Arnold's idea is a good one

Indiana State Sen. Jim Arnold, D- La Porte will propose a state law that would make it illegal to enter Lake Michigan during rip current warrants when the legislative session meets in Indianapolis in January.
Although the water is suppose to be "open to everyone," - enacting this law would be a good thing and could ultimately save a life.
Too often, at least one time every summer, we receive news of someone drowning in the lake because of rip currents. Although warnings are already posted, if people have been planning a day at the beach and in the water, the warnings will not stop them.
If the warnings include a possible criminal charge, they may think twice.

It's impossible to combat all rip current danger. But no one should EVER enter the water in those conditions. This law, in my mind, is a long time coming and I hope it passes.

Stop the violence

Never before has there been a week that has been more trying to people in general. In light of the horrific events that took place in Connecticut today, everyone needs to take a step back and question where we are at in society, and more importantly, where we are heading.
As I was working Wednesday afternoon on Thursday's paper, I was stunned to hear that a man I know, someone who had been a source for me while I was a reporter and had my cell phone number, was being held on a preliminary murder charge at the La Porte County Jail.
John Larkin, whom I first met in 2011 when he was a candidate for the town council in Long Beach, Indiana, is accused to shooting his wife Stacey to death via multiple gun shot wounds. I never thought I would personally know someone who would commit an act like that.
Even though he is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, everyone agrees this is a true tragedy. He will most likely spend the rest of his life in jail and his wife is dead - leaving behind four children under the age of 14.
The family owned a home in Long Beach, and were seemingly well to do. Just goes to show you  you never know when someone is going to lose their mind, and in this case, those four children will be the ones that suffer the most.
After grieving the death of my hamster Laverne and having logistical trouble getting to and from work the last two days, everything was put into further perspective today when the nation heard of the Connecticut shootings. Worse than Columbine. Worse than Virginia Tech. Why would someone target kids? And how could this have been prevented?
My heart goes out to the many families that are being affected by this on a personal level. I could not imagine how hard it would be to live life if my child had been killed in such a senseless manner.
The outpouring of grief across the country has been incredible. I really think we, as a nation, are filled with good people that want to do the right thing. But sometimes, as we have seen during a few instances this week, the right are not always the ones that come out on top. 

Photo: John and Stacey Larkin speak with friends at the 2011 Long Beach Candidate forum. John, 47, is now accused of shooting Stacey, 41, to death in their Long Beach home this week.

Jaykeb is here!

My son, Jaykeb Robert Moran was born on October 14, 2012 at Little Company of Mary Hospital. As of December 10, Jaykeb is still a patient of the Neonatal ICU at Comer Children's Hospital at the University of Chicago.
Weighing 2 pounds, 9 ounces at birth, Jaykeb is now up to 5 pounds, receives 3 liters of oxygen and has been increasingly more alert. Originally in an incubator, he is now in an open bed and can be held at anytime.
Looking forward to bringing him home. 

Notre Dame...Number 1

One of my earliest memories as a sports fan was a two-week span in 1993 when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, my favorite college football team, rose to the number one ranking in the nation after topping previous No. 1 Florida State only to see it all slip away the next Saturday with a last-second, narrow loss to unranked Boston College.
Since the loss to the Eagles, the Irish have never regained the coveted No. 1 spot in the Associated Press poll.
That was until last night - and the way it happened could not have been more surprising.
Already having a memorable season in which they won their first 10 games for the first time since the heartbreaking 1993 campaign - the Irish were ranked third in both the AP and BCS ratings heading into Saturday. No. 1 Kansas State (at Baylor) and No. 2 Oregon (vs. Stanford) both had challenging match-ups, but both were suppose to win and regain their top rankings.
The Irish, who played earlier in the day, destroyed Wake Forest 38-0 and were put into position to watch both Oregon and K-State play at night.
Surprisingly, Baylor jumped on Kansas State early and often - capping a 55-24 victory. And while Oregon led most of the way, it was the Stanford Cardinal who put together a game-tying drive in the final minutes to send the game into overtime, before kicking a field goal to win it.
And just like that, the Irish were No. 1.
But with a USC team that has had ND's number as of late on the slate next week in Southern California, the 2012 version of the Fighting Irish need to make sure they do not repeat the fate of their counterparts from 19 years ago. That would be losing a game against an unranked team with a chance for a championship on the line.

