Is it so hard to be on E. Jean Carroll's side?

E. Jean Carroll

Remember when Al Franken came to speak at UMM for graduation? He was at the peak of prestige in his public life. You could tell that he lived for this type of public service. His parents once told him that as a Jew, he always should be a vigorous advocate for civil rights. 

Franken was eventually forced to step down as U.S. Senator because of what, exactly? It wasn't rape, was it? Improper touch - does that describe it? I remember Jonathan Alter coming on TV, probably for the "Morning Joe" program, and saying "it was the seventh complaint that really did him in, and what was that? A women claimed he put his hand on her shoulder." 

The seventh complaint or allegation meant that a certain critical mass was reached. You could claim that Franken didn't get enough support from his own party. This was a millstone around the neck of this comedian turned serious politico. Maybe Franken, because he is human, was looking for a little turn-on in some of his encounters. Inappropriate? Affirmative. A career-ender in politics? Not sure it should have been. 

In order to be just, the determination should have been made by Franken's own Democatic Party of Minnesota. Not Kirsten Gillibrand of New York State. In MN we still have the "DFL."

 

Donald Trump caricature

Looking higher up

The rank of president is arguably higher up when it comes to example-setting, wouldn't you say? I mean, the person's conduct in that role would seem to be more worthy of public review/analysis. He's the head of state. 

If the bar is set for someone like Franken to be kicked out for inappropriate touch, well then surely we can evaluate the president with more exacting criteria. 

And of course Bill Clinton should have resigned. But that has receded in time compared to the individual who ought to be on the hot seat now. How does Franken's behavior compare to the personal background of the U.S. president from 2016 to 2020? 

Oh wait, you're too numbed to be astonished at all by anything you learn in this regard? So it's just a shrug, no matter what comes out? Or maybe you want to help start a bandwagon for that individual to become president again. You maybe want to see him implement his firing squads and the guillotine. To go after whom? 

Well, the second time around he'll be better positioned to get all his own goons into the important positions with Justice. It will be a quasi-mafia arrangement. Just watch these people define "treason" on their own terms. 

 

Makes my head hurt

Franken could not pass muster with the nation's collective sense of values, I guess. How laudable of us all. But what kind of litmus test did we apply for the 45th president, 2016-2020? Surely it would have to be comparable to the Franken episode, right? Because there are some things the American people cannot tolerate in our top elected leaders, right? We must affirm to the whole world our values, one being respect based on gender. 

Franken's inappropriate touch was deemed unforgivable. A hand on a woman's shoulder for the snapping of a photo. By itself the complaint may have gone nowhere. The sad part is that there was an accumulation of such claims. Some might say it was small potatoes. Never mind, Franken's behavior violated the principle of men's proper respect toward women. The inverse would have to be true as well. It's gender equality. 

Some might say Franken's misconduct was tilting toward the benign. We in Minnesota elected him to be our senator. No legal charges were filed against him. We elect human beings with their human failings to be our elected representatives. Clinton was not forced to resign. I wish he had, but what's done is done. Al Gore would have been the successor, not Bob Dole. Why couldn't the Kirsten Gillibrands of this world be more assertive in that case? 

Al Franken

You don't suppose Republicans had partisan motives in coming down on Mr. Franken, do you? Wasn't it Franken who questioned Jeff Sessions in such a way that resulted in Sessions having to "recuse" himself on the Russia matter w/ Trump? And after that, Trump came down like a sledgehammer on Sessions, basically destroying him in Republican ranks, making it impossible for Sessions to even win back his old Senate seat. He lost to the football coach, let's say "Tuberville." How did Tuberville do in his last "Iron Bowl" game? Just asking. 

Is it dangerous to elect football heroes to high government positions, based on the brain damage that may have happened in their background? 

I digress. My point here is that if we are going to set our standards in a certain way with Franken, it's perfectly logical to look at our president the same way, through the same lens of judgment. I mean, n'est-ce pas? Am I pursuing a rational course here? 

So let's look at Donald Trump. I won't even bother assessing the "Access Hollywood" thing. Really I won't. I'm looking instead at the E. Jean Carroll case. Trump denies allegations, of course. If he felt such allegations were not true, he could have made a firm statement and left it at that. This man who was president of the U.S. for four years went afield of that, offering a judgment one might expect from a frat boy with too much alcohol in his system. Oh wait, please don't think I'm talking about Brett Kavanaugh. So I should clarify: none of this is about Kavanaugh. 

It's about Trump who wanted to implore all of us with the statement that E. Jean Carroll was "not my type." So, "not my type" from the standpoint of being a candidate for rape? Well it appears this is exactly what Trump was saying, as if the perspective of a would-be rapist is one we would have to consider credible. "What kind of woman would I rape?" 

Well, I haven't given it a thought. Nor would I call any woman "Horse Face" as Trump did toward Stormy Daniels with whom he surely had a sex-based tryst. How did she bring Trump to ejaculation? Or was Trump able to make it that far? Maybe Stormy has a non-disclosure agreement on that. I wouldn't mind having sex with Stormy Daniels. I'd take it. 

Trump says E. Jean Carroll is "totally lying." 

 

Crude, coarse

Trump's actual words: "Number one, she's not my type. Number two, it never happened, OK?" So this is how Trump ranks his thoughts. 

According to June 2019 coverage on BBC News, "Ms. Carroll is the 16th woman to accuse Mr. Trump of sexual misconduct." That's a number higher than seven, if you're comparing with Franken's backstory. 

The BBC News "analysis" article by Anthony Zurcher gives us this: "At this point it's hard to keep track of the total number of women who have come forward to accuse Donald Trump of sexual improprieties ranging from unwanted touching to assault." 

Juxtapose this with "Access Hollywood." You know, someday we'll see psychologists give us a pile of in-depth books interpreting the rise of Trump in politics, how anomalous it all was. How did he do it? Why did not the outrageousness - so much so, it seemed parody quite often - take him down early-on, put him on the scrap heap of oddball political wannabes? Witness Ross Perot. 

