UpsideDown Armadillo Archives

Sorry folks, but UConn women can’t break UCLA men’s record BY MARK POTASH | Commentary Dec 20, 2010 11:38AM

2010-12-22T18:21:00.000-06:00

It was a fitting celebration for a women’s basketball team when UConn won its 88th consecutive game on Sunday — Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma making it more than it really was. ‘‘I just know there wouldn’t be this many people in the room if we were chasing a women’s record,’’ Auriemma said after the UConn women beat the Washington Generals by 31 points at Madison Square Garden. ‘‘The

UConn Women's Winning Streak Shows Lack of Competition in Women's Basketball

2010-12-22T18:05:00.000-06:00

In case you haven’t heard, the Connecticut women’s basketball team just finished wrapping up its 89th consecutive victory by blowing out an overmatched Florida State team tonight. The win moves the Huskies ahead of John Wooden’s early 70s UCLA teams which won 88 straight games before being toppled by Notre Dame in January of 1974.This particular streak has brought out some heated debates

Ft. Worth, Texas, sends Oklahoma open letter: Beat Nebraska...

2010-12-02T19:25:00.004-06:00

Hey, Coach Stoops, win one for the Big 12By Jennifer Floyd Engel, Ft. Worth Star-TelegramAn open letter to Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and all of his Sooner players...Welcome back to Texas, boys. And congrats on kind of, sort of winning The Big 12 South again. Got to love using a screwed-up joke of a system as a way to break deadlocks, or everybody except Texas and Texas A&M do, anyway.No whine

5 things you need to know about the Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry

2010-11-30T22:04:00.002-06:00

By BRIAN ROSENTHAL / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Tuesday, November 30, 2010 7:35 pm1. Switzer-Osborne Many say the Nebraska-Oklahoma rivalry died when the Big 12 Conference formed in 1996. But really, the series began losing luster with OU coach Barry Switzer's departure after the 1988 season. He was Tom Osborne's nemesis, and the one coach Husker fans loved to hate. Who could

Big 12 crowd humming ‘Boomer Sooner' after Nebraska's behavior

2010-11-30T21:27:00.003-06:00

By Berry Tramel Oklahoman 177 Published: November 28, 2010 Modified: November 29, 2010 at 9:46 am The Sooner Schooner gets crowded this week. Covered wagon? Bandwagon is more like

Oklahoma vs. Nebraska: A New Name for 'The Game of the Century'

2010-11-30T21:00:00.001-06:00

This is a search for the naming rights to this Saturday’s Oklahoma/Nebraska clash. Oklahoma currently leads this series 44-38-3. In the last meeting, Nebraska came out on top 10-3 in what turned out to be a defensive struggle. OU has won three of the last four and will be trying to hold up the Big 12 trophy for the seventh time, while Nebraska will look to leave the Big 12 on a winning note

Pretty is as pretty does...

2009-04-22T20:56:00.004-05:00

My youngest daughter, Ann, is a six year-old little league football cheerleader in this photograph. Perhaps because her older sister was a lifelong cheerleader, Ann wanted to try her hand as well, if you can really "want" anything at six years of age. Ann gave up cheering long ago, after her talents were clearly better suited for the softball field, the basketball court and, later on, on the

The only four-time All-American in women's college basketball.

2009-04-01T22:13:00.002-05:00

From the Associated Press...Whether or not she delivers a national championship, Courtney Paris will leave Oklahoma with quite a legacy: the only four-time All-American in women's college basketball."I'm truly honored to be the first," said Paris, who already holds 18 NCAA records. "I'm sure that will happen with Maya Moore in the next couple of years." AP

Reunited ... and it feels so good

2009-04-01T21:53:00.003-05:00

By Mechelle VoepelSpecial to ESPN.comCamp counselors Appel, McCoughtry, Montgomery and Paris are reunited at Final FourCourt, Ang, Nay and Little Jaynie will meet up in St. Louis this weekend. Just like another day in camp.They won't be making s'mores, short-sheeting one another or playing "light as a feather, stiff as a board." (If this worked for you, remember that it didn't count if you had,

I love heroes...

2009-03-27T20:52:00.002-05:00

Matt Steven is blind, but that didn't stop him from being a hoops hero...By Rick Reilly, ESPN -A few seconds left. The game teeters on these two free throws. The shooter gulps. The packed gym goes silent, save for the tapping of a white cane on the back of the rim. That's right. The shooter's brother is under the hoop, rapping a cane on the rim. That's because the shooter, Matt Steven, is

Number of Oklahoma Earthquakes Unusually High

2009-03-18T18:58:00.007-05:00

From The Oklahoman, 03-18-09 -OKLAHOMA CITY -- With three earthquakes that shook the Metro Tuesday, experts say the frequent seismic activities are unusual.All three were small, but felt by many.A total of eight earthquakes have been reported in the Sooner State since the year started and experts say it appears we're seeing more recorded cases.The U.S. Geological Survey reported Tuesday

There's more to life than Division I NCAA...

