August 2006 Archives
30 August 2006
"Evil" retailer to boost energy conservation?
How Many Lightbulbs Does it Take to Change the World? One. And You're Looking At It. (Charles Fishman, Fast Company, via Brothers Judd)
Swirl bulbs don't just work, they pay for themselves. They use so little power compared with old reliable bulbs, a $3 swirl pays for itself in lower electric bills in about five months. Screw one in, turn it on, and it's not just lighting your living room, it's dropping quarters in your pocket. The advantages pile up in a way to almost make one giddy. Compact fluorescents, even in heavy use, last 5, 7, 10 years. Years. Install one on your 30th birthday; it may be around to help illuminate your 40th.
In an era when political leaders and companies are too fainthearted to ask Americans to sacrifice anything for the greater good, the modern ice-cream swirl bulb requires no sacrifice. Buying and using it helps save the world--and also saves the customer money--with no compromise on quality. Selflessness and self-satisfaction, twirled into a single $3 purchase.
So far, the impact of compact fluorescents has been trivial, for a simple reason: We haven't bought them. In our outdated experience, they don't work well and they cost too much. Last year, U.S. consumers spent about $1 billion to buy about 2 billion lightbulbs--5.5 million every day. Just 5%, 100 million, were compact fluorescents. First introduced on March 28, 1980, swirls remain a niche product, more curiosity than revolution.
But that's about to change. It will change before our very eyes. A year from now, chances are that you yourself will have installed a swirl or two, and will likely be quite happy with them. In the name of conservation and good corporate citizenship, not to mention economics, one unlikely company is about haul us to the lightbulb aisle, reeducate us, and sell us a swirl: Wal-Mart.
In the next 12 months, starting with a major push this month, Wal-Mart wants to sell every one of its regular customers--100 million in all--one swirl bulb. In the process, Wal-Mart wants to change energy consumption in the United States, and energy consciousness, too. It also aims to change its own reputation, to use swirls to make clear how seriously Wal-Mart takes its new positioning as an environmental activist.
It's a bold goal, a remarkable declaration of Wal-Mart's intention to modernize and green up a whole line of business using market oomph. Teaming up with General Electric, which owns about 60% of the residential lightbulb market in the United States, Wal-Mart wants to single-handedly double U.S. sales for CFLs in a year, and it wants demand to surge forward after that.
Many Democrats run against Wal-Mart, then wonder why flyover country continues to reject them.
Meanwhile, Wal-Mart is gearing up to boost energy conservation AND the environment in the United States, while making a buck or two in the process.
Genius.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/30/06 22:36 | Other | Technorati | Comments (19)
29 August 2006
Flickr adds geotagging
As TechCrunch reported yesterday, Flickr has added geotagging to its already excellent photo-sharing service.
I played around with the geotags yesterday, and it's very easy to use. Simply go to the organize screen, click on map, and start pasting your photos on Yahoo's excellent maps (or use satellite imagery if you want). It's AJAX powered and works really well.
I envision creating a Graffiti folder in Flickr and geotagging my "before" photos of graffiti that I clean up on the weekends. That will make for an excellent record of the graffiti abatement efforts.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/29/06 18:43 | Tech | Technorati | Comments (0)
Tilman strikes again
Rancid pumpkin seeds. Nice.
New motto: Landry's -- Bringing mediocrity to any good restaurant we acquire, guaranteed!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/29/06 15:33 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
27 August 2006
Living at your ideal weight
This week on The Tube, Joel O$teen is again focused on nutrition.
He says we shouldn't eat so quickly, and we should enjoy our food to avoid heartburn and indigestion.
This is getting to be a pretty funny religion he's promoting!
Ah well, Houston does have its share of fatties, so maybe he's doing some good with these "sermons."
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/27/06 22:44 | Other | Technorati | Comments (3)
Cowboys fine TO
Owens fined for missing team meetings (Jean-Jacques Taylor, DMN)
Terrell Owens, who has missed 19 of 31 practices since the start of training camp with a strained left hamstring, missed a team meeting and a rehabilitation session and was late to an offensive meeting Friday.
