MACA boys beat Owls for win No. 11

The headline on the kmrs-kkok site blares "Tigers, Owls split battle for Stevens County." 

Interesting, at least in my mind, how two towns of such differing size would have their schools vie in a "battle for Stevens County." Could Morris lose this battle? Headline implies it could. And MACA did lose the girls basketball game to Hancock Saturday. In fact, the Owls crushed us. 

MACA saved face with the boys game but not by a very decisive margin. The score was 55-50. I seem to recall that when I was in high school, any athletic contest vs. Hancock would have been treated like a scrimmage. Made sense. Today is different. 

There is in fact a long history of Hancock being the cock of the walk in girls basketball. Well congratulations to them. Congrats to the Owls. I realize they had a coach who ended up in prison once, but what a long and storied history. Years, and years, and years. That coach was succeeded by Jodi Holleman who also took the Owls to state. The more things change, the more they stay the same, eh? 

I reflect on the Hancock vs. Morris disparity in girls basketball in my current "Morris of Course" post, my companion blog. I invite you to read:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2023/01/hancock-girls-thrash-maca-reflecting.html 

 

It is 8:30 a.m. Monday as I write this, and no stats yet reported on the MACA boys "Maxpreps" site, sorry. I can report that Riley Asmus led the Tigers with 18 points, nine rebounds. Drew Huebner supplied 13 points and Charlie Hanson scored eleven in a reserve role. 

The Owls had Jackson Koehl putting in 13 points, plus he had six rebounds, four assists. Then we see Chase Evink with 12 points, nine rebounds. Hudson VerSteeg put in ten points and grabbed nine boards. The MACA won-lost record: 11-6. for Hancock: 6-7. 

Man it's cold again this morning!

 

Olivia Troye

Troye on the GOP

Another day, another day with headlines about the sheer craziness within the Republican Party. Is America sick? Marjorie Taylor Greene appears to be angling for vice president. In what sort of cerebral terms is this being weighed? Former Mike Pence aide Olivia Troye said of the matter, that Greene is "not going to meet the looks match for Trump."

Trump is off and running for 2024. Name someone who you think could actually beat him in the GOP primaries. 

So Greene "wouldn't meet the looks match." Troye added "I hate to say that to disparage another female, but we know how shallow this man is." 

These matters can head into complicated directions that the average person might have trouble seeing now. So I ask: Have you considered what would happen if Trump became president again and wrested control of the Federal Reserve from its chairman? Of course it could happen. Of course it's almost a certainty. OK it is a certainty because Trump crosses every line. 

Every time he is on the verge of doing this, the media seems to ring alarm bells. Former Republican Joe Scarborough every morning on his MSNBC show is giving a sermon on how outrageous the situation has become with his former party. It's starting to seem like Joe is just going through the motions every day. Because, no matter how painfully logical his arguments are, life goes on and with no real restraint of Trump and MAGA. 

Yes, Trump had to leave the White House, but only after the failure of his coup attempt. Hasn't that registered with you? Trump was the 100 percent puppetmaster of a failed insurrection at our U.S. capitol. People were killed. We would have been made to feel horrified back in the days of the gatekeeper media. The problem is this new "wild west" of media in the unshackled digital age. 

Right wing media feeds a certain large percentage of the population constantly. These people are total fearmongers. Trump despite his background is still taken very seriously. On and on we see reports about his "legal troubles." So why does he have the freedom to continue to float in front of us as a viable hopeful for president next time around? 

Headlines seem to scream about the absurdity of it all. The "Georgia investigation" has been going on forever. Trump's voice is on tape. But all we hear is that he is "threatened" by this and other investigations. We hear he was "fined" for filing a frivolous lawsuit, but a few days later we learn he's "appealing the fine." The road never ends for these "investigations" on the white collar level. 

If you or I got a traffic ticket, it's basically a done deal. You're lucky if we can be treated with the same courtesy afforded the accused Idaho murderer when he was pulled over twice an route to Pennsylvania. So you can see our two-tiered system of justice, nakedly. The June proceedings in Idaho re. the quadruple murders will provide lots of well-compensated work for many people inside our law enforcement/judicial system. In a sense these people become indebted to the case. 

Death penalty? Just watch the appeals roll on. 

Olivia Troye told MSNBC's Jonathan Capehart that the Republicans who are being "elevated and empowered are the crazies" in the party. 

I hear almost no talk of this, but if Trump seized the Federal Reserve and insists that interest rates be pushed down to near-zero again, we could face an existential threat to the country. The threat would come from hyper-inflation. The big shots love low interest rates because they become like heroin injections for them. For politicians they are the classic short-term fix for getting re-elected. 

There's a saying "don't fight the Fed." Watch that go out the window. 

If the Fed raises interest rates, it is not because it is deliberately trying to hurt the country. Interest rates exist for a reason, but hardly anyone would listen to me on this. 

Olivia Troye said people need to take Marjorie Taylor Greene's potential interest in VP seriously, noting that Trump's 2016 run was considered a joke prior to his win. This is just stating the obvious. But try reminding certain people like the majority of church parishioners in our Stevens County. We have "conservative" churches here that would be lock-step with Trump, again, no doubt. 

So why am I even asking this? I cannot compete with church pastors or with God and Jesus, if the "conservative" message is what we really think is coming from God and Jesus. Is it? Rhetorical question with the answer being "no." 

So Troye is skeptical of Marjorie Taylor Greene's chances at this point but mainly because Greene "won't meet the looks match" for Trump. 

So this is where we're at in 2023 America. Why do we have colleges all over the place if this is how adults are turning out?

