December 29, 2007

Norwell Loses to Peru

The Knights boys lose their 5th straight, this time to Peru, 53-40.

Drew Imel’s fourth three-pointer of the game tied the Tigers at 29-29 with 4:40 left in the third period, but then the Tigers went on an 11-0 run that put them ahead 40-29 with 7:37 to go in the game.

Once again, the Knights were not able to make defensive stops and score enough points to get back into the game.

A three-pointer by Klayton Reed with 7:07 left cut Norwell’s deficit to 40-34, but the Tigers finished the game with a 13-6 flurry.

“We just have to find a way to defend. There’s just no other way to put it,” said Norwell coach Doug Hicks.

Well, that's night quite true, is it... there is another way to put it. How about, "We just have to find a way to score more points." This focus on defense and over-passing results in nothing but low-scoring, boring games. It would be more fun to lose five straight if the coach took the straight-jackets off the kids and let them play.

In the junior varsity contest, Norwell pulled out a 28-27 victory. Brandon Gerber led the Knights with 13 points. Jordan Shady added eight, Kyle Johnloz five and Jake Shapley two.

Coach Hicks, in the article, says Norwell just isn't getting fouled enough, isn't playing hard enough defense, might have to switch personnel... his JV is out there scoring under 30 points in a game, his varsity is averaging under 46 points a game ... and his focus is on defense? His focus is on getting his shooters to the free throw line? His focus is on getting points one at a time?

Sports Roundup 12-28-2007

The Banner Rounds it up, including this
The Norwell Knights freshman girls basketball team won the Columbia City Lady Eagle Invitational Thursday, defeating DeKalb 30-29 in the championship game. Amanda McAfee [niece of Sevens member yours truly] led with Norwell with 17 points. In the first round, the Knights beat East Noble 26-22 with Eden Chaney leading the Knights with 12.

Congratulations, girls!

December 27, 2007

Evert-Norman


Somehow, I missed the news that tennis great Chris Evert is set to marry golf also-ran Greg Norman... both are 52.

Acid Effect


A 1950's U.S. Government LSD experiment on an artist... click on the image and see how the images changed as the drug waxed and waned in his system.

December 23, 2007

Girls Top #1 Wawasee

The Norwell Girls Basketball Team beat 3A number one ranked Wawasee on Saturday, but fell in a later, close match against 7th ranked Plymouth. This should move the 10th ranked Norwell up a few notches in the polls.

Lady Knights Impressive
The Class 3A No. 10 Norwell Knights began their day at the Brebeuf Shootout girls basketball event by knocking off undefeated 3A No. 1 Wawasee 58-46 in the noon day game, but they were not able to cap off their trip to Indianapolis with a victory over 3A No. 7 Plymouth.

December 22, 2007

Merry Christmas

If I don't get a chance to say it later, please, everyone, have a merry Christmas. Be safe, and remember the reason for the season.

Starbucks Pay It Forward

Starbucks is a nice lace to work, both my sons work at Starbucks... one of the things that make it a great place is that the customers are so friendly (which is surprising, because most of the customers haven't had their morning coffee yet).

Norwell Defeats Bluffton

. . . in the JV and Freshman games, that is. 2A number 4 Bluffton, however, proved too much for the varsity -- especially since 6'7" Brock Woodward was playing for the Tigers and not the Knights.

Oscar Geisel has passed away

Former Ossian and Norwell teacher, Oscar Geisel, 96, of Berne, died at 1:20 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2007 at Swiss Village in Berne.

Born in Adams County to Albert and Mary (Leyse) Geisel on March 8, 1911, he married Anna Carper on Aug. 2, 1933; she preceded him in death. Mr. Geisel taught in Adams County and Ossian until becoming guidance director at Norwell High School in 1963. He retired in 1977, having served in education for 41 years.

Thanks to Sevens member Deb Blinn for letting me know of Mr. Geisel's passing. As Deb said, he was a great guy.

December 20, 2007

Girls move to 9-1

The Norwell Girls Basketball team defeated Heritage 52-43 to move to 9-1. Also,

The Norwell junior varsity team (7-3) won 48-41. Kyra Raines led the Knights with 15 and Caitlyn McGrew had 11. Caitlyn Ailor and Alyssa Smith each added nine.

The freshmen Knights (8-1) won 25-22. Amanda McAfee netted 12, Eden Chaney seven and Amber Haiflich six.


Knights Girls Wear Down Patriots

December 19, 2007

Swim Team Rankings

By The Associated Press (via the Banner)
The Indiana High School Swimming Coaches Association Top 20 girls teams: 1. Carmel; 2. Hamilton Southeastern; 3.  Homestead; 4. Center Grove; 5. Indianapolis North Central; 6. Fort Wayne Snider; 7. Noblesville; 8. Columbus North; 9. Crown Point; 10. (tie) Chesterton, Yorktown; 12. Northridge; 13. Norwell; 14. Lawrence North; 15. Mount Vernon; 16. (tie) Bloomington South, Lafayette Harrison; 18. Kokomo; 19. Western; 20. (tie) Pendleton Heights, Penn.

Laser Scissors

For the Christmas present wrapper who has everything. Click on the picture for more information.

December 17, 2007

Edna Parker is Number 1

The World's oldest person, Hryhoriy Nestor, died at age 116 in Ukraine.  That means that Edna Parker, who lives in Shelbyville and will be 115 in April, is now the oldest person on Earth.  Bertha Fry, who lived in Muncie, passed away in November at age 113 (just weeks from her 114th birthday).

It's interesting that Sandy Allen, the world's tallest woman, lives in the same retirement center in Shelbyville as Edna Parker.  So Indiana can now claim the World's Oldest and the World's Tallest Women... and they both live in the same place in Shelbyville.  Interesting.

Dan Fogelberg has died

Dan Fogelberg, 56, died Sunday.

 Longer

Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean
Higher than any bird ever flew
Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens
I've been in love with you.

Stronger than any mountain cathedral
Truer than any tree ever grew
Deeper than any forest primeval
I am in love with you.

I'll bring fires in the winters
You'll send showers in the springs
We'll fly through the falls and summers
With love on our wings.

Through the years as the fire starts to mellow
Burning lines in the book of our lives
Though the binding cracks and the pages start to yellow
I'll be in love with you.

December 16, 2007

Norwell Girls Defeat Dekalb

The Norwell Girls Basketball Team outscored the boys by 25 points this weekend, defeating Dekalb 56-44 and moving to 8-1 on the season

The Norwell Knights girls basketball team jumped into the undisputed lead of the Northeast Hoosier Conference Saturday with a 56-44 rout of the DeKalb Barons at Waterloo.

Junior wing Haley Chaney scored 21 points and 6-2 junior center Andrea Vogel 13 to lead the 8-1 Knights, who are now 3-0 in the NHC.

A White Weekend

We probably have 5-6 inches of snow on the Southwest Side of Ft. Wayne, with more falling. Not too bad, and certainly pretty. How is it where you are?

December 15, 2007

Winter Weather

It's snowing pretty good here in Ft. Wayne. I've gone one son headed to Indy for a Christmas Party and another headed home later today from Purdue... we were intending a family get together tomorrow, but if the huge amounts of snow (10-15 inches with blowing and drifting) actually come to pass, we'll just sit by the fire.

Norwell Turns it Over to Dekalb

Norwell had 27 turnovers in their 31-39 NHC loss to Dekalb

Despite their cold shooting hand, the Knights only trailed 22-19 heading into the final quarter. But once again, the Barons went on a 7-0 run to start the quarter, forcing the Knights to put up some forced shots and finally putting the game out of reach.

