Well, the No. 9-seeded Wichita State Shockers only nearly shocked as they stayed with Louisville all the way in their NCAA Basketball final four semifinal challenge. Alas, for the cinderella Shockers, it will be No. 1-seeded Louisville facing fourth seed Michigan. The Wolverines won 61-56 in a barn burner that was in doubt to the last few seconds. Michigan and Louisville will face off in tonight’s 9 p.m. NCAA National Championship game.

Life in Michigan these days is still about the fundamentals of economic and political survival. We see hope from the common sense leadership of Gov. Rick Snyder and also the sense of an improving state economy. Given enough time, that combination could begin to relieve the huge unfunded government obligations incurred in the times of blinding prosperity that we — or our children — must pay.

If you are following the news about education legislation, you have no doubt heard about EAA. EAA stands for Education Achievement Authority. It began as a partnership between Eastern Michigan University and the Detroit schools as a means of implementing legislation to help improve schools that have been identified as failing students. The stated mission is: To transform traditional public schooling and provide a prototype for 21st century teaching and learning.

Hydraulic fracturing — “fracking,” by its more common name — is a complex issue posing complex questions. Sadly, there are too many voices on both sides offering up only simple answers. The oil and gas industry would like us to believe the practice is 100 percent safe, 100 percent necessary and 100 percent American in the best sense of that word. They tell us there has never been any hard evidence fracking has caused any sort of environmental harm to humans, animal life or the flora immediately surrounding fracking sites.

The latest “Gang of Eight” senators just could be putting together the pieces for the breakthrough needed to relieve the nation’s long struggle with its immigration policies and practices.

Let’s take a moment to appreciate the gubernatorial leadership we have in Michigan these days.

The Michigan Senate on Tuesday quietly approved Senate Bill 78, a bill that slaps handcuffs on the Michigan Department of Natural Resources’ ability to manage its Biodiversity Stewardship Areas (BSAs) and Living Legacy Programs. SB 78 removes DNR authority to section off and create biodiversity areas on state or private land. Authority for such action shifts to the Legislature. The Michigan Environmental Council strongly opposes the bill.

When I talk about technology, I often joke that I am from the generation that remembers when phones were black and attached to the wall, and the dishwasher was me or my brother. It is amazing how much change took place in the 20th century. Within that 100-year span, electricity, automobiles, airplanes, telephones, microwaves and televisions are only a few things that became new common items in most households. Parenthetically I have to ask, what country was responsible for most of these changes? Hold that thought.

Football players strap on helmets, Jewish men put on yarmulkes, chefs wear tall white hats, cowboys don their Stetsons and hard hats protect construction workers. Hats serve many different purposes including completing specific tasks and cultural symbolism. Most of the time I don’t wear a hat at all during my everyday activities.

Winter is still with us, and it looks like it will keep punching for a while longer. But if we gotta have winter, let it be like yesterday. The sun was shining, the snow was beautiful, the temperature was moderate, a day perfect for ice fishing and the kids were sledding at Tower Mountain.