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

January 28 means I'm 68 years old

My fifth birthday, January of 1960, with my father Ralph E. Williams. Within a year after this photo was taken, the Williams family got busy helping establish the new U of M-Morris. The card on the table shaped like a dog was from my Uncle Andy and his wife Irene. They were my sponsors when I was baptized at Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis. We said goodbye to the big city and came out to fresher air!

People enjoy seeing photos of my mother Martha from when she was young. So I'm pleased to share this, and look at the little tyke she's holding, yours truly!

The happiest days of my life, in St. Paul MN. I was born in the suburb of Ramsey. My father taught at the U of M St. Paul School of Agriculture in the 1950s. The U of M has been the bulwark of our lives. Thanks to Del Sarlette for scanning photos.
 
I'm writing this post Friday afternoon, my second one to pen today. Below this post you'll see my review of the MACA boys basketball win over Sauk Centre. The team's stock is quite high and getting higher. 

So today is my birthday, Jan. 28, and the occasion always prompts thoughts on your position in life. Holding one's own and assets like physical and mental soundness. The fact I'm even thinking about this, sharing with you, means I'm probably all right. 

I got stuck in the driveway backing out my car Friday afternoon. Showing fallibility? But I have gotten stuck on various other occasions. 

We get hit hard by snow and snowstorms up where I live, just north of town by the soils lab. We are in the city limits. Nice snow plow service, more dependable than in past times. I suspect that the consistency is due to the need to have all roads open for emergency service vehicles. I remember we used to call sometimes in the old days. "Always be nice," retired city worker Glen Helberg told me. 

We miss Glen, lost to cancer several years ago. Remember him at Coborn's? Remember Coborn's? Pure Morris legend: Coborn's would have stayed in town, even built a nice new store, if they'd gotten a liquor license. Factual? I won't assert as much. 

The north end of Atlantic Avenue had a feeling of greater activity when we had Coborn's. A 24-hour store. Could make a run there at any time to get something. And remember the epoch of time when the restaurant now known as DeToy's was open 24 hours? That's not legend, it's quite true. 

Each year I post online on my birthday. I have a few friends who will check in. I'm writing this birthday post on the day before, so I can just click on "publish" tomorrow, Saturday. 

So on Saturday I'm 68 years old. Us Class of '73 members are stretching into our older years. Twilight years? Not so fast. Of course we cannot deny reality. My MHS Class of '73 members are going through the same passages as everyone. We break down in various ways. We slow down, try to keep our demeanor bright. And we do seem bright on the whole. 

I saw Craig Murphy at Don's Cafe last Friday night. His demeanor is always uplifting. My neighbor is Rose Murphy, the former Rose Weiler, '73 member. 

January 27, yesterday, was the birthday of Laurie Lindor, my old neighbor and '73 member. Her married name is Miles. So Laurie and I were born a mere one day apart. Laurie's father Les was chairman of the Morris Area school board. 

My wealth is sufficient that I can give boosts to U of M-Morris music. It puzzles me that UMM music doesn't do better with public outreach. So I reflect and comment on this with my Jan. 24 post on my companion blog, "Morris of Course." I took the photo of the HFA that you see at the top. I invite you to read:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2023/01/lets-look-constructively-at-umms-music.html 

 

I have two blog sites so that during times when I get stretched with sports, like in March, I have the alternate site available for when I feel the need to write about politics etc. 

I feel the need to try and beat down MAGA. Trump's first big rally coincides with my birthday, dammit, Jan. 28. From South Carolina which seems appropriate for Trump. It was the first state to secede in the Civil War. 

I made a new infusion into the Ralph and Martha Williams Fund at UMM last month. Get a little tax credit for 2023, wink wink. So then of course I got a nice thank you from UMM's Development Office. The Development Office sent one of just two birthday cards that I received this year. The other is from Al and Liz Harris of my church. Thanks all. 

The card from the Development Office reads as follows: "Dear Brian, thank you for making a gift to the Ralph and Martha Williams Fund at the University of Minnesota Morris. Your support carries a great legacy and makes a difference for our campus, students and the region as we deliver on our promise of a liberal arts education. Your generosity and impact to the music program is greatly appreciated." 

The card is signed Erin Christensen. She's senior development officer. She adds "happy new year." We still miss Bill Robb. What a shock when he left us. God bless his memory. 

My "classic shake" at Don's Cafe Friday night puts me in the right frame of mind for today, Saturday. One's birthday is the ideal time to listen once again to Elvis Presley sing "Funny How Time Slips Away." If you wish to acknowledge my birthday, you can do so by listening to this Elvis song from YouTube. Here's the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZcnT5gqRXk 

 

Tune out Donald Trump tonight please. I suppose all the local Apostolics are fired up to vote for him again, like 100 percent of them. Let me be clear: Donald Trump is the biggest scumbag of a human being I have ever seen.

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

Wind blows hard, Tigers give us wins!

A good day to say to a friend "did you order this weather?" We in Minnesota can sustain all the unpleasant vicissitudes of the weather, right? It's going to get cold again and for several days. 

This morning, Friday, the onslaught of wind comes at us. 

All this happens as the general weariness with winter has built up. But we persevere, right? The northwest wind makes an impression for those of us living on Northridge Drive. We're out by the soils lab.  The wind comes raging down a slope that we face to the north. 

People my age remember the blizzards of the late '60s. 