"That's our club business. That's going to be accounted for," owner Jerry Jones said at halftime of Saturday's 17-7 win over San Francisco.
Owens was fined $9,500.
When asked if there was any problem between Owens and the club, Jones said, "We're going to be fine."
Several sources said Owens has been fined for being late to multiple rehabilitation sessions.
Awesome.
This is going to be one fun season.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/27/06 15:13 | Dallas Cowboys | Technorati | Comments (1)
25 August 2006
Arkanssouri blog survey says...
"The left side of the blogosphere has a total of two ideas."
Heh. Pretty funny.
Then again, there is the argument, "If no one likes your ideas, don't share them."
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/25/06 12:33 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
23 August 2006
See ya, Drew!
Henson won't be on Cowboys' roster, Parcells says (Matt Engel, FWST)
Drew Henson called it a good day, which says about everything one needs to know about his previous days with the Dallas Cowboys.
The former Michigan quarterback and Yankees third baseman who came to the Cowboys in 2004 as the latest Next Troy Aikman will not be on the roster in 2006. The Cowboys are seeking a trade.
[snip]
Henson was basically been pushed aside – for rookie free agent acquisition Matt Baker – in the past two weeks. He wasn’t practicing with the third team, and he had yet to take a single snap in either of the first two preseason games.
The developments solidified what many people suspected and Henson knew.
[snip]
This is a costly move, and one that team owner/general manager Jerry Jones could not have done with a smile on his face for three reasons:
* He publicly always supported Henson and his ability.
* The Cowboys owe Henson $3.5 million this season, and it’s doubtful they will receive a third-round pick in return. The Cowboys originally traded their 2005 third-round pick to the Houston Texans for the rights to Henson. The Texans used the pick on running back Vernand Morency, who is contending for their starting job.
* There were more than a handful of teams interested in trading for Henson in the off-season.
Several quick thoughts here....
1) This is Bill Parcells' present to Jerry Jones for the Terrell Owens headache: "Yeah, Jerry, I got no problem with T.O. And guess what? Your little pet quarterback will never play for my team. So you can cut him or trade him or employ him as your caddy, because he won't be suiting up this season."
2) Why did Charley Casserly EVER draft this loser?
3) Why did Jerry Jones ever bail out Charley Casserly by trading a high draft pick for this loser?
(Answers: Because Casserly and Jones are Casserly and Jones, of course)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/23/06 21:22 | Dallas Cowboys | Technorati | Comments (2)
20 August 2006
Irony
For the second week in a row, Channel 55 is running Joel Osteen's "sermon" on nutrition, and packaged processed foods that are lacking in nutrients.
Anyway, Dr. Atkins and Dr. Agatson already founded/reformed the anti-processed food church (and I'm a believer).
MORE IRONY THAN I REALIZED UPDATE: A reader emails that the Channel 55 "sermon" on nutritional foods last night actually was different than last week's Channel 55 "sermon" on nutritional foods. I stand corrected, because I really couldn't tell the difference. Who knew Joel Osteen's God was such a South Beach Diet fan?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/20/06 22:41 | Other | Technorati | Comments (2)
Why the hell not?
Kinky backs Willie as Texas energy czar (Associated Press)
Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman on Friday reiterated his top pick to implement his energy plan that emphasizes renewable sources: Willie Nelson.
Friedman said the country singer/songwriter and benefactor of biodiesel was a natural choice to lead a state energy department or commission, which he wants to create. He also said Nelson "would never have his hand in Texas' pocket."
"My plan is to appoint the best people I can find, get out of the way and let them work ... people whose only agenda is to do the right thing for the people of Texas," Friedman told the Fort Worth Rotary Club. "... I really believe that musicians can better run this state than politicians."
