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Tuesday, July 15, 2008
ESPN Adds Another Sprint Cup Owner
Just when we thought the silly season was limited to drivers, it was ESPN's own Brad Daugherty who announced he was going to be joining the ranks of Sprint Cup Series owners.
Appearing on the Tuesday edition of NASCAR Now, host Ryan Burr introduced Daugherty and his 2009 Sprint Cup driver Marcos Ambrose. Daugherty has partnered with the JTG team to create a new racing entity that will campaign in the Sprint Cup Series full-time next season.
Burr spoke with Ambrose and Daugherty and touched on all the points of the deal. Originally, Daugherty was rumored to be entering the Craftsman Truck Series. Now, the news has come that JTG-Daugherty racing will be moving up to the big time.
Starting as a single car team, it should be interesting to see how Daugherty progresses. Burr did a good job of pinning Daugherty down on exactly why he got into a situation like this. Daugherty was not shy in mentioning that it was ESPN and his exposure that helped to keep his NASCAR profile high and enable this type of deal.
Burr turned to Andy Petree to ask about what being an owner will bring to Daugherty at ESPN. "Credibility" was the response. Petree is not one to mince words and as a former owner Petree could speak to the subject.
As for Ambrose, Petree said there is going to be a pretty steep learning curve for the Aussie. It was a diplomatic response, but it seemed that Petree was a bit surprised that Ambrose had come along as a part of the deal. Perhaps, fans will remember that thought for next season.
Burr continued the show with a good interview with media-friendly Joey Logano. Still very young in many ways, it is nice to see a fresh face being promoted as the future of the sport. Burr tried to ask his sophisticated and news-oriented questions, but ultimately Logano is a teenager and this adult approach did not work.
The entire purpose of Logano being on the show was Burr having the ability to ask about the Home Depot car in 2009. "Do you think you are ready?" asked Burr. "I think I am ready," said Logano. It is times like this that the naive side of the NASCAR Now crew comes out. Every driver is ready for the opportunity of a lifetime.
It was nice of ESPN to give a slot to the Kyle Petty charity motorcycle ride. Even nicer was to hear the mellow voice of Harry Gant calling-in by phone from the tour stop in Lexington, KY. Gant showed once again the "old school" NASCAR style that is sorely missed in the sport today.
There is no doubt that once the Daugherty news gets a bit older reaction will begin. Along with Ray Evernham and Rusty Wallace, ESPN now has three active owners with teams in either the Sprint Cup or Nationwide Series on staff. Whether he likes it or not, whatever Brad Daugherty says on-the-air from now on will be run through a very different "filter" by viewers.
The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the easy instructions. The rules for posting are located on the right side of the main page. Thank you for taking the time to stop by.
38 comments:
- Anonymous said...
I guess this is a good move for Brad. I notice alot of people would ask what he adds to the NASCAR Broadcasts on ESPN. Well he is a Sprint Cup Owner now. So he will know whats going on in the sport more than most.
- July 15, 2008 at 7:18 PM
- Anonymous said...
Well, its just another in a long,long,long,long long line of starry eyed wanna be owners with no racing experience, hiring an inexperienced, wild eyed driver to try to eek out a space in big time racing.
If names like Staubach and Aikman can't make a go of it, Daugherty has less of a shot than the Pope touring thru Baghdad.
Old Brad seems to be believeing his own PR. Too bad. We'll be reading about the closing of his operation in less than a year
Bray Kroter
- July 15, 2008 at 7:22 PM
- Ritchie said...
I for one am happy for Mr. Daugherty. He is a long time fan who, if everyone doesn't know this by now, has owned a NASCAR truck team. Who knows whether or not he will be successful, but I think he is a welcome addition to the garage.
Mr. Daly, I would like to add a little perspective to your statement "It is times like this that the naive side of the NASCAR Now crew comes out. Every driver is ready for the opportunity of a lifetime."
That is not entirely true. Brad Keselowski was on Wind Tunnel a few weeks ago and was asked if he was going to the Cup level. He stated flat out that he was not ready and wanted to wait a season. It's not unprecidented to legitimately ask a question like this and expect an honest answer. I do admit most drivers would say they are ready, however my feeling is that ESPN is setting up Lagono for next season. If he goes to Cup, and possibly fails, they can pull that video out and parade it in front of analysts while asking who made the stupid decision to push this kid too fast.
