Biggest loser could be biggest winner

Written by Bob Woelk Wednesday, 13 February 2008 09:30

I am intrigued by the large number of Hillsboro residents who have signed up to compete in our very own Biggest Loser contest. My understanding is more than 175 participants have weighed in.

It will be interesting to see the final figures (pun possibly intended) on how many pounds will be shed by the group. At any rate, I am happy to see so many concerned enough about their health to give it a shot.

Exercise will, of course, be a part of the plan. There are the usual options: walking, running, lifting weights, biking. In addition, I have discovered a few more ways to lose those unwanted pounds.

Have the place you work start a huge remodeling project. The construction of the new training facilities and locker rooms at Hillsboro High...

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A new year spurs new observations

Written by Bob Woelk Wednesday, 09 January 2008 20:56

The dawn of a new year is a natural time to think about what hasbeen in 2007 and what might be in 2008. Here are a few examples thatcome to mind.

I didn’t like the advertising theme that followed Christmas thisyear, the “Get what you really wanted” campaign. The idea was that thethings we received from friends and loved ones were not adequate. Thatjust goes to show that Madison Avenue will never figure out the truemeaning of Christmas.

I had a couple of personal firsts in 2007. I competed in my first triathlon, and my participation reconfirmed something I have always known. I am a terrible swimmer. Will I enter the Salty Dog in Hutchinson again this year? Probably. Will my swimming improve? Probably not much. I grew up in...

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Our choices still have consequences

Written by Bob Woelk Wednesday, 12 December 2007 15:55

I haven’t heard much about Madeline Hunter lately. Her seven steps for preparing school lesson plans were all the rage when I started teaching back in the 1990s.

In fact, I attended a packed conference at the Hutchinson Sports Arena where the queen herself held court. Her message was that teachers make a series of decisions about how they will present each lesson. Those choices determine how well the instructor reaches all his or her students.

Hunter died in 1994. Did the idea that all of us, whether teachers or not, need to make solid decisions die with her?

Sometimes I think so.

We can point to all sorts of bad decisions in the news of late. University of Kansas basketball star Brandon Rush decided not to pay a few pesky...

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If you fear it, there's a word for it

Written by Bob Woelk Wednesday, 14 November 2007 08:37

If you have some time to kill and want to kill it in the most unproductive way possible, take a trip to www.phobialist.com. There you will find a huge assortment of things to be afraid of.

I discovered that, despite this Web site containing the most comprehensive list of fears I have ever seen, there are others that were left out. Believe it or not, there is no word for a fear of long lists.

Here are some others you won’t find anywhere but here:

Fear of having to write a regular newspaper column for the local paper: vogelophobia.

Fear of the University of Kansas beating Kansas State in football on a regular basis: nonflukeophobia.

Fear of K-State beating KU in basketball this year: phatchanzophobia.

Fear of the smell remaining in...

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