Blue Collar Beavers Scrap Out Emerald Bowl Win

Most prognosticators picked the Beavers over the Terps prior to the game. In the end, the score (21-14) was similar to the predictions (Beavers by 5), but when everyone picks one team like that, beware. The only sure thing going into the game was the Beaver Defense. What team would show up for the Beavers, the team that got blown out by Cincinnati, the team that had 14 turnovers in four losses, or the team that won 6 of the last 7?

The Emerald Bowl game was frustrating to watch as a Beavers fan. With the fumbles, interceptions, and stupid penalties, it was beginning to look similar to previous losses. It was obvious that both teams had a long layoff.

First drive, Maryland scores, they look good, OSU answers with a score, with a little help from a Terps roughing-the-passer penalty. The two teams trade punts, and the next drive Turner hits Darrius for a 63 yard touchdown. This is not looking good for the Beavers. Another bad Drive for the Beavers and the first quarter ends.

The second quarter was a fight for momentum, though the OSU defense was beginning to assert itself with two interceptions, the offense was fumbling and throwing interceptions. With 1:49 left, Canfield and Bernard (left) put together a nice 46 yard drive to tie the game before halftime.

Third Quarter-

There was an OSU punt to 1 foot line, spotted at the 1 yard line. The infamous play clock penalties. And, the Beavers catch a little luck fumbling into the end-zone for a touch down.

Fourth Quarter-

The drive: Rodgers and Bernard put the game away. Bernard rushing and Rodgers fly sweep save the game, as they and the defense did all season. Reminds me of the old Raiders, a bunch of scrappy blue collar guys slugging it out.

OSU runs a fake fly sweep

Other thoughts . . .

Looks like we’ll have another quarterback controversy for next year, but I would go with Moevao. He’s got intangibles, great attitude, leadership, charisma, and looks to have a good arm. He’s also got a big head that barely fits in the helmet, and a smile from rim to rim.

One surprise was the Beavers inability to protect the passer, or were those coverage sacks? After all, the Beavers were without Anthony Brown (133 career catches for 1669 yards).

What's a Terp, a turtle? I didn't realize their was a team with a sillier mascot than a duck or a beaver (other than the Santa Cruz Banana Slugs). Those pass rushers were not turtles. The Terps got to the passer mighty quick, especially when Moevao was knocked on the elbow. That’s probably one reason Canfield threw the interception. An ESPN announcer called the Canfield interception something like "one of the worst passes in NCAA history". I think he got caught in-between throwing the ball away and getting up-ended at the same time. Canfield seems to just have a lot of learning to do.

Growing up in the bay area, and watching the A’s and Giants, one thing you learn about is that the ball does not carry very far in the heavy air near the bay. Alexis Serna learned that when his 49 yard kick hit the crossbar and bounced back. Alexis, sorry you didn’t get to break the Pac-10 points record, but you had a great career at OSU, and we would not have won three bowl games without you. As one Duck fan told me, "I will be glad to see him gone next year." How’s that for a complement?

Thanks to all the Beavers and especially the seniors. I can hardly wait until next season!

Evanson Bernard- A classy guy
who will make it in the NFL.

Emerald Bowl: AT&T Park

I've got to say a few words about the Emerald Bowl at AT&T park. (It was a lot easier to remember what it was called when the Giants played at Candlestick)

At first I felt OSU got a bum deal drawing the Emerald Bowl, but I see now that it was probably good for the team. They enjoyed the city and drew a large fan base to the game. They clearly had the crowd advantage. If we had gone to the Holiday bowl, we would have a tough opponent. I would not want to play South Florida who will likely rock the Ducks.


I have some complaints about the stadium. You should never put two teams on the same sideline, a formula for a brawl. There was plenty of room on the other sideline to split the teams up. So, you don't sell some of the seats at field level, it wasn't a sellout anyway (32,000 fans). And, those short runways outside the end zone could get someone hurt. Not to worry though, we probably don't have anyone capable of running a fade route, since Rodgers is a bit short.


The faulty play clock hurt the Terps on a critical drive. The refs didn't tell the quarterback how they would count the play clock down, and then penalizing them for delay of game. Wow! Those guys probably couldn't move the ball anyway. I sure am glad Canfield didn't have to play with an imaginary clock. If you guys at the Emerald Bowl read this, and I doubt you will, you’ve got to do a better job with the sidelines and clock.

The OSU fan advantage and empty seats.

On a positive note, those Emerald Nuts commercials were a hoot. They certainly were off the wall. What was with the Devo looking girl rock band? And, the Norwegian archery coach. Now he could play through some pain.

