Joe McDonald's Hidden Blog

A Real Stable Income

2012-01-30T07:29:00.000-06:00

“Taking what you love to do and making a profession out of it is so much better than just working to make a living.” - Terry Finley, owner, West Point Thoroughbreds

What do you love to do?

YMCA Superfans Inspired By Short, Smith, Witzig

2012-01-28T20:53:00.000-06:00

NORMAL, IL (AP) -

Modeling the type of teamwork normally seen only by heroes in times of national crisis, the gray YMCA team overcame the yellow team in a heartwarming matchup of little men.

The game was cast in a tender light during pre-game ceremonies which honored four local youths afflicted with teenageritis, and trying to turn their lives around with the help of the Normal Community High School Ironmen after school program. The superfans sat along the far wall and smiled from ear to ear throughout.

Superfans Alex Prus, Kyle Sosa, Tyler Seibring, and Ben Wylde

As bench coach Dave Witzig supervised the action from along the wall in his trademark Bears ball cap and orange sweatshirt, the game action was neck-and-neck early as #6 Alex Smith led the grays on the fast break.

As the grays got on the scoreboard, scrappy guard #9 Brendan Short got into the scrum defensively, inspired by the echo of his father's teachings in his head, almost as if it were bouncing off the walls.

Not even the repeated resetting of the scoreboard could melt the resolve of Short's rabid defense, harassing the yellows into turnover after turnover with active hands and lightning feet.

Eventually the grays pulled away by a comfortable margin, with guard/center #11 Ben Witzig having his way on the offensive end of the floor, igniting deafening roars from the crowd.

Coach Witzig was touched by the team's performance in dedication to the troubled youths.

"Alex, Benny and Brendan did a great job for us today," a red-eyed Witzig said while wiping a tear. "Hopefully it gives hope to these young fans that they can overcome their condition and have successful lives."

Certifiably Employed

2012-01-28T19:26:00.001-06:00

I passed the certification tests to become listed on the Wyzant tutoring site:

http://www.wyzant.com/Tutors/IL/Normal/7905801/

I added it to the list of Places I Go on Hidden Blog.

I'm deemed proficient in pre-algebra and algebra (1 and 2).

Is $30/hr a deal or a steal? We'll see. For now, it's just fun to hang a virtual sign in the window as being open for business.

5 Reasons To Drink Water

2012-01-27T07:02:00.000-06:00

Drink up! From Yahoo! Health:

Of all the food and beverage choices you face every day, what's calorie-free, virtually cost-free, and, oh yes, essential to keeping you alive? Plain ol' water. But those aren't the only reasons to drink it.

"Water drives basic body performance," says Beth Reardon, director of nutrition for Duke Integrative Medicine, part of the Duke University Health System. "All of the systems in the body require water for proper functioning, and so do 90 percent of all chemical reactions in the body."
Here are the top five reasons to quench your thirst with water.

1. It will help you de-stress.

Why: Being sure to sip water throughout a stressful day can soothe stress-induced symptoms as diverse as headaches, tense muscles, fuzzy thinking, a pounding heart, and low energy. That's because stress taxes all your basic body systems -- and when you're dehydrated, the effects are magnified.
Given that more than half your body weight is water, Reardon says, "just a 2-percent reduction in hydration has a dramatic impact on energy levels and cognitive function." And dehydration further raises levels of cortisol -- the "stress hormone."

Water won't wash your stressors away. But it can provide you with more energy, ease tension, slow breathing, and reduce the strain on your heart.

Water-drinking tip: "Eight by eight -- eight 8-ounce glasses a day -- is a good general rule of thumb," Reardon says, "but it's a myth that's the magic amount for everyone, because there are so many variables." The "right" amount for you depends on factors including your age, your activity level, your health level, medications you're taking, and the weather. So how do you know if you're drinking enough? Follow your thirst, and know that you're on the right track if you have straw-colored urine, Reardon says.

2. You'll lose weight.

Why: In a 2010 study of adults aged 55 to 75, drinking two 8-ounce glasses of water before meals was associated with almost four pounds more weight loss in 12 weeks than in a control group who ate a similar diet but didn't have the pre-meal H20. Participants drank an average of 1.5 cups of water a day before the study.

In part, the Virginia Tech researchers say, water is filling, so you feel fuller and eat less. An earlier study found those who drink water before meals consume an average of 75 fewer calories per meal. (Make that twice a day over a year, and that could add up to 14 pounds!) The Virginia Tech scientists also believe the water drinkers began swapping this zero-calorie beverage for sodas and other caloric beverages.

What's more, when you're well hydrated, your body is working closer to maximum efficiency -- enhancing aspects of weight loss, like digestion and muscle function, when you exercise.

Water-drinking tip: For variety's sake, try flavoring your water. Drop some fruit into a pitcher and let it sit a few minutes -- lemons, oranges, watermelon, and berries all work well. Or let an herbal or flavored green tea bag steep in unheated water to accent the taste.

3. You'll be less apt to get sick.

Why: Hydration keeps your mucus membranes in top working order -- they're gatekeepers to the natural defense system that helps keep out germs such as cold and flu viruses. When these tissues dry out, germs can more easily penetrate to the nasopharynx, where the nasal passages and mouth meet. And if you catch a bug anyway, the severity of your illness is more likely to be lower if you've been drinking a lot of water.

Water is an especially smart health move when you're traveling. Most commercial planes fly at elevations between 30,000 and 35,000 feet, where humidity is 10 percent or lower. That means you're breathing dry air in a tight space filled with germs from dozens of people. Water keeps your mucus membranes moist -- and your defenses high -- even in that challenging situation.

Water-drinking tip: Bring an empty water bottle with you to the airport that you can fill for free once you're past security. Or buy the biggest bottle you can right before you board, and aim to finish it by flight's end. Don't hesitate to ask the flight attendant for refills while you're in the air.

4. You'll be more comfortable.

Why: It doesn't matter if the water you sip is hot or ice-cold. The act of drinking it will keep you warmer on a cold day -- and cool you off on a hot one.

"Your internal thermostat works better when you're well hydrated," Duke nutritionist Beth Reardon says. "Water helps regulate body temperature."

The body's temperature-regulating system, governed by the hypothalamus in the brain, is constantly picking up information that allows it to make adjustments to maintain a fairly steady core temperature. Hot sun? You'll sweat to cool down. Hatless in snow? The hypothalamus will know you're losing heat through your head and work to produce extra energy, such as shivering.

But these mechanisms work less well if you're dehydrated – and dehydration is a common risk for people of all ages, in winter as well as summer. In cold weather, for example, you lose water vapor through your breath. And many people tend to drink less water in cold weather because they don't think they need it as much as on hot, sunny days.

Water-drinking tip: Start by swapping out one soda, cup of coffee, or high-calorie hot chocolate a day with an equal amount of water. Carry a bottle of water with you all day long as a visual reminder to pause and sip. Sip more when you're physically active, whether in water, snow, or any weather condition.

5. It will help regulate your blood pressure.

Why: In 2010, the American Red Cross discovered that when blood donors were given 16 ounces of water to drink before giving blood, there was a 20 percent drop in fainting after the procedure. That was an important finding for them, given that many of those who faint then chalk blood donation up as a bad experience and never return to give again.

It's not entirely clear what mechanism is at work. But the Red Cross was inspired to conduct a study after researchers at Vanderbilt University noticed that drinking water activated the parasympathetic nervous system -- related to the "fight or flight" system that makes you more alert, elevates blood pressure momentarily, and boosts energy. Fainting after donating blood is often connected to a drop in blood pressure, and they theorized that the water would counter that effect.

(Not drinking enough water on a regular basis can also raise blood pressure. That's because dehydration causes blood vessels to constrict as the body strives to conserve water that it loses through perspiration, urination, and breathing. When blood vessels constrict, however, the heart pumps harder, bringing blood pressure up.)

Water-drinking tip: Start your day with a glass of water for a simple energy boost that remedies any dehydration that may have occurred overnight. Keep a filled glass or bottle on your nightstand or an empty one next to the bathroom sink.

Dr. Friendly On Meeting Etiquette

2012-01-26T22:40:00.000-06:00

Dr. Friendly is a non-certified medical amateur, whose advice column appears exclusively in Hidden Blog.

Dr. Friendly,

My boss is telling another one of his lame jokes in our staff meeting. Honestly, I think he has these meetings just to make himself feel popular. How do I tell him this?

Bored Meeting

-----

Bored,

Wait - you're in a meeting right now and texting me while your boss is talking? You could do worse for your career, but only if you hit him over the head with a watermelon. Go to his office after the meeting and tell him how much you like his jokes. I'm sure they're funnier than anything the staff at the unemployment office would say.

Words To Smile By

2012-01-26T22:07:00.001-06:00

Out of the clear blue, someone sent me this note. :)

Thank you for being a model of positive thinking, appreciation, patience, tolerance and generosity. Your influence helps me be a better person, or at least better recognize the kind of person I would like to be. Whether it's taking the time to have lunch withme or updating your blog, the stories you share and the life you lead are inspiring. It's a privilege to be your friend/mentee.

Incredible Ball Boy Catch - Aussie Open

2012-01-26T18:55:00.001-06:00

The crowd's reaction is my favorite part...

Handy Thinking

2012-01-26T07:59:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I realized that I was walking to my car with cold hands. Cold hands that were carrying my gloves. Yes, carrying them, not wearing them.

Well, you see, I was holding something in my right hand. It would've been a nuisance to have to stop walking, set the thing down, put on the gloves, and pick up the thing again. It would only have taken ten seconds to do this, and spared me three minutes of chilled fingers. But I'd made an excuse for trading a small inconvenience for a bigger one.

Where else does this happen? Is it the inconvenience of a short travel to get to the gym? Of asking a tough question, because of the risk? To forgive, because we feel dissed? To accept change gracefully, because of the unknown?

We are on a good path. And often a better one, if we counsel our mind instead of our emotions.

Past Time

2012-01-26T07:45:00.000-06:00

"Forget the past. No one becomes successful in the past."

Regret of the past and fear of the future are two of the biggest energy suckers there are.

Don't do it.

Learn as you go. Plan and dream for the future. Savor today. A simple recipe for success.

Dr. Friendly On Sour Squeezings

2012-01-25T19:00:00.003-06:00

Dr. Friendly is a non-certified medical amateur, whose advice column appears exclusively in Hidden Blog.

Dr. Friendly,

Over lunch yesterday I was putting lemon in my tea, and some juice squirted into my wife's eye. How is this my fault? No one can predict these things. They've got a mind of their own. What, I'm supposed to stop drinking tea?

Sour Husband

-----

Sour,

Next time, just shield the lemon with your hand while you squeeze. If you need two hands to squeeze a lemon, then hit the weight room. Or I'm sure your wife could manage it.

State Farm® - State Of Disconnect (Journey)

2012-01-24T20:58:00.001-06:00

Lazy Days, Lengthening Days: The Week In Thanks

2012-01-23T22:11:00.000-06:00

This week's essay in thankfulness starts, as it easily could every week, with Dena.

I'm grateful that she's the kind of wife who re-arranges the living room furniture to give some new perspective, because I rarely would. She asks my opinion before doing it, even though her artistic vision is vastly superior to mine. If I ever disagreed, I think that she might even listen to me.

When she asks if I'll help lug the awkward heavy furniture up the stairs, she asks if I'd be okay with doing it "within the next couple hours" instead of "now," even though I'm just sitting there uselessly playing video games. (So naturally I help her now... maybe I should also be thankful for her brilliant psychological mind.)

She's the kind of person who rearranges her schedule so that she can have her hair done an hour away in Peoria. Why? Because when she lived much closer to Peoria, her cousin cut her hair. She's more loyal than Tonto, I tell you.

Hidden Bloggers notice that Ryan Short won his 200th basketball game this weekend. He could probably head coach a team of monkeys to 200 wins. He's the most brilliant guy in the room, and yet the most considerate as well. Including that he gives me about three times as much respect for my opinions as a coach than I'm worth. How do I end up surrounded by such loyal role models?

We are already a full month past the winter solstice. The sun's not setting until 5:00 now. Spring training begins in less than a month. Daylight savings time is less than two months away.

An especially haphazard project at work has been postponed. For the moment it looks as if we'll get our remaining 2012 projects done with good quality. Is it just a brief gap in the clouds of a rainy day? Who cares, live in the now whenever you can. And relatively speaking, things at work have been pretty bright. The experiment where I supervise new students has gotten off to a solid start. A good foundation considering that five more are coming on board by year end.