Colts a pleasant surprise

At 4-3, my beloved Indianapolis Colts are one of the surprise teams of the NFL. Slated by many to be the worst team in the league in 2012, the Colts have already doubled their win total of a year ago.
The improvement obviously starts with Rookie QB Andrew Luck, who has thus far been every bit the star people expected him to be.
Reggie Wayne is back and is having the best year of his career.
Issues still exist on the offensive line and the defense has a hard time stopping the run. Not to mention the constant struggles running the ball themselves.
But this is a good start. Luck has already won more games in his rookie year than Peyton Manning did in 1998.
In 2012, the Colts are playing for their coach, Chuck Pagano, who has been diagnosed with leukemia and is being treated by a La Porte, Indiana-born physician.
This team may have benefited from an easy early season scheduled, but they are Chuckstrong - and we will see how far this ride can taken them.

Election season heating up

One of the most exciting months is that that leads up to a Presidential Election. In addition to the fight for the presidency, many races at the state and local level are interesting as well.
This year, Hurricane Sandy has put an unexpected damper on some of the heated races, including the one for President.
In Indiana, the race between Democrat Joe Donnelly and Republican Richard Mourdock will prove to be a tight battle. It has heated up on a national level as well because of Mourdock's controversial comments regarding rape and abortion. Both candidates were in the La Porte County area today scrambling for votes in Michigan City and La Porte.

The governor race should also be tight between Republican Mike Pence (who is endorsed by the NRA) and Democrat John Gregg, who also campaigned in Michigan City last week. And even though he does not stand a realistic chance to win, Libretarian Rupert Boneham (of Survivor fame) is also a candidate. He will also get my vote, because on my birthday this year he was in Michigan City and signed a picture of himself with the words "Happy Birthday Tim", and gave it to a co-worker of mine who gave it to me.
At the local level, the Green Machine (which is led by super powerful attorney Shaw Friedman) is likely to gain 100 percent control of the County Commissioners if Democrats Vidya Kora and Dave Decker are elected over their Republican challengers Terry Garner and Sharon Kirkham.
The Democrats, in my mind, are likely to sweep the County races - with the only close call coming between Dem. Nancy Hawkins and Rep. Leigh Morris in the treasurer's race.
Although I do not have anything against any of the individuals associated with the Green Machine, machine politics should not exist in any county. People should vote for the candidate or individual they believe will beset serve them, not the party with the money that is able to get you an ill-legitimate garage permit or get your son or daughter a "job" with the county.
That's why Punch 10 voting is wrong and should be outlawed.
Vote for the person. Not the party.

Photo: Democratic Indiana Governor candidate John Gregg speaks to supporters at Ryan's Irish Pub in Michigan City on Saturday, October 27.

Green Bay: The Mecca of the NFL

Last month I had my first chance to visit Green Bay, Wisconsin as I took in a Saints-Packers game at Lambeau Field on an ideal fall afternoon. Getting tickets to go inside was more of a challenge than my father or I had anticipated.
We got lucky. We ONLY paid $300 for the pair.
While it seemed like a steep price, the experience that would follow was one that will never be forgotton. There is a reason people call Green Bay "titletown" and I don't believe it has anything to do with their four Super Bowl trophies.
As a Colts fan from Chicago it pains me to say it, but going to Green Bay is "THE" football experience. I've only been to six NFL stadiums, but it is tough to imagine an atmosphere better than that.
All day long it's a party. Cars are parked in front of homes for more than a mile away from the largest stadium in a small town. Everyone is grilling, having pre-game parties and dressed in Green and Gold.
With the smell of brats in the air, it is the closest anyone can come to a "college atmosphere" at an NFL game.
As we made our way to our seats, we could not find one section of the stadium that was empty. All the bleachers and seats were filled to capacity, and when we finally reached the seats, we quickly found out that moving was not an option.
The fans?
Respectful and knowledgeable. People came dressed in suspenders and everyone was there to have a good time.
And to make things even better, the Packers (including former Colts center Jeff Saturday) topped the hated New Orleans Saints 28-27 in a nail biter.

