KRAM1

Oh, this is going to be GREAT! I hope the paramedics are standing by as there may well be a heart attack or two when Boomer "speaks" for the first time. The finest cannon in college football will really show off a great UNT tradition for a packed house on the 10th. Thanks, Rick, once again Boomer roars!

You know...for not much more, one could join the Mean Green Club and qualify for a parking pass while helping to support the program and the student-athletes. The benefits of joining the Mean green Club are very good,and can make real economic sense as well if one sits down and actually puts pen to paper. There will be plenty of free parking around the area if one doesn't mind walking a bit further.

First video of the next generation of the Mean Green. Welcome to the future Mean green nation! Way to go!!!!! Congrats on the pancake...stay tuned. More to come!

For some Fry street will never be the same. They enjoyed people urinating on the sidewalks, running into the drunk high school kids with their skateboards, the college drop outs still wanting to act like they are actually college students, the vomit on the sidewalks, each and every weekend, etc., etc. To be fair, some of us will also miss the great hangouts like the State Club, the Tomato, etc. But, Fry Street has long ago lost it's "luster" as unique and attractive place to hang out. It has pretty much become a "dump" and in it's present and recent past forms was doing no one much good. One may or may not like some of the ever-so-evil to some corporate money that is flowing into the area, but it is beginning to move forward with redevelopment and may one day return to a vibrant and economically sound area for both the city and the college students. Fry Street long ago stopped being a great place to hang out. It's time to move along. Very happy to see the re-development beginning.

Excellent!

Definitely, some validity to your points, but if selling out because your stadium is much smaller than most current Big XII stadiums and selling out because the opposing team's fans filled the stadium to watch SMU get their rear ends handed to them time and time again by the likes of OU, OSU, Texas, etc. is the way they want to make some fast cash I guess that's fine, while the other sports including men's basketball gets pounded as well. And, SMU would probably need to add men's baseball. That's a bit of a cost factor as well to offset some of the "riches" earned by being the conference whipping boy for many years...I would think that Baylor would love to see SMU in the Big XII. Just cannot see this as a good move for SMU at this time.

I just don't see the Big XII bringing another small private school into the conference....unless that private school had a national following like Notre Dame or perhaps BYU. SMU would give the Big XII some DFW exposure, but it already has that with all the OU, OSU, Texas, Texas Tech, etc. fans that live in the DFW area. I also think it would be a mistake on SMU's part to jump to the Big XII at this time. I don't see the advantage to SMU in getting beat badly in most all it's sports by even the lower rung Big XII teams. And, few, if any, Big XII schools sport a men's soccer program so that would probably go if SMU joined the league and men's soccer is a big time winning program at SMU (much like it was for UNT before it was canned). If I were the Big XII I might try to pull Arizona and Arizona State into the league if Notre dame and BYU said no before I would go after the likes of an SMU with its small fan base, small (by Big XII standards) stadium, and lack of any real national following. I am not bashing SMU as some like to do, but I just don't see a move to SMU for the Big XII as good for either. SMU really brings ZERO to the Big XII and the Big XII would swamp SMU for years and years to come. I don't think it's in the cards...if for no other reason than i doubt a few other members would want to even think about recreating the old SW Conference. Just my opinion.

You really don't know?

BRAVO INDEED!

May God bless and keep these brave warriors and may God grant their friends and families peace. And, most of all...may God make sure the citizens of this great nation NEVER forget those who put their lives on the line each and every day. Rest in peace after a job well done!

OK, what if Michael Vick were a female? Gee, think his life may have turned out different as well. What if Eminem was black? What if Larry Bird was black and Michael Jordan was white? Who the heck gives a care...they are who they are. Speculating on all this is very interesting, but interesting is all that it is. Reminds me of all the stories about "What if the South had Won the Civil War"? Well, that would be the "War of Northern Aggression", right? Or, what if Nazi Germany had won WWII? Well, they didn't! Anything else is pure speculation, guess and conjuncture. Yes, things would have been different...imagine that. Heck, if you had been born to the couple next door instead of your own parents, life would have been different...even if they were of the same race as your "real" parents. Good intellectual exercise, and great stuff for college professors and philosophy majors to ponder, but geeeeeeezzzzzz...it's just an intellectual execise...oh, let's discuss...what if OJ Simpson were white? What if Adolf Hitler were Asian? Wow...deep stuff here. I see absolutely no reason for the uproar over this article or the "white Michael Vick" art. Get over it people and get on down the road.

