Schrockstar § Galaxy of Stars

Once upon a time there was a boy, and then that boy became a man, and that man had a dream: to retire peacefully.   In his quest to find his place of solace, there were many ups and downs.  First there had to be funding, and then learning the foreign tax system, getting through a language-translation hurdle... while separated by thousands of miles.  Next he needed a support system: Angel investors. Lawyers for the accountants. And hoes in different area codes.  Finally, he needed a plan. Enter, F-I-R-E: Financial Independence, Retire Early.  Once that was in place, all that's needed from there was just a steady stream of execution.   Step by step, bit by bit, we went to work. First we carved out a square foundation in the volcano, got the materials, went to work and after dressing it up, now we're in paradise, baby. First floor includes multi-unit bathrooms, electricity, warm showers and the best view in the world from the back porch - WiFi and kitchen included.  Eventually t

Joining Carmel as one of the best places to live in America (and the world), neighbors Zionsville and Westfield are now also ranked in the top 10 in the newest ‘Best Small Cities’ study, according to WalletHub:  https://wallethub.com/edu/best-worst-small-cities-to-live-in/16581 Boston & Indy suburbs dominated the top of the list, with Lancaster (PA) taking the top spot.  Not only is Indianapolis one of the fastest growing cities in America, it's the only city on the list not located in the South or West:  https://www.inspectionsupport.com/resources/the-fastest-growing-metropolitan-areas-in-the-u-s/

Did you see the lunar eclipse this morning? Did you see the one last month!? Do you even watch the sky, bro?? Comet Leonard [ not named after Colts All-Pro Shaquille Darius Leonard ] aka "c/2021", the year's best & brightest, will make it's first and only appearance in the East before sunrise (between Big Dipper's handle & Arcturus) and then in the western sky after sunset starting on the 14th, looking towards the sun (ouch!)  I say "only" appearance because this happened might've happened 80,000 years ago but let's be honest they probably didn't have the tools we have now, and we're not yet positive this'll even be visible to our unaided eye. But we do know it's hyperbolic path will fling the comet out of the Milky Way, and possibly into another solar system lightyears away.  RIP Comet Leonard 12/12/21 You're a Star (& comet!)

Step 1 : Why? Combining two bucket lists into one: visit every state in the U.S. and visit every MLB stadium. Crossed off  6 states in New England which now puts me at 48 of the 50 (New Mexico & Alaska). Step 2 : When? Based on a dozen different MLB schedules in late July , I wound up attending 8 games at 8 ballparks. The Phillies gifted me a surprise double-header - ended by a walk-off Grand Slam - and I attended the Fenway tour, but unfortunately no game.  Step 3 : Where? Starting from Circle City - also visiting Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont , Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. Step 4 : How? Using Hotels.com, HipCamp, Google Maps, Trip Advisor and the Ballpark app. I drove, camped, disc'd, fished, cheered & jeered, went sight-seeing & wondering & touring & exploring, slept in the car & hotel & tent & friend's house, and had gobs of seafood & i

There are three distinct moments that stand out to me more than any; more than the Marco Killingsworth dunk over Duke in '06, more than the Knight chair toss in '85, or the hundreds of visits I made as a student, some of which included spying on a closed practice. I could write a book telling you about the details of each of those events. Trying to find the words to summarize them is difficult enough, but succinctly accentuating WHY the moment is so special to me is the true challenge. I'll try to put you in my shoes.  #1. My freshman year (2000) started off with a bang - Bobby was fired my first week of college. As a student reporter, I covered the story feverishly until the hype eventually died down weeks later, when the next big story came along - a Presidential election which turned into a runoff and recount, and again, as a reporter I pushed myself to the limit, exhaustively covering every detail possible. Little did I know that both of those experiences would be dwarf