Trump's fall should have been swift. And then this nation could have carried on in our standard fashion, continued our hallowed if imperfect form of government. The sexual improprieties should have been enough to accomplish that, easily. Then we have this little matter of the attempted insurrection. Seems rather like "Alice Through the Looking Glass." Trump would say "Alice? Maybe she's my type." 

 

It's not in the past

The worst part of all this is that we still have to take Trump seriously, early in 2023. He truly hovers. Do we not realize how close we are to the collapse of the American experiment? To firing squads and the guillotine? Do you not realize the consequences when democracy is gone? 

The Republican Party could handle this matter entirely if it wanted to. Psychologists can tell us in their future books why Republicans everywhere became such horrible lapdogs for Trump and his minions. Why the tremendous fear of going on television and saying critical things about Trump? Why are all these people so cowed? It's "Alice Through the Looking Glass" to go through day after day after day of no legal charges, not a single indictment against Trump. 

I'll get nailed by a cop if I'm seen not wearing a seat belt. I'll be humiliated. But Trump calls people and asks them to "manufacture" additional votes for him and it's OK. I mean it has to be OK because there's no indictment. It's just another day of listening to the talking heads on so much TV say it's all outrageous, must be illegal, but nothing happens. 

Would Trump send E. Jean Carroll to the guillotine if he gets his chance? A serious question. How do we define treason? Do we really want Trump's people deciding that? It would go beyond the candy-ass Bill Barr. Think Nazi Germany. 

And Don Lemon is in trouble for what?

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

School activities enrich our late-winter scene

The MACA boys basketball team continued streaking forward in recent play. The Friday story was a convincing win over Benson, 79-48. 

It's Saturday morning and it's difficult finding details. What does the West Central Tribune report? Well it's a grand total of four sentences. The first states that the Tigers are up to 7-4 in the West Central Conference. The second states that Benson fell to 2-11 in conference and 6-16 in overall. Then we see the Tigers have a 17-6 overall mark. That's great. 

Sentence No. 4: "Benson plays West Central Area at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Barrett." 

I would not have wanted to answer for such token coverage, back in my days with the Morris newspaper. People would have spoken of me in openly hostile terms. 

So shall we check the Maxpreps site? This has been a huge and tremendous resource for yours truly this winter. But the coaching staff needs to submit info. As of Saturday morning I see none, either for last night's game or the Thursday win over Breckenridge. The Tigers beat Breckenridge 76-43 at Breck. Lots of good news that could be reported. 

My posts on the Tigers are available to fans in a totally user-friendly way. Just click and read, no barriers of any kind. I hope this is appreciated. The 2023 Tigers are something to crow about. 

We're keeping an eye on Minnewaska this season. The reason: futility. My goodness, an 80-46 loss to West Central Area that put the Lakers at 1-22. WC Area coach Kraig Hunter got his 400th career win, so congrats. For 'Waska, I guess it's back to the drawing board. 

Is the Minnewaska school having some fundamental problems these days? It warrants asking. Are a large number of Glenwood families choosing to send their kids to Alexandria where the new facilities are an attraction? Are Starbuck families continuing to look seriously at Hancock? Is it possible that the 'Waska school was a mistake from the get-go? This was a "cornfield school" of the type the Minnesota legislature subsequently said it would never approve again. 

So pathetic how parochial politics played into that. From another age. It doesn't count for much if anything any more. But back when the 'Waska school was drawn up, it seemed the legislature had to kowtow to some regressive but assertive special interests. Wouldn't happen today IMHO. 

In the West Central Area win over 'Waska Friday, Mitch Dewey scored 17 points for the Knights. Jacob Strunk put in 15 and had some other nice stats: four rebounds, four assists, three steals. Brett Miller further reports that Bryce Kjesbo had ten points and Ben Bye eight plus eight rebounds. The Knights improved to 15-7 on the season. 

The floundering Lakers had Hunter Kloos scoring 22. 

Brett Miller's Saturday morning report on his kmrs site has only the score of the MACA game. Not his fault, everyone, the coaching staff has to get fired-up on this.

 

Let's talk about music

The MAHS band program had a jazz concert last week. I did not attend and I heard the audience turnout was not impressive. I am hearing rumblings that MAHS music is having to confront the losses of kids who are in this thing called "PSEO." I'm not real well-versed on it yet. Essentially it seems like a way for high school kids to take college classes, get college credit. 

A good thing? Oh on the surface it sounds like it. I don't always buy surface impressions. I wonder if certain special interests are up to something with this. Well, our institutions of higher learning. We have UMM right here in Morris. This institution has to be desperate to try to get new students, n'est-ce pas? 

So my fear is this: will colleges start "raiding" high schools and thus deplete them in the process? And what's so great about having these kids take college classes? You are only in high school once in your life. Many people talk about it like it was an essential building block in their lives, for socialization as much as anything. Now we're dangling this "PSEO" temptation out there for the kids. 

For whose benefit? The colleges? I hate to see MAHS music start to get hamstrung by this. The music program needs the kind of leadership and example-setting that the PSEO-type kids provide. Are the other kids going to be left to "go it alone?" OK I disapprove, disapprove totally. The kids needn't feel so much pressure to get "smart." Who really cares? Don't the kids all have calculators in their phones? Don't they read and type stuff all the time? They'll be fine. Mostly they will end up in college anyway. 

Oh, the cost. That's how colleges extend the carrot on the stick. Well, college is too (expletive) expensive in the first place.

 

Girls basketball

Addison Cihak my neighbor scored ten points and grabbed seven rebounds in the Friday game versus Sauk Centre. But the Tigers were on the short end 58-34. Action was at Sauk Centre. Alas we only shot 16 percent, 9 of 56. We are now 5-17. Sauk Centre is 17-8. 

Cihak gained seven rebounds to go with her scoring. Maddy Grove put in seven points. 

Do you suppose a little coaching shakeup might be called for after this season?