This week in History: Tylenol Murders

It was 30 years ago this week that the entire nation lost its innocence. It was in the wake of the Tylenol Murders, a string of seven deaths in the Chicagoland area. All seven victims had taken a Tylenol capsule between Sept. 29 and Oct. 1, 1982 - and died shortly after to potassium cyanide poisoning.
The crime spree, which involved an individual taking Tylenol from the counters and returning it, after tampering and inserting potassium cyanide to five stores in Chicago, has never been solved. James Lewis, an extortionist spent 13 years in prison for the extortion of the crime - but was found to not have actually been responsible for the murders.
The crime spree did spawn several "copycat" killings, most notable in 1986 in Seattle where a woman attempted to cover up her husband's murder by doing the same thing with Excedrin, killing another woman in the process.
The Tylenol case, while handled perfectly by parent company Johnson & Johnson., is the primary reason why tamper-proof packaging exists today.

Much hype, but alas no race

In it's fourth year in Michigan City, the Great Lakes Grand Prix superboat race is perhaps the most anticipated event of the year in Michigan City, grasping the town for what is usually a week long party concluded by an awesome display of speedy boats on Sunday afternoon.
This year, everyone at Washington Park seemed to wait until Sunday to have that "week long party," but when Sunday came - so did disappointment, in the fact that for the first time in its ten-year history, a Great Lakes Grand Prix race was canceled.
The event was canceled due to rip currents in the area, which would have caused major danger for boaters had they toppled during the event.
While many fans were disappointed, it was the right decision to make. Search parties were in full force looking for a number of missing persons that thankfully turned up safe on the beach.
The only question is whether or not there should have been a "rain date" in the event that that did in fact happen.
If it's such an important event, you would think it would have happened whether it be later in the day Sunday, Monday or even Tuesday.

Still, the boats were fun to look at as they were parked in the parking lot. But boats belong in the water and unfortunately for Michigan City residents and visitors last weekend, that did not occur.

Biking Chicago: Simply Magnificent

As my closest friends and family members know, riding a bicycle is one of my favorite activities. Learning and touring through the city of Chicago is another. An on June 25, 2012 - I was given the opportunity to combine both passions. The result was an experience I'll never forget - and hope to repeat in the very near future.
My travel mate Ramon and I began our bike tour by parking near his former home on 16th and Jefferson street in the Pilsen neighborhood. From there, we rode down Canal Street to Roosevelt, from Roosevelt east to the Museum Campus, right along the lake northbound east of Lake Shore Drive past Buckingham Fountain, along the Chicago River and then to the highlight of the day.
The Magnificent Mile.
Riding a bike northbound on Michigan Avenue from the Fort Dearborn site to the John Hancock Center is a thrill. With the wind behind our backs on a 72 degree not a cloud in the sky day, it was heaven.
Or maybe just Chicago, which in my book is pretty darn close.
From there, we rode up to Oak Street Beach to get beautiful pictures of the Chicago skyline from the north and the choppy waters of an angry Lake Michigan late in the day. All the while watching beachgoers play volleyball with the Drake Hotel as a backdrop.
As much as I love traveling, no place will ever be more thrilling than the town I can proudly say I was born in.
On our route home, we passed famous sites such as Holy Name Cathedral, Rush Street, the Greektown neighborhood, Picasso sculpture and the Art Institute of Chicago. Not to mention a water break at the fountains of Millenium Park.
If you own a bike and are anywhere close to Chicago, biking through the entire city is an experience that should not be skipped.

Georgia road trip recap

Each road trip keeps getting better and better. Here is a brief recap from the one I just completed to Central Georgia.

March 20, 2012:

Spent the day driving to Nashville. Stopped in Louisville early in the day to see the Louisville Slugger factory and museum - which included a purchase of two mini Louisville Slugger bats. Quickly walked through the lobby of the Muhammad Ali Center only to find the greatest of all-time did not want a statue constructed. Favorite part was the drive down Third Street, going through the Old Louisville neighborhood with 100-year-old homes and then the University of Louisville campus, which looked very nice. Best part of Louisville was seeing Churchill Downs - the home of the Kentucky Derby with a statue of Barbaro.

