Conundrums (or whatever) with technology

Have you read about the aircraft carrier named for Gerald Ford that is so advanced with its tech, it is practically useless? What is this, a conundrum? An irony? If the situation cannot be remedied, maybe "screw-up" would apply. 

There used to be a saying, "get a horse." Cars were new-fangled and obviously could present their issues. So when problems arose, some would invoke the previous mode of transportation, manure and all. We realize such sayings are cute but they are off the mark. Truly, change plugs away. We all know. 

I attend a church in Morris that has sound system glitches often. I have begun commenting to fellow parishioners. I mean, someone starts speaking into a microphone and it either isn't working or isn't set right. A fellow parishioner remarked on the - irony? conundrum? - noting that the church has a sound control panel in back that reminded of "the control panel for a 747 (aircraft)." 

Just like the aircraft carrier, the system can't seem to get off the ground sometimes. But wait, we're talking about a sea vessel and not a plane, so the vessel would have to make its rounds and do whatever carriers do. Systems on planes had darn well better work. 

I remember being at a Morris Area High graduation, covering it for the newspaper, when a planned video could not be shown. As was my tendency in those days, I made rounds in the community, so could learn the truth about incidents like this. And so I heard that a choir member must have inadvertently made contact with a cord that was plugged in, pulling it out. The incident was during George Morrow's time as principal. Sometimes I'd refer to him as "Vic" in memory of the actor, but not in print of course. 

I was sitting close to the principal at the time of the video incident. It was Amy Dougherty who had to give him the bad news, as the large audience just sat there waiting. School people really earn their pay when they have to deal with problems like this. I heard Dougherty say to Morrow "we'll have to re-boot it." I can't tell you what exactly "re-boot" means, but the upshot was there could be no video. 

Such is the delicate nature of all the new tech. "Get a horse?" Maybe there's a grain of truth. 

I remember the standard "slide show" as part of the Hancock High graduation through the years I covered it. I loved covering that event - I could have cried the last year I went there, realizing it was the last time. "Why?" I said to myself. One of the conundrums of life, I guess. Let's all look up "conundrum" after this. 

The Hancock slide show had very endearing background music. It almost made you misty to sit there and take it in: images of the various grads from when they were very young, up to the present. It was a "slide show" with tech that I guess we could describe as legacy or analog - at least that was my impression. 

Plunging into the digital age, we get layer after layer of new sophistication. It can backfire or confuse people so much, they try to escape it, to live without it. 

In my household right now there is no TV. I stuck with Federated Telephone for cable TV as long as I could. Once that ended, I would have been plunged into a whole new world with "streaming" and s--t like that. One gets to the point where you sigh and figure you can live without the whole mess. 

I am competent with the Internet because I was forced to adopt it at the newspaper, thank God. I remember getting back to the office from the Met Lounge one night and typing an email to Dan Barreiro, sports columnist for the Strib. He did not answer. But what a thrill. 

We are seeing developments with our high school and YouTube that are incredible. So incredible, the whole system for media coverage of our school seems to be getting uprooted. And I realize there is no way to fight change. The YouTube-based coverage is so good - you can watch live or watch it later - one has to wonder if the old media coverage of sentences and paragraphs is headed to obsolescence. Really. 

It is becoming much harder to find detailed coverage of Tiger sports through old reliable media like the West Central Tribune. Check our Morris newspaper's website: for sports, you'd think the only teams we have here are the "Cougars." A conundrum again: Isn't UMM sports covered with 100 percent quality on UMM's own website? Needless duplication? I'm wondering to what extent people even care now. 

The radio station website is reliable for a few game details on a pretty timely basis. Fine and dandy. But the reviews are short and they are mixed in too much with reports on non-MACA high school teams. There should be more headlines accenting "Morris." More pictures of Morris events too. But maybe a plurality of citizens just like having the YouTube stuff available. And if this is truly fulfilling, wonderful. Maybe electric cars will be totally fulfilling too someday. 

 

The lights at Big Cat!

Here's a bulletin: if you were not at the MAHS Homecoming football game Friday, there was quite the incident that relates to the Gerald Ford aircraft carrier, or to the MAHS graduation incident. I had already departed so I didn't witness it. I heard later. The email I got from a friend: "Did the radio station's report on Friday's game mention the stadium lights going out after halftime? I heard that the 'royalty' girls were changing clothes in a utility room after halftime, someone hit the light switch. It takes 20 minutes for those mercury vapor lights to cool down and warm up again." 

Be careful what button you push when you're around this stuff. Now, if my church can just get its act together.

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

Game caps spectacular MAHS Homecoming

The passing time means fewer people are going to remember the Tiger football venue from before Big Cat Stadium. Big Cat has really given us all the state-of-the-art experience. Never was this on display better than on Friday. It was the culmination of the big Homecoming week 2021. 

I used the term "Tiger football" rather than school initials because we have seen change with the latter. As an alumnus myself I still have "MHS" rather burnished in my mind. The first adjustment was to "Morris Area" and thus "MAHS." Seemed awkward at the start but we got accustomed. The "A" was inserted for "Area" obviously. 

Our school song was written with the "MHS" initials in mind. I'm told the "A" is inserted in how it is sung now, although I can't hear with enough precision to notice. School song sounds fine but it's touchy to alter the composer's intention with words, isn't it? The composer was the legendary Robert Schaefer, and the "legendary" is largely connected to what he accomplished with marching band. 

I'm old enough to have played under Schaefer but not at the high school level. Our junior high concerts were at the old art deco auditorium, now razed, which was once part of the high school but later came to be called "elementary." 

"The elementary auditorium" denoted both the auditorium and gym with the gym having been used for a long time for varsity basketball. It was home to our 1955 Tigers who made state in the one-class system, sort of like in "Hoosiers." Some of the luster eroded when we embarked on the '55 state tournament and frankly lost badly to a Twin Cities team, Minneapolis Washburn. 

Real life does not always reflect "Hoosiers," and the coach isn't always heroic like Gene Hackman. In real life the big city teams really can pummel the country kids. 

So our '55 team lost luster that way, and in addition, Morris legend has it that some members got a little big-headed in the years following. One of them became the head of a bank in town, in the age when the local bank presidents were huge movers/shakers and inspired jealousy/resentment in many cases. I read a book by a sociologist who touched on this once. The author noted that poor people were too detached to care much, while it was the middle class who vented the resentment primarily. 