Norwell was led in scoring by senior Ryne Otis with nine points, while fellow senior Drew Imel was second with seven points. Klayton Reed topped the rebounding department with eight.

In JV action, the Knights held on to win 29-28. Jordan Shady led all scorers with 11 points while Brandon Gerber had 10. Kyle Johnloz scored six, and Jake Shapely rounded out the scoring with 2.

The Knight freshman were also victorious 55-42 over DeKalb. Ross Mathews led the team with 12 points.

Notes: Norwell (3-3, 0-1) will be back in action Tuesday night against Fort Wayne Wayne


Do you want to know how to prevent having 27 turnovers? SHOOT THE BALL WHEN YOU HAVE IT! I'm sorry, did someone shrink the circumference of the rim at Norwell? How long will the ghosts of high-scoring games past allow this low-scoring strategy to continue? Norwell's scoring average is only 46 points a game, under 40 points a game in their three losses. The girls team is averaging 60 points a game, come on!

December 14, 2007

Knights outswim Starfires

The boys swim team won a squeaker, and the girls blew away South Adams

While the Norwell boys slipped past the Starfish 86-84, the state-ranked girls had a much easier time winning 111-59.

Paige Brink was a double winner for the Norwell girls, winning the 200-yard freestyle in 2:06.66 and the 100-yard freestyle in 57.23 seconds.

Logan Brink also doubled, winning the 200-yard individual medley in 2:22.77 and the 100-yard backstroke in 1:06.62.

Brooke Cossairt also won twice, capturing the 100-yard butterfly in 1:06.23 and 500-yard freestyle in 5:41.46.

Kelly Brewer won the 50-yard freestyle in 27.08 seconds. Stephanie Bussey won the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:15.22.

The Brinks joined Bussey and Brewer in winning the 200 medley relay in 2:03.03.

Alison Painter, Dani Thomas, Bussey and Cossairt teamed up to win the 200 free relay in 1:50.99.

Brewer and Cossairt worked with the Brinks to win the 400 free relay in 4:06.65.

December 13, 2007

Ninja Parade Slips Through Town Unnoticed Once Again

Winter Storm Watch for Saturday

The Winter Storm watch has been put into affect for most of our Indiana area... we may get 6-8 inches by the end of Saturday. Or we may get nothing, as is generally the case when Watches are issued.

Barefoot Shoes


For the person who has everything.

MLB Steriod Use: Mitchell Report

OK, here is a link to the Mitchell Major League Baseball Steroid-Use Report. I find the state of professional sports quite sad, but it's sadder still to release a report like this, which calls out players by name, publishes hearsay from trainers and other players, does not show any failures of any drug tests, and then says, "I asked him to meet with me to discuss these comments, but he declined." And so there are these one-sided sections in the report saying everything that Roger Clemens did, everything that Andy Pettitte did -- without any rebuttal from the players, without any evidence but their performance that they did anything wrong.

Perhaps they are all cheating, the quality of their play at their age level seems to say so... but this report treats people badly.

That said, if you're interested, click here for a list of the players mentioned in the report.

I-Step Results


Norwell High School

Norwell Middle School

Ossian Grade School

Lancaster Grade School


There is much, much more information at each link, or if you're interested in another school, you can go to the link below to find any Indiana school:

http://mustang.doe.state.in.us/SEARCH/search.cfm

Note: Norwell's 2006-2007 Average 77%. Bluffton's 2006-2007 Average 74.2%. In other words: Norwell Defeats Bluffton.

December 12, 2007

No Good News

If you click on the link above, you'll see the Amazing Real time World Clock, which tracks all manner of bad and worse news happening throughout the world, especially in the United States. The thing is, once you actually think about the content displayed in the Amazing Real Time World Clock, you start to wonder...

67 species went extinct today? Gee... where's the counter for how many new species evolved or were discovered. The clock tracks how many viruses are being caught, but not how many people recover... how many hectares of forest are lost, but not how many are planted... how many poisonings and drownings, but not how many are cured or saved or revived.

The Amazing Real Time World Clock is able to display the exact, rising temperature of the Earth to 10 decimal places (that way, it appears to be zipping towards the temperature of Hades at light speed!) -- Right now, it's 14.6194748675 degrees Celsius -- oops, now it's 14.6194747770 degrees Celsius. When you read this, it will be yet hotter. Starting to sweat yet? The temperature has gone up one 10 millionth of a degree Celsius since you started reading -- turn out the lights!

Oh, sure, it tracks births and marriages (good news!) but only to show that the population and divorces are rising! (Did you know that every person on Earth can fit into a one city the size of Texas with less population density than Paris, France? Does that sound like over population? The Earth's a big place... there are room for more yet.

It is a clock for our time, tracking all manner of bad news and leaving the good news in the gutter.

Reporter is no Blue Angel

Sevens member Sherri Kumfer sends along a funny web site that keeps a camera on a reporter from the Atlanta Journal Constitution newspaper during a Blue Angel ride-along. Full Throttle with the Blue Angels has five different scenes... the reporter keeps passing out in Scene 2.

Thanks, Sherri!

Norwell Defeats Bluffton

That's Alison Painter in the picture, daughter of Sevens member Mike Painter, swimming to victory in the 100 Yard Backstroke, part of the girls 119-64 victory over Bluffton. The boys lost a close one, 90-95... but the headline above still, and rightly so, reads "Norwell Defeats Bluffton" as is always good and proper.

In the girls meet, Norwell was powered by dual winners Paige and Logan Brink. Paige, the senior of the two sisters, won the 200 individual medley in 2:14.12, eclipsing her previous pool record of 2:14.75 set earlier this season. Then, she won the 100 breaststroke in 1:12.04.

The freshman sibling won the 200 freestyle in 2:00.42 and the 100 free in 55.62 seconds.

Both were on the Norwell 200 free relay team with Brooke Cossairt and Kelly Brewer that finished first in 1:47.33. They also ended up winning the 400 free relay in 4:04.22.

Other individual winners for the Norwell girls were Alison Painter and Cossairt. Painter edged freshman teammate Dani Thomas in the 100 backstroke with a time of 1:11.01. Thomas finished in 1:11.62.

Cossairt won the 100 butterfly in 1:04.

Painter and Thomas teamed up with Stephanie Bussey and Lindsey Stronczek to win the 200 medley relay in 2:05.85.


Lindsay Stronczek is daughter of Sevens member Jan Stronczek.

Thanks, once again, the The Bluffton News-Banner for their great local sports coverage. If only more local papers took the time to attend and take pictures and write decent stories.

Norwell Girls Basketball Ranked 10

The Norwell Girls Basketball Team is ranked #10 in 3A.  You don' t have to tell South Adams.  Norwell 76, South Adams 34.

Norwell (7-1) raced out to a 21-4 lead after the first period and finished the first half with a 43-9 advantage.

The Knights also received nine points apiece from Alyssa Shutt and Allee Donaghy. Kylie Dial added six and Jenelle Wilson four. Carlee Bauermeister, Danielle Davis and Alyssa Smith each tossed in two points.

In the junior varsity contest, Norwell won 32-12 to improve to 6-2. Caitlyn McGrew led the Knights with eight points. Kyra Raines followed with six, Breanna Wilson four, Kelsey Kline four, Kali Herndon two, Rachel McAfee two, Caitlyn Ailor two and Alyssa Smith two.

I believe Rachel McAfee (JV) is daughter of Sevens Member Mike McAfee.