Did anyone catch the two dramatic football games this weekend? Dena and I did, in addition to snuggling on the couch for a good part of Saturday morning to watch a couple movies she'd grabbed, Moneyball and Courageous. So nice to have one of those lazy weekends. Which is probably why Hidden Bloggers also saw an uptick in posts over the weekend.

Our home is clean, comfortable, cozy, and paid for. It's a wonderful place to gaze out the window into frigid afternoon skies, while tucked warmly beneath a blanket on the couch (ok, a Snuggie).

Tonight I attended a kick-off meeting for Vacation Bible School, since I'll be serving as a skit guy again from June 18-21 at Calvary United Methodist Church. I could write another whole blog post about each of the ladies on this incredible leadership team. Organized, funny, caring, creative, flexible - and personal friends.

I'll die a happy man if life consists of a bunch of weeks like this one.

Newt Or Schrute?

2012-01-23T21:09:00.001-06:00

Which is Newt Gingrich circa 1970... and which is Dwight Schrute circa 2012?

Uncanny.

Dr. Friendly On Seating Women

2012-01-22T14:05:00.001-06:00

Dr. Friendly is a non-certified medical amateur, whose advice column appears exclusively in Hidden Blog.

Dr. Friendly,

I was out on a first date and tried to be a gentleman by helping her sit down at the restaurant. I pushed the chair in as she squatted, and she gave me a dirty look. What did I do wrong?

The Pusher

Pusher,

The bruising on the backs of her knees is one indicator. When you hold the chair, just steady it as a guide, there's no need to shove. And when you talk with her about the incident... see if you can find another word to use than "squatting," would you?

Moneyball: Daughter Sings To Dad

2012-01-22T13:37:00.001-06:00

Dena bought the movie... including this cute little song.

Joe Paterno Dead: Reflections On The Man And His Legacy

2012-01-22T10:17:00.000-06:00

Courtesy of Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports:

Truly great leaders are measured by the lives they reached, the people they motivated and the legacy of their lesson that can extend for years to come, like ripples from a skipped stone across an endless lake.

For Joe Paterno, the impact is incalculable, the people he connected with extending far beyond the players he coached for 62 years at Penn State, the last 46 as head football coach. Paterno always tried to be the giant who walked among the everyman both in the school’s greatest moments and, it turns out, in its worst.

Joe Paterno died Sunday at a State College, Pa., hospital. He was 85.
(AP)

Paterno died Sunday at a State College, Pa., hospital, suffering in his final days from lung cancer, broken bones and the fallout of a horrific scandal that not only cost him his job, but also his trademark vigor and a portion of his good name. He was 85 years old.

This is a complicated passing. What was once the most consistent and basic of messages – honor, ethics and education – seemingly lived out as close to its ideal as possible was rocked Nov. 5, 2011, when a grand jury indicted Paterno’s former defensive coordinator, Jerry Sandusky, of multiple counts of sexual abuse of children.

Many, including Penn State’s Board of Trustees, believed Paterno could have and should have done more to stop Sandusky, especially after allegations of misconduct arose in 2002. Within days Paterno was fired from the program and school to which he’d become synonymous.

Now, a little more than two months later, he’s gone for good, a bitter, brutal ending for an American original.

He was the winningest college football coach of all time, compiling a 409-136-3 record. He won national titles in 1982 and 1986 and recorded four other undefeated seasons, including consecutively in 1968 and 1969.

He was a bridge from a simpler time to the cutthroat business college football has become, somehow serving as both a progressive force (he believed in players’ rights, a playoff system and welcomed advancements in television) and a stubborn traditionalist (the Penn State uniforms remained basic, he never learned how to send a text message and he still used old-school discipline).

In 2007, when a group of his players got into a fight at a party, Paterno determined it would best if the entire team had to clean Beaver Stadium after home games. “I think that we need to prove to people that we’re not a bunch of hoodlums,” he said at the time.
That was Paterno at his best, this singular figure offering simple lessons. He was the rock. He was the constant. He was the conscious. He was JoePa, his nickname suggesting a fatherly quality to not just his players, not just Penn State students who could still find his number listed in the local phone book and not just Nittany Lions football fans.

He was a larger-than-life figure in the small, bucolic town of State College, and if you wanted to draw something good and decent from college football, well, here’s where you always could. Don’t worry, he’d still be there, as unchanged as ever.

He gave millions of dollars back to the school – the library is named after him and his wife, Sue. He raised millions more at speaking engagements across the country. He encouraged vibrant alumni to take incredible pride in their university, unusual for many state schools in the east. Yet he was still this guy out of Brooklyn, with a thick accent and even thicker glasses. He was humble. He was approachable.

It seemed, for anyone who wanted to believe, that he provided perspective amid the circus.

“We’re trying to win football games, don’t misunderstand that,” Paterno told Sports Illustrated’s Dan Jenkins in 1968, when he was just 41. “But I don’t want it to ruin our lives if we lose. I don’t want us ever to become the kind of place where an 8-2 season is a tragedy. Look at that day outside. It’s clear, it’s beautiful, the leaves are turning, the land is pretty and it’s quiet. If losing a game made me miserable, I couldn’t enjoy such a day.

“I tell the kids who come here to play, enjoy yourselves. There’s so much besides football. Art, history, literature, politics.”

That this attitude would come from the guy who would win the most games ever was part of the charm, as if Paterno was running a ruse on everyone chasing him all those crisp autumns. He was playing chess, they were getting check-mated.

No, the full truth never squares with these kinds of narratives. No, he wasn’t perfect, he wasn’t without fault or selfishness or vanity or difficult moods. He was close enough though. Sometimes, having someone to believe in is enough.

“You know what happens when you’re No. 1?” Paterno said more than 40 years ago to Jenkins.

“Nobody is happy until you’re No. 1 again and that might never happen again.”

It would happen again and again and again, actually.

In his final days, that wide-eyed optimist and aw-shucks success story was gone. The Sandusky scandal had sapped what no opponent ever could. He sat earlier this month at his kitchen table at his kitchen table with, not coincidentally, Sally Jenkins, the Washington Post columnist and Dan Jenkins’ daughter, for his last public words.

He’d lost his hair from chemotherapy. His breath was heavy. He sipped on a soda. “His voice sounded like wind blowing across a field of winter stalks, rattling the husks,” Sally Jenkins wrote.

He tried to explain how he hadn’t done more to stop Sandusky, how he hadn’t followed up thoroughly, how he hadn’t pressed university administrators for answers.

“I didn’t exactly know how to handle it … I backed away and turned it over to some other people, people I thought would have a little more expertise than I did. It didn’t work out that way.”

Some saw no need for him to explain himself again: He’d said much the same thing in a 2011 grand jury appearance. For others, there is no suitable explanation, boys were abused, the mistake too grave for excuses.

This will be forever the battle over Joe Paterno’s legacy. A life of soaring impact, of bedrock values, of generations and generations as a symbol of how to live life to its fullest.

The Sandusky case cracked that for some. Ended it. Not for all, though.

Paterno reached too many, taught too many, inspired too many. And for years and seasons, for decades and generations to come, those that drew from his wisdom will pass it on and on. That will be his most lasting legacy.

No, his worst day can’t be forgotten. Neither can all the beautiful ones that surrounded it.

The Purpose Of Life

2012-01-22T09:54:00.000-06:00

A friend asked me this week if I'd blogged about finding my purpose.

I once read the book Purpose-Driven Life by Rick Warren. You'll find it an especially good read if you're Christian. It's meaningfully touched thousands and thousands who've tried it.

I think that the idea of purpose is subjective, meaning that if you ask several people you'll get several answers. Who determines our purpose? Ourselves? Or something bigger than ourselves?

I could say that my purpose it what I choose it to be. My destiny is in my hands. My purpose is by definition the end results that flow from the series of actions that I take between now and my last breath.

I could say instead that my purpose is known by my creator. That I was made thoughtfully and deliberately, with a palette of intentionally bestowed gifts, to be used to make a specific difference in the world. That I am called to discover that purpose and pour myself into it completely.

If it's true that we have a singular purpose, just like we have a singular time of death, I wonder if it is something that we really do want to know? Part of the adventure of life is the exploration, the journey. Many of my friends and family have changed jobs multiple times. I'm doing things today that I didn't dream of ten years ago.

Do I regret how I've spent my time? Has it been wasted at all? Would I be making the most of my life to find my best path and follow it?

I've come to believe that when I look back at my life, what I would regret more than anything is to have spent it unhappily. For most of it, although I've made big mistakes, I've done what I enjoyed.

I do think of God like a gardener, and us as flowers:

http://joemcdonald.blogspot.com/2010/08/gardener.html

Flowers grow best in the soil that's richest for them. "Perfect soil" is different for different flowers. The longer I live, the better I get at recognizing the soil that's best for me. Because I study myself, this body that God gave me.

What can you do energetically, with hours seeming like minutes?
What moments have brought tears of joy to your eyes?
What plans make it easy for you to get out of bed in the morning?

Whatever the answer is, do that.
Whatever strays from that answer, steer away.

That's what I think is a good purpose.

Church Of One

2012-01-22T08:45:00.001-06:00

This morning I awoke at 6:30.

The odds of my getting up that early on a weekend, the day after a couple basketball games, are slim.

And yet, as I lay in the inkiness, my mind was whirring with thoughts.

A puzzling problem from work was tumbling around like yesterday's laundry in the dryer.

At once some ideas, and then a solution, formed themselves. All before I could open my eyes!

Now I was up. Energized. Came downstairs not knowing quite what I'd do next, but soon found myself emptying the dishwasher, folding laundry, pitching trash. Thinking about blog posts.

Why does this happen?
I like to think this is how God communicates with me sometimes. I felt a rush of thankfulness for this burst of success. You never know how long or briefly it will last. As a fundamentally creative and introverted person, that might be why in these moments I feel more connected than in most of 30 years of corporate church attendance.

And so I took my guitar with a light heart, opened to some spiritual songs, and let loose joyfully.

State Farm® - State of Nostalgia (Thanks Hank)

2012-01-21T22:07:00.001-06:00

Hockey Trick Shot During All-Star Competition

2012-01-21T21:13:00.001-06:00

Ryan Short Wins 200th Basketball Game

2012-01-21T20:45:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to Ryan Short on winning his 200th basketball game tonight against Moline High School!

The Ironmen closed out a talented team in the fourth quarter, hanging tough after their opponents had rallied to tie.

May there be many more to come.

Happy 20th!

2012-01-20T07:41:00.002-06:00

Hidden Bloggers know that the 20th is my favorite day of the month. Probably because it was my first.

It certainly helps that it's just before the 21st, like the first day of several new seasons and also my wedding anniversary.

And when it falls on a Friday, how can it go wrong?

Have a great one friends. Walk into work with a smile. And keep it there as often as you can 'til you go to bed. It'll make for a great night of sleep and a better tomorrow.

Friday's One-Liner

2012-01-20T07:34:00.002-06:00

(This one is more reflective than humorous, a good perspective to start the day...)

Why do we have so much enthusiasm for criticism and so much criticism for enthusiasm?

The Wonderful WyzAnt Of Ahs

2012-01-20T07:29:00.001-06:00

This morning I took the next step in my tutoring career.

I enrolled as a math tutor at www.wyzant.com. (Note: I originally wrote "meth" tutor there, different career)

This will be my first time as an independent contractor, working on commission! 60% of my fee comes to me.

I discovered the site by Googling "bloomington normal math tutor."

It was easy to fill out. Seven short steps and now I have a bio, photo, and profile. It may take a couple days to go live.

It asked what rates I'd charge. Typically $35-$65. Couldn't bring myself to charge that much right off the bat though. $30 seemed about right for a guy without an education degree who's been at this on a volunteer basis for a couple semesters.

If felt a little dramatic as I pushed the button to agree to the legal terms and put myself "out there." Like there was a bungee cord around my ankles, but with much lower risk of converting my spine into a jigsaw puzzle.

My expectations are low. I advertised myself as a high school and college tutor. My time's limited during basketball season anyway. But I believe that an independent business is a multi-year plan, so the time is NOW to start laying the foundation and gaining experience, for better and worse.

Getting out of bed for this adventure was a piece of cake!

Thursday's One-Liner

2012-01-19T20:03:00.002-06:00

Why do people point at their wrists when they ask what time it is? I know where my watch is! Do I point at my crotch when I ask where the bathroom is?