Our small towns have departed much from the mom and pop model for main street, which was characterized by local ownership. Today a bank in town is likely to have a head person who merely answers to higher-ups elsewhere, a corporate office. The bank heads do not symbolize the towns. They are simply professional people who are part of the mix. 

I could allude to other members of the '55 team in ways that might be less than flattering. But let's leave it at that. The team's accomplishment in '55 was simply tremendous. It seems to have floated into obscurity in Morris history. Let's keep it underscored, please. 

So let's reflect on the old "Coombe Field." To look at that piece of ground today, you'd hardly suspect a football venue was there. Or a "cinder" type track! I remember watching track and field meets there when I was a kid. One year for elementary "field day," I got poised for the pole vault only to notice teacher Roger Schnaser pointing his home movie camera toward me. Pressure! I'm so proud to say I made the jump. I wonder if ol' Roger's home movies are preserved somewhere. 

Classic footage of me jumping, right? Just like the classic footage of the 1947 Diamond Jubilee parade in Morris? The latter is priceless. I got a chance to watch it recently and was blown away by the quality of the color footage and the quality of the event itself. Did you notice the footage where the marchers all wore Indian headdresses? Several music units. 

I doubt that a parade of this quality could be put on today. No, I'm sure it could not. 

Nostalgia? Everyone looked so happy. But it's easier to remember the good aspects of the past than the not-so-good. Remember that at that time, girls sports did not exist. What did all the girls with athletic talent do then? Had to find other outlets I guess. 

Coombe Field got its name after the passing of William Coombe who was athletic director for the 1955 basketball accomplishment. Remember that "Hoosiers" was set in 1954. Everything you saw in the movie, i.e. small town culture, was replicated here to be sure. And I'm sure a lot of it was petty. Such is life. We have developed light years since then. 

What if our 1950s fans could travel to the present and observe our Big Cat Stadium facility? So spectacular. How would they react to seeing the game on "color TV," i.e. through YouTube? Television didn't even come to this part of the state until 1958 when KCMT was established in Alexandria. 

Life without TV? And even in the '70s, a void with no Internet or digital stuff yet. And how did we all get by? My generation always answers this question with: "Well, we just did." Morris in the '40s and '50s adapted as best it could also. No girls sports, no swim team, no hockey, no indoor arena for hockey or other things. 

The YouTube telecasts of Tiger football now are making strides regularly, just breathtaking. I feel like a dinosaur with my way of "covering" high school football: a text review, sentences and paragraphs. Shall I bother any more? Our school's cooperation with the West Central Tribune for sports is steadily fading. Our Morris newspaper which was a robust twice a week when I was there, is of course down to once a week. I have completely gotten out of the habit of looking at our Morris paper. I would do so at the library, but rarely do I do that anymore. Seems like just a lot of "smiley face" news, sugar coating on everything, never a probe that might ask difficult questions about public affairs. 

I cut my teeth as a journalist when the hard edge was of paramount importance. It was during Vietnam and Watergate, when newspaper writers became even more impactful than the nation's leading legal practitioners. How about that? 

Today? Well, never is heard a discouraging word. Which is fine if it's an accurate representation. But is it really done out of fear, fear of stepping on some local toes? The paper can ill-afford to alienate people now, in these times when more and more people find the paper to be disposable. 

 

I appreciate it, by golly

God bless a fellow long-time resident of these parts, initials R.D., who approached me Friday night at Big Cat and said "where's your notebook?" And then he proceeded to thank and compliment me on my long-time work. Was the highlight of the fall for yours truly. 

Oh, and the Tigers won 41-13 over Melrose. 

Coombe Field was when we had cheerleaders. Also in those times: a large percentage of the fans appeared to have almost no interest in the game! Really: people were spread out and engaged in a lot of social behavior. It was "the place to be" on a Friday night with the lights casting their glow over a large portion of the town. Duane Kindschi's P.A. voice could be heard across a wide span, like even out where I live! 

As I saw Big Cat being constructed, I wondered: will the local public adapt to this? I mean, a place where everyone is supposed to just sit and seriously watch football? Because that's not what we did before. I observed Friday night that the adaptation was 100 percent. The enthusiasm could not have been more impressive. And all this when covid worries are increasing again. 

I grew up in cynical times. It's not pleasant for those my age to remember. The common folk did not even pay attention to the stock market. If you saved money, you put it in "the bank." Imagine that. 

Our school has gone from "MHS" to "MAHS" and now to "MACA" for athletics. Bothers me a little because we are not acknowledging the other small towns in our midst. I'm sure it's done because C-A still has a K-12 system but no stand-alone varsity sports. 

Man, how I used to get involved covering Chokio-Alberta sports and activities! Worked with coaches like Paul Daly, Jill Willis, Neal Hofland and John Mithun. I also worked with Blake Knudson but he wasn't always totally pleasant. (The late Willis thought it amusing how I'd sometimes over-dramatize something! But hey, it's sports.) 

Exciting times, priceless. But the only real constant is change, I guess.

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

MACA girls split in Homecoming week

Homecoming week had an up-and-down look for the MACA volleyball Tigers, who on the whole have had trouble finding their desired stride. But on Tuesday the stride was quite fine. The Tigers swept Minnewaska Area at the home gym. 

Both of the week's matches were at home. On Thursday the Tigers' fortunes sputtered again in a 0-3 outcome vs. Paynesville. 

Maybe we shouldn't be too encouraged by the Tuesday success. The Lakers of 'Waska have a mere one win on the season. We maybe shouldn't be too downcast by the Thursday loss. It was to a Paynesville Bulldog team that owned 14-2 won-lost numbers coming out. Can the Tigers find more of a consistently competitive quality? Much of the season remains.

 

Tigers 3, Minnewaska 0

Fans at Tiger Center saw the orange and black turn back the rival Lakers by scores of 25-14, 25-17 and 25-16. Sydney Dietz supplied punch with seven kills and three aces. Brianna Marty powered four kills/two aces, and Maddy Grove had five kills. 

I have access to more detailed stats for the Lakers. So we see Avery Fier with a serving ace. She also had a set assist but here it was Haley Shea standing out with ten. Brooklyn Larson led in hitting with five kills. She was followed by Amanda Lohre with three, Miaya Guggisberg with two and Dacia Fleury and Shea each with one. 

