The Fake Lonnie Finch

"I'd take any of the other options Over OU. Hell, I’d even travel to Reno or Denton, TX to avoid another top-five team on the schedule. There’s already a high likelihood we struggle this year. Would hate to guarantee it by making a murders’ row OOC schedule." http://www.nunesmagician.com/2012/2/24/2820942/syracuse-2012-football-schedule-fsu-oklahoma-georgia-tech Okay. Have your AD call ours. Be neat to have Syracuse in the house.

Linking? All I've done is show recent stories about potheads. I'm sure marijuana had nothing to do with the circumstances of theses people's lives - or, the lives of those they killed, injured, raped, etc. while stoned. I'm sure that in every instance it was just a coincidence that they had been smoking marijuana prior to the crimes they committed. A couple of the stories did surprise me, though. The one about the study showing marijuana use doubling the risk of an automobile accident. Doesn't seem right, does it, because potheads say it's different and not as dangerous as alcohol. And, the other one was the guy who flunked the DUI roadside test even though he had only been smoking marijuana and not drinking. That one was also weird, because...duh...potheads say marijuana doesn't effect people the same way alcohol does. I guess the cops are just setting up these poor potheads.

Here are a few feel good stories about marijuana users. I'm sure our resident police officer and fireman could tell their own stories about consequences marijuana use from seeing the results firsthand. These revelations will have to do for now: Neglect, death of a child, pothead father: http://www.tulsaworld.com/specialprojects/news/crimewatch/article.aspx?subjectid=450&articleid=20120209_11_A8_ULNSba205338 Seriously injured passenger, pothead driver: http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/582881_Police--Teen-driver-used-marijuana-before-crash.html Jogger killed, pothead driver: http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/porter/valparaiso/drug-test-lands-driver-accused-of-killing-jogger-in-jail/article_001ce187-7273-588c-aff8-43e954f49c62.html Convenience store clerk murdered, pothead robber: http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/Prosecutors-Teen-sentenced-in-Ballard-clerk-s-2970601.php#page-2 Driver killed, alcohol and pot mix for driver...gee, can't wait for more of this legal combination: http://online.wsj.com/article/AP04cd5422e8874d6285eac1c3b731cda8.html Child neglect, pot and cocaine...pot's not a gateway drug...nah, perfectly safe...good for fathers of infants: http://www.islandpacket.com/2012/02/06/1954936/father-uncle-of-missing-infant.html Another study for potheads to ignore, smoking marijuana doubles risk of car accidents: http://rumors.automobilemag.com/report-smoking-marijuana-doubles-risk-of-car-crashes-109727.html Teen dies, mix of alcohol, marijuana, and helium: http://news.opb.org/article/medford_teen_dies_after_hits_of_helium_gas/ Murder, marijuana and alcohol mix: http://www.itemlive.com/articles/2012/02/09/news/news04.txt Teen heroin overdose, parents "thought she was only smoking marijuana"...yeah, of course, it's not a gateway drug, remember?: http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-tragic-price-of-heroin-for-teens-feb17,0,1766331.story Murder of MTSU basektball players, had told roommate to keep marijuana out of the apartment...potheads are mellow about what you tell them to do with their stash: http://www.dnj.com/article/20120207/NEWS06/302060037'>http://www.dnj.com/article/20120207/NEWS06/302060037 7-year old raped, stabbed, murdered, pothead maintenance worker at apartment complex: http://www.dnj.com/article/20120207/NEWS06/302060037'>http://www.dnj.com/article/20120207/NEWS06/302060037 17-year old on skateboard, killed by driver who mixed alcohol and marijuana: http://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/driver-gets-four-months-in-death-of-skater/article_3dcefd46-520c-11e1-a1a2-0019bb2963f4.html Murder with baseball bat, just another pothead mixing his weed and alcohol: http://centralny.ynn.com/content/top_stories/573837/wayne-oxley-takes-the-stand/ Murder, just another marijuana and alcohol mixer: http://www.wlox.com/story/16620602/accused-killers-ex-wife-talks-about-his-prison-death 11-year old beaten to death, pothead boyfriend of mother: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/02/14/beating-victims-mother-questioned-by-pittsburgh-police One killed, three others seriously injured, pothead driver mixing it with alcohol: http://www.kveo.com/news/february-14-2012-news-center-23-morning-update Pedestrian killed, pothead driver "thought he'd struck a sign": http://www.tulsaworld.com/specialprojects/news/crimewatch/article.aspx?subjectid=450&articleid=20120206_11_A13_Tulsap153683 Failed field sobriety test, pothead admits to use...no alcohol, just pot...sobriety test failed...how could this be? Pot proponents say it's safe, unlike alcohol. Crazy: http://homewood-flossmoor.patch.com/articles/butt-slapping-game-turns-serious-homewood-police-blotter Manslaughter, a little marijuana use, a litte fooling around with a shot gun: http://www.ocala.com/article/20120209/ARTICLES/120209652 Double sexual assault, pothead mixes with alcohol again: http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Former+real+estate+agent+convicted+violent+assaults/6066250/story.html That's probably enough for today. I've discovered you could do this for hours. Marijuana use is no safer than alcohol use. The crimes don't lie. Pot isn't safer than alcohol. Mixing the two is a terrible idea. Keep it illegal. There's enough bad in the world with alcohol without throwing pot legally into the mix.