2009-03-17T19:00:00.013-05:00

There's also the NAIA - The National Intercollegiate Athletic AssociationHailing from the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) powerhouse University of Oklahoma (OU) in Norman, OK, I have often said in a very nasty, condescending and probably undeserved way that Oklahoma State University (OSU, in Stillwater, OK) should play in the NAIA so they could win championships. I'm taking that

Setting spikes...

2009-03-08T21:45:00.002-05:00

Barely two weeks after basketball season and I found myself setting spikes in preparation for the first track meet, which is scheduled for this Tuesday, one day after the first softball game of the season. Amazingly, Ann’s track shoes still fit, but I found that last year’s spikes were ground down or snapped off, most of them gone with dried mud packed into the empty holes. Apparently this is

Oklahoma City's jobless rate low...

2009-03-07T08:38:00.004-06:00

Oklahoma City's jobs picture shines in U.S. storm Unemployment percentages 1. Oklahoma City: 4.6 2. Washington: 4.7 3. Austin, Texas: 5.2 4. San Antonio: 5.3 5. Virginia Beach: 5.3 6. New Orleans: 5.4 7. Houston: 5.5 8. Richmond, Va: 5.5 9. Birmingham, Ala.: 5.7 10. Baltimore: 5.8; Boston: 5.8; Dallas-Fort Worth: 5.8; Milwaukee: 5.8 Source: U.S.

Smaller towns produce more female athletes

2009-03-06T17:55:00.002-06:00

Dani Cooper, ABC Science Online:March 5, 2009 -- When it comes to developing elite female athletes size makes a difference, a team of sports scientists has found. Smaller towns and cities produce a disproportionate share of professional sportswomen, a recent paper published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport shows. The Australian-Canadian study looked at the place of birth of all

The end of an era...

2009-03-04T18:44:00.003-06:00

From SoonerSports.com, 03-04-09:Seniors Ashley and Courtney Paris and Carolyn Winchester will play their final game inside the Lloyd Noble Center Wednesday night. The trio represents one of the most remarkable class of players in women's college basketball's history. The 2009 OU seniors are already own the best four-year record any Oklahoma team in history and need just six wins to become the

Big house heroes

2009-03-01T20:22:00.007-06:00

Our girls basketball team has been to State several times through the years. I never made it; never played in the Big House, but I remember being around 10 years old when one of our better girls teams went all the way to the final State game. I recall the incredible, trembling excitement that a small town feels when showcased in the Oklahoma state basketball finals. In 1969 or so, I thought

Dance Little Jean...

2009-02-16T20:15:00.006-06:00

On Valentine's Day...I played a wedding for the moneyAnd I wished I could have told the bride and groom,Just what I think of marriage andWhat's in store after their honeymoon.And I was grumbling to the dancersAbout how men and women ought to live apart.How a promise never made cannot be brokenAnd can never break a heart...Then suddenly from out of nowhere,A little girl came dancing cross the

How about that Oklahoma BASKETBALL?

2009-02-15T09:23:00.003-06:00

In a state known first and foremost for its college football dynasty, the Oklahoma men's and women's Division I NCAA basketball teams are making a national mark...From SoonerSports.com:OU Hoops Share More Than RankingOklahoma's unprecedented success continues to grow.Feb. 13, 2009NORMAN, Okla. (AP) -- When Jeff Capel was hired at Oklahoma, he had something better than a tour guide to help show

Geronimo...a living legend

2009-02-15T09:13:00.002-06:00

Click to read the entire article from The Oklahoman's Stories of the Ages series.

The local newspaper on the firing of the Alex high school basketball coach...

2009-02-04T18:39:00.003-06:00

by Chuck Larsen of the Chickasha Express-StarConspicuous by his absence at the Grady County Tournament last week was Alex girls’ basketball coach Darin Gammill.Alex School Superintendent Norvel Heston said Friday morning that the first-year coach was suspended from his duties on January 17 based on complaints received from a parent and is still under suspension pending board action. The

Oklahoma Women Beat Tennessee!

2009-02-02T21:58:00.002-06:00

From ESPN...OKLAHOMA CITY -- Pat Summitt's 1,000th win will have to wait at least another game.Courtney Paris' record 112-game double-double streak came to an end, but Whitney Hand matched her career high with 20 points to help No. 2 Oklahoma beat Tennessee (No. 15 ESPN/USA Today, No. 12 AP) 80-70 on Monday night for the Sooners' 15th straight victory.Summitt was denied in her first attempt at

Another Quake Shakes Oklahoma

2009-01-29T22:07:00.000-06:00

From News9.com - posted Jan 29, 2009 08:20 PMCHANDLER, Oklahoma -- Lincoln County residents, north of Chandler, experienced an earthquake Thursday. The 2.4 magnitude quake occurred just before 7 p.m. No damage was reported, but Joey Wakefield on Lincoln County Emergency Management said the 911 system was overloaded with calls. Read the USGS Report. "We've never had so many 911 calls for a

No more losses...Grady County Jr. High Consolation Trophy!

