The long wait till next season bow hunting

Yes, the season is over. Yes, it will be 8 months till season opens again. Yes, there are things that you can do to pass the time. Think of all the hunts and things you should of had and didn't. Make bow ropes. Go knock on a few door's and see if you can't get permission for this coming season. Go look for sheds. If you want a new bow go get one know. This gives you plenty of time to get comfortable with your bow and shooting straight. If you don't want to pay to shoot at a archery place make your own. It doesn't take much. Get a target and a distance of ten yards. Its not as much about distance as it is about fundamentals.Make your permanent tree stands know so that the deer get used to them.
There is nothing like reading books to learn the mind of a whitetail. I would recommend downloading Google earth on to your computer. This is a Ariel map of the world. You can zoom in on potential hunting spots. Only one problem is that it doesn't give any land owner information. You will have to use a plat book or drive to there place to get permission but it might be worth it.

Go shopping for new clothing and gear. Especially calls. This gives you plenty of time to practice with them and become a better caller.

So shoot now, scout now, buy gear, and eventually the season will be here, and you'll be on top of your game.

Wildcats have "WILD" Week

The Goodhue Wildcats basketball team took on one of its toughest opponents yet Monday night when they took on 8-1 Bethlehem Academy. Academy got hot in the 2nd half in route to a 85-62 loss. It seemed like everything that Academy put up it was going down. Drew Mathews had a game high 26 points including five of five from three. Chris palmer had only 19 points and was only four of six from three. As a team the Cardinals shot 11-19 from beyond the arc for the game. Kelby buck lead the way for the Cats with 13 points. “No matter what you when a team shoots that good they can’t be beat”, said junior guard DJ Buck.


A night later the Wildcats looked to bounce back against 2-7 Kasson- Mantorville. Though tailing most of the 1st half the Wildcats stormed to a 59-47 victory. The Wildcats were short handed as two players were unable to compete in the contest, Cameron Peterson could not play due to illness and DJ Buck was unable to play due to an undisclosed reason. Ashton Erie seen more action in the game as all eight players on the team seen at least five minutes of playing time. The cats went on a 10-2 run with 6 minutes to play and took over from there. “It was a good comeback win”, said Goodhue Senior guard Kelby Buck. Though shooting just 1-11 from three Blayne Erie finished with 17, and Kelby Buck finished with 11. The defense played big as well holding K-M to shooting just 4-16 from three for the game. Isaac Manitz had a team high 16 for the KoMets.

BY DJ Buck

Future Twin?

These days Roger Clemens is dominating headlines, not Johan Santana. Yet nearly two months after the Yankees first started trade talks with the Twins over Santana, the Minnesota ace is not off the Yankees' radar. Don't be surprised though if the New York Mets, and not the Yankees, end up with Johan Santana for $20 million a year after the Twins' Cy Young Award winner becomes a free agent after the 2008 season.

Last year starting pitcher Johan Santana went 15-13 with an era (earned run average) of 3.33 for the Minnesota Twins. Now he's reaching the end of his contract and will be asking for the big bucks after the 2008 season. The left-hander will be 29 years old reaching the 2008 season He has denied previous extensions that the Twins have offered him. Santana said that the money amount wasnt high enough so since then other teams have been contacting him and trying to nail one of the leagues best pitchers. If the Twins don't reach agreements this could hurt the team a lot for the future because after Santana the Twins pitching drops off quite a bit.

Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner has not closed the door on a trade for Twins left-hander Johan Santana. He is still in the deciding process and is involved in little talk back and forth. Right-hander Phil Hughes and center fielder Melky Cabrera would likely be part of a multiplayer package needed to get hold of Santana, who is two-time Cy Young Award winner. So far the only major trade talks are with the Red Sox, Yankees, and the Mets. All three of them are teams with a lot of money for guys like Santana. I asked fellow classmate Micah what team he thought he would end up with and the spit out " The Yankees, the Yankees always get who ever they want." Which i think is true, in the past five years the Yankees have made some of the biggest trades ever.

The Twins know what they can get for Johan Santana and they realize none of the packages will calm down their fans, who we might never forgive the team for trading the two-time Cy Young Award winner. The Star Tribune reports that Twins officials say they think Santana will be traded before spring training opens next month. Fans and I will have to wait and see what goes down in the next month or two before training camps.