I never said you were a pothead. Go back and read. The reason alcohol has larger consequences is that it is legal. That's the problem we keep reiterating. Marijuana, which does the same thing as alcohol - slow down reaction time and screw up time and space thinking - would be just as bad if legal. Also, nobody has any idea what the effect of the "war on drugs" is. No one ever said it would completely stop the drug use. Because we don't know what condition the country would be in if there was no deterrent against narcotics, it's not possibly to say with any authority what the total effect of the war on drugs have been. Detractors point only to dollar signs and incarcerations. They do not point to lives spared of drug addition, because it isn't possible to quantify. The message should always be drugs are dangerous, drugs are illegal, no drugs allowed. That is better than no message at all. I know drug dealers aren't wandering my streets making it unsafe for my kids to be out and playing. Is that a result of the war on drugs? Maybe, and maybe not. But, I'm sure it hasn't hurt. So, I'd rather keep spending money as insurance against what might be. Believe me, it's no skin off my back that potheads and dealers are thrown in jail. The laws are clear, and rightfully err on the side of caution. Every second a drug criminal or user is off the street, the street is safer. My wish is that the law were stronger against alcohol - higher age limit to buy and no probation offers to first time DWIs. Too many repeat DWI offenders kill, maim, and paralyze for me to feel pity on any of them. In my 42 years on planet earth, I've seen the following -Two friends die in drunk driving accident in which they were the driver (ages 22 and 34) -One friend die in which he was the passenger of a drunk driver (age 34) -One friend killed by a drunk driver (age 19) -One friend who, while driving drunk, smashed into another car, killing a five year old girl (age 34) -Two friends die of the effects of alcoholism (one from liver disease, the other from heart failure) (age 34 and 41) -One friend who committed suicide after years of being unable to get clean from alcohol. (age 42) The two friends on mine who died of alcoholism were also marijuana users, each contributing to their overall addictions. -Two who died were students in college -The guy who died while driving drunk was married and had a daughter -The guy who was a passenger and died was married and had a daughter -Obviously, the guy who ran into the other car, took another family's daughter too soon -The first addicted friend was married with a daughter -The second addicted friend was divorced and had a son Legalized alcohol does enough damage to people. Piling marijuana on top of that is an unnecessary experiment into the unknown that we don't need to see.

Not anymore. But, even if I still did it would skirt the issue - alcohol consumption is legal. Marijuana is illegal. Piling marijuana users and the problems they cause onto the mix of alcoholics and the problems they cause doesn't make sense...to anyone except marijuana users.

