MySQL 5.0
This is a free program that I love. You have to be a little bit of a geek to figure it out, but it's a lot more powerful than that piece of garbage, Microsoft Access. MySQL comes with some really good documentation to figure it out. It can be downloaded from
http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/5.0.html
I also recommend using the GUI Tools, they make life a lot easier and they also allow you to import your other databases, including Microsoft Access, to the MySQL platform.
Here's a screen shot of a database I created in about 2 minutes using the MySQL Query Browser:
One other nice feature is the Workbench (included in the GUI tools) that allows you to reverse engineer a database to create UML diagrams. This is a Crows Foot Notation of the Northwind Database I imported to MySQL from MSAccess using the Migration Toolkit:
Did I mention all of this is FREE? It's all open source and IT'S ALL FREE!
Rubik's Cube solved in 30 seconds
If you're a child of the 80s, you may or may not appreciate this one:
Les Teletubbies dit bonjour
Bien faire claquer mon bout et m'appelle Sally, ils ont cette foutaise en français aussi.
C is for cookie, that's good enough for me.
Unnecessary Censorship - Cookie Monster says a bad word
Cookie Monster in rehab
Manchester United stays on top of Premiership
Manchester United stays on top of Premiership
December 23, 2006
By Ben Rumsby Special to PA SportsTicker
Cristiano Ronaldo and Paul Scholes ensured Manchester United would be top of the Barclays Premiership on Christmas, accounting for all the scoring in 3-0 victory Saturday at Aston Villa.
After a goalless first half, Ronaldo wasted little time putting United ahead, running 40 yards, seeing his first shot blocked, and following up to score past emergency-loan goalkeeper Gabor Kiraly.
United doubled its advantage after Scholes volleyed in one of the best goals of the season, waiting for a clearance to drop 25 yards out before blasting home via the underside of the crossbar.
Ronaldo ended any doubt over the result when he tapped Gary Neville's cross into an empty net five minutes from time.
Arjen Robben scored a stoppage-time winner as Chelsea yet again clung on to United's coattails with a dramatic 3-2 victory at Wigan.
For the second week in succession, the champions looked certain to drop points but showed all their character to keep the gap to United to two points.
The Blues looked to be cruising when Frank Lampard made the most of the Latics' woeful offside trap to put the visitors ahead before Salomon Kalou headed home Robben's corner. But Emile Heskey's header on the stroke of halftime and his controversial tally with 15 minutes remaining - when he appeared to be offside - evened matters.
Chelsea threw caution to the wind in search for a winner, which they got when Robben cut inside and finished beyond an unsighted Chris Kirkland.
Liverpool held on to third place after goals from Craig Bellamy and Xabi Alonso provided a 2-0 win over rock-bottom Watford.
The Reds were frustrated for much of the first half by the Hornets, who almost scored against the run of play when Alhassan Bangura volleyed over a gaping net. But Bellamy was given an acre of space to stroke home Steven Gerrard's pass two minutes after the restart, and Alonso finished off a counterattack late on to wrap up the points.
Arsenal remained just a point behind after recovering from an early blow to thrash Blackburn, 6-2, at the Emirates Stadium.
Kolo Toure's clumsy challenge on David Bentley allowed Shabani Nonda to give Rovers a third-minute lead from the spot, but Gilberto headed in Robin van Persie's inswinging corner to even matters.
Alexander Hleb showed fantastic footwork to put the Gunners ahead before Lucas Neill upended Van Persie and Emmanuel Adebayor made it 3-1 from the spot before halftime.
Nonda's overhead kick made it 3-2 after substitute Matt Derbyshire headed against the bar. Two late strikes from Van Persie and one from Mathieu Flamini gave the scoreline a flattering look.
Bolton stayed level on points with the Gunners as Nicolas Anelka returned to haunt Manchester City with a brilliant brace at Eastlands. The French striker converted Nicky Hunt's terrific ball just eight minutes in before slotting home Henrik Pedersen's slide-rule pass to seal a 2-0 success.
It got worse for City when Joey Barton was shown a straight red card late on for bringing down Abdoulaye Faye.
In-form Portsmouth staged a second-half comeback at Fratton Park to end Sheffield United's fine recent run with a 3-1 victory.
Rob Hulse's fourth-minute header was the game's only goal until Benjani's cross deflected off Phil Jagielka and Robert Kozluk to draw Pompey level shortly after halftime. Sol Campbell scored his first goal for the club by heading in Matt Taylor's corner kick before Noe Pamarot followed suit.
Second-bottom Charlton's woes continued with a 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough as Yakubu's stabbed finish and Julio Arca's deflected tally sealing a comfortable win for Boro.
Newcastle came flying out of the traps to beat Tottenham, 3-1.
Kieron Dyer curled in a precise finish around Ledley King before Obafemi Martins headed in Scott Parker's right-wing cross. Danny Murphy's mis-hit finish took a wicked deflection to get Spurs back in the game, but Paul Robinson spilled a free kick and Parker capitalized on a goalmouth scramble to head home before halftime.
Andrew Johnson ended his 13-game goal drought as Everton ran out to a 2-0 triumph at Reading.
The England striker, who earned a rare apology from Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho this week, converted Mikel Arteta's low cross via a deflection off Ibrahima Sonko to put the visitors ahead. Johnson then turned provider, robbing Ivar Ingimarsson and crossing for James McFadden to fire home from eight yards.
In the early match, West Ham defender Paul Konchesky was sent off as a glut of missed chances saw their lively London derby against Fulham finish goalless at Craven Cottage.
Konchesky was given his marching orders in controversial circumstances with six minutes left after being deemed the last man in bringing down Wayne Routledge just outside the area.
Hammers striker Marlon Harewood squandered the best opportunity of the afternoon when he hit the post from six yards. Mathew Etherington saw a shot strike the crossbar before being cleared off the line by Liam Rosenior.
Y. gets largest victory ever
I copied this article from the Salt Lake Tribune. I couldn't believe the score. WOW!!!
Y. gets largest victory ever
Oregon 102-40
By Lauren Gustus
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:12/23/2006 01:13:19 AM MST
PROVO - If they didn't arrive early to the Marriott Center on Friday night, then Brigham Young fans who expected to see a game were doubtlessly disappointed. The Cougars overwhelmed Division II Western Oregon, 102-40, stumbling only at the very start, after a weeklong layoff for final exams.
"I'm pleased with the way our guys played tonight, after a long week with a lot of distractions," coach Dave Rose said.
BYU (7-4) made baskets from near (guard Jimmy Balderson dunked twice), far (the team shot 61 percent from the three-point line) and all points in between. But a crowd of only 8,277 - dissuaded perhaps by a bowl game in Las Vegas the day before or by the opponent or by iffy weather - witnessed the Cougars' biggest win ever.
The 62-point victory was the largest in the program's history, eclipsing a 108-57 win over St. Mary's (Calif.) on Dec. 10, 1966. Every BYU player, save one, scored. Little-used sophomore Gavin MacGregor scored BYU's 100th point, from the free-throw line.
The Cougars executed on the other side of the ball, too, holding the Wolves to just six points through the first 12 minutes of the second half.
"We didn't really come to play, offensively," said Western Oregon coach and BYU alum Craig Stanger.