Norwell Girls Ranked 16

COACHES' POLL

The Indiana High School Swimming Coaches Association Top 20 girls teams: 1,Carmel; 2,Hamilton Southeastern; 3(tie),Center Grove, Homestead; 5,Indianapolis North Central; 6,Snider; 7,Noblesville; 8,Northridge; 9,Crown Point; 10,Chesterton; 11,Yorktown; 12,Columbus North; 13,Lawrence North; 14,Mount Vernon; 15,Lafayette Harrison; 16,Norwell; 17,Western; 18,Kokomo; 19,Pendleton Heights; 20(tie),Bremen, Penn.

Humerickhouse Makes First Team

Indiana Tech's Ashtyn Humerickhouse was chosen first team, all conference in Volleyball by the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference.

The former Norwell standout finished the season with 424 kills, 228 digs and 141 blocks.
Humerickhouse holds the career season records at Indiana Tech in kills, solo blocks and block asists.

Ashtyn is the daughter of Sevens member Noreen Humerickhouse.  Congratulations!

December 10, 2007

Global Hawk


A pic of the Global Hawk UAV that returned from Iraq on Monday under its own power. (Iraq to Edwards AFB in CA) - Not transported via C5 or C17. Notice the mission paintings on the fuselage. It's actually over 250 missions. That's a long way for a remotely-piloted aircraft. Think of the technology (and the required quality of the data link to fly it remotely). Not only that but the pilot controlled it from a nice warm control panel at Edwards AFB. It has really long legs - - -it can stay up for almost 2 days at altitudes above 60k.

Most people have no idea what stealth brings to the battle. Basically, they come into the fight at a high mach thrust, start killing people way out with AMRAAMS, and continue doing that until everyone is dead, and no one ever sees them or paints them on radar. There is practically no radio chatter because all the guys in the flight are tied together electronically at Edwards AFB, and can see who is targeting who, and they have AWACS direct input and 360°situational awareness from that and other sensors.

Remember that when Global Hawk is on a killing mission in Iraq or Afghanistan, the "pilot" is sitting at a console at Edwards AFB in CA.

Chain Mail

————— Forwarded message —————
From: Redacted
Date: Dec 10, 2007 1:19 PM
Subject: Fw: ADD YOUR NAME AND PASS THIS ON — IT'S IMPORTANT !!!
To: Undisclosed-Recipient

I usually don't pass along these "add your name" lists that appear in my email, but this one is too important. This one has been circulating for months and months. Please do not delete .... if you don't want to sign, at least keep it going!

To show your support for Hillary as President of the United States in 2008, please add your name to the rapidly growing list below and send it on to your entire e-mail list.

1. Bill
2. Chelsea
3.

Inshallah

Not long ago, in a Q and A on the Web site of The New York Times, an Iraqi translator was asked to explain the points of difference he saw between his own people and the Americans he encountered in Iraq. He brought up the Arabic phrase "inshallah." The Americans, he said, "have respect for time"; Iraqis, in contrast, "use the word inshallah, which means `if God wishes,' to postpone things."

The short article at the link is really interesting... such a large group of Americans are spending such a large amount of time in the company of Iraqis that our cultures are surely rubbing off on each other. The author says that the use of the word "inshallah" among the military and State Department is growing by leaps and bounds.

Avatar: The Last Airbender

OK, I admit it.... I watch Avatar: The Last Airbender even when the kids aren't home.

Colorado Gunman

Police are now saying that both shootings in Colorado were by the same gunman, who at one time attended the school where the first shootings occurred. The security guard who killed Murray probably saved a lot of lives. I post this because of the interesting "First Person Narrative" of the Omaha mall shooting I posted the other day where the witness wishes he had been carrying a gun... in this case, someone was"
Jeanne Assam, a church member who volunteers as a security guard, shot Murray, who was found with a rifle and two handguns, and over 1000 rounds of ammo, police said.

Assam said she believes God gave her the strength to confront Murray, keeping her calm and focused.

"It seemed like it was me, the gunman and God," she said at a news conference.

The pastor credited her with preventing more bloodshed.

"There could have been a great loss of life yesterday, and she probably saved over 100 lives."

Boyd said the gunman had a lot of ammunition and estimated that 40 rounds had been fired inside the church, leaving what looked like a "war scene."

About 7,000 people were in and around the church the time of the shooting, Boyd said. Security had been beefed up after the shootings hours earlier in Arvada, he said. The church had a total of 15 to 20 volunteer security officers inside at the time of the attack, he said.


I realize I was just slamming the Pacers' Jamaal Tinsley for being out and about with guns, but neither the Omaha nor the Colorado shootings were late-night bar shootings -- they were broad daylight, public place shootings.

12 Win Seasons


If the Colts can win one more of the three regular season games remaining this year, they will be the first team in NFL history to have at least 12 wins five years in a row... they are tied with the 1992-1995 Dallas Cowboys.

The Man Upstairs

Jamaal Tinsley knows he has to make lifestyle changes, and he feels blessed to have the chance. That was the Indiana Pacers guard's mind-set 36 hours after being shot at with an assault weapon in front of a downtown Indianapolis hotel. He was not injured.

"The man upstairs, he gave me another opportunity to see another day. When athletes step out, anything can happen," the sixth-year player said after Monday's practice.

Tinsley met with coach Jim O'Brien and team president Larry Bird a day after the guard and several companions were targeted in an early Sunday morning shooting that wounded the team's equipment manager. The suspected shooters have not been arrested as police continue to investigate.

According to Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Sgt. Paul Thompson, at least three people in Tinsley's group had guns, all of which were legal. Though police didn't say Tinsley was carrying a gun, he does have a permit.

The team didn't punish Tinsley in the latest instance of Pacers players finding trouble - or trouble finding them.

First-year coach O'Brien said Tinsley did nothing wrong.
I assume "The Man Upstairs" Tinsley is talking about is God and not Larry Bird. As for doing nothing wrong -- when did cruising the city with your personal gun-wielding posse until three or four in the morning become "nothing wrong." This is the third violent late-night incident in the last year for Tinsley, and if O'Brien and Bird think getting shot at will change him, I'd bet money they're wrong. (More money than I'd bet on the Pacers winning, that's for sure.)
Cold and icy in Indiana.

December 9, 2007

One Big Dog


OK, I'm going to go out on a limb and just assume that this picture has been manipulated to make that dog look so big... otherwise.... well, otherwise I'm thinking they're bringing the horse home for the dog's nightly feeding.

Pacers should Fire Tinsley

Indiana Pacer Jamaal Tinsley was involved in his 3rd violent late-night in the last 14 months
Tinsley and several companions were targeted in the shooting that wounded one person outside a downtown hotel. Tinsley wasn't injured. He didn't practice Sunday, but according to the team Web site, Pacers.com, Tinsley is scheduled to meet with Bird and O'Brien to discuss the team's course of action.

Police said the shooting involved an assault rifle and followed a confrontation when Tinsley and his companions were leaving the "Cloud 9" club.

O'Brien said Tinsley made an error in judgment by being out so late. Police were called at 3:40 a.m.

"It was not a good decision and that's basically it," O'Brien said. "I'm sure he knows that, and I'm sure there will be a lifestyle change for him. But, to the best of our knowledge, he was a victim."

"Error in judgment." "Victim." I get the impression that the Pacers are going to let Tinsley off the hook until his luck runs out.

A First Hand Account

A first hand account of the Omaha mall shooting

Boys fall to 3-2

Norwell Boys Basketball 42, Southern Wells, 49. The boys fall to 3-2 on the season.

How bad did things go for Norwell in the third quarter?

After a rebound basket by Chase Harris with 3:38 to play got Southern Wells to within 26-25, the Raiders turned the ball over on all five of their remaining possessions in the quarter. And they still managed to outscore the Knights, 2-0, through the remainder of the period to take a 27-26 lead.