I have learned never to get too optimistic about the month of March. In theory we should get a reprieve. The hopes seem never to be borne out. When the temperature gets milder, we often find there are winds out of hell. I have read that the earliest pioneers were surprised at how strong the winds could be. Remember that when they first showed up, a striking feature of the landscape was that there were no trees. The only exception was "a few larchwoods down along the river." I have also read that there were no permanent Indian settlements here. What? They could not have fallen in love with this place? 

So the weather is at the forefront again on this Friday of late January, 2023. Imagine as you're driving around, the theme music from the movie "Fargo." Better to imagine the Morris Area High School song. In athletics we're "MACA" of course. That's how our hoops teams are identified. 

And the boys are giving lots of thrills at present. Fans could enjoy yet another win Thursday night at home. We had a winning advantage of ten points, 55-45, over those Streeters of Sauk Centre. Sauk has been a prime rival of the Tigers for time immemorial. Always nice to beat them. We did Thursday with Drew Storck again leading our scoring, second game in a row. Drew is a senior and he put in 18 points on seven of ten shooting. 

Riley Asmus scored 13 and made both of our 3-pointers. Third-high was Drew Huebner with eleven points, then we see another double figures scorer in Tyler Berlinger, ten points. Kyle Fehr chipped in with two and Charlie Hanson with one. Our team shooting numbers were 19 of 55, 35 percent. We were off in 3-point shooting: two of 16. A little more practice here, guys? 

We made 15 of 20 freethrow shots, Storck the leader with five makes. 

Rebounds! We had 31 total with ten coming offensively. Berlinger had three of our nine assists. He was his usual strong force in steals, getting four of our six total. Storck and Asmus each blocked two shots, and Huebner blocked one. We had seven turnovers. We led 30-22 at halftime. 

We got victory No. 10! Our record now is 10-6. Hey, Sauk Centre is having a mighty fine season too, record of 10-3. A feather in our cap for beating them. 

 

Other teams

What about the MACA girls? Can't find a lot of details right now. That's too bad because we learn that they won Thursday. It was an exciting win with the orange and black turning back Osakis 40-39. I can find only the score on the kmrs site. I'm sure Brett Miller would have been happy to share some details. That's how these things go sometimes. I know. 

Brett does have brief summaries of the Hancock win over Battle Lake, 72-33, and the Brandon-Evansville win over Browerville, 54-47. No details on the MACA win? This is as of Friday morning, 9:30 a.m. 

We learn that MACA wrestling had a couple of tough duals, losses to Minneota and Marshall. The cavalcade of prep sports continues! Forget about the snow and wind.

I invite you to compare my coverage with what you see on the Morris newspaper website.

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

Storck puts in 23, Tigers beat New London-S

The MACA boys climbed up to win No. 9 with their Monday success. Fans at our Tiger Center could enjoy. Our W/L mark is now 9-6. Hats off! Things are clicking. 

We turned back the Wildcats of New London-Spicer, 77-64. We were up at halftime 33-22. We cruised in second half play, outscoring the Wildcats 44-42. Drew Storck was our scoring leader on this night, 23 points on 10 of 15 shooting. I used to work with Drew's mother. 

Riley Asmus was second-high with his 19 points, 6 of 16 shooting. Tyler Berlinger was our third double figures scorer with 17 points on 8 for 14. Drew Huebner put in eight points. Then we see Charlie Hanson and Kyle Fehr each with four, and Owen Anderson with two. 

Our team shooting numbers were 31-for-62, right at 50 percent. Asmus had three of our 3-pointers and Fehr had the other one. We were 4 of 13. Asmus made four freethrows and Storck three, of our eleven total. 

Rebounds! Here we see Huebner leading the way with seven followed by Asmus and Storck each with six. The Tigers collected 28 total rebounds, 12 offensive. Our assist leader was Berlinger with four. He was also tops in steals with five. Storck blocked two shots and Asmus blocked one. We had ten turnovers. 

New London-Spicer came out of the night at 6-5. I like it when the West Central Tribune lists scoring totals in order, most to least. That's the way I like to arrange them. So at the head of this list is Grant Paffrath with 19 points. He's joined in double figures by Aedan Anderson 16 and Brycen Christensen 13. Continuing: Mason Delzer 6, Paul Meier 5 and Gabe Rohman 5. 

Paffrath nailed two of their 3-pointers, Christensen one. Christensen with his eight rebounds led there. Paffrath was team-best in assists (2) and steals (2). Christensen blocked two shots.

 

It's happening again

Can't you all see what I'm seeing? Can't you file things away in your memory for future reference, to exercise best judgment and discretion? Can't you see there's an inevitability once again for Donald Trump being president?And it's all following the same pattern as in 2016. 

What we need right now is for a panel of elite psychologists to evaluate, help us all understand what we're seeing, how and why it is happening. The German people became "drugged" in the same manner in the mid-20th Century. Berlin ended up getting bombed to ashes. The German people are not stupid, anything but. Americans? 

Here and there you'll catch a kernel of wisdom. In the past couple of days, we have gotten this from S.E. Cupp. She the I are on the same page. We see the same strange formula bubbling up as from 2016. 

It's surprising who some of the ignoramuses are. I don't remember the name, but this guy was important enough to be quoted in the national media, and he said he was skeptical about Trump's chances because people will have "fatigue" with it all. 

As if we couldn't have felt this in 2016. Much of the conservative establishment was openly skeptical about Trump early in the 2016 process. That includes the "National Review" types. That's the magazine built up by William F. Buckley. That name has sort of faded into the mists of time. He had a TV show too called "Firing Line." Remember the theme music with the piccolo trumpet, classical sound? Well, you probably don't. I remember a parody with a guy playing the trumpet right on set. 