By: Sean Thomforde

DEER HUNTING

The Whitetail breeding period lasts longer than most people realize. The closer to the peak of the rut you get the bigger and the more bucks you will see interacting with the doe's. The rut starts in mid-November and ends late-November.

The Pre-Rut
There are three periods of the rut. The first is called "the pre-rut". Beginning in late summer or early autumn the blood flow to a buck's soft antlers stop; they then harden or calcify. The white-tail bucks rubs small trees to remove the velvet on his antlers which is now drying up and beginning to shed. A buck is also scent marking trees by rubbing them with the pre-orbital glands located in his forehead, thus marking his home territory. The rubbing of trees is also a means of strengthening a whitetail's neck. This prepares him for upcoming light sparring sessions with other buck's to establish a dominance order to the local deer herd. The dominant bucks are the older males, they are larger and have the best genetic make-up. These are the trophy deer that do most of the breeding. It's natures way of ensuring survival of the fittest and passing on the best genes.

Hunting The Rut

When hunting the rut, sometimes a deer hunter will see a doe travel by their hunting stand, tail out, sort of fanning the air, alert to something behind them. Be alert because a buck may not be far behind; with his neck outstretched and head low to the ground making low grunting sounds, in search of his mate. A buck advertises his presence through numerous sensory signals leaving physical scrapes and signs. He applies scents from various parts of his body signaling other deer of his presence and dominance. Saliva, urine, pre-orbital glands in front of his eyes, forehead glands at the base of his antlers and tarsal glands on the insides of his hind legs all send aromatic messages to other deer.

Buck in the rut

IT'S CRUNCH TIME

Nothing gets better then Conference Championships. This Sunday the final four teams left in the NFL go head to head. At 3:00 the San Diego Chargers vs. the New England Patriots, and at 6:30 its the Green Bay Packers vs. the New York Giants. The greatest football of the year could be played this sunday.

First off the San Diego Chargers pulled a huge upset against the Indianapolis Colts last week in an outstanding defensive game. The Chargers are a little bruised up from last week still, losing two key players and a third who is coming off a dislocated toe. Phillip Rivers was injured in the fourth quarter with a knee injury and also LaDainian Tomlinson bruised his right knee in last weeks game but returned to practice this week and should be playing Sunday. Bruised up or not the Chargers are not going down without a fight against the undefeated New England Patriots. The Patriots dont just play the game they dominate the game of football. Tom Brady has had the best year then all of the other quarterbacks in the league. But you just cant talk about the Patriots and not talk about Randy Moss, Wes Walker, Laurence Maroney and well the whole team. These guys have had one helva season and wish to win the super bowl but it all comes down to sundays game, if they dont bring their "A" game the underdog San Diego Chargers will capitolize.

Now for the New York Giants, the Giants haven't had the best year. It is best discribed as a rollercoster. A team that finished the reg. season 10-6, losing their starting Tightend Jeremy Shockey, to a season ending injury, who led the team in catches and touchdowns.they have been fighting injurys all year long, playing poorly all year long and making the playoffs with the first NFC wildcard spot, you wouldn't think they would be one game away from the Super bowl but they are. The Green Bay Packers for other hand have started the season with a BANG!!! Most people didn't even think they would have been in the playoffs this past offseason. But with an old hall of fame Quarterback who is playing the best football of his career Brett Favre has held this young team together and is fighting to win a Super bowl. As of right now they are looking like the second best team still alive right behind the New England Patriots. Green Bay has a great chance to make it to the Super bowl and even win it!!!

So all of you football fans out there get ready for some great football Sunday.

Security Cameras at School

By the end of the month of January, Goodhue School will have security cameras monitoring the hallways. There is going to be cameras placed throughout the high school and elementary hallways. The cameras are going to mainly focus on the entrances of school and the entrances into the locker rooms. There will also be cameras by student lockers. The main purpose of these cameras is for safety, not to get anyone in trouble that looks at the cameras wrong.
The company determines where they think the security cameras are most needed. The cameras by the doorway are mainly to help ensure that there is not anyone coming into the building that is not supposed to be in the building. This promotes a lot of safety to teachers and students. The purpose of the cameras in the hallways and the entrances into the locker room are to catch people stealing belongings out of lockers. This has been an issue at our school in the past, considering we do not have locks on our ancient lockers. There is also going to possibly be one or more cameras out in the school parking lot. This will help determine theft and damage to people’s vehicles which can be very costly.
We are one of the very last schools around our area to get security cameras. Red Wing has had security cameras in the middle school and the high school for years. “We haven’t really had a need for them in the past,” stated Mr. Harvey. They are only for minor needs. They help the school find the suspect that stole something when someone complains of theft. When someone complains of something getting stole out of their locker, the school can go back and look at the cameras and determine suspects. It’s a lot easier to get things returned to their owners this way. It also helps determine what happens after school at sporting events. People find ways to get to lockers and steal stuff when no one is around. Now, the school can look back and find the suspect who did steal belongings when no one was around.
These cameras are not going to be monitored every minute of the day. There is going to be one monitoring system in the office. They are not here to ruin every student’s privacy. You won’t get called down to the office for walking in the hall during class. These cameras were put up for minor needs and they are likely to help the school a lot and make a lot of people feel more secure and happier. Mr. Harvey is not sure how many security cameras are being installed but look for them throughout the school soon!