The Wolves entered the game shooting nearly 50 percent from the field, but they finished 20 percentage points off that Friday.
"Our defensive intensity in the second half just helped us increase the lead," BYU guard Lee Cummard said.
Western Oregon (3-6) hung with a slow Cougars team in the first half; it was 11-11 with 13:40 to go.
But BYU's bench kick-started its bleary-eyed starting five. Post player Vuk Ivanovic scored eight points over the last 10 minutes of the half. And substitute Jonathan Tavernari went 4-for-4, for 10 points, in the first half, finishing as the high scorer, with 17 points, on 7-for-8 shooting.
"Tonight was really good for our team. I think our staff, we learned a lot about how we can put those guys in better positions to actually help our team . . .'' Rose said. "Once we got through the first eight or 10 minutes, I thought everybody that went in gave us a pretty good lift. You get a different perspective in where you fit in a team."
Brigham Young's Keena Young and Western Oregon's Alex Swerzbin provided the most tense moment of the second half, when the two got close and exchanged words following a whistle.
Both received technicals and Swerzbin fouled out. Young, who was replaced by Austin Ainge, did not re-enter the game, but the Cougars picked up much where they'd left off before the distraction, building on a then 30-plus point lead.
"Once you get into a situation like that, especially when the score was what it was, sometimes you feel a lot safer with the player involved in the scuffle on the sidelines," Rose said.
Welcome Estonia and Argentina
I now have hits from Estonia and Argentina on my blog. I actually know where both of these countries are. Estonia is one of the Baltic states located west of Russia.
And Argentina, yes, I actually spent some time in Brazil and I'm very familiar with Argentina. I'm especially familiar with Argentina's rivalry with Brazil which is mainly manifest on the soccer pitch. I suppose my Diego Maradona video had something to do with the hit from Argentina. Bienvenido Argentina!
Great Free Software
PDF Creator
PDF Creator allows you to create PDF (Adobe Acrobat) documents for free. It works just like a printer. Suppose you create a document using Microsoft Word, you then choose the option to print and choose PDFCreator instead of your printer, name the file, and save it to your hard drive. This comes in handy when you don't want someone to alter your document.
Download PDF Creator
K9 Web Filter
The folks at Blue Coat have made their industrial strength Web filter free for individuals, homes, and families. There's really no catch, Blue Coat offers this for free because they know people will like it so much they'll want to use it at work (it's not free to businesses and schools,
that's how Blue Coat makes their money).
Download K9
The Gimp
The Gimp is an open source powerful photo editing program similar to Photoshop. I use it in Windows XP and it works great! This page contains all the software you need to get The Gimp running. You'll need to GTK+ 2 Runtime Environment for your version of Windows installed before installing The GIMP for Windows. I really like this program.
Open Office
Admit it, $300.00 - $1000.00 is a lot to pay for Windows Office Suite. Fortunately there is a free program that is compatible with Windows Office, it's called Open Office. Calc is like Excel, Base is like Access, Writer is like Word, Draw is like Visio, and Impress is like PowerPoint. I have used Open Office in the workplace where I was in a Linux environment and had to create documents and spreadsheets in Linux that could be viewed in Windows. I admit that I use MS Office, but this is a great program for someone that can't afford what Microsoft wants for their productivity software. It's a 94 Megabyte download, which isn't too bad if you have broadband.
Download Open Office Here
AVG Antivirus - Free Version
I almost forgot one of my favorites. I use this product. It scans your computer and email for viruses. Updates are free. This is a great product and even better than some other anti-virus software you have to pay for. The deal with AVG is the same as Blue Coat's K9. It's free for homes and individuals, but you have to get a license to use it in a business setting.
Download AVG Free Antivirus
PDF Creator allows you to create PDF (Adobe Acrobat) documents for free. It works just like a printer. Suppose you create a document using Microsoft Word, you then choose the option to print and choose PDFCreator instead of your printer, name the file, and save it to your hard drive. This comes in handy when you don't want someone to alter your document.
Download PDF Creator
K9 Web Filter
The folks at Blue Coat have made their industrial strength Web filter free for individuals, homes, and families. There's really no catch, Blue Coat offers this for free because they know people will like it so much they'll want to use it at work (it's not free to businesses and schools,
that's how Blue Coat makes their money).
Download K9
The Gimp
The Gimp is an open source powerful photo editing program similar to Photoshop. I use it in Windows XP and it works great! This page contains all the software you need to get The Gimp running. You'll need to GTK+ 2 Runtime Environment for your version of Windows installed before installing The GIMP for Windows. I really like this program.
Open Office
Admit it, $300.00 - $1000.00 is a lot to pay for Windows Office Suite. Fortunately there is a free program that is compatible with Windows Office, it's called Open Office. Calc is like Excel, Base is like Access, Writer is like Word, Draw is like Visio, and Impress is like PowerPoint. I have used Open Office in the workplace where I was in a Linux environment and had to create documents and spreadsheets in Linux that could be viewed in Windows. I admit that I use MS Office, but this is a great program for someone that can't afford what Microsoft wants for their productivity software. It's a 94 Megabyte download, which isn't too bad if you have broadband.
Download Open Office Here
AVG Antivirus - Free Version
I almost forgot one of my favorites. I use this product. It scans your computer and email for viruses. Updates are free. This is a great product and even better than some other anti-virus software you have to pay for. The deal with AVG is the same as Blue Coat's K9. It's free for homes and individuals, but you have to get a license to use it in a business setting.
Download AVG Free Antivirus
Shelfari
This is a kind of cool social networking site where you build a network around books you read. http://www.shelfari.com/
I've already put up some history books and computer books I've read, and a few others.
I've already put up some history books and computer books I've read, and a few others.
Welcome Finland
I noticed that The RGD Factor's first hit from outside the USA was from Finland
so I just want to say hello to Finland and share some facts about Finland with those of you that aren't familiar with Finland. Finland's neighbors are Sweden in the West, Russia to the East, Norway to the North, and Estonia to the south.
Finish is one of the few official languages of the European Union that is not of Indo-European origin.
From 1249 A.D. to 1809 A.D. Finland was ruled by the Kingdom of Sweden and Swedish was the dominant language of administration and education while Finish was still spoken by the peasants, clergy, and local courts. Later Finland was annexed to Russia from 1809 A.D. to 1917 A.D. after being conquered by Russian Emporer Alexander I. Finland became an autonomous Grand Duchy under the Russian Empire and the Finish language started to gain recognition by both the imperial court and governing bodies.
On December 6, 1917 Finland declared independence from Russia. The independence was approved by Bolshevist Russia but it let to a brief civil war from 1917 to 1918 which was fought by the German backed "white" and the Russian backed Bolshevist Russia. Which was basically a war between working class (reds) and middle and upper class (whites). The war was eventually won by the whites.
In World War II Finland fought the Soviet Union twice. Once in the winter of 1939 - 1940 and again in 1941 - 1944. In 1944 - 1945 Finland forced the Germans out of northern Finland. Finland was required to pay reparations to the Soviet Union at the end of World War II and this caused Finland to become an industrial nation from an agricultural one.
According to the World Audit study, Finland is the least corrupt and most democratic country in the world.