(Tiny) Mission Accomplished

2012-01-18T16:54:00.002-06:00

Postscript to this morning's entry - despite the temptation of several distractions, the in-box did go down. There were actually a couple of times where I asked myself "Why am I doing this? It gets me no closer to the goal." And just like that I was back on task.

Good day, happy drive home.

RSA Animate - Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

2012-01-18T16:51:00.002-06:00

Does this apply to you in your work? Compliments of Aaron from the office:

Tiny Goals Are Great, Too

2012-01-18T07:33:00.003-06:00

"Life without goals is like a race without a finish line." -Ed Trenner

Fortunately, because of human nature, I can set very small goals and still feel very good when I meet them. Today, I'd just like to leave work with fewer items in the in-box than when I walked in. Let's see what focus can do.

What's your tiny goal of the day?

Wednesday's One-Liner

2012-01-18T07:26:00.002-06:00

What do butterflies feel when they're in love?

Who Needs A Party? The Week In Thanks

2012-01-15T23:47:00.001-06:00

Basketball is thick in the blood this time of year. And yet, the whims of practice scheduling sometimes mean that my bond with the boys can't be what it was last couple of years. In the end, I'll miss more than 23 practices. This week would've been a week when I could attend exactly one practice on Wednesday. Then a fluke occurrence caused Wednesday's practice to be moved to a time that I couldn't attend.

Time for a pity party? Nope.

Because as it happened, a student of mine had a series of troubles of his own. He ended up falling several assignments behind in his work, and also losing his ride to the library. Tuesday night ended up not being enough time to complete it all. And it was due Thursday. So guess which night ended up being perfect to do a second session? The newly-available Wednesday evening. It felt like extra credit to offer to tutor him at his home since he had no ride.

So often things which appear to be misfortune turn out to be fortune. It's to the point where I can take more and more setbacks in stride, assuming that it's for a greater purpose, even though it's not always obvious what that is.

My three students all ended up passing their classes last semester, and they all asked if they could work with me again. Even though it's a free service for them, it's still a small sign of affirmation that I'm not causing them to get worse... and that's worth something, isn't it? In fact, a fourth student asked for help this week. Word of mouth rules.

The early results suggest that this is one of the better Christmas gift hauls I've received in years. I asked for some kind of warm dress socks to repel the bitter cold floor-temps of the basketball school bus road trips. Six hours of travel this weekend, and not once did the warmth of my feet even pass through my mind until I got home. Meanwhile, Dena's fancy leather jacket has allowed me to use my old winter jacket as a cold-weather running outfit, which I took full advantage of today.

This afternoon's run was at 3:30. Couldn't help but notice that the sun was still bright in the sky at 4:30. We're nearly a full month removed from the winter solstice, and we've already reached the point where we can see the sun on the way home from work. Gotta love it.

There was some project-related stress midway through the week, and I felt like I was pressing. Actually it was blatantly obvious since I found myself fuming about it. Some silly ideas passed through my head, and I was able to dismiss them until after having a good night's sleep. The next day, as is true a great deal of the time, the problem resolved itself.

The incident caused me to wonder how differently I and others would view everyday events if we knew that anger were fatal. I suppose that heart attack survivors could comment on this better than me. But if our survival absolutely depended upon finding a way to enjoy every wave with a smile, I'll bet we could do it. So why wait?

This week I get to supervise a new employee and help him get his career off on the right foot. This has been a gift of an opportunity, a highlight of the days to come.

How To Remove A Pimple

2012-01-15T22:42:00.001-06:00

This would've come in handy 25 years ago. From Men's Health:

Don't try to squeeze your pimple into oblivion. That can cause scarring.

Soak a wash cloth in the hottest water your faucet can generate and apply pressure to the spot for 1 minute - the most hat should melt the sebum plugging your pores. Then apply 10 percent benzoyl peroxide cream, available over the counter, to kill bacteria and help dry out the site. Finally, cover your pimple with a spot bandage. This ensures that the benzoyl peroxide works all night. When you wake up, your blemish will be 50 to 75 percent healed if it's not gone altogether.

State Farm® - State of Chaos

2012-01-15T20:50:00.001-06:00

"I Believe In Tim Tebow"

2012-01-15T17:20:00.000-06:00

By ESPN.com's Rick Reilly:

I've come to believe in Tim Tebow, but not for what he does on a football field, which is still three parts Dr. Jekyll and two parts Mr. Hyde.

No, I've come to believe in Tim Tebow for what he does off a football field, which is represent the best parts of us, the parts I want to be and so rarely am.

Who among us is this selfless?

Every week, Tebow picks out someone who is suffering, or who is dying, or who is injured. He flies these people and their families to the Broncos game, rents them a car, puts them up in a nice hotel, buys them dinner (usually at a Dave & Buster's), gets them and their families pregame passes, visits with them just before kickoff (!), gets them 30-yard-line tickets down low, visits with them after the game (sometimes for an hour), has them walk him to his car, and sends them off with a basket of gifts.

Home or road, win or lose, hero or goat.

Remember last week, when the world was pulling its hair out in the hour after Tebow had stunned the Pittsburgh Steelers with an 80-yard OT touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas in the playoffs? And Twitter was exploding with 9,420 tweets about Tebow per second? When an ESPN poll was naming him the most popular athlete in America?

Tebow was spending that hour talking to 16-year-old Bailey Knaub about her 73 surgeries so far and what TV shows she likes.

"Here he'd just played the game of his life," recalls Bailey's mother, Kathy, of Loveland, Colo., "and the first thing he does after his press conference is come find Bailey and ask, 'Did you get anything to eat?' He acted like what he'd just done wasn't anything, like it was all about Bailey."

More than that, Tebow kept corralling people into the room for Bailey to meet. Hey, Demaryius, come in here a minute. Hey, Mr. Elway. Hey, Coach Fox.

Even though sometimes-fatal Wegener's granulomatosis has left Bailey with only one lung, the attention took her breath away.

"It was the best day of my life," she emailed. "It was a bright star among very gloomy and difficult days. Tim Tebow gave me the greatest gift I could ever imagine. He gave me the strength for the future. I know now that I can face any obstacle placed in front of me. Tim taught me to never give up because at the end of the day, today might seem bleak but it can't rain forever and tomorrow is a new day, with new promises."

I read that email to Tebow, and he was honestly floored.

"Why me? Why should I inspire her?" he said. "I just don't feel, I don't know, adequate. Really, hearing her story inspires me."

It's not just NFL defenses that get Tebowed. It's high school girls who don't know whether they'll ever go to a prom. It's adults who can hardly stand. It's kids who will die soon.

For the game at Buffalo, it was Charlottesville, Va., blue-chip high school QB Jacob Rainey, who lost his leg after a freak tackle in a scrimmage. Tebow threw three interceptions in that Buffalo game and the Broncos were crushed 40-14.

"He walked in and took a big sigh and said, 'Well, that didn't go as planned,'" Rainey remembers.

"Where I'm from, people wonder how sincere and genuine he is. But I think he's the most genuine person I've ever met."

There's not an ounce of artifice or phoniness or Hollywood in this kid Tebow, and I've looked everywhere for it.

Take 9-year-old Zac Taylor, a child who lives in constant pain. Immediately after Tebow shocked the Chicago Bears with a 13-10 comeback win, Tebow spent an hour with Zac and his family. At one point, Zac, who has 10 doctors, asked Tebow whether he has a secret prayer for hospital visits. Tebow whispered it in his ear. And because Tebow still needed to be checked out by the Broncos' team doctor, he took Zac in with him, but only after they had whispered it together.

And it's not always kids. Tom Driscoll, a 55-year-old who is dying of brain cancer at a hospice in Denver, was Tebow's guest for the Cincinnati game. "The doctors took some of my brain," Driscoll says, "so my short-term memory is kind of shot. But that day I'll never forget. Tim is such a good man."

This whole thing makes no football sense, of course. Most NFL players hardly talk to teammates before a game, much less visit with the sick and dying.

Isn't that a huge distraction?

Stephanie Taylor Not everything Tim Tebow does on one knee is controversial. Ask Zac Taylor.

"Just the opposite," Tebow says. "It's by far the best thing I do to get myself ready. Here you are, about to play a game that the world says is the most important thing in the world. Win and they praise you. Lose and they crush you. And here I have a chance to talk to the coolest, most courageous people. It puts it all into perspective. The game doesn't really matter. I mean, I'll give 100 percent of my heart to win it, but in the end, the thing I most want to do is not win championships or make a lot of money, it's to invest in people's lives, to make a difference."

So that's it. I've given up giving up on him. I'm a 100 percent believer. Not in his arm. Not in his skills. I believe in his heart, his there-will-definitely-be-a-pony-under-the-tree optimism, the way his love pours into people, right up to their eyeballs, until they believe they can master the hopeless comeback, too.

Remember the QB who lost his leg, Jacob Rainey? He got his prosthetic leg a few weeks ago, and he wants to play high school football next season. Yes, tackle football. He'd be the first to do that on an above-the-knee amputation.

Hmmm. Wonder where he got that crazy idea?

"Tim told me to keep fighting, no matter what," Rainey says. "I am."

Apostles For The New Millenium

2012-01-15T17:10:00.003-06:00

Came across this interesting stat today: One out of every 12 people on the planet is an Indian under age 25.

So if Jesus had been alive today and picked the most representative group of apostles possible, one of them could easily been a 13-year old from Punjab.

You know, I don't recall hearing about how old the Biblical apostles were. But if they'd had a teenager in there, I'll bet their tales would've been much different. Probably would've eased up on the wine parable some.

Sunday's One-Liner

2012-01-15T14:34:00.002-06:00

Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice"?

Waking Up

2012-01-15T12:01:00.002-06:00

On Friday night I went straight from work to a pair of games (sophomore and varsity) in Decatur. It's about an hour south, which is fairly short considering the geography of central Illinois.

The bus rides are always a bit stiff. As most people know, big yellow school bus engineers work with the following design parameters in mind:

1. Maximum # of passengers possible
2. Minimum shock absorbers
3. Minimum seat padding
4. ~~Six-foot tall men~~ Four-foot tall children
5. Heaters concentrated entirely at the rear

It was, oh, 15 degrees or so with wind chill.

We lost both games, and got home at 11:30.

Came home, went to bed.

Got up at 6:00 to catch 7:00 on Big Yellow, for a three-hour wintry trip (north, naturally) to play some basketball in Rockton, Wisconsin... I mean, Rockton, Illinois.

11:00. Lost by one point. (sophomores)

12:30. Lost by 25 points. (sophomores)

2:00. Lost by 16 points. (varsity)

5:00. Lost by 10 points. (sophomores)

Did I mention that the sophomore games are played in one of those domes that looks like Paul Bunyan's camping tent? It relies pretty heavily on natural lighting and heating. Both are scarce at 5:00 in January. The fact that the game before ours went into overtime gave Mother Nature some extra time to turn down the thermostat. At least we couldn't see our breath. Thanks in part to the fact that we were playing the team hosting the tournament, which had plenty of warm bodies in the stands. It was their first game of the day, and our fourth in 24 hours. They were a little fresher. Under the circumstances we did well.

Got word that the varsity lost their 5:00 game too.

Three hours home on the bus, which drifted onto the shoulder enough times to make me think it was required by law. Fortunately, if we did sail into a cornfield and roll 13 times I could rest with the assurance of my tibias wedged between the seats holding me snugly in place rather than pinballing all about the cabin (a cartoonish picture that I imagine the engineers giggling about as they energetically erased the seatbelts from the bus blueprint).

Started scraping the frost off my car at 10:30.

Entered the house at 11:00.

Straight to bed. Popped on the T.V. and was out in 15 minutes.

Woke up at 8:00. I was pleased to realize that I'd had no dreams about basketball, school buses, or hurtling off a bridge at 70 miles an hour in a school bus full of basketball players.

My body, however, was still not ready to get up.

Crashed on the couch, turned on the T.V., and laid very still. Started ingesting some whole grains, fruits and water.

Stretched out some limbs. Dozed in and out of consciousness.

By 11:00, I felt ready to get up and come hang out with my Hidden Blog pals.

At least until our game on Monday in Rockton.

Idol Audition - Uh, Yeah, Let's Keep Him

2012-01-13T08:02:00.001-06:00

The Case For A 21 Hour Work Week

2012-01-13T07:21:00.002-06:00

By Michael Coren:

To save the world -- or really to even just make our personal lives better -- we will need to work less.

Time, like work, has become commodified, a recent legacy of industrial capitalism, where a controlled, 40-hour week in factories was necessary. Our behavior is totally out of step with human priorities and today’s economy. To lay the foundations for a "steady-state" economy -- one that can continue running sustainably forever -- a recent paper argues that it’s time for advanced developed countries transition to a normal 21-hour work week.