Public Photos obtained from:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/aktse/

http://www.blogger.com/http://www.flickr.com/photos/7271317@N08/

Global Warming: A Reasonable Approach

I don’t know what to think about global warming. I hear in the news that the argument about global warming is over. The 2008 New York Times Almanac states that a group of “several thousand scientists” concluded that, “With this report, (United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Control) the debate over human influence is essentially over for most scientists . . . ” page 782. The Associated Press reported that their were only 52 scientists that were involved with the summary document that reported the argument was over. For a good summary see S. Fred Singer

I am skeptical about the debate and the way that public policy is leaning because of the debate. I am probably like a lot of other people, unwilling to outright accept the conclusions about global warming, and unwilling to accept the recommendations about how to fix it.

One argument is that we ought to take precautionary measures to reduce global warming, just as someone ought to wear a seatbelt in case of an accident. I would advocate a reasonable approach in public policy. Realizing, that we are not going to replace cars with horses, and if we did, they would produce a lot of methane anyway, we still should look for socially acceptable, economically palatable, and environmentally friendly means of reducing emissions or cleaning our air. We can all agree that clean air is a good thing regardless of whether there is global warming.

We want emerging economies to make improvements in their society and we want our country to continue to be at its best. How do you produce products, provide transportation, and create energy in an ever advancing and improving society without slowing progress?

Transportation. No matter how you look at it, we need to move large quantities of goods with tractor trailers. Over the years, we have saved fuel by making trucks more aerodynamic. We have not reduced the amount of trucks on the road, but we have improved their efficiency. One way to reduce consumption and emissions is to make trucks even more aerodynamic, because we are not likely to reduce the amount of trucks on the road

Some of the aerodynamic concept vehicles and ideas are really radical. It’s not out of the question to get a 10-20% savings in fuel from these vehicles. Simple add-on cab deflectors (the wing above the cab) and other current add on technologies would save thousands of gallons of fuel per year (See Truck Fuel and Emission Program)

Hybrid vehicles are making in-roads into society. Some of the gasoline models get about 40 mpg. That’s not a whole lot different then the early Honda Civics with plain gas engines. The diesel hybrids get better mileage than the gas electric hybrids, but the fumes are bad, and that technology is developing better in Europe, where diesels are more acceptable. Beam me up Scotty. Too bad we can’t just transport ourselves around like Kirk in Star Trek. What everyone needs to remember is that a lot of working people still have to drive pick-up trucks, and a lot of families still need to drive vans or SUV’s. But, as gas prices rise, the market is providing more vehicles to consumers that have improved fuel efficiency.

Energy. Coal, hydropower, nuclear, solar, wind, oil. . . The quandary is not necessarily what emits the least amount of pollutants, or CO2. The challenge is what is socially acceptable to our society. Nuclear, solar, and hydropower electrical energy produce no greenhouse gasses, except in initially constructing the plants. However, conflicting environmental concerns prevent new hydro and nuclear facilities. In fact we are removing hydroelectric facilities to improve salmon habitat. When was the last time the US built a new nuclear power plant? At this point our society puts a higher priority on protecting salmon, and does not consider the threat of global warming as great as that of nuclear accidents. Instead, we as a society choose to deal with easier issues. More of the emphasis is on high tech smokestacks that scrub out pollutants.

Carbon credits, though hard to understand, work to reduce the net input of carbon into the atmosphere. This is one concept that has gained a lot of acceptance. If a smoke stack emits 10 units of carbon, a company can buy 15 units of carbon sequestering forest somewhere to offset the emissions and either begin operations or continue operation. Carbon credits are a potential win-win because it may allow industry to operate when regulations would otherwise disallow it, or to operate cheaper, while theoretically reducing the net emissions.

The Forest Connection. A vigorous young forest accumulates and stores more carbon than it releases, as long as it doesn’t catch fire. A little history on forest policy in the Pacific Northwest: There has been over 100 years of fire exclusion, generally thought to have produced overstocked “doghair” stands of fir. In the past 20 years we have virtually stopped harvesting timber from the National Forests. Fires like the Bear and Booth Complex in the Cascades removed 50,000 acres of forest, or the Biscuit, where 400,000 acres went up in smoke. Fire exclusion combined with stagnant management has created the perfect conditions for large fires. By managing forests as reserves, the intent was to preserve them for spotted owls, salmon, etc. Instead, what we have are large inputs of carbon into the atmosphere from fire. Perhaps a better approach would have been to continue to manage these forests by thinning them out, reducing the chance of catastrophic size fires. On carbon credits, the forest should be managed to reduce the threat of fires, or the credit may go up in smoke eventually.