- July 15, 2008 at 7:44 PM
- Geeze said...
Far from a wannabe, Brad had owned a truck team and a Nationwide team in the past, and has won race's with Robert Pressley and Kenny Irwin Jr. He's been there. Good luck to him.
- July 15, 2008 at 7:52 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
I agree. That piece of video will have a very long shelf life.
It would be interesting if Brad K. had the #20 car staring him in the face. Even I might be ready for that challenge.
- July 15, 2008 at 8:28 PM
- Newracefan said...
I guess my question is this, hasn't Rusty said that his contract with ESPN prohibits him from owning a Cup team yet it's OK for Brad? My other thought was there goes the Wood Brothers sponser, I wonder of the 21 will even be back next year? That said I wish him all the luck he can find because it's not easy.
- July 15, 2008 at 8:40 PM
- Anonymous said...
Brad's past ownership of Trucks and Busch is like comparing a Tinker Toys bulder to a NYC skyscraper. Can ANYONE name a successful owner who has come from Trucks or Busch to a WINNING team in cup?? Other than Bill Davis, which has taken 15 years, I cannot.
This is a bad move for Brad
Bray Kroter
- July 15, 2008 at 9:05 PM
- Anonymous said...
In light of ESPN's restriction on Rusty's ownership of a Cup team, is it clear that Brad will be back as an analyst for ESPN next year?
I'm not sure whether Little Debbie is still a sponsor or associate sponsor for the Wood brothers - but, if they are, it would seem to be a curious situation since Ambrose drove the Wood brothers car at Sonoma this year.
- July 15, 2008 at 9:32 PM
- Anonymous said...
I wish him luck...I like Marcos so I hope he does well :)
- July 15, 2008 at 10:46 PM
- Nan S said...
I'm a huge fan of Ambrose and he was the reason I watched Trucks last year and watch Nationwide this year. I hope they can give him a good enough car to show his stuff in Cup.
Ambrose is very media and sponsor friendly and that may be part of the reason that Brad wants him, due to his own media experience.
- July 15, 2008 at 11:31 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
An ESPN spokesman has confirmed that there is no problem with the upcoming 2008 Sprint Cup season on ESPN and Daugherty's announcement.
"If there's a conflict with a specific issue, we'll have other announcers deal with it," said ESPN's Mike Soltys.
That should put any issue to rest until the off-season. By then perhaps ESPN will have formulated a new policy.
- July 16, 2008 at 12:12 AM
- Dot said...
To gymmie & nan s,
Isn't it ironic that Marcos gets a full time Cup ride and poor Boris one or two races a year? I wonder what the dynamics will be when Boris and Brad are on NN.
- July 16, 2008 at 12:13 AM
- Anonymous said...
Simply owning a team doesn't make one qualified as an expert on antyhing but how to put your moeny into a team.
Would you expect to get lots of racing insight from Teresa Earnhardt?
- July 16, 2008 at 7:04 AM
- Ritchie said...
Anon 7:04AM
I disagree. Owning a team gives you a lot more insight than one would think.
Its just like any other business. If you are a machinist, you have a lot of knowledge about how to turn a hunk of metal into something useful. However, your view of the business is somewhat limited by your job. The owner, in contrast, has to know a little about everything. A more macro viewpoint if you will.
Its good to have different viewpoints and perspectives. It provides a richer experience for the viewers.
As for your comment about Ms. Earnhardt, you do know her maiden name is Houston and she is from around Hickory, NC. If you don't, you may want to read about her family. Like her or not, she probably has more inside information about racing than all of us combined.
- July 16, 2008 at 7:38 AM
- Anonymous said...
As for your comment about Ms. Earnhardt, you do know her maiden name is Houston and she is from around Hickory, NC. If you don't, you may want to read about her family. Like her or not, she probably has more inside information about racing than all of us combined.
I am well aware of Teresa's racing background. Nevertheless, given her current state of involvement in Cup racing, which is far from hands-on, I contend she'd be less than informatve when it comes to telling us about racing today.
You don't like that comparison? Okay. Then how useful do you think team owner Troy Aikman would be in the booth?
Just having ther money to buy into a team doesn't make one an expert on racing.
- July 16, 2008 at 8:02 AM
- 3web88 said...