Wildcats Undefeated in HVL Blue

With about half of the regular season in the books, the Goodhue Wildcats basketball team is playing well and has an overall record of 7-5. However, the Cats are still undefeated in conference play with a record of 4-0. There have been numerous exciting games since my last update. On January 4th, the Lake City Tigers, one of our fiercest rivals, came to Goodhue in an attempt to hand us our first lost. Lake City gave us everything we could handle, but we still managed to escape with a narrow victory thanks to Sean Thomforde's game high 17 points. "I was just hitting my shots today. I threw 'em up and they went in," said Thomforde. Our next opponents were also Tigers, this time from Medford. Medford did not have the best basketball players, but they made up for it with hustle and effort. The scrappy Tigers managed to keep the game close until the final minutes, when we pulled away to win by 15. Brett Watson scored 16 to lead the Wildcats. Our next conference opponent was the mighty Cougars of Zumbrota-Mazeppa. A young squad led by good 3-point shooters, the Cougars gave us a run for our money, but we were able to scrape by with a 6 point victory. We played host to the Faribault B.A. Cardinals the following Monday. The Cards came were ranked #7 in Minnesota and had won 8 straight. They continuted their streak with a dominant win over us. B.A. was led by the sharpshooter Brian Matthews who scored 26. The following evening was another home game, this time against Kasson Mantorville. The Wildcats and Komets played a fierce, back and forth game until Goodhue finally pulled away in the final minutes. Everything is looking good for the Cats at this point in the season. They are looking to get another conference win tonight in Kenyon-Wanamingo

It's FINAL-ly here.

This is probably the most stressful week of the year for Goodhue High School students. For the first time ever we are required to have actual finals in ALL of our classes. Now this has thrown us all off our feet into unexpected panicism (new word I made up meaning sheer panic)! You can calm down a little though, unclench your fists, relax your posture, for I have found the ultimate study skill helper! So after you read these, you can go back to studying knowing that you will actually, well, study.

Study Skills You Will Actually Use

· Take responsibility for yourself: Recognize that in order to succeed you need to make decisions about your priorities, your time, and your resources
· Center yourself around your values and principles: Don't let friends and acquaintances dictate what you consider important
· Put first things first: Follow up on the priorities you have set for yourself, and don't let others, or other interests, distract you from your goals
· Discover your key productivity periods and places: Morning, afternoon, or evening?Find spaces where you can be the most focused and productive. Prioritize these for your most difficult study challenges
· Consider yourself in a win-win situationWhen you contribute your best to a class, you, your fellow students, and even your teacher will benefit. Your grade can then be one additional check on your performance
· First understand others, then attempt to be understood: When you have an issue with an instructor (a questionable grade, an assignment deadline, etc.) put yourself in the instructor's place. Now ask yourself how you can best make your argument given his/her situation
· Look for better solutions to problems: For example, if you don't understand the course material, don't just re-read it. Try something else! Consult with the professor, a tutor, an academic advisor, a classmate, a study group, or your school's study skills center
· Look to continually challenge yourself !!

Now shoo! Go back to your studying! You shouldn't be in front of the computer.

-Amy Jo

The End of Analog Broadcasting as We Know It

At midnight on February 17, 2009, millions of households risk loosing television reception. By law, television broadcasters nationwide must switch from the traditional method of trasnmission of analog to the new type of broadcasting that delivers movie-quality pictures and sound, more channels, and higher definition.

What's the difference between analog and digital television?