I was thinking in terms of leadership and production. As far as the younger guys stepping in, I'm not sure they pass up Bellazin and Obi. I liked Daryl Mason the little bit he played last year. We've got pretty good depthh at DE and having McCoy back is gold for us. I'm more worried about the DT depth than I am about replacing Akpunku.

Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither was Apogee. We got some boost out of it. The 5-7 record was a good improvement. We must get more this year. We backslide this year, and it's trouble. That's one of the reasons coach McCarney's health concerns me. I'm 111% confident that he has the ability and energy needed to get us over the hump. I just worry whether there'd be a huge letdown if his health failed during the season. Who's the Back-up Plan? Is it by default Canales? If so, I think his piloting us to a 2-3 landing after a disastrous start in 2010 is reason enough to stay optimistic. My kids love running around the empty end zone seats at Fouts. But, at some point, they'll grow old and cynical like the rest of us and expect wins. Even though my kids aren't named Johnny, let's do it for Johnny!

Last year we were speculating about O-Line and D-Line. This year..... DBs and RBs ????????????? Worried more about the DBs than RBs. Although a good pass rush from the DL would help offset some of the inexperience we'll see at corner. Offensive line returns enough that I expect the run game to do well. Ozzie/McNulty? The debate Part II. We just want Ozzie to have a chance to show if what we saw versus Tulsa can be done when I game is on the line. He wasn't given that opportunity last year. McNulty had that opportunity twice and didn't perform well. Can someone step into AK's shoes? Yes. McCoy. WHO is going to be THE running back? Hoping for a duo of Byrd and Whitfield WR's? Will they be a factor this year? They have to be. Chris Bynes and Ivan Delgado both have big bodies. If they can polish their route running, we'll be golden. Looking forward to seeing whether the 6-5 kid, Sampson, has put on any weight; and, more importantly, whether or not he can catch. Will ABBE, Cantly, Alexander or Sir Calvin Wallace take Boutwell's spot on D-Line? Boutwell is smallish for the position in the 21 Century, but he's intense. Each may be bigger than Boutwell, but are they as skillful. I'm just gald to see a bit more depth. Would still like to see more. Will the Feldt brothers impact returning starters on the O-Line I'm guessing the older Feldt gets a good shot at replacing Tomlinson at right tackle. Either way, there's good depth. I'm really impressed with the job new line coach Mike Simmonds. It bears in mind to remember that he went from a I-AA school to the NFL. So, needless to say, he understands what it takes to get the job done, even when the odds are stacked against you. Overall, I like to look at the fact that we were 5-4 after the 0-3 start. The team didn't fold and kept fighting down the stretch. Although Indiana was not a good football team, it was exciting to beat a Big Ten school. Our schedule in 2012 is going to be about the same as 2011, in that we should be able to go 1-3, and possibly 2-2 out of conference. A win at LSU would obviously be a miracle. Beating Texas Southern should be a given. Kansas State on the road will be very tough. I don't think Houston on the road will be as tough. The Cougars lost not Case Keenum, but all four starting WRs - Tyron Carrier, Patrick Edwards, EJ Smith, and Justin Johnson. Basically, they have three OLs and RBs Charles Sims returning on offense; everyone else will be new. On defense, they return 2 DL and 2 LBs (from a 3-4 scheme). They lost only one safety from the defensive backfield. So, their defense should be about the same as it was last season. Houston would be win two for us, otherwise, we're 1-3 OOC again. Cougars also have the new head coach, TOny Levine, who was an assistant there for five years. Notably, however, are new offensive and defensive line coaches, as well as new offensive and defensive coordinators, and a new RB and WR coaches. Kevin Sumlin took most of the guts of the staff when he departed. New Houston coaches Tony Levine, head coach - was Houston's special teams coordinator and inside WR coach Mike Nesbitt, OC - was OC at SFA Jamie Bryant, DC - was inside linebacker coach for Cougars Lee Hays, OL - was OC at Tarleton State Ricky Logo, DL - was DL coach at Furman Travis Bush, RB - was OC at UTSA Jamie Christian - Inside WR/Special Teams - was Inside WR at Arizona State Brandon Middleton - Outside WR - Evangel Chrisitan, a 2A high school I think Houston is a very winnable game. Many new parts. No real coaching all-stars. We really do have a good opportunity to step up to a seven or eight win season in 2012. That's really only a couple of more wins. I think this coaching staff is good for it. Should be an exciting season.