With 1:13 to play in the period, Imel stole the ball for Norwell and went in for a layup. He was fouled hard to the basket by Ripperger, who was called for an intentional foul.

That’s two shots and the ball out of bounds.

But Imel missed both free throws, and the Knights were called for five-seconds on the ensuing throw-in.

No sooner did Southern Wells cross the timeline, however, when Reed stole the ball and went in for his third two-handed slam of the game.

But the ball popped off the back flange. And Reed was awarded a technical foul for hanging on the rim for his efforts.


Less is sometimes more.

Ouch!

December 8, 2007

Geography

Thanks to Sevens member Sherri Kumfer for sending along this online geography game... it's easy to play, difficult to master.

Norwell Girls move to 6-1

The Norwell Girls Basketball Team defeated Columbia City 49-39, moving to 2-0 in the conference and 6-1 overall.

“I’m not 100 percent sure, but I think it’s the first time we’ve ever won here,” [Coach] Thornton said. “Columbia City through the years is how you model your program. Wayne (Kreiger) has won a million games and he’s a Hall of Fame coach. I’ve watched him for a lot of years, and his teams have always had that toughness.

“That was our theme this week, just being mentally tough.”

Norwell (6-1, 2-0) needed that trait because it watched Columbia City (5-3, 1-1) storm back from a seven-point deficit at the end of the third quarter to tie the game at 37 midway through the fourth.

But that was as close as the Eagles would get.

On Norwell’s first possession after Columbia City tied the game, senior Carlee Bauermeister got the ball near the wing and drove hard to the basket and made a left-handed layup to snap the tie.

After a missed shot on the opposite end, Andrea Vogel connected on a basket from inside to boost the lead to 41-37 with 3:23 to play. Vogel followed that with a block at the other end.

Teammate Haley Chaney sank four three throws in the final stretch to finish with a team-high 12 points, and Alyssa Shutt had a pair of free throws and a basket.

December 7, 2007

Feed the World

Feed the world and Increase your vocabulary at the same time.

Starry Nights


The Wells County Creative Arts Center will have exhibits of art representing the night sky for viewing and sale during the holiday season, December 7 through 28. The Creative Arts Center in located at 211 West Water Street, Bluffton.

Girls outswim Jay County

Although the boys lost, the Norwell Girls Swim Team defeated Jay County 118 to 61

NORWELL 118, JAY COUNTY 61

200 Yard Medley Relay: 1. Norwell (Logan Brink, Stephanie Bussey, Kelly Brewer, Paige Brink) 2:00.12; 2. Norwell (Alison Painter, Kayla Sweet, Dani Thomas, Lindsey Stronczek) 2:05.97; 3. Norwell (Alicia Bigelow, Sara Nahrwold, Kirsten Bigelow, Emily Kunkel) 2:18.89.

200 Yard Freestyle: 1. P. Brink (N) 1:57.32; 3. Stronczek (N) 2:19.65; 5. A. Bigelow (N) 2:30.10.

200 Yard Individual Medley: 1. L. Brink (N) 2:19.55; 2. Bussey (N) 2:22.96; 3. Brooke Cossairt (N) 2;25.46.

50 Yard Freestyle: 1. Brewer (N) 26.36; 2. Sweet (N) 27.43; 4. Painter (N) 29.88.

100 Yard Butterfly: 1. Cori Vormohr (JC) 1:03.51; 2. Thomas (N) 1:05.80; 3. K. Bigelow (N) 1:18.15.

100 Yard Freestyle: 1. P. Brink (N) 55.31; 2. Brewer (N) 57.63; 4. Painter (N) 1:01.92.

500 Yard Freestyle: 1. Cossairt (N) 5:35.87; 2. Stronczek (N) 6:32.30; 3. A. Bigelow (N) 6:50.91.

200 Yard Freestyle Relay: 1. Norwell 1:49.33.

100 Yard Backstroke: 1. L. Brink (N) 1: 05.82; 4. K. Bigelow (N) 1:17.03.

100 Yard Breaststroke: 1. Vormohr (JC) 1:11.85; 2. Bussey (N) 1:13.74; 3. Sweet (N) 1:18.41; 4. Kunkel (N) 1:19.26.

400 Yard Freestyle Relay: 1. Norwell 3:56.10; 2. Norwell 4: 37.06.

Norwell Wrestler Ranked 2nd

Norwell has a new wrestling coach this year, John Heller, out of Heritage... and Norwell senior wrestler, Hunter Harper, is ranked 2nd in the state.

"It's probably been around 25 years since I got beat by a high school guy," Heller said. "And I get beat by (Harper) every time. He doesn't like to lose. I am much smaller in size, and it is hard to even score a point against him. When I do, though, he gets upset at that. He just has a tremendous will to win."

Harper (7-0), ranked No. 2 in the state, was sixth at last year's state finals.

"I take a drive to win from the state finals," Harper said. "I don't like to lose or even give up points, even in practice. You compete in practice like you do in a real match. If I don't win in practice, I won't win in a match."

Heller wrestles with Harper because finding competition, both in and out of practice, isn't always easy for Harper.

"We just don't have too many people on the team to work with him," Heller said. "That could hurt him, but we'll see at the end of the year."

Harper said he sometimes works with outside sources like former Norwell wrestlers, which helps his preparation.

And even during matches and tournaments, opponents are hard to come by for Harper. Twice during the recent Huntington North tournament, potential opponents were to report in to go against Harper and ended up forfeiting their matches.

"They stand beside him and don't want to go out," Heller said. "I guess other coaches don't want to get their guys hurt. That shows the respect other people give him."

Harper sees it differently.

"I think it is ridiculous," he said. "I know the two teams at Huntington had two wrestlers at 215."

Good luck guys!

Mexican Entertainment Violence

I have not heard about this "Wave of Entertainment Violence" in Mexico, but it sounds like our neighbors to the south are spinning more and more out of control.

Sergio Gomez, 35, was killed last weekend after performing with his top-selling group, K-Paz de la Sierra, in Morelia, Mexico.

Gomez enjoyed regular airplay on Indianapolis-based Spanish-language radio station WEDJ-FM (107.1).

"He was very popular," said Russ Dodge, general manager of WEDJ. "We're all sick about it."

His music was fashionable in cities from Chicago, where K-Paz made its first recordings, to Morelia, the capital of Mexico's western state of Michoacan. Five of the band's albums have reached the Top 10 on Billboard magazine's Latin music chart.

Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday at Stevens Mortuary on Indianapolis' west side. His body will be cremated after the visitation, said funeral director Sarah Arnold. Gomez had lived in Avon, just west of Indianapolis.

Hundreds of people mourned Gomez on Tuesday in his hometown of Ciudad Hidalgo in Michoacan. About 200 more also gathered in Mexico City, where Gomez's body was transported Tuesday night.

A wave of organized crime violence terrorizing many parts of Mexico is driving fear into the heart of the entertainment business with the murders of several popular musicians.

Although not known for songs glamorizing the drug business, Gomez had reportedly received death threats urging him not to appear in the capital of Michoacan, a hotbed of the drug trade where he was tortured before being strangled Sunday.

Some fear that singers, whether they have any links to drug cartels or not, are routinely "adopted" by drug gangs, which post Internet videos showing their members torturing and executing rivals to soundtracks of popular tunes.

Gomez had lived in Indiana since 2003.

Update: Another musician killed in Mexico... a trumpet player this time.

December 6, 2007

Omaha Mall Shooting

I found some of the commentary at Revolution-21 about as insightful as one can get in this day and age.  Especially the comments about local radio being unavailable we most need it.

Dwenger outscores Norwell

From 12-4:  Norwell 45, Dwenger 61.  The Knights lose their first.  They are now 3-1.

