South Bend, Indiana; August 19, 2008

Uncle Ron’s Ramblings

What is Qi-Gong?: According to Wikipedia, “Qi-Gong (or Ch`i Kung) refers to a wide variety of traditional “cultivation” practices that involve methods of accumulating, circulating, and working with Qi or energy within the body. Qi-Gong is practiced for health maintenance purposes, as a therapeutic intervention, as a medical profession, a spiritual path and/or component of Chinese martial arts.

Announcements

Michigan Sweep: In lieu of a Monday night meeting this week there will be a “Michigan Sweep” Thursday at 3:30 p.m. All CFH guests should plan to attend. There will be a Monday night meeting August 24.

Qi-Gong: Mondays, 1-2 p.m., in the Community Room. All are welcome.

New CFH Exercise Room Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 1-3 p.m.; Monday-Friday, 6-8 p.m. (women 6-7 p.m., men 7-8 p.m.).

All guests using the facility will be asked to sign in and out.

Water Park Open: The children’s courtyard is open again but the water park east of CFH is still a cool alternative during these dog days of Summer.

Go east on Sample Street to Fellows Street by the Boys and Girls Club. Turn south. The park is on the south side of the YWCA. The water park is on the east side of the park.

Silver Hawks Tickets: All ticket requests must go through the development department. In addition, the Silver Hawks are unable to ac-commodate requests on short notice. If a guest is interested in attending a game please contact Jacqueline Kronk.

Voter Registration: There will be someone on hand to register voters Mondays at 6 p.m., either in the men’s lounge or the Community Room.

ABE

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▪Positive Life Skills Class: Wednesdays, 9-11:30 a.m. PLS is a walk-in self-empowerment program for Starting Over graduates and new guests. It is open to anyone (even staff). Receive a new key chain when you have attended all eight sessions.

▪ABE Incentives: Students will be given a card to be initialed during each walk-in class attended. Once a student has attended 10 walk-in programs, cards can be redeemed for prizes.

▪Math Study Sessions: Mondays, 3-4 p.m., and Thursdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m., SOSH room.

▪GED Essay Writing Class: Are you working on your GED? Do you need to write an essay or refine your writing skills? Then join us for the Essay Class, Wednesdays, 3-4 p.m.

▪Submit Your Poem: If you like to write poetry in your free time, this is your chance to be a published author! Submit a poem to any staff member in the ABE room and it may be published in the next ABE Newsletter. Also, we will hopefully start another Poetry Jam in the Fall; let us know if you are interested

▪Learn Better Handwriting: Tuesdays, 2-3 p.m., beginning August 5. Sign up in ABE.

▪Writing: Wednesdays, 3-4 p.m., ABE. Improve your basic writing skills under the guidance of a trained instructor.

▪Creative Writing: Starts June 12. Thursdays, 6-7 p.m.; open to everyone.

▪Book Club: Book Club will be meeting 9-11:30 a.m. and 7-8 p.m. Monday and 7-8 p.m. Thursday in the Starting Over Room. Sign up in ABE.

▪Masterpiece and DCP: Masterpiece and DCP classes will be starting soon. Watch for signs.

Herald Sports

Hawks 3, Whitecaps 0: The Hawks (36-21) increased their lead to 4 1/2 games over the second-place Lansing Lugnuts and five games over the third-place Dayton Dragons. Their magic number to clinch is six with 13 games left.

Joe Batten hit a 2-run homer in the eighth inning.

Bryan Henry, normally a reliever, pitched five innings and scattered six hits for the win. Clay Zavada (S 6) improved his ERA to .067 in 18 appearances with 42 strikeouts to only five walks.

The Silver Hawks host the Whitecaps tonight at 6:30 p.m.

MLB NL: Cubs idle; Brewers 9, Astros 3; Pirates 5, Mets 2; Giants 5, Braves 0.

MLB AL: White Sox 13, Mariners 5; Athletics 3, Twins 2; Red Sox 6, Orioles 3; Rays 6, Angels 4; Tigers 8, Rangers 7.