This does not mean a mandatory work week or leisure-time police. People can choose to work as long, or short, as they please. It’s more about resetting social and political norms. That is, the day when 1,092 hours of paid work per year becomes the "standard that is generally expected by government, employers, trade unions, employees, and everyone else."

The New Economics Foundation (NEF) says there is nothing natural or inevitable about what’s considered a "normal" 40-hour work week today. In its wake, many people are caught in a vicious cycle of work and consumption. They live to work, work to earn, and earn to consume things. Missing from that equation is an important fact that researchers have discovered about most material consumption in wealthy societies: so much of the pleasure and satisfaction we gain from buying is temporary, ephemeral, and mostly just relative to those around us (who strive to consume still more, in a self-perpetuating spiral).

The NEF argues we need to achieve truly happy lives, we need to challenge social norms and reset the industrial clock ticking in our heads. It sees the 21-hour week as integral to this for two reasons: it will redistribute paid work, offering the hope of a more equal society (right now too many are overworked, or underemployed). At the same time, it would give us all time for the things we value but rarely have time to do well such as care for our family, travel, read or continue learning (as opposed to feeding consumerism).

Not to mention, it may be the only way a modern global society won’t overwhelm the earth’s resources. Creating EU-level living standards for the entire world by 2050 would require a six-fold increase in the size of the global economy, with potentially devastating consequences. Instead of growing the economy, maybe we need to recalibrate society to make everyone happier and successful with less.

"The proposed shift towards 21 hours must be seen in terms of a broad, incremental transition to social, economic, and environmental sustainability," says the NEF in its report.

The challenges are great, none more so than figuring out how to make most of society be able to live on half of their current income. And no doubt, many will seize on this as socialism or worse. Many will object to being told that 21 hours is normal, or 80 hours is too much. But consider what John Maynard Keynes, (whose theories underpin much of the global response to the financial crises), said in 1930 about the goal of future societies. Keynes thought that by the start of the 21st century, we would work only 15 to 21 hours a week, and we would instead focus on "how to use freedom from pressing economic cares." As NEF writes: "Keynes was wrong in his forecast, but not at all wrong, it seems to us, to envisage a very different way of using time."

Thursday's One-Liner

2012-01-12T20:29:00.002-06:00

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

One Volleyball Point Lasts Two Amazing Minutes

2012-01-12T20:24:00.001-06:00

I've played entire intramural volleyball games shorter than this!

Learning For Tomorrow

2012-01-11T17:24:00.000-06:00

Today was the day to take some action toward the "$12,000 job" 2012 goal.

Do what you love, and never work a day in your life. And I love to teach.

Whether I eventually self-employ in the education field or work as an employee, it starts with research.

Many times I drive by this place called "Learning for Tomorrow." I'd skimmed their web site before. Today I decided to pop in and ask questions. The manager was really helpful.

They charge $45/hr for most sessions. Stuff gets skimmed off the top between the retail price and the tutor's wallet, but let's say that's $30/hr in the end. So 400 hours of work a year, or 8 hours a week. They actually get busier during the summer months, as students try to brush up, maintain, or get ahead. I found that interesting... I had zero thought about school during my childhood summers!

Now I'm not worth $30/hr yet. But I am committed to tutoring as much math as I can, to get to that level. As I tutor, I learn. Everyone wins.

I dropped off my contact information.

Something or nothing might happen. The excitement is in the trying.

Tebow's Game Winning Throw Video

2012-01-11T16:10:00.005-06:00

I hear that after this play, Tebow's name was tweeted at a rate of 9,000 per second.

Pretty Funny, Out Of Context

2012-01-11T07:38:00.002-06:00

From Republican presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, after coming in a distant third in the New Hampshire primary election, in reference to the upcoming South Carolina primary:

"Where we stand right now is a solid, comfortable, confident position. And we go south from here."

State Farm® - State Of Anonymity (Cheers)

2012-01-11T05:34:00.001-06:00

Don't Worry Be Happy!

2012-01-11T05:10:00.000-06:00

It's time for the first weekly blog of thanks for the year. It hit me smack in the eyes during the middle of a crazy day at work.

Sometimes things feel beyond our control. I found myself consumed fretting about a big project with few resources.

But there is always something in our control. Our response to the situation. When the mind is a hurricane of emotion, there is a shelter within. It's impenetrable. Tropical music plays inside it, and it's cozy and comfortable. We just need to take a few steps through the swirling winds, wrench open the door and step inside.

On this day I chose to consider how mild of a winter day it was. Nearly fifty degrees. In any other January of the past decade I'd have been goose-stepping on ice or trudging through snow, while negative chill winds battered my cheeks. Huddling in the parking garage urging the heater to pick up the pace so that I could emerge from the fetal position. Today I found myself carrying my hat and gloves out of habit, but smiling at the lack of need to put them on.

While driving home from a game last week, I drifted toward an intersection of a busy street planning to turn right. I glanced to my left first, to make sure of no oncoming traffic. When I looked back to the right, suddenly there was a man practically on top of my hood. He'd chosen to wear dark clothes on this night, and I'd not anticipated anyone wanting to cross such a busy street on foot as I rolled up beside him - and nearly over him. If my reaction time were a drumbeat slower, I could have maimed him. Instead, I'm thankful.

After getting home from work today, Dena cheerfully burst into our room with a story about how someone stole her car wash. I'd never heard of such a thing. Dena dropped her token into the automatic car wash while someone was getting a wash in front of her. That older gentleman proceeded to go through the drying cycle, then back his car into the washing section again and get a second wash - Dena's wash. The point is that Dena could have been pretty irritated by it and spilled it all over me. This is how fortunate I am in marriage, that she uses it to spread joy instead.

This is what was playing in my mental shelter of refuge today, my oasis of peace in a frenetic career. In fact, while sitting in there I came up with a plan for the problem at hand.

"It will soon pass whatever it is. Don't bring everybody down." - Bobby McFerrin

Hope you enjoy the blessings of your own life this week.

Embarrassing Goalkeeper Error Leads to Goal

2012-01-11T04:40:00.001-06:00

I'd imagine that goalie wives eventually learn not to ask "How was your day?" when they get home from work.

Tuesday's One-Liner

2012-01-10T07:34:00.000-06:00

Why didn't Noah swat those two mosquitoes?

Wake-Up Mile

2012-01-10T07:31:00.001-06:00

Some mornings, not too long after I roll out of bed, I get my day's exercise taken care of by going for a 3-mile run.

Since I tend to do my stretching later in the day, my legs often have the consistency of mush as I first meander onto the sidewalk while traffic whizzes by.

Clop, clop. Clop, clop. Clop, clop.

My shoes sound like an old mare heading back to the stable.

The air is somehow thicker than usual, like passing through water.

Little aches and pains introduce themselves in unusual places.

Did I mention the first quarter mile is all uphill?

Experience has taught me that this is what the first mile is like on my runs.

And in most things I try for the first time.

Experience has also taught me that it gets easier. My body adjusts, warms up, loosens. I find my stride.

I will get the hang of this. It's just a phase. I am destined to succeed. I will not fret.

And life gets better, by inches and miles.

Monday's One-Liner

2012-01-09T20:49:00.002-06:00

Who puts the thin ice sign in the middle of the thin ice?

Goalie's 100 Yard Soccer Goal

2012-01-08T12:00:00.001-06:00

Illinois State Wins On 3 Point Buzzer Beater

2012-01-08T10:21:00.003-06:00

Go you Redbirds, on to victory, fight for ISU!

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/43913/video-illinois-state-buzzer-beater

Rising NFL Steelers Star And Mom Have Overcome Obstacles

2012-01-07T09:28:00.003-06:00

Courtesy of Les Carpenter, Yahoo! Sports:

The lawyers cost money but they could keep her son out of jail, so Leslie Redman kept paying them until there was nothing left and she had to declare bankruptcy. Soon came the creditors to collect for the various unpaid bills, and they took the car and the house. Her husband vanished, leaving her with just her daughter and her son, Isaac, who prosecutors threatened to send to prison for 20 years. There was no way she’d let that happen.

“We can always get another house,” she told her children.

Isaac Redman had a season-high 92 rushing yards in the finale.
(AP Photo)

So if you think the Pittsburgh Steelers lost something big when running backRashard Mendenhall went down with a knee injury, that they won’t be able to replace him with someone as driven, as relentless, then you don’t know aboutIsaac Redman , the man who will line up in his place against the Denver Broncos in Sunday’s AFC wild-card contest. Redman once had everything – big colleges knocking at his door, the promise of a bright career, a smooth ride to the NFL. Then, the schools, the house, his reputation and everything else were all gone. And building it all back has been a far longer process.

“My mom stood by me,” he says. “She sacrificed everything.”

He was a high school star in Paulsboro, N.J., a town just outside Camden in the Philadelphia suburbs, a running back who was impossible to stop. Big schools called. There were scholarship offers and recruiting visits. Iowa was persistent. Temple was close to home and it seemed right. Then came April 17, 2003, and a party in a nearby town. He and another young man were accused of first-degree sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl in a car outside the house. He was 18 and about to finish high school.

Redman declines to elaborate on the details of that evening, but he eventually took a plea deal (resulting in three years of probation and no jail time) that convicted him of fourth-degree sexual contact (humiliating or degrading intimate touching). Leslie Redman says there were family pressures that led to the complaint and that someone familiar with the charges eventually apologized to Isaac for the fact they were brought.

But before the case was resolved, he faced 20 years in prison. Suddenly the colleges stopped calling. A low SAT score gave Temple reason to put his scholarship on hold, his once-gleaming future clouded. He spent months in a legal haze, with no college, no football, nothing but the fear he had lost it all.

When Isaac was arrested, Leslie cried for a week. “I knew he wanted to do so much with his life and it might not happen,” she says. “But I have faith in God and I keep praying and if you do that, God will take care of everything.”

A friend who rents houses called and said she had a house they could have free of charge. It was small, with no closets and barely enough room for Leslie, Isaac and his sister, but it was a house. It was a new start and what else could they be but grateful? With Temple stalling and nothing else looming for him, there came another surprise. It was something small, not much, but what choice did he have? Bowie State, a Division II school in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. was willing to take a chance.

Again, Isaac Redman could be nothing but grateful.

Around Camden, Marc Harrison was known as sort of a last hope for athletes who fell through the cracks. And around Camden lots of athletes fell through the cracks. He was once a runner himself, a track athlete who made it to Bucknell and had become the director of compliance for the athletic department at Bowie. There had been plenty of desperate phone calls from parents longing to see their kids in college. Was there any way he could help? Often he could. Sometimes it worked. Sometimes it didn’t.

One night, as Harrison napped on his couch, a friend called. The friend had a cousin, a running back, someone who was good. Did Harrison think he could talk to the football coaches at Bowie?

Harrison said Bowie had 10 running backs and wasn’t looking for any more.

“It’s Isaac Redman,” the friend said.

Harrison jumped off the couch. He knew all about Redman. Who from Camden didn’t? Paulsboro was the rival to Harrison’s school. He followed the papers and went back to an occasional game. He had seen Redman play, watched him crash through tacklers. The last he heard he was going to Temple or Iowa.

“There were complications,” the friend said.

The friend sent Harrison a highlight tape. Harrison took the tape to Bowie’s coach at the time, Mike Lynn, who had the same reaction as Harrison when the friend called. Bowie didn’t need any more running backs.

“Just watch the tape,” Harrison told him.

Lynn did.

“His jaw dropped,” Harrison says laughing. “He couldn’t believe what he was seeing.”

Isaac Redman

And right there, Lynn decided that Bowie could use an 11th running back.

“When I gave him the opportunity he said, ‘Mr. Harrison, I’m going to be the best they ever had here. I’m going to make it to the league,’ ” Harrison says.

Had Harrison not taken the tape to the Bowie coaches, who knows what would have happened to Isaac?

“That tape was ridiculous,” Isaac says. “There were a lot of plays on it that would blow your mind.”

He doesn’t say this in an arrogant way. In fact he sounds almost muted, stating a simple fact. And when he got to Bowie in the late summer of 2004, he set about to make sure he had many more.

“Determination is definitely what he had,” says Bowie’s current head coach, Damon Wilson, who was Isaac’s position coach at the time. “He has a gift and he made the most of it.”

Harrison – who has since left Bowie to work at a charter school in Northeast D.C. – remembers the same thing. “He was really determined,” he says.

