Dirkmonster

Calvin vs. Hope rivalry

Not nearly every issue (perhaps no other issue) of ESPN The Magazine mentions Calvin College, an outstanding Christian liberal arts institution in Grand Rapids, MI.  Therefore, since Calvin is so special to the Plantinga family, it was entertaining to come across this:

It's a blurb included in a section on basketball rivalries you probably never heard about.  Calvin vs. Hope definitely qualifies.  Click on the image or here to read about it.

My Grandfather Case Plantinga was a big Calvin basketball fan and attended games even after he had to do so in a wheelchair.  Grandpa Case loved Calvin, having taught psychology there and seen all four of his boys attend Calvin as well (where they met his 4 future daughters in law).  Most all of Grandpa Case and Grandma Lettie's grandchildren attended Calvin (alas, not I however).  A third generation of Plantingas are professors at Calvin and a fourth are in school there now.

Here's what I learned about the Calvin vs Hope hoops rivalry when I put out the question today to the Plantingas connected to Calvin:

My cousin Carl:
I remember in my childhood, before my father lost his enthusiasm for Calvin basketball (admittedly hard to maintain when one lives in South Bend), that we attended the Calvin-Hope game at Hope College.  Calvin squeaked out a victory.  Afterward, we saw four Calvin men perched on the seat backs of a convertible, cruising the parking lot and singing a homemade song with the chorus, sung lugubriously, "All Hope is lost."  I thought that was pretty clever back then.

But the best was when the statue "Moses" would appear at basketball games.  Apparently groups of students--Calvin or Hope I don't know, were intent on getting that statue.  Once it was let down on a rope from the ceiling of the gymnasium--at halftime I think.  Suddenly about twenty men in the audience quickly got up and ran off somewhere with a look of high seriousness.  I have no idea what happened.  We could use a Moses today, to lead us out of the wilderness of humdrum.

My cousin Jane:
The only thing I know about that game is that Harry's entire family just about rioted after the win.  They all simultaneously posted elated messages on Facebook.  I asked David whether he thought is was OK to be so happy; after all, the Hope people must have felt terrible.  Didn't he feel sorry for them?  He replied that he was pretty sure none of THEM felt sorry for CALVIN the last 3 years when Hope won, so, no, he didn't feel a bit sorry for them.

It appears this season's rematch comes February 11 at Calvin.  Go Knights!  

President Obama - upgrade your Blackberry

Reports from Washington indicate President Obama is using a Blackberry 8830.  If I were him, I would see if his wireless providor is offering an upgrade - perhaps to the Blackberry Bold (which I carry).  But then again, if the POTUS is happy with what he's got, then save the capital he'll need to spend for something like that for something cool like this.

It's well established that Obama broke new ground in using the Internet to get elected and also for Presidential communication.  President Clinton sent only one or two emails his entire Presidency.  Not much more from W.  But President Obama carries a Blackberry like the rest of us.  I think that's kind of cool.

25 random things

I like the viral message that's going around Facebook recently in which you're invited to post 25 random things about yourself and then "tag" 25 of your friends inviting them to do the same.

Here's my entry. If you're comfortable publishing yours in the comments, please do!

1. I used to be very skinny.
2. My alma mater, The American University, did not have a football team.
3. The first gift I ever gave my future wife was a espresso maker. It confused her.
4. I was an only child for 23 years.
5. My Dad lives in South Africa.
6. When I was in 1st grade, I told Walter Cronkite "We have to watch your show at our house all the time and sometimes it's really boring!"
7. I do not find the 40's to be "the new 30's"
8. My Mom wanted to name me "Almanzo", but my Dad convinced her not to.
9. My Mom and I followed my Dad's aircraft carrier from Mediterranean port to port when I was 3.
10. I have a son named Carter Ross (Carter=Lyn's grandmother's maiden name/Ross=Lyn's other Grandmother's maiden name)
11. I have a daughter named Jenna Claire (Jenna=short for Jenifer, my Mom's name/Claire because Lyn and I like that name)
12. Lyn and I both grew up only children.
13. Our Moms died within six weeks of each other in 1987 although we didn't know each other yet.
14. Lyn went to Vanderbilt U. I applied to Vandy but was not accepted. If she had met me back then, no dice on #'s 10 and 11.
15. My Mom's sisters are my heroes.
16. I do not have a good singing voice.
17. I do not have rhythm.
18. I am a pretty strong swimmer.
19. I want to write a book someday.
20. One of my favorite things is watching a sports event in person.
21. I drank Yuengling beer before it was fashionable.
22. In the 70's, I liked the Partridge Family, Donny and Marie, and Little House on the Prairie. 
23. I was the first person on my floor in college to have a computer.
24. My first job was delivering the Washington Post in my Arlington, VA neighborhood.
25. I would love to have a birthday party with all my friends and Billy Joel playing.
    