 

Hunter Gibson (facebook image)

MAHACA wrestling

The Tigers of MAHACA are into post-season for 2023. The first round of competition saw the Tigers win one and lose one. The success was versus Quad County, score of 42-28. The loss was at the hands of United, score of 57-20. 

Now the focus is on the individual Section 3AA affair. Tiger fans will have the convenience of watching that competition here in Motown, February 25. 

There was lots of excitement at the recent home invitational which is named for a deceased Morris physician. Let's get some names into this post. So we had Beau Haugen representing MAHACA at 106 pounds. Grayson Gibson carried the banner at 120 and he took fourth, picking up 10.5 team points. Jarret Payne was our 126-pounder, also placing fourth and adding 7.0 team points. Then we saw Davin Rose as our 138-pounder and he took No. 1, getting a harvest of 26.0 team points. 

It was Breighton Logan handling the 145-pound responsibilities. He was No. 4 and with 11.0 team points. Andrew Marty was our 152-pounder and he took No. 3 with 11.0 team points. Then at 160, Ryker Erickson was No. 2 and gained 18.0 team points. Dain Schroeder vied at 170 and this Tiger was champ with 24.0 points. 

Hunter Gibson wore the singlet at 195 and he was No. 1 with 23.0 points. Then it was Brock Marty turning away his challengers at 220: 28 team points. Javon Johnson was No. 2 in the 285-pound slot, with 20 team points. Big guy Carter Gibson took fourth at 285.

 

Boys hockey: Storm 7, Breck 2

No it's not "Breckenridge," it's the "Breck" school of Golden Valley who faced off against our Storm boys on Friday. This was the last regular season game for the Storm. Our W/L is a most encouraging 15-9. We downed Breck by a score of 7-2. 

Brett Miller informs us there was a seven-minute span of the third period that saw the Storm take charge. The game was close prior to that. Our surge was with three goals which were by Tucker Blume, Brady Pederson and Trevor Buss. 

But it was Charlie Goff who earned primary praise with his hat trick. Buss had an assist to go with his goal. Goff had a pair of assists as did Zach Wrobleski. Our goalkeeper was Chris Danielson who made 21 saves. But he had help: Gavin Schmidt putting on the gear in the late-going and making eight saves. Another memorable night for the MBA skaters.

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Al Kooper and his BST song classic in 6/8 time

"I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" is a long song title, maybe breaking a rule in that regard. Music creators can break the rules from time to time. But you can be sure they know what the rules are. 

I'm not really one to get into dissecting song lyrics. I'm quite biased on the side of evaluating pop music based on its "sound." Is the music good? Some people use the word "catchy." Fine, but can you define that? No. In an age where we expect science to have an answer for everything, it cannot give us a formula for creating a "catchy" melody. Let's say a melody capable of "climbing the charts." 

People who review music can get a little pretentious. It's as if they're trying to tell us that the lyrics hold the key so often. They probably figure that if a song is popular, there must be something in the lyrics that captivates us. 

For sure there are lyrics that can be moving. I just feel this element of songwriting is overrated. Writers/reviewers need something to talk about in words. That is their currency. So they dive into that element. What they write seems plausible. So we might pat them on the back. Hell, I listened to Paul McCartney for years before I realized he was singing "My Brave Face" in the song of the same name. 

Most of the boomers when young were very limited in the amount of music they'd purchase. You know, the vinyl records of a bygone time, seeming rather like caveman paintings from today's perspective. My point is that boomers consumed music that was in the background most of the time. It was ambient. It came from radio station speakers either in your possession or in public places. 

The pop music got weaved into our lives. We associate certain songs with various stages of our lives. We attach disco with the 1970s. No YouTube then. People in that epoch would be astonished if you told them about the YouTube future - endless "retro" music to be called up on a whim, totally free. It costs some money to be online but you'd be online anyway. 

Out of curiosity I wanted to check out Neil Diamond's vocal range. Easy as pie. You might start with checking his "discography" and then type in names of tunes or albums to YouTube. Of course you don't just hear the songs, you get the video feature too. And Mr. Diamond had/has quite the impressive vocal range. As a songwriter myself I have often wrestled with the issue of vocal range. Singers vary with their capabilities. Ideally a wide range is nice, gives texture to a song. You have to balance this with the singer wanting to feel comfortable. As a former trumpet player I'm inclined to want to weave melodies that aren't practical for the normal singing voice. So I've had to try to adjust. 

 

Sincere compliment

"I Love you More Than You'll Ever Know" might be my favorite song of all time. Is a deep-dive into the lyrics called for? Well no, as I feel the premise of the song is, shall we say, banal. A normal guy wanting to hang on to his significant other. Well it certainly is relatable, but hardly a cerebral matter. Nuances? Irony? No. We can tuck away the sort of generic theme of the song as we appreciate its sound. 

Historic first BST album

The song written by Kooper came from the earliest days of Blood, Sweat and Tears. Fans might say "BST." Definitely fading into less relevance because of the passage of time. In fact, maybe young people would have a better memory of the cover of "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know." That was done by Donny Hathaway. Even the cover dates back to the '70s. BST gave us the original in 1968. 

The song was not issued as a single. However it got substantial play on the so-called progressive rock radio stations. I would not have been an aficionado of that in 1968. I was 12 years old. I might have heard it a handful of times in that "ambient" way. But I did not truly discover the song until years later when I acquired the "best of" DVD of BST. 

 

Hey, the time signature!

The song is so well crafted with its layers and variances of sound. Something else: it is in 6/8 time! The live version has the singer - Al Kooper - counting off the six beats at the intro. 

I began to wonder: what really is the difference between 6/8 time and 3/4? The latter would be for the "waltz."  Turns out there isn't a lot of difference. There is a subtle difference in where the accents are placed. Still, I think a song in 6/8 time could easily be written out as 3/4. I have never attempted to write down a melody in 6/8. There's a first time for everything. 