If you have kids, you understand the thrust of the argument. You tell your child not to do something or the other because you know it can harm them. They don't see it and so they do it when you're not looking. Eventually, they may hurt themselves. Then, they will understand. It's the same with drunks and potheads. Nothing is serious until someone is harmed. You can't use logic or facts with kids, drunks, or potheads.

The weird thing about the marijuana studies is that legalization proponents simply ignore them and keep saying it doesn't hurt anyone. Scientific evidence be damned, the potheads are too burned out to understand them anyway. It doesn't matter to me that some people use it and function. You have functional alcoholics in society is well. That doesn't mean alcoholism is good. Oh, but Fake Lonnie, pot isn't addictive. That's always the funniest line to me. Really? Then, stop using it and see if it's addictive. Or, when not baked, read the scientific studies that say it is. There's really no point in throwing one more substance of abuse into the legal mix of things when alcohol already does enough damage to society. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18482420 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14672250 But, we all understand, clearly, that telling potheads that marijuana use is bad for them gets them all defensive. Fine. Regardless, marijuana is illegal. And, therefore, the selling of it is also illegal. Thus, the TCU kids are busted - as they should be - and, rightfully, will have on their record the scourge of drug dealing. The thing not in line here is the concern for their "young lives." Baloney. Rich kids at TCU will have dads and moms that will still make sure they are comfortable in adulthood with jobs, houses, and car lined up. These miscreants will be laughing about their drug-dealing days in the years to come. The laughter only stops when there are deaths and accidents. Until then, what's a little smoke or drink here and there...lighten up, Fake Lonnie. Gah.

North Texas Tulsa Rice Louisiana Tech UTSA Texas State All easy drives. Makes too much sense to ever happen, though.

This would be great. No harm in season ticket packages being sold. Oklahoma State started doing that a few years back because OU fans would poach tickets. The thing now is money and exposure. OU would give us heaps of both.

I don't have a before picture, but here is her own quote: "I met my husband by a friend of mine setting us up because I needed a date to my high school prom." She didn't even have a date to the prom. Berkner, at the time, had over 3,000 students, sophomore through senior, and she didn't have a date. I'm telling you, we can be as big a success as this gal became. She says it is the thing here - "Persistence." http://www.dallascowboyscheerleaders.com/history/watn.cfm?id=5FFACF6C-AD4B-F4D1-CFE72EC875952ADF http://4847373.weebly.tal.ki/20100924/kristin-pavuk-147756/

Oklahoma's deal with UTEP is a 2 for 1, but so what? To get people in your stadium, spending money, and getting your school on a real regional or national telecast is gold. And, of course the OU tickets would be more expensive. Tickets are already priced in tiers anyway. All schools charge more for premium opponents. Do you think OU charges the same for their home ticket versus Oklahoma State as they do for Iowa State? No. We've got the stadium; go out and sell it. Big school are going on the road to far crappier stadiums than Apogee.

The pretending that marijuana use doesn't effect motor coordination and reaction time are laughable. Legalizing marijuana would put more dangerous drivers on the street. Of course, the problem with reality is that many either: (1) have never known anyone to be killed or seriously injured by an impaired driver, or (2) they did know someone killed or seriously injured by an impaired driver, but don't care/think it would never happen to them If you ignore the importance of public safety, you support marijuana legalization. If you accept that it is against public safety to do so, you oppose it.