Billy Joel should really bust Rosenbaum's keyboard

It's a cliche for music critics to attack Billy Joel, and Ron Rosenbaum admits as much in his mean ad hominem attack on Billy Joel who he calls The Worst Pop Singer Ever.

Really? The worst?  First of all, the piece never even attepts to support the headline.  The closest he comes is by trying to prove that Billy Joel is worse than Bob Dylan.

But I got the point from this piece that was clearly written after Rosenbaum fell out of the wrong side of his judgmental know it all bed that probably has a canopy on it to protect himself from people who would try to throw dog doo at him while he sleeps.  Read the piece for yourself and decide whether it convinces you that Billy Joel is the worst ever.

For me, an unapologetic a Billy Joel fan, this piece made no sense.  Rosenbaum's central point is that Billy Joel has not earned the contempt he shows for the people writes about.  I never heard contempt in the songs, I've only heard it when someone broadsides Billy.  He used to read critics reviews from the stage and call them out in his audience.  I wonder if he'll go after Rosenbaum, who claims to come from the same part of Long Island where Billy grew up.

Can someone be the worst ever and still be incredibly successful and create music that has entertained millions of people over 5 decades?  I guess so, as long as any asshole can come up with a personal definition of what "the worst" is.

Billy Joel's music started speaking to me in the early 80's when I got a 45 RPM record of My Life and its flip side It's Still Rock and Roll to Me. (Rosebaum claims it was never rock and roll.)  Angry Young Man still speaks to me even though I'm not a young man anymore. 

During high school, I played my tape of An Innocent Man almost non-stop.  My first Billy Joel concert was to be at the Hollywood Sportatorium in Broward County, FL.  But the girl I was dating at the time came down with an apendicitis and had to have surgery.  She asked me not to go without her and I gave my tickets away.  When the girl got out of the hospital, she dumped me.  Angry, angry young man was I.

For the quote that appeared beneath my senior portrait in the yearbook, I chose a Billy Joel lyric: "While in these days of quiet desperation, as I wander through this world in which I live, I search everywhere for some new inspiration, but its more than cold reality can give."  Too dark, I know, for a 17 year old.  And I probably had no right to feel that way.  According to Rosenbaum's theory, Billy had no right to write that because he hadn't earned the contempt it shows for, uh, himself I guess.  Regardless, isn't art something that people react to on an emotional level?

And still, I get that some people don't get Billy Joel.  As a freshman in college, the sophomores who lived across the hall held my collection of Billy Joel albums hostage because they were sick of hearing it. 

But that never deterred my love for Billy Joel's music and my love for people who loved Billy Joel's music.  Early on when we were dating, it was a big moment when Lyn and I discovered we both knew all the words to Scenes from an Italian Restaurant.

So, bottom line, I'd have to say that Ron Rosenbaum is full of shit when he claims that Billy Joel is the worst pop singer ever.  Anyone got tickets to his sold out Nashville concert in May?

Protect your PC from this widespread virus

There is a worm, or computer virus, that's making its way around the Internet infecting Windows PCs'.

It's called the Conficker or Downadup.  Microsoft released a patch last fall that protects your PC.  But the worm continues to thrive because many users have not updated Windows on their machine(s).