Kooper has been a lifelong music genius, but his experience with BST was all too brief. He was there for the launching. His singing skills were a bone of contention. His bandmates had reservations about that. 

"I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" was judged a success, still there were issues with Kooper's singing. This plus other "creative differences" caused him to be jettisoned. 

Legend has it that Kooper wanted too much of a firm hand over BST. Legend further has it that Kooper insisted on a particular song being included on the band's first album, a song that made his associates wince. For the record, this song too had an unwieldy long title. Ahem, "The Modern Adventures of Plato, Diogenes and Freud." Kooper wrote it. He had the political pull at the time to get the song on the album. Kooper reflects on this conflict as being the catalyst for the group's early fracture. 

Most certainly the BST name would continue and thrive. Researching for today's writing, I found that BST had more success than I remembered them having. A deep well of talent, but without Kooper. 

So what about Kooper's singing on "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know?" I guess I thought from the start that this was no award-winner for a voice. Then again, there is a raw sort of common touch that might reach out to you from the standpoint of an "ordinary guy trying to keep his significant other." So let's just say it "works." And do you know how elusive this goal can be in pop music? So let's give unreserved accolades to this song and the whole debut album. 

Al Kooper wearing red/white thing, earliest BST

The album had the kind of quirky title we might expect of an album that came out in 1967. It was called "Child Is Father to the Man." I won't tax my brain trying to interpret the meaning. Let us defer more to the youth? Might make sense in light of how the young were leading us on the right side of history: inclusion with respect to race, gender and socioeconomic class, and most importantly the opposition to the Vietnam war.

 

Word salad

Re. "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know," I was fascinated recently to discover a subtle adjustment in lyrics. Sometimes this is done for political reasons, like to erase a thought that might seem sexist in today's world. No, what I noticed was more subtle than that, hardly noticeable, and it gets back to "rules of songwriting." One of these rules is to avoid redundancy. So, the singer talks about how "he could be president of General Motors, baby," and then adds "or just a tiny little grain of sand." 

Tiny little! I guess if I were in a formal songwriting course, that'd be flagged. Oh to hell with courses and teachers! Still, the redundancy has not gone unnoticed. A later live version had Kooper omit "little." Instead there was a brief pause in the line of lyrics. "I could be president of General Motors, baby, or just a tiny grain of sand." 

My preference? I'd always argue "leave the original alone!" 

Anyway, the entrancing tapestry of sounds in this song, e.g. a choir and the expected BST brass, left an indelible impression with me. The guy trying to hang on to his woman? I'll just say "cute." Most certainly passes as a songwriting premise. Garden variety, merely? Oh, I shouldn't be so mean. I just think there's a tenuous connection between lyrics and commercial success. 

I think the sheer musical sound is tops like with McCartney singing "My Brave Face." McCartney co-wrote this song, incidentally, with Elvis Costello. I can spot a phrase that I'd associate with Costello's style: "Unaccustomed as I am." So Costello-ish. And when any song is "co-written," we wonder what the truth really is. Is it just a contractual thing between parties, or did the two really collaborate? We can just judge the final product. 

Well, I decided to write a song in 6/8 time - far out! So I re-purposed a melody I had written several years ago for my song "I'm Watching Joe and Mika." 

My new song's lyrics are a tribute to the Christmas poem " 'Twas the Night Before Christmas." My title has "It was" instead of " 'Twas." A couple phrases are used from the original poem but most of the wording is mine. I inserted the name of author Clement Moore in a middle stanza. I am pleased to share my lyrics.

  

Imagine me counting off this tune 1-2-3-4-5-6.

"It Was the Night Before Christmas"

by Brian Williams

 

It was the night before Christmas

The kids tucked in to bed

And not a creature was stirring

We're bathed in peacefulness

When on the rooftop a clatter

We know it's ol' Saint Nick

It was the night before Christmas

It's always been like this

 

They say he comes down the chimney

We shrug and say "why not?"

And we imagine his reindeer

Can fly to any spot 

It isn't hard to embellish

When we get in this deep

It was the night before Christmas

I pray my soul to keep

 

BRIDGE

He needs to watch where he's going

Up there with UFOs

We have to ask if it's aliens

I'm sure that Santa knows

 

It was the night before Christmas

As told by Clement Moore

He left a legacy brimming

With Christmas thoughts so pure

No matter how much we hear it

It never will get old

It was the night before Christmas

So let the joy unfold

 

(instrumental interlude)

 

It was the night before Christmas

We look back on the year

The ups and downs were a flurry

But now we just hold dear

The very thought of our family

It's all that really counts

It was the night before Christmas

Rejoice, there are no bounds

 

BRIDGE (new lyrics)

The sun arises in morning

The snow just glistens white

It's Christmas Day in its glory

The Lord just makes it right

 

It was the night before Christmas

We all were young kids once

Just hear the mention of Santa

We all will feel the rush

We like to leave him some cookies

And then he'll fly away

It was the night before Christmas

And then it's Christmas Day

 

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Another down note for MACA girls at Minnewaska

"Lakers rout Tigers," trumpets the headline on the kmrs-kkok site this morning (Saturday). Indeed the story was much different from the night before when the MACA boys enjoyed good success vs. Minnewaska. The site for the Friday girls game was Minnewaska Area. There, the host Lakers assumed command and won 71-42. 

It was another down game in a season that has had too few ups for the Tigers. The team that came within one point of AAA Willmar had a dud game on Friday, alas. Our W/L record now is 5-16. The Lakers have won four straight but they do have a losing record on the season, 9-12. 

But consider the Minnewaska boys, truly languishing at 1-20! Makes me wonder a little about the basic stability of the Minnewaska school district. How's it doing with enrollment/finances? Is it losing students to the spanking-new Alexandria school? Or in the other direction to Hancock? 

I heard the Hancock theory several years ago from a parent who works in Morris. The parent explained that the Minnewaska school had a "bad rep," "rep" being short for "reputation." But that was several years ago. The trip from Glenwood to Alex isn't that much more of a hassle than going to 'Waska out in the country. 

