Gangnam Style

“I have my own style

It’s Gangnam style.”

    Psy

The latest pop star is a 34 year-old Korean who calls himself Psy (sigh: that’s how it’s pronounced).  Since “Gangnam Style” went viral on YouTube and soared to the top of the I Tunes charts, Psy has been enjoying his “15 minutes of fame” to the hilt.  He and a bevy of Korean beauties appeared on Friday’s Today Show before a huge crowd, and gave the regulars lessons on how to dance Gangnam style (it’s like a horse rider galloping to a techno drum beat).  Gangnam is a district in Seoul where young folks go clubbing.  The Korean lyrics, translated, include this nugget: “I am a man who drinks coffee bottoms up before it cools down.”  The following evening Psy made a surprise appearance in an SNL skit and the audience went wild.

Sports Illustrated carried Thomas Lake’s moving article “The Boy They Couldn’t Kill.”  Twelve year-old Chancellor Lee Adams is one of the most courageous people I’ve ever read about. Twelve years ago Carolina Panthers wide receiver Rae Carruth wanted his pregnant mother to get an abortion.  When she refused, he paid someone to kill them both.  She died but first gave birth to Chancellor and provided testimony that implicated Carruth, who is behind bars. Chancellor’s brain was deprived of oxygen, resulting in his being permanently disabled with cerebral palsy.  Grandmother (G-mom) Saundra Adams has been a godsend, taking him to physically therapy and nurturing him to the point that he competed in the Special Olympics.  As author Lake remarked, “If a kid like this can be so happy, what right do I have to complain?”  I told Bill Pelke, founder of Journey of Hope . . . From Violence to Healing, about the article and he plans to read it.

Nancy and Ron Cohen invited us to her daughter Elizabeth’s wedding Saturday at Tryon Farm in Michigan City.  The weather was perfect, and hens provided background clucking during the ceremony.  Ruge Meats roasted a pig.  In use were the most interesting porta-potties I’d ever seen, attached to a vehicle with toilets that flushed and running water from a spigot.  In the men’s was also a urinal, and one slightly drunk guy emerged saying that two people could go in at once.  Nobody took him up on it.  If one line got too long, women used the men’s unit and vice versa.

Guests included Sue and Joe Farag (once known as “the blond Farag” to distinguish him from his many siblings, now he is white-haired like brother Omar). One guest had a funny anecdote about getting revenge on a bailiff who was always playing practical jokes.  Pretending to be an attorney’s secretary, she asked him to page a Jack Meoff. He repeated the name in the courtroom several times before gales of laughter caused him to realize he was saying “Jack me off.”

The deejay mixed in classic dance tunes such as David Bowie’s “Modern Love” with songs of recent vintage such as “Pumped Up Kicks” by Foster the People.  No “Gangnam Style,” but the floor was packed with Thirtysomethings and a few of their seniors such as Tanice Foltz and the father of Jeremy Moore, the groom.  Some would put their arms around a partner to make it appear that the person had four hands. Sylvia Manalis, married to Rich, a friend of Ron’s from high school, took a photo of my old colleague and me. 

Ryan Maicki, the brother-in-law of the groom, wrote a hilarious account of Hobart high school high jinx for my class entitled “Bad Seeds” that’s in my Nineties Shavings “Shards and Midden Heaps.”  When I talked to the Hobart Kiwanis, I had several audience members read excerpts, including Judge James Moody and former mayor Linda Buzenic.  Parts of it got lots of laughs but Ryan also wrote poignantly about his buddy Bowman, who “had fun down to a science” but died in a car crash.

Lawrence R. Samuel’s “The American Dream: A Cultural History” examines a concept as old as America, one with myriad meanings having to do with opportunity, security, liberty, and happiness.  The book’s starting point is 1933, the year FDR took office, when historian James Truslow Adams wrote: “What is the next chapter in the epic of America?  What is the prospect for the fulfillment of the American Dream?”

Sunday Ron had a signing for his Woody Guthrie book at Angela’s in Miller.  Beforehand I gamed at Dave’s and then we had lunch and played bridge at Hagelberg’s. For health reasons we cut the day short.  I spent the evening rooting for the 49ers, especially tight end Vernon Davis, who was on my Fantasy team. 