NY Times article details the problem

Windows update link to download your protection.

American Express concierge can't come through

Yesterday I posted about testing American Express' concierge service in an attempt to secure concert tickets.  I wasn't optimistic so I wasn't surprised when I got these message today:

I hope you are having a nice day. I regret to inform you that unfortunately we were not successful in securing tickets for the concert your preferred sections sold very fast. If you would like us to look into broker options please call us at your earliest convenience at 800-345-2639 prompt 2.

So far I've discovered very few benefits to the Platinum card I hold over a regular Green one I used to have.  It's not looking good for a renewal.

Testing American Express Concierge Service

My American Express card gives me access to a concierge service that supposedly can help me with anything from dinner reservations to concert tickets.  This week I'm giving it a try, entrusting them with the purchase of Billy Joel/Elton John concert tickets.

I called the Concierge Services' 800 number Thursday, hoping that they could get me pre-sale tickets to the concert, scheduled for May 16 in Nashville.  After the requisite phone menu, Sarah was on the line promptly.  No dice on the pre-sale.  It is not an American Express event.  However, Sarah explained that with a ticket purchase agreement, they would have the team try to get tickets on my behalf when they go on sale Saturday morning.  We pulled up the seating chart and I relayed my 1st and 2nd choices with the benefit of Sarah's experience.

I want 4 tickets down front.  I'll let you know Saturday how American Express came through.

Adios, English Only!

Nashville Council Member Eric Crafton should have to go to every school in Metro and write on the board: "Mis ideas son malas para Nashville" 500 times.  Dear readers, that's the closest translation I could come up with for: "My ideas are bad for Nashville".

Nashville voters soundly defeated Crafton's proposed Charter Amendment that would force all city business to be done in English.  Everyone from the Governor to the Chamber of Commerce was against this mean and divisive measure.  You didn't have to have much more than common sense to agree this was a terrible idea.

But, then, you just have to look at who brought this to a vote to discover someone for a talent for pushing bad ideas. Nashville Councilman Eric Crafton has made a career in public disservice out of them.

Back in the late 90's, Crafton led the charge against the idea of building a football stadium for the Tennessee Titans on the banks of the Cumberland river.  The special ballot measure he was against passed convincingly.  Crafton again had the wrong idea - you won't find too many people now who wish the Titans had gone somewhere else.  I remember back then I wondered how Eric Crafton would have written Eric Clapton's song Change the World:

If I cold change Metro,
There would be no football in the universe.
You'd think narrow mindedness was something good,
Baby if I could change Metro...

May I suggest that the group formed to defeat Crafton's latest crap stay organized?  Nashville needs to finally send this guy packing, preferably to somewhere where government business can only be done in a language he does not speak.

Ginger's incredible inauguration adventure

My dear "mom in residence" Ginger Primus sent friends and family the story of her adventure today.  Ginger has lived in McLean, VA for decades and is a veteran of crowds on National Mall.  But as we all saw today, this was different:

Starting at 5 this AM I joined a sea of humanity - a million of my closest friends, on Metro and almost 2 million on the Mall.  All I can say is WHAT A DAY!!  Gail got a friend of hers to drop us off at Vienna Metro about 6 - it was taking over an hour to get in to park.  Then we walked 4 blocks to the end of the line to get into the station.  That took an hour.  Luckily Gail got us round trip inaugural tickets yesterday so we bypassed the gates.  We got on a train and stood like sardines (do they stand?) or cattle for and hour and a half getting into DC.  While we rode, announcements kept coming of what stations were closed because of crowding.  We got off at Capitol South and began to follow the signs and crowds to the Silver ticket standing area.  We walked over a mile to find the end of the line - it wound around many buildings, down many streets, and ended up at the Air and Space Museum.  The line didn't move until 10:00 when they opened the gates.  It took us a half hour to get to security checkpoints.  Then once on the mall, we wanted to find a place where we could see both the capitol and the jumbotron.  Gail is very short, so that was a task.  We moved about 10 times until she could see - and it wasn't easy to move - you were shoulder to shoulder with all the others. 