Read more about Finland at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland
so I just want to say hello to Finland and share some facts about Finland with those of you that aren't familiar with Finland. Finland's neighbors are Sweden in the West, Russia to the East, Norway to the North, and Estonia to the south.
Finish is one of the few official languages of the European Union that is not of Indo-European origin.
From 1249 A.D. to 1809 A.D. Finland was ruled by the Kingdom of Sweden and Swedish was the dominant language of administration and education while Finish was still spoken by the peasants, clergy, and local courts. Later Finland was annexed to Russia from 1809 A.D. to 1917 A.D. after being conquered by Russian Emporer Alexander I. Finland became an autonomous Grand Duchy under the Russian Empire and the Finish language started to gain recognition by both the imperial court and governing bodies.
On December 6, 1917 Finland declared independence from Russia. The independence was approved by Bolshevist Russia but it let to a brief civil war from 1917 to 1918 which was fought by the German backed "white" and the Russian backed Bolshevist Russia. Which was basically a war between working class (reds) and middle and upper class (whites). The war was eventually won by the whites.
In World War II Finland fought the Soviet Union twice. Once in the winter of 1939 - 1940 and again in 1941 - 1944. In 1944 - 1945 Finland forced the Germans out of northern Finland. Finland was required to pay reparations to the Soviet Union at the end of World War II and this caused Finland to become an industrial nation from an agricultural one.
According to the World Audit study, Finland is the least corrupt and most democratic country in the world.
Read more about Finland at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Finland
Peace Frog - The Doors of The 21st Century
This song reminds me of my Intro to Computers teacher. She had a disco hairdo and hippie sunglasses and I'm sure she was teaching stoned. Way to go Stubby!
Why life is worth living
My son makes me smile and makes me laugh. He is one of the best things about being alive.
BYU vs. Utah 2001
Utah fans remind me of what BYU fans used to be like back in the 80s. After BYU won the national championship BYU fans thought they were hot crap. I got sick of it and became a Utah fan. Now Utah fans think they're hot crap, but what makes it worse is that it's intertwined with religious intolerance toward the LDS church. I'd be just as upset if it were directed at Notre Dame for being a Catholic school or SMU for being Methodist. That religious bigotry has no place in collegiate sports. Anyone that reads this should read about the history of two soccer teams in Scotland, Rangers and Celtic (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangers_Football_Club). The football (soccer) matches are more about Protestants (Rangers) vs. Catholics (Celtic) than about two football clubs playing a game. It's just stupid. Anyhow, here's the video. Go Cougars!
This is Spinal Tap
These Go To 11
Listen
Nigel Tufnel Solo
More Nigel Soloing
This isn't Spinal Tap, it's Jimmy Page
Michael Anthony Bass Solo - Van Halen
For some reason, this reminds me of Nigel too
Listen
Nigel Tufnel Solo
More Nigel Soloing
This isn't Spinal Tap, it's Jimmy Page
Michael Anthony Bass Solo - Van Halen
For some reason, this reminds me of Nigel too
I Don't Like It, It Makes Me Feel All Funny!
Whose Line is it Anyway is one of my favorites. It comes on ABC Family out hear 10est. It is a lot of fun. Man, Richard Simmons is kind of a, peculiar, isn't he?
What the...
Hey look, Depeche Mode is working retail now!
Dang, Dave Gahan looks a lot like that guy that plays James Bond and Marty Gore looks a lot like that guy on SNL that can never keep a straight face. I didn't know Andy Fletcher was physicaly disabled. That must be why he quit touring.
Dang, Dave Gahan looks a lot like that guy that plays James Bond and Marty Gore looks a lot like that guy on SNL that can never keep a straight face. I didn't know Andy Fletcher was physicaly disabled. That must be why he quit touring.
Personal Jesus - 3 Versions - Draw your own conclusions
Johnny Cash version (my favorite rendition - I didn't create this video, by the way.)
Depeche Mode version - I love this version but it begs the question, "What are the English doing in Mexico?"
And, last and least - Brian Hugh Warner's (Marilyn Manson's) version
Just don't watch this unless you're a decadent reprobate with morbid tastes. I only put it here for comparrison.
Depeche Mode version - I love this version but it begs the question, "What are the English doing in Mexico?"
And, last and least - Brian Hugh Warner's (Marilyn Manson's) version
Just don't watch this unless you're a decadent reprobate with morbid tastes. I only put it here for comparrison.
If you can't figure out what to get that special someone for the holidays...
Give the gift of intimacy!
We recommend the K-Y Holiday sampler!
My favorite winter sport
I don't like driving in the snow, but I like leaving heaps of snow on my car and driving around. The Dodge Neon is my car. I like watching the snow blow off my car in my mirrors. I like watching chucks of snow go flying off and hitting other cars' windshields while temporarily blinding their drivers. This is my favorite winter sport.
Recipe for "The Big Larry"
Boil one roast beef in water for two hours.
Add 4 bay leaves.
Add 2 tsps. of unground peppercorns
When roast is done cooking, slice 32 ounces of roast beef onto a Kaiser roll.
Serve with 64 ounces of Au Jus.
The Au Jus is not for dipping the sandwich, but for drinking.
ENJOY!
Diego Maradona
Tell me this guy was too much of a wussy to play "pointy-ball". We only hate what we don't understand.
Some Soccer Highlights
All of these players either play for, have played for, or will play for Real Salt Lake. You asked for it, Clint.
Freddy Adu - The 17 year old phenomenon!
Real Madrid @ Real Salt Lake
Clint Mathis scores 5 goals in the same game
Clint Mathis, Goal of The Year 2001
Eddie Pope #23 - Best Defenders of 2004
Real Salt Lake Top 10 Goals of 2006 (The music on this one is terrible)
Freddy Adu - The 17 year old phenomenon!
Real Madrid @ Real Salt Lake
Clint Mathis scores 5 goals in the same game
Clint Mathis, Goal of The Year 2001
Eddie Pope #23 - Best Defenders of 2004
Real Salt Lake Top 10 Goals of 2006 (The music on this one is terrible)
Utah Snowstorm
This is the first really big snowstorm we've had this year. We've had some smaller ones, but this one really left some snow behind. I tried to make a snowball and couldn't. The snow is very powdery, which means it's great for skiing. You can click on the images to get a larger image.
Do You Ever Feel Like This Is Your Boss?
I don't want to get sued for libel by saying this reminds me of a certain boss I used to work for; but this reminds me of a certain owner of a certain fast food chain that shall both remain nameless and I used to work for him.
BYU, Here I come
I just finished writing my last paper for my last class at University of Phoenix. My class was a Critical Thinking class. I'm going into Information Technology but a lot of the focus of my degree has been on Philosophy, Ethics, and Critical Thinking. The Critical Thinking has been particularly helpful at my job lately. I've had to make some crucial decisions that effect the direction my team is heading. I really don't want to blog about my job because frankly, I don't like talking about my flair.
I've put a lot of thought into my decision to go to BYU. It's been a dream of mine since I was about 8 or 9 years old. I mainly wanted to go there and play football - I don't think too many near 40 year old over 300 pounders play football at the NCAA level, plus I haven't played since I was 12. About 13 years ago I started college at Utah Valley State College with the desire to transfer to BYU. It seemed like things kept getting harder and harder to get into BYU, so I finally just gave up and went to the U of U. It was hard to get the classes I needed at the U of U so I went to Salt Lake Community College. Then I moved to California and tried to get into U.C. Irvine. Then I moved back to Utah and decided to go the non-traditional route by getting my Associates at Mountain West College and my Bachelors at University of Phoenix.