2009-01-29T21:34:00.001-06:00

The Grady County Jr. High basketball tourney held no more losses for Alex after the first heartbreaker to Ninnekah described in the excerpt from the county newspaper below. In the remainder of the tournament, Ann did not have the breathtaking performance she displayed against Ninnekah's post in the first game, but Ann played solid basketball, proving herself a deserved starter. Game Two, against

Earthquake Rattles Grady County

2009-01-28T08:06:00.000-06:00

Posted: var wn_last_ed_date = getLEDate("Jan 28, 2009 7:20 AM EST"); document.write(wn_last_ed_date);Jan 28, 2009 06:20 AM var wn_last_ed_date = getLEDate("Jan 28, 2009 8:36 AM EST"); document.write(wn_last_ed_date);Updated: Jan 28, 2009 07:36 AM FEATURED VIDEO What Did the Earthquake Feel like? News9.com CHICKASHA,

Grady County Jr. Hi county basketball tournament first round wraps up

2009-01-16T22:13:00.000-06:00

From the [Chickasha, OK] Express Star, Grady County's [OK] News Source...The Grady County Junior High Tournament tipped off Monday at Rush Springs with six first-round games. With Dibble not participating, top-seeded Amber-Pocasset drew a bye in both the girls and boys brackets but everyone else was out on the floor.Ninnekah’s girls got it started with a 30-26 win over Alex.

From the New York Times...

2008-12-07T08:50:00.000-06:00

Sooners and Gators End the Debate on the Field ATLANTA — The seemingly annual Bowl Championship Series controversy came a week early this year.With Texas still brooding about being left out of the Big 12 championship game after losing a tie breaker to Oklahoma that was decided by their B.C.S. rankings, the final release of the B.C.S. standings Sunday night should be anticlimactic. Barring an

From the Dallas Morning News...

2008-12-07T08:44:00.000-06:00

Big 12 South rises again as Oklahoma takes title KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Any lingering hopes Mack Brown may have had about sneaking in the back door of Dolphin Stadium probably evaporated a couple of hours before the Big 12 title game, when Florida stretched a four-point lead over Alabama to a comfy 11-point win. And if that didn't end Texas' chances, Oklahoma settled it by halftime

Articulate sports writer, Matthew Zemek

2008-11-23T10:47:00.000-06:00

From Fox Sports News...The talk about the demise of Big Game Bob can die. The fury about an impending BCS train wreck can live.In a nasty and evidently angry performance that unleashed a lot of pent-up frustration on the college football world, the Oklahoma Sooners — owners of five conference titles this decade — made a very loud statement to their doubters, while making the BCS race a whole lot

Sooners' impressive rout initiates Oklahoma-Texas debate

2008-11-23T09:06:00.000-06:00

On #5 Oklahoma's blowout win over #2 Texas Tech on 11-22-08, excerpt from an ESPN article by Pat Forde......"I think we [Oklahoma] sent a message to whoever was watching," Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said. "Whether it's the computers, an alien, whatever it is. At the end of the game I think we sent a message. We're for real." When it was over, the Sooners took a victory lap around the

Crimson & Creamed: Tech's perfect season comes unglued

2008-11-23T08:55:00.000-06:00

FROM THE LUBBOCK [TEXAS] AVALANCHE-JOURNAL... NORMAN, Okla. – Texas Tech was looking for a college football version of a grand slam – four wins in a row over four ranked opponents, and three in the top 10. It was a different sort of slam that Oklahoma had in mind. No. 5 OU, taking advantage of a chance to make tracks in the BCS standings, put a 65-21 whipping on No

Office of Protocol

2008-11-19T21:03:00.000-06:00

Ivan Maisel, ESPN, 11-19-08:It is the time of year when all of college football obsesses about protocol. Making the BCS National Championship Game is neither cut nor dried. It is a mix of performance, opinion and computer magic. The recipe changes from year to year, like flu shots. Some years, performance is everything, as when USC and Texas romped to the Rose Bowl three years ago. Some years,

More accounts: Town shaken by pipeline explosion...

2008-11-14T19:44:00.000-06:00

Posted: var wn_last_ed_date = getLEDate("Nov 14, 2008 6:51 PM EST"); document.write(wn_last_ed_date);Nov 14, 2008 05:51 PM Updated: var wn_last_ed_date = getLEDate("Nov 14, 2008 7:58 PM EST"); document.write(wn_last_ed_date);Nov 14, 2008 06:58 PM By Amy Lester, News 9ALEX, Okla. -- Three families are homeless after a major explosion that caused a significant crater in the ground. It

Fire storm in the dead of night...

2008-11-14T18:24:00.000-06:00

Jeremy Brandon lives a mile from me and about a mile from the site of the unexplained pipeline explosion that occurred around two miles east of Alex just before 3:00 am, early Friday morning, 11-14-08. An Oklahoman article about the incident is included below. Jeremy reported hearing the massive explosion at 2:57 am. I did not hear an explosion but was awakened at 2:59 am by my dog Dexter who

Natural gas pipeline explosion destroys homes near Alex

2008-11-14T17:35:00.000-06:00

From the Oklahoman, 11-14-08...By staff writers Jennifer Griswold and Brian SargentALEX, OKLAHOMA — A natural gas pipeline exploded today about 3 a.m. near Alex in Grady County, injuring two people and causing the closure of a highway. The pipeline has been shut down. A 20-inch round line exploded less than 50 yards north of State Highway 19, two miles east of Alex. The highway between Alex and

Document found older than Dead Sea Scrolls...