Addy Kath and Larson each had an ace block. Taking a look at digs, we see Larson (11), Fier (10), Grace Zenk (7), Fleury (5) and Brooklyn Meyer (5). 

Our kmrs-kkok website has 'Waska with a 1-9 record, but the West Central Tribune has it 0-9-1. Not sure how you get a tie in volleyball. According to the "Minnesota Scores" site as of this morning (Friday), the Lakers are winless - nothing but losses in the score list to date. 

See what I had to deal with in my years with the Morris paper? Info from multiple sources often has contradictions. You'd be surprised how often. And certain people can get so mad commenting about the media's work. The average person does not get that excited about it. 

"Minnesota Scores" reports as of Friday morning that the MACA won-lost is 2-10. No need to nit-pick about the numbers for either MACA or Minnewaska - both teams are floundering some. The spirit of Homecoming week helped compensate for that here.

 

Paynesville 3, Tigers 0

The green-themed Paynesville Bulldogs were our guests Thursday at Tiger Center. We had to deal with the sharp work at the net by Bulldog Kyleigh Tangen: 15 kills. Other Bulldogs with kills were Emm Flander (7), Natalie Riley (4), Kaitlyn Gilk (3) and Aubrie Spanier (1). Flander came at the Tigers with an ace block. Sophie Schroeder executed six ace serves. 

Game scores with P-ville numbers first: 25-17, 25-22 and 25-15.

Spanier had three ace serves, Tangen two and Emma Stanley one. In digs: Tangen (11), Riley (7), Spanier (5) and Flander (5). Spanier carried the load in setting where she chalked up 26 assists. Stanley and Riley each had one assist. 

The Tigers mounted an attack that had Sydney Dietz with five kills and a block. Cam Ostby performed five kills and Maddy Grove four. Grove had a block. Brianna Marty had impact with her three kills and three aces. 

So Paynesville plugs away as a volleyball juggernaut this season. Sometimes you're up, sometimes you're down. Obviously no one on behalf of Tiger volleyball is calling in to the West Central Tribune. That's unfortunate. Sometimes when you're losing, that's when media attention is appreciated most.

 

Tennis success

So nice to see a very competitive tennis team for the orange and black. The team goes by MACA/WCA. So we're combined with West Central Area. And on Thursday the team fashioned a 5-2 win over Melrose. 

Singles really powered us: a 4-0 sweep. So let's look at that phase: Abbigail Athey defeated Alexis Baumann 6-3 and 6-3. Kassidy Girard in the No. 2 spot turned back Emily Rieland 6-3 and 7-6. Catherine "Cate" Kehoe handled the racket at No. 3 and she downed Reagan Mueller 6-2 and 6-1. Then at No. 4, it was Claire Stark turning back Gretta Hellermann 6-1 and 6-1. 

Kjersten Nibbe and Hope Sperr picked up the MACA win in doubles, downing Jamie Klasen and Jasmine Golla at the No. 1 spot, 5-7, 6-2 and 10-2. At No. 2, Lakia Manska and Breanna Schmidgall fell to Madison Baysinger and Jessica Pohlmann, 3-6 and 2-6. The No. 3 doubles spot had Lydia Fynboh and Elizabeth Pollard on the short end vs. Ava Thelen and Macy Davis, 6-7 and 1-6.

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

South Dakota's notoriety grows w/ Sanford

The golden rule: "He who has the gold, makes the rules." It's an old bit of folk wisdom and humor. Anchored in more than a grain of truth of course. So it enters my mind as I follow developments out of South Dakota, our neighbor to the west. 

We in Minnesota once had a governor, Rudy Perpich, who proclaimed that South Dakota was "50th in everything." Some jousting developed between Perpich and his SD counterpart Bill Janklow. It never got mean-spirited, as I recall. Politics was different then, more civil. One commentator said both those guys benefited from the jousting, as both were fighting for their state after all. Done with a wink I guess. 

Would that we could have political conflict on such a civil level now. Think about it: our lives seemed more relaxed then. Cigarettes are a sedative, right?  Do you suppose it was actually good for us to have so many exercising the habit? Hard to remember, perhaps, but exercise your memory muscles: people could light up most everywhere at one time. Think of the Carl Bernstein character in the movie "All the President's Men." He lights up in an elevator whereupon his partner Woodward, exasperated, says "Is there any place you don't smoke?" 

What a time capsule piece of dialogue now. The discretion on smoking was taken out of our hands. Steadily, the law made the decision for us, like with seat belts now. Momentum for such things built up in the pre-digital days. Why is this important to consider? Oh it's very important: the hair-on-fire conservative reactionary crowd has harnessed the burgeoning electronic media so well. The crowd that vents anger at new laws and rules, as we are now seeing with strategies vs. the pandemic. 

So we see the Florida governor being totally knee-jerk responding to the most shallow "conservative" forces. Why can't we as a society wake up better to this phenomenon? Smell the coffee, man. We most likely would not have the seat belt/primary offense law today if Fox News had existed at the time it was minted. 

The new "conservatism" puts people on the defensive so readily, it's like we need some major deprogramming to have our senses restored. 

So now we get to "he who has the gold." In connection to South Dakota, need I even mention a name? If you follow the news, good chance you'll be aware. For those who aren't, the name is that of T. Denny Sanford. 

The South Dakota attorney general has determined there is sufficient evidence to move toward prosecuting Sanford on a most untidy matter. Speaking of South Dakota's image issues, merely referencing the "South Dakota attorney general" presents one in spades. Hoo boy. Again, do you follow the news? Maybe you know that Jason Ravnsborg's last name is pronounced "Roundsberg." Now, why would we be so "up" on that? 

The attorney general ought to be a pretty anonymous guy. A guy just doing his job in the spirit of public service. Good chance you know about Ravnsborg's misfortunes driving on South Dakota's highways. Like after dark. Why can't we as a society have consensus on how driving is an awesome responsibility and that electronic distractions are impermissible, period. 

I'm old enough to remember when we all got along just fine, driving our vehicles and being attentive to using one's left foot to "dim your lights" and then bring them back up. Otherwise, just drive the damn car. Pay attention. Don't drive when sleepy. 

