Some Quick News and Commentary

From today's headlines:

Reality Shows on Tap if Writers Strike

Why not call it like it really is? "Excrement on Tap if Writers Strike"...much better and much more honest. Reality shows can only take you so far.


Internet Tax Moratorium Goes to Bush

This extends the ban on taxing Internet commerce that has been in place since 1998. Apparently, a permanent ban has broad support but if we're still paying taxes in the real world, we might as well leave the option open in the virtual world. (Either that, or ban sales taxes in the real world, too.) Oh, and it's nice to finally see some bipartisan action; this bill passed the House 402-0, with support from businesses, local and state governments, and labor unions. Next up: snowballs in Hell.


Google Plan Sees Phones by mid-2008

I'll be interested to see what it is and what it does. I also like the "gPhone" name as an obvious jab at the iPhone. (It's a hand grenade...it's sideburns...a sonogram...a condiment dispenser...a prophylactic...)

Thanks for reading along.

The Future Is Here!

I saw this today, and decided I'd sign up for updates:

The Honda FCX is coming

This is Honda's concept of the production hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle they're releasing in 2008. It's not a diesel and it's not a hybrid. In fact, in case you didn't know, it uses no petroleum at all, which is a good thing. We can talk about global warming all we like but it really is in our long-term best interest to begin moving away from petroleum-based technologies. Hybrids and diesels are great in that they use their fuel more efficiently, but ultimately we need to leave it behind. I'm very excited by this and I sincerely hope it does well.

My only concern is how this car and its fueling stations will store and protect the hydrogen, which is much more dangerous than gasoline. It is highly flammable when mixed with oxygen (think the Hindenburg) and it can also spontaneously react with other substances like chlorine and flourine. I know we have similar issues with gasoline, but gasoline isn't as unstable as hydrogen tends to be. Also, hydrogen is not as naturally occuring (at least, not on Earth) as petroleum is, so hydrogen must be produced. It can be derived from subsurface reservoirs near coal, natural gas, or oil shale, but it is most commonly produced from electrolysis, which requires electricity to perform. Obviously, hydrogen could not be used to produce the electricity to make the electrolysis that would then result in more hydrogen; that would potentially be a perpetual motion machine, which is impossible because it violates the Second Law of Thermodynamics. So hydrogen is produced by other means, like coal, nuclear, solar, and the like, so that's still an issue with ensuring adequate hydrogen production, should this technology really take off. Look what's happened with ethanol, now that demand is increasing. New technologies have a tendency to have unintended ripple effects in other areas, so we need to watch that closely for those.

Thanks for reading along.

New Layout

I don't like this layout. It's cooler than the old one, in that it has a less...ahem, bare-bones look, but it just doesn't work as well for the blog. Frankly, I prefer the old one and I might go back to that. Or I might try to find something that will work well that is a blend of the two. Keep your eyes open for a new look for The Daily Okie.

Open Week Revisited

Well, the weekend was good...and it was bad. I did get to Donovan's game. I also got some time with the family this weekend. I raked the front yard with Donovan's help, and I got the sprinkler system done. I did finish the little bit of stuff I needed to finish for class, though I didn't work much on my paper (and that's my own fault). I also didn't get much done for the virtual server; that might end up waiting until class is over in a few weeks, when I'll have the entire holiday break through early January to work on it with no concerns.

I did watch a little college football, but I might as well have not watched any, since nothing really noteworthy happened (and thus nothing that might have helped OU get closer to the National Championship game in January). I also watched the Rockies get kicked hard, and I am a little sad about that. Heidi and her family are native Coloradans, of course, so they really were hoping the Rockies would show well. They're very disappointed that they couldn't do so well. Of course, they made huge strides just to get into the World Series, and they should still be very proud. They're a young team with a bright future. I'm not a huge Rockies fan, so this didn't really hurt me much, but there are a lot of folks around here who are hurting or at least sorely disappointed.

(An aside to all you Red Sox fans: who do you think you are? Wait a minute, let's take stock. East Coast team...fans have funny accents...huge-market club, so you've got the best talent money can buy...everyone's on your bandwagon, so everyone wants (and expects) you to win, except the other team's fans...heavily favored in the Series...media all fawning over you...ESPN HQ is in your backyard. Who could that be? Yes, that's right...you're just the Yankees in a different uniform. Congratulations, you should be so proud. Let another year of back-East ass-kissing begin.)

So all in all, it was kind of a good weekend, but there were bad parts also. My weeks don't get any quieter for a while...dear Lord, please help me hold it together until Thanksgiving. Thanks for reading along.

Open Week

So I have quite an opportunity this weekend. It's not my week for the kids, so we don't have Connor or any of his usual activities. Also, OU is off this week; they play Texas A&M next Saturday. Donovan only has his flag football game today, his last of the season.

So I have a rare open weekend to get some things done. I've already fixed our two leaking toilets in the house and changed the furnace filter...got those done last night. So basically, my list of stuff for the weekend looks like this:

1. Donovan's game
2. Rake the front yard
3. Blow out and winterize the sprinkler system
4. Work on my paper for class
5. Do some work on my virtual server for my Dad
6. If I get time, work with Dad on converting and editing my saved OU games from the Tivo.

So that's about it for now...I'll update with progress later. Thanks for reading along.

News on the RUF/NEKs, and Closure On An Old Item

First, we're seeing some closure on the situation with Austin Haley down in Noble. You might remember little Austin; he was the 5-year-old boy killed within sight of his grandfather by a stray bullet from the gun of Noble police officer. All three officers on the scene were fired as a result. Yes, I say three; apparently there was a third officer on scene at the time of the shooting, a female officer. For their "actions and inaction" on that tragic day, they were all terminated. The officer who fired, and the other male officer mentioned as the supervising officer on the scene, have both been arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter. I don't know what will happen to them criminally. Personally, I hope it isn't too excessive. While negligent, this wasn't malicious, and those three people have no future in law enforcement (or likely even in any sort of armed guard service, where they might go next). And not only will they be looking for completely new careers, but they'll also have what happened to poor Austin on their consciences for the rest of their lives.

OU's great and long-standing spirit group, the RUF/NEKS, are in quite a bit of trouble today, thanks to some pretty serious allegations of hazing of pledges and alcohol abuse. Apparently, the issues led to nearly half of the current pledge class dropping out. The school is basically cleaning house on them, transitioning them from independent self-control to governance and oversight directly from the Athletic Department. All current RUF/NEK members are expelled from the group and banned from University activities as part of the group. Current RUF/NEK pledges and former pledges from this semester, those still in and those who dropped out, will be permitted to stay on and essentially rebuild the group. This has all happened so quickly and thoroughly, the official OU Athletic Department website has already removed previous mention of the RUF/NEKS which used to exist under the "Sooner Tradition" section. The last time they moved this quickly was in removing all mention of Rhett Bomar and J.D. Quinn the day they were kicked off the team last season.