Every day, Redman showed up to campus in a button-up shirt and glasses, carrying books, appearing regularly in the weight room and forever talking about the same thing: getting to the NFL. Harrison looked hard at the sexual assault charges, talking to several people until he was sure what happened and understood that Isaac would not be a problem at Bowie. The administration even researched his background after a Division I coach called and told a Bowie official about the arrest.

Ultimately, Bowie’s faith in Redman paid off. Redman, who redshirted in 2006, finished as Bowie’s all-time leading rusher with 3,300 yards and 35 touchdowns. Wilson still remembers a 99-yard touchdown run in 2007. But because Bowie is a Division II school that had only sent two players for brief runs in the NFL, Redman drew little professional interest. No scouts came to practice. Nobody asked to see tape. It was as if he didn’t exist at all.

In the winter of 2009, following his senior season, Isaac went to Los Angeles to work out with then-USC running backs coach Todd McNair, a former Camden-area star and NFL player, whose wife is Leslie’s niece. When McNair played for Temple in the late 1980s, his head coach was the Steelers’ current offensive coordinator, Bruce Arians, who also became his position coach with the Kansas City Chiefs. McNair sent Redman’s Bowie game film to Arians, begging his former coach to watch it. The Steelers invited Isaac to a minicamp. After that came a contract and an invite to ’09 training camp.

Isaac Redman tosses a ball in practice as the Steelers prepare for the Broncos.
(AP Photo)

At first the Steelers weren’t sure. He was strong and could break tackles but he struggled to stay in shape. Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin kept calling him “Barlow,” a mocking reference to former NFL running back Kevan Barlow who was famous for underachieving. After that first camp, the Steelers cut Redman and signed him to their practice squad. Despite the fact the team kept him around, he felt like he failed, like he had blown his NFL shot, that he had failed his mother and Bowie and everyone who had taken the chance on him.

The next summer he worked to get in better shape and it showed in the preseason games. When coaches started approaching him with friendly back slaps not long before the start of the season – telling him he needed to be sure to have a financial advisor – he realized he was making the team. But his real feeling of belonging didn’t come until late in the season when he caught the game-winning touchdown pass in a 13-10 road victory over the Baltimore Ravens.

“It went from being, ‘Do they trust me on the team?’ to ‘I just had a big touchdown in a game against the Baltimore Ravens, our rivals,’ ” Isaac says. “You become the guy everyone likes in the locker room for a couple of weeks.”

From the Steelers headquarters, Isaac sighs into the phone. He contemplates where he would be if Harrison hadn’t taken his tape to Bowie coaches.

“Who knows what would have happened,” he says. “I would have sat around for another year. I wanted to go to college but people always say, ‘Oh I’ll go to school in another year.’ I know a lot of people who say that and then they never do.”

He doesn’t talk much about the charges or the year he spent in limbo. Leslie says he is not angry about what happened although people around him have told him he should be.

“It’s sad that something like that happened to me so young,” he says. “People who know me understand the situation. You can never get past it. It keeps coming up. It’s a blessing that Marc Harrison was willing to help me out.”

Leslie Redman

He says he owes his mother everything he can give. It’s why he was so driven to succeed at Bowie. He wanted to go to school, make her proud and wanted her to know that losing the house and the car and everything she had because of her faith in him would be worth it.

“I was determined to stay hungry,” he says.

Leslie, who says everything is fine now, doesn’t want anything from her son. She always tells him his money is his and to please not spend any of it on her. But she knows this is futile. She knows he tells people he owes her, that she sacrificed for him, and with his NFL salary he got her a bigger place to live, something like what she had before. He has a place in Pittsburgh and she comes out for his games, spending the afternoons cooking. He also has a son, a one-year-old named Haiden, and he comes home often to be with him. The other day, on a Steelers off-day, Leslie returned home to have the neighborhood children tell her Isaac had been out on the street throwing a football with them. She smiled. How far things had come from the year her son sat home alone, his reputation torn apart.

“He says he’s got it and looks at it all the time,” Harrison says.

Harrison knows he has a friend, a player in the NFL to whom he is the godfather of his son. On the day Harrison’s son was going to play his first youth football game, Isaac called the boy early in the morning, without Harrison even knowing, just to wish him good luck. And when Isaac started his first game for the Steelers this fall, the kids on the KLM Steelers youth football team in Prince George’s County took their No. 33 jersey, a perfect replica of the Pittsburgh Steelers uniforms, and signed their names across it – a gift to him.

Then he pauses.

“You know, Isaac is really a good kid.”

Baby Jackson Scared By Daddy Snoring

2012-01-07T09:23:00.001-06:00

Mom and Dad might have to think twice about letting this 2-month old sleep in their room.

Angry Soccer Fan Kicks Seat, Seat Wins

2012-01-03T18:09:00.001-06:00

NCHS Championship Photos

2012-01-03T18:00:00.000-06:00

Anthony Beane says "Dunk you very much" against #1 seed North Chicago...

"If it wasn't for Coach McDonald's absence, no way we win this championship."

It's Just Fear, Silly

2012-01-02T22:06:00.002-06:00

"If you can commit to action despite fear, the courage will follow." - Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., author of The Willpower Instinct

"Military pilots used to be told 'The first thing you do after you parachute out of your plane is take a drink or sort your gear.' The idea was to ingrain the need to collect their nerves before doing anything." - Robert Koester, M.S.

The top tactic of world champion skiers about to go down an enormous hill: Self-affirmation, in a way that maintains positive energy all the time. "If you can control that internal dialogue, it ca really affect performance." - Marc Taylor, Ph.D.

5 Shopping Deals To Look Forward To In 2012

2012-01-02T18:41:00.002-06:00

From Yahoo! Finance:

European travel, TVs and other goodies may be getting cheaper.

Consumers fed up with rising prices on fuel, food and other purchases will be happy to find that some things may actually be cheaper in the New Year.

The same economic uncertainty that's driving many prices up has also created a handful of silver linings for consumers -- particularly those planning a big-ticket purchase or trip in the short term, says Jack Plunkett, chief executive of market research firm Plunkett Research. Growing competition between web and bricks-and-mortar retailers has also generated more deals beyond the usual roster of furniture and household linens sales that pop up every January. "What we're going to find, long-term, is that you get your best deals on the Internet," says independent retail analyst Jeff Green. But for now retailers are "trying to keep people in stores for as long as they can." That means more sales.

Shoppers will still need to exercise caution, experts say. One category's price break is often counterbalanced by rising fees in a different area. One example: Rising charges for cellphone data use often eclipse price cuts on text-message plans. "Little savings here and there may not help much," Plunkett says. But here are some deals that could help consumers keep their budget in check in 2012.

Consumer Electronics

Prices typically drop in January and February as manufacturers introduce the latest in computers, televisions and other devices. That's likely to accelerate this year as stores look to better compete with web sites, Green says. TV prices in particular continue to drop. During the last few months of 2011 the average price of a 42" LCD screen fell below $500 for the first time, reports market research firm NPD Group. In 2010, the average price was closer to $600.

Shoppers may find that the deals don't extend to all orders or categories, says Lindsay Sakraida, features director of deal-tracking site DealNews.com. Shortages have increased prices on components such as hard drives. Other items are cheap because they aren't worth it: a standalone GPS, for example, is now largely redundant for smartphone users, she says.

Text-Message Plans

With the introduction of Apple's iMessage and other apps that let consumers message each other for free, experts say there's little reason to shell out $10 to $50 per month for a text-message bundle. At the least that could put an extra $120 back in the budget for 2012.

Just don't expect it to stay there. The average smartphone user consumed 435 MB of data per month during the first quarter of 2011, according to Nielsen. That's up 89% compared with the previous year and well above the 200MB threshold for AT&T's and Verizon's cheapest data plans. Verizon also nixed its unlimited data plan this year, while AT&T introduced a plan to throttle the speed of its heaviest users.

Travel to Europe

The European debt crisis may be a boon for travelers: one U.S. dollar currently buys 0.76 euro, up from 0.69 euro on Sept. 1. That's enough to give travelers an edge on hotels and daily expenses, says Melissa Klurman, a contributing editor for Travelocity.

The problem: rising fuel prices and airline capacity cuts have kept international fares moving higher. The crisis and in turn, the euro's value -- could also stabilize next year, diminishing savings for travelers who book well in advance, Plunkett says. The Continent may also be less hospitable than in years past. "European workers are disgruntled, so you might also run into a strike or two," he says.

Wine

Bargain bottles are becoming more prevalent as boutique wineries spring back and consumers curtail consumption, Sakraida says. "People are now less likely to spend over $30 a bottle, so wineries are focusing on lower price points," she says. A number of new flash-sale sites also offer high-end wines at discounts of as much as 50%.

Experts say some sales and low-priced bottles may mask so-so vintages, so it's still important to read reviews before shelling out for a case.

Interest Rates

Consumers planning to buy a house or a car can expect rates to stay low and maybe even go a little lower through mid-2012, Plunkett says. "This low interest-rate environment we're in is going to be encouraged by the Federal Reserve," he says.

Those savings, however, might be the only break purchasers get. Automakers have projected an increase in sales next year, which could lead to sparser incentives, he says. And that same low-rate environment has also pushed down yields on checking and savings accounts, according to rate-tracking sites DepositAccounts.com and Bankrate.com. "You might as well put your money in your pillow," Plunkett says.

State Farm® - Magic Jingle Leather Pants

2012-01-02T17:07:00.001-06:00

Your 2012 Career Horoscope

2012-01-02T16:59:00.002-06:00

Looks like a good year in store for we Tauruses according to the good people at Yahoo! Shine (click and find your own horoscope if you'd like):

You're in stellar standing in 2012, especially during the first half of the year. You'll definitely feel like the 'It' sign, with Mars and Jupiter doing your bidding. Your creativity is off the charts with the action planet, Mars, running an extended six-month stint in your sector of self-expression. Mars will be retrograde during the first quarter, which could create the illusion that not much is moving forward - and yet you've never felt more creative and inspired. Trust that all your inner preparation will meet with great rewards and forward motion.

Neptune had been causing some confusion about your professional identity over the past few years, but now that it will be leaving your career sector for good in February, clarity - if not a major epiphany - is coming. Write everything down, because breakthrough ideas will come like flashes of lightning and will be as easily forgotten as fast as they come. It's time to translate all the gifts of inspired creativity and vision that Neptune brought you over the past several years into flourishing future plans. The tragedy would be to keep all of these gifts locked up as mere potential.

When the big eclipse points hit your money and talent sector this summer, you'll see another huge wave of changes unfolding over the latter half of 2012. And since you can be the most stubborn of all signs when it comes to embracing the new, you may actually welcome this colossal cosmic push. There is no going back, Taurus - you're destined for bigger and more glamorous things (with many of them likely involving extensive travel). La Dolce Vita, baby!

Monday's One-Liner

2012-01-02T13:58:00.002-06:00

Is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?

Flipping Out About Dinner

2012-01-01T15:45:00.002-06:00

So I've got a half-dozen gift certificates, some for months. I'm just not in the routine of thinking about them. Today, I did. Let's go to dinner sweetie!

She narrowed it down to two and let me pick. I came up with a plan.

Holding the two gift cards in my hand.

"Okay, I'll flip them up in the air. Whichever one lands face up is the one we'll go to."

Flip.

Both face down.

Flip.

Both face down.

Flip.

Both face up.

We laughed harder with each passing flip. After six flips, the matter was still not resolved.

"You flip them!" I said.

First try, Olive Garden wins.

It's her favorite.

Very cute, God.

2012 Goals

2011-12-31T22:13:00.001-06:00

The new year is nearly here. Let's get this year'sblueprint ready, as usual by taking stock of last year's.

Happy New Year Hidden Bloggers!

2011

Daily Mental Health Exercise & Measurement,Weekly Journal

I meant for this to be some kind of end-of-dayreflection for myself to overcome the fits of entitlement that storm my mind onmany days. Maybe a counter of big mistakes and little joys with an attempt forthe former to snuff out the latter as the year went on. And in fact, I havebeen happier this year. It just took a different form.

I think that my job is the root of much of mystress, because of the time it consumes and the nature of its demands. So Ideveloped a morning ritual with a jigsaw puzzle that has been a gentle andcontinuous reminder that my career is going according to plan. Lately goodtidings have come my way at the office. I like to think it's a reflection ofthe calmness and confidence that God's given me through this inspiration.

I came late to the weekly journaling, but I didcome. That's good enough, right?