2008-11-08T20:19:00.000-06:00

From Scientific American, 11-07-08[Transcript of podcast.] One of the most important archaeological finds in history was the Dead Sea Scrolls. These documents include some of the earliest written records of the Bible. Now archaeologists say they've found what they claim is the most significant archaeological discovery in Israel since those documents. They found a shard of pottery that's about

College football's super state better than just OK - College football- nbcsports.msnbc.com

2008-10-09T19:45:00.000-05:00

Oklahoma, Tulsa and Oklahoma State all head into weekend undefeatedBy John WaltersNBCSports.comOOOOK-lahoma, where the wins come sweepin' down the plain,Where a Sam and Zac play quarterback,And how about the Golden Hurricane!Oklahoma, O.K.? How about 5-0-K? And not just the Sooners. Heading into the second Saturday of October, all three of the Oklahoma's FBS schools — Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and

One magazine ranks OU women's basketball #1

2008-10-03T23:34:00.000-05:00

Sept. 22, 2008 - SLAM Says OU is Preseason No. 1Sooners also get top-10 nods in preseason rankings.The November issue of SLAM Magazine has the Sooners as the No. 1 women's college basketball team in its preseason top-10 rankings.Oklahoma leads No. 2 Tennessee, No. 3 Connecticut, No. 4 Stanford and No. 5 North Carolina in the early outlook.OU has also been ranked No. 7 by Athlon and No. 10 in

Oldest Skeleton in Americas Found in Underwater Cave?

2008-09-03T18:46:00.000-05:00

Eliza Barclay for National Geographic News, September 3, 2008Deep inside an underwater cave in Mexico, archaeologists may have discovered the oldest human skeleton ever found in the Americas.Dubbed Eva de Naharon, or Eve of Naharon, the female skeleton has been dated at 13,600 years old. If that age is accurate, the skeleton—along with three others found in underwater caves along the Caribbean

'Big earthwork' will welcome travelers to Oklahoma | NewsOK.com

2008-08-31T13:12:00.000-05:00

27 August 2008, by Johnny Johnson, Oklahoman staff writer... Thousands of years ago, it may have taken centuries for the indigenous Americans to construct a mound like the new Central Promontory Mound at the southeast interchange of Interstates 35 and 40 in Oklahoma City. But using 21st century technology, officials with the American Indian Cultural Center and Museum were able to finish the 90-

SI.com's team of experts make their picks for the 2008 campaign - 2008 NCAAF Preview - SI.com

2008-08-30T22:48:00.000-05:00

SI.com's team of experts make their picks for the 2008 campaign - 2008 NCAAF Preview - SI.comCan Oklahoma deliver?Mandel:National title: Ohio State vs. OklahomaRose: USC vs. WisconsinFiesta: Texas Tech vs. Arizona StateSugar: Georgia vs. West VirginiaOrange: Clemson vs. Florida Staples:National title: Oklahoma vs. GeorgiaRose: USC vs. Ohio StateFiesta: Missouri vs. WisconsinSugar: Florida vs.

Complete Neanderthal Mitochondrial Genome Mapped : Discovery Channel

2008-08-08T20:13:00.000-05:00

Aug. 7, 2008 -- DNA extracted from a 38,000-year-old Neanderthal bone has just enabled scientists to sequence the complete mitochondrial genome for the human-like species, according to a paper that will be published tomorrow in the journal Cell. The remarkable feat, which has led to at least three major discoveries about the extinct stocky European individuals, represents a breakthrough for

The best ten Oklahoma wins of the new century...

2008-08-06T19:53:00.000-05:00

All summer long, Oklahomans have been voting on the best ten Oklahoma football wins of the new century. One week before the kickoff of the 2008 college football season, the list is complete as follows:10: Oklahoma 20, Alabama 13 - September 6, 2003, Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Why? Because even when Alabama is not their best, they alone have a football tradition that equals or surpasses Oklahoma.

What is Sooner Magic?

2008-08-06T19:16:00.000-05:00

It's a football term, of course, that has come to be used interchangeably with the idea of The Oklahoma Standard. Sooner magic is defined as follows in the book, The Undefeated, by Jim Dent:The term "Sooner Magic" was born on a cold and windy afternoon in Lincoln, Neb., in 1976 when the fourth quarter found the Sooners trailing the Cornhuskers 17-7. With three minutes to play, and the lead down

A little touch of sun...

2008-08-03T19:58:00.001-05:00

Building fence a week ago today at 1:00 in the afternoon in 103 degree heat under a cloudless and almost harsh blue sky with only a bit of a breeze, I suddenly felt lightheaded and shivered. Cramps hit my legs. I tried to remedy my sudden sense of feeling unwell by moving on to another task: getting out of the direct sun to load 50-pound salt blocks into a utility vehicle. But...the salt was in

Oklahoma's New License Plate Has Been Selected:

2008-08-02T09:13:00.000-05:00

The design is from the “Sacred Rain Arrow” sculpture at Tulsa’s Gilcrease Museum by Oklahoma artist Allan Houser.