On the way from Louisville to Nashville - Alyssa and I stopped at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky which is new. Lots of old Corvettes and information, fun time.

After getting the Kentucky sign at the Tennessee border - we made our way to Nashville. When I got to downtown, at first I thought it was boring being a Tuesday night. But around the Bridgestone Area, I was able to get a ticket to the Predators hockey game against the Edmonton Oilers which provided a pleasant surprise to a trip I assumed would include no sporting events.

Preds fans were surprisingly passionate, yelling out "YOU SUCK" every time their team scored a goal, which was puzzling as to what they meant by that.

Downtown Nashville at night was interesting - at least on Broadway - where bars and restaurants were open late with almost all of them featuring a musical group. There were also individuals outside playing violins, guitars, and such. It truly is "Music City."

Saw a guy with a Preds jersey running from police only to get caught minutes later near the Ryman Auditorium.

March 21, 2012:

After breakfast at Cracker Barrel, we checked out the Opryland Hotel and the Grand Ole Opry house that "Made Country Music famous." Went downtown to se the Country Music Hall of Fame and to get daytime pictures of Fort Nashbrough and the downtown restaurants before leaving for the Lookout Mountain and Chattanooga area.

Although we were in a rush - getting the Welcome to Alabama sign was a must - and we made a detour off I-24 to get it through the town of South Pittsburg, Tennessee.

Filled up on gas in Bridgeport, Alabama,

Made it to Lookout Mountian a little too late to get the Incline Railway tour, but did have a guided tour of Ruby Falls, a breathtaking underground waterfall below the peak of Lookout Mountain. Afterwards, we were given a chance to go to the top for a nightime view of the city of Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Valley.

Ate dinner at the Cracker Barrell in Ringgold, Georgia before making our descent through Atlanta and finally to the Budget Inn in Forsyth, Ga. that night.

March 22, 2012:

After the Budget stay, which featured a woman that talked a lot as well as many stray cats, we made our way to Macon to see the Cherry Blosson Festival and get Alyssa's first Waffle House experience.

nice day in Macon - highlighted by a gospel choir that was performing during the Festival. The cherrys were a blossoming.

Went from Warner Robins hotel to new one in Byron with a swimming pool. Met with Adriana and the group that night in WR.

March 23, 2012:

Early morning trek to Plains, Ga. to see the Jimmy Carter Nat. Historic Site, Boyhood Farm and Billy Carter Service Station. Nice Georgia experience driving through back roads to get to the town that jump starter Carter's 1976 Presidential campaign.

Rehearsal for wedding at Rain Church and rehearsal dinner at Rusty's in Perry.

March 24, 2102:

Wedding Day. My first experience as a wedding photographer for the wedding of Adriana Koch and Allen Clayton.

March 25, 2012:

Spent time with the newly weds, ate at Cheddar's in Warner Robins before making our way to Calhoun, Georgia for the night.

March 26, 2012:

Last day of trip. Took photo of Georgia state sign. Stopped at Dinosaur World in Kentucky for an exterior photo.

The pride of March

March is my favorite time of the year. I was born in March - brought home from the hospital on the day of Chicago's downtown St. Patrick's Day Parade.

In addition to being the unofficial start of spring and warmer weather - March is my favorite month because it celebrates the Irish (whether you actually have Irish blood or not) while March Madness encompasses everyone (whether you are a basketball fan or not).

This year, we have already seen two monumental basketball upsets - with second seeds Duke and Missouri being ousted in round one within an hour of each other. This proves to be an exciting NCAA Tournament.

But my favorite thing about the month is the parades. And last weekend, I had a chance to attend and cover the Michigan City St. Patrick's Day Parade - but also make a long-awaited return to the South Side Irish Parade, which has made its return to Western Avenue after a two-year hiatus.

Both parades had the perfect weather, atmosphere and people.

Everyone was well-behaved - even on Western Ave., where parade-goers knew this would be the last one if they weren't behaved.

The SSIP featured a few of my favorites - including the Marist High School band, SXU 2011 NAIA Champions, the Wee Folks of Washtenaw-Talman (who began the original parade in 1979) and the Gainer Family, a long-standing south side parade tradition, as well as an emotional tribute to the fallen Cpl. Conner Lowry - a Beverly native who died while fighting in Afghanistan.