Analog, which has been used since the invention of television itself, is the traditional method of transmitting television signals . Analog is not as efficient as digital television: it uses up much more of the valuable spectrum than digital, and TV stations can only transmit one channel. Analog is susceptible to interference and “snow” that make a picture less clear.

Digital television (DTV) is an innovative new type of over-the-air broadcasting technology that enables TV stations to provide dramatically clearer pictures and better sound quality. DTV is more efficient and more flexible than the traditional broadcast. DTV makes it possible for stations to broadcast multiple channels of free programming simultaneously (called multicasting), instead of broadcasting only one channel at a time, using the same amount of spectrum.

Why the switch?

The switch to digital broadcasting will enable television stations to offer dramatically clearer pictures, better sound quality and more programming choices. Under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 passed by Congress, over-the-air broadcast television stations are required to turn off their analog channels on February 17, 2009, and continue broadcasting exclusively in the digital format. DTV is a more flexible and efficient technology than the current analog system. The analog turn-off will also free up parts of the airwaves to provide wireless spectrum for future innovative services by entrepreneurs and emergency personel. Television stations have been preparing for the transition since the late 1990s, when they began building new facilities and airing digital channels alongside their regular analog broadcasts. Today, 1,624 full power television stations out of 1,762 stations nationwide offer digital programming in all markets across America.

Who's affected?

At least 19.6 million consumer households who receive over-the-air television signals through antennas on television sets that are equipped with analog tuners and those who do not subscribe to cable, satellite or a telephone company television service provider will be affected.

How do I switch?

Consumers will have three options for continuing their television service:

1. Purchase a DTV converter box that will convert the digital signal into analog for an existing television set



2. Purchase a new television set with a built-in digital tuner; or



3. Subscribe to cable, satellite or a telephone company television service provider if all desired local broadcast stations are carried by that service.

The DTV converter box, also referred to as a set-top box, is an electronic device that makes the new digital signal viewable on an older “analog” television set. You will still need an over-the-air antenna in addition to the box. DTV converter boxes will be available for purchase in early 2008, and are expected to cost between $40 and $70. To help consumers cover the cost of the converter box, the federal government will offer up to two converter box coupons valued at $40 each to households beginning in early 2008. Each coupon may be used toward the purchase of a single DTV converter box and the coupon program will be administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ and also at http://www.dtv2009.gov/. With new TVs with the built-in digital converter, you will also still need an over-the-air antenna to pick up free digital broadcasting from local stations. No additional equipment is required if you decide to use paid TV such as Dish and cable.

"DTV is socialist," said Amy when asked her opinion on DTV. Allison said, "I think it's really dumb."

Hopefully this has been helpful for you with making the switch. It may seem complicated with all of the options and the rush. The switch really is simple when you break it down, it's just getting there that is the problem. Good luck. Remember February 17, 2009 is the day!

Pandora's "Music" Box

Pandora.com is a free online "radio" station that plays only music that you like.

In order to use it though, they require that you sign up for free. By doing this, pandora.com uses the information you enter to take polls and also to predict what ads to show according to the age group you 'claim' to belong to.

To set up a station or auto playlist on pandora all you do is click "Create a New Station" and type in a song name or band name. Once you do this is will use that bands characteristics to find similar bands that you may like.

When a song plays, if you like/dislike the song you can click a thumbs-up or a thumbs-down to tell the website that you want more music like this to play or not play.

There are a few things that make it a little annoying to use though. First of all, it doesn't let you listen to any song you want, only songs that are by that artist or related to the artist. Another thing that makes it annoying is that you can skip songs, but after a few skips it doesn't let you skip it any more for about an hour because they have to limit the amount of times for legal issues.

By: Peter Gruetzmacher

Beta House Disappoints All

I’m sure most of you noticed that American Pie came out with yet another movie. This slice of pie is called American Pie Presents: Beta House. It was never in theaters but it came out a few weeks ago. I got it for Christmas and watched it and I was personally very disappointed and thought that the American Pie movies keep getting worse. They started getting worse after American Wedding, because they introduced a new cast and things just weren’t as good without the real Stifler (Sean William Scott).
The movie takes the cast from the last move American Pie Presents: The Naked Mile and puts them in their first year of college. Erik and his friends go to college expecting to party it up and have the times of their life. They also think they will get into the Beta Frat no problem because Erik’s cousin is a member of the Frat. Instead they are getting forced to do dirty things to become a member of the Beta’s. They have a list of 50 dirty things to do before they can get into the party Frat. When they become members of the Frat, the Beta’s are challenged to the Greek Olympiads by the Geek Frat. This tradition was banned from the college 40 years ago but they Beta’s are up to the challenge to keep the Geeks out of their way. They end up having to do some pretty difficult challenges and pull out some pretty good stunts.
I asked a fellow classmate what he thought of the movie. “If you were disappointed with The Naked Mile, you will be more disappointed with Beta House,” commented DJ Buck. This movie is not rated so it’s definitely not for young eyes. They should probably stop making American Pie movies because they get worse every time. “It’s all a downfall since American Wedding,” said Luke O’Reilly.