'Waska and Lac qui Parle were built in the same time period, as political "sops" to certain very parochial interests. We don't hear of interests like that so much any more. Maybe people at the state level tweaked things to squash such concerns. You know, the petty concerns coming from people who could be like the squeaky wheel getting the grease. I was around a lot of that back in the day, could testify on it. I had to be nice to a lot of those people even though I wanted to tell a lot of them to take a flying leap. 

It has been said of the 'Waska school that its origin was from "the tail wagging the dog." In other words, Starbuck for some reason ended up wielding way too much clout. Strange how that happened. Hey, are we past the days when Starbuck and Glenwood had such petty little conflicts? Is everyone more mature now? 

The biggest pains among the assertive folks were sports parents. You could take that to the bank. You'd see a small nucleus in each community behaving like this, and what galled me so often was that when the children of these people graduated, mostly they'd disappear. 

But 'Waska could feel mighty good about how its girls basketball team played Friday. Yes it was a "rout" of the Tigers. We came up short of playing clean basketball. Brett Miller's summary tells us the Lakers forced 31 turnovers. Ouch. Tremendous scoring balance for the host: no fewer than ten Lakers contributing points. The Lakers cruised into halftime with a 43-24 lead. Then in the second, 'Waska's advantage was by 28-18. 

Megan Thorfinnson (twitter)

Megan Thorfinnson was the victor's big gun with 14 points. Three other Lakers scored in double figures: Sydney Dahl 11, Leslie Murken 10 and Brooke Kolstoe 10. The list continues with Lauryn Ankeny 8, Jayda Kolstoe 7, Avery Fier 3, Addyson Kath 3, Jenna Drewes 3 and Alia Randt 2. 

'Waska did fine in the 3-point shooting department. The home fans cheered as Thorfinnson made three from long distance. Murken made two from 3-point land. Then we see Jayda Kolstoe, Fier, Drewes and Kath each making one. 

Dahl with her six rebounds led there. Thorfinnson with her four assists was tops. Ankeny led in steals with five, and Dahl blocked two shots. 

Brett Miller reports that Maddie Fehr had a double-double for MACA with eleven points, ten rebounds. Kaylee Harstad led our scoring effort with 14, plus she snared nine rebounds. 

The Tigers are 3-7 in West Central Conference play, while 'Waska is 4-6.

 

Too many forfeits

The wrestling Tigers ended January with an overpowering win over BOLD. The score was 66-9, wow, on the home mats. 

Tyce Anderson (facebook image)

So we saw Beau Haugen at 106 pounds take care of BOLD's Ava Kiecker in a fall, 4:34. There was a double-forfeit at 113 pounds. Oh no, one of those "forfeit" nights? I hate those. So "forfeit" was the outcome at both 120 and 126 but at least MACA had the victories, Grayson Gibson at 120, Tyce Anderson at 126. 

Fans got to see action at 132 where BOLD's Brady Kiecker got the advantage in an 8-2 decision over Alex Sperr. Oh no, a forfeit again at 138 where our Andrew Marty had his arm raised. I have a thing about forfeits. The Tiger 145-pounder, Davin Rose, pinned Gavin Hammerschmidt in 1:18. Oh, forfeits at both 152 and 160! Caden Rose of the Tigers had his arm raised at 152 pounds. BOLD's Max Benson was the 160 forfeit winner. 

Our Dain Schroeder won by fall over Tate Sheehan in :22. Oh for crying out loud: forfeits the rest of the way. Is it OK if I say "there oughta be a law?" Refund on part of the admission price maybe? I wouldn't bet on it. 

Tigers were the forfeit winners at 182 through 285 pounds. Here's a rundown: Connor Olson at 182, Hunter Gibson at 195, Brock Marty at 220 and Jaron Johnson at 285. 

I remember long-time Tiger coach George Graff talking about "Fred Forfeit." It can be a major drawback to the sport. 

 

Last of the Owls

I remember that toward the end when Hancock had its own wrestling program, Principal Roger Clarke got a little discouraged by forfeits among his own wrestlers. The team had a dual with Wheaton coming up and the coach was suggesting to just forfeit the whole thing. Clarke responded sensitively, saying that Wheaton had scheduled the match for that night and they deserved the competition. 

The Hancock coach was Joel Beyer. I remember covering Joel when he was a prodigy in Punt, Pass and Kick. Oh, I remember Joel's father Merlin so well. Quite the community promoter, and he wasn't afraid to take some risks in the role. Very admirable. He wouldn't kow-tow to the Morris schoolteachers or their union. Those were bumpy times, late 1980s especially. 

Merlin could not have been nicked too badly by all that, because he later won a write-in campaign for mayor! Shows where people's hearts were. But a lot of people were scared of the teachers who then wielded considerable power as a group. I was on Merlin's side because, how could any sane and reasonable person not be? Maybe it's best to forget all that now. 

The late Don Fellows confided in me once that it was really a noisy minority of teachers who were the problem. Fellows was a saint. He was part of a clique of teachers - and I don't mean that in a derogatory way - who have left us for the next life. Russ Anderson was card-carrying. He most recently left this life. We remember also Al Hendrickson and Dave Holman. Remember the phy ed teacher Jim Grant? I had him. It was easy to kick back, relax and laugh with those guys. 

Jill Landwehr and Lois Krump died recently. A generation of education-oriented people will have to be held in our memories.

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

MACA girls fall to 11th-ranked Montevideo, here

First, media notes

From my old newspaper compatriot of Central Minnesota, in a Tuesday night email:

 

"I can only imagine how painful it is to sit there and watch your local newspaper do what it does, or actually doesn't do."

He and I had exchanged thoughts on how the Morris paper has such a dormant website. The site is set up to report news and sports, but it's anything but a go-to place for timely info. One might suggest it's a teaser site. But you could argue it's hardly even worth the trouble for that. 