Good post, KRAM. People have no idea how highly regulated insurance is. The problem is, as with any large corporation, when they make a decision, someone is going to be affected...and, unhappy. For instance, I've got a friend who owns a restaurant in Austin. We had his package written at about $3,500 last year, with his Work Comp and Hired and Non-Owned Automobile in the same same. Upon renewal, the carrier calls me and says they're raising the rate on that class of business 40%, regardless of claims and billing history of the account. Well, here's client with no claims, no late payments, and the company says, "Thanks, give us 40% more next year." Now, fortunately, as an independent, I was able to move him to another equally strong carrier. But, he still doesn't understand fully why the original carrier raised his rate. I just tell them all, it's not personal. The company just made a decision and you were caught up in it. We got you out. So, he's rattling my cage on one side about rates, while the carrier - despite their raise in rates - will still be rattling my cage to write business with them, even though I know they're at a higher rate now...and, with the threat of pulling their contract if our numbers don't meet their requirements for keeping a contract. The ebb and flow of the insurance market just caught up to me this morning. It's sometimes a beating. And, the guy this morning, I'd saved him money, so I had a hard time keeping silent while he still complained to me. That's adulthood, though.

It's real simple to me - enough people harm other people under the influence of alcohol. Why in the hell, then, would you throw legalized marijuana on top of that? There aren't enough traffic accidents caused by drunk drivers? Now we've got to have both drunk and/or stoned people on the road? Stupid. "Oh, Fake Lonnie, being stoned is different than being drunk." Really? Both slow down reaction time. How is this a good thing when driving an automobile? Motorcycle? Comfortable with an airline pilot having a few hits of marijuana before your next flight? Hey, some of them already drink right? What's the harm in piloting an aircraft of innocent people after a few drinks and a joint when it's legal, right? Crazy.

...was ugly and kind of awkward and gangly. In high school, she wasn't much hotter. She did get on the drill team. But, I mean, I went to a high school with an enrollment of over 3,000, so there were tons of girls on the drill team. A couple of years into college, an old high school friend asked if I'd heard about her. I said, no. He told me she had become a Dallas Cowboy cheerleader. So, we got tickets to a game, and sure enough, there she was in the Game Day program and on the field shaking the pom-poms and whatnot, and hotter than fish grease. Why is this relevant to UNT football? Well, I think our little UNT is like this girl. When we had Fouts and were I-AA, we were pretty much just another girl at school. Not real outstanding. Like the junior high version of the girl, nice, but not really catching anyone's attention. We got back into I-A and, after a few seasons, began to win some championships. Our profile was raised a little, but not to a huge degree. Like the girl joining the drill team in high school. Now, we've got Apogee, decent basketball, and some real coaches pretty much all the way around. I don't think it will be too long before we are surprising people like this gal did when we all discovered she was a DC cheerleader. So, kids and fans and TCU lurkers wondering where you're going to buy your next bag of weed now that your sources have been busted, don't despair: we will one day be hotter than fish grease. Then, we will align the conferences instead of them realigning us. Book it, Dan-o!

Hey...I kept it off the conference realignment boards.

No, we have an independent agency. I started out on the company side with Commercial Union a few months after I graduated from UNT back in 1995. Commercial Union merged with General Accident in 1997 to become CGU, then Warren Buffet bought their American book in 1999. The book was then split into separate personal (America First) and commercial (OneBeacon) companies. If I recall correctly, Buffet sold the America First outfit to Liberty Mutual. I'm not sure if he still owns a stake in OneBeacon. I do know that, ever the tax hypocrite, he parked them both offshore for awhile. I think OneBeacon still remains offshore. Buffet, Mr. The Rich Aren't Paying Enough Taxes, puts nearly every insurance interest he touches offshore. That's why I roll my eyes every time he starts flapping him gums about taxes. But, I digress. I joined up with my dad after he left Upshaw, bought his book of business back from them, and bought the P&C book of a group benefits house who were tired of dealing with P&C customers. Having doubled the size of his book, he asked me to join him on the retail agency side. And, so here I am a decade later - saving people money and being flailed for it. It's actually not that bad. But, this is certainly a business where you don't expect a whole lot of praise from anyone. Insurance is what it is - necessary, required, and annoying. Believe me, I probably hate the companies as much as the consumers now that I'm an agent. It's like I tell people when things get sticky - The Companies are gods. They do what they do. And, for the most part, the courts side with them (and, after reading many cases, I think it's because judges don't have much more of an idea about how to read an insurance policy than the general public, so they just do the easy thing and say, "It's a contract, do what the contract says."). Being an independent agent is like nothing you could imagine. On one side, you've got to keep the client happy (the price low). On the other, you've got to keep your contracted carriers happy (writing new business and renewing the old). It's a true balancing act.

