Football schedule is set

I'm a big fan of high school football. And how the schedules are set in Iowa certainly is fun. Football doesn't have conferences, so every two years the Iowa High School Athletic Association resets the districts that schools are assigned to. It changes each two years to reflect changes in student population as well as mergers and closings.

So schedules are set on two year schedules, to give a school a home and away for each opponent they are assigned.

So each fall, each high school conducts a census of their student population in grades 9-11. The top 48 (I think) are assigned to Class 4A, the next 56 to 3A, the next 56 to 2A, and so on. The smallest 11 man classification is A, so they get the remainder of schools, and will be some odd number. 8 man football is one class, and all 8 man schools are in it.

So to set the 8 team districts (for 7 games), the IHSAA looks at the schools in the class, and I presume start in the corners to get 8 teams, and work their way in. After those are set, schools can put in a request for opponents for the two non-district games, assuming a rival didn't get assigned in district play.

So in the past month of so, for the Fall 2016 and 2017 seasons, the district assignments were made. Roland-Story got a pretty favorable district assignment I think. Travel wise, nobody is over an hour away. There are a couple right at it-namely Parkersburg (Aplington-Parkersburg), Dike (Dike-New Hartford), and LeGrand (East Marshall). But the other opponents are closer, CMB (depends whether we play at Maxwell or Baxter), Saydel, West Marshall, and South Hardin.

Then, the opponents are no killers row. Now I expect D-NH and A-P to fight for the top, and maybe CMB. They are always solid. But East Marshall, West Marshall, Saydel, and South Hardin have struggled as of late, but so have the Norse as far as that goes.

Ok, so this past week, the non-district opponents were announced. I figured South Hamilton would be one of them, as I would expect both Roland-Story and South Hamilton both requested each other. Big rivals, close trips, and R-S and SH have played every year but two in the history of Roland-Story. And indeed they were assigned to each other, and will play in week 2 of the season.

I was thinking of various schools who the 2nd team would be. Maybe some newer "rivals" such as Iowa Falls or Hampton. Or maybe something out of the box, like a Class 2A school that we occasionally run into in other sports, like Eagle Grove, Clarion, or Prairie Valley. The other choice was a long time rival, but one that has passed us by in size and success. And oddly enough, that is who we got, namely the Gilbert Tigers. Not a big fan of the matchup. Much like college football, I'd prefer to open with a slappy, somebody with an easy win, that we can try out various people and schemes. Gilbert will be a handful. The bean counters at both schools will like it. It will be sure to have a huge crowd with lots of concession spending. And it will get the kids motivated much more than a game versus Belmond-Klemme.

But I have no say, so here is the Norsemen schedule for 2016.

Roland-Story 2016 Schedule: 08/26 Gilbert 09/02 @South Hamilton, Jewell 09/09 CMB, Baxter 09/16 @East Marshall, LeGrand 09/23 Saydel 09/30 Aplington-Parkersburg 10/07 @Dike-New Hartford 10/14 South Hardin 10/21 @West Marshall, State Center

And here is the map of the layouts of Class 2A districts

Internet Quizzes

I was bored last night, and took one of those internet quizzes. You know the ones, which state should you live in, what country should you live in, what rock star are you, what season are you, blah, blah, blah.

So part out of boredom, part out of interest of the math of it, and seeing how bad some are, I wanted to see how to make it work. I decided to make my own. And being a fan of high school sports, I decided to compare high schools in the Heart of Iowa Conference.

I was interested in the process of building one. It was a little time consuming, maybe took me two hours. But no big deal, Saturday night, put on some tunes, and fool around on the internet.

Only one problem I stumbled across. This particular program only allowed 8 choices. The HOIAC has 9 schools. So after some deliberation, sorry CMB, you weren't included.

So I set out to find some questions that differentiated the schools. Have soccer? Field turf on the football field? Multiple gyms? What sport are you good at?

The software then has you give a point total of 0, 1 or 2 to each school based on the answer given. So for example the soccer question was easy. If you answer you like soccer, all the HOIAC schools offering soccer get 2 points, the ones that don't get 0. If you click the answer that you don't like soccer, the schools without it get 2 points, and the schools with soccer get 0.

The bus trip question was a little more subjective. I came up with 3 answers. If you like bus trips, PCM, South Hamilton, and Greene County got 2s, Saydel, RS got 1s, and North Polk, Nevada, and Gilbert got 0s, because I saw them as the most centrally located. Oh yeah, there was one odd one. For the question on football field turf, 2s went to the schools that had grass or turf depending on the answer. However, for Nevada, 1 point was added no matter how you answered. They have grass, but are getting turf, so 1 point, no matter how you answered.

For presentation of the quiz, there are pictures. You can simply cut and paste in a URL for a pic out there on the net for the question itself, and for all the schools. That probably took as much time as anything. I had to find pics for 9 schools/towns, and for the 10 questions.

You can pretty much take the quiz to get to the answer you want. If you want your answer to end up as Gilbert, choose soccer, mega night, field turf, good in track/cross country, black or red, and that you like the roundabout!

So no smack talk in the quiz. I was getting tired, so the roundabout question was an add on just to get to 10.

If you want to take the quiz, HERE IT IS. It's starting to get shared around, so that is fun. Glad to see people are getting some amusement out of it.

Lucifer

I really haven't made a point to record, or sit down and watch a new/current series on TV since The Simpsons 8 or so years ago (I know it is still on, but it lost me back then, I may still watch it, but it is not must see TV). The only TV I really watch now is sports, or if I stumble on a rerun like Star Trek, Hogan's Heroes, or Hill Street Blues.