As far at BYU's graduate program, they require a 3.0 GPA or higher, I have a 3.96, and an ecclesiastical endorsement from my Bishop. My biggest fear is that I wont be able to do as much of the course work online like I did at Phoenix. The bright side is that I'll get a really good discount of football tickets. :)
I kept feeling like I was getting robbed by University of Phoenix because I was only getting a rudimentary overview of the things I wanted to learn. For example, I really want to be a Java programmer. I took a Java 1 and Java 2 (they don't call it that, but I can't remember the course numbers) at University of Phoenix. We really got into creating classes (objects) and GUI programming. This was stuff I wanted to learn. I found out that if I really want to learn Java, I have to get the books and teach myself the stuff I want to know. I want to know more about the JDBC and using Java for database programming. This is something that has eluded me so far. I know the books I need to buy, now I just need to buy them and force myself to learn new things with them. C# (C Sharp) is a language I learned at University of Phoenix. I'd never heard of it until then. It's very similar to Java and has some nice features for database and Web programming. C# is another thing I really want to immerse myself in.
Anyway, what I really learned from college is that college just gives you the skills and the discipline to succeed, but if you really want to succeed, you have to push yourself to learn the extra stuff on your own.
Jimmy Fallon Impersonates Adam Sandler
There is some language in this one too, but not as bad as Jim Carey's
A Few Good Bradys
I thought this one was funny. Your "Goll Darn right I did!". But it was more appropriate for FAAH than the CDB.
Rosie Equates Radical Islam With Christianity.
It is amazing that people can make radical claims like this and not support them with any evidence at all! Lets examine the facts, had it not been for Christianity, democracy never would have been realized and flourish. This is evident in the fact that christian nations are free nations and tyrannical governments represent largely non-christian countries. This is an some older footage, but a very insightful look into the anti-christian craziness in this country.
And now a word from our sponsor
Thirst Rockers is a proud sponsor of the Feeble Attempts at Humor blog since 1643. Thirst Rockers, when you don't want to quench your thirst, you want to rock it.
Thirst Rockers is not a sponsor of Real Salt Lake and their name will not appear on the front of their jerseys. Thirst Rockers is also not a sponsor of NASCAR. Thirst Rockers has been found to cause priapism in laboratory rats and irregular coloring of bowel movements in bovines. Drink responsibly.
Shine On You Crazy Diamond!
The more I think about it, the more I just realize that my post was sacreligious. Let's compare Super Dell and Syd Barret instead. Super Dell, shine on you crazy diamond, shine on. Both Syd and Super went mad. Syd overdosed on LSD while Super overdosed on LDS. Syd wins!
(I've edited this dang post about 10 times now. Maybe that's a good indication that it's not funny.)
Blogging
There's probably already a Chinese symbol for blogging, but if there isn't here's my version of it. China, you can use my symbol for free, just give me credit for it.
I drew this using freeware called The GIMP.
Defending Timpview against "Super" Dell Schanze
After reading this, I have a few thoughts on "Super" Dell Schanze
http://www.dellschanze.com/
I went to Timpview High School and had a few classes with "Super" Dell Schanze. He and I are both 36 years old. From my point-of-view, he had his own little clique of friends from Dixon Jr. High (most of Timpview went to Farrer Jr. High back then[I went to neither]). I actually did go out of my way to talk to Dell and be friends with him and was treated as an inferior by him. It's interesting that the way he perceived the student-body of Timpview is the way he acted toward me. My biggest problem with his statement is that he has mis-characterized the student body and administration of Timpview as being snobbish, boorish, superficial, and cliquish. Of any school I have attended before or since, Timpview was the friendliest and easiest place ever to make friends. Most of the student body back then) was LDS and very homogeneous in that regard. For me this is what made Timpview such a wonderful place. In many ways it was like Brigham Young High School because so many professor's kids attended school there. I am all for diversity, but for me the homogeneity of Timpview both culturally and ethnically made it a place where I found many people similar to me. Also of note, I lived by the Ironton Hill in South Provo. This is a low to middle-class area of Provo. My family was on government assistance. There is a stereotype people have of Timpview students being rich and elitist. I understand Dell came from similar circumstances. It was the rich kids that reached out to me and were kindest to me during my stint at Timpview.
R.D. aka Mr. G.
P.S. I have copied this email to the current Principal, Principal Bayles of Timpview. I hope that it gives some insight and balance to Mr. Schanze's diatribe.
http://www.dellschanze.com/
I went to Timpview High School and had a few classes with "Super" Dell Schanze. He and I are both 36 years old. From my point-of-view, he had his own little clique of friends from Dixon Jr. High (most of Timpview went to Farrer Jr. High back then[I went to neither]). I actually did go out of my way to talk to Dell and be friends with him and was treated as an inferior by him. It's interesting that the way he perceived the student-body of Timpview is the way he acted toward me. My biggest problem with his statement is that he has mis-characterized the student body and administration of Timpview as being snobbish, boorish, superficial, and cliquish. Of any school I have attended before or since, Timpview was the friendliest and easiest place ever to make friends. Most of the student body back then) was LDS and very homogeneous in that regard. For me this is what made Timpview such a wonderful place. In many ways it was like Brigham Young High School because so many professor's kids attended school there. I am all for diversity, but for me the homogeneity of Timpview both culturally and ethnically made it a place where I found many people similar to me. Also of note, I lived by the Ironton Hill in South Provo. This is a low to middle-class area of Provo. My family was on government assistance. There is a stereotype people have of Timpview students being rich and elitist. I understand Dell came from similar circumstances. It was the rich kids that reached out to me and were kindest to me during my stint at Timpview.
R.D. aka Mr. G.
P.S. I have copied this email to the current Principal, Principal Bayles of Timpview. I hope that it gives some insight and balance to Mr. Schanze's diatribe.
Today's Featured Article on Wikipedia
Hey, the Latter-day Saints made the front page of Wikipedia today!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_handcart_pioneers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormon_handcart_pioneers
I like rap music as much as the next frightened white caucasian
but would it kill you to play some Foghat?
(WARNING: OBSCENE LANGUAGE) I thought it was going to get bleeped.
(WARNING: OBSCENE LANGUAGE) I thought it was going to get bleeped.
Good To Go
Paul McCartney said that he loves (O.K. likes) this band. Here's the exact quote:
I made this video as a tribute to a great British band, Steadman. The photographs and video are taken in the Lake Mountains just outside Eagle Mountain, Utah.
Steadman is giving away their music for free. If you like this song, go to Steadman's Site
"The band Steadman have the songs, the musicianship, the energy and the enthusiasm to blow the top off any club, or arena, and, if given a listen, have that rare quality -- the ability to deliver! I like this band!!"
I made this video as a tribute to a great British band, Steadman. The photographs and video are taken in the Lake Mountains just outside Eagle Mountain, Utah.
