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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 21, 1993)
_Z—-l-i___ _ Hero produces ‘giant’ concern Everybody ought to have a hero. Ron Kurtenbach has Karl Marx, Brother Jed Smock has Billy Graham and Sen. Bob Kerrey has Bob Kerrey. I adore John Flansburgh of They Might Be Giants. They Might Be Giants is a polka new-wave group from Brooklyn, New York. It only has two members, John Linell and John Flansburgh. Their songs are pun-a-minute Looneytune blitzkriegs — cosmic knock-knock jokes written for God. Some critics are annoyed by the twin troubadours’ nasally crooned accordion adventures, so if you don’t like them, I understand. But you’re wrong. When I heard the two Johns were coming to Kansas City, Kan., with Midnight Oil on Sept. 12,1 wasted no time. First I asked the guy in charge of music for the DN if I could write a review of the show, to help pay for my ticket. Then I dropped everything and recycled my textbooks for gas money. They were there, I was gone, and five hours later my girlfriend and I were screaming cries of hero worship in Kansas City. The show was fabulous. Awe soaked. Heavenly madness. No mat ter what one can imagine, it was bet ter. I can say nothing else, barring a mantric repeating of “Keen” or “Zenriffic.” Imagine my disgust when the Gi ants were followed by Matthew Sweet, a sloppy, grunge-1 ite failure from Lin coln. It was like finding out KRNU would be the DJ for my wedding. Ears in hand, my girlfriend and I fled the arena to hang out by the concession stand. And there hewas, a pop prophet for our times. 7 Flansburgh stood before us, like a champion bowling trophy glistening in the sun. He was flanked by fans in all directions, holding out T-shirts and ticket stubs for him to sign. All at once, he seemed smarter than Beeker or fraf# Munsen Honeydew. kinder than Kermit the Frog and cooler than Mr. Teeth. He was Zenriffic. Keen. Up to that moment, I didn’t think I had a hero. I’d always enjoyed read ing the exploits of Spider-Man and Josef Stalin, but for their entertain Up to that moment, I didn’t think I had a hero. I’d always enjoyed reading the exploits of Spider Man and Josef Stalin, but for their entertainment value alone. Flansburgh was different. He was real, and he was alive. ment value alone. Flansburgh was different. He was real, and he was alive. I’d seen him on MTV, and I could touch him! “Getcher T-shirt signed!” Flansburgh yelled. “Meet the thing from the freak show!” My girlfriend sauntered through the crowd toward him to ask him to sign her T-shirt. I followed, numb with fear. “You can sign here on my rippling bicep,” she said. Flansburgh felt her bicep. “Oh, it’s a very nice bicep,” Flansburgh told her as he signed ner shirt. “You look a little like that PJ. Harvey girl.” I stared at the two of them. My girlfriend was having a conversation with a demi-god, I marveled. How could she act so casual? Then Flansburgh turned to me and asked if I wanted my shirt signed. I nodded. My common sense screamed over my humility to say something to him. “I’m They Might Be Giants fan club member 1990,” I whispered. “I can’t hear a thing you’re say ing,” Flansburgh said as he finished signing my T-shirt. I turned around and shouted, “I’m fan club member 1990!” The enormous proportions of my idiocy hit me at once like a ton of soggy oatmeal. I could have asked one of my idols anything 1 wanted to, but instead I' had sounded off like a marine private to his drill sergeant. “Great!" Flansburgh responded. He shook my hand and I walked away, stunned, like I’d just been hit by cos mic rays. Then it hit me. As a columnist and reporter for the Daily Nebraskan, it was my duty to extract information. I had to get an interview with Flansburgh. I crept up behind him and tried to think of a question. But I couldn’t, though my notebook was in hand. My mind was blank. Though I’m one of the most confrontational people I’ve ever met, I couldn’t interrupt him while he talked to fans. It would have felt like heresy. So I just stood there like a moron next to Flansburgh, for the second time that night while my subjectivity and objectivity duked it out across the terrain of my psyche. A few other reporters from college newspapers began to take photos of Flansburgh, blinding him with cam era flashes. He yelled something at them, and then turned to me. “Hey, I don’t want to be mean and tell you to scram,” Flansburgh said. “But if you could scram, it would really be nice.” I scrammed. Later that night, I wrote a letter to Flansburgh. It said: “Sorry I bothered you. I guess the obligations of a newsie require me to be pushy sometimes. But 1 was a fan before I ever wanted to be a reporter. “I played with your second cousin, Nate Flansburgh, and Marvin Pratt at our high school Battle of the Bands competition. “For some reason, I always wanted Being a fan am make you fbel llke a real geek. From now on, I’m stick ing to God, cartoons and dead guys. Hiabrackt li a wpkoMore ■ ewi-edlto ri al najor mad a Dally Nebraikaa colaMalit. Americans need this new deal On Wednesday, Presidenl Clinton will unveil the details of his health care plan to the nation. In a televised speech, he will propose the most sweeping govern ment program since the New Deal. The program isn’t, as some have attacked it, needless government in tervention into private industry. Nor is it another liberal democratic