Well, I made the drive from A-Town to Fort Leonard Wood yesterday. I took 20W to Birmingham, 78 to Memphis, 63 to Houston, MO, and 17/AW the rest of the way. I left at about noon and got in around 2300. So about an 11 hour drive. This was the first time I've taken the southern route. It was a much nicer drive until I reached Memphis. 78 turns into Lamar Ave when you hit M-Town. Let me tell you about Lamar: it's pretty ghetto. I came rolling into town with my dogs in the backseat and I must have looked a little redneck as I drove in. The real problem wasn't the 26" rims on a Hummer crowd, though. It was the confusion with linking into 63. You actually have to take 55N toward St. Louis before you can link into 63. I did not know this. I did get on 55, but when I didn't see 63, I took 40W to Little Rock, before turning around at the Arkansas Welcome Center. Luckily, I ran into a wonderful lady at the desk that pointed me in the right direction. So here I am...back at Fort Leonard Wood...yippee.
I haven't posted in a few days, because I've been prepping to move. I will be out of the net for at least the next few weeks. I hope y'all can understand. I'll be back to full posting form soon. God Bless.
Tom Brahaney, arguably one of the best centers in College football history (and a Sooner, of course) finally made it into the Hall of Fame. It's been a long time coming, and it's great to see that he is finally getting that recognition he deserves.
Brahaney was drafted in the fifth round of the 1973 NFL Draft and played nine seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals. He currently owns and operates a drilling company and resides in Midland.
The 2007 College Football Hall of Fame Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) Class will be inducted at the 50th Annual Awards Dinner on December 4, 2007, at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. They will be officially enshrined at the Hall in South Bend, Ind., during ceremonies in July of 2008.
College Football Hall of Fame Great players and coaches built the Oklahoma football tradition. OU has placed 18 players and five former coaches in the College Football Hall of Fame. No Big 12 school has more.
Player
Pos.
Years
Inducted
Tom Brahaney
C
1970-72
2007
Joe Washington
RB
1972-75
2005
Tony Casillas
MG
1982-85
2004
Keith Jackson
TE
1984-87
2001
Kurt Burris
C
1951-54
2000
Greg Pruitt
HB
1970-72
1999
Jerry Tubbs
C
1954-56
1996
Billy Sims
HB
1975-79
1995
J.D. Roberts
G
1951-53
1993
Jim Weatherall
T
1948-51
1992
Steve Owens
HB
1967-69
1991
Lee Roy Selmon
DT
1972-75
1988
Waddy Young
E
1936-38
1986
Tommy McDonald
HB
1954-56
1985
Jim Owens
E
1946-49
1982
Billy Vessels
HB
1950-52
1974
Forest Geyer
FB
1913-15
1973
Claude Reeds
FB
1910-13
1961
Coach
Years at OU
Inducted
Barry Switzer
1973-88
2001
Jim Tatum
1946
1984
Bud Wilkinson
1947-63
1969
Lawrence "Biff" Jones
1935-36
1954
Bennie Owen
1905-26
1951
I saw this article about replacing people, and of course OU has to replace a guy that should have won the Heisman as a freshman.
Quote:
Who's Gone? Adrian Peterson, RB After 4,045 yards and 41 touchdowns in three seasons, "All Day" left Norman. Peterson was picked seventh overall in the draft by the Vikings.
Who's Next? As we saw when Peterson was injured last year the cupboard isn't exactly bare. The trio of Allen Patrick, Chris Brown and Jacob Gutierrez combined for 1,323 yards and 10 touchdowns in Peterson's absence. Redshirt freshman DeMarco Murray stole the spotlight in the spring game, running for 103 yards on four carries.
The Verdict Patrick, who had four 100-yard games last season appears to have the No. 1 spot locked up for the season opener and that's no knock on Murray.Coach Bob Stoops isn't one to throw freshmen into the fire right away -- Peterson didn't start until the fourth game of his first year -- but Murray should get his share of opportunities.
This led me to think about the best run I've seen any of the remaining RBs make yet. It got called back for a bogus 'hold' by Malcolm Kelly, but it still amounts to a beautiful run and shows off Patrick's versatility. Can anybody spot the 'holding by #4 of the offense'? I sure can't. It's good to be a Sooner, but dang if the zebras don't hate the heck out of us.
I was thinking on the idea that the Iraq war is 'illegal', and somebody on the Grunt Forum asked me for the UNCLASS info on the subject. This is the UNCLASS version of the NSA's Electronic Briefing Book on the subject, which has documentation supporting both sides (and is the largest source for UNCLASS information on the subject):
The Fox article on the same subject takes on a decidedly different tone, and actually includes links to the findings. Typical Fox political opinion dominates the article.
The report 'concluded' that there was no legitimate WMD program remaining in Iraq. It also concluded that Saddam had serious interests in resuming the program as soon as possible and that he undermined the Oil For Food Program to procure illicit weapons. The report only utilized 'confirmed' intel (due to the political climate at the time of the report) and it is largely unclassified.
Unfortunately, the stuff that is in the public domain would lead you to believe that Saddam complied with the resolution, that the inspections worked, and the stockpiles were destroyed. I really wish I could say more, but there is much more to it than all of this UNCLASS stuff. My opinion has been colored by things that I know about movements in the country at the time of the invasion, information and professional opinions from former weapons inspectors (one of which I had a lengthy conversation with on the topic), and other items that are currently classified in some form or fashion.
Just know that we were deliberately delayed south of Baghdad and there is a volume of unaccounted for chemical precursors and chemical warheads residing 'somewhere'. I'm no analyst, I'm not trained in any highspeed intel field, but the things I've seen personally lead me to believe there is much left to be accounted for.
