a travelogue for life … sometimes on a motorcycle!
Motorcycle Bloggers International, of which I am a member, has opened the voting for the best and worst of the motorcycling world. Here’s your chance to have an impact, and get your vote counted for something that means … well … something. Here are the categories: http://www.mbiweb.org/2008/catlist.html.
DBrent
About 24 hours ago, news started filtering out of DeKalb, Illinois, home of Northern Illinois University, my alma mater. It immediately caught my attention. Today, accuracy finally catches up–seven dead, including the shooter, and another 16 victims. And of course, the national media descending on campus.
Cole Hall, the building where the tragedy started and ended within a few minutes, is located in the middle of campus, within sight of the student union, across the green from the library. It is primarily a lecture hall, but can also be used for performances.
Both my wife and I had a class or two in Cole Hall. It has been quite some time, but I think my photojournalism classes and dark rooms were in the basement of Cole. That’s where I honed my skills at story telling with images, taught by photojournalism instructor and retired Navy combat photographer, Russ Elder, who did three tours of duty in Vietnam.
Lin and I commuted a horrific number of miles, in what we jokingly called the Northern Illinois Triangle, to finish our college programs. During grad school, I worked part-time as an anchor/reporter at WNIU, the campus public radio station, and taught as a T.A. in the journalism program. A few years after school was complete, I taught as a part-time instructor.
Lin earned a BA in Operations Management (1988) and an MS in Management of Information Systems (1993). I earned an MA in Communication Studies (1989) and an MA in Journalism (1993). Northern Illinois University was very good for us.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the students, faculty, alumni, friends and families of NIU.–DBrent
Recently, I went to the Cleveland motorcycle show, and produced an audio slideshow of that visit. You can read and view it a few posts below. The objective was to look at everything the manufacturers were offering, and walk through motorcycle heaven. My main mission, though, was to look at only two motorcycles and compare–a newcomer (which turns out isn’t coming to the USA for another 8-9 months), and the lead contender.
For the past year or so, I have put images of motorcycles on my computer desktop, something to study as the laptop boots up. I have inserted a number of different motorcycles in different colors in that precious piece of computer real estate just to get a feel for my daydreams and wanderlust. The photo below has been teasing me on my desktop since the Cleveland show–that is, until two days ago.–DBrent
Note the reporter’s notebook in the pocket of the journalist’s vest. Yes, I expect to do a little writing and photography from the seat of this bike.
I’ve spent time researching and writing about my next motorcycle. Maybe too much time. But, in matters such as this, it’s important to make a good decision, for I will live with it for several years. It’s all about the way I ride, and the roads I want to ride on.
Here is my decision.
What is it? You can guess, but I’m not saying until it’s in the garage. Besides, it’s supposed to snow this week. It’s safe at the dealer.–DBrent
Interactive communication requires multiple methods. I have sensed that some readers would like to provide a little feedback, but don’t want to do it in the publicly viewed comment form at the end of each post.
Well, there’s a new way to contact me privately. The new feedback form has been added as a page. Just click here, or on Feedback in the header.
Here’s your chance to provide a little feedback. Thanks.–DBrent
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