Newspapers vary with their commitment to their websites, but there are a fair percentage that see advantages to running a fairly dynamic site. Call it outreach or being relevant in their communities. With the Morris paper publishing only once a week, obvious timeliness issues arise. The usefulness of the print product becomes extremely limited. Yet the sports coaches I'm sure feed the paper with lots of info, as if that info is going to be presented in a timely and useful way. I call this old habits. 

The paper published twice a week through all the years I was there. We had nice big papers and our page size was even bigger. 

Of course the paper at present is going to do what it feels it has to, to maintain a satisfactory profit margin. That doesn't mean we all have to feel enthusiastic about it. Stop and think. The paper for this week is just 14 pages. So that covers the whole week. Advocates of school programs, in my opinion, need to take a close look at whether the world wide web with its limitless boundaries is really being tapped to the fullest extent. 

The MAHS "YouTube geniuses" are marvelous. Let's keep the ball rolling. Remember that the paper and the radio station are in it for the money for themselves. We accepted this arrangement in the old days because there was no alternative. Times have changed, Grasshopper. 

Would people at the paper take umbrage to my writing today? Hey, it's not personal. I got hung out to dry at the paper once. Such classless people. That ownership preceded the current one.

 

Montevideo 75, Tigers 49

The MACA girls sunk back to the kind of doldrums that has marked part of this season. The Tigers were defeated Tuesday by Montevideo and by a pretty big margin. The score was 75-49 at the Tiger Center. 

Avery Koenen supplied lots of spark for the visiting Thunder Hawks: 27 points, 14 rebounds and three steals. 

The West Central Tribune reported that Monte "cruised to victory." Monte came here with pretty good credentials, ranked No. 11 in AA. The T-Hawks have been unstoppable in conference competition: 8-0. The Tigers have fared at 3-6 in conference. 

Tenley Epema was a force for Monte with 16 points. Teagen Epema did her part with 12. The rest of their list: Hailey Dirksen 9, Kiera Foley 5, Brooke Lindeman 3 and Taya Weber 2. (These totals add up to 74 points, not 75. Stats are from WC Trib.)

Tenley Epema was sharp in long-range shooting: four 3-pointers. Teagen Epema succeeded three times from 3-point range. Foley, Dirksen and Lindeman each made one '3'. 

Koenen attacked the boards for 14 rebounds. The Epema girls led in assists, Teagen with eight and Tenley with five. Teagen Epema and Koenen each had three steals. Dirksen and Koenen each blocked a shot. 

Maddy Grove

The Tigers had three players score in double figures led by Maddy Grove with 14 points. Maddy Fehr put in eleven and Kaylee Harstad had ten. Others who scored: Hannah Schultz 6, Addison Cihak 4, Morgan Harstad 2 and Ashley Koehl 2. Grove made two 3-pointers. 

Here's what Monte coach Anthony Jackson said to the WC Trib: "I thought we pushed the ball really nicely, especially in the first half. We understood what was going on against their zone defense. For the most part, I thought we played soundly." 

Monte led at halftime 37-24. 

Our record coming out of this game: 5-15. The Monte W/L: 16-3.

  

Wrestling: MAHACA 39, Alexandria 37

The MAHACA wrestlers defeated Alexandria as part of the Alex-hosted triangular on February 2. We had a 1-1 day as we also lost to Detroit Lakes. The remainder of this post reviews the 39-37 win over Alexandria. 

Our little guy, Beau Haugen at 106 pounds, lost by fall to Nolan Fettig in 1:09. We got a forfeit win at 113 pounds with Tyce Anderson having his arm raised. Grayson Gibson came on strong to win by fall in 2:45 over Alex's Logan Timm. Grayson manned the 120-pound slot. 

Then at 126 it was Alex's Mason McGrane getting the forfeit win. At 132 pounds it was Isaac Saffert of Alex beating our Jarret Payne, a fall in 1:26. Davin Rose at 138 won by fall in :21 over Grayson Timm. Our 145-pounder was Caden Rose and this Tiger beat Zachary Brezina, a fall in 2:57. Let's look at the 152 category where Blaze Nelson of the Cardinals prevailed in a 5-2 decision over our Andrew Marty. 

Landon Raths of Alex won by forfeit at 160. Moving up to 170 we see Alex's Kelly Johnson winning by fall in 1:39 over Dain Schroeder. It was Alex's Landon Seward prevailing at 182 pounds, a 9-1 major decision over Connor Olson. Our Hunter Gibson won by fall in 3:02 over Cody Vatnsdal. Hunter vies at 195.
Then we move up to 220 where Brock Marty of the Tigers pinned Jordan Nicholson in :56. Javon Johnson of the Tigers posted a 4-2 decision over Luke Maanum at 285 pounds. Victory was sweet!

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Grayson Gibson, Outstanding Wrestler of conference tournament (facebook image)

Brock Marty, honored for career milestone in wins (facebook image)

"Internecine" is too nice a word for South Dakota

The ominous tone of Jan. 6 (wikipedia)

Be careful what you wish for, "conservative Christians." It's bad enough that MAGA has colored so much of the Christian faith. Maybe it's overblown but I think not. We have the news report this morning, Monday, of a family in Pennsylvania that carried out a suicide pact because of Trump's loss in 2020. It's a loss that of course Trump says never happened. 

And so the craziness just seems to build. A friend of that family said the deceased were "conservative Christians" who were "hell bent" on Donald Trump winning in 2020. 

I will make the editorial comment here that Donald Trump is not worth killing yourself and your family over. Lest you be thinking such things. Stuff that happens "out east" doesn't necessarily stay there, as we in Morris MN discovered a few years back when a Catholic clergy person had to be spirited out of here. He was spirited out "for his own safety," a local LE person explained. 

We in western Minnesota have already elected a congressperson who voted against certifying the 2020 election results. A legislator from close to here, Jeff Backer, who used to represent us, voted against condemning the violence at the U.S. capitol. 