Top 10 List of New Acquaintances

Tutoring all by itself has hit this mark. Threeguidance counselors, two teachers, and more than five students. My newacquaintances don't have to be captains of industry or lifelong friends, justenough for me to learn something from the relationship. And I can honestlyreflect on each person and point to lessons that have taught me how to behave,or not.

I've met several other people at work and elsewherethat have also spiced up my life in ways that make me smile. A life spent smilingis a life well spent.

Expenses at 2010 Level

Wow, we crushed this one. Our baseline last yearwas $44,000. This year we'll be under $40,000. Becoming a Walmart household wasa key. Shifting from vending machines to home-brought snacks helped too. Weshifted insurance carriers. Plus a dozen other minor adjustments. We didn'tstarve ourselves of creature comforts, we just made some better shoppingdecisions.

Learn About Investing

I barely touched this one. I looked around at acouple magazines, enlisted a couple trial subscriptions, and had a conversationor two. But I'm no closer to improving my portfolio than I was a year ago. Idid make a big deposit into the market during a swoon, so buy-low-sell-high wasa winner there.

Determine 1 Possible Organization to Participate inDuring Retirement

Is it a cop-out just because I was alreadyparticipating in Normal Community High School? I am still stoked whenever Ihead out to tutor a student. The basketball season is flying by because it'sbeen fun. Since I've met several new people at NCHS and am still enjoyingthe view, I'm counting this one good for now. At least I've fortified the ideathat teaching and coaching can be a vibrant part of my post-State-Farm future.Whether it's at NCHS or elsewhere remains to be seen.

Increase Max in All Weightlifting Exercises, 12%Body Fat

I did increase, briefly. Got the chest press up to180 on eight reps, for example. Then my shoulder told me that it was time totake a sabbatical from weight lifting. Still, I kept my body fat convincinglyunder 12% by stationary biking/jogging six days a week. The shoulder's ready toresume now.

2012

Blog thanks weekly. Dream daily.

That second part seems kind of ethereal, but I'm abeliever in daydreaming when what you're seeing is a thoughtfully constructedpicture of the future. Life's unpleasantries are much less so when you've gotan exciting vision to fall back on, and I do. At a minimum, it's keeping upwith the puzzle ritual in the office. And there are countless ways to bethankful and hopeful. That's what this is about.

Make 10 New Acquaintances

This one's a keeper.

Expenses at 2010 Level

I think that we could possibly finish ahead of 2011with continued good decisions, but we were pretty healthy and our retirementplan would actually allow for higher expenses than 2010. If we stay below that$44,000 baseline we'll be in good shape. If we approach 2011 numbers, betterstill.

Research A Better Investment

Most of our savings are in mutual funds managed byState Farm. We get some advantages as employees, but there might still be abetter deal out there considering their long-run performance. Some researchinto other mutual funds, or even stocks, could reveal a better investment. Andevery quarter percent is huge over our time horizon.

Exercise 5+ Days A Week, 12% Body Fat

Routine. But important enough to write down. Healthis the pillar of all other happiness.

Find A $12,000 Job

Even in retirement there are hobbies to feed. Ishould be able to find a job (or self-employment as a tutor or otherwise) totake in retirement that uses my passions, is worth that much, and gives me thefreedom I want.

2011 Year In Review

2011-12-31T19:45:00.001-06:00

Optimists are excited as the final hours of the old calendar year wind down and the new one readies to burst freshly into existence.

Writers also have a field day looking back at what's been, and evaluating it. This one's no different.

Here's what came to mind as I was cycling on the stationary bike this afternoon:

School's Fun, Mom

My first full year as an assistant sophomore boys' basketball coach was filled with the taste of victory on the scoreboard. The sophomores went 19-6. The varsity was even better, pulling off a chemistry experiment for the ages as they jelled just in time to take the state by storm in the tournament. Their 4th place finish earned the school's first banner on the gym wall.

This year has been victorious in its own way, as the current sophomores are already closing in on matching their win total for all of last year - just a third of the way into the season. The enthusiasm and cohesiveness of this team is remarkable. And head coach Ryan Short is as good as they come. The more I listen, the better I get, and the better the boys get in turn.

The tutoring experiment has provided exactly what I'd hoped. I've met regularly with three students, and spottily with others. I am starting to feel out the curves and corners of life as a tutor. Exposed to several different math classes, teachers, calculators, text books, learning styles, backgrounds. Refreshing some old concepts, and discovering some new ones that have emerged since my high school days. Ryan's helped me meet several guidance counselors. Everyone is winning this game so far, and the prospects are bright.

Be A Good Sport (Or At Least Tell Yourself That You Are)

I punched three goals into the back of the net in an indoor soccer game. Although I took most of the year off from playing sports, I subbed in a summer soccer game and netted two of our team's three goals. Fluke? Probably. But why admit it, when I can delude myself into thinking I've still got it?

I won the fantasy baseball league. At least, my "primary" one.

You see the theme here. This is a key to my happiness. Forget the losers, remember the winners as being the real me.

Labor Days

This has been my most successful year at the office since returning to the actuarial department. We launched a couple of products, each more successfully than the previous. When we stumbled, we persevered. We also made some significant improvements with our line of group insurance that had been long overdue. Next year my job duties will change significantly and I will be doing more supervising, which is a strength of mine. It's like matching up a plug with a socket. You can light up the whole house.

Dena started as part-time marketing and sales manager at a small bank. Without formal training, she learned on the job and got a good performance review. That's my honey! Supervolunteer is also leading the Kiwanis Club and aiding a person who's running for local elected office. She's probably saving people from burning buildings too, and just not telling me. A heart of velvet, I tell ya.

Hollywood Awaits

I was given the opportunity to sing, play, act and write skits for a summer church school (for your listening pleasure or horror here).

I was contacted recently about performing with a musical group.

Dena gave me a chance to record some commercials for the bank (more entertainment/torture here).

I'm at my best when I'm creating. Music and theater are right in the sweet spot.

Media Shower

Getting a new camera has opened up fun avenues. It's given life to my YouTube channel, Facebook pages, and Twitter accounts.

Meanwhile, all this blogging's increased my speed. Fifty posts monthly has become easy enough, but now with 100 views a day it's become more inspiring to send out closer to sixty, or a couple a day to keep things even fresher.

To Health With The Family Guy

Jack's slowly developing a niche as a crack softball pitcher on the West Coast, as well as a fledgling stand-up comic. He's befriended the kettle bell and all its muscular carvings, and is dating Kate Willson, a sweetheart of a girl by all accounts.

Mom had successful cataract surgery, and is enjoying her new chair.

Dena's brother Kurt got engaged, and sister Zina tied the knot as well. That marries off all seven of the children. With a 50% divorce rate the odds of that happening are like 1%. Mom and Dad know how to stuff the nest!

I lost a friend and eye doctor in Lance Rocke this year, but was able to find a capable successor with Dr. Tallis.

I'm especially pleased with a long-standing mysterious bruised big toes that, through patience and experimentation, will be fully recovered after about a year of effort. Other than the usual creaks, the body's in great physical shape.

And What About Those 2011 Goals?

Ah, yes. The truest compass of my life, the annual goals. Let's go to the scorebook in the next post.

Dena Possibly Immigrating To Mexico

2011-12-31T11:34:00.001-06:00

NORMAL - Dena McDonald will travel with a band of Americans reportedly desperate to immigrate to Mexico on March 31.

The plausible cover story is that she will join a ministry on a mission trip to Reynosa, in service to deaf children for only a week, returning April 7.

News outlets have hinted that the move is actually a permanent ploy to escape the derisive American political climate once and for all as a Mexican citizen.

Her husband Joe was unable to confirm or deny the rumor, but was unconditionally supportive in any event.

"It's no surprise to me if it's a community service. She ain't got a selfish bone in her body. When she went down to help Hurricane Katrina victims in Mississippi a few years back I'm thinking, 'You know what, it's just a matter of time 'til she goes out to some foreign-speaking place.'

"If it's a permanent thing, I get it... the government's been pretty bad here and she's fed up, what with all the stuff them radio guys keep sayin'.

"But I really hope she's coming back."

On Wall Street, Mexican stock rose 8% on the prospect of Dena joining their citizenry.

"We are pleased to hear that Dena may become a Mexican," said beleaguered president Felipe Calderon through a marginally-skilled translator. "She is one of the most orange keepers of the burning pool that has from America come to be known as left, and Mexico will eat weeping baby seals if her shoes do this."

McDonald studied German in college.

Normal Community High School Wins State Farm Classic Tournament In Overtime

2011-12-31T10:58:00.003-06:00

From the Pantagraph:

BLOOMINGTON — Springfield High School rallied to force overtime against Normal Community on Friday night in the State Farm Holiday Classic boys Class 3A-4A championship game.

NCHS senior guard Anthony Beane used the extra four minutes to put an exclamation point on an outstanding tournament.

The Illinois State recruit hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the overtime, followed by a drive and pinpoint assist, while leading the eighth-seeded Ironmen to a 61-52 victory at Shirk Center.

Beane had 10 of his team’s 17 points in overtime and finished with 27. He ended the four-game run to the title with 121 points for an average of 30.3.

“He just got on a roll. He’s had a great, great tournament,” NCHS coach Dave Witzig said. “His defense was solid, he got rebounds, he did a little bit of everything, and of course his scoring was great.”

Beane had eight points in the first two minutes of OT to give NCHS a 54-46 lead. The unanimous all-tournament selection added a pair of free throws to help the Ironmen improve to 11-2.

“I just wanted to make sure we got up so things wouldn’t get out of hand,” Beane said of the overtime. “Since the Intercity Tournament practice has been intense. Coach has been telling us we had to really improve our defense.

“The good thing is we have a long way to go. That’s how we know our team can be special.”

Springfield (4-9), the No. 15 seed, trailed 22-15 at the half but forced overtime when guard Isaiah Nelson scored on a drive with 25 seconds left in regulation.

Nelson led the Senators with 21 points and 6-7 Willie Wiley added 15 despite first-half foul trouble.

“We competed against a really good ballclub. It just happened they had the best player on the floor who could create his own shot at the end of the game,” Springfield coach Matt Reed said. “As a guy who roots for Bradley, that’s not a lot of fun to watch. He’s a really good player.”

Callen Boddie and Chase Robbins added 10 points each for NCHS, which won its fourth Classic title and first since 2008.

“We had four tough games against four tough opponents,” Witzig said. “What’s good is every game we had adversity we had to face. We showed we’re able to gut some wins out and make some big plays in the fourth quarter and overtime.”

Time To Get Up!

2011-12-31T10:55:00.000-06:00

Long entry found in a journal:

There are people all over the world on a day-to-day basis who live their lives with one hand on the snooze button.

"Time to get up.... Wait just a little bit longer!"

I'd like to lose weight but... I'll start next week!

One day I'll do this, and one day I'll do that- but it just isn't the time, yet.

And for some reason we surround ourselves with friends who are interested in the mediocre, who live life dangerously on the edge of complacency, who complain instead of act (that one is me sometimes), who walk backwards in what could have been, who hold tighter to excuses than to dreams.....

Was I always that person? No way! I was the dreamer, the writer, the athlete, the singer, the childhood teacher. And this morning I woke up so unsatisfied with myself.

If I'm waiting to wake up, or I'm waiting for someone to hand something to me to change my life completely, to make my life so different, to give me that spark for that fire I so desperately desire.... Things are never that simple.

If I want things to change, I am going to have to change them myself!

**GET UP!
Stop hitting the snooze button in life and start LIVING!**

Rejection Is Not Kryptonite

2011-12-30T12:38:00.001-06:00

From Henry Cavill, star of Man of Steel, after being rejected for roles such as James Bond.

"I want to be chosen, not wish I was part of something. I didn't pine over the fact that I didn't get the last one. It was 'move on, carry on, 'whatever!'"

Grandma Got Run Over By A... Truck, Dear

2011-12-30T12:30:00.000-06:00

From Men's Health's Steve Almond, whose mother was run over by a truck but survived:

"Now look: I'm not a big believer in divine intervention. But I couldn't help feeling that God, or something very much like God, was offering me an incremental lesson in gratitude.

Be grateful your mother wasn't more seriously injured.
Be grateful your mother is alive.
Be grateful, you nincompoop...

...[t]he essential message is the right one. We should give thanks for every blessing we enjoy: not just for the food and drink, but for the people who love us, if not perfectly, then as perfectly as they can. We should give thanks for our health, and for the strange miracle of being alive in the first place.

In the great cosmic scheme of things, we're all lucky beyond measure. It's about time we felt that way."