I know plenty of smart people who continue to say they are going to vote for an idiot for governor, and seem to take pride in that fact (yeah yeah, insert joke about WHICH idiot here). Seemingly nothing Friedman does or says will dissuade them, so this probably won't either.
It is something I don't pretend to understand, even as disgusted as I am with some of our fine elected officials in Texas.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/20/06 21:22 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (1)
Fun at council
So, I finally join the YouTube fun with a video capture from the end of the last City Council meeting in Houston.
This one's pretty amusing.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/20/06 14:00 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
19 August 2006
Weirdness
I'm aware that clicking into individual posts is intermittently producing screens of gibberish in IE [update: and Opera, but not Firefox].
I do not know why at the moment. Nothing seems to be obviously wrong.
UPDATE: Tech support ticket filed. Other users seems to be having this problem as well, so it's likely something the host introduced.
UPDATE 2: Tech support says there was an Apache issue, and that it should be resolved now.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/19/06 15:52 | Other | Technorati | Comments (3)
18 August 2006
Yay, the weekend
The weekend is finally upon us after a LONG, tiring week.
The August blahs are fully upon me, even after Michael Berry's rah-rah talk at HPRA today, so I think the cure is a new Montrose pizza joint that Hoffman, Alison Cook, and Robb Walsh all rave about, maybe followed by some Ringwalds.
And drinks. Can't leave that part out. Definitely drinks.
UPDATE: Well, the pizza CRUST was very very good. The pizza overall was good. But it was not better than a Ken Linehan Puck's special. I can't speak to Puck's now that Ken is gone, because I haven't been there since he left, but his pizzas were cheaper and a little better.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/18/06 17:47 | Other | Technorati | Comments (9)
Cowboys radio returns to Houston
Michaels brothers get prime time on NBC (David Barron, Houston Chronicle)
KNFC (97.5 FM) has picked up the Dallas Cowboys radio network, signaling the Cowboys' return to local airwaves after a three-year absence. Pat Fant, who manages Cumulus Radio's Houston properties, said, "Just like there are Republicans and Democrats, there are Cowboys fans and Texans fans (in Houston), and we're here to take care of everybody."
Ken Charles had made some noise about getting the Cowboys back in town on Clear Channel, but it looks like Cumulus gets the team instead.
I don't know how strong the 97.5 signal is, but I've been able to listen to Cowboys radio on a Beaumont AM station the last few years. It gets kind of iffy during bad weather, so another option will be nice.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/18/06 08:31 | Dallas Cowboys | Technorati | Comments (0)
Recent Chron.com headlines that amuse
Perry's big donors get state posts, business (AP)
Perry challenges Strayhorn's ethics (R.G. Rafcliffe, Houston Chronicle)
Awesome.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/18/06 07:54 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (0)
17 August 2006
Really pleased
OU Notebook (John Helsley, Daily Oklahoman)
The Sooners scrimmaged to finish Wednesday’s practice, going at it the final 45 minutes.
“It went well,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. “Guys still have some polishing to do, but we’re making progress.”
Always a hot topic, the play of quarterback Paul Thompson: “I’m really pleased with the progress Paul is making. He’s getting more and more comfortable and familiar with what he’s seeing and where he’s going with the football.
At some point, the media might as well stop asking Stoops about Thompson's progress at QB, because his answer is always the same.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/17/06 15:36 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (1)
16 August 2006
METRO Solutions!
RELATED STORY: METRO bus driver ends up in ditch (KTRK-13 News).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/16/06 20:30 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
More Sudden Acceleration?
Car slams into Houston business (KTRK-13 News)
A driver slammed into the glass front of a southwest Houston business Wednesday afternoon.The car crashed through the front of a Houston Shoe Hospital on Westheimer near Gessner around 5pm. It's unclear what caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
It's possible that the driver was a Kevorkian fan who just wanted to put the poor hospitalized shoes out of their misery.
But it's much more likely that the driver mistook the brake for the accelerator.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/16/06 20:27 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (1)
Chupacabra?