Ravnsborg killed someone along the shoulder of a highway at night. He returned the next morning to discover that he had actually hit a human being, a guy carrying a flashlight. Ravnsborg got his butt absolutely saved in terms of not facing a serious legal charge, I mean the kind of charge one might expect when a life was taken. 

Such was the restraint shown with charges, he's still the South Dakota AG, despite his notoriety and the fact that Republican governor Kristi Noem - yes, in same political party as him - wants his butt kicked. South Dakota has the "attractive" female governor, according to the CW among the male gender everywhere. 

Noem is a partner in spirit with Donald Trump, who I believe to be the ex-president, i.e. the loser, while Republicans everywhere are dragging feet on acknowledging the outcome of the election. It's like pulling teeth. No it's worse than that. "What hath God wrought?" or something like that. 

The foot-dragging on dealing with the pandemic defies understanding. It has gotten to the point where the Mississippi governor, who fits the template for 2021 Republicans to a tee, said it's no sweat if a lot of people die, really, because Christians can be assured they'll have eternal life anyway. 

First of all, government leadership is supposed to be a secular endeavor. People are free to worship as they please but it's a sphere outside of politics. Maybe that's just the old way of thinking. 

The thing I must ask about Sanford now: has he ever shouted from the rooftop, as it were, as I would do if totally innocent: "hey, this is crazy, I cannot imagine how anyone ever suspected I was accessing child porn. It must have been some tech glitch or something." 

T. Denny Sanford (kvrr)

Why can't Sanford just speak out in this exasperated manner? Maybe because he's guilty, just like Ravnsborg ought to have been prosecuted in a more harsh manner? The South Dakota Supreme Court is weighing whether to unseal a search warrant and affidavits in an investigation into billionaire banker-turned-philanthropist Sanford for possible possession of child pornography. 

Let's bring another name into this mess, that of former South Dakota attorney general Marty Jackley who has said he now wants his old job back. That would be Ravnsborg's. Is this because of the push led by Noem to have Ravnsborg simply mosey on down the road? 

So, Jackley would be Sanford's big advocate now. That would be a lawyer's job, to advocate - they do not "judge" their clients. 

As for Ravnsborg, consider how this guy really needs friends in high places. And you don't get any higher than where Sanford is. Holy mackerel, he's Scrooge McDuck. Endless wealth. 

Why should anyone end up so privileged while so many of us struggle these days with inflation building up etc. Sanford is worth an estimated $2.8 billion. Obscene. Not to mention the stuff that he allegedly views on his computer screen. 

Sanford Health is South Dakota's largest employer. But keep in mind this is in a state that is "50th in everything."

 

Visit my "Morris Mojo" podcast

My thoughts for today (Saturday) grow out of increased concern re. covid once again. You may click on permalink:

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/Covid-concern-grows-again-e17hucv

 

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

Volleyball Tigers come up shy at Monte

Montevideo 3, Tigers 0

MACA volleyball is in a holding pattern with one win on the season. The Tigers came up shy again Thursday. They visited Thunder Hawk country of Montevideo. It was the T-Hawks with reason to celebrate as they put away a 3-0 win. Monte had the upper hand 25-19, 25-23 and 25-21. 

The orange and black was left with a 1-9 record. I don't think it's coincidence that we can't find individual highlights for MACA in the available media. We can probably give up on finding much if anything on the West Central Tribune website. More disappointing than that, is the absence of match details on the kmrs-kkok site this morning (Friday). All I found was the 0-3 match outcome. 

Most likely there is a connection between the dearth of media info and the 1-9 record. That is unfortunate. Can our school administration do anything about this? I suppose we're a little in flux with the superintendent having left, abruptly. I gather a family health situation. We wish him well.  

So the Tigers had to contend with the hitting talent of Avery Koenen on Thursday. Koenen came at the Tigers with 24 kills. She complemented that stat with four blocks, five digs and an ace serve. Another T-Hawk standout was Tenley Epema with 24 set assists and eight digs. Monte owns a 5-6 record. The West Central Tribune reports "stats not available" for MACA. 

So let's look at the T-Hawks who had four athletes with serving aces: Avery Williams 3, Teagan Epema 2, Callie Augeson 2 and Koenen 1. Tenley Epema had three teammates complement her in setting: Teagan Epema, Williams and Koenen. Koenen was by far the standout in hitting. She got minor help from Williams, Taya Weber, Alyssa Sachs and Emmie Koenen. 

Avery Koenen with her four blocks was complemented by Williams and Tenley Epema. It was Tenley setting the pace in digs with eight, then we had Teagan Epema with seven and Avery Koenen with five.

Cross country

The Tigers of the cross country world traveled to New London-Spicer for a Thursday meet. The venue was Little Crow Golf Course, Spicer.  The MACA girls team took second behind Minnewaska Area. The Lakers had the top three runners enter the finish chute. Olivia Danielson was No. 1, Laura Ankeny second and Sydney Chevalier third. 

The Tigers had Hailey Werk lead the way in 12th. Meredith Carrington was 18th and Isabel Fynboh 20th. 

Our boys team had Charlie Hanson setting the pace with his 22nd place showing. Matt Giese arrived at the finish chute 41st. The champion boys runner was Sauk Centre's Brandon Kampsen. Sauk Centre was the champion team while MACA placed eighth.

 

Tennis: 7-0 MACA win

Everything came up roses for the Tiger tennis team on  Thursday. It was a rout, a 7-0 sweep of Yellow Medicine East. Action was in Morris. Singles winners were Abbigail Athey, Kassidy Girard, Catherine "Cate" Kehoe and Claire Stark. Stark won by forfeit. The winning doubles teams were:

- Breanna Schmidgall and Lakia Manska

- Kjersten Nibbe and Hope Sperr

- Lydia Fynboh and Elizabeth Pollard

 

Visit my "Morris Mojo" podcast

I invite you to visit my podcast where today, Sept. 17, I reflect on the U.S. Civil War and its remembrance in Minnesota. I tell about two dates post-war that have significance for the remembrance. I also remind of the Sam Smith statue here in Morris, the "running rifleman." You may click on this permalink:

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/First-Minnesota-Regiment-e17ggld

 

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

MACA volleyball wins hard-earned sweep

Tigers 3, Benson 0

The volleyball Tigers not only got their first win Tuesday, they did so in a sweep. Still it was a hard-earned win over the Braves of Benson. 