It will be interesting to see how the RUF/NEKS rebuild, especially considering that many of their activities on the field are somewhat dangerous. Oversight by the Athletic Department might threaten some of those activities because of liability concerns. Who's going to drive the Sooner Schooner? Who's going to fire the shotguns? How are the long-standing traditions going to be upheld? Many Sooner fans might take them for granted, but we alumni know what they're about. If I had attended OU from the very start, I might even be a RUF/NEK alum myself. I am strongly against hazing, and if these allegations are true, the banned members got exactly what they deserved. However, I believe that the University recognized in this case that there is a long tradition with the RUF/NEKS, and that alone saved the group from being completely disbanded by the University. Any frat chapter at OU with the same violations would've suffered that fate. I just hope that if they're taking over the RUF/NEKS, they don't ruin them. Too often, organizations become more concerned with liability than with tradition.

Thanks for reading along.

Happy Mole Day!

For all you geeks out there, it's National Mole Day! As I took two different chem classes in high school (Chem 1 and AP Chem), I still remember what a mole is. For those of you who don't know, a mole is the amount of any substance you have when you have exactly Avogadro's number's worth of atoms or molecules of that substance. Now, Avogadro's number is expressed as:

6.02 x 10²³

When you have this many atoms or molecules of something (water, for example), you have one mole of that substance. This usually isn't a big deal for most applications where other units to measure the amount of something are better, like using ounces or cups in cooking. For chemical applications, however, moles are highly significant; a mole is a standard amount of any substance, since the number of atoms/molecules of the substance are always the same. This allows any substance to be measured in a comparable way to any other substance.

For example, there are two measures used chemically to determine concentrations of chemical solutions: molality, defined as moles of solute per kilogram of solvent and signified with a lower-case m, and the much more common molarity, defined as moles of solute per liter of solution and signified with a capital M. The higher the molality or molarity of solution, the more concentrated it is. So a solution of hydrochloric acid that measures 0.01 molarity (or properly, 1/100th of a mole of hydrochloride molecules [HCl] per liter of solution) might not do much more to you than provide an unpleasant burn, but crank up the molarity to 2.0 or 3.0, and you're looking at losing some substantial flesh (as well as a great deal of pain). For chemical purposes, molality and molarity are much more precise than something like "parts per million," especially considering the possible disastrous effects of certain chemical interactions.

Not that you'd want to be fooling around with hydrochloric acid, but that's another story. So anyway, enjoy National Mole Day. Thanks for reading along.

Well, This Is All I Really Needed To See

My mind's made up:

Chuck Norris Endorses Mike Huckabee for President

That settles it...vote Huckabee or feel the wrath of Chuck Norris. Any questions?

Oh, and by the way, IT'S BACK!!! I will have to start putting up the facts again. WOOHOO!!

Dumbledore, eBay, and Some Other Stuff

So J.K. Rowling recently revealed that Dumbledore was gay? Fine, good for her. I might not agree with the choice, but she's the author and has full right to take her characters in any direction she likes. I DO disagree, however, with two aspects of the recent shocking revelation.

First, why did she reveal this AFTER all the books were complete? If she really wanted to make a statement for gay rights, if she really wanted to be controversial, why not actually either explicitly mention it in the stories or at least point even moderately to it as part of the character's development? The linked story claims, "...some passages...have taken on a new and clearer meaning." That's true but it is tied to my second disagreement.

Why was this even necessary? Dumbledore is a great character and should be able to stand on his own. His incredible power is always understood, and yet he is a prime example of the old axiom that those with true power almost never have to use it. (Well, he used his power a few times but only when necessary.) His great self-confidence, his intense yet unshakable calm in nearly every situation, his wondrous knowledge made him a character to be admired and loved, regardless of his sexual orientation. This new information about Dumbledore really does nothing to add something refreshing to the character as he was fully developed through the course of the series. For that reason, I would argue that it is an unnecessary political statement on Rowling's part.

So, tie my two disagreements together and here's what you get. I'll give Rowling the benefit of the doubt and mention that she might have wanted to include this information in the series. There are two reasons why she did not, and neither makes her look any good. First, she might not have included it because her publisher pressured her to keep it out (these stories were originally designed for kids, despite their wide following among adults). If she felt strongly enough about it, what should it matter who the intended audience was? Most gay-rights supporters will tell you that we should start paving the way for the idea that homosexuality is OK and acceptable as early as possible. She should've stuck to her guns on it, and so her political statement, though shocking it might still be, comes off much weaker. However, I think the more likely interpretation is much more practical; either Rowling or her publishers (or both) believed that such a revelation in the course of the stories would damage sales, and we can't have that, can we? If this second theory is true, whether she was the driving force or the publisher was, the fact that she acquiesced to this thinking makes her look horrible. This weakens her statement much more than the first theory, in which she at least can claim she didn't wish to offend. If she can so easily be coerced into sacrificing her beliefs for money, what does that say about her and worse, about the characters she has created? I suppose you don't get to being one of the wealthiest women in the world through strong morality.

I really think Rowling damaged herself with this. Perhaps not much (and certainly almost none with her almost rabid fan base), but there it is.


I like eBay because you can find some truly unique things for sale, and also because you can still find good bargains if you look hard enough. It is one of man's best examples of the free market. However, there are some things about eBay that bug me.

First, there's the whole concept of "seller reserve". In short, the reserve is the hidden minimum amount that seller will accept in the auction. If the reserve price is not met, the highest bidder does not win. You see this most commonly in the eBay Motors section (where I spend a lot of my time, dreaming about cool cars I could buy and/or restore). In fact, the reserve is so common that you will often see "LOW RESERVE!!!!" or the like in the summary for the auction itself, so that you aren't scared away by the fact that there's a reserve at all (and many folks are). My question to anyone who thinks the reserve is a good idea is simply this: why bother? You can set a minimum initial bid, so if there's some amount that is your absolute bottom, just set your minimum initial bid to that amount and run with it. At least then, buyers aren't misled into believing they have a shot at something when they really don't. You can sometimes get an idea of what the reserve might be because some sellers will also include the "Buy It Now" feature of an auction in which they'll list a price and if you click and agree to pay, the auction is over, you win, and you just go straight to the deal. However, the use of the reserve leads to some hysterical tableaux, something like this:

1968 Chevy Camaro SS
Current Bid: $2,250.00 (Reserve not met)
But It Now Price: $27,500.00

Hmmmmmmm....what do you think they really want for the car, even if you consider their reserve? $25K? Perhaps a little less? At least I have some idea now, so this isn't totally stupid (even if it's close to it). Even worse is the following:

1968 Chevrolet: Camaro VERY NICE
Current Bid: $15,100.00 (Reserve not met: the seller has lowered the reserve price)
Buy It Now Price: $17,650.00

What do you think his reserve was? $17,650 to start with? Why even bother lowering the reserve in a case like this? Perhaps he lowered it to $17,500.

I understand why some folks think the reserve is necessary. There are lots of jokers on eBay. There are lots of flooded markets (like the classic Camaro market above) on eBay. Some sellers are lazy and haven't done their research, but want to see what folks are willing to pay. Again, however, the above examples demonstrate why trying to be cagey and screw people around is stupid. eBay is a HUGE marketplace and there are lots of people looking at your stuff. Be honest and decent with them and it will work for you. There's a big disconnect between buyers and sellers on eBay: sellers want to maximize profits and I get that, but the typical eBay buyer is a cheapskates looking for bargains, not some guy who's got an unlimited bank account and wants YOUR Camaro and will bid whatever it takes to get it. If you want to use a reserve, fine, but don't set a hidden reserve of $17,500 or $17,000, leave out a Buy It Now price so bidders at least get an idea of what they're looking at, then set the minimum initial bid to $777.00, as the guy in the second example did. You're just being stupid and fooling people into thinking they'll get a steal when they really have no chance to do so. If you're still insistent at this point on jerking bidders around, at least start the bidding at $10K or something realistic.

