God needs a Creationism exhibit in Tulsa!

http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-17009-Freethought-Examiner~y2009m8d13-God-needs-a-Creationism-exhibit-in-Tulsa

God needs a Creationism exhibit in Tulsa!
August 13, 2009
Freethought Examiner
D.M. Murdock

For a change, here's something amusing on the religion front. The recent brouhaha at the Kentucky Creationism Museum, which last week was descended upon by atheist professor Dr. P.Z. Myers and some 300+ non-believers, along with the seizure for "tax fraud" of Dinosaur Adventure Land, the creationist theme park in South Carolina, have evidently inspired others to "honor" God with more wacky human works of the same ilk.

In this regard, a current candidate for the office of mayor in Tulsa, Oklahoma, has decided that what God really needs is a Creationism exhibit at the Tulsa Zoo! Yes, that's right, the God of the universe "needs to be honored in the city," according to Republican Anna Falling:

As part of that effort, Falling has resurrected a failed push for an exhibit at the Tulsa Zoo that would tell the Genesis story of God creating the world in six days and resting on the seventh, originally proposed by Christian activist Dan Hicks in 2005, Tulsa World reported.

The all-powerful, self-contained God of the cosmos "needs" something! In fact, he needs to be honored in Tulsa, of all places! You see, God is fascinated by Tulsa—and he really likes the silly Creationist museums, theme parks and exhibits that humans put together. So, we can be sure that God will nod his gigantic head in approval when more of these kooky displays pop up in American cities. What fun—the circus is coming to town!

But, seriously, would not such a god, were he real, be honored best by the daring and sublime critical thought exhibited most often by doubters in organized religion, rather than the extreme gullibility and simple-mindedness adhered to by bibliolaters and assorted other religionists?

Clippers stay true to word and draft Blake Griffin

http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/basketball/la-sp-clippers-nba-draft26-2009jun26,0,7652786.story

Clippers stay true to word and draft Blake Griffin
The consensus college player of the year from Oklahoma, who had 30 double-doubles last season and was considered by some to be the only sure thing in this draft, is taken No. 1 overall
By Lisa Dillman
June 26, 2009

Reporting from New York -- There would be no last-minute plot twist for the often-surprising Clippers.

The Clippers said May 19 after winning the draft lottery that they would take Oklahoma power forward Blake Griffin with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, and today, , their actions followed their words.

This time, the predictable course was the right one at the glitzy NBA draft tonight at Madison Square Garden. Griffin shook hands with NBA Commissioner David Stern and started his Clippers career.

Griffin, the consensus college player of the year, led the nation in double doubles, recording 30 of them, and averaged 22.7 points and 14.4 rebounds.

He was considered the only sure thing in what had been called an unpredictable draft. Griffin worked out for just one team: the Clippers, and the Clippers, who don't have a second-round choice, did not bring in any other players for an individual workout.

Clippers General Manager and Coach Mike Dunleavy made a trip to Europe in May to watch dynamic point guard Ricky Rubio, and happened to be in Spain the night the team won the draft lottery. That made his long journey a moot point.

The Clippers won only 19 games last season and have missed the playoffs in 11 of the last 12 seasons.

Griffin was asked earlier in this week about the Clippers poor history, and he said: "I am not worried about anything that has happened in the past. I wasn't a part of that and a lot of the guys that are there now weren't a part of it.

"So, I mean, we're only looking forward to the future."

lisa.dillman@latimes.com

Bradford, other stars returning to school

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/stewart_mandel/01/14/bradford.underclassmen/index.html

Wednesday January 14, 2009
Stewart Mandel
INSIDE COLLEGE FOOTBALL

Bradford, other stars make strong statement in returning to school
Sam Bradford will be back at the controls of the Sooners offense after throwing for 4,720 yards and 50 touchdowns in 2008.

Story Highlights
Heisman winner Sam Bradford announced that he will return to Oklahoma
He joins a number of returning stars, including Colt McCoy and Tim Tebow
The 2009 BCS title race could now include many of the same teams as '08

It's cool to stay in school.

