Gender Bender

by Scott Hall

Kate Smith (right)is an 8th grader at Detroit Lakes.  This Spring she won the Class 2A girls state championship in golf, shooting a remarkable 140 for two rounds, 9 strokes ahead of her nearest opponent., and led her DL team to the state title.

It rained Saturday and so I turned on the TV.  On ESPN the Minnesota Lynx were locked in a ferocious contest with the "Sky", Chicago's entry in the WNBA.  The Lynx are the defending champions and so every team makes an exceptional effort to knock them off.  Minnesota's home grown hero, Lindsey Whalen (below), had 25 points and some dazzling assists and the Lynx won 79-67 to run their record to 12 wins and one loss. Lindsey was the best player on the court this day, but she isn't even the best player on her team.  In fact, the Lynx make such discussions moot because it is such a good team in the truest sense.

During breaks in the action I surfed the other ESPN channels - there are three or four - and each had an angle on girls and women sports:  an international girls volleyball tournament in Florida, profiles of basketball and soccer stars.  The reason for this focus is the 40th anniversary of Title Nine, the federal law that opened up opportunities for women in colleges that get federal money.

Title Nine was an amendment to the Higher Education Act in 1972.  It met with little opposition until years later when the breadth of its application was challenged in court. It was coincidental but appropriate that Title Nine passed on Wilma Rudolph's birthday.  Wilma (right) was born on June 23, 1940 in Clarksville, Tennessee, one of Ed and Blanch Rudolph's 22 kids!  She was in poor health for much of her childhood including a left leg and foot made lame by polio.  In 1960, at age 20, she represented the U.S. in the Olympic games in Rome, won 3 gold medals in track, and became known as the fastest woman in the world.

I remember watching those Olympics as a kid, wowed by the exploits of Wilma, Rafer Johnson in the decathalon, Cassius Clay in boxing, Jerry West and Oscar Robertson in basketball.  Wilma retired from racing in 1962 at age 22.  Track athletes in those days had to keep their amateur status to compete in the most prestigious events. In 1963 she got a degree in elementary education and became a teacher and coach.  As a kid I was oblivious to the barriers - both racial and educational - minority and women athletes had to overcome.  Those weren't the good old days.  There were many we never knew who didn't get the chance.  Title Nine blew the lid off those limits and created vast opportunities for women, well beyond sports.

I don't know if Title Nine could happen today.  It would be called overreach and social engineering by the federal government by some, and against God's will by others.  The most naive among us would say we are past the days when prejudice can deny opportunity.  But it's something every generation has to learn.

KAXE Goes to the Third Annual Iron Range Earth Fest

by Scott Hall

The 3rd Annual Iron Range Earth Fest this Saturday in Mt. Iron has given us an opportunity to meet some of the people who will be demonstrating innovative things at the event. There is a strong and timely emphasis on energy production this year.  It's refreshing to meet people who are up to their elbows in research, development, and teaching about wind, solar and biomass energy sources.

In recent weeks, on KAXE's morning program, we've talked with the president of Silicon Energy, Gary Shaver.  Silicon Energy will begin manufacturing solar panels in Mt. Iron possibly as soon as this Summer. Silicon Energy is based in Washington state and uses new materials and processes they think will expand the potential of solar energy.  We also met Jesse Dahl who teaches solar energy classes at Hibbing Community College, and Dan Janisch, wind technology instructor at Mesabi Range Community and Technical College.  Both of these programs will have exhibits and demonstrations at Earth Fest. The Rural Renewable Energy Alliance in Pine River will have a program and exhibit as well.

There will also be workshops on beekeeping, bread baking, wine making, cooking with local foods, rain barrels, gardening, the art of basket making, and much more.  Exhibits and workshops will be at the Mt. Iron Community Center on Hwy 169, Messiah Lutheran Church next door to the Community Center, and Merritt Elementary School in Mt. Iron. While you are at it, stop by KAXE's booth in the Mt. Iron Community Center.

Video: Scott Hall in High Heels

Morning Show host Scott Hall wore high heels to raise public awareness for the "Walk a Mile In My Shoes" project sponsored by Advocates for Family Peace and the Itasca Alliance Against Sexual Assault.