Second, don't delude yourself about the "value" of your item. Should you get lucky and find that one guy I mentioned above, who's got the bankroll and wants YOUR item, good for you, but in the meantime do a little research and be realistic about what you might get. I'm guessing some folks are hoping to find the sucker who will needlessly overpay (I've seen this happen right before my very eyes, on a trip to a small crafts market in the Yucatan, so I know these people exist). Others might just think that it's so valuable to them or since they don't really want to sell anyway, they'll make someone pay. I don't really know what the motivations might be, but there are a lot of people who seem to think that because they're selling it, it's tripled in price since they bought it. This might sometimes be the case, but do you honestly believe your Grandma's jiggling hula girl doll is worth $500, even if she did get it in Hawaii? It's odd and educational to see the differing concept of "value" that present themselves on eBay.


(OU FOOTBALL DISCLAIMER...BLAH, BLAH, BLAH....)

So OU looked not-so-good Saturday, though it is good to see that they can basically play half a game, spot Iowa State 7 points, and still win by 10. We've seen what this team can do when they're really clicking, so let's hope they get back to that soon. Maybe the extra week before the Texas A&M game on November 3rd in Norman will help them recharge and put themselves back together for the final, critical run to the Big 12 title and (dare we dream) an appearance in New Orleans with a chance for the national championship.

We have learned another very important thing about the Sooners. They will never win an important replay review or challenge. Dating all the way back that fateful last-second "loss" to Texas Tech in 2005, replays and reviews have not been kind to OU. It continued with That Oregon Affair last year, of course, and this past Saturday the Sooners had two or three more plays either challenged or reviewed, and all went against OU. It has become so common for OU to lose challenges, in fact, that Bob Barry and Merv Johnson commented on it during the game every time a review happened. It has become expected. So it appears the Sooners will have to continue making their own luck, because the officials sure aren't going to help them, even by making a mistake in their favor. I guess it goes along with that whole adversity thing that seems to be a recurring theme for the Crimson and Cream the past few years. I'll know that OU is going to win the NC again when we actually start seeing some of those weird bounces and reviewed plays going our way again.

Thanks for reading along. Next post, I'll talk about my past weekend...there's quite a bit to that.

Opening Some Old Files

So I'm opening the old files for the day, and let's see what I find...

From the "Wacky San Francisco" file (hey, the columnist even says that himself):

C.W. Nevius: Support for supervised drug injection is growing

Go ahead and make the case, dude. I can't believe I actually visited there. After all, they recently refused to let the Marines film a recruitment commercial there, and it's widely known that they would run all military recruiters out of the city limits if they could (Berkeley has pretty much already done so). Finally, San Francisco is one of America's most notorious sanctuary cities. So, in honor of their wackiness, their refusal to obey the laws of the United States, and their disdain for the protection of their wackiness afforded by the government and military that they so despise, I suggest a new Pledge of Allegiance:

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, excluding San Francisco, with liberty and justice for all.

Works well, don't you think? It's not really "indivisible" any more, I'm afraid, so we might as well accept that and run with it.


Moving right along...from the "Liberals are only a blown fuse away from the conspiracy nutters who think the government staged the Moon landing at Area 51" file:

It starts here, with "Randi Rhodes is the Victim of a Violent Attack." Then it moves to here to prove the lunacy: "Air America host Randi Rhodes wasn't mugged."

OK, forget the fact that Air America radio sucks and that very few people, even liberals, actually listen to it. Conservative talk radio has substantially higher ratings, probably by a few orders of magnitude. Forget that I, as a regular listener of conservative talk radio, had never even heard of Randi Rhodes before, though most of the world (and especially the moonbats) know exactly who the likes of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Mark Levin, Ann Coulter, Laura Ingraham, Dennis Miller, and G. Gordon Liddy are. Let's face facts: if Ms. Rhodes had actually ever said or done anything noteworthy, Rush, Sean, Mark, Ann, Laura, Dennis, or G. Gordon would've mentioned the name before, I guarantee it. Forget that Ms. Rhodes lives and works in New York City where, despite decreased crime thanks to Mr. Giuliani's efforts and programs, still routinely has muggings, murders, and burglaries that are completely unrelated to a resident's political views or occupation as a liberal talk radio host.

And yet, as soon as word leaks out, every moonbat on the planet is ready to blame it yet again on the "Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy" (VRWC). The same VRWC, headed by George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, that has done everything from directly causing global warming to having JFK assassinated to planting Monica Lewinsky in Bill Clinton's office to seduce him with a cigar and a blue dress. Every conservative is part of the VRWC, of course, and we all want nothing more than for every liberal to be violently wiped from the earth by God's wrath. They talk an awful lot about hate, but I think situations like this show where the hate really comes from.


Next up, the "Striking a Blow Against Pedophilia" file:

Suspected Toddler Rape Fugitive Arrested

I'm thrilled to see this. This is the guy who created that tape showing himself sexually assaulting a three-year-old girl. The tape was "recently" discovered outside of Las Vegas. This guy says he's "tired of running." I bet here in a few months he'll also be tired of prison food and being beaten and anally raped daily by other inmates. Since we don't get the death penalty for these characters, I suppose we must be happy with what we get.


Now for the "Really Wonderful News" file:

Having sex daily 'improves a man's fertility'

It turns out sex is more like weightlifting. The more you do it, the more you build yourself up. As if man needed another reason to have lots of sex. On the other hand, there's always one of my favorite quotes from Billy Crystal in City Slickers:

Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place.

Finally, from the "College football fans really DO have a sense of humor" file (and I recommend that only college football fans check this one out):

Stoops today: It's too early to worry about rankings

What really makes this one are the comments at the bottom of the article. Enjoy!


And speaking of college football (I already hear many of my readers sighing sadly), this season has done more to show that both college football and its fans can be completely crazy. I am happy, though, that OU still has a legitimate chance at playing for the NC, in spite of CU's freak upset. We still have quite a few nagging issues to take care of as soon as possible, though, like pass coverage in the middle and special teams.

On the whole CU issue, one of two things will happen and I'm good either way. First, CU will get beat by at least two more teams and likely end up in the Texas Bowl. (Enjoy that, CU fans...what a great way to show the progress you've made.) Second, CU could end up doing well in the Big 12 North and finish in the title game...for a rematch with OU. (Does lightning strike the same place twice? Uh, no. OU will still bear some anger from CU's "signature win" in Boulder, and on a neutral field, OU will beat the ever-living snot out of them by something like 45-7.)

Like I said, either way, I'm good. Thanks for reading along.