You've heard it said that the customer is always right. We know that is far from true. I've been in the insurance business since 1995, and what it seems like to me is that the customer is more picky and pedantic than ever before. Example, I saved a couple we've known for many years about $1,600 on their auto insurance. And, it's like, I'm still hearing from these people weekly. I fully understand people hate insurance, even though it's required. And, if I can save you that much money - which, believe me is rare, very rare, because despite what the lizard and Flo may tell you, every company will check your MVR and hit you for underage drivers - shouldn't you be satisfied? Anyway, just wanted to vent a little in an open forum because...well, because the customer is always right, I can't really vent to them.

True. I hadn't factored in that many times in the recent future, Texas has already been a cupcake game for OU in the DFW area. Good point. Why run roughshod over two Texas teams around DFW? There's nothing left to prove, I suppose.

And, UTEP is winning and "ready" for OU? That's an argument that not even the UTEP AD is making. He gets to the heart of the matter: UTEP needs butts in the seats - OU being at his school's stadium will provide them. Win or lose? I doubt that's even on Bob Stull's radar with this game. This is money and exposure for the school.

"Oklahoma is about our fans," Stull said. "Everyone is concerned about our attendance, making money. Those are huge issues to keep an eye on. We've dropped off in season-ticket sales, we've dropped off in attendance, and (Price) wants to get them back." Wow. From UTEP's AD: http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_19976002?source=most_viewed It's like, "We know we can't draw them it. We know OU will do it." I agree, and just think we were a closer option. From one of their fans: Longtime season-ticket holder Kurt Paxon sounded as if he couldn't wait for Sept. 1. "Sometimes these opening-the-season teams, you need to get out a map and look them up on the Internet," he said. "This is a great opportunity to see a perennial powerhouse in our backyard. When we've taken on Big 12 teams in the past, we've always risen to the occasion. "People who've been going to games remember us playing Texas close (in 2008). We should have beaten Texas Tech (a 2006 overtime loss). It brings out the best in the Miners. "I'm glad the Miners are able to bring somebody like this to El Paso. It puts us in the national spotlight." Yes. Yes it does. Congrats to UTEP, Bob Stull, and everyone over there who made it happen. They saw a big school with scheduling need, gave them a two-for-one with the one up front. It can be done. FIU is hosting Big East's Louisville this year. Troy is hosting Mississippi State. ULM is hosting Baylor. Rice is hosting, and opening, with UCLA. SMU is hosting Texas A&M. Tulane is hosting Rutgers and Ole Miss. UCF is hosting Missouri. Ball State is hosting South Florida. Buffalo is hosting Pitt. Central Michigan is hosting Michigan State. Northern Illinois is hosting Kansas. Temple is hosting Maryland. Toledo is hosting Cincinnati. Western Michigan is hosting Connecticut. Fresno State is hosting Colorado. Nevada is hosting South Florida (South Florida...helping the little guys twice in a year) UNLV is hosting, and opening, with Minnesota, then will have Washington State in a couple weeks after that. New Mexico State is hosting BYU. San Jose State is hosting BYU. Texas State is hosting Texas Tech. It happens. There were big schools with scheduling needs late, too. I hate to complain...ah, screw it...I love to complain! It's the offseason. Fire away!

Maybe. Many would likely put them on eBay to sell to the downtrodden Sooner fans in the area.