MLS Scores: No games scheduled.

WNBA Scores: No games scheduled during Olympics.

Shawn Edges “Nasty” For Gold: Shawn Johnson of the USA, the 2004 Olympic Women’s All-Around Gymnastics Champion, finally won a gold in this Olympics.

Johnson edged teammate Nastia Lukin for gold in the balance beam today. Johnson now has one gold and two silvers at Beijing.

Lukin’s medal was her fifth in this Olympics. She has a gold in the all-around, three silvers, and a bronze.

The two women also earned silver medals in the team competition.

Monday Olympic Results: Men’s 400 Hurdles—Angelo Taylor gold (USA), Kerron Clement silver (USA), Bershawn Jackson bronze (USA); Women’s Discus—Stephanie Brown Trafton gold (USA); Women’s Equestrian Team Jumping—USA gold (McClain Ward, Laura Kraut, Will Simpson, Beezie Madden); Baseball—USA 9, China 1; Men’s Basketball—USA 106, Germany 57; Women’s Field Hockey—USA 0, Great Britain 0; Women’s Soccer—USA 4, Japan 2; Softball—USA 9, China (5 innings); Men’s Volleyball—USA 3, Japan 0; Men’s Water Polo—USA 8, Germany 7.

Olympics Medal Count (gold, silver, bronze): 1. USA 25, 26, 26, 77; 2. China 42, 14, 18, 74; 3. Russia 10, 14, 18, 42; 4. Australia 11, 11, 12, 34; 5. Great Britain 15, 9, 8, 32; France
4, 11, 14, 29; 7. Germany 11, 7, 8, 26; 8. South Korea 8, 10, 6, 24; 9. Japan 8, 6, 8, 22; 10. Italy 6, 6, 7, 19.

Bears Name Orton Starter: The Chicago Bears have named Purdue graduate Kyle Orton as their starting quarterback for the 2008 season.

Orton, a fourth-year player, will start the last exhibition and the season opener against the Colts.

Orton had been alternating starts during the exhibition with former starter Rex Grossman.

Maddux To Dodgers: The Padres have reportedly agreed to a trade that would send 353-game winner Greg Maddux to the Dodgers. There was no word on what the Padres would receive in return.

It would be the second time the 42-year-old right-hander is traded to the Dodgers. He was traded by the Cubs to LA two years ago.

Maddux was 6-9 with a 3.99 ERA in 26 starts this season for the Padres.

Weather

Today High 83 Low 58 Partly Cloudy

Wed High 83 Low 58 Partly Cloudy

Thu High 85 Low 65 Partly Cloudy

Fri High 85 Low 67 Partly Cloudy

Sat High 85 Low 65 Chance Storm

TV Schedule: 16—8 p.m., 2008 Summer Olympics; 22—8 p.m., NCIS; 9 p.m., Big Brother 25—8 p.m., Beauty and the Geek; 9 p.m., Reaper; 28—8p.m., House; 9 p.m., Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles; 46—8 p.m., Lester Sumrall Teaching; 8:30 p.m., Paid Programming; 9 p.m., Harvest; 57—8 p.m., Wipeout; 9 p.m., Wanna Bet?; 69---8 p.m., Mariners at White Sox.

Nation/World

Obama Reportedly Close To Announcing VP Choice: Illinois Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, has reportedly settled on a choice for his running mate.

He could make the announcement as early as tomorrow, according to aides.

Obama has reportedly narrowed the list of candidates down to Indiana Senator Evan Bayh, Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, and Delaware Senator Joseph Biden.

Obama has had less time to select a vp than presumptive Republican nominee John McCain. He did not want to start vetting candidates until Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton dropped out of the race in June.

Local

SBCSC Trustees Agree to Superintendent Buyout: The South Bend Community School Corporation will pay former superintendent Robert Zimmerman $226,000 in wages and benefits to buy out his contract.