Steadman is giving away their music for free. If you like this song, go to Steadman's Site
Jay Leno's attempt at being David Letterman
I hate to break it to you Jay, but Letterman was doing this stuff when you were still doing standup comedy at Hollywood strip clubs.
Freddy Adu goes to Real Salt Lake
For those of you that aren't familiar with Freddy Adu, this is similar to LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, or Kobe Bryant (take your pick) going to the Utah Jazz. It's a HUGE deal. This article was taken from KUTV's Web site. David James is the author. If this doesn't put Real Salt Lake on par with the Utah Jazz and BYU Football as far as sports in Utah go, nothing will. Did I mention this is BIG news?
-----------------------------
Is Freddy Adu the next Urban Meyer?
Utah Wins If Real Salt Lake Has A Stadium Downtown
Great Sports Movies and Will RSL Get a Stadium?
More Zidane Headbutting Humor
Real Salt Lake acquired teenage phenom Freddy Adu from D.C. United, and quickly, the e-mail started flowing in
DJ,
Since you're the only person that publicly claims to follow soccer, I was curious about your thoughts on if the RSL trade for Freddy is going to become a short stint? If he can opt out and leave to go to the Premier Leagues in Europe, is this just a move by RSL to sell tickets for a few months until he's 18 and gone, or can they lock him down for awhile? Or even if he's here for a season does this mean he gets RSL to the playoffs and then is outta here? In short is Freddy just another Urban?
Billy
Well Billy, in short, RSL should be so lucky.
I don’t understand the constant criticism of Urban and his short tenure. College football is a big business. Urban had outs in his contract to go to Michigan and Ohio State, so it was no secret he had his eye on a bigger stage. He was a climber. Of course you only climb if you win big and Urban led the Utes to their first perfect season since 1930. Urban went 22-2, won a pair of league titles, the Utes’ first outright titles in 46 years, and headed for Florida.
Why can’t a guy with two great seasons leave for a higher paying job? Coaches who have two lousy seasons get fired. Walt Harris was just whacked at Stanford after two years and Ty Willingham was history after, what were by Notre Dame standards, a couple of sub-par years.
Urban’s mistake was dropping the “I want to go to Florida because I can recruit locally and I’ll have time to teach my son to throw a curve ball”. Weak. He left for more money and a chance to win the national title. Just say it.
Was this an Urban blog or a soccer blog?
If Freddy Adu can come in, win a championship, pack the stadium, increase season tickets and turn the spotlight on a team that takes a back seat to the Jazz and BYU football, in short, if he can pull an Urban, then more power to him and this is the best move RSL ever made.
Like Urban, Freddy Adu’s goals are clear. He is a climber. He wants to play in Europe. England. Chelsea. Like Urban he wants to go all the way to the top. Fine, but if you can’t dominate in Major League Soccer, how are you going to get your boots on the pitch in the Barkley’s Premiereship? (Loosely translated into American: shoes on the field in the top English league)
Interestingly, RSL missed the playoffs because of their defense. RSL scored 45 goals, tied for the third best total in MLS. RSL gave up 49 goals, tied with Colorado for the worst total in MLS. This team needs to improve defensively, not offensively. They just gave up Jay Nolly, a two-time NCAA Champion at Indiana, and a guy who was described as the goalkeeper of the future last summer, but a guy who also gave up goals in bunches. I know, the best offense is a good defense. The offense that controls the ball doesn’t have to play defense as much... blah, blah, blah.
There is also a chance RSL will simply win more 3-2 games instead of losing 1-0 games. It is hard to know whether goals or wins will put more fannies in the seats. Maybe the answer is neither. Maybe celebrities, like a 17 year-old who has been a household name for a quarter of his young life, are the best bet to sell tickets.
Notes: RSL just a cut deal with Xango for jersey logo rights. Did RSL know this move was coming? Is there an escalator clause in the contract, because Adu is going to make that jersey logo much more valuable. Maybe Xango just got a steal.
Nice timing with the stadium. Grab a star just as you open your books for the county. Those projections, who knows if they are accurate? You just traded for a one of a kind player. No one really knows what kid of impact he will have on tickets and sponsors, or how long he will be here.
-----------------------------
Is Freddy Adu the next Urban Meyer?
Utah Wins If Real Salt Lake Has A Stadium Downtown
Great Sports Movies and Will RSL Get a Stadium?
More Zidane Headbutting Humor
Real Salt Lake acquired teenage phenom Freddy Adu from D.C. United, and quickly, the e-mail started flowing in
DJ,
Since you're the only person that publicly claims to follow soccer, I was curious about your thoughts on if the RSL trade for Freddy is going to become a short stint? If he can opt out and leave to go to the Premier Leagues in Europe, is this just a move by RSL to sell tickets for a few months until he's 18 and gone, or can they lock him down for awhile? Or even if he's here for a season does this mean he gets RSL to the playoffs and then is outta here? In short is Freddy just another Urban?
Billy
Well Billy, in short, RSL should be so lucky.
I don’t understand the constant criticism of Urban and his short tenure. College football is a big business. Urban had outs in his contract to go to Michigan and Ohio State, so it was no secret he had his eye on a bigger stage. He was a climber. Of course you only climb if you win big and Urban led the Utes to their first perfect season since 1930. Urban went 22-2, won a pair of league titles, the Utes’ first outright titles in 46 years, and headed for Florida.
Why can’t a guy with two great seasons leave for a higher paying job? Coaches who have two lousy seasons get fired. Walt Harris was just whacked at Stanford after two years and Ty Willingham was history after, what were by Notre Dame standards, a couple of sub-par years.
Urban’s mistake was dropping the “I want to go to Florida because I can recruit locally and I’ll have time to teach my son to throw a curve ball”. Weak. He left for more money and a chance to win the national title. Just say it.
Was this an Urban blog or a soccer blog?
If Freddy Adu can come in, win a championship, pack the stadium, increase season tickets and turn the spotlight on a team that takes a back seat to the Jazz and BYU football, in short, if he can pull an Urban, then more power to him and this is the best move RSL ever made.
Like Urban, Freddy Adu’s goals are clear. He is a climber. He wants to play in Europe. England. Chelsea. Like Urban he wants to go all the way to the top. Fine, but if you can’t dominate in Major League Soccer, how are you going to get your boots on the pitch in the Barkley’s Premiereship? (Loosely translated into American: shoes on the field in the top English league)
Interestingly, RSL missed the playoffs because of their defense. RSL scored 45 goals, tied for the third best total in MLS. RSL gave up 49 goals, tied with Colorado for the worst total in MLS. This team needs to improve defensively, not offensively. They just gave up Jay Nolly, a two-time NCAA Champion at Indiana, and a guy who was described as the goalkeeper of the future last summer, but a guy who also gave up goals in bunches. I know, the best offense is a good defense. The offense that controls the ball doesn’t have to play defense as much... blah, blah, blah.
There is also a chance RSL will simply win more 3-2 games instead of losing 1-0 games. It is hard to know whether goals or wins will put more fannies in the seats. Maybe the answer is neither. Maybe celebrities, like a 17 year-old who has been a household name for a quarter of his young life, are the best bet to sell tickets.
Notes: RSL just a cut deal with Xango for jersey logo rights. Did RSL know this move was coming? Is there an escalator clause in the contract, because Adu is going to make that jersey logo much more valuable. Maybe Xango just got a steal.