LSU Bashes Ohio State!

In this years college National Championship football game the LSU Tigers totally dominated the Ohio State Buckeyes in a 38-24 victory. The Tigers came into the game as the first team to ever play in a national championship game with 2 losses. The Buckeyes came into the game hoping to prove themselves worthy after a disappointing loss in last years title game and also a loss to Michigan.

The Buckeyes came out on their first drive of the night after receiving the opening kickoff and ended up taking a run in from 65 yards out. This proved to be the longest touchdown run in a National Championship game. The Tigers offense then took to the field for their first drive of the night. Things seemed to be going alright for the Tigers until miscommunication by the center and the quarterback led to a 4th and long forcing the Tigers to punt. The Buckeyes then took their next drive down deep into Tiger territory before being stopped and having to settle for a field goal. After the 10-0 Buckeye lead, it snapped the Tigers back into football action where they scored 24 unanswered points to take a 24-10 halftime lead.

The second half started out with LSU receiving the ball and marching far into Buckeye territory before giving the ball back to Ohio State. The teams had a few three and outs to start to second until early in the fourth quarter LSU scored once more after an Ohio State fumble gave them great field position. With this score the Tigers greatened their lead to 31-10 where it stayed till about 4 minutes left in the fourth when the Buckeyes found the end zone but by this time their was almost no hope. each team managed to cross the goal line once more by the end of the game leaving the score at 38-24 in LSU's favor.

With this win it makes LSU the only team to ever win a National Championship with 2 losses and also gives them their third in school history.

Rabbit Hunting 101

It is now 2008, and hunting seasons have came to an end or will be there before you know it. Some small game is still open though. There are multiple species to hunt. I mainly hunt just rabbits and squirrels. Today I'm going to tell you how to hunt rabbits and why you should hunt them.



The rabbit I hunt is the cottontail. They are a small, fast, challenging little things. For you who don't know what a rabbit looks like it is that little furry thing on the left of the picture.




In order to hunt rabbits or all small game you must wear one article of blaze orange. You can use many different kinds of guns and ammo. Some people use .22's but I use a shotgun. I own a 12 gauge shotgun which works just fine. It doesn't really matter what kind of shotgun you use. I recommend shotguns with a bird barrel. This comes in handy for running rabbits. As far a shot goes i recommend 2 3/4 inch 6 shot. You get cheaper ammo and plenty of bb's to take down a rabbit.



Rabbits live in many places. They are like all animals, they need cover. Rabbits like places where they can hide well. That's why your best bet is to jump on brush piles, kick cars and old wagons in a junk yard, hunt somewhere where there is lots of pine trees for them to hide under.



Rabbits are a tougher meat. There are several ways to fix this problem. You can slow cook them in a rooster with mushroom soup which is suppose to be really good. You could also shreded the meat up in to fine pieces and barbecue it. There are more recipes, but that's just a few.



Well if you hunt the places I told you to hunt, use the right guns and ammo and shoot straight you might just get your supper.