December 5, 2007

A Different Christmas Poem

A Different Christmas Poem

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.

Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.
The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.

My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.

The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear.
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.

My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.
Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.

A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.

'What are you doing?' I asked without fear,
'Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!'

For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..
To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said 'Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night.'

'It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.
No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,'
Then he sighed, 'That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers.'

My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.
I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile.

Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.

I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..

Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.'
'So go back inside,' he said, 'harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right.'

'But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
'Give you money,' I asked, 'or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son.'

Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
'Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.

For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us.'

Thanks to Sevens member Cindy Best for sending this along.

Girl, 7, shot 6 times saving mom

From Detroit.  A 7-year-old girl is being hailed as an "angel from heaven" and a hero for putting herself between her mother and a gunman.

When John Edwards (running for president) talks about there being two Americas -- one for the have's and one for the have-nots, one for the rich and one for the poor, I disagree with him.  But it's hard to recognize the America in Detroit in the article.  It doesn't have anything to do with money, either... it has to do with evil.

Ford said she dialed 911 on her cell phone as she walked into the station.

"The first operator clicked off and I dialed again and told that operator a guy with a gun was holding me hostage with a mother and baby and threatening to kill us. I told her the name of the gas station and then she said they didn't have a unit to send."

Ford said she paid for $5 of gas and slowly returned to the vehicle, stalling for time as she handed Tillie the change. She said she kept stopping and starting the pump, hoping the police would show up.

"I told him I needed more gas and took money out of my purse and went back into the station," she said. The attendant, Mohammad Alghazali, 30, said he noticed Ford was crying and she told him what was happening. He called 911 as he heard shots coming from the vehicle.

"It was very scary. She (Ford) was scared and screaming when the guy was shooting. I was scared, too. I was on the phone talking to the police when he started shooting," he said

Parker told police that Tillie said Ford was taking too long

She said she pleaded with him but he pointed the gun at her and shot her in the side of the head. She told police she was shot in the arm as she lunged at Tillie.

Before Tillie could fire again, Alexis jumped over the seat between her mother and the gunman and begged him not to shoot her mother.

The police report said Tillie "without hesitation" pumped six shots into the child.

As police arrived, they saw Parker, covered in blood, running from the truck, screaming, "He just shot my baby."

The officers said Tillie came out to the vehicle holding a blue steel 9 mm semi automatic and dropped the weapon when ordered to do so. Officers said they found Alexis huddled on the floor under the steering wheel, covered in blood, surrounded by spent cartridge casings, a spent bullet on the floor and teeth on the seat. There were bullet holes in the windshield and blood inside.

The poor little girl is still alive & if you read the article you'll see that even before this event she walked with a limp caused by a massive stroke when she was just an infant.


Ossian Mailman in Iraq

The Journal-Gazette has a nice article about Marine Lance Corporal Zach McKee, from Ossian who works at the Marine post office at Al Taqaddum Air Base in the Anbar province in Iraq.

McKee, a 2004 Norwell High School graduate who attended Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne for two years before joining the Marines, said he didn't even know the Marines' mail service existed until he was assigned to it.

Adding to the workload is "MotoMail" – short for "motivational mail" – a Marine Corps-sponsored, Internet-based letter-writing service that allows friends and families to pen letters online to specific Marines.

The letters are printed out at the Marines' respective bases and delivered to them, much like telegrams.

If he were back in northeast Indiana, McKee said he would probably be hunting or lifting weights – everyday hobbies he's come to miss while deployed.

Even so, the mail service job makes missing home a little easier, because he's helping his fellow troops connect with their own homes, he said.

McKee's parents, Julie and Mark, also know about missing people. They talk to their son about twice a week but not seeing him for more than a year has been difficult.

A tip of the hat and a thank you to the McKees and all the other service families separated over the Christmas season.

Sanders Visits School

A very nice article about Colts safety Bob Sanders visiting Brown elementary school in Brownsburg, IN.  It was part of the NFL's " Take a Player to School" sweepstakes.

The reality of this celebrity experience sank in for Combs when they entered the school to a hero's welcome. Students lined the halls and held up blue-and-white signs. They screamed at the sight of a real NFL player. The kid next to the star just beamed.

After a few autograph signings and an appearance on the school's daily television report, Sanders went to Combs' class. Combs spoke first, then Sanders answered questions. How much he can bench press? "A lot." The best moment of his life? "When I was drafted into the NFL."

The Colts star shuffled off from there to speak to more than 100 students in the gymnasium. He urged them to stay in school, exercise and chase their dreams. "Keep on pushing," he said.

Time for more questions, including one about his height.

"I'm actually 5-8 and a half," Sanders said. "People don't know, but that half inch means a lot to me."

What a day for Combs, a new kid in this tight-knit western suburb. He moved from Carmel in July.

"This helped him be a star for the day," said his mother, Carrie.

Combs and his class sat on the bleachers one last time for some pictures. During a momentary break from the flashbulbs, a classmate said, "Hey, Jack! You're famous!" Others chimed in. Combs kept glancing at Sanders while taking it all in.

Favorite Christmas Shows

Click Here for a nice site listing when all the classic (and not so classic) Christmas specials are on TV this year.  Unfortunately, I found it too late to watch "Nestor, The Long Eared Donkey"  -- maybe next year.  :)

December 4, 2007

Sharia Creep

Sharia is the body of Islamic religious law, and it seems to be creeping into power in England. Why is it that Nativity plays are being pushed aside in Britain because the government shouldn't push one religion over another, but the government-run health system is telling their nurses to turn beds to face Mecca five times a day and provide fresh, running water for ritual cleansing on a continuing basis? We wouldn't put up with such demands here in America, right? But, of course the footbaths at the Indy airport are just a convenience. And, of course, the United States Federal Civil Rights case against the Oklahoma school district forcing them to allow a Muslim girl to wear a face scarf despite their dress code... happens all the time, right? The Feds are always suing the schools to allow religious expression in public school settings.... Not!

Rails to Trails

This is excellent. Indiana's Department of Natural Resources announced an agreement to buy 150 more miles of abandoned Penn Central train lines... this nearly doubles the amount of Rails-to-Trails mileage in Indiana. Wells county won't get any of this, but Allen and Adams will. Indiana Trails are growing.

Coach of the Year

Congratulations to Norwell Baseball Coach Weybright, who was named National High School Baseball Coach of the Year at the annual baseball coaches' conference in Oklahoma City over the weekend.

December 3, 2007

Norwell Baseball Clinic

Baseball clinic slated at Norwell

A holiday pitching/catching/hitting clinic will be held Friday, Dec. 28 at Norwell High School, featuring a stellar list of professional players, college and high school coaches including Andy DeLaGarza, Jarrod Parker, Zach Dials, Matt Talarico and Kelby Weybright.

The clinic is for ages 10-19. The advanced skills pitching clinic will be from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and the hitting session 2:30-5 p.m. Cost will be $50 for one session (pitching/catching/or hitting). Coaches are free as long as accompanied by a player.

For registration forms or to ask questions call Mark DeLaGarza at (260) 402-0789 or e-mail at delagarza0185@comcast.net.

December 2, 2007

What a Painter!



Thanks to Sevens member Amy Kreigh for sending along this video.

Butler Comes Back

Butler outscored Ohio State 45-16 in the second half to win 65-46.
Butler students who had stood in line as early as early as 8 a.m. to be admitted to the historic arena rushed the court in celebration.

The crowd was so loud that Stevens couldn't make himself heard to a Butler player standing 10 feet away.

"The crowd was unbelievable the whole game," Stevens said.