Buckley was considered a rarefied-air intellectual. He is credited with beating down the John Birchers of his time, putting them in their place. Our Morris MN once had some active John Birchers. Dr. Alfred Trumble the veterinarian. Nice guy but I never discussed politics with him.

So today we have the Trump mega-phenomenon. We can only speculate on how Buckley would have confronted this. That was then, this is now. My father always said "analogies are dangerous." 

Trump fatigue? People talking this way will become mollified as weeks and months pass. Passive capitulating. 

The conservative "movement" wholly capitulated to this miserable human being named Trump in 2016. It's bad enough we had to endure him for four years as president. Now he has his first big rally for 2024 slated on my birthday, Jan. 28. We're about to see the whole mess unravel again. I have to predict at this time that Trump will be the GOP nominee. Can you see anyone else getting it? 

Trump will hold hard and fast with his base. These are people who will vote for him no matter what he does or says. Many of these people are in our Morris MN. There's a pickup that pulls into DeToy's with a profile of Trump painted right on the side. I'm a Biden supporter, actually moreso with Kamala Harris, and I sit on the complete other side of the partition from those guys. 

The extreme conservatives at present want to end the income tax and replace it with a 30 percent national sales tax. And surely you know - don't you? - that the sales tax model is especially hard on the common folk. It's ditto with your property taxes. And don't you even care about your own family interests? Is it more important for you folks to vote for people who say they'll "ban abortion" or "ban CRT?" There's a laundry list of such ideas coming from the political right. To what extent do these issues actually affect you and your family?

"Conservatives" are screaming now about how DirecTV has dropped "Newsmax." They plead victimhood constantly just like their cult leader Trump. 

Media suppression of conservatives? Really? Turn on AM Radio anywhere in the U.S., it seems, and you'll hear the recognizable voices of Mark Levin, Ben Shapiro, Laura Ingraham and others like them. They have a vise grip control of AM Radio, yet conservatives are always weeping about how they are suppressed. The reality is the exact opposite. 

Let me tell you something about Mark Levin et al. - it's just an "act" for them. They realize there's a big audience out there that gets turned on by this. So, they talk about the green M&Ms. Does that issue really affect your life? Well let me tell you, the 30 percent national sales tax instead of the income tax definitely will affect your life. 

And then, you won't care if Trump's face is on Mount Rushmore. To hell with Kristi Noem. I don't even think she's "good looking." She's anemic-looking. I prefer a little more meat on the bones.

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

A Saturday contest: MACA girls fall to WHN

No need to frown because a team loses. Look at MAHS faculty member Sharon Martin out along one of her favorite places, the biking/walking trail. And in the depths of winter! Can anything cheer us up more? Adding to the cheer is Sharon's charming dog "Goldy." I had not thought of getting out there 'til maybe mid-March, but the photo could well get me going sooner! Tigers lose sometimes, but the outlook projected by Sharon's smile trumps everything. She's a Democrat and I think they are positive people. 

 

A trying season continued for the MACA girls basketball team on Saturday. Yes it was a Saturday affair in this winter that seems to be trying our souls. At least that's how I see it. The "beauty" of the Sunday frost sort of escaped me. 

High school sports can lift our spirits as much as anything. But fans of the Tigers had to watch another disappointing performance Saturday. It was a 60-44 loss at the hands of Wheaton-Herman-Norcross. 

On Sunday I put up a post on my "Morris of Course" companion blog that covers a lot of ground in recent Tiger/Storm athletics. You may click:

https://morrisofcourse.blogspot.com/2023/01/dack-of-t-hawks-sinks-maca-boys-hopes.html 

I'm happy to continue sharing about prep sports. My activities with this go back to 1972. Hey, our museum has an exhibit about the '70s in Morris. Imagine, nostalgia about the '70s. Disco music!

Wheaton-Herman-Norcross 60, Tigers 44

Well, it was close for a good portion of the first half. But the Tigers succumbed to a 9-0 run by the Warriors close to halftime. So WHN owned the lead halfway through, 35-28. They picked up where they left off in the second half. Brett Miller tells us their lead swelled to 18 points. 

The Tigers had some fight left in them, as the margin later narrowed. But we were on the short end by 16 at the final horn. 

Maddy Grove was productive like always, 20 points and nine boards. Maddie Fehr put in 14 points. Alas our loss skein grew to six. And our W/L plunged to 2-11. So it seems rather dispiriting but you should know that back in the '80s, Morris and Wheaton did not belong on the same court with each other. That's not exaggeration. 

Wheaton had teams that could fill the UMM P.E. Center for tournament play, so many fans dressed in red. I called it a "sea of red" from my perch at the Morris newspaper. I then heard Janet Karvonen use the term in her broadcasting at state. No one in those days even spoke of Morris girls basketball as a contender for anything. We sleep-walked through seasons. 

One year when the Hancock girls were in state, I wrote a little opinion piece that suggested Morris was a "sleeping giant" in girls basketball. Yes I dared do that - amazing - and amazing I wasn't hoisted out on my petard, not that there weren't a fair number of people who wanted to do that. 

Of course I seemed like the positive one, n'est-ce pas? I mean, I was advocating for our programs in Morris. A young child could see there was something wrong. But we had community leaders, even - presumably people with a modicum of intelligence - who felt the most important thing for us all to do was to "look the other way." 

Why? Well the top theory was about the bonds from personal friendships extending into the coaches. Teachers for some reason felt threatened by talk of how we should elevate true competitive standards. I mean, to really try to win more, because this really is the essence of sports. 