For most of my life, "conservatives" were people who fundamentally wanted an even keel among us, temperance with an approach to life. Lower taxes? Well yes of course. Strong military? Understandable. Today's conservatives have begun to attack our military because it is allegedly too "woke." 

Our old understandings are evaporating. Did you all really want the rioters to "win" on January 6? Did you really want to see the lives of Mike and Karen Pence put in danger? Were you really cheering on the rioters in their assaults on capitol police? 

Michelle Fischbach

Tom Emmer did not even vote against certifying the election results - our Michelle Fischbach did.

I'm trying to shout from the rooftop here with one major point. Once we get rid of democracy, all bets are off. Maybe you MAGA people will get what you want in the short term. Perhaps just the very short term. And I'm not even sure what you all really want. The family in Pennsylvania literally could not live with a Democratic president. Or, a "Democrat" president as you conservatives would apply your lexicon. It is so "us versus them." 

 

"Internecine" in South Dakota

In South Dakota we are seeing a strange morphing process in political doings. The Republican Party became very strong, obviously. However, politics by definition breeds disagreement. A writer observed there are "internecine" conflicts among South Dakota Republicans now. I probably would not have come up with that word on my own. 

The Republican Party took over so much, factions developed within as a replacement for the true two-party system we've always had. I'm reminded of the old "Monty Python Flying Circus" bit where they parodied British government. So there was a "sensible" party, a "silly" party and the fringe "very silly" party. A spokesman for the latter just used a noisemaker to make a point about something. 

"Internecine" in South Dakota has devolved to where more coarse or blunt words are used to describe. "Internecine" sounds too civilized. When Republicans take charge there are inevitably "crazies" in the fold who might as well be using noisemakers. I remember in my youth, "crazies" from the right were out there but they were kept marginalized. Like curiosities. Now they must be dealt with. And they really truly could ascend to true power. 

Let me just say that in South Dakota, the mainstream media which really does try to be careful, has sort of shrugged and begun calling a spade a spade: you have the "normal" Republicans who respect our traditional processes and decorum. And then - this term actually used - you have the "crazies." The crazies can assert themselves and force others to take them seriously. Leading to what? Well, didn't the 2020 insurrection attempt in D.C. actually flirt with success? Did you not sense that? 

And did it not scare you some? What would "success" have really looked like for MAGA, coming out of that day? Should this not have horrified you? Yes it's a cliche but you'll "miss democracy when it's gone." Oh really truly seriously. After the short-term thrill of seeing Trump get his way, what in hell would happen next? Trials with death penalties? Look how Trump got Bill Barr to eat out of his hand for so long.

 

Jeff Backer

It's human nature

The people around Trump began taking on his traits and his attitudes. A psychologist could tell you all about this. Within an organization, the underlings begin taking on the traits of the person at the top. Easily understandable I guess. It happens at the micro level. I have seen it in Morris most notoriously and I won't at this time remind of details. People would be mad about me, again. 

Our local residents were not completely de-programmed. 

All you MAGA devotees who tune in to Fox News, Tucker Carlson et al., I wish to implore you: You may think Joe Biden is such bad news, but I'd argue he is actually to the right of where our national leaders could end up being, with time. That is because the common folk of the U.S. will begin suffering under the weight of inflation and other economic inequities. History shows vividly that when the adversity of day-to-day life reaches a certain point, things begin happening. Because, they just have to. 

People have to eat. A revolution that grows out of these circumstances would manifest itself as from the political left. The leaders would leave no stone unturned. Just study history. 

Violence? Terrible to suggest as much, right? So wasn't it terrible when so many Republicans across the country failed to denounce the violence of January 6 in D.C.? Why was it just so hard to condemn that? 

So Biden is a lefty? With time you might consider him anything but. Maybe Bernie Sanders is a lefty. And he chafes at the Trump crowd because he constantly talks about how "the richest nation in the world" should take care of basic health care for its inhabitants. 

And Republicans recoil at such talk? 

The august Jan. 6 committee (npr image)

The two-party system is not in the Constitution. What we really ought to have is a Bernie Sanders party on the left and a Joe Biden party on the right. But could Fox News and Newsmax stomach "talking up" Joe Biden? Where else could they turn? 

A burgeoning revolution would turn the screws on MAGA, making it nothing but a vestige of past times. Then, what would become of our Michelle Fischbach? What would become of Jeff Backer? What will become of us all?

 

Addendum: The Chinese spy balloon! You don't suppose newspaper editorial cartoonists got their sleeves rolled up right away on this? Remember "Balloon Boy?"

  

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com

Inflatable dome: not an impossible dream here?

The inflatable dome at St. Cloud State (HMA Architects)

A dome is part of the St. Cloud State University athletic facilities. Do not get the wrong impression: this is not a domed stadium per se. Trying to suggest such an extravagant thing for our Morris would be a fool's errand. 

So let's be straight: the SCSU facility is simply an inflatable dome over the playing surface. The playing surface is like what we have in Morris at Big Cat. So you might say we're part of the way there. 

Big Cat sits there unused through the long cold winter months. Isn't it a wonderful dream to try to imagine an inflatable dome here? But, off the charts for being practical? Why should we presume that? In an earlier time we could not have imagined Big Cat Stadium itself. We should strive to be glass-half-full about the future. 

St. Cloud is in a different league from us? I mean, in terms of being able to aquire amenities? Hmmm. We in Morris are part of the prestigious U of M system. Legend has it, the MIAC never wanted us because they were too afraid of the resources we could summon as part of the (big bad) U of M. I remember the late Carl Johnson the pilot saying "we should be in the MIAC." Issue solved? But it wasn't so simple. 

Other institutions can feel some awe looking at our U of M branch here in Morris - this is a big reason why community promoters once worked so hard to get the U here. Those advocates were fearful of Morris getting a "junior college." That's one thing I've never quite understood: why a junior college would be such an awful thing, a plague of sorts. Many brilliant people spent a part of their studies at a junior college. Willmar has Ridgewater. 

