My Friend, Zimbabwe, and NPR

28 Monday Jul 2008

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I recently discovered that my good friend, and accountability partner in seminary, Shandi Mawokomatanda was recently interviewed on NPR. Shandi was asked to participate in a discussion about the recent elections (if they can be called that) in Zimbabwe and Mugabe’s impact on his native country. Shandi has always expressed a strong connection to Zimbabwe, and he was one of the first people who helped me to learn about places that I had previously not known much about.

Shandi and I got up every morning during my first year of seminary and we read a chapter of the Bible together and prayed. Our time together was a priceless means of grace to me. I was then blessed to have Shandi as one of my groomsmen in my wedding. I am proud that he is my friend and I am proud of his comments on NPR’s “On Point.” You can read the article here. But you really should click on the link in that article that allows you to listen to the show. The entire piece is worth listening to, but Shandi is introduced and makes his contribution starting around minute 30.

This morning, I praise God for friends like Shandi who have led me closer to the heart of God.

The Nirvana Baby on NPR!

24 Thursday Jul 2008

Posted by Kevin M. Watson in links

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Nevermind, Nirvana, NPR

This made me feel old… While driving home from SMU yesterday I was listening to NPR. That was when it happened: I heard a teaser just before the break that said, “Whatever happened to the Nirvana baby, the one on the cover of their genre changing album, Nevermind?” If you don’t already know what that album cover looks like, this post will probably have no interest to you. But, having gone through adolescence in the 90s, I knew exactly what he was talking about. The question seemed so obvious, but I had never thought about it. What did happen to the Nirvana baby?

Following the break on NPR, there was an interview with, and a story about, Spencer Eldin, the now 17 year old, who is also the baby on the cover of Nevermind. This was definitely a trip down memory lane and I found it to be fascinating. (It also made me feel very, very old. I mean, how could the Nirvana baby be getting ready to go to college… I remember when that CD came out…)

You can read the article here. But, I would highly recommend clicking on the “listen now” link when you get to the article. When you do you will get to hear the most surreal part of all, Spencer talking about how much cooler it would have been to grow up in the 90s. You know, when people actually formed real bands, instead of just playing Rock Band. Ah, the good old days.