I'm not a great fan of college basketball, so if there are any Sevens members out there who would like a Sevens account to post sports info (of any kind) let me know. For that matter, any Sevens member who wants to post about anything of interest would be welcome to have an account here... there's lots of news out there that needs attention, I'm sure.

Tree Shopping


Just a nice image that brings back good memories... from flickriver.

Purdue Hockey Player Dies in Crash

State Road 25 is an awful road to travel in the winter, esp. at night. We no longer even try.
The wreck happened about 3:45 p.m. Saturday on Indiana State Highway 25, about 5 miles north of Wingate, according to the university and Indiana Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Matt Tholen, who is investigating the accident. The DNR often works with local police, and Tholen is investigating because he was available to respond when the wreck happened.

"Weather may have been a factor," he said. "It was freezing rain. We had winds, sleet. The roads were slick."

The team was on its way to play Holy Cross College of South Bend at the Palmer Arena in Danville. Twenty players, two coaches and a manager were traveling in three vans.

One of the southbound vans flipped at least once and landed on the driver's side in a field, Tholen said. He would not say who was driving the van. There have been no citations issued, he said.

Andrew Jackson, 18, a freshman from Chanhassen, Minn., near Minneapolis, died, university officials said.

Bowl Games

Purdue (7-5) will play Central Michigan (8-5) in the Motor City Bowl in Detroit

Indiana (7-5) will play Oklahoma State (6-6) in the Insight Bowl in Arizona

Skyscrapers

The tallest buildings in the world

Lions on the Radio

Lions on the Radio
On October 26, Lions DG Ed, Recycling Center Manager John Clester and Marion President Bob Miller were interviewed by [Sevens Member] Tim George of "Good Morning Grant County" on radio station WBAT in Marion. They discussed and promoted Eyeglass Recycling Day and the Upland Eyeglass Recycling Center. Tim George also gave them an opportunity to discuss who to contact about Lions Membership. DG Ed also presented Tim with a Certificate of Appreciation for all the support that Tim and the radio station have given to the Lions Clubs of Grant County for many years. Part of the interview was also on WBAT news the following morning.

Congratulations Sevens Member Tim George!

Sevens Reader Advisory

Check out this member of the 2008 Linux Journal Reader Advisory Board


Mike Roberts

Company: top secret
Location: Palm Harbor, Florida

[Sevens Member] Mike Roberts, who has been married for nearly 24 years and has two children, has been involved with technology since the late 1970's when his career began with the US Air Force. Today he is lead engineer on an internal software development project for a large corporation.

Mike is a music, automobile and aviation enthusiast but not a musician, race car driver or pilot. Now that his children are grown he's toying with the notion of pursuing one of the above


Congratulations Sevens Member Mike Roberts!

Girls defeat Homestead

Norwell Girls Basketball 78, Homestead 60. Knights move to 5-1 on the season.

Homestead was victimized by a hot-shooting day for Norwell junior Haley Chaney, who had a career-high 28 points in the Knights’ 78-60 pounding of the Spartans in a Northeast Hoosier Conference girls basketball opener for each team.

The victory upped Norwell’s record to 5-1.

Sparking Chaney’s explosive day was her 5 for 6 performance from three-point range. Overall, the 5-10 wing hit 9 of 14 field-goal shots and was 5 of 10 at the foul line.

Kicking in 19 points for the Knights was 6-2 junior center Andrea Vogel, who was 8 of 10 and 3 for 4 at the free-throw line.

In addition, senior guard Allee Donaghy pumped in 12, fueled by her 3 for 3 from three-point range.

December 1, 2007

We need a Chuck

I wonder if you've ever seen the movie "Amazing Grace and Chuck." It was made near the end of the cold war years, in 1988. In the movie, a little boy, a star pitcher on his little league team, becomes aware of the dangers of nuclear war. He decides to make a personal protest by refusing to play baseball until all the nukes go away. There is a story about his stand on TV and an NBA basketball star, "Amazing Grace," is so taken by what the kid is doing, he decides to do the same and refuses to play in the NBA until all nukes go away. Before you know it, other athletes are doing the same in all sports.

That set up is interesting, but what happens next makes "Amazing Grace and Chuck" one of my favorite movies. Amazing Grace, the NBA star, is assassinated via a bomb on his private jet and the movement kind of dies out and even Chuck, the little league baseball pitcher, is headed out to the mound to start pitching again. But instead of pitching, he raises his hand in a sign that Amazing Grace used to make, refuses to pitch and tells the world he will not speak until all the nukes are gone. Now, not only have all sports around the world shut down, but all the children stop talking everywhere in the world. Finally, the President, played by Gregory Peck, pursues talks with the Russians and is pushed and pushed again by Chuck until a massive disarmament is made.

Why do I bring this up? Because I wish there was a Chuck -- not a Chuck against nuclear weapons, but a Chuck against the type violence that ended the life of Sean Taylor.

Marcellus Wiley, a former NFL player, made the radio circuit Wednesday, singing the tune that athletes are targets. That was his explanation for the murders of Taylor and Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams and the armed robberies of NBA players Antoine Walker and Eddy Curry.

Really?

Let's cut through the bull(manure) and deal with reality. Black men are targets of black men. Period. Go check the coroner's office and talk with a police detective. These bullets aren't checking W-2s.

Rather than whine about white folks' insensitivity or reserve a special place of sorrow for rich athletes, we'd be better served mustering the kind of outrage and courage it took in the 1950s and 1960s to stop the white KKK from hanging black men from trees.

But we don't want to deal with ourselves. We take great joy in prescribing medicine to cure the hate in other people's hearts. Meanwhile, our self-hatred, on full display for the world to see, remains untreated, undiagnosed and unrepentant.

Our self-hatred has been set to music and reinforced by a pervasive culture that promotes a crab-in-barrel mentality.

You're damn straight I blame hip hop for playing a role in the genocide of American black men. When your leading causes of death and dysfunction are murder, ignorance and incarceration, there's no reason to give a free pass to a culture that celebrates murder, ignorance and incarceration.

Read that whole article above, it is good and important. So what would happen, what would happen if one, or more, of the sports stars who played with Sean Taylor would hold a press conference and urge other professional athletes to stop playing sports, urge college athletes to stop playing sports, urge kids in high school to stop playing sports -- to stand up and announce, "I won't play until black on black crime becomes a national issue and we stop killing and raping and robbing each other."

How long would it take for communities to put more pressure on the gang-banging culture that exists today? How long until people stand up against and slap down kids headed toward violent lives? How long until cities take action to wipe out the cultures of violence that lay ruin to so many young lives today?

Will it happen... no... no Sean Taylor's teammates will probably wear black armbands and use his death as a motivation, rather than an inspiration.

Knights move to 3-0

The Norwell Boys moved to 3-0 with an overtime defeat of Whitco: 61-58
With 11 seconds in overtime remaining and Norwell only ahead 59-57 after sophomore Klay Fiechter hit one of two free throws, Whitko’s Branden Hart drove the length of the court and put up a leaning shot in the lane that rolled around the rim and out. However, Zac VanDeWater was fouled by Fiechter on the rebound attempt, so Whitko still had a chance to tie with 1.9 seconds remaining and two foul shots. But VanDeWater missed the first, and after making the second, senior Klayton Reed tossed a baseball pass downcourt to Jordan Shady, who layed in a meaningless basket at the buzzer to make the final score 61-58.

November 30, 2007

Top Ten Area Holiday Events

From the Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette:


1) "The Nutcracker" – Presented by Fort Wayne Ballet; 8 p.m. Friday, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday; Fort Wayne Philharmonic and Fort Wayne Children's Choir perform at 8 p.m. today and Saturday; Arts United Center, 303 E. Main St.; tickets, 484-9646. Ends Dec. 9.