High efficiency cogeneration plants burn wood chips to produce electricity. This utilizes wood from forest biomass (slash piles), or from over-dense forests that we have seen burn in recent years. In the forest, the biomass is usually burned in a slash pile. The cogeneration plant boiler is much more efficient and releases less particulate and CO2 than a forest fire or slash pile burn. Plus, you the added benefit of electricity.

Carbon cracking some day may be improved enough to start using biomass from forests to produce ethanol. Ethanol has less emissions than petrol. Several varieties of hardwoods in Oregon and Washington would be good candidates for producing methanol. Madrone, Myrtlewood, Oaks, and Tanoak, have high energy output in BTU’s and quickly re-grow after harvest. Wood is a potentially better source than corn or sugar cane for producing ethanol because there is a greater available quantity, and it does not pull food off the counter, or water from the aquifers under the Great Basin.

Utilizing wood from forests has many benefits:

• Lowering the risk of wildfires
• Highly efficient cogeneration plants release less particulates/CO2 than slash piles.
• Electrical generation
• Ethanol is cleaner burning than Petrol
• Running your auto with ethanol.

Conclusion. Perhaps global warming is not as big a problem as finding a political solution. Just mention the word nuclear energy and emotions change the nature of the debate. In fact, mention global warming and you are going to get a heated exchange or sarcasm. At some point the price of gas gets expensive enough to consider buying a more expensive hybrid. Similarly, at some point the potential problems with hydropower or nuclear energy will not be as bad as the real or perceived environmental problems associated with global warming. In the interim, more reasonable solutions, such as incremental improvements in mileage, more efficient power generation, and a more holistic approach to forest policy are (or should be) gaining momentum behind the scenes of a more heated political battle over green ideologies.

Links:

US Senate Committee Report

Global Warming Website

BE BRAVE

This poem was written by my 9 year-old daughter on Veteran's Day 2007:

BE BRAVE

Thank you for my freedom,

Heroes.

You give me hope.

Be brave.

Think of all those happy children

that you helped save.

I know that war is scary,

but you sacrificed anyway.

You make me proud.

Be Strong,

Be Brave!

By JR

Oregon State Football, Snubbed by Sun Bowl, Shows Class

Coach Mike Riley and Athletic Director Bob De Carolis showed real class after Oregon State was snubbed by the Sun Bowl. OSU (or do we call ourselves OS now?) accepted the Emerald Bowl invitation despite the fact that OSU was the third place team in the Pac 10. The bottom line is that the payout will be 1 to 1.3 million less than the other bowls. That’s money the entire OSU athletic program would be able to use. (Correction- The bowl money goes to the Pac 10) While Riley is staying positive about the whole thing, the fans I have talked to think it’s a bum deal. Personally, I think the Sun Bowl made a big mistake going with the Ducks instead of the Beavers.

Oregon State is one of the hottest teams in the country while Oregon is dropping like a ..., well a dead duck. Oregon State is an overachiever while Oregon has been a disappointment. Fans love an underdog. Oregon State is a much more exciting team now with one of the best defenses in the country. Watch for the 165 pound Rodgers and the fly sweep. Lyle Moevae is a quarterback with a huge head that barely fits in the helmet and a smile as big as the face mask. I predict that while OSU might struggle, U of O will likely get blown out of their game.

A word to Duck fans: As a fellow Oregonian, I am sad to see that Dennis Dixon went down this year. He is truly an amazing player to watch. I will be routing for both Oregon teams in their bowl games.

Considering Lasik Eye Surgery?

About a year and a half ago my wife had laser surgery to correct myopia (nearsightedness) and astigmatism. Her vision was bad (-10.5); legally blind. Her corneas were too thin for the traditional lasik, so she had to go with PRK instead. In PRK the top cellular layers of the cornea are scraped away before the laser reshapes the cornea. After surgery a temporary contact is placed over the eye which serves as a bandage while the upper layers of the cornea heal, or grow back. My wife’s experience was very positive. Eighteen months later she sees 20/20 in the left eye and 20/30 in the right eye. This is a very good result considering her prescription, and she is very happy with the results. My wife had Dr. Imperia of Medford, Oregon. He comes highly recommended from others in this area, and we would also recommend him.