"I felt like a monster, like Frankenstein or something..." said Hall.

Get more info at kaxe.org.

See An Incredible Cup of Hot Chocolate On The Radio

by Scott Hall (with lots of help from Stan Freeberg)

The theme for KAXE's Summer fundraiser is "Come To Your Senses". Each day we focus on one our five (or six) senses. Today it's sight. That may seem like a stretch for radio, but au contraire, mon ami!. Check out this ad Stan Freeberg produced for the radio advertising council over 50 years ago.

Click here to listen: Hot Chocolate on the Radio

Notes From a Day at the New Ball Park

by Scott Hall

Here's the new statue of Rod Carew outside the Twins new ball park in downtown Minneapolis. It's a beautiful new park that I think will please most fans. Like Mariucci Arena where the U of MN Gophers play hockey, there are a lot of nice artistic and historical touches - photos, sculptures, architechture - that add to the experience of being there and people will enjoy checking out. Some, like this statue, are outside the park and don't require a ticket. The archtechture is more modern than some of the other new parks - lots of glass, steel, limestone, and brightness. We walked around the park and I couldn't find many places where you wouldn't enjoy watching the game. Even standing room areas have good views.

Outdoor baseball and this statue of Rod Carew reminded me of a game we saw in Met Stadium in Bloomington in 1977. It was late July or Early August, sunny and about 85 degrees. Rod was hitting about .385, and everyone was excited about his chances for hitting .400. Dennis Eckersley was the starting pitcher for Cleveland that day. Rod grounded out in his first at-bat. The he dropped a beautiful bunt for a single, singled to center another time and, in his last at-bat, lined a 95 mph Jim Kern fast ball on one hop to the left center wall for a double - 4 for 5. His average went over .390 that day. He finished the season at .388. Dave Goltz pitched and got the win, Lyman Bostock hustled a single to a double to everyone's delight, and I think Larry Hisle drove in a couple of runs. Twins had a good team that year but finished 4th behind KC, Texas and the White Sox.

We saw the two best hitters in baseball last Saturday. Below left, Joe Mauer at bat in the first inning. Moments later, he ripped a HR to deep center. Below right, St. Louis' great first baseman, Albert Pujols. He doubled to left off Kevin Slowey in this at-bat.
















The Cardinals were the first team I followed as a kid. There were thousands of Cardinal fans at the games this weekend. I'm glad the Cards are in the NL and the Twins are in the AL. I can root for both without upsetting MN family and friends. I would love to see them both in the World Series. Both have very good teams this year. I did have wardrobe concerns. I wore my Twins T-shirt and Cardinal hat. My wife, Frieda, approved, probably because the T-shirt is more noticable (left). At right is a view from the third-base line out to right field and beyond.

Best Picture

by Scott Hall

Mark Tarner, a.k.a. M T Head, and I just had a good go around about which of some very good 2009 movies is the best one. The problem is we haven't seen the same movies. Mark's vote goes to "Avatar", for new standards it set as an incredible viewing experience - standards far beyond anything yet. Mark saw it in 3-D. I saw it in 2-D. "Avatar" isn't my choice. I didn't think the visual experience overcame an ordinary story and uninteresting characters.

Of the ones I've seen, I prefer "The Hurt Locker", Crazy Heart", "Inglourious Basterds", and "Into The Air". "The Hurt Locker" is tense and gut-wrenching, depressing, well-written and acted. Jeff Bridges nails the main character in "Crazy Heart". I don't like most of Quentin Tarentino's movies, but I like "Inglourious Basterds" more every time I think about it. Haven't seen "Precious", but believe Mo'nique deserved the Oscar from just the one scene I've seen.

Another problem with these lists is there are so many great independent gems we'll never get to... What's on your list?

Two Fer One: More Talking MinnesOta

by Scott Hall

One of the thicker Minnesota dialects I have noticed might best be described as making two syllables out of one syllable words. One I often hear at the hockey arena is "coach", pronounced "CO-witch". Similar to that is "boat", as in "BO-wit". And there's always "HOW-iss", as in "house". That'll be all for now then...