Funny guy...I could care less what the clinical definition of preventive care is...I care about what helps people maintain a healthy life. Going to a doctor for a check-up and finding out you are fat and need to lose weight because you are now susceptible to type II diabetes is not keeping you healthy in any way shape or form...maintaining a healthy life style may well have PREVENTED that condition in the first place and REDUCED the guys cost of health care in the first place...and the taxpayers under your idea of "civilized nation" status...so again...if you don't think maintaining a healthy life style is preventive care, you are kidding yourself. NO, your employer doesn't. You are not required to take out that insurance and are free to find you own or go without. It's a choice...you have NO choice in the government sponsored program...what is so hard to figure out about that? The Naval comparison is legit and points to what happens when care is seen to be "free". I have definitely made a choice on my insurance. I chose NOT to take the coverage provided by my employer and chose to find it elsewhere...which I did. See, I had a choice and I availed myself of that choice...you could too, you just choose not to do so...that's what choice is all about. It doesn't mean it costs less, but it also doesn't mean that you have no choice. You in fact have made a choice which those folks in your "civilized nations" don't have the right to make. So, Cuba is not a civilized nation? Is Iran? China? North Korea? They have national health care systems as well. I thought to be a "civilized nation" you had to provide national health care coverage? Really, I'm just having a little fun with you there.... So costs are skyrocketing...so, let's make it better and see costs go even higher with choices limited through a national health care plan? Not my idea of a good choice. Again, nanny state vs personal choice and personal responsibility. You decide. I've made my decision. Now we can all see where it goes and learn to live with it either way.

What Canada spends now compared to what the US spends says absolutely ZERO about whether the costs for the program in Canada have increased or decreased over time. And, if you don't think making good health choices personally is "preventive care" then it's no wonder you want the government to take care of you. I hear they have wonderful government sponsored health care in Cuba...how's that whole thing working out for them? You think any Cubans would prefer to live in the US than under the Cuban system given the "civilized nation" status of the Cuban system? You know, sometimes the "Gate Theory" says a lot about quality of life issues in countries (and states and cities for that matter). Heard about the "Gate Theory" this morning...not original with me. I wish it was...but it goes like this...if you open the gates wide open, take a look the countries whose citizens leave and countries where the citizens stay...like I say you could say this about states and cities as well. That little exercise might just say more about the quality of life people want and where they want to get it than you "civilized nations" concept. My friends who live in that "civilized" nation of England do not like the NHS...they say it definitely rations health care and they have been on the list for a "non-essential" operation for about 18 months now...oh, it's a knee replacement. I guess that's non-essential. They have also mentioned that once you get to a certain age, you are pretty much "rationed out" of certain types of care/operations, etc. Nice! They are considering coming to the states to get that knee done and paying for it out of pocket. That's how non-essential they think it is. Maybe it's not always those big bad insurance companies who don't care about people. This is a "civilized nation" we are talking about here. Surely they care about people. Just one example of the "civilized nation" and health care working out just real super. I know it's one example, but guess what else....the poor in England complain as much as the poor in the US do about lack of access and not enough facilities and doctors in poor neighborhoods. Wonder why that is? They are so very "civilized" and all that. My son and daughter-in-law are both young Navy MD's. They talk all the time about patients coming in with every sort of small issue because the care is free to service members. These folks take time away from treating the actually sick and hurt service members...goes for the service members dependents as well as the service member himself/herself. The service members often start piling in when their units are about to deploy overseas or their ships are about to deploy on tour with all kinds of "mystery ailments" they hope will keep them from having to deploy with their units. When care is "free" plenty of folks will abuse the system. "Free" in this case simply means someone else...the US taxpayer" is covering the cost. I guess the real thing here is that if you are a fan of big government, like the nanny-state concept and think the government will make better decisions that the citizenry and you personally will over this issue then you'll love Obamacare or any form of government sponsored and controlled health care. If you, like me, think smaller and less government, personal choice and personal responsibility is the better option, then you'll not be such a fan of Obamacare. I don't think either side will be talked out of their position. So, we'll just all have to see where this goes. It will definitely go somewhere and we'll all learn to live with whichever way it goes.

That is definitley not the type of beach video I would prefer. But, any reason why UNT WILL beat FIU is greatness!

Gabe, I, too attended, and i would agree that the turnout was not great, but remember, the crowd was very spread out over the complex and up in the Club level (where the A/C was) and not all faculty/staff enjoy watching a workout session like we do. BTW...Coach Mac called it something like a "Mock Game" not a "Scrimmage" as such. The faculty/staff also had several other events around campus at the same time, so that was always going to be a bit of a challenge getting a large crowd. But, I did hear a lot of positive comments about the stadium...especially how nice it was and how wonderful the Club Seating area looked. Like you...I wondered about that nerf ball thing. Interesting. Maybe it was for the refs use in determining off-sides, false starts.

Not all the Mean green Club folks will be officed at the stadium. Some will remain in the offices at the Athletic Center. I think this is a good idea to have some in both places.