A portion of academia would bristle at the things I wrote: the people who through some odd quirk of thinking seemed to suggest mediocrity in athletics was an indicator of  "academic" quality. I put "academic" in quotes: I think the gravity of this term is fading in the Internet age, where people and kids can be self-starters for obtaining knowledge. And I'm speaking of the kind of knowledge that can really be useful for them, really truly. Not stale and dry stuff dispensed by stodgy educators who seemed to just have a racket going. 

And they felt threatened by sports? By my writing about how we really ought to have legitimate volleyball and basketball programs for girls? 

Volleyball did its turnaround in 1987 under a new coach. This should have spelled a whole new direction for girls athletics, but the progress proved to be halting. Not entirely futile, just halting. Morris really had to pull itself out of a staggering abyss where I think there were fundamental cultural issues. A lot of this was a holdover from the 1970s zeitgeist. 

So long ago, we might forget a lot of that. One of my idiosyncrasies is that I do not forget. 

OK I'll be positive: today I think the MACA athletic programs are quite sound. No athletic program is ever perfect. Some coaches are always better than others. The big triumph is with the eradication of the old cultural roadblocks. Those gave meaning to "albatross." 

I'm sure a lot of parents and other fans knew of what I spoke, back when I wrote my contrarian stuff. But they were scared. There was little hope of their pushing for change. We saw a breakthrough in the late '80s but that episode sowed seeds of tremendous conflict in the community. Hoo boy, an element of our teachers pushed for boycotting certain businesses, with a fair amount of success. Makes me wince to this day. I felt for the parents who had businesses in town. 

Boys basketball? Well, when I started at the newspaper, only juniors and seniors could be on varsity. No Jackson Loge or Riley Asmus until they were juniors. I could type several paragraphs on how that arrangement was bad from multiple angles. But why in hell did the community have to hear from me about this? 

Amazingly I survived but with some slings and arrows obviously. My ability to be a positive force as a writer became curtailed. I have described myself as "the biggest wasted talent in the history of this community" and I do assert that. I'll be called names for doing so. There is residue, and that's what happens when you question a good old boy or good old girl system. Such is life. 

"Ah Bartleby, ah humanity."

 

Thanks to Del Sarlette for sharing this frost photo from Sunday. My "Morris of Course" post has a photo taken by Del earlier in the morning when everything was hazy/gray. 

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

Is catching a murderer harder in 2023?

"Lady Justice"

A mega story like the Idaho murders makes us wonder about a lot of things. It even seeps into cultural thoughts. Is it healthy for college girls with a modicum of "attractiveness" to go the extra mile and look sultry or "sexy?" 

Women's gender advocates would say the girls have every right. And I am not suggesting otherwise. 

Getting into the cultural thing gets us knee-deep in thoughts about the new electronic media. Well it still seems "new" to me. I'll be age 68 in a few days. My birthday is the same day Donald Trump will hold his first big rally in South Carolina. I digress. 

How did we all live in the "old days?" How was crime solved? There must have been ways to get people locked up. 

Today I look at all the wizards with their arcane talk within the new media stuff, and I wonder: what kind of lives would they have had pre-digital? How could they have applied their genius? 

The new tech has applied itself in such myriad ways. Like all fundamental change, it can creep along slowly. Thus it can be hard for us to notice sometimes. 

I tend to notice and observe because it's simply an inherent trait I have. Such people would be called "intellectuals" and let me stress in the next breath the term is not about "how smart you are." It simply references a certain way of thinking. The definition: we think it's important to understand why people behave the way they do. We are thus fascinated by stimuli that make us adjust our behavior. 

So I'm thinking about all these "true crime" analysts who get into weeds with electronic media minutiae. And yet with all these insights, it seems harder rather than easier to get a killer convicted. And why should that be? The purpose of all the new assets is to make our lives better, to solve problems. 

So we're looking at "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt." I reminded someone about the O.J. case recently. The rejoinder was that the case was not about guilt or innocence, rather it was "racial turnabout." Touche. I will not contest that one. I have never worn the moccasins of African-Americans. 

The effect of all the new tech assets in true crime, in my view, is to push the bar much higher for trying to affirm someone's "guilt." 

There are no witnesses who saw firsthand Mr. K. kill four college students in Idaho. Minus that, how are we supposed to be sure? I guess the most logical answer is that we cannot be totally sure, unfortunately. But society demands that we go after such wrongdoers as a deterrent. 

These genius defense attorneys who can so easily become celebrities, write books etc. - they can harness the new tech tools as well as anyone. That's with a laser focus on finding a tiny sliver of doubt. Should we be surprised they can succeed so well, so often? 

In previous times I'm sure a dedicated prosecutor seized on convincing circumstantial evidence and then implored the jury. And what of the defendant? This person might have to break down at some point and just say "I did it." Many defendants including those who've done terrible things can be motivated by simple conscience when all is said and done. Sometimes trial witnesses will do surprising things, suddenly, when "put under oath." It's a human trait. 

So here we have this Bryan fellow who did the worst of the worst. I won't talk in terms of "allegations" because no one is editing my writing. So I'll say what I think. And what bothers me this morning as my mind drifts back onto the topic is this: Maybe our trial system with its pleas of "guilty" or "not guilty" is too sterile. Here's my point: a plea is just a plea. A maneuver. A position to assert without getting into the essence of "if you did it." 

Instead of asking for guilty or not guilty, maybe the judge should look the accused in the eye and say "sir, you are accused of killing these four young people. Did you do it?" 