Nice timing with the stadium. Grab a star just as you open your books for the county. Those projections, who knows if they are accurate? You just traded for a one of a kind player. No one really knows what kid of impact he will have on tickets and sponsors, or how long he will be here.
Neiman Marcus Cookies
You know that one email that's going around? No, not that one email, that other one email that says they paid $250 for a Neiman Marcus recipe. Well, I think the email is full of it, but the cookies are actually pretty good. I made a batch tonight and Mr. G and his posse ate quite a few of them.
Here's the recipe:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies
(sans noix (without nuts))
* 1 Cup Butter
* 1 tsp soda
* 2.5 cups blended oatmeal
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 10 oz Hershey bar shredded
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 2 cups flour
* 1 cup sugar
* 12 oz chocolate chips
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 2 eggs
1. chop up oatmeal in blender into fine powder.
2. cream butter and both sugars
3. add eggs and vanilla
4. mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda
5. add chocolate chips
6. add Hershey bar
7. roll into balls and place on cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 375 degrees
Here's the recipe:
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookies
(sans noix (without nuts))
* 1 Cup Butter
* 1 tsp soda
* 2.5 cups blended oatmeal
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 10 oz Hershey bar shredded
* 1 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp vanilla
* 2 cups flour
* 1 cup sugar
* 12 oz chocolate chips
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 2 eggs
1. chop up oatmeal in blender into fine powder.
2. cream butter and both sugars
3. add eggs and vanilla
4. mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda
5. add chocolate chips
6. add Hershey bar
7. roll into balls and place on cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 375 degrees
Best Meteor Shower of 2006
This will be happening tomorrow and Thursday night. It's cloudy here right now, so it might not be too good for me, but meteor showers are always a treat when you can see them. Here's the article: http://skytonight.com/observing/highlights/4882906.html
Multitasking
Avoid multitasking - Assigning several people to work on several projects at once creates the illusion of progress.
Phrases when travelling to Germany
Here are some common phrases that are useful to the traveler to Germany:
(I used www.freetranslation.com for these translations. Please let me know if they're wrong.)
Ich bin ein dummer Amerikaner, tritt bitte meinen Kolben.
I am an American, please show me where my embassy is.
Ich könnte kein Badezimmer finden, deshalb habe ich im Rhein uriniert.
Please direct me to a bathroom, I need to pee real bad.
Ich denke, dass Fußball für nur Frauen und Mädchenmänner ist, wo ein Nördlich Footballgegenstück das Sie bitte können zeigen mir werde gespielt?
I am a huge fan of the World Cup, could you please tell me if Germany is playing today?
Deutsches Bier ist furchtbar! Es hat den Geschmack von pisst.
German beer is great! I would like to try some, please.
Können Sie bitte mich zeigen, wo die deutsche Armee zu Eisenhower übergeben hat?
Could you please show me where the German military museum is located?
(I used www.freetranslation.com for these translations. Please let me know if they're wrong.)
Ich bin ein dummer Amerikaner, tritt bitte meinen Kolben.
I am an American, please show me where my embassy is.
Ich könnte kein Badezimmer finden, deshalb habe ich im Rhein uriniert.
Please direct me to a bathroom, I need to pee real bad.
Ich denke, dass Fußball für nur Frauen und Mädchenmänner ist, wo ein Nördlich Footballgegenstück das Sie bitte können zeigen mir werde gespielt?
I am a huge fan of the World Cup, could you please tell me if Germany is playing today?
Deutsches Bier ist furchtbar! Es hat den Geschmack von pisst.
German beer is great! I would like to try some, please.
Können Sie bitte mich zeigen, wo die deutsche Armee zu Eisenhower übergeben hat?
Could you please show me where the German military museum is located?
French for travellers
Here are some useful French phrases that you should know when traveling to France:
Je mange plus fromage que le petit souris.
I am American, do you speak English?
Mon papa peut battre votre papa.
Do you have change for 50 Euros?
M'excuser, je suis très bu et je peux vomir sur vos bottes.
Excuse me, where is the Louvre Museum?
J'ai juste a commis un crime et aimerait être fermé à clef dans le Bastille.
I need to call the American embassy.
M'excuser, mais avez-vous Poupon Gris ?
Does this train go to Marseilles?
Je mange plus fromage que le petit souris.
I am American, do you speak English?
Mon papa peut battre votre papa.
Do you have change for 50 Euros?
M'excuser, je suis très bu et je peux vomir sur vos bottes.
Excuse me, where is the Louvre Museum?
J'ai juste a commis un crime et aimerait être fermé à clef dans le Bastille.
I need to call the American embassy.
M'excuser, mais avez-vous Poupon Gris ?
Does this train go to Marseilles?
December 7, 1941 - A Day That Will Live In Infamy
I really want to talk about two things in this post. I suppose I could post two posts, but I'm blogging from my office on my lunch break and I just want to make it short and sweet. The main thing is Pearl Harbor Day and the other is about a comment my brother made about arrogance in academia.
December 7, 1941 is a very important date to me because my grandfather, may he rest in peace, was a Pearl Harbor survivor. He should have been on the USS Oklahoma that fateful morning, but instead he was staying with a friend in Honolulu and attending church with him that morning. My Grandfather felt as if God told him to leave the Oklahoma. This is attested by the fact that he took all of his clothes and money with him when he went ashore. Had he not done as the Lord had directed him, my father, myself, and my son (who's named after his Grandpa) would not have been born.
My Grandfather passed away this year. He wasn't able to get to see the memorial that is being dedicated to the Oklahoma on Ford Island today. I hope that America never forgets what happened on December 7, 1941. Tyranny and evil still exist in this world and they must be unequivocally defeated. Whether or not you agree with how our current President has decided to confront evil and tyranny, there are definite parallels between 12/7/41 and 9/11/01. Hopefully the lessons we learned after Pearl Harbor will help us in confronting our current enemy, terror.
Now, regarding my brother's contempt of arrogance in academia. I could not agree more. My brother has taken a more traditional route to his education, while I've taken the indirect route through distance learning with limited interaction on campus. Regardless of the differences in our college education, one fact remains, academia is the new "leaven of the Pharisees". That is not a concept I came up with on my own, "leaven of the academy" is a term a teacher of mine, Matthew Fellows, came up with after speaking with a certain professor.
The aim of academia is to take something and deconstruct it by each of its constituent elements and examine each one of those constituent elements in profound depth until new conclusions are reached. Then after deconstruction, the elements are put back together in a different order and with new conclusions and a new theory, hypothesis, conclusion, (etcetera) exists. But what do we find from all this? Do we find the truth? It was Matt's contention, and mine, that we only end up with more questions and never find the truth. So Matt asked his professor what the truth is and the answer he got was, "The truth is that there is no truth."
Now think about that statement for a few moments..."the truth is that there is no truth". Isn't the purpose of academia to help each student find his or her own truth? If there is no truth, then it only follows that everything is a lie and all is in a state of atrophy. I cannot subscribe to this theory. There is truth, but it comes from a different source than academia. It comes from within us. Each one of us is endowed with a divine ability to distinguish between what is true and what is false. From that point we can choose to investigate further.