 

The crowd was amazing - friendly, upbeat, bundled up and huddling together to keep warm - some had been there since 5.  There was an hour concert and then it all began.  We heard later that the people with seats never got past the checkpoint and never got to use their tickets - had to join everyone else on the streets.  It was fun watching all the dignitaries come onto the screen, and people cheered or booed accordingly.  It was exciting to see the car approach and then Obama get out, amidst flag waving and cheers of OBAMA! and USA!  I thought he gave an excellent speech, and when it was over, we headed with 1000's of others toward the Metro stop.  While waiting to move, we heard the helicopter carrying George and Laura Bush go overhead.  When we got to the Metro, we were told it was closed until 2 or 4, so we hoofed it to the next one, about 5 blocks away.  When we got there, the line went for blocks again.  We were told one had a 10 block back-up 4 deep.  But with our round trip tickets we could go through the far side and ran down to jump on the first train - and got seats!  It only took 45 minutes to get home.  Gail called another friend to pick us up and we went to her house to watch the parade, which was just starting, and hour and a half late.  Part of that delay was Teddy Kennedy having a seizure during the luncheon, and part was just getting everybody to the viewing stand before the Obama's came.  We watched him walk past the crowd, and they went right by where we had been standing, although you had to be there early to be able to stand there. 

 

I fell asleep watching the parade and woke up to see the last half of it.  I took a lot of pictures, but the sun was at the wrong angle for some, and people were in the way for most.  We were just glad to have been a part of that momentous occasion, the largest crowd in DC history, and the largest for an inauguration.  People we met today were from everywhere - it was really neat.  It was really encouraging and hopeful to see how many people could be together and be so cold, yet joyful.  There were no arrests today - that is amazing. 

 

One funny thing - we left the mall and tried to get out of the gated area, but it was blocked.  (Maybe closed by security until the dignitaries could go by.)  So someone pushed the fence apart and people started to file out in the garden behind the American Indian Museum.  There was a wall to climb up and a guy helped me up, then we were trapped again by another fence.  A guy lifted it out of the cement blocks and we all had to crawl under it on our hands and knees while people held it up for each other.  We all felt like escapees or crossing the border illegally.  But at least we got out.

 

It was quite a day, and we are glad we went.  I will not forget it.  Sandy, I never heard my phone.  Just got your message.  I used the radio you had given me to find out which Metro stations were open.  Thanks.

Love, Ginger

Knowing Ginger as I do, any outward evidence of crowd induced frustration was probably limited to a couple "This is ridiculous" type comments.  And then she didn't think twice about climbing a wall or crawling underneath a fence.  Way to go Ginger!

This is Ginger with Jenna Claire at the Wilson County (TN) Fair this past summer:

Obama at the office

Like our team, I suppose millions who had to work today took time out to watch President Obama's Inauguration.

We had it planned out well.  With no cable TV at the office, we planned a high tech solution to stream it through one of about a hundred web sites offering coverage or even stream it via my Slingbox at home.  Using a projector, we would have a giant picture.  Then the computer didn't have java for the web player. Then the stream was clogged with a zillion connections, then it was time for the ceremony.  Times looked bleak, our office faced a crisis...the cynics said it couldn't be done, a great depression was threatened.  Our inauguration watch party needed a rescue plan; a bailout, if you will.

Then, a leader emerged.  An ironic leader, to be sure.  Although he's an accomplished IT professional and a Republican Southern Baptist, he came to the rescue with a low tech solution to watch a liberal take office.  In rolled the media cart with an old 20" TV with broken buttons.  No problem, an old remote was at hand. Old remote had dead batteries - our man had new ones.  No cable for CNN (or even Fox News) and snow for a signal on CBS, NBC and ABC.  Our man chose PBS and we saw the whole thing: Crazy hat, messed up oath and all.

Folks, we can come together as a nation to solve our common problems.  Yes we can.

See our Obama at the office photo album.