My prescription was (-5) before surgery. I was able to go through traditional lasik surgery. A day after surgery my vision was 20/15. The surgery was more pleasant than the PRK my wife went through. Her healing time was about two or three days before the discomfort (scratchy eyes) went away, and about three months before she had crisp vision. (She says this is a little unusual in that most people see better faster than she did). She also experienced large halos around lights at night and double vision, which delayed night driving for two or three weeks. I had little pain or discomfort during the surgery. This is day three after the surgery. The halos at night have not completely gone away yet, but I see very clearly during the day and night driving is not at all a problem. It is a pleasure to walk outside and look off into the distance to see the twigs of the tree tops crisp and clear. I still reach for the glasses on my night stand, but am pleasantly surprised at seeing clearly in places where I am not accustomed to clear vision; like the shower.

I went with Clearly Lasik in Medford, Oregon for my surgery. Dr. Kahn performed the surgery. He specialized in corneal surgery, though less experienced, he was very professional. I would recommend Dr. Kahn also.

Postscript: I watched my wife’s surgery on a large television screen through a window in the door of the operating room. On her right eye the microkeratome (a miniature automated scalpel) scalped the upper layers from her eye. For the left eye Dr. Imperia scraped the upper cells of her cornea by hand with a tiny scalpel. (The surgery does not hurt because of anesthesia drops that deaden all feeling in the eye). As I watched, the impression I got was of a 20 inch eye, lids held back with clamps, and a giant butter knife scraping clear putty from the eye. Don’t let that scare you though, it looks much worse than it feels. My wife talked to the doctor the whole time, as did Eye.

Mitt Romney Speech on Religious Tolerance

Just prior to the Mitt Romney speech on religious tolerance I read an insightful column by my favorite columnist George Will in which he managed to mention both Unitarians, the religion of my youth, and Mormons, my present religion (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). This is a quote by George Will who is paraphrasing Huckabee:

" . . . two subliminal but clear enough premises of his (Huckabee’s) Iowa attack on Mitt Romney are unpleasant: The almost 6 million American Mormons who consider themselves Christians are mistaken about that. And -- 55 million non-Christian Americans should take note -- America must have a Christian president. . . . If Mr. Huckabee succeeds in derailing Mr. Romney's campaign by raising a religious test for presidential eligibility, that will be clarifying: In one particular, America was more enlightened a century ago."

Romney has resisted giving the "I don’t take my orders from Rome" (or Salt Lake) speech given by Kennedy in 1960. The recent campaign ad by Huckabee has prompted Mitt to give the speech on religious tolerance.

The media does not seem to recognize the importance of the Romney speech and the truly presidential way in which it was delivered. One pundit did say that this speech could have been given by any candidate of any party. Some points that stuck with me were Romney’s efforts to pull people together as a "symphony" of religions and his call for religious tolerance. growing secularism, and the greatest threat to freedom and liberty: "theocratic tyranny."

Romney says, "Religious tolerance would be a shallow principle indeed if it were reserved only for faiths with which we agree."

Common Ground:

In the modern political climate we are all too polarized on political and religious ideas. Romney is of course trying to win over the skeptical Christian conservative vote by emphasizing similarities. Those of faith, agnostics, and atheists should note the moral grounds that bring us together. American values transcend religion.

Romney said in his speech:

"Perhaps the most important question to ask a person of faith who seeks a political office, is this: does he share these American values: the equality of human kind, the obligation to serve one another, and a steadfast commitment to liberty?"

"They are not unique to any one denomination. They belong to the great moral inheritance we hold in common. They are the firm ground on which Americans of different faiths meet and stand as a nation, united."

Those who do not identify with any particular religion also share the great moral inheritance. Freedom of choice to worship in your own way is your right.

Secularism:

The idea of a growing secular movement hit strong with me. Efforts to remove "Christmas" from the vernacular are tantamount to secular tyranny. Efforts to remove all symbols of Christianity have gone too far and do not serve our society well. Romney says,

"We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong."

"The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square. We are a nation 'Under God' and in God, we do indeed trust."

Theocratic Tyranny:

Perhaps the most important part of his speech is seemingly anathema to tolerance. But, in this age of political correctness we hesitate to criticize some abusive practices in the name of tolerance. We do not have to tolerate having any religion, or secularism forced upon us. Romney says,

"Infinitely worse is the other extreme, the creed of conversion by conquest: violent Jihad, murder as martyrdom... killing Christians, Jews, and Muslims with equal indifference. These radical Islamists do their preaching not by reason or example, but in the coercion of minds and the shedding of blood. We face no greater danger today than theocratic tyranny, and the boundless suffering these states and groups could inflict if given the chance."

Let the best candidate win on their merits:

There is a feeling among some of us Mormons that there is more than a touch of prejudice in the criticism we face. It is a criticism of our faith not our actions. Romney may be the best candidate, the most presidential, the most successful of the candidates, yet he is so controversial, not because of what he has done, but for what people think he believes.