Getting Old

Even though I am only 22 years old, but I am beginning to feel old. Today I played basketball against a bunch of high school kids and I realized how slow I am getting.



It also makes me feel old when I see guys that are the same age or younger than me and playing professional sports. It seems as though I have lost my childhood dream of being a superstar athlete. I am pretty sure that I won't be declaring for the NBA draft anytime soon. It is time for me to grow up and realize my time of sports glory has passed and the only sports glory I can taste now is by being a city league basketball hero and I have already explained how I do not like those kind of guys. Don't get me wrong I love my life and feel very lucky for what God has provided me, I just do not like feeling this way. The worse thing is that I know this feeling will get worse. The sad truth is that I am going to get older and this feeling will grow. Running a marathon and getting back into shape might help me find or taste a bit of the water from the fountain of youth. Another positive I have going for me is getting married in August. It all comes down to the fact that I need to grow up and not dwell on my 22nd year in life, because hopefully I got a few more years ahead of me and I don't want to miss any big moments thinking about what I have missed out on.

Training

Running long distances for fun is not something that I would consider fun, but this year I am entering into the Boulder Bolder. The Boulder Bolder is a little over 6 miles and my sister has duped me into running it. The race is May 25 and I am contemplating when I will start training for the event. I am wondering if I should do something different for the race besides just running or walking in it. A long time I ago I witnessed a marathon and saw a group of people leap frog the entire race. As crazy as I am I thought that was really cool. To me running is not fun. Don't get me wrong I run when I am playing a sport, but I cannot run without a point. I cannot get pumped knowing that I am going to run from point A to point B as fast as I can. I need a point to my running, like basketball, I run to get a rebound or steal not to time myself. The main reason I am running in this event is to spend some quality time with my sister and enjoy the beautiful Colorado scenery. You can bet that you won't see me running on the streets of Kearney after this race, unless I am playing basketball in the street. It is possible that you might see me do what this guy did at the finish line, although I won't be winning this race.

Parking

I think the main issue with parking on campus is not car parking, but bicycle parking. Seriously, our campus needs more bike racks. They also need to make some improvements to the old racks. Each rack should be big enough that there is plenty of room in between each bike. This is so no one can touch the shimmering tassels on my handle bars. A lot of people need to learn the proper bike rack etiquette. The main lesson that needs to be learned is that if you knock another persons bike down do not leave the bike put it back the way you found it. It is not appropriate to let the bike strangle on its own lock.

The university should also include certain luxuries by the bike racks. Each rack should have its own coffee or drink stand, so you can warm your hands on a nice hot cup of joe. Also, each rack should have an air pump, so people can air up the tires. There should also be a concierge service that wipes off your seat when it snows or rains. These are just some simple improvements the university can make. It would be a lot more simple than messing with the car parking on campus.

Kearney/UNK Issue

The first issue I came across was the concealed weapons ban that was repealed in Kearney just last month. According to the article, the ban had been in place for 50 years and now it is being repealed. It seems kind of scary to know that people could possibly be walking around with a weapon, but it was possible for people to do that before, now it is legal. Although the ban is repealed it is my understanding that no gun can be taken into a public building. This in my mind rules out a lot of places for someone with a gun to go. I figure that the majority of the buildings I go into are public, so I feel safe.

The other article I read about was the city's decision to purchase the Event Center. The final decision is going to be Tuesday night at the city council meeting. It seems that many people have mixed views about the purchase of the building. I do not really see the necessity for the city to own it as long as it is doing well like it is right now. I read this was the first year in the Event Center actually made a profit. This is in large part to the great acts they brought to town. I think the Event Center does enough to help the city on its own. I don't know why the city needs to own it.

The last article I came across was an article about J.B. Miliken. I have referenced this article in my earlier blog posts, but I feel this is an important issue, so I am bringing it up again. I attended Miliken's open forum a while back and was impressed with his optimism. He reassured faculty that it is premature to worry about pay cuts and the budget, but I think it is hard for any one today to not worry about money and their job. Even one faculty member at UNK lost her job, a 20 year veteran in fact. I think most faculty will be safe at UNK, but there will be those that will, unfortunately, have to take the fall.