Georgia Bulldogs back at No. 1 in updated Top 25 poll

2008-08-01T21:16:00.000-05:00

Georgia may be lurking at #1 in the preseason polls but Oklahoma is a menacing #3. How about them Sooners, huh?3. Oklahoma Sooners Sooners coach Bob Stoops spent much of the spring talking to boosters about his team's 5-1 record in Big 12 championship games. But many OU boosters still want to know what went wrong in Oklahoma's 1-4 record in its past five bowl games. Oklahoma's players are

Smithsonian Channel - Stonehenge: What is Stonehenge?

2008-07-27T20:28:00.001-05:00

After 18 months of preparation, the Timewatch BBC- Smithsonian Channel dig aims to help solve one of the great mysteries of archaeology. What was Stonehenge for?View >>

Woman's 108 years celebrated

2008-07-12T10:12:00.000-05:00

From The Oklahoman, by John David Sutter, Staff WriterOKMULGEE — In 1900, Martha Berryhill was born into a dark period of American history — one in which the federal government tried to strip Berryhill and others of their Muscogee (Creek) identity.Today, on Berryhill's 108th birthday, members of the Creek Nation are still struggling with laws set up then to break down their culture, language and

Telling a family tale...a celebration of 90 years...

2008-06-17T22:35:00.000-05:00

How does one go about memorializing a family history that sprawls well over a century? In our attempts to do just that, my family and I carried off a rather impressive celebration of my Granny's 90 years, one of which she was tremendously proud.Every free moment for the last six weeks, the women in the picture to the left went to great effort to ensure that our video memorial to my grandmother

Utah announces 'major dinosaur fossil discovery' - Yahoo! News

2008-06-17T18:44:00.000-05:00

By MIKE STARK, Associated Press Writer SALT LAKE CITY - A newly discovered batch of well-preserved dinosaur bones, petrified trees and even freshwater clams in southeastern Utah could provide new clues about life in the region some 150 million years ago.The Bureau of Land

Dig begins at Stonehenge site

2008-04-01T18:25:00.000-05:00

An unwitting pedigree?

2008-03-25T20:03:00.000-05:00

Ann doesn't know her father. She is now 13 years old and I had the sheriff take Louis away when she was 14 months of age. He never changed her diaper and I have none of the obligatory photos of father holding his infant daughter because he didn't. Since the divorce so long ago, Ann has spent the night with her father one time and that happened only because Jessica was there and watching

Bombshells...

2008-03-11T19:55:00.000-05:00

It was apparently a good day for an artillery barrage, or so it seemed in Oklahoma down near Lawton, where the Ft. Sill army base is located. Ann's first "real" track meet (meaning the first in Junior High) was held in a little bedroom community just 11 miles north of the base, on edge of the desert that is the great American Southwest.Throughout the day, which began before 9:00 am, great booms

All eyes on Clinton as big vote nears

2008-02-03T20:04:00.000-06:00

By CHARLES BABINGTON, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - The top presidential candidates and their big-name supporters campaigned from coast to coast Sunday, but one contender seemed atop everyone's mind: Hillary Rodham Clinton.Republicans John McCain and Mitt Romney contrasted themselves, and each other, with Clinton as though she were the nominee. Her Democratic rival, Barack Obama, played

Lessons of 1992 - Paul Krugman, Op-Ed Columnist, New York Times

2008-01-28T19:09:00.000-06:00

January 28, 2008 - Blog: The conscience of a liberal...It’s starting to feel a bit like 1992 again. A Bush is in the White House, the economy is a mess, and there’s a candidate who, in the view of a number of observers, is running on a message of hope, of moving past partisan differences, that resembles Bill Clinton’s campaign 16 years ago.Now, I’m not sure that’s a fair characterization of the

Oklahoma Leads Nation In Child Death Rate

2008-01-19T22:01:00.000-06:00

From the Associated Press...The Office of Child Abuse Prevention's annual report for 2007 says nearly 5 out of every 100,000 Oklahoma children died of abuse or neglect in 2005, which is the most recent data available.That rate represents a 42 percent increase since 1996 and is the highest of all states, according to child abuse statistics compiled at Cornell University. However, Oklahoma's child

Quit suffering from 'dirty' pain

2008-01-16T12:15:00.000-06:00

By Martha Beck (Oprah.com)Think of a problem that has plagued you for a long time -- your weight, a loved one's bad habits, fear of terrorism, whatever. No doubt you've tried valiantly to control this issue, but are your efforts working? The answer has to be no; otherwise you would have solved the problem long ago. What if your real trouble isn't the issue you brood about so compulsively, but the

Terrorism?

2008-01-13T21:30:00.001-06:00

It was a beautiful, clear and temperate midwinter's day and I was on my way to photograph items for an auction when I noticed out the window that a firetruck was maneuvering to block Main Street in front of my house. Thinking that perhaps my property was aflame and I hadn't yet noticed it, I joined every body and soul in the neighborhood out on the street.No fire, thank the Goddess. But more

Looking ahead to next year...

