, is Moussavi any better? They kinda need to overhaul their whole government. Maybe we're seeing the beginnings of that, or will this will be another replay of Bejing 20 years ago when the government rolls in and violently squelches the protests.
The Iranians want their freedom and are fed up with what's been going on. This is getting pretty interesting.
One thing is certain, Ahmadinejad needs to go. But, is Moussavi any better? They kinda need to overhaul their whole government. Maybe we're seeing the beginnings of that, or will this will be another replay of Bejing 20 years ago when the government rolls in and violently squelches the protests.
The Iranians want their freedom and are fed up with what's been going on. This is getting pretty interesting.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Little League Parents
Cameron is playing "transitional league" baseball this spring. This is in-between T-Ball and Little League. In Transitional, a pitching machine is used. Cameron is really enjoying it and we enjoy going to his games.
But some of the parents? Wow, the term "Little League Parents" certainly applies here. I hadn't been around this for a long time so I forgot how parents could make total jerks of themselves. At a game earlier this week, we sat in front of a mom who blamed absolutely everything that went wrong on the coach. A kid throws to the wrong base? Coaches fault. A kid forgets to tag the base and get the runner out? Coaches fault for not teaching the fundamentals. Their kid, as we were told, had the 3rd highest batting average last year. This year? Coaches fault, he's not hitting as good. Each time he came to bat, the dad would go right up to the backstop and shout out instructions, in full range of the coach.
The coach is a wonderful guy named Randy, who is active in the local church and whose wife and Dorene go way back to their days as undergraduates at IU South Bend. He's very calm, and that also was cited as a fault. Keep in mind, these are 7-8 year old players. They may still get things together in time to get drafted by the majors out of college, but my oh my, we were both taken aback at just how bad they acted.
As the dad crouched down behind the backstop to shout out instructions to his son, I wanted to point out to him the sign just above that reads, in part:
Welcome to North Liberty Youth League
Let the players play
Let the coaches coach
Amen to that.
But some of the parents? Wow, the term "Little League Parents" certainly applies here. I hadn't been around this for a long time so I forgot how parents could make total jerks of themselves. At a game earlier this week, we sat in front of a mom who blamed absolutely everything that went wrong on the coach. A kid throws to the wrong base? Coaches fault. A kid forgets to tag the base and get the runner out? Coaches fault for not teaching the fundamentals. Their kid, as we were told, had the 3rd highest batting average last year. This year? Coaches fault, he's not hitting as good. Each time he came to bat, the dad would go right up to the backstop and shout out instructions, in full range of the coach.
The coach is a wonderful guy named Randy, who is active in the local church and whose wife and Dorene go way back to their days as undergraduates at IU South Bend. He's very calm, and that also was cited as a fault. Keep in mind, these are 7-8 year old players. They may still get things together in time to get drafted by the majors out of college, but my oh my, we were both taken aback at just how bad they acted.
As the dad crouched down behind the backstop to shout out instructions to his son, I wanted to point out to him the sign just above that reads, in part:
Welcome to North Liberty Youth League
Let the players play
Let the coaches coach
Amen to that.
Monday, June 08, 2009
Cameron at 7
Cameron turned 7 back in late May. We had a couple different celebrations for him. We went to Chicago to visit Dorene's sister, Dianne (known as Aunt Dee Dee to the kids). Here he opened presents from her and my in-laws. Cameron is a huge Transformers fan and this is the present Anna got him, much to his delight.
His birthday "cake" consisted of a large platter of fruit, which he devoured. He loves fruit, just like his cousin Curt, who just happens to share the same birthday.
Back at home, we celebrated Cam's birthday by letting his friend Lydia, one of our pastor's daughters, spend the night. Cameron got a Nintendo DS for his birthday, as we are trying to encourage early video game addiction for our kids. In the picture below, Cameron is trying out his new birthday present, as Lydia observes.
Monday, June 01, 2009
A Cow in our Backyard
Cameron came running into the house recently and said there was a cow in our backyard. Sure enough, there was. We live next door to a farm and kinda surprised it hasn't happened before.It was a big bull named Hugo. Well, at least Anna calls it Hugo. She's actually named a lot of the cows that come up to the fence by our yard. She enjoys feeding them grass (probably why Hugo ventured over into our yard). The other cows, according to Anna, are Julie, Sunny, and Mary.
We called the neighbor and they were eventually able to coax it back through a gate.
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