Normal Community High School Advances To Tourney Championship After Rematch With UHigh

2011-12-30T10:33:00.001-06:00

From the Pantagraph:

BLOOMINGTON — Anthony Beane nearly had his third straight 30-point game Thursday night in the State Farm Holiday Classic. The Normal Community High School guard finished with 27 in a Class 3A-4A semifinal game at Shirk Center.

But while NCHS coach Dave Witzig said the Illinois State recruit is clearly “playing at a very high level,” the story of the Ironmen’s 47-39 victory over University High came at the other end of the floor.

NCHS held U High to 28 percent field goal shooting while avenging a 73-42 loss to the Pioneers in the season-opening Intercity Tournament. The victory advanced the eighth-seeded Ironmen (10-2) to Friday’s 5:10 p.m. championship game against surprising No. 15 seed Springfield.

“We had to play a lot better defense this time,” Witzig said. “The last time they just tore us to shreds. We really talked about getting better ball pressure and knowing where their shooters were at.

“Our defense at the Intercity Tournament was not where we want it to be. Tonight was the kind of defense we have to play if we want to win.”

NCHS, ranked No. 8 in the Class 4A state poll, held U High to 4 of 19 shooting in the first half while building a 25-12 lead. Beane had 17 first-half points and finished 12 of 22 from the field.

Six-seven junior Trevor Seibring added 10 points and nine rebounds, while Beane grabbed eight boards.

“They’re not an easy team to play,” Witzig said. “It’s the tallest team we’ll play all year. That’s a good win for us.”

U High (9-3), the No. 5-ranked team in 2A, whittled the deficit to 31-27 after three quarters. The Pioneers were within 39-35 with two minutes left, but a dunk by Beane and two Seibring free throws gave NCHS breathing room.

Six-seven sophomore Keita Bates-Diop and senior guard Kyle Morris had eight points each for U High.

“You have to give Dave and Normal a lot of credit. They came out the first half and gave us a forearm shiver in the first three minutes and our kids never adjusted to it,” Pioneers’ coach Bob Fitzgerald said.

“I didn’t think we played well at all tonight. That’s as much a credit to how physical Normal was and how hard they played. We didn’t counter it with hard play of our own and physicality of our own.”

Damon Harge #1 6th Grader in the Country - MiddleSchoolHoops.com - Class...

2011-12-29T08:09:00.001-06:00

Never too young to be hyped as a phenom nowadays!

Normal Community High School Upsets Top-Ranked North Chicago In Dramatic Fashion

2011-12-29T04:37:00.000-06:00

From the Pantagraph:

NORMAL — Future teammates Anthony Beane and Aaron Simpson put on a show, each pouring in 30 points. Those who came to watch the future of Illinois State’s basketball team Wednesday, including Redbird coach Tim Jankovich, walked away smiling.

However, the two biggest baskets of the State Farm Holiday Classic Class 3A-4A quarterfinal game belonged to someone who struggled to make a shot in the first three quarters.

Junior Callen Boddie’s two layups, the last with 30 seconds left, gave eighth-seeded Normal Community the lead for good as the Ironmen rallied to stun top-seeded North Chicago, 64-59, at Normal West.

“Tonight his jumper was not there or falling for him,” said NCHS coach Dave Witzig of Boddie, who was 1 of 7 from the field until the end. “I sat him out a lot in the second half, and lo and behold he’s the one with the ball in his hands. He did a great job keeping his focus.”

NCHS (9-2) used an 18-2 advantage in the fourth quarter to wipe out an 11-point deficit. North Chicago (7-2) went 0 of 10 from the field and committed seven turnovers in the last eight minutes.

“I blame that loss on me,” said Simpson, the 6-foot North Chicago senior guard who was 9 of 24 from the field and 8 of 11 at the line. “I should have gotten us back in the game when we needed to. My team couldn’t get a bucket. I felt the team was on my back, and I lost that game.”

The Ironmen advanced into today’s 9 p.m. semifinal game against Intercity rival University High at Shirk Center. U High pinned a 73-42 loss on NCHS in last month’s Intercity Tournament.

Beane followed up his career-high 37 points against Thornwood the night before by making 12 of 18 field goal attempts. His dunk drew NCHS within 58-53 with 3:13 left. Beane split a pair of free throws before hitting a 10-foot leaner in the lane for a 59-56 deficit with 1:27 left.

Boddie was fouled while scoring on a drive, but missed the free throw. North Chicago turned the ball over and Boddie converted on the other end with 30 seconds left to give NCHS its first lead since late in the first quarter.

Beane and Boddie each made two free throws to clinch the victory.

“We have great chemistry,” said Beane of the Ironmen. “The coaches helped us with our defense. We all came together and kept fighting.”

This was the first time Beane and Simpson have played against each other.

“It was fun out there,” said Simpson. “He’s very good. He had chances and I did. He finished the game off and I didn’t.”

North Chicago coach Gerald Coleman said Simpson, who scored 41 points in a first-round rout of Culver (Ind.) Academy, did not have a good game.

“Aaron is a great athlete. It’s really hard to tell because he scores so many points,” said Coleman. “I watch the little things to make my decision and judge his play. Some defensive assignments he was not in the right spot. He’s still got a lot to learn.”

Simpson, who was defended by Beane most of the game, picked up his fourth foul on a charge with 11 seconds left in the third quarter. North Chicago was never the same after that as the Warhawks went into delay mode without success.

My Son Should Play More

2011-12-28T07:53:00.001-06:00

There's a site called Xtranormal that allows people to easily create their own mini-scenes.

Coaches will get a good laugh out of this one that I came across. Probably teachers too, if you replace "My son should play more" with "My son should be passing this class" or similar.

Thing That Someone Says About Tim Tebow Infuriates Group Of Other People

2011-12-27T22:10:00.001-06:00

Sunday's on-field performance of religious and mostly victorious Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow sparked heated communication between the person who made a post-game comment and the people who disagreed.

The person, who was either a fan, newscaster, relative, disciple, opponent, teammate, writer, team owner, politician, Hall of Famer, neighbor, stalker, movie star, astronaut, Florida University professor, minister, or cartoon character was quick to point out Tebow's unique and somewhat unorthodox gesture, comment, throw, Scripture quote, eye black, rambling run, decision, injury, fortune, skill, leadership, nostrils, beliefs, grade point average, 1st quarter failure, dog, 4th quarter heroics, shampoo, three interceptions or touchdowns.

Once the tweet, story, blog post, interview, YouTube clip or sound bite hit the media, there was an immediate public outcry and threat of further response.

"Yes, we're considering a civil action to sue for slander," confirmed a representative of either the Denver Broncos, NFL commissioner's office, Southern Baptist Church, Touchdowns for Jesus Society, PETA, Screen Actors' Guild, NFL Players' Association, Democratic National Convention, ESPN, NAACP, PBS, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Refs for Tebow, or the Navy.

Further comment is expected tomorrow, either in reaction to the other group's response, or once Tebow gets out of bed and does something.

Misguided Child: "I DONT LIKE THE CUBS!!!"

2011-12-27T18:32:00.001-06:00

Christmas can be stressful enough on a young life, what with the often unearned avalanche of gifts heaped upon them, and the endless demands of thankfulness that becomes their cross to bear.

What makes a naturally sad season truly pathetic is when derelict parents school their children in such guttural values as anti-Cubness.

Watch... if you can stand it.

Tuesday's One-Liner

2011-12-27T17:49:00.002-06:00

I'm in shape. Round is a shape, isn't it?

Fasting From Television

2011-12-27T17:48:00.002-06:00

According to Australian researchers, an hour of T.V. takes 22 minutes off your life.

I'm sure that they mean it takes an additional 22 minutes off your life beyond the hour you just spent watching... otherwise T.V. has become some miraculous time-warp machine.

With that said, we are scaling back on our T.V. watching.

It was already a winning strategy. We signed up for NetFlix so have some shows available if we need them. But $8 a month is way more cost effective than $50 for cable.

Less T.V. time means more blogging, coaching, tutoring, guitar playing and other brain-activating habits.

So far I've been "fasting" from T.V. for about five weeks, with no ill side effects beside the occasional inability to comment on a sports play (most of the big ones are easily available online though, so it is just that - occasional).

We may be ready to pull the plug!

A Very Married Christmas: The Week In Review

2011-12-26T19:36:00.000-06:00

This week was a relative vacation compared to the last few.

There were no practices, no games, no quizzes, no tests.

Meanwhile, there were gifts aplenty.

The department went out to lunch at Jim's Steakhouse. The boss got us a gift certificate to Avanti's, my favorite restaurant, and Dena and I capitalized for a quiet dinner together en route to Mom's house for Christmas Eve. The McFamily exchanged comforters, baseball caps, DVDs, duffel bags, Verizon GCs, books and other goodies. Back down south the Frymily watched a generation of kids swap gifts that they'd "bought" each other, before participating in a mildly ruthless gift card grab game.

Then there were the subtler gifts that are there year round.

Three generous and spirited parents.

Seven siblings, all in happy relationships.

Two healthy bodies and solid jobs with friendly co-workers.

And zero inches of snow is just the capper for this boy of summer.

The team at the office is holding their own during some uncertainty. Which big 2012 projects will stay, and which will go? How can we handle employee turnover and get the job done? At the moment, fortunately, we have confidence thanks to our management to succeed. It's a truly fortunate situation that deserves a tankful of thanks.

We spent today playing with our stuff. Dena sweatin' to the urgings of a young man on the kettle bell exercise DVD. Me spraying on new cologne and preening outdoors in a snazzy leathery jacket suggesting that I have at last graduated from eighth grade.

The present is always enough of a present, but receiving and giving presents sure gives it an extra peaceful presence. And the future is bright not only meteorologically as the daylight hours stretch longer, but also because Dena's arranging for Jack and me to head off to Mesa, Arizona to take in the Cubs' spring training for a few days in late March.

Here's hoping that your last week of 2011 is filled with the kind of outer and inner warmth that has graced us so far!

This Week In Hoops

2011-12-26T18:22:00.000-06:00

NCHS plays in the State Farm Classic boys basketball tournament.

http://theclassic.org/brackets/class-3a-4a-boys/

Game 1 Tuesday: 7:30 pm @ IWU
Game 2 Wednesday: 11:00 am or 4:30 pm @ West

Derrick Rose Game Winning Shot Over LA Lakers - Christmas 2011

2011-12-25T22:23:00.001-06:00

Xmas 2011 Kids Dancing 3

2011-12-25T21:56:00.001-06:00

Time for Kelsey, Taylor and Tyler to get into the act!

Xmas 2011 Kids Dancing 2

2011-12-25T21:55:00.001-06:00

The kids continue to jive...

Xmas 2011 Kids Dancing 1

2011-12-25T21:54:00.001-06:00

Courtney, Elisabeth and Lane get down with Wii!

Jim Breuer Hilarious on WGN Morning News

2011-12-24T10:22:00.003-06:00

Courtesy of Yahoo! News:

A slew of classic impressions. Joe Pesci, Robert DiNiro, Tracy Morgan, Jack Nicholson. Off the cuff! Gold stuff.

Jeff Tweedy Sort Of Predicts The Weather

2011-12-24T10:11:00.001-06:00

Courtesy of Yahoo! News:

Chicago's own WGN news decided to switch things up, and instead of their usual meteorologist, Paul Conrad, they decided to allow Jeff Tweedy, leader of the band Wilco, to predict the weekly weather. Hilarity ensued as Tweedy proceeded to deliver one of the most unenthusiastic predictions of all time and made Chicago news history.

21 Year Old Emerges From Coma Just Before Organs Harvested

2011-12-23T07:37:00.004-06:00

From Yahoo! News and Good Morning America. I love the last sentence!

Sam Schmid, an Arizona college student believed to be brain dead and poised to be an organ donor, miraculously recovered just hours before doctors were considering taking him off life support.

Schmid, a junior and business major at the University of Arizona, was critically wounded in an Oct. 19 five-car accident in Tuscon.

The 21-year-old's brain injuries were so severe that the local hospital could not treat him. He was airlifted to the Barrow Neurological Institute at St. Joseph's Medical Center in Phoenix, where specialists performed surgery for a life-threatening aneurysm.

As hospital officials began palliative care and broached the subject of organ donation with his family, Schmid began to respond, holding up two fingers on command. Today he is walking with the aid of a walker, and his speech, although slow, has improved.

Doctors say he will likely have a complete recovery. He even hopes to get a day pass from the hospital to celebrate the holidays with his large extended family.