That's the message that emanated out of Norman, Okla., on Wednesday when Heisman winner Sam Bradford stunned much of the football world by announcing his decision to return to Oklahoma next season.

Coupled with the return of Florida QB Tim Tebow and Texas QB Colt McCoy, both of whom previously announced their intent to put off the NFL, 2009 will mark the first time in history that the top-three Heisman vote-getters all return to the collegiate gridiron the following season.

As an unabashed advocate of the college game over the pros, let me be the first to say: That's awesome.

In announcing his decision Wednesday, Bradford said: "I've dreamed about playing at Oklahoma since I was little. My three years here have been three of the best years of my life. There's no need to cut this experience short."

Hardcore NFL fans (most notably those of the Detroit Lions) will likely scoff at those words. How, they might ask, could anyone in his right mind pass up tens of millions of dollars?

Easy: It was the best thing for Bradford.

While many media types, most notably ESPN draft guru Todd McShay, have had Bradford pegged as the no-brainer No. 1 pick for months, I had a sneaking suspicion since the Dec. 13 Heisman ceremony that A) They were wrong and B) That Bradford might come back. Asked by a reporter that night about Bradford's lofty draft stock, Sooners coach Bob Stoops got noticeably defensive.

"You don't know that," he said. "Those people who are projecting that have no idea about that. You guys are making something that isn't there unless you have got a draft projection back that I didn't. OK? So you're going on speculation that rarely is correct. If he's a top-five guy, he ought to go. If he isn't, he'll be a top-five guy at some point in his career."

When asked about the subject at a Jan. 3 press conference in Ft. Lauderdale, Bradford could not have sounded more apathetic.

"I'm not a big NFL guy," he said. "I don't watch a lot of it."

While Bradford threw for an astounding 4,720 yards, 50 touchdowns and eight interceptions this season, and while his physical abilities were evident to even the most untrained observer, it's easy to forget that he was only playing his second year of college football. Just being around him recently, both at the Heisman and during the week leading up to the title game, it was striking just how introverted and uncomfortable he is in front of the media -- and dealing with college publicity is a walk in the park compared with the constant scrutiny surrounding pro athletes.

Bradford can stand to get stronger, he has areas where he can improve, but most importantly, he'll be much better prepared for the rigors of the pros with another year's maturity.

While nobody stood at the podium Wednesday and said what exactly Bradford heard back from the NFL's draft advisory board, it's a pretty safe to assume they didn't say "No. 1 overall pick." CBSSports.com recently reported that "one Oklahoma source who had spoken to numerous NFL types said Bradford graded out somewhere between the No. 10 and No. 20 pick in the first round."

Judging by an exchange during Bradford's press conference Wednesday, draft position might not even have played that big a factor.

"Was there a point in the draft, whether it was No. 5 or No. 8 or whatever, where you would [have said], 'Man, I have to go?'" a reporter asked.

"No, to be honest," replied Bradford.

"So if you [could have] gone No. 3, you still would have come back?" the reporter asked.

"Most likely, yes," said Bradford.

Oklahoma wound up a big winner in the underclass derby this week. In addition to Bradford, tight end Jermaine Gresham, tackle Trent Williams and defensive tackle Gerald McCoy all decided to return for another year.

Judging by Stoops' comments Wednesday, it sounds like he made sure they knew well the experiences last year of juniors Malcolm Kelly, Reggie Smith and Curtis Lofton, none of whom went in the first round. Again, he indirectly criticized McShay and the other various draft "experts."

"Not one of them went where they were projected to go on TV," said Stoops. "They went where their [true] draft projection was. None of these people are in draft rooms. GMs are very secretive about it."

While no shortage of underclassmen around the country have gone the other direction this offseason, there has been a surprising amount of returnees among the nation's high-profile programs. In addition to Tebow, McCoy and the Oklahoma guys, USC safety Taylor Mays - projected by many to be the top defensive player taken -- announced he'll return for his senior season. (As of this writing, Trojans QB Mark Sanchez was expected to go pro.) LSU running back Charles Scott and tackle Ciron Black are coming back. Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes is said to be leaning that way as well.