Yes, Benson is sticking with its "Braves" name complete with a logo that has a feather. Nationally the pressure continues to grow against this sort of thing. State-level prohibitions continue to be passed. Maybe Benson figures the town is so far out in the hinterlands, few people will notice? I wouldn't bet on that attitude much longer. At a certain point it won't be Benson's decision any more. 

Benson challenged the Tigers well at times on Tuesday, here. Fans at Tiger Center watched a back-and-forth Game 1. The game went into the win column for MACA, 25-21. MACA seized early momentum in the second and third games. After that it was a matter of holding on to put both in the win column. Scores were 25-23 and 25-21. Game 3 was too close for comfort for the Tiger faithful. We appeared to have the game put away, score of 24-12, but Benson got on a roll. Benson had a skein of nine points before they were done in by a service error. 

The savory 3-0 success for the Tigers put our W/L at 1-8, ouch. So they'll continue working to shore up weaknesses. Benson too is faring at below-.500, now with 3/5 numbers. 

Maddy Grove was important to our winning fortunes Tuesday with seven kills, four blocks and two aces. Brienna Dybdahl did her part with seven kills, four aces, six assists and five digs. Our fine kmrs-kkok site further informs us that Whitney Bruns performed 13 assists. Also, that Brianna Marty had eight kills, five digs and an ace. And that Liv Lebrija had eight digs. 

The West Central Tribune informs us that four different Braves had one serving ace: Libby McGeary, LaKeasha Bartz, Ellie Krusemark and Lilly Slaughter. Adysen Himley was busy setting the ball and had 20 assists, while McGeary had one. Slaughter led the Braves' effort at the net with ten kills. She was followed by Ellie Krusemark (6), Isabella Wolter (2), Kyra Gronseth (2), Himley (1) and Emma Krusemark (1). 

The ace blocks category shows Gronseth with 2 1/2 followed by Torie Andrews and Himley each with one and Wolter with 1/2. McGeary was busy in digs where she had the team-best 25. Ellie Krusemark had 13 digs, then we see Himley with eight, Slaughter with six and Emma Krusemark with five. 

It appears that no one on behalf of MACA called into the West Central Tribune.

 

My podcast for Sept. 15

I reflect on the beautiful fall weather now, and how we must appreciate each day considering how we're always on the nuclear precipice. Just think of the revelations coming out with the new Bob Woodward book. Heavens! I invite you to listen to my "Morris Mojo" podcast with this permalink, and thanks.

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/Beautiful-fall-day-e17d7ob 

  

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

Lively night at Big Cat as Tigers win 30-14

MACA football improved to 2-0 with a win over Montevideo Friday at Big Cat Stadium, score of 30-14. It was our first home game. An enthused crowd filled the stands to cheer an overall good game and an effective Tiger passing game. I cover this game on my "Morris Mojo" podcast. I invite you to click on the permalink below. Thanks. - BW

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/MACA-football-wins-30-14-e177igb

 

Cross country at Holdingford

The site was Holdingford on Thursday for cross country action involving the MACA Tigers. Hailey Werk led the girls team with her 14th place showing. Meredith Carrington arrived at the finish chute 16th. Werk is a sophomore while Carrington is a senior. 

Then we see Isabel Fynboh in 21st and Caryn Marty 30th. The MACA girls were runner-up as a team. St. Cloud Cathedral took No. 1. The girls champion was Sara Daleiden of Royalton. 

Our boys team was led by Charlie Hanson: 31st place. Jacob Buhl arrived at the finish chute 40th. Hanson and Buhl are both freshmen. Our boys team finished eleventh. As with the girls, St. Cloud Cathedral garnered No. 1. Top individual was Brandon Kampsen of Sauk Centre. The MACA boys team was less than full strength due to injuries.

 

Tennis prevails

Tennis action was mighty pleasing with MACA/WCA on the winning end over Montevideo. Our MACA athletes are combined with West Central Area. The outcome was 6-1 as we swept singles. 

Let's take a look at singles where we see Abbigail Athey turning back Emily Brace 6-1 and 6-3. Our No. 2 singles player was Kassidy Girard and she turned back Cameron Myers of the Thunder Hawks, 6-0 and 6-2. At No. 3 singles it was Catherine "Cate" Kehoe wielding the racket and she defeated Brooke Lindeman 6-3 and 6-4. No. 4 singles athlete Claire Stark downed Lauren Dehne 6-2 and 6-4. 

The doubles story had Breanna Schmidgall and Lakia Manska getting bested at the No. 1 spot by Tyra Sandven and Mathea Jorgenson, 5-7 and 2-6. Our No. 2 performers Kjersten Nibbe and Hope Sperr defeated Brooke Hilden and Annie Marquardt, 6-3 and 6-4. The No. 3 team of Lydia Fynboh and Elizabeth Pollard was on the winning end over Ashley Klaassen and Gwyn Smiens, 6-2 and 6-4.

Volleyball: loss to Melrose

Well my goodness, there is a dearth of media info on the MACA volleyball team's Thursday match. Usually when all else fails, your can learn something from the fine kmrs-kkok site. But this morning all we learn is that the Tigers were defeated by Melrose 0-3. So it was a disappointing night. 

It has been a disappointing season thus far for the Tigers who have yet to win. These things happen. The team will now strive to set goals for improvement the rest of the way. In the meantime, certain people need to get a little more fired-up about media attention/coverage. And I'm not pointing fingers at any media professionals. I suspect the coaching staff has been reluctant to do much if anything, based on the losing skid thus far. 

This is faulty logic. I remember when the late Dennis Rettke was an administrator here (held more than one role) and he wrote a column for the newspaper saying that when a team is struggling, that is precisely when the media should be generous. Obviously it's not to "rub it in" but to send a message that we all appreciate our student-athletes even when the going gets rough. 

Although it sometimes seems we worship at the shrine of winning, it should not be so. Winning is the goal, yes. The overall experience takes precedence. What matters is that the opportunities get opened up wide and the programs are managed well. 

Rettke worked here in Morris when the whole athletic program went through some (shall we say) unique adversity. Sure wasn't the kids' fault. The coaching staff alone didn't bear the blame although there were definitely issues. Strange times. Our whole school staff became unpleasant and ossified for a time. You had to have been here to really understand. 

