11.13.06
Posted in Sports at 11:48 am by Todd
So, it seems like everything I am reading today about the K-State v Texas football game on Saturday is more negative about Texas that positive about K-State. I suppose that is to be expected and par for the course. Even when we were ranked and beat a higher ranked opponent, the poll-voters seemed to indicate that this was more about the other team being not as good as predicted instead of K-State being a better team.
But that is beside the point. Way to go Cats!
The real reason I wanted to post today is to mention my annoyance with the referees and reviews. I can’t believe that Colt McCoy was actually in the end-zone on the first touchdown (you know, the one where he got injured). And to think that K-State had to call a timeout to get the refs to review it was just crazy. So I am starting to think that replay should just disappear since they just cannot get it right at the college level. I think it effects how the referees call the game (under the assumption that it can be corrected via a replay) and effects the flow of the game (no wonder they changed the clock rule otherwise games would last 20 hours).
I am also highly annoyed with the one-sided calls during the game. Granted, K-State made some real mistakes that should have been penalized for (offsides, false-start, etc.). But I usuallky expect that a game will be called evenly for both sides. But it appeared as though Texas had fewer yellow flags tossed against them. My personal favorite happened on a great play by the K-State offense. It was a lateral-pass to Jordy Nelson who then passed it downfield for a 28-yard gain. On the play, one of the Texas front 4 jumped offsides (I think it was the left DE). This was very obvious to me and all the fans sitting around me. And I am guessing that everyone watching was pretty amazed that there was no yellow flag on the field at the conclusion of the play. I can’t complain too much since we would have declined the play, but the principal is still there: Why no yellow on Texas? There were other examples of this type of call from the refs but this was the most egregious (I am using my ACT words now in hopes that I will be thought of as smart despite the fact that I took the time to complain about a football game that my guys won).
OK, enough ranting. I want to congratulate the K-State football team on a job well done. It was really a fun game to be at and a great environment to be a part of. I am looking forward to watching K-State play KU next weekend.
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11.09.06
Posted in Politics at 5:18 am by Todd
I would have liked to wish Donald Rumsfeld a fond farewell at his Landon Lecture today but I have more pressing issues (bugs in Cadena are keeping me up at night). Instead, I will have to do it here on my blog (not that he would ever be caught reading this).
Quick side-line: I watched his lecture online today and I it was very well done and very educational for me. I never thought about the parallels between the Cold War and the current War on Terrorism.
While I would never claim that I agree with 100% of his positions and decisions, I will say that I think he has done a great job as Secretary of Defense. His focus on making the military responsive and efficient is a very worthy goal and a goal that I think should continue long after his departure. And while I believe he is responsible (directly and indirectly) for everything that happens in the Defense Department, I think critics should moderate the blame they are heaping up him. What I mean is that he is not completely responsible for stolen paper clips or spelling errors in all reports produced throughout the military. I also don’t think that he is responsible for all the death and destruction that has happen, and is currently happening, in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other battle fields on earth. Shouldn’t we lay some of that blame on the actual “evil doers” that inhabit those areas? And maybe upon others in the chain of command (including those in Congress who are responsible for the checks-n-balances)? It seems like he is being used as a political scape-goat for the trouble in Iraq and for the shift of leadership in the US Congress (house and senate). But that is an argument for another time … this is about “Rummy”.
So, I wish Donald Rumsfeld a fond farewall and wish him all the luck in future endeavors. I hope that includes some rest and relaxation since his current, and soon to be past, position was stressful and probably all-consuming. I will certainly miss his personality and wit during press conferences (honestly, I never watched press conferences until I saw the way he gave them).
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11.08.06
Posted in Books at 1:53 pm by Todd
After reading Micheal Crichton’s State of Fear, I have found a new curiosity with the idea of Global Warming. I really want to understand what is fact and what is fiction.
Because of that I have been reading blogs that discuss related topics (mostly providing pointers to real sources of information like books, articles, and such), looking at news articles (which provide viewpoints but no real argument or data), and collecting book references for my reading list.
Well, those are some things that I am reading. Hopefully they help others understand the issue(s) and develop some opinion to stand on that is based in fact and less on hype (or FUD - Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt). I am sure I will add to this list of sources as I locate them.
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11.03.06
Posted in Family at 9:19 pm by Todd
Here are some more cute pics of kids on Halloween. These are Josie and Olivia Neibergall (Matt and Sara’s two adorable girls).
It is good to see that they got their mother’s good looks (unfortunately, Olivia got her father’s eyes).
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11.02.06
Posted in Family at 2:14 am by Todd
Not much to say other than these kids are really cute.
They are so cute I wonder if they really are my sister’s kids. Maybe there was a mix-up at the hospital and she got the good looking kids. Or maybe they are 100% genetic material from John (my brother-in-law). Stranger things have happened.
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