"Hopefully it sends a clear message to other young guys out there that these guys value their experience in college," said Stoops. "Everyone says you can always come back [and get a degree]. That's easier said than done."

In terms of the football implications, the 2009 national title race is shaping up to include many or all of the same contenders as 2008. Of the four BCS-conference teams that finished in the top five this season, Florida and Texas return the most starters, but suddenly Oklahoma and USC are right in the mix as well.

The Sooners do lose four of the five starters from their dominant offensive line, as well as top receivers Juaqiun Iglesias and Manuel Johnson. It's unlikely that Bradford will put up the same gaudy passing numbers, but he might not have to what with a veteran defense and two solid running backs in DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown. It may even benefit Bradford for NFL types to see him operate without the benefit of such a loaded supporting cast.

USC, meanwhile, was looking at having to replace nearly its entire starting defense, so the return of a stalwart like Mays is a huge boost. Getting back Sanchez would have been even bigger, but another former top-rated high-school QB and one-time SEC starter, Mitch Mustain, is waiting in the wings.

As for the Heisman race ... wow. Normally, a new crop of stars rises to the head of the pack each season, but to do so next year, guys like Ole Miss QB Jevan Snead and Cal RB Jahvid Best are going to have to find a way to unseat the Bradford-McCoy-Tebow hegemony.

The sport just gets that much more fun when guys stay in school.

Utah shows it belongs among the nation's elite

http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=502927

Utah shows it belongs among the nation's elite
January 2, 2009

No matter what you call it or how you see it, there are a whole lot of folks in Salt Lake City begging for a little deductive reasoning.

If A beats B and C beats B worse than A, why isn't C playing for it all?

Or something like that.

"I know where I'm voting us," Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said Friday night to a nationally televised audience after the Utes' 31-17 victory over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl. "I'm voting us No. 1."

Amen, brother.

We've seen three of five BCS games, and it's beginning to look a whole lot like the BCS points series not only whiffed once by not spitting out Rose Bowl champion USC, but may have blown it twice by ignoring unbeaten Utah.

That Florida-Oklahoma national title game is getting more minimized by the moment.

Utah's convincing victory over Alabama -- the same Tide team that spent five weeks at No. 1 in the BCS standings before losing in the final week of the season to Florida -- will have playoff proponents in full force. Let me explain more steps of deductive reasoning:

• Utah beat Oregon State, which beat USC. Deductive reasoning: Utah would beat USC.

• Ole Miss embarrassed Texas Tech -- the same Texas Tech team that Oklahoma uses as its go-to game in its BCS argument. Alabama beat Ole Miss, and we all know Utah dismantled the Tide from the first snap of the Sugar Bowl. Deductive reasoning: Utah would beat Oklahoma.

• And, of course, Utah beat Alabama worse than Florida. Deductive reasoning: Utah would beat Florida.

Before you playoff nuts get all sideways, consider this: The one model that could eventually be agreed upon by the BCS presidents -- a plus-one game after the bowls -- wouldn't settle this debate. The winner of the Florida-Oklahoma game plays who?

USC, Utah, Texas?

Anyone who says Utah doesn't belong in that argument didn't watch the Sugar Bowl. Exactly which team looked like the SEC team -- the team with superior speed and athleticism and desire?

I'm not exactly sure how many third-and-longs Utah made, but it had to be 800. I'm not sure how many times the Utes' quick defensive line beat Alabama's senior-laden tough guys for sacks, but it had to be another 800.

Utah had the two best players on the field (defensive end Paul Kruger and wideout Freddie Brown) and the fire and passion of a championship team. Florida and LSU beat Ohio State in the last two national championship games because the Buckeyes couldn't handle the SEC's speed on the defensive line.

Utah gave the snobby league a taste of the humiliation it has handed out for years -- and hopefully forced pollsters to take a second look at non-BCS teams.