New Family Members and Lots More

We have a new member of the family now. Last Friday, Heidi went to pick up Tinkerbell (so named by Donovan), our new little kitten. She's only 8 weeks old and she's a firecracker, let me tell you. It has been a long time since I've had a kitten in my household; Ebony was a year old when I adopted her. Kittens are so funny, and they really demonstrate that curious quality of all cats. She jumps around and attacks just about everything. She meows and meows and meows all the time. She has a very strong purr, which I got to hear for the first time on Saturday. She's very small and very soft, with mostly black fur with white hairs everywhere, a large patch of white on her chest and belly, a white streak right down the middle of her nose, and white socks on her feet. She was apparently the runt of the litter but doesn't look the worse for wear. Heidi and I have already discovered that she likes to sleep on our pillows with us. She sleeps right next to my head, and she sleep ON Heidi (for whatever reason). Dash and Ebony don't like her much yet, and the feeling is mutual ( and Donovan went to pick up TinkerbellTink is quite a little hisser and spitter.) Well, I say Dash doesn't like her, but he likes everyone. He sniffs her when we bring her out and just wants to know what the deal is. Connor and Katie haven't seen her yet so we'll see how that goes.


I am officially removing my endorsement from Fred Thompson. I really like him, but I don't think his heart is really in this whole affair. His recent cancellation of a campaign appearance in New Hampshire sealed the deal for me. I think he got pushed into the race more than he went in on his own. I think he'd be a good president, and he might still be, but he really has to put in some effort and show he's serious. Until that happens, I can't go further with him. I don't really know who I like more now. Since my other realistic choices are Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney, neither of whom really stand out for me because they seem so similar, I don't really know who I'm going for. I really like Mike Huckabee, but I don't know if he has a realistic chance. I do NOT like Ron Paul (notice I'm not linking to him...go find him your darn self); he's far too isolationist and libertarian for my tastes. In fact, a recent Rockwood comic depicted his followers as zombies, and I don't know if I can disagree. So I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I do know this, though; I'm going to vote Republican in the next election regardless of who is nominated, because the worst Republican is still better than anyone the Democrat Party is fielding.


Some notable news items today...lots of food for thought, as follows:

You go, Dr. Gray! Tell the world! I mean, the guy is 78 years old, which matches up with the amount of reliable contextual data cited in most global warming studies, so I'll take his word over the other experts, I think.

Corporate executives are overpaid and don't provide the value-per-dollar to their companies? Say it isn't so! Next you'll try to tell me the sun rises in the east and the Pope is Catholic.

Need more proof that socialized healthcare, such as Hillary and her fellow Democrats are proposing, is not a good idea? Try this link.

Muslims aren't doing themselves any favors these days. I find it difficult to believe that we will not end up in total, open warfare with them, if they can't come to their senses and crack down on extremists within their religion. If it comes down to us or them...well, I know which way I'm going to choose. In the case of the guy in this article, I have no problem with him posting whatever he likes online; millions do just that every day and probably just as many hate the United States (even if they're Americans, unfortunately). However, since he obviously seeks my death, the death of my loved ones, and the death of my country, I have no compunction about saying that if someone prematurely speeds his way to "martyrdom," I'm fine with that. (By the way, it was terribly painful to link to the New York Times, but unfortunately, it must sometimes be done.)

You're an idiot. Period. I never had my chest massaged during a dental visit. Maybe next he'll argue that he had too many Twinkies and it affected his judgment, or that McDonald's should have put a warning label on the female patients' chests.

There are two things that must be stopped in the world today, and stopped soon. Radicalism in religion (as outlined above in Islam, but I would argue against any religious radicalism, including Christianity) is the first. Pedophilia is the other. If you really want to argue for the death penalty, consider pedophiles as a prime example. They're probably the only class of criminal other than murderers who deserve it. There are no excuses for it. There are no defenses for it. Worse, there is no excuse for humanity's lack of action in this area. It is the worst example of human apathy and complacency that we as a species have not stood up universally to end this, forever.

My last item: more on American "free speech." If I have to accept people disrespecting the United States and the President, and I have to accept people burning the American flag, if I have to have myself lumped in with every racist white-supremacist simply because I'm white, and if I have to endure eternal scrutiny of every word I say, then by all that is holy, the minorities can accept a simple Halloween display, regardless of "racial sensitivity." If I have to listen to you and shut up about it, then you can wise up and deal with it when someone else does something harmless, moron. Just another example that there really ARE only two kinds of people in the world: good people and trash. (In fact, I've noticed that lots of my posts point toward that very idea...I'll have to talk about that one some other time.)

Hope everyone has a great day. Thanks for reading along.

Remember When? The Harley and Classic Car Phenomenon

I've been looking and dreaming (since recent posts have been on that particular subject) about getting an old late-60s Camaro or Mustang, or maybe a Firebird, and restoring it. Remember when you could pick up a beat-up one for not much dough? I sure do...but the more I think about it, the more I think that particular phrase, "Remember when?" is the whole problem.

We got lots and lots of Baby Boomers growing older now, who have lots of disposable income, the nostalgia for their high school days, and time to tinker with restoring a car from that era. Couple that with a booming economy and that disposable income thing only increases for those folks who are right at the pinnacle of their careers (or slightly past) and are coasting home to retirement now. (I'm convinced the Harley craze has the same roots, actually.)

So what does this mean? It means that finding a decent car to start with is more difficult than ever. Ebay has lots of them, and here are your options. First, you can either get a fully restored one from anywhere between $30K and $100K, depending on the model. I sure don't have that kind of cash to drop; but there are even companies now that specialize in financing for classic cars. Next, you can look at something that actually has an engine and transmission, but even beat-up ones will cost you between $7-12K, from my research. Third, you can go for something around $2-3K, but don't expect an engine or transmission (or even a full body or wheels in some cases).

So I might be going in another direction, at least for myself. Heidi is set on a late-60s Camaro, and I sure can't blame her, so there's definitely one in our future somewhere. I guess that needs to be added to my Goals list. I, on the other hand, might be looking to restore/build up a model of my first car, a 1980 Mustang coupe in light medium blue with a hot little 3.3L straight-6 and an automatic transmission. I know you can get those cheap, even running. Lots of them available, and even specimens in good shape are only $2-3K. Even better, the engines aren't the all-electronic, super-fuel-injected monstrosities you see today. My old Mustang still had a carburetor, a distributor cap, easy-to-reach spark plugs, and enough room in the engine compartment to get around and reach thing. I had to manually set the engine timing with a timing light, something Dad and I did a couple of times. Ah, the good old days...do you remember when?

I've just been a posting fool today, haven't I? Three posts in one day? That's unprecedented. Thanks for reading along.