What's killing Brazoria County goats? (Jason Whitely, KHOU-11 News)
Over 40 goats have been killed by something in Brazoria County.
Something has frightened Pam Stuckey enough to keep her rifles close at hand.
“If it’s at a distance, we can use this one. If it’s up close, then we can use the shotgun,” Stuckey said.
She and her neighbors say that some kind of wildcat is attacking their livestock, mainly goats, killing almost 40 of them to date.
Wildcats and coyotes? Bah, that's boring. Think Chupacabra!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/16/06 20:16 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (0)
15 August 2006
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston
My blogging buddy Anne Linehan recently spent some time helping out Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Houston.
As I like to encourage from time to time -- but especially during political season, when lefty bloggers seem obsessed over begging for petty cash for various Democratic candidates -- please consider visiting the charity's website and making a small donation if you can.
Good charities can do a lot of good with what amounts to petty cash for the political blowhard class, and contribute much less hot air to the environment.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/15/06 23:59 | Other | Technorati | Comments (2)
14 August 2006
Fidel's looking a little... stiff
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/14/06 22:37 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
13 August 2006
Ouachita Trail guide
A scout leader has put together a pretty neat trail guide (pdf) for the Oklahoma portion of the Ouachita National Trail.
I've hiked every mile on that side. It's challenging, and will probably be worse this fall because of the drought conditions (more water must be carried - bleh).
I'm probably going to do about a three-day, 24-mile loop hike around Deadman's Gap in September/October (depending when the temps break).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/13/06 14:42 | Outdoors | Technorati | Comments (0)
Neighborhood activism
My part of Midtown is a neighborhood "in transition," as they like to say.
There's a lot of nice, expensive townhouse development. And a few blocks away, there is "affordable housing" of the sort where dead bodies turn up.
Anyway, graffiti is an ongoing problem here, and despite our publicity-craving Mayor appearing on KHOU-11 all the time telling us his latest greatest initiative will get graffiti under control, it never gets under control. There simply isn't a commitment from the City of Houston under MayorWhiteChiefHurtt to get it under control, unfortunately. Maybe graffiti isn't a big problem in Mayor White's neighborhood or in Chief Hurtt's neighborhood in Phoenix, where he spends lots of time.
My experiences with 311 trying to get graffiti handled in this neighborhood have just been comical. I don't think it's the fault of 311 (not totally, anyway), because Jeannie Holmes has stepped in and tried her best to help me. Rather, I think graffiti abatement is mainly just PR, and that nobody really knows what's going on. So nothing gets done. My most recent complaint about graffiti on city traffic signals in the neighborhood goes back many weeks. Ms. Holmes told me on Friday that there was going to be a meeting, and city officials hoped by the end of NEXT week to decide who was supposed to handle graffiti abatement on traffic signals. This is why I say there is no commitment from the City of Houston under the White Administration to get graffiti under control.
Inspired by a guy in the Heights that Tom Manning wrote about for the Chronicle, I stopped at Sears earlier today and bought a clearance gallon of gray exterior deck/metal flat paint and some throwaway brushes for under $10 total. I painted over a number of graffiti spots in the neighborhood this afternoon, without waiting for anyone's permission or the city to have several committee meetings or for Mayor White to call KHOU to come film him looking like he cares.
It felt good. And it looks a hell of a lot better now.
I'm sure I'll get to repeat my efforts every weekend for a while, but I can handle that. Unless one of the little b@stards shoots me, I guess.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/13/06 13:00 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (4)
Why didn't this happen when I was there?
Driver blames accelerator for crash (Jamie Komarnicki, Calgary Herald)
The accelerator pedal pumped unexpectedly and he couldn't hit the brakes, says the driver of a car that zoomed up a sidewalk, swiped several pedestrians and slammed into a downtown building Wednesday.
Anis Omar, 29, said he was terrified as the incident unfolded on 5th Avenue just east of 6th Street S.W. earlier this week.