Iraq's a big dang box of sand. There was a lot of digging prior to and DURING the initial invasion. There was also a considerable amount of truck convoy movement prior to and DURING the initial invasion. It took a total of 21 days to take Baghdad. Any idea what you can do with a limitless amount desert (practically -- the Arabian desert is second only to the Sahara in square mileage), friendly first world countries (with considerable funding and reason to help you), and extremely friendly neighbors (with less funding, but Arab brotherhood reasons to help you) in THREE WHOLE WEEKS? If I gave my two year old a handful of spent .223 casings at the beach, she'd have them gone for good in under 10 minutes. Imagine a larger scale with considerably more 'shells' and a relatively large army on a much bigger beach. How long would it take the Arizona national guard to make stuff disappear in the Mojave? How long did it in 1945?
Regardless, the idea that we had no cause to go to war with Iraq is a little ridiculous. Saddam defiantly challenged UN authority, knowing full well that the 'powers' of that organization were bluffing. We had a president in office that had the intestinal fortitude to call that bluff and do what the international community should have. Thank God we have a man of conviction in office. Too many spineless 'leaders' are handing things over to our enemies on a daily basis.
When we do finally cut slingload in Iraq and run away with our tail betwixt our cowering legs, we will have nobody but ourselves to blame when the fit finally hits the shan. Small scale attacks on the world's oil supply is all the bad guys have been able to attempt so far. I just can't wait to see what happens when two terror-happy countries ally together with the collection of terrorist groups they are trying so hard to support and set their goal to punishing OPEC. God save us all when we yearn for those 'happy days' of $3.00 gas. Hooah.
This is such a cool deal. I wish I could put the prettier map up there, but you can find it here. It's absolutely gorgeous. It lets you put in the places you've been and add in places you want to go. It's like the Myspace for travel junkies. I'd like to be a travel junky, but my resources are limited (the Army only pays so much), my job doesn't let me take much time off (even though it gives me a ridiculous amount of time to take off -- go figure), and my limitations are evident (as in three kids, three cats, and two dogs). I sure would like to visit all of Europe, most of Asia, and selected parts of Africa. I would really like to visit southwest and central asia for all the cultural significance, but eh...it's a little 'unsafe' right now. I wouldn't want to be in, say, Babylon visiting Nebuchadnezzar's old palace, only to get kidnapped and beheaded by people with a pretty sick sense of God's wisdom and grace.
But I digress...
Adrian Peterson has his own website... and it's quite cool. I know he is going to light the league on fire. Should be a fun season for the Vikings this year. I know the Vikes fans only have a slight idea of what AD brings to the table, but this video should help clear things up. BTW, his shoulder is fine.
I can't wait to see him rip open a game for the first time in the NFL.
I took the two older girls to a book reading of the above book by Laura Bush (yes, the first lady). Well, she wasn't really there. It was more of a VTC of Laura Bush, but the story was cute. Anyway. It got me to thinking about deployment. I've deployed a few times since the kids have been born. One was a long one. The others have been relatively short. The book reading made me think about how they will handle the deployments now that they are older. Kids handle things differently as they age, at least that's what they tell us during deployment and redeployment briefs. I suppose I'm thinking now about whether staying in is the right answer. I know I will go to Iraq or Afghanistan again. It's just a matter of when.
The book was about a Navy guy, but same thing. I suppose I just want to be a father. I want to be there for my kids. Sometimes deployments make that hard.
Go to Meez to make your own. I thought it was pretty funny, so I included it for your pleasure. Not much to say.
AD extended the Sooner streak of 1st rounders to 6 years. Tampa Bay picked Davin Joseph in the first round in 2006 while Jammal Brown and Mark Clayton were drafted in the first round in 2005. Tommie Harris went to Chicago in 2004, Andre Woolfolk was selected by Tennessee in 2003 and Roy Williams went to Dallas in 2002. Not bad at all.
Ruuufus joined AD in Minnesota and CJ Ah You went to the Bills.
Larry Birdine signed as a UDFA with the Packers, Zach Lattimer with the Redskins, and Paul Thompson with the JETS-Jets, Jets, Jets! Overall, that ain't bad for the least stacked class in Bob Stoops' tenure. It would bring me great joy if they all ended up making the cut.
So, this is what I've got for new NFL Sooners:
Minnesota AD Ruuuufus
Green Bay Bird
Washington Zach
Buffalo CJ
JETS-Jets, Jets, Jets PT
The POTUS vetoed the 'cut and run like screaming little girls' bill, which was good, but expected. Also, unsurprisingly, our enemy used even the mere mention of cutting and running as propaganda, making sure that the entire Islamic world knows that we are the same namby pamby little sissies that cut slingload on Somalia. But wait, you say, we've been fighting in Afghanistan since 2001 and in Iraq since 2003. Well, our enemy has a slightly longer time frame in mind for a 'sustained fight'...something in the neighborhood of a few thousand years. They actually lament us pulling out of their 'historic trap'.
Of course, Ayman Al-Zwahiri (Al Q #2), in his address to suicidal maniacs everywhere, also mentioned that he wants to see us lose 200-300,000 people on the way out as an 'unforgettable lesson'. According to him, this would force us to 'reevaluate (our) entire doctrinal and moral system which produced (our) historic criminal Crusader-Zionist entity.' You just keep thinkin', Butch. That's what you're good at.
About: I'm married to the most awesome woman on earth and have 3 little girls with her. I am a Combat Engineer Soldier (Sapper), and have been to the Desert more times than I can count. So that's my handle - Desert Sapper. I love the OU Sooners (win or lose) and always have. I love the Dallas Cowboys and always have. Not a big baseball fan, but I like the Cards, and I cheer for the Spurs. That's me in a nutshell.
joined AD in Minnesota and CJ Ah You 
went to the Bills.