Blowing Smoke Final

It is ridiculous to think that a person has a right to clean air when people go out in public. When Nebraskans venture out for a bite to eat or something to drink it should be mandatory for them to be exposed to toxins in the air. Breath that second hand smoke in because it can only cause blood platelets to become stickier, damage the lining of blood vessels, decrease coronary flow velocity reserves, and reduce heart rate variability. Which, by the way, can also cause cancer and an increased chance of a heart attack.

Hospitals will benefit greatly from the increased patient flow, which would help the surrounding communities by bringing in more money. Without breathing in toxic air hospitals would have to settle for car accident victims. Nothing pleases a doctor or surgeon more than to open up a chest of a young individual and peer on tar filled lungs.

Breathing in this toxic air could also do wonders to help out the government. When politicians give speeches no one will be able to hear what they are saying because people will be to busy coughing. There is no better enjoyment then trying to hack up a cancerous lung in front of a politician. Since nobody will be able to listen to any of the politicians it will be easier for them to get elected, get bills passed, and get money in their pockets.

One thing that is not helping the fight to breath toxic air are these lawmakers that are trying to passed this bill that outlaws smoking in public areas. People have the right to smell like an ashtray and when they go out to eat they have the right to enjoy a juicy cheeseburger that tastes like charcoal and ash. The government has no right to take away the beauty that is breathing in air filled with cyanide and ammonia. When is the government going to learn that they cannot look out for the best interests of the people? It is ludicrous to even think that they care about the health of individuals.

If this ban comes into effect, where are people going to turn to get there fix of toxic air. People will resort to putting their mouths over car exhaust pipes or climbing tall ladders to breath out of smoke stacks. It certainly is not realistic to think that Nebraskans will continue to go out to restaurants and businesses without knowing that their lungs won’t be choked out. Then Nebraska businesses will lose money and close.

It seems that people who love to breath in toxic air are being killed off town-by-town, city-by-city. Will it ever end? The only hope that Nebraskans have left is the hope that our children might fight this horrible ban and relive the second hand smoke experience.

Blowing Smoke

It is ridiculous to think that a person has a right to clean air when they go out in public. When people venture out for a bite to eat or something to drink it should be mandatory for them to be exposed to toxins in the air. Breath that second hand smoke in because it can only cause blood platelets to become stickier, damage the lining of blood vessels, decrease coronary flow velocity reserves, and reduce heart rate variability. Which, by the way, can also cause cancer and an increased chance of a heart attack.

Many businesses have complained about the smoking ban that will be in effect on June 1, especially those businesses in smaller towns. The consensus is that it is the government’s fault. They have no right to impose this regulation. It is not like the government was put into place to look out for the best interests of the people. The government needs to understand that businesses need money and they don’t care how long they have healthy customers, just as long as they get the cash flow.

Is that really what it comes down to? Agreed, that money is important to live a lifestyle that is comfortable, but it does not have to come down to the price of someone’s life. The government is looking out for the best interest of its people and in this case, they want their people to live longer.

The rights of the people are important. People have the right to damage their health by smoking, but they do not have the right to damage another person’s health with their unhealthy habit. The rights of smokers and businesses are still intact. Smokers can smoke. It is not illegal to do so. They just have to go outside or find another alternative to smoking indoors. It could drive people to quit, which would be a healthy alternative.

Businesses rights are still intact as well. They are still able to serve their customers and when the ban comes into effect their establishments will become cleaner and more kid friendly. Children that come with their parents to bars or restaurants can now enjoy arcade games in a fresh air environment. This means that these kids are future customers that will benefit your business in the long run.

It might seem like this ban is a pain right now, but in the long run it will benefit all of Nebraska. State wide we will be healthier and businesses might feel and initial hit in their pockets, but people need to eat more than they need to smoke.