2007-12-29T21:49:00.000-06:00

As the 2007 College Football bowl season gets into full swing, it is only fitting to look ahead to next year, when a whole new crop of high school heroes will graduate into the traditions of college football. Only six of the the top 30 recruits remain uncommitted with the new year looming. Those include the #1-ranked quarterback, wide receiver, outside guard and corner back. Two other

The 25 best games of 2007

2007-12-27T22:16:00.000-06:00

The above link references a great slideshow. All sports are included, from professional to college; from car races to the Kentucky Derby. College football has its share of glory. The #1 best game of 2007 is Michigan's loss to Appalachian State. LOL. But not to laugh, even though Oklahoma's Fiesta Bowl loss to Boise State came LAST season, it occurred on January 1, 2007, and therefore

In Lu of Western Thought...A perfect 100

2007-12-03T19:51:00.000-06:00

Having a kid in college equals serious hardship for a single parent family. The kid fails, you fail, too, or at least are left to pick up the pieces, which generally means spending money you don't have and have no way to get. But as we learned a few weeks ago, the pain can fade to great fun for short periods of time. Of course, even my college student called me a geek when I was so enthusiastic

Chaos doesn't legitimize ignorance or stupidity of flawed system

2007-12-02T20:12:00.000-06:00

ESPN - Gene Wojciechowski, senior national columnist for ESPN.com. No. 1 Missouri lost the Big 12 bakeoff to favored Oklahoma, and No. 2 West Virginia absolutely shanked its national championship chances to four-touchdown mutt Pittsburgh. And that's just part of what happened this past Saturday. How about the previous 14 weeks?Appalachian State over Michigan. USC, Boston College, Cal, Kansas,

Missouri not No. 1 in oddsmakers' hearts - Los Angeles Times

2007-11-28T20:15:00.000-06:00

Okies proclaim...May the Goddess bless Vegas...:)Missouri not No. 1 in oddsmakers' hearts - Los Angeles Times: The Top-ranked Tigers are three-point underdogs in Big 12 title game against Oklahoma. But they've made a habit of defying the odds. For a team ranked No. 1 in the nation, Missouri sure isn't getting much respect from oddsmakers this week. The Tigers (11-1) are listed as three-point

The Chaos Theory...More about Football

2007-11-28T20:08:00.000-06:00

Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel: Week 14 College Football Rankings: This is it, folks. Only one weekend of games remains, and the pecking order at the top is pretty clearly defined: Missouri and West Virginia in line to play for the national championship, with Ohio State sitting on deck. But what would happen if both the Tigers (against Oklahoma) and Mountaineers (against Pittsburgh) were to

Cupcake R Us - The sad truth about college football

2007-11-28T19:47:00.000-06:00

From ESPN - Maisel: I-Formation - College Football: "No Accidental Tourists " - As you wait to hear where your bowl team will play this season, keep in mind that the first task of any bowl is not to reward your team. The first task is to sell its tickets, and the second task is to fill its hotel rooms. That's why the loser of the ACC Championship Game may be passed over by the Gator Bowl, which

The sacred, crimson Earth

2007-11-18T20:05:00.000-06:00

We're Oklahoma Rising,Brighter than a star.Stand up and sing about her,Let the world know who we are.From a rugged territory,To the Oklahoma Run,We made our dreams come true,Just look at what we've done.We're the Heartland of America,Our heart is in the race,We sailed that prairie schoonerRight into outer space.We are young and we are strong,We're coming with a roar.Sooner than later,We'll be

Oklahoma Centennial....1000 cowboys, cowgirls and Indians...

2007-07-04T23:58:00.000-05:00

At 8:00 am on the morning of Independence Day, the streets of this tiny, sleepy, southwestern Oklahoma town were quiet and hot, as befits a July morning. Not a cop in sight and so the 12 year-old Ann drove us to breakfast at the local cafe.By 10:00 am, though, the picture was much different. People jammed our single Main Street until one of our 85 year-old patriarchs had no choice but to park

2007-06-11T20:56:00.000-05:00

I've had no break for nigh onto three weeks, my friends calling me on occasion to inquire as to whether I had passed away and they somehow didn't hear. But our local Oklahoma Centennial celebration is nigh and I've been happily involved with peering into the backgrounds of ancient, dusty photos, creating (in my own mind, at least) an understanding of what the world I inhabit today was like 100

Excellence Unexpected...

2007-05-21T21:32:00.000-05:00

I can never manage to get in bed at the right time these days, leaving me hollow-eyed and forgetful during the miles of days. At 4:00 am, sometimes, I lie awake, listen to the fan whirling and wonder about the past and future. I don't have any time to navel gaze in the here and now. Life rushes by like flood water and I am strangely glad to allow my significant others to claim the moments not

Hurdles in Springtime...

2007-04-10T22:27:00.000-05:00

And so Annie and life keep me so occupied that I can't find time to process the important stuff because I'm too busy living it. Basketball transitioned into track, which is now overlapping softball. I worked a huge retaliation case in Tulsa, OK, struggled alongside the police in Ardmore to set to rights a situation where someone was taking medication prescribed for retarded people. I quelled a

There is more to life than basketball...

2007-03-20T21:16:00.000-05:00

Maybe this is brought on by all my watching of the NCAA women's basketball tourney. I have watched as the West brought only ten teams to a 64-team field. Only two western schools, Oklahoma and Arizona State, persisted to play in the Sweet 16. At least Baylor washed out fairly late in the second round. Oklahoma and Arizona State both started the tournament as #3 seeds and aren't predicted to

Denouement....