I'm Shocked!!!

by Scott Hall

Slugger Mark McGuire admits steroid use. McGuire, Sammy Sosa and hundreds of other players did body building with steroids and other supplements during the 1990s and early 2000s. McGuire had a supplement in open view in his locker for at least a few years. Steroid use wasn't a dark secret in football and baseball. McGuire and Sosa created great excitement and television and box office wealth for baseball.

Now the same baseball and media industries that reaped billions off these athletes expect remorse and shame from these guys 10 years later. It's the same sorry crowd of hypocrites that are keeping Pete Rose out of the Hall of Fame. The baseball writers that won't vote Rose and McGuire into the HOF, and won't elect Barry Bonds when he's eligible, are the shills that allow the hypocrisy to continue. It was good for the cash flow to ignore it in the 1990s, and it's good for the cash flow to play it this way now.

When I Grow Up...

When you ask around the KAXE Studios about what people want to be when they grow up you hear all kinds of answers.

Steve Downing still thinks about his original dream to be a Catholic Priest like Guido Sarducci (see left).

Scott Hall's 12th thing-to-be is a woodland hermit that avoids the social ramble and fried foods that anger-up the stomach.

Doug MacRostie wants to be a rockstar who is in it for the music but loses his way and has to rebuild his career through an emotional but inspiring creative process.

Jennifer Poenix wants to be a TV sitcom writer - more specifically for The Office...in fact, she said she would be willing to switch bodies with Mindy Kaling.

Maggie Montgomery wanted to be a nuclear physicist and even took the math and physics classes, then she wanted to be a writer, then she wanted to be a teacher, then she wanted to be mental health counselor...and now here she is at KAXE.

When Heidi Hotlan was little (like, 4 years old) she wanted to get her Class C drivers license so she could drive a regional library system bookmobile...something she still thinks she would enjoy.

What's your story? We're talking about what you want to be when you grow up this Saturday from 10-Noon on Between You and Me with guest host DJ the DJ. And while DJ is retired, he still has hopes & dreams for when he grows up!

Word of the the day Mondays

I was listening to KAXE's Morning Show today with Scott Hall and Kathy Dodge. They talked about having a Monday morning word of the day. A way to get yourself jump started on your week. Today I'm working on interviews I have coming up in the next week, and as always, I've stumbled across a word that I don't know - and definitely don't know the definition of....I thought I'd admit my lack of worldly word-knowing and get to the bottom of things. Here they are:

miscellarian - I'm reading about a scientist named Joseph Priestly*. You probably were like me and assumed that he was some long lost relative of Canadian actor Jason Priestly. So far I haven't found the connection. Anyway, he is described like this: a miscellarian who relied on conversational networks to feed his fascination with technology

I went to Dictionary.com where I often find the answers to my questions.... and oddly, this word was not found there. It asked me if I meant MISCELLANARIAN. Since I didn't know exactly what I meant, I decided to check out the meaning of THAT word.

Mis`cel*la*na"ri*an\, a. [See Miscellany.] Of or pertaining to miscellanies. --Shaftesbury. -- n. A writer of miscellanies.

I did a google search on the word Miscellarian - and found that an author named Russell Ash called himself a miscellarian - or a 'writer of this and that'. Good to know!

Has anyone out there used this word casually in conversation? Let us know! If you are a wordy person, check out Merriam Webster's Word of the Day, online.

*The book I'm reading is called "The Invention of Air - A Story of Science, Faith, Revolution and the Birth of America" by Steven Johnson.

Popcorn hits the spot

By Jennifer Poenix

Scott Hall just made popcorn, which in turn, has made my day. It also gave me something to blog about (see previous blog). He makes it on the stove, which I haven’t seen anybody do for a long time.

First, you need to heat the oil until it’s starting to spatter. Then, add the kernels until they are bathed in oil (bathed, not swimming). Get them nice and surrounded. Put the lid on the pot, and soon you will have delicious popcorn.

Growing up, my dad made popcorn nearly every night. He made it on the stove when I was real young, but then he got an air popper and never looked back. I hardly ever eat popcorn anymore. Once in awhile, I’ll buy the microwave stuff, but it just does not compare. I think I’ll try making it on the stove at home some night soon. It may be a disaster, but at least I’ll have tried.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to clean my keyboard…and see if there’s anymore popcorn in the kitchen.

Thank you Scott!