That, or use a little deductive reasoning.

Matt Hayes covers college football for Sporting News and is an analyst on NFL Network's College Football Now. E-mail him at mhayes@sportingnews.com.

Paulson Was Behind Bailout Martial Law Threat

http://www.prisonplanet.com/paulson-was-behind-bailout-martial-law-threat.html

Paulson Was Behind Bailout Martial Law Threat
Inhofe says Treasury Secretary made dire warnings in conference call on September 19th
Paul Joseph Watson
Prison Planet.com
Thursday, November 20, 2008

Senator James Inhofe has revealed that Henry Paulson was behind the threats of martial law and a new great depression prior to the passage of the bailout bill, having made such warnings during a conference call on September 19th, around two weeks before the legislation was eventually approved by both the Senate and Congress.

As we reported at the time, on October 2, Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman gave a stunning speech on the House floor during which he decried the fact that, “Many of us were told in private conversations that if we voted against this bill on Monday that the sky would fall, the market would drop two or three thousand points the first day, another couple of thousand the second day, and a few members were even told that there would be martial law in America if we voted no.”

A few days before, Rep. Michael Burgess also told the House, “Mr. Speaker I understand we are under Martial Law as declared by the speaker last night,” referring to a temporary suspension of the rules and procedures of Congress by its leaders so that a bill can be passed quickly.

But the origin of the most dire warnings about physical martial law in America, to which Sherman was likely referring, has now been exposed.

Speaking on Tulsa Oklahoma’s 1170 KFAQ, when asked who was behind threats of martial law and civil unrest if the bailout bill failed, Senator James Inhofe named Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson as the source.

“Somebody in D.C. was feeding you guys quite a story prior to the bailout, a story that if we didn’t do this we were going to see something on the scale of the depression, there were people talking about martial law being instituted, civil unrest….who was feeding you guys this stuff?,” asked host Pat Campbell.

“That’s Henry Paulson,” responded Inhofe, “We had a conference call early on, it was on a Friday I think – a week and half before the vote on Oct. 1. So it would have been the middle … what was it – the 19th of September, we had a conference call. In this conference call – and I guess there’s no reason for me not to repeat what he said, but he said – he painted this picture you just described. He said, ‘This is serious. This is the most serious thing that we faced.’”

Inhofe said that Paulson told members of Congress the crisis would be “far worse than the great depression” if Congress didn’t authorize the bill to buy out toxic debt, a proposal “which he abandoned the day after he got the money,” added Inhofe.

Inhofe is referring to the controversy last week when it emerged that the bailout money was not going to buy up toxic debt but instead Paulson, the former CEO of Goldman Sachs, had pulled a bait and switch and ordered the money be injected directly into banks.

Senator Inhofe has slammed the secrecy surrounding the destination of the bailout money, saying that Hank Paulson could have given it to his friends and that the “blank check” must be cancelled now.

Inhofe is now trying to rally support for a freeze on what’s left of the initial $350 billion of bailout money with his “roll back the bailout” proposal, which will also require an affirmative vote on the part of Congress to approve Treasury’s plan for the remaining $350 billion.

Oklahoma City's NBA team to be called Thunder

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jkN_0O4FG2ehgoJTTnwXt0WAbvfQD92VION81

Oklahoma City's NBA team to be called Thunder
By JEFF LATZKE
9-3-8

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Thunder can be heard from miles away, an early warning that a storm is about to arrive. So, perhaps it's only fitting that the name of Oklahoma City's NBA team didn't sneak up on anyone.

Six weeks after the name first surfaced, team officials officially announced Wednesday that the team formerly known as the Seattle SuperSonics would be known as the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"It's hard to keep a secret," team chairman Clay Bennett said after stepping to a podium on the ground floor of the downtown office building where the team is headquartered.

The announcement had long been anticipated, but everyone knew what was coming.