2007-03-10T21:22:00.000-06:00

According to Wikipedia, in literature, a dénouement (IPA: /dɛɪnumɛ̃/) consists of a series of events that follow a dramatic or narrative's climax, thus serving as the conclusion of the story. Conflicts are resolved, creating normality for the characters and a sense of catharsis, or release of tension and anxiety, for the reader. Etymologically, the French word dénouement is derived from the Old

Handling heat...

2007-02-26T20:30:00.000-06:00

Every small town has one: a long term county nemesis basketball or football team that always seems to be better, faster and even smarter on the court or field, always physical and strategic, always somehow winning, year after year. I don't know the secret of how these "magic" teams pull it off over generations. Advanced athletic genes born into families who stay put? Far-sighted coaches who

The elephant in the way...

2007-02-22T21:37:00.000-06:00

It was quite the coincidence that my ex sent me an email this week entitled "For those who hate maths." Maybe the person who cleverly put an elephant in the path of the "object" referred to in the drawing should have exercised genius and calculated the amount of interference the elephant would exert on the "object" and solved the problem with that factor included. Instead, the poor student got

F5 = INCREDIBLE

2007-02-22T19:50:00.000-06:00

STORM SEASON IS ALMOST UPON US...On February 1st, the National Weather Service fully implemented the Enhanced Fujita (EF) scale to rate tornadoes, replacing the original Fujita Scale. The EF scale will continue to rate tornadoes on a scale from zero to five, but ranges in wind speed will be more accurate with the improved rating scale...Storm Prediction Center Enhanced Fujita Scale (EF Scale)

Will anything make it better?

2007-02-18T21:37:00.000-06:00

My best friend's brother-in-law is helping with the landscaping on this project...From the Oklahoman: NewsOK.com | Powered by The Oklahoman and NEWS 902-15-07 - LAWTON, OK — Producers with ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and hundreds of friends and neighbors descended Thursday morning on the home of Peggy and Gene Westbrook with the surprise announcement that the family had been selected

The double Double-Double

2007-02-17T21:23:00.000-06:00

The day dawned bright and clear and thankfully warmer. The wind blew like banshees, but this IS Oklahoma, after all, and, somewhere down the road, the Goddess promises Spring will come. All in all, it was perfect weather for basketball. Ann and Janie are good friends, maybe best friends, and split the court responsibility for post forward. Even though it was game day, they were slow out of

When you are old and gray...

2007-02-06T21:26:00.000-06:00

Today, my oldest daughter turned 20. She is shown here with her cousin, my brother's boy, Will, and our aged bitch-cat, Cleopatra Jones. Driving today to pay for the birthday party and prezzies, I thought about that day, so long ago, when I was 26 and she not yet at all...This beautiful girl was due on a Saturday in late January, 1987. I was tired of the whole "bring forth life" thing and even

Redneck offspring go global....

2007-01-30T21:49:00.000-06:00

Culture? What is culture? Ask an Okie kid and, depending on how deep in the flatlands that kid has roots, the answer might well be associated with a grade of milk, their past experiences with strep-throat or tests given to sick horses or cows. But not tonight. Tonight culture meant something that people from other countries do in the same manner redneck children attend rodeos, watch Oklahoma

Round two - the Carter County pharmaceutical higher power...

2007-01-24T21:17:00.000-06:00

Ardmore, Oklahoma is in Carter County. When I was released from the hospital after my birth, my parents took me home to Carter County. Despite this, when I grew older, my Daddy always warned me against the place. It is dangerous there, he said, lock your doors when you cross the county line. My experiences to this point had only proved him right.I have been professionally treed only three

Round one - the first descent into Hell

2007-01-22T20:24:00.000-06:00

I have smoked regularly since I was 15 years of age. In an adventure that would be amusing were it not so fucking serious, a lifelong friend and I snatched a pack of my Daddy's Winstons when she spent the night with me once. That idle afternoon, we ducked into a low calf-feeder in the pasture and smoked the whole pack over brief period of time. Most kids would have emerged green and staggering

Demographics and more weather...

2007-01-22T19:46:00.000-06:00

The southwestern/central Oklahoma mecca of Chickasha has an elevation of 1146 feet above sea level and can be found at Latitude 35 05N and Longitude 097 58W. The county seat of Grady County, OK, Chickasha has just less than 17,000 residents, an annual per capita income of a bit over $26,000, is 80% white folks, 8% black and 7% American Indian. Almost ten percent of the of the population

Fiesta shockwaves might be felt for years to come

2007-01-02T20:46:00.000-06:00

Yes, Oklahoma lost the January 1st Fiesta Bowl against Boise (Idaho) State, near midnight, by one point in overtime. Damn. Read the ESPN article for Pat Fordes' interpretation, which includes the following:Simply and succinctly, it was the most amazing football game I've ever attended. Never seen that much nerve from a coaching staff. Never seen such nerves of steel from the players executing

Dear Santa:

2006-12-22T22:58:00.000-06:00

I know I haven't been very good this year but I tried really hard and maybe that counts for something. I asked for a dual-core Xeon motherboard but I know that ain't gonna happen and I can live without it, anyway. At my age, I have learned to live without. In the absence of granting electronic wishes, perhaps you could just send me some global karma. I want to love Christmas and give up the

Why I watch live earthquake data

2006-12-22T21:20:00.000-06:00

2 quakes rattle Midwest City areaFrom the Oklahoman...MIDWEST CITY. OK — Two small earthquakes were recorded in the Midwest City area in the last 24 hours, according to the Oklahoma Geological Survey. The first one hit about about 8:45 p.m. Wednesday. Residents in Midwest City, Del City and parts of eastern Oklahoma City heard a large boom, followed by a brief ground tremor, said Jim Lawson,

Finding Christmas...