Well, that's extremely interesting as a lot of preventive care doesn't cost anything like not smoking (in fact that would save one money), not sitting around the house and watching hour after hour of TV or playing hour after hour of video games and actually getting some exercise instead, watching the sugar and fat intake in the foods eaten (and yes...low income families CAN eat healthy...choices, choices...personal responsibility), staying away from excessive alcohol consumption, staying off drugs, making sure you get to the numerous public clinics for the proper vaccinations (more often than not free or at a very small fee), using even the most modest of dental hygiene (like a toothbrush and toothpaste-wow, that's expensive), and on and on and on. I am not saying that all preventive care is free or at reduced costs, but all too often people are ill because they don't take care of the simplest and least costly items. You can ask any physician about this should you not believe me. Tell me where the costs have gone down after a nation institutes universal health care coverage for its citizens? Please name one of those "civilized nations" you refer to where the cost of the nation's health care has declined over the last 20 years! Just because preventive care is available does not mean people will avail themselves of the service. You are dreaming if you think that just adding "free" services will change behavior. Also, you seem to assume that care would be better once universal health care is initiated, really? Better for whom? Interesting comment of yours "insurance companies are out to make money, they don't care about people, especially in the US where everything is a money grab". Especially the "everything's a money grab" part. I get it, some people believe that big government can do everything better than if people were allowed to make their own choices and take some personality for how their lives turn out. That is evident in all the socialist and communist nations around the globe. It is also evident in some of the thinking of some folks in Washington DC these days. So, that form of thinking is not rare,and I get it. I just happen to believe that it is "stinking thinking".

Excellent...now, Alabama...come and play the men as well. Would be a great double-header in Denton!

I was at the stadium last evening for the faculty/staff happy hour (my wife works in the dept. of behavioral analysis on campus) ans went in the store at the stadium...I do believe I saw them working on sorting out tickets and parking passes for mailing...saw several large envelopes like have been used in the past to mail the tickets and passes and lots of checking and cross-checking. I have my fingers crossed....

Good choices as am sure all will handle their responsibilities quite well. I think there are several other leaders developing on this team, so I am expecting the leadership from the players to be outstanding this season. I do hope the players had a say in the guys selected as captains. To me that makes the selection all the more legit from the team's perspective. My son's college soccer coach let the players select one and he and the coaches selected another. Interesting, but worked well for my son's team. I wonder if something like that would work for a football squad as well...maybe it is more common that I expect.

Latest Republican national poll numbers are out: Rick Perry - 29% Mitt Romney - 17% Ron Paul - 13% Michele Bachmann - 10% It's still early.

Nearly 1 in 10 of every mid sized to large company employer expects to stop offering healthcare to its employees after 2014 according to the latest Towers Watson survey. In a June survey by another big benefits consultant, Mercer, found that 8% are either likely or very likely to end health benefits after the exchanges start. The survey included more than 1,200 companies. A former insurance executive, Bob Laszewski, now a consultant also reported to be surprised that as many as 8 or 9 percent of companies already expect to drop coverage a couple of years BEFORE the exchanges start. Obviously, this is just a look at what companies are "thinking" now and not what they might actually do, and at 10% dropping coverage (while that is thousands of folks now covered by their employers who will not be) the vast majority look to remain to be covered according to these surveys. An ominous note was, and I quote "If one employer does it, others will likely follow". OUCH.

It was with great joy that I read that the FCC has finally killed what was wrongly named the "Fairness Doctrine" once and for all. This is part of Obama's late, but appreciated, move to cut some...emphasis on some...of the massive federal regulations that continue to stymie production. As you may know, the "Fairness Doctrine" began in 1949 and required broadcasters to give equal time to all sides of a political issue or risk losing their broadcast license. The Reagan (God bless him) stopped enforcing this rule in 1987 and liberals have ever since tried to get it re-instated in the hopes of killing off the Rush Limbaugh's of the world and in attempts to save the Air America's of the world. Well, under the Obama Administration the FCC has announced that the "fairness Doctrine" is no dead. The FCC and the Obama Administration realized that the proliferation of media outlets made this possible and with PBS, NPR, CNN and MSNBC...along with most of the newspaper industry, even the FCC and the Obama administration knew there were plenty of liberal media outlets to counterbalance the conservative outlets and talking heads on both sides. One must give credit where credit is due as as late as 2007 John Kerry was pushing for the return of the "fairness Doctrine". The credit goes to the FCC, but the Obama Administration had to sign-off on this, so credit goes where credit is due. Thank you President Obama for getting this one right and removing this outdated and ridicules regulation from the books. Good things happen...yes, they do!

Rick... GREAT NEWS! Looks like things got worked out. Really happy to see this. WELCOME BACK BOOMER! Now, that's a UNT tradition we can all stand behind (literally...don't get in front of Boomer when he is doing his thing!).

Well, isn't that always the way it is? A few "bad apples" who could care less about anything or anybody other than themselves mess it up for the majority of people who do care. Appreciate the perspective of a "local" who actually does have a dog in this hunt. Now, that public nudity thing...depending upon if they are male or female, the age involved...well, that might be a good thing. OK, just kidding. I totally get it, especially if you have young kids. "Sticky Wicket" here for sure. Too bad you just can't ban the idiots from the river. I think UNT90 has a license to pack heat...maybe he can pick a few of the idiots off for you locals! Again...just kidding. Yes, I see this as a big economic question for the good citizens of the NB area. I'll leave it up to them to figure out how to best settle it, but it will generate a lawsuit either before or after the regulation goes into effect. I guess the costs to defend the suit might be less than the costs of clean-up and crowd control...if the city wins of course. What happens if the ordinance is struck down? Does NB have a Plan B waiting? Hope so.