When Christ spoke of the leaven of the Phairasees, what he meant was that the Phairasees had replaced the gospel of God with the philosophies of men. Leaven is what makes bread rise and what fills the bread with its flavor. Today's "leaven of the Phairasees" is academia's arrogant assertion that they know what's best (even though there is no truth, according to them) and replacing God's doctrine with the commandments of men. We are starting to see "the leaven of academia" fill the world.
"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him." (James 1:5)
"Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)
December 7, 1941 is a very important date to me because my grandfather, may he rest in peace, was a Pearl Harbor survivor. He should have been on the USS Oklahoma that fateful morning, but instead he was staying with a friend in Honolulu and attending church with him that morning. My Grandfather felt as if God told him to leave the Oklahoma. This is attested by the fact that he took all of his clothes and money with him when he went ashore. Had he not done as the Lord had directed him, my father, myself, and my son (who's named after his Grandpa) would not have been born.
My Grandfather passed away this year. He wasn't able to get to see the memorial that is being dedicated to the Oklahoma on Ford Island today. I hope that America never forgets what happened on December 7, 1941. Tyranny and evil still exist in this world and they must be unequivocally defeated. Whether or not you agree with how our current President has decided to confront evil and tyranny, there are definite parallels between 12/7/41 and 9/11/01. Hopefully the lessons we learned after Pearl Harbor will help us in confronting our current enemy, terror.
Now, regarding my brother's contempt of arrogance in academia. I could not agree more. My brother has taken a more traditional route to his education, while I've taken the indirect route through distance learning with limited interaction on campus. Regardless of the differences in our college education, one fact remains, academia is the new "leaven of the Pharisees". That is not a concept I came up with on my own, "leaven of the academy" is a term a teacher of mine, Matthew Fellows, came up with after speaking with a certain professor.
The aim of academia is to take something and deconstruct it by each of its constituent elements and examine each one of those constituent elements in profound depth until new conclusions are reached. Then after deconstruction, the elements are put back together in a different order and with new conclusions and a new theory, hypothesis, conclusion, (etcetera) exists. But what do we find from all this? Do we find the truth? It was Matt's contention, and mine, that we only end up with more questions and never find the truth. So Matt asked his professor what the truth is and the answer he got was, "The truth is that there is no truth."
Now think about that statement for a few moments..."the truth is that there is no truth". Isn't the purpose of academia to help each student find his or her own truth? If there is no truth, then it only follows that everything is a lie and all is in a state of atrophy. I cannot subscribe to this theory. There is truth, but it comes from a different source than academia. It comes from within us. Each one of us is endowed with a divine ability to distinguish between what is true and what is false. From that point we can choose to investigate further.
When Christ spoke of the leaven of the Phairasees, what he meant was that the Phairasees had replaced the gospel of God with the philosophies of men. Leaven is what makes bread rise and what fills the bread with its flavor. Today's "leaven of the Phairasees" is academia's arrogant assertion that they know what's best (even though there is no truth, according to them) and replacing God's doctrine with the commandments of men. We are starting to see "the leaven of academia" fill the world.
"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him." (James 1:5)
"Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free." (John 8:32)
65 years later, USS Oklahoma gets its memorial
Please see the original article at: http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2006/Dec/06/ln/FP612060379.html/?print=on
A Japanese torpedo makes a direct hit on the battleship USS Oklahoma. This dramatic image captures the opening sequences of the attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
USS Arizona Memorial photo collection
This image was taken in the aftermath of the attack at Pearl Harbor. It depicts the battleship Maryland, left, and the capsized Oklahoma, right. It clearly shows the devastation of the attack on Battleship Row.
Posted on: Wednesday, December 6, 2006
USS Oklahoma getting Dec. 7 memorial
By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer
GROUNDBREAKING
Seven survivors of the Oklahoma, along with a number of family members, are expected to attend a groundbreaking for the USS Oklahoma Memorial, which is set for 12:30 p.m. tomorrow. The event is open to the public, which can catch a USS Missouri Memorial trolley to the event. There will be a fee, however, for the ride.
The survivors also will be honored when the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard dedicates a new foyer today at its remodeled headquarters — home to the battleship's aft wheel, mounted in a place of honor.
One of the most humiliating images of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was the exposed hull of the USS Oklahoma, a once-proud battleship that had capsized.
Shipyard workers frantically pried open parts of the hull to free trapped survivors, but their heroic efforts couldn't save 429 sailors and Marines who perished in the Oklahoma's flooded compartments.
The loss of life was second only to the battleship USS Arizona. Yet, to the chagrin of those who survived the Oklahoma, the memory of these fallen men was overshadowed by other national memorials to Dec. 7, 1941.
Nothing marks the spot where the crew of the "Okie" died.
That will change tomorrow afternoon on Ford Island. Navy and National Park Service officials, the governor of Oklahoma and former crewmen from the battleship will break ground for the USS Oklahoma Memorial.
The Oklahoma is the only battleship from the attack without a memorial somewhere, said Tucker McHugh, a retired commander in the Navy Reserves and co-chair of the group building the memorial — the USS Oklahoma Memorial Committee.
"That's a shameful oversight, and we are trying to correct that," said McHugh, a 62-year-old banker from Edmond, Okla.
Although the Navy still must approve the final design, the memorial will sit on a 3,750-square-foot plot of land just outside the entrance to Foxtrot 5 Pier, home to the USS Missouri Memorial. As envisioned by the committee, the memorial will list the names of the fallen on granite slabs cut and processed in Oklahoma, McHugh said.
The committee has only raised $260,000 of its $750,000 budget, but organizers are confident they will raise the rest of the money by January and dedicate the memorial on the 2007 anniversary of the attack.
Their optimism has a painfully obvious motivator: The survivors are in their 80s.
"There are only 105 survivors remaining, and they are dying at a rate of 25 a year," said Greg Slavonic, a 57-year-old retired Navy rear admiral from Oklahoma City. "We would very much like to have survivors alive to see this memorial. That is the sense of urgency on our part. We feel that with the groundbreaking, this is a significant milestone for this project."
The memorial project got started in 2000 and no one involved thought it would take this long, Slavonic said. Initially, the Navy did not want the memorial on Ford Island, he said.
"Their feeling was that if we let one of the ships build a memorial — and there were over 100 in Pearl Harbor that day — that would open up Pandora's box," he said. "Other ships would want to have memorials. Our counterpoint was: What's your point? To us that sounded like a great idea."
It took the Oklahoma congressional delegation to get things moving, however. Congress approved legislation in May 2005 ordering the Navy to find space on Ford Island for a memorial to be maintained by the National Park Service.
Oklahomans have gotten behind the effort, donating much of the money raised so far.
"It's a matter of pride in their state," McHugh said. "It is the state's namesake ship."
On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, the Oklahoma was moored at Foxtrot 5, outside of the USS Maryland and exposed to the brunt of nine deadly Japanese torpedoes. Because the ship was set for an inspection the following day, the hatches to its watertight compartments were all open.
With its hull gashed in the attack, the battleship quickly flooded and rolled over in less than 12 minutes.
Among the dead were six sets of brothers and two sailors who earned the Medal of Honor.
Eventually recovered, the majority of the Oklahoma casualties were unidentifiable and buried as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Punchbowl.