Many attendees had donned shirts proclaiming the 2012 event as "Conner's Parade."

The bagpipes really got people in the mood for both parades.

In Michigan City, the Summer Festival float (of which I was on for the route down Franklin Square from 4th to 11th streets), was situated right behind a group of pipers in kilts.

The say everyone loves a parade - and last week that was the case on both sides of Lake Michigan.

Photo: Bagpipers march down Western Avenue during the return of the South Side Irish Parade.

IHOP gives back

The Michigan CIty IHOP was one of many nationwide that participated in "National Pancake Day," where donations for a free short stack of pancakes were used to benefit the Children's Memorial Hospital.

Random thoughts

I am very glad the New Orleans Saints will be getting punished for carrying out a "bounty" system for three years under former Defensive Coordinator Gregg Williams. I knew they were a dirty team in 2009 when they beat the Colts in the Super Bowl. Williams himself "joked" about how he wanted to take Peyton Manning physically out of the game. People thought he was joking but that may have been part of the plan if things did not go the Saints' way.

I think the Illinois legislatures who reintroduced a bill to make horse slaughter legal again in Illinois should be ashamed. It's animal cruelty and anyone who supports it is either inhumane, emotionally bereft or stands to gain financially from the slaughter of horses.

When a department head - whether any illegal activity has taken place or not - loses the trust of his or her workers, it is time to move on to someone else.

Indy's time to shine

Since 1997, I have been a frequent visitor to the capital city of Indiana. As a die-hard Colts fan dating back to the days of "Captain Comeback" Jim Harbaugh, my father and I usually make at least one trip to Indianapolis a year for a Colts game.

I have also been on hand for three Big 10 Men's Basketball Tournaments and the 2011 Drum Corps International show.

But I will be making a special trip down there today for an event that has never occurred within driving distance in my lifetime - that being Super Bowl weekend.

Some of my favorite Indianapolis moments since 1997 include:

Meeting Jim Harbaugh (1997, on field)

Meeting Peyton Manning (1998, in the Hyatt hotel elevator)

Touring the RCA Dome (1998)

Being in attendance for infamous Jim Mora PLAYOFFS???!!! game against the San Francisco 49ers (2001)

Seeing punter Hunter Smith score a touchdown on a fake field goal against the New York Jets (2003)

Seeing Peyton Manning's 48th and 49th touchdown passes, then an NFL record in an incredible come-form-behind overtime win against the San Diego Chargers (2004)

Waiting inside the RCA Dome for the Colts to arrive with the Lombardi Trophy for the Super Bowl Champions rally (2007)

The final regular season game at the RCA Dome (2007)

The first ever game (preseason) played at Lucas Oil Stadium (2008)

Incredible classic comeback win over the hated New England Patriots after Bill Belichick's 4th and 2 gamble (2009)

To the NFL - I can only hope that Lucas Oil Stadium becomes a regular Super Bowl site. Indy has always done a fine job hosting sporting events like the Big 10 Tournament, Indy 500 and also a number of conventions, auto shows, band competitions and the Drum Corps world class finals.

Go Indy, it's your time to shine.

Super Bowl deja vu

Other than the night the Colts beat the Bears in a torrential downpour, I cannot remember being happier about a Super Bowl outcome than when the New York Giants stunned the undefeated New England Patriots and became Super Bowl XLII champions.

Four years later, we get another go-round, and this time it's right in our backyard.

With the Colts bowing out of playoff contention pretty much the moment the season began, all I was hoping for out of the 2011 season was a good Super Bowl match-up that would have story lines galore in Indianapolis.

Well that's exactly what we have - with Eli Manning, Peyton's little brother, attempting to defend the house his brother built against his brother's biggest rival, one Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

Can Eli outdo Peyton by winning a second Super Bowl in a stadium with a poster of Peyton on the front?

Will the Patriots avenge a four-year grudge against the very team that prevented their perfection of 2007?

And will Indianapolis, America's best mid-size town, prove that it was a good choice to host the Super Bowl.

Let's hope the answers to those questions are: Yes, no, and yes.

Go Giants!