But he had no control as his car surged through the intersection, he said. His only thought was to avoid the cars ahead of him and the people to the side.
Ethan passes along this info from Calgary.
It's too bad it didn't happen when I was in Calgary a few weeks ago. It would have been cool to cover a Sudden Acceleration case in Canada.
Well, maybe not so cool if I were one of the poor b@stards the guy ran over after mistaking the accelerator for the brake.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/13/06 10:32 | Other | Technorati | Comments (1)
10 August 2006
Fresh fodder?
'Income tax' is a loaded label for business levy: Perry opponents get fired up after accounting board calls it just that (Peggy Fikac, Houston Chronicle)
A board that sets national accounting standards stirred up the Texas governor's race by saying the state's new business tax is an income tax for reporting purposes.
The decision by the Financial Accounting Standards Board embraced a label rejected by backers, including Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who championed the expanded business tax to lower local school property taxes.
The designation gives fresh fodder to Perry challengers independent Carole Keeton Strayhorn, the state comptroller; independent Kinky Friedman; and Democrat Chris Bell.
Strayhorn spokesman Mark Sanders said the ruling makes Perry the first governor in Texas history to sign into law an income tax.
Bell spokesman Jason Stanford said Perry managed "to pass not only the biggest tax increase in state history but also apparently a state income tax with the singular achievement of making sure that not one red cent will go to our public schools."
It doesn't really give "fresh fodder" to Bell, who cannot credibly get to Perry's right on fiscal issues. It doesn't give "fresh fodder" to Friedman, who is not serious period. It does probably give some fodder to Strayhorn, but she's also going to have trouble getting to the right of Perry (credibly), even after the Perry/Sharp tax plan.
In a discussion with some Chron folks this week, we reached the conclusion that for a pretty unexceptional leader, Gov. Perry has great political fortunes. The way this race is shaking down only seems to drive that conclusion home.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/10/06 21:55 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (2)
Sorry, Stairmaster
Part of the motivation for the whole recommitment to diet/exercise at the start of the year was to get myself in shape to get back out this fall for solo backpacking. That's involved dropping some pounds (about 20 so far), and also regular cardio and weight training for general fitness.
I usually walk over to the gym in my neighborhood, but today it was just pouring, so I decided to take a break from the evil stairmaster. I figure the machine can go back to kicking my arse tomorrow. It really is evil.
But, not as evil as some of those non-switchbacked Ouachita ups/downs I'm planning once the heat breaks. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/10/06 19:38 | Other | Technorati | Comments (3)
07 August 2006
More sudden acceleration?
BMW crashes through convenience store (KHOU-11 News)
A convenience store is cleaning up after BMW crashed through the front of it Sunday night.
It happened at the Food Mart Plus on Richmond and Sage around 9:30 p.m.
The female driver wasn't injured, and everyone inside of the store was all right.
"The BMW basically parked out here, and then a second later it ran into the store," clerk Walter Caracheo said. "I don't know what happened."
The store owner said it was the second time in two years someone had crashed inside.
I drove by that Food Mart this morning, but I didn't notice the damage. It's a Monday, and the coffee apparently hadn't kicked in.
Since this was not a Crash and Rob, it almost certainly had to be the latest case of Sudden Acceleration Syndrome!
UPDATE: KPRC-2 has the important details:
A motorist drove her car into the front window of a southwest Houston convenience store Sunday, KPRC Local 2 reported.
The crash happened at the Food Mart Plus on Richmond Avenue near Sage Road at about 8:45 p.m.
The driver stepped on the gas pedal after she stopped her car in a parking space in front of the store, officials said.
Stomping on the gas pedal will cause Sudden Accleration!
UPDATE (2006-08-08): KTRK-13 has more:
Authorities believe the woman may have suffered a medical problem just before the accident on Richmond near Sage in southwest Houston. She stepped on the gas pedal after she had already pulled her car up to a parking space. She then backed out of the store when she realized what had happened.