The reality show “Breaking Amish” follows four Amish young people and one Mennonite who leave their communities, even though they realize they are certain to be shunned, and travel to New York City.  Two of them had been adopted; Sabrina wants to get more in touch with her Italian and Puerto Rican heritage.  Jeremiah has had a lifetime fascination with cars, planes, and other motorized vehicles he is unable to have back home.  In episode one there is a memorable scene of him cutting grass with a puny hand-mower and saying, in so many words, “WTF, isn’t this ridiculous?”  Once in The Big Apple, he decides he wants to be a taxi driver.  Suzanna, who describes herself as “Amish in my heart,” wrote: “My concern is just who are the people who gathered together these Amish young folks and herded them to New York.  It seems they victimized them. Whoever made it was obviously out for sensationalism.  I hope most of them go back but I am sure it is not the lifestyle for everyone and some communities are truthfully just way too restrictive.  New Order Amish are a lot more lenient.”

The NWI Times ran Jane Ammeson’s review of “Valor,” entitled “Rogelio ‘Roy’ Dominguez shares journey of his family to the Calumet Region.”  On their website were two comments.  “Mytwocents,” who had posted something sarcastic when “Maria’s Journey” came out, wrote: “Another immigrant struggle story.  Arredondoes of East Chicago vs. Dominguez’s of Gary.”  Maxwell Edison replied: “Did you read the book, mytwocents? I did and thought it was a great read! I love reading and like biographies best. Most of the bio's I read are published from prominent Universities; I know I'm getting quality material there. I'd highly recommend you buy a copy, read the book, and then you could make an intelligent comment. Good reading to you.”

Continuing my exchange with Vice Chancellor Malik, I wrote: “In the time you have been at IU Northwest you have provided both stability and innovation in a position that was badly in need of a strong, steady hand.  To further cement your legacy I am hoping that you consider ways to give sustainability to the Liberal Studies master’s degree program.  As you may know, efforts to launch Liberal Studies started three decades ago (when F.C. Richardson and John Kroepfl headed up Arts and Sciences) and only came to fruition after the tragic death of Robin Hass Birky, thanks to the commitment of your predecessor (Kwesi Aggrey) to finish what she had been working for as a testament to her memory.  Unfortunately, the degree program was never properly funded and virtually all offerings were simply cross-listings with undergraduate courses.  There is a proven demand for the program, but many students (Mary Lee, for example) have already taken most of the courses as undergraduates.  There are also limitations on the number of directed readings courses students can take and a requirement that they first complete a core curriculum first.  Your reply to a previous email suggested that emeritus faculty could teach courses gratis or that one-credit courses might be a way to get around the 15-student minimum regarding class size.  Both are possible perhaps, but what I believe is necessary is more flexibility and a fuller university commitment to a program that could be a model for other IU campuses.  After all, the main thing that distinguishes Indiana University from Purdue and other state institutions is its primary commitment to the Liberal Arts.”

Right after I sent that email, Chancellor William Lowe sent out the stunning announcement that David’s administrative assistant, Lydia Hairston had unexpectedly passed away.  I emailed Malik: “my condolences about Lydia, a sweet person whose passing I’m still in shock about, as you must be.  I still recall running into Kwesi Aggrey after he had just heard the news about Robin (Birky, assistant vice chancellor) dying (when a semi ran a red light and slammed into her) and how broken up he was.  Later he made a special trip to our campus with his family to see the plaque dedicating the Women’s Studies room in Savannah to her.”  Previously they had visited her gravesite.

Once, waiting for Malik, I took along a history of New Zealand, expecting that he might be late for our appointment.  Lydia Hairston offered to phone me when he returned, but I told her I was enjoying my book.  She inquired about it, and I mentioned that for thousands of years giant flightless birds similar to ostriches called moa lived on New Zealand’s two islands, but after the arrival of the Maori, they quickly became extinct because the Maori found them so delicious.  To my surprise the anecdote nearly moved her to tears, demonstrating what a compassionate person she was.

With bases loaded and one out in the eighth inning of a critical White Sox-Tigers contest Dewayne Wise tagged up on second on Adam Dunn’s apparent sacrifice fly and got thrown out at third before Gordon Beckham crossed home plate.  The bonehead play felt like a “Bartman moment” (forever etched in the memory of Cubs fans), but Chicago survived and defeated Detroit 5-4 to go three games up with 16 to play.