2) "It's A Wonderful Life" – 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday; First Presbyterian Theater, 300 W. Wayne St.; $8; 422-6329. Ends Dec. 23.

3) Auburn Festival of Trees – Ends Jan. 7; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; World War II Victory Museum and Kruse Automotive & Carriage Museum, both located in Auburn; tickets, 260-927-9144.

4) Festival of Trees preview celebration, 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, $12; 1 to 7 p.m. Saturday, noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday; Creative Arts Council of Wells County, 211 Water St., Bluffton; $3 adults, $2 children; 260-824-5222.

5) "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" – 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Thursday; Pulse Opera House, Warren; $12 adults, $5 ages 12 and younger; 260-375-7017 or www.pulseoperahouse.org. Ends Dec. 8.

6) "Royal Feastes" Madrigal Dinner – 8 p.m. Friday, 5 and 8 p.m. Saturday; Walb Union Ballroom, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, 2101 Coliseum Blvd. E.; $400, $320, $30, $25; 481-6811.

7) "The Gift of Magi" – Performed by Huntington University Theatre Ensemble; 9 p.m. Friday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; Studio Theatre, Merillat Centre for the Arts, Huntington University, Huntington; $2; 260-359-4261.

8) "A Christmas Celebration" – Presented by Wind Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, Women's Chorale, Handbell Choir; 7:30 p.m.; Zurcher Auditorium, Merillat Centre for the Arts, Huntington University, Huntington; $5 adults, $3 seniors and students; 260-359-4261.

9) Holiday Ball – 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Dec. 14, reservations due today; Community Center, 233 W. Main St.; $14; for ages 21 and older; 427-6460.

10) Lakes Area Madrigal Dinner – Ends Dec. 8; 7 p.m.; Oakwood Christian Retreat Center, Lake Wawasee, Syracuse; $30 includes show and meal; for matinee schedule, call 574-457-5600.


And let me just add  11)  The University of Saint Francis Planetarium Star of Bethlehem 2007

Join us under the Mid-Eastern sky of 3 B.C. and follow the star of the Wise Men.  During the live portion of the show, planetarium staff will guide you to the wonders of this winter's Fort Wayne night sky. 

Our Show schedules are as follows:
Saturday, December 1st ~ 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 2nd ~ 3:00 pm and 7:45 pm

Friday, December 7th ~ 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 8th ~ 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 9th ~ 5:00 pm

Friday, December 14th ~ 7:30 pm
Saturday, December 15th ~ 3:00 pm and 7:30 pm
Sunday, December 16th ~ 5:00 pm

~AND~

This year we have a  'Pre-show' for early arrivals. They will be seated in Gunderson Auditorium which will feature photos and video clips from the recently completed Space Shuttle Discovery STS-120 mission to the International Space Station.
Later in the month, we will include live feed, real-time video coverage of the Atlantis STS-122 mission to the ISS as available from NASA TV. Atlantis is currently scheduled to launch December 6th. There is no additional charge for the pre-show. It will begin 30 minutes before the announced time for each Star of Bethlehem show and you can join in at any time following the purchase of your Star of Bethlehem ticket. 



Swimmers defeat Marion

Norwell Swimmers Breeze Past Marion

Brooke Cossairt, Logan Brink and Paige Brink led the Norwell girls to a 136-40 victory by each winning two individual events.

In the boys meet, the Knights took 10 firsts, paced by double winners Luke Towne, Grant Bucher and Nathan Brewer.

The Norwell girls also swept first places in the three relay events. Marion's only first was by diver Emily Guarneri.

Even Norwell's lack of divers couldn't help Marion.  Paige Brink also set Norwell pool records in the 200 yard individual medley and the 100 yard butterfly.

November 29, 2007

Migration Indiana

The Union of Concerned Scientists are projecting that Global Warming will cause the summers in Indiana to migrate to Oklahoma via Missouri over the next century, while the winters will migrate to Virginia. Click on the map image above if you want. The scientists' predictions are based on the last 100 years of Indiana weather fed into a computer model of the current/future global climate. Before you pack away your snow pants, consider that similar computer models can't predict the daily weather and these are being used to predict 50 and 100 years ahead. LongRangeWeather.com has an alternate view and numberswatch.com keeps track of all of the things the media says global warming will cause -- many of them complete opposites.

Pink Dolphin

From Louisiana, a Shockingly Pink Dolphin Surfaces

"It is absolutely, stunningly pink," said Rue, owner of Calcasieu Charter Service. "I have never seen anything like it. It's the same color throughout the whole body. It looks like it just came out of a paint booth."

Albino dolphins are rare. Only three have been spotted in the Gulf of Mexico since 1994 and there have only been 14 sightings around the world since 1963.

But albino dolphins that appear to be pink are unheard of, says Patricia Rosel, a National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) marine biologist who studies the genetic glitches found in bottlenose dolphins.

The only pink dolphins known worldwide are the freshwater variety in the Amazon. The boto, as they are called, are the largest river dolphins on the planet. And while they are very pink, they also have gray splotches on their backs and fins.

Rosel said she’s hoping to catch sight of the pink calf, which has been spotted several times since Rue first discovered him.

Dolphin experts said they are certain the calf is an albino. But since most albino dolphins appear white, they say warm Gulf waters may offer an explanation for his unusual coloring.

"Dolphins are like us, when we get hot we get flushed," said Rosel, who works in Louisiana near the Gulf of Mexico. "Since he has no pigment, the capillaries stick out and make him appear pink."

Bill Hartack has died

Bill Hartack was one of only two Jockeys to have won the Kentucky Derby five times.   The only other was Eddie Arcaro.

Hartack won his first Derby with a little help from Bill Shoemaker, the jockey riding Gallant Man. Shoemaker, who was leading down the stretch, misjudged the finish line and stood up in the saddle in an early celebration, allowing Hartack and Iron Liege to slip past and win by a nose.

In other Triple Crown races, Hartack won the Preakness three times -- with Fabius in 1956, Northern Dancer in 1964 and Majestic Prince in 1969 -- and the Belmont Stakes once, with Celtic Ash in 1960.

Hartack rode until 1974 in the United States, winning 4,272 races. He later rode in Hong Kong before retiring in 1981.

"One of the reasons I left the U.S. was that I knew once I could get away from the American press, I would be very, very happy because they are so stupid," he was quoted as saying shortly after he arrived in Hong Kong.

Big 10 Bowl Game Calculus

Will IU and Purdue both get bowl assignments on Sunday?   Big Ten bowl pairings will be released on Sunday's nationally-televised show.

If Ohio State plays in the BCS championship game and Illinois is selected to the Rose Bowl l, all eight teams with seven or more wins will play in a bowl game. That means Indiana and Purdue are in.

For that to happen, West Virginia or Missouri must lose Saturday to create a BCS title game shot for Ohio State, and Illinois (No. 15 BCS) must move into the top 14 and be selected by the Rose Bowl. Illinois moving up is likely. No. 14 Tennessee is an underdog against LSU in the SEC championship game, and No. 11 Boston College is in the same role against No. 6 Virginia Tech in the ACC championship game.

If OSU and Illinois don't fill both BCS slots, then one seven-win team (IU, Michigan State or Purdue) will have to secure a bid from a bowl not affiliated with the Big Ten.

If Purdue just would have beat IU, this wouldn't have been so hard.

What's in a Name?