Secret (and Not-So-Secret) Dreams

I've been thinking a lot lately about future goals and dreams. First, some definitions, because that's important to this. I think that a goal is fully achievable based on your current life, so that if you point toward it, you can reasonably achieve it without too much assistance from others or from mere good fortune. Dreams, on the other hand, have as much to do with luck, incredible talent, and/or a leg up from other folks, as your own actual effort. Both of these need to be something you really want, not something you just hope will happen or something you blunder into. So that being said, here are some of my own secret goals and dreams. First, the goals:

1. Moving back to Oklahoma and going to work with my dad -- This is my priority number one and it's totally achievable. In fact, some bad things would actually have to happen against this to keep it from happening. The most important part of this is when, not if. I'm hoping for five years, but it could be ten.
2. Becoming debt-free -- Completely debt-free would be preferred, but only having mortgage and auto debts, and no other credit cards or other debts would be a successful achievement of this goal in my mind.
3. Quitting teaching (or any other "required" second job) forever -- I currently teach because I have to. Teaching entails a lot of other stuff for me, like the DU master's classes. Let's face it: if I didn't need to keep teaching, I wouldn't, and if I didn't need a Master's degree to keep teaching, I wouldn't be in school. I would much rather be more available to my wife and family, and doing things with them, or doing something more interesting for myself, than worrying about my grades and assignments or my lesson plans or my students' level of understanding. I used to enjoy teaching, and I'm still OK with it, but I've been doing it for quite a while and frankly, it's time for that aspect of life to go away.
4. Getting back into umpiring/officiating -- I always loved umpiring and I would love to get back into it. I was pretty darn good at it and I think I could really do well with it again. I would also love to get into football officiating. And these would be more like hobbies that pay, rather than real jobs.
5. Learn to play the mandolin -- Achievable, if I can get time (see Item #3 above).
   

So those are the goals, but what about the dreams?

1. Becoming the radio voice for Oklahoma Sooner football -- Come on, Sooner fans, admit it. Wouldn't you LOVE to have Bob Barry's job? You get to see every game, you get to share your enthusiasm with others, you get to witness all of OU's great moments and possibly even share a small part of that history if one of your calls goes down as part of an epic play or game.
2. Work as an NHL goal judge -- I've wanted this for a while. It's kind of hard to explain if you're not a hockey fan, but you get one of the best seats in the house, you get paid for it (or at least, you don't pay to watch), and you're part of the game.
3. Win the Powerball or Lottery (or even $50,000) -- I know this is the dream of lots of folks, but I don't know of anything positive that could be more life-changing, except for possibly surviving some sort of horrific accident (and that definitely still has its negative aspects). If someone handed you $5 million or $50 million, what would you do? Would you ever work again? Would you invest? Would you become a well-known philanthropist? Would you shoot for your secret dream of being the next radio voice for Oklahoma Sooner football? Money doesn't buy happiness, but it sure can't hurt, and it can remove some nagging worries forever. Even winning a much smaller but still substantial amount, like a year's or half a year's salary, would have immediate positive aspects.

So that's it for me. What are your dreams and goals? Whatever they are, may God help you achieve them.

Thanks for reading along.

THIS is How We Should Be Focusing Our Research...

I think scientists and researchers waste too much time on tiny little electronic devices. Those are nice and cool, but we could be doing so much more, like this wonderful piece of technology.

Add another "must-buy" item to the list for when I win the Powerball.

Names, Numbers, and What's Up Next

First, let's get the anger out of the way. Some humans shame our species with their antics. Some are truly evil, like Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, or Charles Manson. Then there are others who merely make the human race look incredibly stupid, shallow, petty, and unworthy of great things. I speak, of course, of folks like Michael Vick, the people who came up with Jackass, Paris Hilton, and most residents of San Francisco. Then, there are people like this fine example of police integrity. She has the nerve to call herself the victim in this situation? If she gets ever gets shot in the line of duty, is she going to sue the city for not providing her with free body armor and a Kevlar-lined cruiser with Plexiglas windows?

Now that the anger's over, it's time to give some credit where credit is due. I'm not much of a fan of Whoopi Goldberg's politics, but she stood up and said something great. Kudos to her for her honesty and integrity in this matter.


So moving right along...time for a little Sooner talk, but this is going to be a little different. This is going to focus a bit on an unusual phenomenon for OU, something that hasn't happened for quite a while. I'm talking about something I've mentioned before, but that could really be something wonderful for Oklahomans...a full-blooded Oklahoma boy as a high-quality quarterback at OU. Right now, that's Sam Bradford. USA Today did a great piece on him just yesterday. Knowing what a huge part the of Oklahoma's fabric is composed of sports, it's so gratifying to see another tried-and-true full-blooded Okie making a name for himself in one of Oklahoma's most high-profile positions (OU quarterback). Sam is part Cherokee, and Oklahoma native, and his dad played for OU under the great Barry Switzer back in the 70s...could the pedigree go any deeper? Guys like Sam and Jason White, another pure-blood Okie from Tuttle, are the inspiration and the hope of millions of guys just like me; guys that grew up as Oklahoma boys, played sports our whole lives, dreamed of playing for the Crimson and Cream (even though only a select few do, and even fewer from Oklahoma), and being remembered in Sooner lore forever. So many of the great players at OU and OSU come from out of state, and it's been that way for a long time. However, we still get great players from inside our own borders. Not to take anything away from the non-Okie players at OU, because any OU player gets an honorary Oklahoma citizenship; but the Okie players are special to us in a way that transcends mere love for the program or the school. It's recharges us and reaffirms our identity. Rocky Calmus, Teddy Lehman, Jason White, Cale Gundy, Tony Casillas, J.C. Watts, the Selmon brothers, Steve Owens...these are names that ring out for Oklahoma-born Sooner fans. I feel, for that reason more than most others, OU fans have really taken to Sam. It doesn't hurt that he's really been doing well, too. If he keeps it up, he could go down as one of the greatest Oklahoma and Oklahoma-born quarterbacks of all time.


I wonder if South Florida is as good as their ranking, or if they're yet another product of the great ESPN noise machine. I pay very little attention to anything anyone on ESPN says, except for Kirk Herbstreit, who is still one of the best college football analysts in the country. I guess ESPN somehow feels that the world needs two good teams out of Florida, and since Miami and Florida State are pretty much in the tank these days, there has to be a "legitimate" challenger to Florida's domination. I can hear the network honchos in the production room, "OMG!! We MUST have another Florida team to compete with our Florida coverage, or we'll lose the WHOLE STATE!!"


Looking forward to this weekend's huge game against Missouri. It will be nice to have a meaningful, high-ranked team to play other than Texas. I just hope the Sooners don't treat the home fans to another meltdown.

Thanks for reading along.

Random Things That Bother (Or Have Bothered) Me

Some excellent news first: the Rockies will NOT be playing in Denver this Saturday night, when OU plays Missouri. Thanks to the "miracle" Rockies and the fact that we're now deep into "Rocktober" (if I have to hear or read that idiotic cliche one more time, I think I'm going to strangle the person who approved or uttered it), everything else is completely subject to the Rockies' playoff game schedule. To make matters worse, the Avs' season just started, and the Broncos are already in the tank, so Denverites are even more into this whole Rockies playoff thing. Complications from this forced me to watch OU-Texas at home, rather than at the local OU Club watch party, for the first time in about 5 years. Fortunately, for a much bigger game, there will be no such considerations and I can go to enjoy it surrounded by my fellow live-and-die-by-each-game Sooners.