The local ABC affiliate reported in mid-July that Thunder had been chosen as the nickname. Then the NBA Web site listed NBA.com/thunder as a link to the Oklahoma City team's page. Then the Orlando Magic's site listed games against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Even the logo and colors leaked out over the weekend. Then, prior to the 5 p.m. announcement, Thunder merchandise started showing up on the NBA's online store.

"I thought it was great fun. Maybe I have a warped sense of things," Bennett said. "I thought it was a lot of fun. I was disappointed in the image being released."

That left Bennett somewhat surprised that hundreds of people still showed up in the atrium of Leadership Square, watched from their office windows or leaned over a second-floor walkway to hear it for sure.

"My family talked about wanting to come down, and I said, `Well, I don't think it's that big a deal. Everybody seems to know the name already,'" Bennett said.

To unveil the logo, six children joined players Desmond Mason and Damien Wilkins to pull down a curtain as the AC/DC song "Thunderstruck" blared over the loudspeaker. What was revealed was a large blue banner with the logo in the middle, and splashes of yellow at the top and reddish-orange at the bottom.

Bennett said the light blue color coincides with the state flag to represent the inclusion of all Oklahomans, the yellow refers to the sun and the reddish-orange color to the sunset. With the University of Oklahoma featuring crimson as its primary color, and Oklahoma State using orange, Bennett said it was "not too red and not too orange."

Thunder is a fitting moniker for the Oklahoma City franchise, not only as a reference to powerful storms in the area known as Tornado Alley. The Oklahoma City-based 45th Infantry Division carries Thunderbirds as its nickname, and that's a reference to the state's American Indian heritage. Even one of Oklahoma native Garth Brooks' biggest hits was "The Thunder Rolls."

"There's just all kinds of good thunder images and thoughts, and the in-game experience of Thunder," Bennett said. "Just here was a good sense of how that evokes emotion. It's very powerful."

The team name had been the most evident — and talked about — element missing after Bennett announced July 2 that the SuperSonics would be moving to Oklahoma City through an agreement that will have him pay the city of Seattle up to $75 million to settle a lawsuit.

Bennett said the uniforms and mascot won't be unveiled for another few weeks, but T-shirts, basketballs and other Thunder merchandise went on sale immediately after the announcement.

"The guys in the jerseys, if they play, the jerseys are going to look real good," coach P.J. Carlesimo said.

While the team applied for trademarks to six names — the others were Wind, Barons, Marshalls, Energy and Bison — Bennett said the decision on the name had been made "quite some time" ago. He said the names on the trademark applications weren't finalists, and he wouldn't reveal what other names got serious consideration.

General manager Sam Presti told the crowd designing a logo "takes an immense amount of work, and it does take some time.

"Not that anyone was really paying attention to the amount of time it was taking," he quipped.

Team officials said they hope they can make the qualities of character, perseverance, selflessness, community and winning synonymous with Thunder.

"It's very unique," said Mason, a former Oklahoma State forward who the Thunder acquired in an offseason trade with Milwaukee. "It's going to take some time getting used to, just like Utah Jazz or Orlando Magic, but I think it's a great thing for the state and a great thing for the city."

Thunder/Marshalls/Energy/Wind/Barons/Bison

http://myespn.go.com/blogs/truehoop/0-33-95/Oklahoma-City-Thunder-Marshalls-Energy-Wind-Barons-Bison.html

Oklahoma City Thunder/Marshalls/Energy/Wind/Barons/Bison
July 25, 2008

There have been reports here or there that the team that used be knows as the SuperSonics would be called this or that. They are mostly based on anonymous sources, or some evidence that somebody or other registered this or that web address.

I'm holding out for some better, more solid information before I rename that category over there on the right.

An alert TrueHoop reader (thanks Todd) has some insight of a kind. He points out that an NBA attorney recently made a number of filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

You can search the database yourself. If you know how to search (it's a little complicated, but hang in there) you can see active trademark requests, filed July 21, for the following names:

Oklahoma City Thunder
Oklahoma City Marshalls
Oklahoma City Energy
Oklahoma City Wind
Oklahoma City Barons
Oklahoma City Bison

There is also an inactive request, filed by the same attorney, for the name "Oklahoma City SuperSonics."