J.B. Milliken

Even with economic woes, J.B. Milliken is optimistic about the future for UNK and the other universities in Nebraska.
J.B. Milliken is the current president of the University of Nebraska system and spoke with UNK faculty members Thursday, Feb. 12 in Copeland Hall. There were around 50 faculty members that gathered in Copeland to hear Milliken speak. Milliken addressed many different issues, but the bulk of the open forum dealt with the upcoming budget for the four universities. The four universities include UNK, UNO, UNL and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
“There is no denying that this will be a tough budget year,” Milliken said. The president is very aware of what the U.S. Economy is going through, but he views Nebraska’s situation as being a glass that is half full.
According to Milliken, due to Nebraska’s large financial reserve, well managed fiscal and great leadership Nebraska and its universities are in a better position than some other institutes in the country. There was also a record amount of private funding last year that totaled $160 million, which should help in the future.
Milliken understands that there will probably not be a new record set this year in private funding, but he feels that the universities have great momentum coming into this year.
“Nebraska is a unique state that takes ownership in its universities,” Milliken said. Milliken stated that due to this feeling of ownership Nebraska would not allow their students and colleges to suffer.
Milliken said that even though there is a lot of momentum coming into this year UNK and the other universities should search for new revenue sources, whether it is from an increase in private fundraising since there probably won’t be a decrease in public funding and to keep increasing enrollment.
“More is better,” Milliken said.
Milliken also expressed his excitement for how much UNK has grown. UNK is at its highest enrollment since 1999 and has also increased the enrollment of minority students by 50 percent from 2004 to 2009. There has also been an increase in international student enrollment.
The forum concluded with Milliken offering words of encouragement to the UNK faculty. Milliken stated that he is impressed with what the faculty has accomplished and said that they are all doing valuable work.
He also made it clear that the board of regents and him would be thoughtful about the policies and decisions that would arise this next year.

Basketball Bully

I love it when steroid filled 30 year old men get off by beating up on skinny college students. During a city league basketball game my team encountered the basketball bully. This guy was about 6'2" and had muscles on top of muscles. Granted, he was a great athlete that played hard and could jump out of the gym, but there is a line between being a hustle player and a jerk. This guy seemed to get enjoyment off of talking trash and fouling the crap out of us. The basketball bully was dictating the game and constantly talking to the ref, who he knew. I love watching players hustle after the ball and working hard to win, but when a player has to beat people down and publicly humiliate the other team to get enjoyment that is sick. After my head got smashed into the court I was ready to be done. I had lost all enjoyment in the game and for the first time ever I did not want to play. At one point the basketball bully air balled a free throw and my teammate laughed at his horrible attempt. The bully stared my teammate down and stated that this was just a game and he should not laugh. After hearing that I stared the bully straight in the eye and told him that he was right. The game of basketball is just a game, but that guy needs to eat his own words. The one positive note from the game was the pride that I had for my teammates. For the most part, my team kept their cool and did not give into the ego maniac's pathetic behavior. My hope is that when I get older and compete in future city league games I can play for fun and not try to relive my high school days by beating down younger and smaller players.

I found this video that sums up what the basketball bully was like, unfortunately for me and my team we did not have a happy ending.

Nebraska Issues

There are many who would say that Nebraska is a boring state that has no real issues and all that we do is farm and yell "go big red." Well, let me tell you we have issues. We have issues about suing God, hiding weapons, and harming the elderly.

Ernie Chambers, a former state senator and atheist, attempted to sue God. The purpose of this lawsuit was to uphold citizens right to sue anyone even God. The main argument is that the courts believed that is unclear on how they could serve notice to God about the lawsuit. Chambers argues that the "all knowing God" should know automatically, but still the case was lawsuit was dismissed and can never be refiled. There have been many lawyers who have stepped up and stated that they would represent God in court, but it looks like God won't be in court for a while. Even if He was in court, I think He could take care of himself, but I understand Chamber's motives to uphold a citizens rights.

Being able to conceal your weapon is a big deal and now that the Kearney City Council has repealed the longtime conceal law it seems that it is now a bigger deal. As I was reading through this article it seems to me that there are many places people are not allowed to carry a concealed gun. It seems that the only places they can hide their weapons is on the street, because businesses have the right to not allow it and there are a number of public facilities that automatically prohibit it.