Along the same line, downtown parking, not just in Denver but in every metro area, is a freaking racket. To park in any lot within about 8 blocks of Coors Field was a minimum of $20 and a maximum of $40 (for a spot almost right across the street, in a lot that held probably 200 cars...you do the math there, CHA-CHING!). In fact, the owners of the lots near Coors Field probably only wanted the Rockies in the playoffs because they were salivating over ripping off hundreds of blinded, playoff-starved Rockies fans. That was a major factor in not watching the OU game with the club, since the sports bar where the watch parties are held is directly across the street from Coors Field. Even though the OU game started at 1:30 and the Rockies game didn't start until 7:30, we would've had to clear out of any place we parked within a reasonable radius by 4:30, before the game was even over. The closest affordable, we're-not-going-to-run-you-off parking was a mile away from the bar and I wasn't interested in doing that. This is the first time I've ever said that I've been happy to see the Rockies season end, but personally, I'd rather they lost and got it over with. Ticket prices are through the roof...parking is through the roof...I shudder to think what a dog and a beer costs, should you be fortunate or wealthy enough to score some $30 tickets in the Rockpile (the Rockies' version of the cheap seats, normally $4 a seat). Ugh.


Can we get someone running for president who's got a little optimism? I mean, who's really providing it? The Democrats, with their universal health care and their retreat from Iraq? Does anyone outside of the radical left wing find either of those very optimistic? Retreat from any conflict never does the retreating country any good; just look at the aftermath of Vietnam. Did anyone, ANYONE IN THE ENTIRE WORLD, feel better about the United States after the withdrawal? Also, increasing entitlements with a Canada/UK-style health system doesn't either (ask folks who actually live in Canada or the UK about the quality of their system). "Oh, but we'll do better, we promise! We're Americans! We can make the Evil Big Drug Companies and Rich Bastards pay for everything!" the Democrats claim. Hmmmm...good luck with that. My work-provided health insurance might not be stellar, but my family at least gets what we need.

Not that the Republicans are offering much more. I'm tired of hearing an apologetic tone. I'm tired of hearing backtracking. I want strength, I want vision, I want positive energy, and I bet the rest of the country wants that, too. Frankly, the Republicans are in a much better position to provide that than the Democrats, who only seem to be able to flip-flop and pander. They're failing to exploit that key point, however, and it might cost them.

Here's my take on what Republicans can say that would really help them:

1. Encourage assimilation of immigrants, even illegal ones. I think the great backlash against illegal immigration is that they seem so blatant in wanting to take whatever we'll willing to give them (jobs, money, health care, automatic citizenship for their children born here, college degrees), but still maintain their old citizenship and be permitted to spit on the name of the United States and ignore our culture, laws, and traditions. So don't provide amnesty, but do work to speed up the green-card process, and provide immigrants incentives to actually want to be Americans, rather than Mexicans/Asians/Arabs/ living in America. I think all Americans could get behind honest immigrants who want to truly make their lives better, learn English, contribute to American society, and leave their old country behind. And if any immigrant shows that they're unwilling to really assimilate and do what it takes to be an American, out they go. Period. Make your choice, and stick to it. Americans are patient and open, but no one wants to be expected to continue giving free things to someone who hates them.

2. Remind Americans WHY we're fighting the War on Terror. That doesn't mean allow another attack or patronize them, but remind them that America had really done nothing to deserve what it got on September 11th, 2001. We had just come out of 8 years of Democratic presidency, for heaven's sake, and we all know how conciliatory Democrats are on foreign policy and national security. In fact, despite that, there were six acts of Muslim terrorism against the US in Bill Clinton's eight years as president. George W. Bush had been president for a mere 8 months when 9/11 happened and had certainly done nothing new or fresh or egregious to incur the ire of Muslims around the world (though today's Democrat rhetoric would have you believe Muslims didn't hate America until Mr. Bush became president). It's time for America to quit hating itself and understand that Muslim fundamentalists don't like us simply because they don't like us, and for no other reason. They're going to loathe and fear whoever is the world's superpower; that's a sad fact of human nature. Unfortunately, they're merely more willing to turn that fear and loathing into action. I can live with someone who doesn't like me, as long as they don't attack me; but when they do, I'll fight back. Let's remind America what it's really all about, and not question why we got here or how we might have avoided it. I'm tired of looking backward, trying to find regrets and trying to second-guess everything the US has done for the last 231 years. Let's look to solving the problem, realistically.

3. Universal health care is fine, but making it a government-sponsored (and therefore tax-supported) entitlement program only makes things worse. We're looking and moving forward here, though, so here's what we might do. First, let's find out why healthcare costs are so high, and work to alleviate that. Next, let's provide incentives for people to get health insurance, and for doctors and drug companies to work with patients and not demand the arm and the leg they just repaired as payment for those repairs. I find a tax-supported system paradoxical because drug researchers, drug company executives, and just about any medical or healthcare professionals are among the most well-paid in the country. If you increase their taxes to pay for others' healthcare, why not just ask them to work for free or reduce their fees, since that's basically what you're doing? Where's the incentive?

Also, look at what the ease of acquiring (and thus prevalence of using) government-backed money has done for higher education. Colleges and universities, knowing it's the government paying for most students' educations, feel perfectly OK jacking up the price of tuition every year. Try this quote from the College Board's 2004 study results on rising tuition and loans:

Over the past decade, after adjusting for inflation, total aid has increased by 122 percent, grant aid has increased by 84 percent, and education loan volume has increased by 137 percent. Part of the increase in total aid volume is due to increased enrollments. After adjusting for inflation, grants per full-time equivalent student rose 64 percent and loans rose 111 percent.

What do you think will happen when doctors realize that the government is paying, so they can charge what they like? What do you think will happen to our taxes when these cost increases occur? If the government applies price controls to healthcare costs, what will happen to doctors and drug companies who used to have an incentive to work hard and be innovative? Heidi used to nanny for a nice German couple, both of whom were doctors. They both came to the US so that they could make better money and do real research, things that would have been extremely difficult for them under the German system of socialized medicine. Let's take the lessons others have learned and apply them ourselves.

4. Be straightforward on social issues and debate in a way that works. Be positive but firm and rational. Don't involve religion in any way; let's argue our beliefs on rational thought. Democrats and liberals use ridiculous ploys and arguments like "it just doesn't feel right to not do this" or "who does it hurt to allow this?". Doing things to feel better about ourselves leads to horrible choices, and it is destroying American culture and society. Unfortunately, "God says we should do it this way" is never going to convince a liberal or Democrat. Let's take the moral high ground by really arguing for our beliefs, in a rational way. I believe that's the only way we'll ever get past the "feelings" arguments. For example, I believe abortion kills innocent babies, but that argument doesn't get any real traction because the science just isn't there yet to prove a fetus is alive. So my rational philosophical argument against abortion (i.e., the one I use with liberals and Democrats) is that it allows people to yet again dodge the responsibility for their actions. Ask a liberal or Democrat if they really want to void an individual's responsibility for his or her actions, and see what they say. Lots of fun to be had there, let me tell you. (Incidentally, this whole consequences idea goes well with free speech, too. I support free speech wholeheartedly, regardless of what it says, but I also support consequences for free speech, as well.)

These are pretty simplistic, but I think that's what makes them compelling to talk about. And don't let someone say, "it's not that simple"...that's how liberals and Democrats try to muddy up the water and make it so they don't have to listen to you.