pro gram that could be better handled by the private sector. Clinton’s health care plan is a re sponse to a major crisis in the United States. About 37 million Americans do not have health insurance. That means about 37 million Amer icans are one major illness away from devastation. The final details of Clinton’s plan are still being worked out and won’t be clear until Wednesday. Even then, the plan will go through major revi sion in the Congress before it comes up for a vote. The Congressional fight over the health care plan will be long and difficult. It could be one of the most spectacular political events of our generation. If it passes, the United States will have a new health care system. A good deal of work and effort will be required to make sure the new system works for all Americans and does not sell out to any special interests. In many ways, the fight over health care is a test of whether the American system of government is capable of functioning in a modem world. Health care reform is desperately needed. Although the United States has the best treatment in the world, many procedures have become outra geously expensive and are inaccessi ble to many Americans. It is inexcusable for a country that Health care reform is desperate ly needed. Although the United States has the best treatment in the world, many procedures have become outrageously ex pensive and are inaccessible to many Americans. is supposed to have the highest stan dard of living in the world to allow 37 million of its citizens to live in daily fear that they will be wiped out be a maior illness. Now we have a president who is determined to reform the system. The majority of the Congress that must pass the plan is made up by members of the president’s party. All the elements are in place for health care reform to go forward. But there are many obstacles that could halt health care reform and leave the 37 million Americans with out insurance with no hope for tomor row if they come down with a major illness. Special interest groups that are making a great deal of money in the United States’ current health care ar rangement will object strongly to change. Those who spend the most to voice their objections will probably have the most to lose financially. Others who have a stake in resist ing change will try to stop health care reform as well. Considering the gridlock that has gripped our government for more than 20 years, forces opposed to the health care reform have a good chance of preventing Clinton and Congression al leaders from passing a new health care plan. But the chance for real reform exists as well. And reform is desper ately needed. The United States can not move forward if a significant num ber of its citizens are living in fear of bankruptcy caused by an illness. Health care is not a right, but it is something the United States should provide for all its citizens. Whether we do or not will be decided in the next year as the Congress debates Clinton’s proposal. Many will argue that it is not the business of the government to provide health insurance to its citizens. But this is not an argument about political philosophy. This is not an issue of liberalism or conservatism. This is an issue about people who are afraid to go to the doctor because they can’t pay for an illness if thev have one. It is about families who will lose everything if they have a major sickness. Major health care reform is clearly needed. President Clinton’s effort to pass a health care plan is a major test of our government and whether it is still capable of responding to the needs of Americans. Fitzpatrick It a tcalor political tdeace aiajor tad the editor of tke Daily Nebraska a. IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT IN THE REAL WORLD, SPEND A SEMESTER IN OURS World Co. Walt Disney World Co. representatives will be on campus to present an information session for Undergraduate Students on the Walt Disney World SPRING '94 College Program. WHEN: Tuesday, Sept. 28 7:00 pm WHERE: Student Union © The Walt Disney Co. Attendance at this presentation is required to interview for the Spring 94 College Program. Interviews will be held on Wednesday, September 29. All majors are encouraged to attend. ! For more information Contact: Internship Office Phone: 472-1452 An Equal Opportunity Employer <&***+*&—"•—^iwiSL / Join tire, fall 'VicV.off’of... gr'~ V Friends f Support-- / "&je Diabetes Netw/ork1’ \ WKat:A. support grouj>jorUptAuder\U\ vithTypel^H diabetes. ^ ( 1V^n: September 22,1993al 1*00?.* r* * T ~j> i roiwifrf—<rn»i»iiTiiii>r Iff .11 n riirfm^wgpHjn im-wr ~r 'im y Where1 Etniversilg Health Center ( Conference Room El it *J[lso: There will Be a drawing for ^ \ 6 fK&E [ifescarf OneTducf Basic 1+ ) For more information, contact- ) ( De&ybfkljAiTt-THl Sheryl VoJ2s,*yi72r7m ( J X*lhluT>Cthrnii172‘7ti7 Jitl ShobaUlL-om ) «£VSMAKERS EXTRA MONEY. If you are a nonsmoking male, age 19 to 40, you could earn $425. If you are available for a med . ical research study lasting from Thursday evening to Monday morning on two separate occasions, caM Harris at 474-0427. WOMEN If you are a nonsmoking female, age 19 to 35, and available for a short-term medical research study, you can earn up to $450. For more information, call Harris today at 474-0427. All studies at Harris are medically supervised. Phone lines open Mon-Fri, 7:30am-8 pm; Sun Uam-3pm. HARRIS 621 Rose Street Lincoln, NE 68502