Ridgewater, interestingly, cut its football program several years ago. Not only that, the big 4-year school St. Cloud State cut its football program too! So let's have our heads-up, us Morris people, about how football continues to be played out here on the prairie at Morris. You can speak for yourself, maybe, because I personally do not approve of football based on the health risks presented to players. Seems rather contradictory to the ideals of higher education. 

 

UMM, political winds

Weighing the big picture, man oh man we can be glad we don't have a governor like Ron DeSantis. DeSantis is in the news as I am writing this, coming down hard on public colleges that he feels have too much of a progressive agenda. I might observe that such colleges offer "grievance majors." I'm not a fan of that, really, but I think DeSantis and others like him rather go off the deep end. 

I'll take Walz over DaSantis. UMM offers "grievance majors."

And how about those Florida voters going more and more for Republicans, even though it's the Republicans most likely to go after entitlements? Isn't there a big senior citizen portion of the Florida population? I can't quite reconcile. 

Our UMM with what it offers now, is exhibit 'A' for what the Ron DeSantises of the world are going after. I guess we'd better hope the Democratic Party stays strong in Minnesota. The Democratic Party can live with what we do here at UMM. Conservatives call it "woke." I do not get agitated on these matters. And a problem is growing for defining just what a "conservative" is. I have elaborated on that in my other writing. A cult? 

 

A miracle "cover"

But let's look at St; Cloud State Husky Stadium. Still seems new to me, built in 2004. I remember the ballyhoo at the time. I attended one SCSU football game there in 2006. Decent enough facility, though I found it a little sterile. The multi-purpose facility has seating capacity of 4,198, and also is the field for soccer. The field and stadium overlook the Mississippi River. 

Another view of the SCSU dome (facebook)

But get this: during the winter months, an inflatable dome is placed over the playing surface. The SCSU softball team hosts annual indoor tournaments in the dome. The baseball team uses the dome for winter practice. The recreational sports programs take advantage. Myriad valuable use actually. The facility offers one of the highest indoor domes in the Upper Midwest. 

It appears the loss of the SCSU football program has not left much if any void. High school football and soccer games use the place, plus rec and intramural programs. None of this should surprise anyone. There is life after football, most certainly. 

The stadium is adjacent to the old Halenbeck Hall. The two are connected through the St. Cloud State Student Fitness Center. The whole complex is Jetsons-like compared to what I remember being there in the '70s. No hockey arena yet either. Mercy! Progress can be amazing. 

 

Bring idea here

So what am I suggesting through all this reporting, all these thoughts? That an inflatable dome could be proposed for UMM? Why yes! That is exactly the idea I am trying to float. 

Already we see softball being played at Big Cat Stadium - at least I have seen the Cougars playing there. I do not think the Tigers have yet. I inquired with my friends at the UMM Development Office last year, whether MACA softball might have access to Big Cat. In theory Big Cat is a cooperative thing. But all these arrangements must be in writing, be "legal." 

The answer I got was "yes." So that's nice, but I personally am not convinced. Can you imagine what an asset it would be, if we had the inflatable dome for UMM and MACA softball, available also to other programs through contracts? The dome might be the primary symbol of this community. 

It's just an inflatable thing. Still I'm sure the financial challenge could be daunting. Let's at least have a preliminary study on the idea. 

We all got sold on the "softball complex" which I still think was dubious. The softball complex is not the kind of polished facility I was expecting. Look at the new field where the old UMM field was: are there dugouts there? Bleachers for fan viewing? 

We already know that the new Holmberg Field is a disaster for fan viewing. You don't have to consume my writing for knowing that. Why did this slip through? Is there a watchdog of any kind? Maybe not. 

Batters at the newest field will likely be looking into the sun too much. I have checked this out. The old UMM field with its brick dugouts was perfect. The fans loved it there. I passed by on occasion and stopped to watch. 

UMM still has its football program while Ridgewater and St. Cloud State have cancelled theirs. Time to maybe progress on to the Jetsons future? What a dream to see an inflatable dome over big Cat. What a dream to realize that MACA softball games could start right after basketball season! And, considering how our girls basketball teams typically flounder, that would be real soon. Rim shot!

 

Addendum: I have finished typing this formal post so now I'm "vamping." UMM may have informed me that Big Cat is indeed available to the MACA softball program. Right? Wrong? Let me just say my initial reaction was to think that the MAHS administration hadn't bothered to inquire about this. Maybe it's just my instinct built up over decades of being close to school administration and board people. 

So I'm lied to? I have been lied to countless times. 

Mary Holmberg is the MACA softball coach. I have always considered her an enigma. She was extremely devoted to making sure girls sports got treated equally, got equal treatment to boys, right from the start. She deserves tremendous credit for that. She was our Chris Voelz. 

On the other side of the coin, she did not seem devoted to pushing for the best competitive standards for the teams. In other words, a particular program might flounder, getting embarrassed by clear underperforming vs. some very small schools out here, and she's just nonchalant about it all. 

I remember talking to her right after a loss to Barrett one year. She was "nonchalant."

And if you were to approach her to hint that maybe a more hard-driving coach was needed for a particular program, she'd give the impression that she didn't really know what you were talking about. And by instinct she'd want to support the incumbent coach. That's just how things were in our school system once. And outside critics could be stigmatized within ranks of school staff, to a degree that was ridiculous. Disingenuous: the school people promoted this idea that sports is just "extra" and is far down the list from "academics," but if that really was their point of view, why should they care if there's an occasional coaching shakeup? I mean, if it's such a low priority, why care so much? 

But man they cared! Teachers tried putting people out of business here once. Not a day goes by when I don't think about those strange bygone times in Morris. 

In the long history of underperforming girls basketball coaches, Holmberg was one of them. Remote history, I know. She had a player, Julie Huebner playing post, who today would be a top Division I recruit. Seems like there have been a lot of top "Huebner" athletes. Great bloodline for athletics, I guess. I am a contemporary of Mark Huebner.

 

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com