The Oklahoma memorial will be built as close to the location of the stricken battleship as possible, McHugh said.
"Some of the men swam to shore and came ashore right where the memorial is going to be, and we view that as hallowed ground," he said. "Some men died there."
The shipyard's tie to the Oklahoma is huge, said shipyard spokesman Kerry Gershaneck. The men of Shop 11, which still exists, risked their lives to free trapped crewmen, even as the attack continued around them. Guided by banging inside the ship, they eventually freed 32 men who were forever dubbed "the cut-outs."
Shipyard workers would right the Oklahoma, but it was decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1947. It sank while under tow to the West Coast.
Someone had kept the aft wheel, though, and it has been at the shipyard ever since, Gershaneck said.
"It is living heritage here," he said. "It is important to us."
The attention this week will doubtless warm the hearts of Paul Goodyear's aging fellow Oklahoma shipmates.
"Our battle lasted only 11 and a half minutes," said the 88-year-old resident of Casa Grande, Ariz. "There was something in that 11 and a half minutes that bonded all those kids into a camaraderie that no one can understand — including ourselves."
And families who have felt the pang of loss for 65 years will rest a bit easier, said Goodyear, who will attend the groundbreaking.
"It is going to be a relief to each and every sailor, but I think the most healing balm will be for the brothers and sisters and grandchildren of these kids," he said. "I hope it is a closure."
Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com.
• • •
• • •
A Japanese torpedo makes a direct hit on the battleship USS Oklahoma. This dramatic image captures the opening sequences of the attack at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.
USS Arizona Memorial photo collection
This image was taken in the aftermath of the attack at Pearl Harbor. It depicts the battleship Maryland, left, and the capsized Oklahoma, right. It clearly shows the devastation of the attack on Battleship Row.
Posted on: Wednesday, December 6, 2006
USS Oklahoma getting Dec. 7 memorial
By Mike Gordon
Advertiser Staff Writer
GROUNDBREAKING
Seven survivors of the Oklahoma, along with a number of family members, are expected to attend a groundbreaking for the USS Oklahoma Memorial, which is set for 12:30 p.m. tomorrow. The event is open to the public, which can catch a USS Missouri Memorial trolley to the event. There will be a fee, however, for the ride.
The survivors also will be honored when the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard dedicates a new foyer today at its remodeled headquarters — home to the battleship's aft wheel, mounted in a place of honor.
One of the most humiliating images of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was the exposed hull of the USS Oklahoma, a once-proud battleship that had capsized.
Shipyard workers frantically pried open parts of the hull to free trapped survivors, but their heroic efforts couldn't save 429 sailors and Marines who perished in the Oklahoma's flooded compartments.
The loss of life was second only to the battleship USS Arizona. Yet, to the chagrin of those who survived the Oklahoma, the memory of these fallen men was overshadowed by other national memorials to Dec. 7, 1941.
Nothing marks the spot where the crew of the "Okie" died.
That will change tomorrow afternoon on Ford Island. Navy and National Park Service officials, the governor of Oklahoma and former crewmen from the battleship will break ground for the USS Oklahoma Memorial.
The Oklahoma is the only battleship from the attack without a memorial somewhere, said Tucker McHugh, a retired commander in the Navy Reserves and co-chair of the group building the memorial — the USS Oklahoma Memorial Committee.
"That's a shameful oversight, and we are trying to correct that," said McHugh, a 62-year-old banker from Edmond, Okla.
Although the Navy still must approve the final design, the memorial will sit on a 3,750-square-foot plot of land just outside the entrance to Foxtrot 5 Pier, home to the USS Missouri Memorial. As envisioned by the committee, the memorial will list the names of the fallen on granite slabs cut and processed in Oklahoma, McHugh said.
The committee has only raised $260,000 of its $750,000 budget, but organizers are confident they will raise the rest of the money by January and dedicate the memorial on the 2007 anniversary of the attack.
Their optimism has a painfully obvious motivator: The survivors are in their 80s.
"There are only 105 survivors remaining, and they are dying at a rate of 25 a year," said Greg Slavonic, a 57-year-old retired Navy rear admiral from Oklahoma City. "We would very much like to have survivors alive to see this memorial. That is the sense of urgency on our part. We feel that with the groundbreaking, this is a significant milestone for this project."
The memorial project got started in 2000 and no one involved thought it would take this long, Slavonic said. Initially, the Navy did not want the memorial on Ford Island, he said.
"Their feeling was that if we let one of the ships build a memorial — and there were over 100 in Pearl Harbor that day — that would open up Pandora's box," he said. "Other ships would want to have memorials. Our counterpoint was: What's your point? To us that sounded like a great idea."
It took the Oklahoma congressional delegation to get things moving, however. Congress approved legislation in May 2005 ordering the Navy to find space on Ford Island for a memorial to be maintained by the National Park Service.
Oklahomans have gotten behind the effort, donating much of the money raised so far.
"It's a matter of pride in their state," McHugh said. "It is the state's namesake ship."
On the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, the Oklahoma was moored at Foxtrot 5, outside of the USS Maryland and exposed to the brunt of nine deadly Japanese torpedoes. Because the ship was set for an inspection the following day, the hatches to its watertight compartments were all open.
With its hull gashed in the attack, the battleship quickly flooded and rolled over in less than 12 minutes.
Among the dead were six sets of brothers and two sailors who earned the Medal of Honor.
Eventually recovered, the majority of the Oklahoma casualties were unidentifiable and buried as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Punchbowl.
The Oklahoma memorial will be built as close to the location of the stricken battleship as possible, McHugh said.
"Some of the men swam to shore and came ashore right where the memorial is going to be, and we view that as hallowed ground," he said. "Some men died there."
The shipyard's tie to the Oklahoma is huge, said shipyard spokesman Kerry Gershaneck. The men of Shop 11, which still exists, risked their lives to free trapped crewmen, even as the attack continued around them. Guided by banging inside the ship, they eventually freed 32 men who were forever dubbed "the cut-outs."
Shipyard workers would right the Oklahoma, but it was decommissioned and sold for scrap in 1947. It sank while under tow to the West Coast.
Someone had kept the aft wheel, though, and it has been at the shipyard ever since, Gershaneck said.
"It is living heritage here," he said. "It is important to us."
The attention this week will doubtless warm the hearts of Paul Goodyear's aging fellow Oklahoma shipmates.
"Our battle lasted only 11 and a half minutes," said the 88-year-old resident of Casa Grande, Ariz. "There was something in that 11 and a half minutes that bonded all those kids into a camaraderie that no one can understand — including ourselves."
And families who have felt the pang of loss for 65 years will rest a bit easier, said Goodyear, who will attend the groundbreaking.
"It is going to be a relief to each and every sailor, but I think the most healing balm will be for the brothers and sisters and grandchildren of these kids," he said. "I hope it is a closure."
Reach Mike Gordon at mgordon@honoluluadvertiser.com.
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Hey Bulldog
This is one of my very favorite Beatles songs. I didn't even know video of it existed until now. Isn't YouTube great?
U.S. Mens Soccer Team
This is video I shot of the World Cup Qualifier on June 4, 2005. I added some editting and music. I know it's not the greatest, but it gives a good idea of what it was like to be there.
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