At present, even with losses accumulating sometimes, our athletic program and overall school district is in 100 percent better shape, based on what I can ascertain. So congratulations. 

Now let's do what it takes to get a little more media attention for MACA volleyball, regardless of the on-court fortunes. I'm betting those fortunes will improve.

 

Volleyball vs. BOLD

My summary of the Tuesday home match vs. BOLD is on my companion blog "Morris of Course." MACA had a strong start before fading vs. the Warriors. Here is the permalink: 

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2021/09/roaring-start-then-fade-for-maca-girls.html

 

Swimming/diving vs. Albany

The swimming and diving scene has been active too. MACA is combined with Minnewaska Area in this sport. Pool action Tuesday had our team on the short end vs. Albany, 69-116. The site was Glenwood. 

Shannon Dougherty excelled by taking first in the 100 and 200 free. Melena Longtin was No. 1 in the 50 free, and Audrey Dorweiler was tops in the 100 butterfly. Dougherty, Longtin and Dorweiler were joined by McKenzie Luetmer for the 200 and 400 free where they took No. 1 in both.

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

Can tech make nostalgia into reality?

The 1969 World Series was only played once. We had the super connection here with pitcher Jerry Koosman of the New York Mets. Reminiscing on the 1960s? The Series will be near the top, enshrined with affection. We might forget that if the two teams played ten times - ten different Series - well the Orioles might feel their oats. 

And what about the Vikings with Joe Kapp? We wince at the possible alternate history, us Viking fans. We wince because we can only imagine it. 

So the '69 Series was a one-off. Ditto the Super Bowl with the Vikings and the Chiefs, the latter coached by the fellow who made the quite un-P.C. remark re. our defense: "They're like a Chinese fire drill." Well, un-P.C. by today's standards, in spades of course. 

I was expressing nostalgia about something once when a friend, in a fun-poking way, rolled his eyes in effect and said "yes, and let's get the 1969 Mets and Orioles back together and watch it all happen again." 

Well, the thought is pertinent now because of our miracle-like digital age. My, we see the gaping 40-year hiatus of ABBA come to an end! If these souls really are God's gift to popular music, why the eternity-like layoff? The four performers haven't been just sitting around, naturally, but they have not been ABBA. Until now. 

The digital miracle is that they are attempting to present themselves as young again. Many of us probably have mixed thoughts about this. Initially we're ecstatic. The ABBA-inspired musical and then the movies were a huge infusion of ABBA hype once again. By "hype" I don't mean to diminish the talent of the four performers. We can all agree that's boffo. But the "tribute" efforts seemed almost to give the group an image inflated beyond their actual heyday. 

People my age remember pop music as "top 40" background from the radio. ABBA was big to be sure. But they were part of a wide universe of recording talent. The 1980s got going. ABBA might have kept riding the wave of its '70s momentum. Instead, as one of the group members recalled in an interview, the group became "very uncool." 

How on earth could that happen? Think of the ecstasy their comeback is inspiring now, on the assumption that this group was God's gift to popular music. No one would want to take any luster off the claim. But consider: a hiatus of 40 years? It's not as if a group member died as happened with the Beatles and Lennon. 

The four seem the picture of health today. But my, they have aged. For them to be recorded today, it would be as their 70-year-old selves, perhaps with a tweak from contemporary recording tricks? Think "auto-tune," though I'm not completely sure what that's all about. 

ABBA is re-forming on the rather edgy assumption that the public prefers seeing their younger version. Early press reports lacked clarity on this. As the facts roll out, it seems the group will have a "tour." From a fixed place, a specially designed arena in London, and we'll see "avatars" of the four accompanied by a live band. The avatars will make us feel we're in the '70s again. 

We'll be serenaded, in effect, by the original images of the performers. Like they were preserved in amber? Well. . . 

Can the tech miracles of today accomplish much? Can it push aside all obstacles or complications? Sometimes it seems true. In the long run, will the public buy this iteration of ABBA? 

People were turned on by the musical and the movies. But those were separate products from what we're seeing now. What we are seeing is a very rare attempt at presenting alternate images, mind you. It's as if we're going to see "cartoons" or their equivalent. 

If it succeeds, congratulations. But maybe we should hold our water a little. Pop culture trends can be inscrutable. What about the wide array of current young pop music talent that is out there? 

Let me venture to say that the Australia-based group "Tonight Alive" does music a lot like ABBA and in my view is just as appealing. Their songs are just as catchy. They call themselves "punk" but that's a stretch in my view - it's simply great music. A better description would be "power pop." The lead singer is Jenna McDougall, one of those total "naturals" with her talent. 

These are genuinely young people. 

ABBA? Well, they bring fascination for my generation which was young and restless in the 1970s. Early 20s in age, many of us, not in a hurry to join the ranks of the "real world." It has been written of us that we did "stay at the dance" too long with many of our youthful distractions. We have tried to conceal this fact with our own children. We deny our own aging process, totally, so it makes sense we'll buy the new iteration of ABBA. 

Let's just stay in the 1970s? I think we're dreaming. To the extent we all see images of young and vigorous performers doing pop music, wouldn't we prefer the "real deal" with real young people? 

It has been said of aging "rockers" that it just doesn't work any more because rock music is the province of the young. There is a primal restlessness or rebelliousness that springs naturally from late-adolescent or early adult hearts. It is a yearning to not let go of the simple joys and impulsiveness of youth, before the inevitable obligations of adulthood take over. 

I have written about "Tonight Alive" that they are at a crossroads too. I suggested it would be best for them to re-invent themselves with new music that departs from their previous stock in trade. And yes there are risks in doing that. Risk is pervasive throughout pop music and all pop entertainment. Sometimes you have to try to strike while the iron is hot. Take a chance on finding that "lightning in a bottle" with a piece of work that might not work in any other time, in any other year. I mean, if "Strawberry Fields Forever" were to be written and submitted by some obscure songwriter today (obscure like me), well. . . 

Of course, established stars can break through with "idiosyncratic" works. But even that is no slam dunk. 

The four souls of ABBA live up to the work ethic 100 percent, based on what I've read. Arguably their breakup of long ago reflected some over-work. 