The Hurricane Center is giving names to storms that never would have been named in the past.  This year's Tropical Storm Chantal and Tropical Storm Jerry, for example, had wind speeds of 39 miles per hour for less than a day without much drop in their central pressure.  Adding these types of storms (4 or 6 just this year) to the record might seem like no big deal, but it makes it almost impossible to compare modern hurricane seasons to seasons before the 1990's and makes current seasons, on paper, seem worse than in the past.  In addition, insurance companies base their rates on how many named tropical storms occur each year, so you folks on the coastlines are paying higher rates than you might if the Hurricane Center were more conservative.

November 28, 2007

The Knights need Divers

Norwell's 12th ranked Girls Swim Team fell to the Carroll Chargers last night by only 2.5 points... but Norwell spotted Carroll 12 points up front by not having any diving competitors.

CARROLL 92.5; NORWELL 90.5
At Norwell
200 Yard Medley Relay: 1. Carroll (Arianna Gutierrez, Katlyn Huhn, Nicole Schrensky, Audrey Hess) 1:57.86; 2. Norwell (Alison Painter, Kayla Sweet, Dani Thomas, Stephanie Bussey) 2:03.51; 3. Carroll 2:06.11.
200 Yard Freestyle: 1. Paige Brink (N) 1:58.25; 2. (TIE) Kayla Meinderding (C) and Thomas (N) 2:12.28; 5. Lindsey Stronczek (N) 2:21.89.
200 Yard Individual Medley: 1. Logan Brink (N) 2:17.02; 2. Bussey (N) 2:22.12; 3. Gutierraz (C) 2:26.53.
50 Yard Freestyle: 1. Hess (C) 25.61; 2. Kelly Brewer (N) 25.77; 3. Painter (N) 27.13.
Diving: 1. Aubry Daman (C) 163.85; 2. Rachel Guy (C) 142.7; 3. Rachel Waggoner (C) 123.0.
100 Yard Butterfly: 1. Schrensky (C) 1:04.08; 2. Brooke Cossairt (N) 1:04.55; 4. Thomas (N) 1:07.31 .
100 Yard Freestyle: 1. P. Brink (N) 55.49; 2. Brewer (N) 57.16; 3. Gutierraz (C) 57.48.
500 Yard Freestyle: 1. Cossairt (N) 5:38.03; 2. Marcie Lee (C) 6:11.03; 3. Rachel Fenbert (C) 6:23.03; 4. Stronczek (N) 6:24.35 .
200 Yard Freestyle Relay: 1. Norwell (L. Brink, Brewer, Cossairt, P. Brink) 1:45.28; 2. Carroll 1:48.12; 3. Carroll 1:50.37.
100 Yard Backstroke: 1. L. Brink (N) 1:07.09; 2. Meinerding (C) 1:08.80; 4. Painter (N) 1: 11.04.
100 Yard Breaststroke: 1. Huhn (C) 1:11.53; 2. Bussey (N) 1:12.87; 3. Hess (C) 1:13.58; 4. Emily Kunkel (N) 1:16.59; 5. Sweet (N) 1:17.55.
400 Yard Freestyle Relay: 1. Norwell (Brewer, Cossairt, L. Brink, P. Brink) 3:47.90 (Pool record; old record 3:49.49 by Norwell 2005, A. McClain, K. Gates, K. Cossairt, P. Brink); 2. Norwell (Thomas, Stronczek, Painter, Bussey) 4:04.63; 3. Carroll 4:05.09.

Championship Rings

Sevens member (and Norwell Pitching Coach) Kurt Gray has sent out a notice that the 2007 Norwell State Champion Baseball team will be presented their championship rings on December 14th.  The presentation will be either between the JV/Varsity games or during halftime of the varsity game against Dekalb.

Mark your calendars!

Stand up and Putter

A New Way to Control Weight

When we sit, the researchers found, the enzymes that are responsible for burning fat just shut down.

This goes way beyond the common sense assumption that people who sit too much are less active and thus less able to keep their weight under control. It turns out that sitting for hours at a time, as so many of us do in these days of ubiquitous computers and electronic games and 24-hour television, attacks the body in ways that have not been well understood.

The solution, Hamilton said, is to stand up and "putter."

Hamilton is not suggesting that anyone quit exercising. But he says his work shows that exercise alone won't get the job done. We have to pay more attention to what's happening when we aren't in the gym, because the body's ability to dispose of fat virtually shuts down, he says, at least if we're sitting down.

A very interesting article.  Doctors injected a fat-burning enzyme into humans and then took biopsies  when people were standing and when they were sitting.  When sitting, the fat-burning enzyme was suppressed.

Girls nearly double Wayne

Norwell Girls 74, Wayne 40

Ethanol Craze Cools

Ethanol Craze Cools As Doubts Multiply

In the past, livestock farmers supported ethanol because it was good for the overall farm economy. But now they began to complain that the higher corn price cut sharply into their profits. A meat-producer trade group called the American Meat Institute took a stand against federal support for biofuels last December, joined soon after by the National Turkey Federation and the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

The farm fissure widened when livestock, meat and poultry groups started coordinating their lobbying with the oil industry, in discussions helped along by former Texas Congressman Charles Stenholm, who now lobbies for both industries.

Packaged-food companies, too, began pushing back, as one after another blamed biofuels' effect on grain costs for hurting earnings. In June, Dean Foods Co., H.J. Heinz Co., Kellogg Co., Nestle USA, PepsiCo Inc. and Coca-Cola Co. sent a letter to senators saying that requiring greater use of ethanol would affect their "ability to produce competitively available, affordable food."

Harrison Square Cam

Watch the Harrison Square downtown Ft. Wayne Baseball Stadium Project

November 27, 2007

The Cinnamon Challenge

Who knew? And don't blame me if you try it.

Butler #16

It isn't really news, if you ask me, that IU is ranked #15 (and falling) in the basketball nation... but Butler being only one back at #16 -- now that's news!

Girls BB Poll

The Norwell Girls Basketball team received a couple of votes in the ranking poll

Class 3A

Pts. Prv.

1. Wawasee (14) 4-0 148 1
2. Indpls. Chatard 4-0 126 5
3. Ev. Bosse 5-1 113 1
4. Twin Lakes (1) 6-0 92 10
5. Plymouth 4-1 86 4
6. Lebanon 3-1 80 3
7. Ev. Memorial 3-0 62 8
8. Northwood 4-1 34 9
9. Indpls. Brebeuf 3-1 26 6
10. Ft. Wayne Elmhurst 4-0 20 n/a
10. Owen Valley 5-1 20 n/a

Others recieving votes: Benton Central 11, Norwell 2, Crawfordsville 1, Franklin County 1, N. Harrison 1, Rushville 1, Vincennes Lincoln 1.


Note: Luers is #8 in the 2A poll

November 25, 2007

224: Mason Dixon Line

The original Mason-Dixon line was a dividing line between the culture of the Northern States and the culture of the Southern States. In the article below, Mark Miller discusses 124 as a Mason-Dixon line in Adams County (dividing the culture of Decatur and the culture of Berne) and 224 as the Mason-Dixon line in Wells County (dividing the culture of Bluffton and the culture of Ossian).

An interesting article regarding the political impact of improving 224 vs. Road 1 to 469

The option that seemed to be focused upon most — Hwy. 224 from Markle to Ind. 1— was never labeled “Bluffton’s plan” (at least in our report) and in fact included improvements to Ind. 1 north to Ossian that would be equal to any proposed improvements south to Bluffton.

Certainly, Bluffton officials want to encourage as much business development within their borders as possible, Ossian’s as well. In my ten years here, I have always had the sense — perhaps naive — that everyone was pretty much on the same page: that we are a “county community” as opposed to a county with two communities.

Once again, my thanks to the Bluffton News-Banner for its large and well written collection of local news and sports.