2006-12-11T21:12:00.000-06:00

College done for the trimester, my oldest daughter works BIG overtime in the holiday season, feeding crowds of onlookers from surprisingly distant places come to view the spectacle in our county seat. Chickasha, Oklahoma created one of the first Christmas Lights extravaganza's in our state: The Oklahoma Festival of Lights; Christmas Through the Eyes of a Child. What started out as a small

The Blizzard of '06

2006-11-30T21:11:00.000-06:00

While remaining fascinated by weather, I can obviously be distressed by it as well. My small place in the world is so often at the apex of significant weather events. But I am much more at home in the face of unsettling hot/cold winds sweeping over the barren prairie than I am with ice and snow flung along on those same winds. Brrrr....The Norman branch of the National Weather Service is

Oklahoma Rising...100 years of statehood...

2006-11-30T19:30:00.000-06:00

From The Oklahoman, 11-07-06...Oklahoma Athletes, Celebrities To Appear On "Oklahoma Rising" FloatThe Oklahoma Centennial once again took the national stage as Oklahoma's float appeared in the 80th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. "Oklahoma Rising" was the first Macy's Parade float sponsored by a state.Representing Oklahoma's unique past and its extraordinary future, "Oklahoma Rising" is

A rare Oklahoma football update

2006-11-05T21:00:00.000-06:00

This has not been a memorable Sooner season. Oklahoma lost her up and coming quarterback before the first Autumn snap due to his own greed. We fell unceremoniously to Texas, as expected. Then, America's best running back, Adrian Peterson, broke his shoulder during a routine touchdown dive, dashing his Heisman hopes. But tonight's classic match with Texas A&M, played on Kyle Field in College

Some wins take a village ( the whole team)...

2006-11-04T23:18:00.000-06:00

It was one of those weeks that teaches children to be grownups and makes grownups long for a quick reversion to early childhood or Medicare. Monday was an early game in the Elementary Regional Tournament in Apache, OK, that resulted in a heartbreaking loss. After the game, we gunned 40 miles east in the burgeoning darkness to arrive four minutes before a scheduled church function. Big daughter

50 years...

2006-10-30T21:07:00.000-06:00

I did very personal, important work this week. Sunday, I memorialized the 50th wedding anniversary of my best friend's parents. I made pictures of all kinds, including video, but mostly I watched and, in the end, was amazed and wiped away very honest and heartfelt tears.What must it be like to have been the significant other to another, married or otherwise, for a half century? Having none

Sometimes I think, life is just a rodeo...

2006-10-25T21:52:00.000-05:00

The fall afternoon was like new blown glass: sharp, clear and perfect. Barehanded, I tied old barbed wire to newly driven tee-posts with rusty steeple pullers. The too-long handles of the pullers banged against the wire, slowing the routine process. Even in the middle of perfect nowhere, problems arise.Fence building finished on a Sunday afternoon, my brother and I hurried on to search for the

Coming out a little - reality in a small town

2006-10-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

One hundred and forty-nine miles from home one-way,The earth is flat and I wander yet another Wal-MartOf West Texas proportion in a sprawling, faceless town.The mirror aisle glitters with wedding-ringed womenAnd fat husbands with troikas of children sturdy like apples.I cast no reflection and am off the wagon,Snagging Vienna sausage and beer andWalking for an hour without a glimpse of my own

An open letter to the ex....

2006-10-10T21:44:00.000-05:00

If it is true and you are dying, I suppose I have honored your soon-enough-to-be memory by thinking of you sporadically during football game time-outs and moments at the grocery store, perusing eggplant. Without conscious thought, while driving I made the decision that you cannot die with our children. Your crying for them at every turn these days doesn’t move me. Your constant phone calls

What is good?

2006-10-05T22:10:00.000-05:00

Second real basketball game of the season, not counting a scrimmage or two, and the final game before our first tournament. It was sweating hot in the gym and we sat closely packed on the bleachers. Why? It was a 6th grade match-up, in Nowhere, Oklahoma, during football season, for heaven’s sakes. But word had gotten around. I even got phone calls from the county seat this week. Was

Heat

2006-07-29T20:22:00.000-05:00

This heat is nothing new. Seven generations of my people have trod the prairie badlands and I know within my heart that the heat of their journeys shimmered at the bare edges of their memories, just as it does with mine. Desert heat boils in my blood, just beneath the surface of my skin. Like a lizard on a rock, a part of me cannot go on without it. I defy the existence of cool hills, trees