Maybe the innate human impulse will build up in some people, our impulse to be forthcoming. God sees everything - "he knows every sparrow that falls." 

This Bryan fellow was a doctoral candidate in college. That is more than I could achieve, vastly in fact. How does one explain his actions? He's an "incel?" A buzzword, yes, rather fun to bandy about. There's a cottage industry in the media connected to this case. So we're schooled on "incels," those poor male souls who have trouble getting women interested in them. 

How germane is this, really? The guy took a "Rambo" knife and carved up four college kids as they were in bed, or at least two of them were for sure. The act ought to be seen as having nothing to do with sexual frustration. 

Frustration? Life is full of it. We all just need to count our blessings. 

To kill four college kids in the same house? Not using a gun? No wonder the story has transfixed the nation. The transfixing will not run its course any time soon. Our cotton pickin' legal system with its sterile obligations will run on and on. And lawyers will lecture us on how all this is necessary. Are they backed by reason, or by their affinity with this professional gravy train of theirs? Rhetorical question. 

Months will roll by. The judge has asserted herself with another gag order. I'm sure the police and prosecutors have proceeded with the healthiest and most honest determination. Prepare to watch them get demeaned, again, by an aggressive defense lawyer or lawyers. O.J. had a team. 

The defense people will have their egos to massage. They will enjoy the high profile. Much public money will be spent on accommodations for the accused, his defense advocacy and then the appeals once the death penalty is attempted. 

Here's a case where I'd like to see vigilante justice. OK, harness the "new media" and call for this thing called a "flash mob," get thousands of people to surround the facility where Mr. K. is being held, demand that he be let out and turned over to the mob. And if no compliance, the mob would announce "we're coming in to get him and you'll have to shoot us." 

A serious suggestion? A fantasy? Well, you'll just have to try and read my mind. My lawyer friends would be aghast. Here's a case where I will think for myself.

Addendum: I suppose I could be writing about something worse than the Idaho murders? I could write about the U of M men's basketball game versus Purdue. Rim shot!

Addendum No. 2: Here's a thought I posted under a YouTube "sleuther" post re. Idaho:  

Has anyone asked how all five of the girls in house were so incredibly attractive? Was there screening or what? Dylan is dressed grubby and doesn't look that great in the most famous group photo, but if you look at others, she's ravishing, could be Hollywood actress. I'm happy for them for that, but coincidence? And it seemed they liked looking sexy. Which was their right. But did it bring unwanted attention? 

Response to my comment: Some of the girls are (And were) on Only Fans. Bryan was on that site regularly as a paid sub. My point is they like (and liked) being seen. Several creators have made vids about this recently. Their bedrooms didn't have curtains or blinds. 

Another response: Ravishing, tho? lol 

Another response: I agree! Makeup and filters. That’s why (Kaylee) looks so different in the body cam footage. (Maddie) looks completely different, in a pic with her dad. I think they’re just average girls, who make themselves to look a certain way. But I try to just respect other peoples opinions. 

Another response: Dylan has that super clear skin common in some LDS families. Clean living. But even she decided to get lip injections. They're all cute for Northwesterners, and some even seemed pretty cool. Xana vids show her to have good comedic skills despite that sadness which seemed to be part of her personality. 

Another response: How were they so incredibly attractive? It's called make-up! If a woman is called gorgeous without makeup, yes, she really is so. 

 

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

Tigers and Storm keep winter interesting

So it's mid-January and us Minnesotans do what we always do: survive and persist. I have seen worse winters in terms of quantity of snow. But a lot of people seem upset with the accumulation. Maybe the problem is that we just have not seen enough sun. A chief thing helping us get through winter's harshness is high school sports. A friend of mine says we'll always need our rural high schools because we need their sports teams. 

There are far fewer schools than there used to be. The Cyrus "Panthers" competed through much of my Morris newspaper career. Remember the "Cyrus-Hancock" combo for sports? I think a lot of people have forgotten. Remember when the Cyrus district, as it was getting phased out, attempted to merge with Hancock? That decision culminated the work of the "Cyrus task force," a group that according to CW got more power than was intended. 

Recalling all that reminds of when such incredibly strong emotions swirled around rural school adjustments in the face of declining numbers. Sharing, pairing, consolidation etc. Would Dawson join LQPV when the latter was launched? Evidently it came close. Dawson retained its autonomy and looks good today for that. 

At present we can maybe hope for stability and consistency with our school systems, rather than disruptions. A faction in Hancock fought like absolute hell against the Cyrus-Hancock merger. From my perch at the paper, I was troubled by the very air of conflict - I did not speak out on this as much as I could have. 

The Morris newspaper had employees who were emotionally invested in school issues. Amazingly, our staff was monopolized by school parents who were oriented to the small schools around Morris. I considered this stranger than fiction. Jim Morrison never took this as seriously as I felt he should have. 

I remember the legend of how a state legislator's car was vandalized when he simply attended a meeting about proposed school consolidation. I remember where that allegedly happened but will not report further specifics here. Our state leaders should have had systems for discouraging this. 

Vandalism is harder to pull off today because of surveillance cameras all over. Also, maybe we're more civilized. I'm nearly 68 years old and can remember different times. I was often privately troubled - very troubled actually - by the extent of parent/fan emotions in connection to high school sports. 

I would suggest that "town identity" has really faded as a motivator. I think that's partly because of our large systems of today, for example the regional, national or even multi-national banks. Town identity means nothing in that context. The main street banks of yesteryear were quite the contrast. Ah, the "mom and pop" businesses. 

Those times had their charms maybe? I would say to a quite limited extent. 