Bah. It was Sudden Acceleration Syndrome!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/07/06 09:53 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
06 August 2006
Moody
So, Callie has the ol' cable on in the background tonight.
Joel O$teen is preaching it up: "Stability prepares you for promotion."
That's what he just said. His "sermon" tonight is that we shouldn't be moody.
Joel O$teen's god doesn't want us to be moody.
I've not heard anything that seems much connected with Christianity.
What a hoot.
However, I hope Callie is listening to Joel's advice about controlling moods. God wants her to be nicer to me, no matter what time of month it might be.
I have to work on engineering the Bad Sports podcast now. Getting that done will ensure I'm not moody tomorrow, and Joel O$teen's god will be pleased with me! Callie promises to alert me if Mr. O$teen mentions Jesus at some point. That will rock.
UPDATE: Callie tells me that Jesus was mentioned 22 minutes into the thing. Excellent!
UPDATE (08-07-2006): The podcast is now available, btw, for anyone who might be interested. Our "mood" on the Astros was pessimistic last night. Maybe we should have watched O$teen BEFORE the podcast!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/06/06 22:50 | Other | Technorati | Comments (3)
People who are backpacking probably won't notice
Names will be left off OU jerseys (Justin Harper, Daily Oklahoman)
Fans who know their favorite player's number will have a distinct advantage when watching Oklahoma football games this season. Those expecting to figure out who's who by the name on the back of a player's jersey are out of luck.
OU will wear new Nike-designed jerseys and pants this season -- and while the look is virtually the same, the jerseys are cut different than others OU has worn. The new style would require a smaller name patch on the back, which would require lettering that is more narrow and tightly spaced.
Given that, coupled with coach Bob Stoops' desire to bolster team unity, Sooner players will not have names on the backs of their jerseys this season.
It will mark the first time since 1973 OU won't have surnames on football jerseys. In fact, OU has had the names on the back longer than it has had the "Sooners" name on the front, which came about in 1980.
That's an annoying change.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/06/06 16:39 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (5)
05 August 2006
Some people never miss an opportunity to tout a state income tax
Sales-tax break is window dressing (Lyndsey Kluever, Austin American-Statesman)
Beginning today and continuing through the weekend, Texans won't be charged sales tax when they buy clothes or shoes that cost less than $100. Dazzled by the opportunity to avoid paying taxes, people will converge on malls across Texas. But will they really save any money?
Yes. They'll save on taxes, and stores are having huge sales. It's a hugely popular weekend for that reason.
Leave it to the liberal Center for Public Policy Priorities to rain pee on the parade.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/05/06 22:52 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (2)
Not the hotel you want to get on Priceline
Flagship Hotel owner found incompetent to stand trial (KHOU news blog)
A federal judge signed an order Friday confirming his earlier decision that Daniel Yeh, owner of the Flagship Hotel, is incompetent to stand trial.
Yeh is accused of bilking at least $232,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Charges against Yeh include filing fraudulent reimbursement claims from FEMA which had been paying hotels to grant refuge to people left homeless by hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year.
Yeh's attorney said he has undergone three surgeries to remove brain tumors and therefore was not competent to stand trial.
He's also probably not the best guy to be running a hotel. Especially a hotel that rests on a pier over the ocean.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/05/06 00:34 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (3)
04 August 2006
He who casts stones...
Ex-local radio host allegedly violates probation: Jon Matthews surrenders after warrant issued (Eric Hanson, Houston Chronicle)
Former radio talk show host Jon Matthews surrendered at the Fort Bend County jail today after an arrest warrant was issued for him for allegedly violating probation.
Matthews received a seven-year deferred adjudication sentence two years ago when he pleaded guilty to a charge of indecency with a child.
According to court records, Matthews, 61, tested positive for alcohol, and was discussing sexual fantasies over the Internet.
Matthews was placed on probation after he admitted exposing himself to an 11-year-old girl in October 2003 in his Sugar Land home.
Among the conditions of the probation were that Matthews abstain from alcohol use and refrain from viewing sexually obscene material.