Treat your elders with respect. Well, apparently they did not get that message in Beatrice. It is being reported that 3 deaths could have been the result of medical negligence. A 3 deaths happened on the same floor and around the same time frame. People who were classified as medically fragile were transferred to a different facility for better care. Beatrice State Development Center is being investigated to find out if physical harm has been put upon their patients. I think it would be very disheartening to find out that your grandparents or elder family members were treated so badly, when they are supposed to be in a place of care and relaxation.

A Storm is coming

The Tri-City Storm finally ended their 19-game losing streak last night. I am happy to see that they finally picked up a "W." It is hard to imagine what the players must feel. They probably have a big weight lifted off their shoulders, but I think there will be other issues for the Storm besides winning and losing games.

As some of you may know the attendance at the hockey games have been less than stellar this season and with the team playing like they are it is not going to get better. It is unfortunate that people do not come out and enjoy an event that is pretty uncommon in central Nebraska. I understand that the ticket prices are pretty steep and maybe with a change in ownership the prices might come down. Although, that could be a long shot considering our current economic standing.

Many people question the need for the Storm here and I say it should stay. I work on the camera crew out at the arena and I really enjoy the games, even though it has been hard to watch this season. It is a fun atmosphere and before I started working there I had no interest in hockey, but now I pay more attention to them. I am not saying I am a die hard, but I do keep up to date on their record and even take a glance at what is going on in the NHL. The main reasons I think the team should stay is because it provides something different for people to go to. Instead of going to a basketball game or football game, the Storm provide a little more variety. Another reason is that there is a big arena that was originally designed for hockey so why would we not keep them around.

Maybe if the team sees that the community will rally around them, they will rally and earn some more wins before this season is over.

Aqua man vs. Batman

Well the all American boy Michael Phelps, a.k.a. Aqua man, has broken swimmers hearts around the world with the publication of a photo that shows him smoking on a bong. Although I am shocked by the fact that Phelps did what he did, but I am more shocked by the fact that these role models and famous people get caught doing dumb things. It seems like today people need to be aware that there is always going to be a camera rolling or a picture being taken.



Even Batman gets caught with a tirade of massive proportions. As some of you may know Christian Bale, a.k.a. Batman, was recorded yelling at a worker on the set of his new movie.



It might be unfair that these celebrities do not have much privacy, but when you stand for something or are sponsored by certain companies that are directed towards kids, such as Kellogg, you have to be held by a higher standard.

Bale plays Batman, but he is not really a role model, his Batman character is the hero. Phelps on the other hand is Phelps and what he does is who he is. He is a gold-medal Olympian that captured every American's attention during the Beijing Olympics and now much of that respect and awe he once had is gone. What he did was very damaging to his reputation because he is a symbol of what hard work could accomplish. Now he must do what he can to save his reputation and try to earn respect back from his fans.

Iowa

Last weekend I went to Iowa to visit my fiance at school. She is going to be a dental hygienist and I went down to be one of her patients. Most of the time when people ask me how she is doing I almost always say she is doing great, but she is not a big fan of the town. This of course is true, and when people ask me about the town I am in agreement.

When I graduate from UNK I am getting married and moving to this town and the great state of Iowa. I originally did not like the idea of moving to Iowa, but I did not realize how many cities the state has. Unfortunately, the school that my fiance goes to is not even close to any of these towns. At first I think it scared me to move away from Nebraska, the state that I love, but now I feel better about things after going down and seeing the beautiful landscape and visiting towns such as Ames and Iowa City. The two states are very similar, but it seems that Iowa is a little more populated.



You might be asking yourself so what is it that your saying on this post. I know it is a little confusing, but I think it is important to test things out before you past judgement on them. I bashed on Iowa, but I hadn't spend much time there. Now I am looking forward to a new adventure in a new environment and the best part is that I will be with the woman I love and we can share in the experience.

Maybe I will run into Kevin Costner at the field of dreams.