SONSHINE FESTIVAL 2008

SONSHIEN FESTIVAL 2008. Some say it is the highlight of their summer! Others say it is the highlight of their lives. We say it is SONSHINE!!! For the 27th year in a row, the Sonshine Music Festival will be held in Willmar, MN and will be nothing short of a lifetime memory! What could be better than the best in the Christian music world - in one place - for three days?Good question! Maybe it is 20,000 people you will worship with each day or a personal encounter with the One we worship. Maybe it is hanging out with friends or making new ones. Maybe it is the skate park, the kids ministry or the new sports arena stage. Maybe it is Main Stage, Stage 2, HM Stage or the Hip Hop Stage.THE SONSHINE EXPERIENCE CONTINUES Free Camping - Free Parking - Free Showers NEW FOR 2008 Sonshine Begins Wednesday EveningFeaturing Worship NO TICKET REQUIRED. FREE TO THE PUBLIC.
sleep. /tent city Some say, ‘the best things in life are free’! That is certainly true at SONSHINE08! tent city FOR WRISTBAND-TICKET HOLDERS ONLY OPENS NOON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, CLOSES NOON, SUNDAY JULY 15. EARLY ARRIVALS MAY BE ASKED TO RETURN AT NOON ON WEDNESDAY.
Camp out with over half the people attending Sonshine on the 50 acres of green grass surrounding the Willmar Civic Center! Plan to use the MAIN ENTRANCE when you arrive for parking & camping. Parking is real close to the camping area and you can bring a grill or stove to enjoy cooking in the great outdoors. No campfires, torches or fireworks are permitted and since it’s a temporary campground there is no electricity, trees, or picnic tables – bring what you need. If you’ve got a camping rig on wheels, blacktop parking is available. Free showers are available for all ticket holders. All stages are within a four (4) minute walk of RV & Tent City. Sonshine 2007 offers FREE camping to all wristband-ticket holders the day(s) of ticket(s) purchased. Camping privileges end at 10 am the following day. No Reservations Needed.

Artists:Peder Eide, Maron, Stellar Kart, Superchick, Jeremy Camp, Third Day, School Boy Humor, Decyfer Down, Dizmas, The Wedding, Pillar, Hands, No Wings to Speak of, Emarosa,Kingston Falls, Haste The Day, Wavorly, Firefighting, Hawk Nelson, Barlowgirl, David Crowder Band, Toby Mac, MASI, A Dream Too Late, The Send, Children 18:3, Run Kid Run, Spoken, Thousand Foot Krutch, Common Yet Forbidden, Burden of a Day, Inhale exhale, War of Ages, August Burns Red, Project 86, Krystal Meyers, Red, Kutless, Skillet, Jeremy Kingsley, Bob Lenz, NewsBoys, Jars of Clay, The Dig Project, Nevertheless, Eleventyseven, John Reuben, For Today, I SleepWalk, Means,Flatfoot 56, Maylene and the sons of Disaster, As I Lay Dying, Flyleaf, Ruth, Silverline, With Blood Comes Cleansing, Becoming The Archetype, A Plea For Purging, KJ-52

College Hoops Has Arrived!!

It's far too early to start talking about march madness, but the season so far has been an exciting one with teams exploding out to great starts. So far my top ten looks strong and I will break it down for you.

Like everyone else, I've got North Carolina on top of my list. The more Ty Lawson plays and contributes the better off the Tar Heels will be. If guys like Tyler Hansbrough are healthy UNC will do great things this year. I expect UNC to remain #1 well into January with the next tough game being Clemson on the 6th.

So far no team has impressed me more than the Duke Blue Devils, which is why I've got them at #2. It doesn't matter who they throw out there, Coach K makes sure the spread the court impeccably well which leads to one of the most efficient offenses so far. I asked Brett Watson what his early season favorite was and he shouted “ UNC will dominated and remain at the top of the polls, they are just a tough team to beat this year.”

1. North Carolina (10-0) – An early favorite to stay at the top and final four contender.
2. Duke (10-1) – They just lost a close game to Pittsburgh and should bounce back just fine. They should destroy Cornell next week.
3. Kansas (11-0) - Only a 4-point win over Arizona in OT, but I think they will be fine.
4. Texas (11-0) – Great win for the longhorns on the road against UCLA. Big top 10 match up this Saturday against Michigan State though.

5. UCLA (10-1) – They shouldn’t be concerned about the home loss to Texas, which could be a final four team at the end of the year.

6. Memphis (9-0) – The most talented team, but I don't think they've played their best yet. Next Saturday vs. Georgetown will a interesting one.

7. Georgetown (8-0) - My preseason national title pick isn't flashy, but long term I still like the Hoyas.

8. Michigan State (10-1) - Back-to-back road wins at Bradley and BYU was a good accomplishment for a team playing the most freshman minutes in the country
9. Washington State (10-0) - If you just look at scores, you likely unimpressed so far.

10. Pittsburgh (11-0) – Just off an impressive one point victory over Duke.

Who votes for the president of the United States?

Who?