We combat the mid-January "blahs" by following the MACA Tigers and MBA Storm. 

 

Boys hoops: Tigers 56, EV-W 53

Our boys basketball team picked up steam as the game continued, Tuesday at Tiger Center. That's how Brett Miller sized things up. The momentum resulted in our sixth victory in a seven-game span, score of 56-53. The opponent was Eden Valley-Watkins. Miller characterized the win as hard-fought. 

The Tigers arrive at mid-week with an 8-5 record. EV-W owns 5-4 numbers. Thanks to the MACA coaching staff for posting individual stats on "Maxpreps." I wish they had done this for the win over Litchfield too. But I'll take what's available, thanks. 

So we see that the Tigers trailed at halftime, 32-25. We had an advantage of ten the rest or the way, 31-21. 

Riley Asmus and Tyler Berlinger were a 1-2 punch in scoring: 14 and 13 points respectively. Kyle Fehr put in nine points. The two Drews - Huebner and Storck - scored six each. Then we see Charlie Hanson with four and Owen Anderson and Jack Tollefson each with two. Our team shooting numbers were 23 for 59, 39 percent. 

Three Tigers each nailed a 3-pointer: Berlinger, Asmus and Fehr. We were a cool 3 of 12 in 3's. Our freethrow numbers were 7 of 13, 54 percent. Asmus had three of the freethrow makes while Berlinger and Hanson had the other two. 

Rebounds! Fehr led with six followed by Anderson and Asmus each with five. Our team total was 30 of which eight were offensive. Berlinger and Anderson each had two of our seven assists. The aggressive Berlinger topped the steals list with five. Asmus and Huebner each blocked a shot. We had six turnovers.

 

Other sports news

MBA hockey is doing its part helping us deal with the dragging days of winter.  As I'm writing this it's another day where the sun hasn't come out. But our mood is brightened seeing the Storm hockey players excel. The boys story is a 4-0 win over Willmar. Looks like we beat the "big town!" 

Our winning formula saw a very sharp goaltender in Chris Danielson. Chris stopped all 18 shots that came at him. Zach Wrobleski brought cheers at the Benson Civic Center with his two goals. Tucker Blume scored a goal and added an assist. Charlie Goff came on strong for a power play goal. Kye Suess produced two assists. The Storm came out of the night at 6-7. 

Our girls hockey team peppered the opposing net with 66 shots. The Storm defeated Prairie Centre 2-1 at our Lee Center. Our goal-scorers were Phoebe Overlie and Karlie Bruns. Ava Breuer worked in net and had 23 saves. Assists came from Hadley Koehler, Charlie Erdahl and Kortney Sanasack. Our won-lost record is 6-10. 

In wrestling our MAHACA squad did not fare so well against KMS in the Benson Quadrangular. Defeat was experienced 42-29. Our highlights included wins by fall by Jarret Payne, Andrew Marty, Hunter Gibson and Brody Marty. Caden Rose had a tech fall win. Davin Rose got a major decision.

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

Tigers humbled by Neubert and Streeters

The MACA boys entered Thursday's action having won four straight. That abruptly ended. The wind was taken from the Tigers' sails with a 59-36 defeat vs. Sauk Centre. We were down 29-21 at halftime. 

Riley Asmus cooled from his previous game's heroics. Against Sauk the freshman standout was throttled: two points. The MACA scoring list was topped by Drew Huebner whose point total was 15. Second-high was Tyler Berlinger with seven. 

Here are the others: Charlie Hanson 5, Kyle Fehr 3, Asmus 2, Owen Anderson 2 and Max Lietz 2. Huebner was six of ten in shooting. Our team numbers were 15-for-45. We were hurt by cool three-point shooting: two-for-15. Hanson and Fehr had our two makes. Huebner made three of six from the freethrow line where our team numbers were four of eight. 

Our rebound harvest was 25 with six coming offensively. Huebner led with seven rebounds followed by Berlinger with five. Berlinger had two of our four assists, and he had both our steals. Three Tigers each blocked a shot: Anderson, Daniel Travis and Drew Storck. We had 12 turnovers. 

Jay Neubert supplied the main punch for the Streeters with 33 points. He complemented that with seven rebounds. Teammate Matt Warring had eleven points, seven rebounds. The Streeters showed punch in freethrow shooting, 17 of 24, and in long-range shooting: eight 3-pointers. 

The Streeters came out of the night at 8-1. Our record: 6-5. 

 

Tigers 64, BOLD 41

We sure made it look easy in our previous game which was versus BOLD. Let's re-phrase that: we made it look easy in the second half. Indeed we enjoyed a pleasant reversal from halftime in this game played at Bird Island. The Tigers fought back from a 3-point halftime deficit. The score was 31-28 at halftime. 

Then the Tigers turned on the jets to prevail at the end, 64-41. We not only reversed course, we won in a rout. Our superiority in the second half was with 36-10 numbers. I wonder what the formula was. 

For sure, Riley Asmus had a big role. The freshman scored 25 points on 11-for-22 shooting. He was joined by two other double figures scorers: Tyler Berlinger with 12 and Drew Storck with ten. Here's the rest of the scoring list: Kyle Fehr 6, Drew Huebner 4, Charlie Hanson 3, Jack Tollefson 2 and Owen Anderson 2. 

Our team shooting was 26-for-55, 47 percent. And in 3-pointers: 7-for-21, 33 percent. Asmus found paydirt three times from 3-point land, Fehr twice. And Berlinger and Hanson once each. Berlinger stood out in the freethrow stats as he made five of six. 