Speaking of free speech, is it just me, or is the Internet getting stupider? The more I see of other people's opinions, the more I believe some folks don't deserve to have a forum. It's not that their right to say something is invalid; it's just that when they open their mouths it makes them look like idiots. For lots of people, the old adage "it's better to keep your mouth closed and appear a fool than to open it and remove all doubt" still applies. Too bad the Internet had done nothing to encourage good judgment.


I'm approaching six months as a contractor for the federal government, and I'm beginning to see more and more why the government is viewed as slow, ponderous, and incompetent. It appears to be a combination of age of employees, combined with a government employees' union that makes it next to impossible to be fired, and topped off with an addiction to written policy and a dogmatic adherence to it. If we could get younger folks who aren't tied to the union and who don't need written policies to get things done, the government might actually be able to work again. However, given the sense of entitlement in American society today, and the tendency of folks to litigate rather than discuss or compromise, I doubt that will ever happen. Government of the people, by the people, and for the people...sometimes degenerates over time into a horrible, sticky mess.


Tonight I face the first huge challenge of my time on the WWA Board of Directors. (Long-time readers remember I was elected to that august group last spring.) I'll be presenting a proposal for how our school's Accountability Committee should work, and though I believe it will go well, I am more concerned about what the huge push for the AC means for the Board. When I spoke with other parents regarding what the AC should do, I heard a great deal of frustration and anger toward the Board for not handling these things themselves and not listening more to parents who want a voice. I sometimes see a lack of willingness to listen to parents among some Board members myself. I am new to this game, and the politics of this job have been incredibly challenging. The question will be, can the Board start to take ownership of and action on these things? Can they listen and acknowledge the parents? I'm going to probably say some things tonight that might make some folks angry, but I'm going to do what I feel is right. Wish me luck.

Thanks for reading along.

Chris Mallow's Day Off

A benefit of working for the US government is that you get a lot of holidays. Like today, for example; I had never had Columbus Day off in my entire life, but I had it off today. So I slept in, took the boys to school, read some articles from this weekend's great OU victory over Texas (more on that in a moment), had lunch with Connor and Donovan at school, went to Owen's 6-month checkup, picked up Donovan from school, and generally took it easy for what was my first REAL day off in quite some time. Heidi had to work today, so she and Owen were out all morning, and of course, the boys were in school (and this isn't my week with Connor, anyway). So I had the place to myself for a good part of the day. That was very nice. I won't say the week started well, since there are a few continuing issues from the last few weeks. And I still had to go to class tonight. But today was a pretty good day, and it came at a good time.


(STANDARD FOOTBALL DISCLAIMER: the next section of the post is all about football, so just move down if you're not interested.)

OU's victory was a great thing for the team, as they really needed it. It could be argued that Texas needed it more. Let's face reality, folks: Texas just isn't that great this year. They finally showed some heart and some grit this weekend against OU, but where was that against K-State? Where was it against Central Florida or Arkansas State? They just haven't had it at all this year. While a large part of me is happy about that, another part of me wishes that this weekend's game were worth more, that Texas had shown better. But they hadn't, and so while this game was important for them, it meant much more to OU.

This game provided the way for OU to show it is still relevant to the National Title picture. There are quite a few unbeaten teams out there, but my prediction is that when all is said and done, there might, MIGHT be one unbeaten team. The only team that I feel could remain unbeaten is LSU, and that's no guarantee since they play in the SEC (and still have to play at Kentucky, at Alabama, and at home against Auburn and Arkansas). Cal has had an impressive run and might still make it through unbeaten, but I actually will have to cheer for USC when they play in Berkeley on November 10th. Cal's record is by no means assured, even if they beat USC; they have to play at Arizona State, at Washington, and at Stanford. (I know, you laugh about that last one, but did you think Jim Harbaugh's team would beat USC AT USC??? I mean, that deserves a "WTF?!?!?!" if anything does.) Ohio State could make a run, and even more because the Big Ten is WAY down this year. But the Big Ten also has a terrible history of cannibalizing its own, and Ohio State isn't the juggernaut it's been in recent years. The Buckeyes play a rising Michigan State, a you-never-know Penn State, a pissed off Wisconsin, total shocker Illinois, and Michigan at the Big House (NEVER count out Michigan at home, Appalachian State aside). Boston College and South Florida are feel-good stories, but don't expect them to keep up under the new (to them) pressure of the national spotlight. So OU really needed this game, to keep alive its dream of an 8th national championship. And the way this season is going, you never, ever know.

So that being said, OU has to continue taking care of business, starting this weekend against a surprising Missouri team. As one of the two totally-undefeated teams in the Big 12 (the other being...gasp!...Kansas), Missouri has high hopes and could really make a huge statement with this game. Missouri has received absolutely no mention to this point, primarily because they hadn't played much of a schedule, beating an overrated Nebraska team badly this past weekend. However, with the continued rise of Illinois, who Mizzou beat in Champaign to start the season, that talk has begun to be whispered about. If the Tigers pull out the shocker this weekend in Norman, they're at 6-0 and they suddenly become the dark horse in the national title chase. The lone downside for Missouri is that they've started strong many times in recent seasons, only to fizzle and fade down the stretch; Missouri has never won the North and played in the Big 12 Championship game. If they're not careful, that could begin here.

For OU, they have to stay strong and stay smart. Some disturbing weaknesses have emerged over the past few games. First, OU seems to be very weak in coverage in the short- and medium-yardage passes over the middle. Texas exploited this weakness to great effect Saturday, using tight end Jermichael Finley to rip off several big plays with short passes over the middle. Colorado and Tulsa did the same, with lesser degrees of success than Texas. This is an area that needs to be addressed and wrapped up quickly, because the dynamic duo of Missouri tight ends, Martin Rucker and Chase Coffman, won't make it any easier for the Sooners. The linebackers have to be more effective. The D-line has to keep getting good pressure on the passer; Chase Daniel can be contained if OU's front four can keep him harried. Second, the special teams MUST improve. There have been far too many issues, with kickoff coverage being the lone bright spot. Last year's Groza finalist Garrett Hartley has been strangely inconsistent, missing two extra points and two field goals. Kickoff and punt returns haven't been very good, with only one touchdown on either (provided by the indomitable DeMarco Murray). In fact, OU's opponents are averaging better on punt returns than OU is. If OU can't shore up its special teams a little better, it might just cost them a game this season.

I'm looking forward to this weekend's game, though, as is most of the country; ESPN has decided to send their GameDay crew to Norman for the game. That's always good, even if Corso is a curse on the Sooners. BOOMER SOONER!!

Thanks for reading along.

Long Live The King!!!

Barry Switzer, one of OU's greatest football coaches, the official inventor of Sooner Magic, and the Barry of "Bennie, Bud, Barry, and Bob" turns 70 today. He is still known as "The King" in Oklahoma, and we used to joke about Oklahoma being "Switzer-land". If he were so inclined, he would probably never need to pay for another meal or drink anywhere inside the state lines. Even with his less-than-honorable departure from OU in 1988, he is still widely revered by all Sooner players, alumni, and fans. In a testament to his power, one of the first things Bob Stoops did when he became coach in 1999 was bring Barry back to OU, to speak to the players and talk about OU's tradition. I asked Mom this morning what she thought would happen when he finally passed away. My guess is the entire state of Oklahoma will shut down for a state-wide day of mourning (outside of Stillwater, of course), and his body will lie in state for a week, either at the state capitol or at the OU campus, and be visited by 300,000 people.