Pop music is loaded with talent at any given time. A "big name" helps, but there are never any guarantees. Artists "at the top" might be among the most insecure people. ABBA's marriages dissolved as a classic example of how personal relationships cannot survive intense work pressure, IMHO. 

ABBA is asking us to turn back the clock. They assume we wouldn't want to see them as 70-year-olds in music videos. Well. . . 

The fans from long ago don't have the luxury of presenting ourselves as "avatars." Some press reports say "holograms" but I guess that's inaccurate. We'll get more clarity as time goes by. Do I wish them luck? Oh, why not? 

I remember discussing the Beatles song "Free As a Bird" with a local musician acquaintance. Why did the surviving Beatles do it? I mean, a rough cassette tape of an unfinished Lennon song, with rough edges smoothed out somewhat, but not enough? I felt Lennon would want to strangle the other three, were he alive. I suggested to my friend, "they did it for the money." The response: a mere smile. 

So maybe that's the answer with the ABBA foursome in 2021. Thank goodness our memories of the 1969 World Series remain preserved in old videos!

 

More on "Dancing Queen"

My "Morris Mojo" podcast for today, Sept. 7, first day after Labor Day, is inspired by the fine ABBA song "Dancing Queen." The song is not simply a celebration of women and dancing, although it's fine if you want to look at it that way! Remember Meryl Streep jumping off the dock? I invite you to listen to my podcast:

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/The-song-Dancing-Queen-e171mel 

 

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

The defense holds as Tigers win 15-6

One can assume the cloudy and wet conditions prevailed Thursday at Howard Lake just like here in Morris. Football is a sport that can overcome lots of blustery or unpleasant weather. Lightning is the big exception. But conditions were "go" on Thursday evening for the MACA football opener, as we all have fingers crossed for a full football season in spite of the pandemic lingering. 

Let's hope it just "lingers" and doesn't become a full-blown repeat. KFGO radio had breaking news a couple days ago about a prep game being nixed because of the covid wrinkles. So, keep close watch for this. The CW is that covid worries can or will increase with the dry and cool air of fall. I turned on the furnace just this morning. 

At around 5 a.m. I got wet walking around my property to see if a tree might have fallen down - this can happen when the ground gets saturated. My trees are fine. However, I have some quite tall sunflower plants directly in front of the house, some of which have become bent over. I normally don't plant sunflowers there. Our family tradition is to have zinnia flowers there, but I was too late looking for zinnia seeds last spring. 

Two local establishments that used to sell flower seeds - Willie's and Eul's - no longer do. I guess it's a store vs. vendor issue. In the future, maybe we can count on Homestead stocking this. I bought some sunflower and nasturtium seeds at Town and Country, and this all came up decently, but with not enough color. The sunflowers started blossoming at the top just recently. Up 'til then this little plot was 95 percent green. 

Nasturtiums tend to be too much green/leaves. I've read you get more flowers if you water them less. Heck, weeds would be green. But I refresh my knowledge for each spring. Next spring I'll check earlier for the much-desired zinnia seeds. I hope I don't have to go to Alexandria. People tell me you can no longer buy a TV in Morris. Isn't that strange? Sometimes it seems change is happening too fast. 

I had furniture movers remove my old TVs recently - four of them, two large - because I was embarrassed to even have them in my house any more - big, bulky things. I bought a new sofa as part of the bargain. My old sofa was worn but what the heck, I live alone. No one ever visits here. It would help if I could find a geeky girlfriend. 

It would be nice if a friend could visit just to observe some of the interior Christmas decorations I put up, continuing our old family tradition. This includes a nice jigsaw puzzle that shows a dog similar to our last dog, "Sandy." 

Sandy is gone as are my parents. I make do alone. 

The MACA fall coaching staff appears not to be fired-up dealing with media. There is no updated volleyball info on the go-to "Minnesota Scores" site, as of this morning. Coaches seem to be ignoring the West Central Tribune. That makes it hard for yours truly to stay abreast. To the rescue comes the kmrs-kkok site. Absolute kudos to those folks! Eureka! 

So I can report that the MACA football cause prevailed Thursday in the 2021 opener, 15-6 over Howard Lake/Waverly-Winsted. Maybe the games will be lower-scoring this year than last? Durgin Decker was a workhorse with the ground game. Decker rumbled for 150 yards rushing. He broke loose for an exciting 35-yard TD run early in the contest. Decker himself kicked the extra point. 

Howard Lake/Waverly's Collin Boese answered with a 64-yard scoring run. The score at this point is 7-6. The Tigers got some breathing room with a touchdown pass that had Brandon Jergenson throwing and Ethan Lebrija catching. It was a 40-yard hookup. Halftime had yet to arrive. Our defense was showcased the rest of the way. 

Jergenson tried only seven passes and completed two. He was intercepted once. Decker was handed the football 19 times. Boese of the Lakers rumbled for 160 yards on 24 carries of the pigskin. 

Boy, things are not going well in volleyball so far. That's disappointing. Thursday saw the orange and black get outdone by Sauk Centre, at home. It was an 0-3 night. Maddy Grove came at the Streeters with five kills, three aces. Camryn Ostby and Kaylee Harstad had their moments at the net. Brienna Dybdahl was a factor with her eleven assists and eleven digs. Whitney Bruns came through with eleven assists and six digs. 

Girls cross country does not even have a complete team.

Again, I cannot give big enough kudos to the kmrs-kkok website for its sports updates and reporting. It looks like we'll all be really relying on it. If you can find a minute here and there to read my blog posts, I'd appreciate it. I try to follow these activities with enthusiasm. 

The radio station site has a photo that looks like it was taken at the Howard Lake game. Did someone from the station make the trip? If so, kudos again. If it's some other system, that's good too. I might suggest that such photos have a caption. In the "old days" when I was with the Morris paper, if I submitted a photo like this with no intention of writing a caption, I'd get yelled at, demeaned and insulted. And if I wasn't yelled at for this, it would be for something else. 

The Morris newspaper did not benefit from me leaving, despite whatever propaganda the Forum sought to put out after that. What is Sue Dieter doing now? Seems she's having trouble controlling her weight. Tom Larson used to talk with pride about how he once covered the Duluth "Dukes" baseball team. Well Tom, to that all I can say is: "you really strike me as a minor league kind of guy." 