I am actually watching 3 now, which is kind of amazing. One is soon to end. I have been really jacked about the 6 episode return of the X-Files. I've been pleased with it, and maybe a future post on that. I also stumbled across Angie Tribeca on TBS, which I document below.

So anyway, I watched the first episode of X-Files, left it on Fox, and started reading the paper. They had a brand new show on, called Lucifer.The pilot kinda interested me, to the point I put the paper down and was focused on the show. And it was enough to DVR the series.

So the title character is the devil himself, come to hang out on Earth. He gets hooked up with an attractive female detective on the LAPD. Lucifer has his expected powers, but he likes to hang out with the detective, and solve crimes to help punish the wicked. Lucifer runs a night club, has some fellow bad underworld characters show up and so on, trying to get him back to Hell. But Lucifer also gets advice from a psychiatrist, who doesn't know he is the devil, but offers her help with humans.

The show is a dramedy, you might say. It isn't always played for laughs, but it has its definite funny moments.

I suppose, if you were deeply religious, you might say this is a horrible show, because often the devil/Lucifer is played in a good light. Of course it could be argued the other way. Each episode is its own little morality play, and it is clear to the viewer who is good and who is bad, and the bad people always get their comeuppance. If you are a Star Trek The Next Generation fan, Lucifer reminds me of Q, and the detective is Captain Picard. Lucifer/Q are often bad, but intrigued by humans, and are humored by the actions of the detective/Picard

I love the show. I think it is fun, with a little naughty in there. It is not Masterpiece Theatre, and I've thought that some of the single episode characters have been acted weakly. And the best part, each episode ends like a Scooby Doo episode. The bad person ends up revealing all. The only thing it lacks is, "I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for those meddling kids!"

I've read some reviews online, and all the big reviewers have raked the show over pretty good. Ok, maybe it won't win any Emmys. But I think it is good fun, and I hope Fox re-ups the show.

Angie Tribeca

Saw some ads on TBS for a show called Angie Tribeca. In the ads, the humor seemed to be in the vein of the movie Airplane! and the Police Squad movie and sequels. OK, Leslie Nielsen is dead, but I think he would approve. This is a pretty funny show, and the gags are some real groaners. Which of course is just what you would expect. Here is an ad.

But like Police Squad! it is a cop show. Which leads to all sorts of sight gags and such. In the episode I watched today, Angie and her partner "Jay Geils" (80s joke), are about to arrest an art dealer. He exclaims, "I've been framed!" right when movers are carrying a large frame by him. Yes, groan away. But I endorse it. Give it a look on TBS.

Oh yeah, that art dealer, his name was Dr. Zaius. (a main character from the movie Planet of the Apes).

Just when I think I'm done, I think of more dumb stuff. An expensive painting got stolen. In the art gallery, there was a sign in front of the painting that said, "Do Not Touch". The thief came with a can of spray paint and "X"ed out the word "Not". The police were incredulous at the thief who was smart enough to spray out the word "Not" so he could steal the painting. Fun stuff!

Death By Design

Less than a week to go before opening night for the play that I am in, Death By Design. It is a dinner theatre for the 1st 2 showings, and then a straight show on the final day, Sunday. Still tickets available for that one, but the dinner shows on Friday and Saturday night are sold out. (You can get tickets for the Sunday show at PDG Printing in Story City)

I haven't been in a play in over 10 years, probably closer to 15, when I was in Murder at Rutherford House. In that one, I played the part of Wendle Weedle, the detective out to solve a murder. Judge Story Theatrical Troupe has had off and on dinner theatre shows over the years. Being an empty nester, I decided to jump in and take another crack at it when this show opened up.

HERE is a link to the Judge Story Theatrical Troupe page, and the official description of Death By Design.

In my part, I play Walter Pearce, a conservative politician. Not too much of a stretch to play the part I guess. I have to deal with a bunch of moral degenerates when we meet up at a country estate in 1931 England. Somebody gets murdered, and somebody is the murderer. Is it me, the actress, the playwright, the chauffeur, the maid, the mysterious visitor, the artist, or the young Bernie Sanders?

When I first read the script, I didn't think it was very funny. But as it gets acted out, it is a pretty entertaining show. The ending might give you the tilted dog head confused look. But that's ok. It is not Masterpiece Theatre by any means.

I've enjoyed getting to do my role. I have to play the part with a stick up my ass, so to speak. Of course I am the conservative politician, but I also have an ulterior motive, namely putting the moves on a fading actress. So that's fun.

I've got my lines down pretty well. I made a recording of my parts, and then I listen to them on a CD when I drive around for work. Less listening to sports talk radio, but that's OK. I am hardly a theatre major. So the thing that has me interested to see, is how I remember the lines in front of a crowd. Laughter and such can throw off the timing, that you get used to in a closed practice. So I guess we shall see!

Women Tailgaters

I want to comment on women tailgaters. Not the kind you will find at Jack Trice Stadium on a fall afternoon, but the ones on the road. Can I stereotype? Is there a demographic that tailgates more than 19-24 year old white women? I see them tailgating on I-35 all the time. Maybe they are college girls trying to get home. Who knows. Just an observation of mine. Anybody care to agree or disagree?

Office Space Political Ad

It's gone viral, but just in case you've missed it, I have to share this Ted Cruz ad that spoofs a scene from the movie Office Space. In case you haven't seen the movie, there is a scene where the main characters take out their frustration on a printer. In this spoof, there is a lady who looks a lot like Hillary smashing her computer. Hmm, why would she need to smash a computer?????

Not that funny if you haven't seen the movie I suppose. But if you have, I can't imagine you won't get a chuckle out of this.