The number of electoral votes of each state is the sum of its number of U.S. Senators (always two) and its U.S. Representatives. In each state, voters vote for a slate of pre-selected candidates for Presidential Elector, representing the various candidates for President. State ballots, however, are designed to suggest that the voters are voting for actual candidates for President. Most states use what is termed the short ballot, in which a vote for one party (Democratic or Republican) is interpreted as a vote for the entire slate of presidential electors. In the event that no candidate receives at least 40 percent of the popular vote, the joint resolution calls for a runoff 21 days after the general election between the two candidates with the greatest number of popular votes.

The problem with the Electoral College as implemented today is that it creates a huge round-off in the voting results. The popular vote is converted into an electoral vote, discounting the votes of the minority in the state.
The thing I like about the Electoral College is that they pick the president of the United States. They go off how many votes they get for their state that they are in and then they have to vote for that person. The thing I don’t like about the Electoral College is that they should not be able to pick the president of the United States, because the people are the ones that vote for the president of the United States to start it out. Then the person that gets the most votes should get to be the president of the United States.

People Voting for the President of the United States.

Christmas break at Welch Village

Welch Village has special holiday rates for Christmas and New Years from December 21st through January 1st. The hours are changed because of the holidays, so they will be open at 9 a.m. every morning from December 21st to January 1st. On Christmas Eve it will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Christmas day will be closed. There is one event that will be held on the 22nd and 23rd called the USASA event on run Dans Dive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. There are a couple runs that they have not yet opened: Cannon Bell, Dreamcrossing, Rock Face, Southern Cross, and Tree Face. Other than that, I say hit it up and have a great Christmas break.
If you are planning on going to Welch Village this weekend on our very long break your in luck. They have a 25-45 snow packed base and probably going to make more snow really soon."I hope so," said Charlie. The weather sounds like its going to be very nice for Christmas break. Here is what its looking like Saturday light snow 35°, Sunday few snow showers windy 24°, Monday cloudy 26°, Tuesday mostly cloudy 32°, Wednesday flurries 32°, Thursday cloudy 32°, Friday cloudy 33°, Saturday snow shower 30°, Sunday cloudy 32°, Monday cloudy 30°, Tuesday mostly cloudy 32°, that is what the weather is looking like for this awesome winter break. "Looks like good weather to me," said Brett.

Wildcats Lose In Wild Loss!

The Wildcats traveled to Cannon Fallls to wrestle the Bombers last night who struck them with their first loss. The match started much like the last one in goodhue with Goodhue's Tyler Lexvold pinning his guy followed by Charlie Dickie winning by decision. This was then followed by a few Cannon Falls wins until Caleb Deircks won by pinnfall. This then strung into a few more Bomber wins that were ended at the 152 pound match when Chad Meyer won by a major decision. Followed by a Wildcat pin the next match. The Bombers then turned around and pinned Goodhue at the 171 pound weight class, then the Wildcats followed with another pin at 189 before the Bombers closed the match with a major decision at 215 and a pin at 285. This caused the Wildcats to end up with their first loss of the season loosing 34-31. The match was wrestled pretty much the same way is was in Goodhue earlier this year except for the two Cannon Falls wins at 215 and 285. With this loss it puts the Wildcats overall record to 5-1 heading into Christmas break. The Wildcats will then resume wrestling again January 3rd in Hayfield.

Holiday Food & Drinks

Tis the season to host parties and have no idea what have for food and drinks! I don't know about you but I'm tired of the store bought egg nog, and the cider that is just too watered down. So I looked up some holiday drink ideas for you.

Homemade Eggnog-This is so simple to make from scratch -- and so much fresher tasting and satisfying when you do! At my local market, I buy Ronnybrook Farms brand milk and cream, which makes a huge difference with their thick texture and deep flavor. I even substitute skim milk for whole milk!6 egg yolks½ pound superfine Sugar½ quart milk½ quart heavy cream1 tablespoon vanilla¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg½ teaspoon ground cinnamon½ teaspoon ground dry gingerzest from ½ orange½ quart rum (optional)In a bowl, gently whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth. Whisk in the milk, cream, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and orange zest. For best results, make the mix the day before and allow to "rest" overnight in the refrigerator. Strain before serving if you like a smoother texture.