Rebounds! Here the team numbers were 29 total, six offensive. Asmus led the way with his ten boards. Storck collected five and Fehr four. Huebner had five of the team total 15 assists. Berlinger showed his aggressive stance to get seven steals. Asmus had three steals and our team total was 16. Berlinger and Asmus each had a blocked shot. The Tigers committed eleven turnovers.

 

Girls: BOLD 67, Tigers 37

Alas, things not looking up in the world of MACA girls hoops. So on Friday the outcome was a 67-37 defeat at the hands of BOLD. Action was at our Tiger Center. 

Maddy Grove supplied some punch for the home team: 14 points, eight rebounds. Brett Miller's kmrs summary shows Kaylee Harstad with ten points and 13 rebounds. Our W/L record is 2-8. 

The orange and black needs to try to get through this fog for better times. I'm thinking "fog" because of our local conditions of late. Is it climate inversion? If so, it is not good for our health. Are you all feeling the winter "blahs?"

 

Girls hockey: Storm 8, Windom 5

Karlie Bruns was spectacular with six goals scored for the MBA girls in their win over Windom. The score  was tied five-all with two periods done at the Windom ice. Bruns quieted the home fans with her third period hat trick. In all she had eight points on the night in this 8-5 Storm win. 

But of course she wasn't the whole story. Kortney Sanasack had a goal and three assists. Allison Michealson put the puck in the net and Charlie Erdahl came through with an assist. Working in net was Ava Breuer who totalled 45 saves. 

The success lifted spirits in an otherwise sub-.500 season: 5-10 W/L numbers. Windom too has struggled some: a 5-8-2 record. Their Madalyn Schumacher struck with two goals. Goalkeeper Lily McNea had 16 saves.

Oscar Brandt RIP

Was sitting at Don's Cafe last night (Friday) when Larry Anderson shared the unfortunate news of Oscar Brandt's passing. Oscar had a personality that stood out and he was a super backer of Morris High School athletics, MAHS and MACA. 

I have a framed photo in our house that shows Oscar and friend Jim McRoberts standing close to the sidelines at the old Coombe Field. Oscar has the American flag clutched under one arm. So he was involved in the pre-game pomp with the flag. It's an interesting photo because we see the cheerleaders in background getting ready to perform. 

Remember the cheerleaders for Tiger athletic contests? Those memories will fade with time. Do any of the MACA opponents still have cheerleaders? Has it totally faded out of the picture? Man, how times change. Cheerleaders were a staple of the experience once. A good thing? Well, well-intentioned from our culture of a previous time. 

That previous culture acknowledged there were "cute" girls who stood out. Such girls fit a mold that was considered the norm by heterosexual men. We try not to think in such terms any more. And I think that is a very good thing. We used to accentuate "being thin" for both girls and boys. What a relief that we can totally accept "plus" sizes now. But there ought to be a limit just for health reasons. 

Remember the old Coombe Field? Comes across as rather primitive in our memories now. Think of what we have now with "Big Cat." The adjustment was pretty substantial for our fans. People and kids gathered at Coombe Field on Friday nights to socialize, perhaps even more than to seriously watch football. Maybe I should strike the word "perhaps." Yes it's true. 

Remember the "senior couches" on the west side? Junior high-age girls would walk "laps" around the field while kibitzing. There was an old running track there. I remember watching varsity track meets there as a kid. 

Oscar Brandt

Oscar was part of a little breakfast group at the old Ardelle's restaurant, known as Kelly's prior to that. Or if you want to go further back, the "Del Monico." I remember the Del Monico name from when the establishment was across the street, part of what became Thrifty White Drug. Remember going down the little "ramp" at Thrifty White? That took you into the old Del Monico space. 

Charming little restaurant, the old Del Monico. Then, the name moved to the east side of Atlantic Avenue. Along came Kelly McCann and then Ardelle whose last name I forget. Remember the chocolate-frosted cookies of that place? It had a meeting room with piano. Eventually the restaurant was phased out for a bank. It's the Riverwood Bank. 

It bothers me that no new establishment really came along to replace the restaurant. It was a convenient main street gathering place. 

So we had a little Saturday morning breakfast group where we'd hash over the recent Tiger athletics among other things. Jim McRoberts was a member of good standing. I remember also Arnie Hennen and Ray Zurn. Oscar was often a late arrival and he'd sneak up behind me and scare me with his rather gruff and authoritative voice. Charming little ritual. 

I also remember Oscar as one of the Elmer's Distributing gang who'd have breakfast at the VFW foodstand during the fair. They'd sit at the picnic tables. They were there for business too. Those were the days when the "real" VFW people (and Auxiliary) did the work. Like Darlene Olen. She and I had a little routine where I'd order eggs over easy and then she'd say "over hard." Maybe you had to be there. 

I can take my eggs any way. I have always heard that restaurants hate it when you order eggs poached. Don Grossman liked to order his eggs poached. 

So Oscar, I speak to you now at the time of your passing and I'll quote my late Mom, to say you're in a better place. I guess Oscar had his health trials toward the end. He lived life to the fullest in his prime, just like on that night as he clutched the American flag, standing just outside the sidelines at Coombe Field with friend Jim McRoberts. Seeing Oscar and Jim standing side-by-side says "Morris" all the way!

Remember these MHS cheerleaders? Photo is from 1970-71. I'll just use first names, l-r: Kathy, Connie, Jane, Robin and Jackie. Jane and Jackie were in my grade. Our basketball coach was Roger Schnaser. Was not considered the best coach but I liked him. He was a product of UMM. He was tall.
 

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