In honor of this momentous day, here are a few choice quotes from His Majesty:

Some people are born on third base and go through life thinking they hit a triple.

The key to his success? He's just faster than the guys who are chasing him.

It was like a heart transplant. We tried to implant college in him but his head rejected it.

Some sports writer asked Barry how he expected to do against the
powerful "Texas scoring machine," and he said.

"We may play to a tie."

Puzzled, the reporter asked Barry what he meant by that.

Barry said, "Well, I don't think Texas can score on the Selmon brothers,
so if we don't score, the worst Oklahoma can do is a 0-0 tie."

Some people don't know what it is to be a champion. Oklahoma invented it.

Hear, hear!! Happy Birthday, Coach!

Teeth, and What This Past Weekend Meant

MY SON HAS TEETH! That's right...Owen, who seems to be a little ahead of the game in lots of ways, is in that boat yet again. Middle of last week, we discovered a small bump on his gums, and lo and behold! His first tooth really broke through over the weekend, the bottom left incisor, right up front. Then, just a little while ago, Heidi gave me even better news...ANOTHER tooth! Right next to the first one, Heidi said she saw that it's now visible. So he just turned 6 months old on Monday, and he's got two teeth coming in.

Much to my pleasure, Heidi also told me he was playing with a golf ball. WOOHOO!! The football is next. Heidi already thinks he's growing up too fast...and maybe he is. Everything's just so good with him, and good things always seem to go quickly.


After a great deal of despair and anger (in case you couldn't tell from that last post), I finally broke out of the funk late Tuesday. Saturday's loss was tough, and sure, OU's hopes for an 8th national championship this season are probably all-but-dead-and-buried, but I'm still a Sooner and they're still my team, and this week is the Red River Shootout. I simply can't miss that. I just hope OU wins. Seriously, I shudder to think what my mood will be like if Texas wins that game. Heidi is probably dreading that very possibility.

I was really mad at Colorado (not just CU, but the whole state...that happens when bad things happen for me), but I'm over that. Still, it will probably be a while before I invest much in anything Colorado-related, but at least I'm able to keep my negative opinions to myself. For example, I have very little interest now in the Rockies' big playoff push, even though I was very interested before Saturday's debacle. I didn't want to have anything to do with Colorado or any noun related to Colorado (except for Heidi, Donovan, Connor, and Owen). I lashed out at the state for ruining something else for me. And I got in a huge fight with Heidi because of my opinions about Colorado; Heidi being a native, she was just a bit offended at my language and behavior toward her home state. Granted, there were actually a few other things that happened last week that made Saturday's big mess all the more difficult for me to handle, but for me, it always seems to point in one direction.

There's a great deal of complexity in this whole situation. If this blog and indeed, all of life, is about learning more about ourselves, I've learned loads about myself over the last week. First, my opinions are very dangerous. In fact, this whole weekend had me very close to shuttering the blog forever, because this entire work is premised on the fact that I'm different from the other people here in Colorado, and nearly everywhere else, precisely because I'm from Oklahoma. A lot of that ends up being or sounding negative, even if it's not intended to be that way. My negative or seemingly-negative feelings and opinions can be terribly hurtful to those I care about, and frankly, those people are pretty much the only ones who read this thing consistently. What I SHOULD be focusing on is the positive...what makes me a Sooner and what's great about being a Sooner. I've tried through this blog to espouse that philosophy and it works better at some times than at others. But I also always maintained that this blog is about me and for me, primarily, and others are free to read it if they like it and not read it if they don't like it. If I ever feel like I can't write whatever I want whenever I want with this blog, I'm closing it down for good. And as I said, I was about 99% of the way there earlier this week, because I knew that if I put down what I wanted to, it would be a horrible, horrible thing for everyone.

Second, I learned the power of my emotional investment, of my passion, and that my passion can be dangerous if I let it be. I can sometimes be very lazy, very laid-back, very disinterested. But I can also be ultra-loyal, so invested in some idea or organization or brand or person that it becomes a part of my identity. This runs closely to my opinions being dangerous, because most of my opinions come directly from my emotional investments. I've been this way my entire life. This isn't truer for anything else than for my love of Oklahoma and especially for OU, and also for my love for winning. Mom gave me a good lecture about how I've been extremely competitive, even since I was very little (remind me to write sometime about the "female dog" story from my third year of life). I have always hated to lose, and hated it desperately. I have always wanted to win or do well and I had very little interest if I didn't have a reasonable chance to win. This trait is very good in some ways, because that passion and competitiveness can inspire an amazing amount of effort and dedication in me. Look at me; I've been cheering for the Sooners through thick and thin for as long as I can remember, through good years and through bad years. This trait can also be very bad in some ways, because when I don't win, I can get very, very unpleasant very, very quickly. I behaved very poorly for pretty much the rest of the day on Saturday, from the moment I realized that OU was going to lose, until right before I went to sleep that night. I treated some people with a great deal of disdain and disrespect, and that's never a good thing. I could've let that passion ruin my entire week, my entire month, my entire year, my entire life. I could've forsaken OU forever, never watching another game, contributing another dime, even mentioning the name. I could've lost my wife over it. I could've gotten in some pretty bad fights, and either killed someone or gotten killed (trust me, students at CU always offers plenty of opportunities for that sort of thing...remember, the students actually rioted in May of 1997 because they were unhappy that the local police were cracking down on underage drinking). Fortunately, I kept my self-control, as well as could be expected. I'm still alive, I'm still married, and I'm still cheering for OU.

Finally, I realized that I don't know how or why I am this way. As I said, Mom reminded me that I've been this way since I was very little. I don't recall any specific events or patterns that might I experienced early on in life that might have led me to this. Mom and Dad always worked very hard to teach me the good parts of competition, of sports, of OU football; the usual stuff like "you can't always win" and "it's important to be a good sport". Mom and Dad were very passionate about OU football, too, but never to the same degree that I was. A loss by OU didn't seem to ruin their day like it does me. So if you follow the "nurture over nature" idea, I can't really spot anything that might have nurtured me to be the hyper-competitive, ultra-passionate person I am. I wonder if it's somehow genetic; Dad can sometimes have a terrible temper, and I can, too. While I can usually control my anger a little better than I remember him doing when he was my age, I wonder if I channel the temper I got from him into competitiveness. I sometimes am as violently competitive and passionate about my loyalties as he sometimes got about his anger. If I were channeling it that way, it might explain how strong my passion can become.

I'll probably never really know why I am the way I am, but I do know this: it's really about temperance for me. Being temperate in my passion and not blinded by it. Being temperate in my actions and not going overboard. Being temperate with my loyalty so that I do not let myself be led where I do not need to go. I'm pretty good at being temperate with most things, and it's probably much better for me that way. I also know that temperance doesn't seem to go well with my temperament, so we'll see how all this ends up. Honestly, it will probably be the death of me yet.

Thanks for reading along.