Mulled Cider-A "straight" apple cider, labeled "sweet," is often made from mixed varieties of apples and sometimes enriched with crab apples, which offer an additional boost of pectin to thicken the cider and a tart flavor that makes it more refreshing to drink. "Hard" cider has been left to ferment and is considered an alcoholic beverage. For this recipe, I like a cloudy and murky sweet cider.1 quart apple cider10 whole cloves5 large cinnamon sticks½ teaspoon nutmeg¼ cup dark brown sugar1 knob fresh ginger, peeled and pricked with a forkzest from ½ lemon1 apple, such as Macoun or McIntosh varieties, washed, cored, and dicedHeat the cider on the stove until hot but not boiling. Add all of the other ingredients (except the lemon zest) and stir to blend. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. Remove the ginger (and whole spices, if desired). Add the lemon zest and diced apple. Serve immediately!

Quick Grape Spritzer- I get wonderful local grape juices at my market at the same stand where I buy my grapes. I especially like white grape juice for this recipe, but anything will work!1 quart chilled grape juice1 tablespoon honey2 cups chilled seltzer or naturally sparkling water24 to 30 grapes, stemmed, washed, and frozen Mix the grape juice and honey together. Fill some glasses ¾ full with grape juice and top with the sparkling water. Drop a few grapes into each glass for a festive garnish that doubles as an ice cube!

Recipes I found at http://food.yahoo.com/blog/thegreentable/705/festive-holiday-drink-favorites

Now that the drinks are served, you have some time to make some food. I found everything from appetizers to main courses and desserts. Here are some of the many I found.

Ham & Cheese Calzones.

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED
1 (11 ounce) can refrigerated soft breadsticks
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
12 slices OSCAR MAYER Shaved Honey Ham
2 tablespoons KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Unroll dough; separate into 12 breadsticks. Cut each breadstick crosswise in half; flatten dough to 2-inch width.
Spoon 1 tsp. cheese onto center of each ham piece. Fold ham over cheese to create a tight roll. Place ham roll near the end of each piece of breadstick dough, leaving a border. Fold dough over ham, pinching edges to seal. Repeat process for all ham pieces. Place calzones on baking sheet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake 12 to 15 min. or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Yield: 24 servings

Make sure ham and cheese are completely enclosed to prevent cheese from leaking.

I found this one at: http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/kraft/90523/mini-ham-and-cheese-calzones

Penne with Roasted Butternut Squash and Ham

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons dried sage
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup half-and-half
3 scallions including green tops, chopped
3/4 pound penne
1/4 pound sliced smoked ham, such as Black Forest, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put the squash on a large baking sheet and toss with the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper, and sage. Spread the squash out in a single layer. Roast, turning occasionally, until tender and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the mascarpone, half-and-half, scallions, and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne until just done, about 13 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta-cooking water and drain. Return the pasta to the hot pan. Stir in the squash, mascarpone sauce, and ham. If the sauce seems too thick, add some of the reserved pasta-cooking water. Serve topped with the Parmesan.
Yield: 4 servings

Variations: Instead of butternut squash, roast cubes of another winter squash, such as pumpkin or acorn squash--or try roasting cubed sweet potatoes.

I found this one at: http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/food-and-wine/743CB0CE-7E63-40FA-878C793E6CFF8171/penne-with-roasted-butternut-squash-and-ham

So sit back and enjoy this holiday season with these wonderful reciepes.

ENJOY!

Goodhue Wildcat Hoops On Fire

The Goodhue Wildcats boys basketball team began the season with five non-conference matchups. Even though the cats played hard in all of these games, they were only able to come away with one win. But now these tough games can be forgotten and the Wildcats can focus on some games that actually matter, the conference schedule. The Hiawatha Valley League looks to be a very competitive conference, and the Wildcat boys plan to be right in the thick of things. Goodhue plays in the HVL Blue division along with Cannon Falls, Pine Island, Kenyon-Wanamingo, Triton, Lake City, and Zumbrota-Mazeppa.

Triton was the preseason favorite to walk away with the title, but, after only a few conference matchups, it is obvious that it will be a dogfight for the title. After two games, Triton has already lost two conferences games: once to Goodhue and once to Z-M. Right now, three different teams are undefeated in the conference. These teams are Goodhue, Cannon Falls, and Pine Island.

Even though the season just began, things are already starting to heat up and will only get hotter as the season progresses. Goodhue's D.J. Buck thinks the season is already exciting enough, "The atmosphere is always electric, especially when I'm on the court." The Wildcats travel to Bomber country tonight with intentions of handing C-F their first loss. "I think we can take it to 'em tonight and take the outright lead in the conference," said Wildcat star Sean Thomforde.