"Nobody could ever give me a better Christmas present than this -- ever, ever, ever," said his mother, Susan Regan, who is vice-president of the insurance company Lovitt-Touche.

"I tell everyone, if they want to call it a modern-day miracle, this is a miracle," said Regan, 59, and a Catholic. "I have friends who are atheists who have called me and said, 'I am going back to church.'"

Schmid's doctor, renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Robert Spetzler, agreed that his recovery was miraculous.

"I am dumb-founded with his incredible recovery in such a short time," said Spetzler. "His recovery was really remarkable considering the extent of his lethal injuries."

Hospital officials are crediting Spetzler with having a "hunch" that despite an initially dire prognosis, the young man would make it. But he said it was "reasonable" for others to consider withdrawing the patient from life support.

"It looked like all the odds were stacked against him," said Spetzler, who has performed more than 6,000 such surgeries and trained the doctor who operated on Congressman Gabrielle Giffords after she was shot at the beginning of this year.

During surgery, Spetzler clipped the balloonlike aneurysm in the blood vessel -- "as if I were patching a tire," a procedure that eventually worked.

For days Schmid didn't seem to be responding, but what puzzled his doctor was that he did not see fatal injuries on the MRI scan. So he decided to keep Schmid on life support longer.

"There was plenty wrong -- he had a hemorrhage, an aneurysm and a stroke from the part of the aneurysm," Spetzler said. "But he didn't have a blood clot in the most vital part of his brain, which we know he can't recover from. And he didn't have a massive stroke that would predict no chance of a useful existence."

So while the family was given a realistic picture of Schmid's poor chances for survival, Spetzler ordered one more MRI to see if the critical areas of the brain had turned dark, indicating brain death.

"If not, we would hang on and keep him on support," he said. "But I didn't want to give the family false hope."

Schmid's mother said no one "specifically" asked if her son would be a donor, but they "subtly talk to you about quality of life."

"At some point, I knew we had to make some sort of decision, and I kept praying," said Regan.

The MRI came back with encouraging news during the day and by evening Schmid "inexplicably" followed the doctors' commands, holding up two fingers.

"It was like fireworks all going off at the same time," said Spetzler.

Today, Schmid -- his speech clear and sounding upbeat -- told ABCNews.com, "I feel fine. I'm in a wheelchair, but I am getting lots of help."

Sam Schmid Has No Memory of the Accident

He said he remembers nothing of the accident nor coming around after being in an induced coma. "It wasn't until I woke up in rehab," he said. "But they told me about afterwards."

Schmid was returning from coaching basketball at his former Catholic school when a van swerved into his lane. The Jeep in which he was riding went airborne, hit a light pole and landed on its side.

Schmid's left hand and both of his femurs broke and required surgery. But the worst were the traumatic head injuries, which were complex and nearly always fatal.

All those involved say the support that Schmid got from family and friends -- and especially the care at Barrow -- may have made the difference. His brother John, a 24-year-old IT specialist, took a leave of absence from his job in Chicago to be at his brother's bedside.

Family flew in from around the country, and Delta Chi fraternity brothers made regular visits, even creating a mural for their friend.

"It seems like we were being led down a path to plan for the worst and that things were not going to work out," said John Schmid. "The miracle, to put it bluntly, was that in a matter of seven days, we went from organ donation to rehab. What a roller coaster it was."

He said his brother's speech is slow, but he understands what others are saying. Sam Schmid's athleticism -- as a basketball coach and snowboard instructor -- probably helped, he said.

"Honestly, I am at a loss for words," said John Schmid. "I am just so proud of Sam. He's got a strong constitution and he's very determined. But it's been quite an eye-opener for me -- a real learning curve. You can't take anything for granted."

Sam Schmid's surgeon agrees.

"You get incredible highs when you save someone facing neurological devastation or death," said Spetzler. "That is counter-pointed by the incredible lows when you fail to help someone."

"In a way, his recovery was truly miraculous," he said. "It's a great Christmas story."

Ever the scientist, Spetzler wasn't willing to speculate what a comatose patient hears. But he admits, "There are so many things we don't understand about the brain and what happens at the time someone is near death."

"The whole family was at his side during the day and at night hovering over him, then to see there was a chance after being ready to let go," he said. "But I am very much a big believer that positive thoughts and positive energy in a room can only help."

Friday's One-Liner

2011-12-23T07:24:00.000-06:00

If we aren't supposed to eat animals, why are they made of meat?

It's A Brighter Day

2011-12-23T07:18:00.004-06:00

Yes, we've once again reached that celebrated point of the year when the horizon we saw at sunset yesterday will be a shade brighter today than it was yesterday.

The winter solstice kicks off the coldest North American season of the year, but gloriously also greets us with the prospect of six consecutive months of increasingly brighter days.

Remember that when you strap on your hood and scarf and parka, or stroll through kite-shredding winds. The seeds of summer have been planted!

Thursday's One-Liner

2011-12-22T08:03:00.000-06:00

If the cops arrest a mime do they tell him that he has the right to remain silent?

Wednesday's One-Liner

2011-12-21T07:21:00.002-06:00

If swimming is so good for your figure, how do you explain whales?

Shocking! FedEx Guy Throws Computer Over Fence!

2011-12-20T17:21:00.001-06:00

He must have heard "crush" order instead of "rush" order...

Which Is It Again... Say 'No' To Drugs Or To Sports?

2011-12-20T07:07:00.001-06:00

I've been on a sports sabbatical for a while, maybe 10 months or so. At least in the sense of playing them.

Until Sunday, that is.

A neighbor asked me if I wanted to play some touch football. They had five players, and could use a sixth.

It was 50 degrees in December, and I'd missed a workout a couple days ago.

Why not?

It's two days later, and now I can think of a reason why not.

You know how in the commercials the narrator sometimes says "Consult your doctor before beginning any program of exercise?" Mm-hmm.

It feels like I've got vices on my hamstrings, back, and biceps.

Oh wait, on my calves too. Quadriceps. And my abs.

Is there any muscle that you don't use in football?

It ain't right when a young man needs two seconds to stand up from a chair. Or when he flinches in pain after a sneeze. Or when he thinks thoughts like "probably better just to hold onto this pillow, 'cause if I lie it on the floor for a second then I'll have to bend over to pick it up again."

Hey, it was a heck of a fun time. This is what I tell myself as I pop an aspirin.

Hurry Up While I Wait

2011-12-20T06:34:00.001-06:00

I think it's a pretty reasonable indicator of selfishness if you expect more of others than you do of yourself.

Guilty!

There have been a few times this week where I've caught myself in a stream of thought like this...

"When is so-and-so going to get me an answer on this?"

"Doesn't he understand how important this is?"

"Something's wrong with his attitude."

"How long's it been already, anyway?"

"A day."

"I guess... that's... reasonable."

"Since it took me two days between the time I got the assignment and delegated it to him."

Patience is as hard as it is valuable.

Despite evidence to the contrary, I've come to believe that most good things are worth treating like a flower, nurturing it continually and waiting for it to blossom.

Hidden Bloggers know... you can't make a flower grow any faster by yanking on it.

Monday's One-Liner

2011-12-19T22:42:00.002-06:00

If pro is the opposite of con, is progress the opposite of congress?

Saturday Night Live Tim Tebow Funny Skit

2011-12-18T18:12:00.001-06:00

Blessed be the game of the Lord!

Flowing Along: The Week In Review

2011-12-18T13:40:00.000-06:00

This week got off to a fast start when my musical audition went well.

Scheduled the audition at 4:45, anticipating that it'd get me to my next appointment by 6:00. That estimate turned out to be right on the money with a few minutes to spare.

Lately, life has been flowing well like that. My ability to estimate the time needed to get things done has been rolling. And when it hasn't, God's stepped in for an assist.

Wednesday evening I had an appointment at 2:15 that I figured would allow me enough time afterward to get to the bank and drop off a condo fee deposit, and then to a tutoring session at 4:00. Figured that the tutoring would straggle longer than an hour, so booked a 2-hour tutoring session at 6:30 so as to allow enough time to get home, grab a bite to eat, and head back. Bingo.

Thursday I had a 3:00 appointment and guessed that I'd have enough time to get home, changed, and over to more finals-week tutoring at 5:00. One of my Wednesday students needed a second crash session on Thursday night, so we plugged that in from 7:00-9:00. Did that leave enough time to get dinner and get back in between? Yep.

In fact, the 5:00 appointment had forgotten a key review handout, so we broke off early. That gave me enough time to also work in a blog post.

He needed to reschedule an emergency session for Saturday. Since the bus for our basketball game was leaving at 3:00, I put our start time at 1:30. Unfortunately, I was running late that day. Wouldn't you know it, as I reach for my phone to text his mom, there's already one from her on there saying that they're running behind! We got done at 2:40, got to the bus comfortably on time.

We lost our best player to injury, and two close games this weekend. Basketball's truly a game of inches. We're 4-4, and literally if we'd made three more layups we'd be 7-1. And the character of this team is to hang together and strap it on for the next third of the season. When the coach ends his post-game locker room talk with "I love you guys very much," you know that you are on the right team.

When that same coach scrapes the frost off your windshield for you... how can you help but give thanks to God for the opportunity to be around this man?

Dena and I had a chance for our first real date night in a few weeks on Friday. We talked about short-term and distant stuff. It's fun to dream. We even got a chance for a quick nap before heading out to the movies.

The usual Christmas checklist is moving along. Gift for the Freidinger grab. Details about Jack and Mom, and our northern trip plans. State Farm Holiday Classic basketball tournament arrangements in order. This week: Shopping for the McFamily.

At work Rob helped me knock off a major project commitment (or did I help him?) that had been on our plate for some time. Tina and I finalized several employee hirings that will give us a solid foundation for next year. Betty helped me put out some customer service fires. I could go on, as usual, about the wonderful team that I've been blessed with as direct reports at the office.

The other day it occurred to me that it'd been... months?... since I could recall spending a length of time brooding about the mistakes or misfortunes of the past. And though I'm not much of a worrier, the stress level about impending responsibilities hadn't reached the red zone for a while either.

What's the secret been?

Not much point in spouting theories, really. I'm giving credit to a self-realization about the importance of being thankful for all the fleeting happinesses that wash my way (and recently, in 10-foot waves, it seems), and the confidence that comes from using God-given talent the best I can. Many mornings I wake up, get the first good stretch of the day in under warm covers and give a 20-second prayer of thanks.

All of my students are passing their math classes. Some have been texting me with triple exclamation points. One gave me a Christmas gift.

For however long I'm fortunate enough to be in the zone, I'll take it!

Family Video

2011-12-18T12:53:00.003-06:00

I had my first visit to Family Video yesterday as a customer.

We picked out four movies. We get to keep them for five days.

The total was less than six bucks.

Geez!

Just about anything at Blockbuster was in the ballpark of $4. New releases at the Starplex go for $15 on a weekend evening. This was a deal.

Plus there's no movie nazi at Family Video, swimming about to offer you help in finding a possible option. You ended up feeling a little pressure to agree with one of his choices.

In fact, Dena said that they gave her a tour of the place when she joined us up.

The name fits! Sold.

Not-So-Word Problems

2011-12-18T11:53:00.004-06:00

My students ask me why they have to learn math, if they don't use it in real life?

For example:

The area of a circle is 169 square centimeters. What is the circumference of the circle?

Sure, someday you might be making a sign to cheer on your favorite team, and need to know about dimensions and how much paint to buy. But really. What's the point?

The other day I was trying to figure out the phone number of a certain photographer. I looked up and down the usual phone and Internet listings without luck. Then I remembered that a co-worker of mine had used him before.

The path to the photographer was indirect. Instead of point A to B, it was point A to B to C.

The solutions to lots of unpleasant challenges are found by taking the long way. There is almost always a solution, if you're willing to look around and be patient enough to endure a couple of steps.

You can learn this without taking a math class. Meanwhile, I'm glad for the chance to help people learn it in an environment that's not life-and-death.

Knocking The Cover Off The Ball

2011-12-18T11:52:00.001-06:00

It's more than just an expression...

Saturday's One-Liner

2011-12-17T23:20:00.002-06:00

If it is tourist season, why can't we shoot them?

Top (Book)Shelf

2011-12-15T17:56:00.001-06:00

Our local library where I do my math tutoring has a U-shaped driveway, with one entrance and one exit.

There is a sign that indicates EXIT ONLY.

Today I nearly collided with someone driving the wrong way through the drive.

When even illiterate people are visiting your library, you know you're top-notch.