Strictly geographically speaking, Cincinnati could rightfully call themselves the center of the Universe when it comes to basketball. Problem is, we all know most of the basketball lore from Cincy  is via an Indianapolis-native briefly providing his talents in the late 50s. The same man who the NCAA later named their Player of the Year trophy after: Oscar Robertson . Besides that, there's not much to say about Tri-State Hoops being the capital. Much of the collegiate success over recent decades have spread out to neighboring schools Kentucky, Indiana, Michigan, Louisville, Michigan State... the list goes far beyond just bluebloods and powerhouses - Dayton was a top-5 school just as March Madness was about to begin, until the damn panic shut it down. Creighton was contending for a top-10 spot. Iowa & Illinois were ranked in the top-10.  I might be so bold as to say that in any given year, at least half the ranked teams are from the Midwest. Yep, that includes  NET , RPI , Sagar

The Best of the Best - in the World

Love the applause from the crowd getting Wallace to turn around and glare at them. He already knows.  First topic: fellow Hoosier Amy Coney Barrett Wallace : Why is he right? Why is your opponent wrong? Trump (no hello or thanks): She's good, all good, great, greatest, single greatest, etc... Biden : First of all, thank you. (Trump: thankyou) Biden then goes off topic, gives historic numbers, some false about ACA. Then says WOMENS RIGHTS are in jeopardy and they're charged more for the same procedure. (Trump shakes head) So it's not appropriate to move forward.  Trump : Your numbers are false. (Narrator's note: AAAAAAND here.we.go) Biden : The election's already started (chuckles) Wallace interjects: yep, we're open to discussion Biden : {clarifies}  Trump : You're not the Democratic Party Biden : I am the party Trump : Not according to Harris I noticed Joe won't look at Trump. He just smiles and freezes when confronted with troublesome facts.  Wallace w

Now that the tide has turned again for the B1G and football is back on for an 8 week schedule including a championship game in Indianapolis on December 19th, we can maybe safely assume PAC12 will eventually wise up as well and come to some sort of plan to play and no asterisks will be needed to crown this year's champ.  It turns out that Notre Dame's decision to join the ACC convinced them and others not to postpone their seasons.  Just as the tide was turning and pulling back, our lord savior Swarbrick stuck his mighty stick on the ocean floor and parted a clearing for the masses to follow towards salvation and the promised land. 

Thanks to VisitHamCo for the list: Top Place to Live (Hamilton County) – CNN Money #1 Place to Live in America (Fishers) – Money Magazine Best Cities to Relocate to in America (Indianapolis/Carmel) – CNBC Best Cities for Young Professionals (Indianapolis/Carmel) – Forbes Magazine #1 Best City to Raise a Family in the Midwest (Carmel) – Yahoo Finance America’s Best City for Families (Fishers) – The Mortgage Reports Best Place to Raise a Family (Hamilton County) – Forbes Magazine Top Ten Best Towns for Families (Westfield) – Family Circle Magazine #2 Happiest Suburbs in the Nation (Fishers) – Movoto Real Estate #14 Best Place to Live (Carmel) – CNN Money Magazine #20 Best Small Town to Live in (Noblesville) – NerdWallet.com Source: https://www.visithamiltoncounty.com/invest-hamilton-county/blog/post/best-places/

3 years ago, the Lawrence Central basketball Bears were bounced from the opening round of the playoffs. The following year, D'Andre Davis and Nijel Pack advanced to the Sectional championship. Last year, LC posted a 22-4 overall record on their way to a Regional appearance. A loss, if you will, but still a Sectional Win. Either way you look at it is bittersweet. They're hoping to drop that bitterness when they contend for a State title in March of 2020; but right now, this dynamic duo is focused on it's annual Thanksgiving Eve matchup against Lawrence North. May the games begin.  Speaking of rivalries, Purdue hosts Indiana at Noon in their annual Thanksgiving Saturday matchup, aka The Old Oaken Bucket game. IU who is looking for their 8th regular-season win, is hoping for a Gator Bowl invite in warm, sunny Florida this New Year... or maybe that's just me. And before you ask: Yes, I'll even take Notre Dame as a consolation prize.