This dude seems seriously messed up.
BLOGVERSATION: Lone Star Times.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/04/06 13:55 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (1)
03 August 2006
Paul Thompson. UGH
OU named converted wide receiver Paul Thompson their starting quarterback today.
Thompson was terrible at quarterback last year, and perhaps worse as a wide receiver for a very average Sooner squad.
I'm planning on getting back out on my solo backpacking trips this fall. It used to be a dilemma when to schedule those things, to avoid missing good Sooner games. Having Paul Thompson as QB sort of makes scheduling the backpacking a hell of a lot easier now!
Pencil in UT as your favorite in the South, now. Don't be surprised if Texas Tech winds up in the two spot this year. Mike Leach never has a quarterback problem, and he may have some other players.
UPDATE: Ya know what? I'm going to imitate Richard Justice and backtrack from the harshness of the post above. Looking back on it, I think it's probably an overreaction to the Paul Thompson decision. He was not good last year, but he looked decent at times as the backup before last year. He's a fifth-year senior. He has some talented receivers and ADRIAN FRIGGIN' PETERSON to get the ball to. He has Kevin Wilson running the offense, instead of that dang Chuck Long.
Is that appreciably worse than the Texas QB situation? No. On further thought, I don't think so.
I do think the race in the Big 12 South is wide open now. And I'm still planning on returning to my solo backpacking this fall. That is all.
UPDATE (08-04-2006): Longtime Austin American-Statesman columnist and homer Kirk Bohls wrote this yesterday:
The dismissals could wreck OU's chances of atoning for last year's disappointing 8-4 record, because Stoops no longer has an experienced, cocksure quarterback. That was the one position where the Sooners had a clear edge over the rival Longhorns.
The ONE position? Has Bohls not heard of a guy named Adrian Peterson?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/03/06 16:52 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (13)
02 August 2006
Crocs
I hate them too.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/02/06 23:58 | Other | Technorati | Comments (6)
Bomar out at OU?
Bomar off OU football team (Daily Oklahoman)
Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops says he's dismissing two players from the Sooner football team.
A news release from OU does not name the players, but News 9 sports director Dean Blevins says one player is starting quarterback Rhett Bomar.
The release says an investigation by the university found the two players were paid to work at a private business and were paid for hours they didn't work.
OU said the two are being permanently dismissed and will not be allowed to return to the team at any time.
OU athletic director Joe Castiglione says he's disappointed in the athletes and university President David Boren says he believes Stoops is doing the right thing and he strongly supports the coach.
Wow! That should mark the end of the Sooners' national championship aspirations this year (which were overblown anyway, in my view). It should also make for a wide-open Big 12 South race.
If it is indeed Bomar -- and I don't think Dean Blevins would get that wrong -- then it's a manly move by Bob Stoops, because he of all people knows he doesn't have another QB on the roster who's even close in terms of talent. Then again, a return to the dark last days of the Switzer regime could bring about the Death Penalty. Easy call, I guess.
Bomar should have plenty of time to booze it up now, one supposes.
UPDATE: The private business in question is a familiar one:
The car dealership in question is Big Red Sports/Imports in Norman, Okla., reports Mark Schlabach. When contacted by phone, the person answering referred requests to attorney Jeffrey Atkins of Oklahoma City. The dealership is part of the Sooner Schooner Car Program, which supplies vehicles to coaches and athletic department officials.
In April, Oklahoma cleared standout running back Adrian Peterson, who purchased a vehicle from the dealership before securing financing, drove it for several weeks and then returned the car. Oklahoma investigated the situation, but ruled Peterson did not violate rules because the dealership said it was normal business practice.
OU President David Boren, AD Joe Castiglione, and Bob Stoops need to sever the athletic department's relationship with this business completely, and make it off limits to players. Boosters like that get programs with OU's history (courtesy of the Bootlegger's Boy) the death penalty.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 08/02/06 13:27 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (2)
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