Me? My original song about Rocky Colavito was played for the unveiling of a statue of "the Rock" in Cleveland recently. That's pretty big league.

Nit-picking note to the radio station: It's "Winsted" not "Winstead." 

 

My podcast for September 3

I invite you to visit my podcast where today I consider Texas. It's in the news with the big new abortion law there. Texas is often not a straight shooter, as evidenced with the story of the Alamo. You may click on this permalink for my "Morris Mojo" podcast, and thanks.

https://anchor.fm/brian-williams596/episodes/Abortion-issue-revived-e16s8m2

  

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

Don't worry, 'cause you can go to heaven

The new school year might be said to be getting off to a tentative start. Weren't we assuming that the pandemic would be behind us, by now? The U.S. went through the same sort of thing in the early 20th Century with the  Spanish flu: prematurely declaring it done. Is it just a case of wishful thinking? 

We are hearing strong words of caution now. The virus produces "variants." The stats for hospitalization and deaths are concerning. Exasperated, the Republican governor of Mississippi is groping to find some rationalization. Don't depend on Republicans to exercise logic much. This individual says we shouldn't be that fearful of the virus - Christians shouldn't anyway - because we can count on eternal life. 

Do you feel heartened by that? Or does it not seem sort of macabre? An indication that the Republican Party of the U.S. is devolving into a death cult? The world has seen this before with Germany of the mid-20th Century. The devaluing of human life. 

The problem is this: the virus as with climate change is a far-reaching problem that calls for government action on a grand scale. And Republicans would rather swallow shards of glass than to call for big government in connection to anything. So they rationalize. They'll use any argument available to counter suggestions for an assertive government. 

But look at all the money spent on the war in Afghanistan over 20 years, an effort begun by George W. Bush who proclaimed "we will not falter" and "freedom will prevail." Well, I am old enough to remember the U.S. exit from Vietnam. We did falter and freedom did not prevail. In desperation the Republicans are using Christian faith as a crutch or diversion, knowing there are so many knaves out there who will simply buy into this - like offering sugar cubes to a horse. 

Lots of people like that are right here in Stevens County - I witness conversations affirming it. It grows more scary by the day. If so many people are gullible buying into Donald Trump, maybe the original Christians were likewise gullible, being "played." Maybe Jesus Christ was a fraud too just like Trump. Millennials are increasingly skeptical about Christianity, at least the way the faith is being presented now. 

So we are all attempting to start a new school year. Gives meaning to the expression "knock on wood." The cold and dry air of fall will increase the odds of pandemic complications. Republicans are fighting mandates everywhere that are designed to at least blunt the reach of the virus, to protect people. Isn't that what government is supposed to do? Protect people, or to at last maximize the odds for overcoming the virus? 

MS Governor Tate Reeves

But the Mississippi governor simply says, don't worry, because if you're a Christian you'll have eternal life. Don't sweat it. 

I would like to challenge every pastor in Stevens County to give a sermon this Sunday based on what the Mississippi governor said. Don't worry, be happy? Don't bother those of us in government to spend money and craft programs to try to protect you, to keep you alive, because we're Republicans and we just don't believe in that sort of thing. We believe in liberty. And if you die, you'll just end up in heaven if you're a Christian.

Is this a palatable attitude? Well I don't think so. I think our Lord wants us to cherish our mortal lives that He has given us. Our mortal lives have a purpose. Heaven help us if they do not. What are we living for, then? To fight pointless losing wars in places like Vietnam and Afghanistan, because we saw war movies as children like "The Longest Day" in which John Wayne and others strut with superiority as the eventual "victor?" 

Well, that was then. It was a necessary war, nothing really to bathe in pride about because it showed the worst in human nature. A solution was to have more women hold political positions of power around the world. General MacArthur after WWII pushed the "liberal" idea of allowing women to vote in Japan! 

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem is trying to show some humanity now by allowing local businesses to enforce vaccine mandates if they wish. And many "conservatives" are having none of it - some are inclined to try to shoot down Noem in the most personal of terms. Ad hominem. She is accused of being politically popular only because she is "good-looking." A conservative pundit has stated that. What year are we in, anyway? 

Noem failed in trying to get the South Dakota attorney general to resign. And now the attorney general has a new traffic ticket for going way over the limit in a 35 MPH zone. But hey, I suppose the fellow is a "Christian." That's all we need to know? With many people, I guess it is, like parishioners at a majority of Stevens County churches, based on my observation. 

No ability to think for themselves. Venting homophobia when in fact their leaders really only care about tax cuts for the wealthy. 

I have been attending an ELCA church that has tried to reject Trumpism. And we are dying, sad to say. Numbers and enthusiasm are diminishing. Former members of our church and of Faith Lutheran talk about how the ELCA has gotten too "liberal." We do not celebrate gay rights, we simply have asserted that gays should not be excluded from consideration for pastor positions. It's just no big deal at all. You might have a gay member of your own family. 

I assure you, Republican leaders don't lose any sleep over this issue or abortion. They use extraneous emotional issues like this to keep their flock in line so more tax cuts can be enacted and regulations slashed. 

But what about local property taxes? That concern you? Ask them about that and they'll just wash their hands of it. It doesn't concern them, they'll say. They'll say "talk to the county." That's what our Jeff Backer says. There is such a thing as LGA, local government aid, and I'll bet that Democrats talk far more favorably about that than Republicans. 

 

School year launches

So our new school year has begun for Morris Area. The superintendent had to step down rather suddenly, I hear. A family medical matter? Can we adjust to this seamlessly? What is it about our school district? Remember the legal charges against a high school principal a few years back? He wasn't even forced to step down. He came back to work for a year, didn't he? 

So it's Wednesday and I see the MACA volleyball team is 0-5. The boys cross country team placed a modest fifth in our own invitational. Our top individual was a modest 13th. Our girls cross country team failed to even register a team score. We did have an individual place third, Hailey Werk, so congrats to her. Meredith Carrington placed 12th. I have to mention that or I'd catch heck from grandpa Tom, he of the fly-swatting skill at DeToy's Restaurant. 

I hope DeToy's keeps welcoming Democrats as well as Republicans into the place. I'm starting to wonder. The Drudge Report had an item the other day about a restaurant that refuses service to known Biden supporters. 

It can't happen here? Anything can happen here.

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