Most unusual is that, unlike trademark applications for other NBA teams, these have been applied for by the NBA Development League. (And this whole time I thought all that fuss was about an NBA team! No, just kidding. Insert joke here about the quality of the Sonic roster.) I am not sure if that means anything or not.

So, Thunder, Marshalls, Energy, Wind, Barons, Bison ... I'm going to put on my PR hat and declare that if these are the options, this team is certain to be called the Thunder, the Marshalls, or some name that has not yet come to light.

Energy, Wind, Barons, and Bison all have fatal flaws, in my mind:

Energy: Energy has a nice tie-in with co-owner Aubrey McClendon's business, and the big employers in the region. But it is not a cool word in this context. Using "energy" as a "rah rah" word for athletes strikes me as kind if eighties (like, in fact, "rah rah" itself). This video, in my mind, would set the mood in the locker room of a team called the "Energy."

Wind: Wind? Really? Wind? Synonym of breeze? Maybe they're registering this for the dance team? Or as a desperate ploy related to promote an owner's alternative energy business? Because a team called the wind can never lose a game. Every headline will be "Lakers Break Wind," "Celtics Break Wind," "Pistons Break Wind," etc. That's not good for the NBA. This one is almost more palatable if we interpret it as the verb, with the long "i" sound, as in "wind up toy."

Barons: Clay Bennett and his cronies have behaved in a manner that many have likened to Robber Barons. I dare them to name the team the Barons.

Bison: The tradition of the bison could not be mightier. Nevertheless, it is a reality that in 2008 rich white men can not be seen to be sending a predominantly black group of employees into the workplace with the word "bison" across their chest. No way that happens.

Microsoft, Costco CEOs may keep Sonics in town

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/7878668/Microsoft,-Costco-CEOs-may-help-keep-Sonics-in-town

Microsoft, Costco CEOs may help keep Sonics in town
Associated Press
Updated: March 6, 2008

In no way did developer Matt Griffin ever consider owning a professional sports franchise.

With the Seattle SuperSonics seemingly destined for Oklahoma City, Griffin and his big-name partners see no other option than to make a huge financial commitment in an attempt to save the Sonics and pro basketball in Seattle.

"Our interest is not necessarily in being an owner, but seeing a team here in Seattle and seeing KeyArena alive," Griffin said Thursday. "If there was a way to do it without having to own the team, that would be terrific. But these are the cards, (and) we have some generous people here in Seattle that are willing to do this."

Making a last-ditch effort to keep the team, the city of Seattle unveiled a $300 million KeyArena renovation plan on Thursday, along with the heavy hitters of local business who are willing to provide a significant financial stake.

Griffin and his three partners - Microsoft Corp. chief executive Steve Ballmer, Costco Wholesale Corp. president and CEO Jim Sinegal and wireless entrepreneur John Stanton - have agreed to contribute $150 million to the arena renovation, contingent on the group's ability to purchase the SuperSonics or another NBA franchise. Only recently did the group up its offer from about $75 million.

The group hopes to have a viable option for professional basketball in Seattle on the table when the NBA's board of governors meets next month to vote on SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett's application to relocate the franchise to Oklahoma City at the earliest possible date.

"This particular announcement, we think, is a game-changer," Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels said. "The fact that local investors are willing to step up with the first 50 percent of the money to get this job done, as well as the investment they're going to make in buying a team to begin with, changes the game."

While private investment would cover half the arena upgrades, the plan envisions that the city and state would split the other $150 million. Half would come from the city of Seattle, offset by lease agreements and taxes on the renovated arena.

The other $75 million would come from existing taxes already in place to pay off bonds on the construction of Safeco Field. Those bonds are scheduled to be paid off early, and the KeyArena plan would call for the taxes to remain in place through 2016, when they were set to expire.

The state legislature would have to approve a continuation of the taxes.