Who do they, brad daugherty and randy moss, think they're fooling? The ONLY reason that brad daugherty is involved in racing in any way is because he's black! He tried this stunt before and failed. Now that randy moss, with the help of daugherty, is getting involved, daugherty see's this as a chance to have more blacks in the sport. Apparently, he feels that blacks need to have their hands held and led into the sport. The fact that HE, daugherty, continues to use the words "minorities" and, god forbid, "african american", is PROOF that the only reason he is involved is because he's black. THAT is pathetic!
- July 16, 2008 at 8:59 AM
- Anonymous said...
The ONLY reason that brad daugherty is involved in racing in any way is because he's black!
Do you have a source for this or is it your own opinion?
- July 16, 2008 at 9:00 AM
- Anonymous said...
As a longtime NASCAR fan, I applaud Brad Daugherty.
Conventional wisdom will doom this venture before Marcos Ambrose
gets the command to fire his engine.
It's a deal like this that keeps me interested in NASCAR.
Shayne aka "The Recordificator"
- July 16, 2008 at 9:05 AM
- 3web88 said...
My source? The fact that daugherty helped create the ridiculous notion of "diversity" in NASCAR. If certain groups of people are not smart enough to know that they can build a race team, or drive for a race team if they work hard at it, than those are people that NASCAR does not need. Just like everything else: Your in because of TALENT, NOT because the color of your skin!
- July 16, 2008 at 9:10 AM
- Anonymous said...
I hope you keep posting Ritchie. Your knowledge and perspective on racing and broadcasting is needed. I agree about the questions, I thought they were excellent, especially compared to some I hear on trackside. I think Brad's had interest in racing most of his life, so he must realize the odds are against him. I don't understand Randy Moss, good luck to him.
- July 16, 2008 at 9:18 AM
- Anonymous said...
My source? The fact that daugherty helped create the ridiculous notion of "diversity" in NASCAR. If certain groups of people are not smart enough to know that they can build a race team, or drive for a race team if they work hard at it, than those are people that NASCAR does not need. Just like everything else: Your in because of TALENT, NOT because the color of your skin!
Your particular brand of racism is not needed nor wanted on this board, nor in the sport.
- July 16, 2008 at 9:49 AM
- Anonymous said...
anon9:49: thank you. i agree with that sentiment.
3web88: please take that ugliness to some other board.
- July 16, 2008 at 10:10 AM
- Anonymous said...
My understanding is that JTG Motorsports is an offshoot of the Wood Brothers. I also believe that the Wood Brothers and JTG have made some sort of "split", but nevertheless they are still connected in some facet. The Marcos Ambrose connection is that Little Debbie wanted him to drive the car. It's a contractual deal.
As far as Brad "getting involved" in the sport: Regardless of the reasons. be it a diversity issue, starry eyed,etc., He has been a fan alot longer than the diversity program has been around. He was a Richard Petty fan 30 years ago. I'm pretty sure the Confederate Flags are old news to him.
Perhaps, folks, that he just wants to be involved in racing? Needling every point to death is counter-productive.
- July 16, 2008 at 10:39 AM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Have you had an opportunity to take a look at Daugherty's NASCAR background and how he came to be asked to help with the original diversity effort?
It seems that the reality of how those things came about and the depth of his background in racing is very different from the reasons you suggest for him participating.
- July 16, 2008 at 10:43 AM
- Anonymous said...
Since this is an off week for Cup, it would be a perfect time for NASCAR Now to look at the economic climate of NASCAR, since the NASCAR budgets are up for review at the automakers. GM confirmed this Tuesday.
"There are some elements of motorsports that are very effective means of promotion and communication with certain customer segments. The ones that are less are the ones that will be ... scaled back," GM North America President Troy Clarke said at a news conference.
"It will be gradual, by and large, because we have contractual relationships or support relationships that we'll begin to wind down where that is appropriate," he added.
There was the sale of the parent company of Budweiser earlier this week and Jayski also has a report that yet another company is considering making a bid for Sprint.
The question is, does NASCAR Now have the reporters to cover this type of story - or more importantly, do they have the analysts who can take a good look at the subject and explain them to viewers without telling us "hey, no problems!" like Evernham did Monday night with Budweiser? Will they even try to be objective IF they bothered to cover the subject?
- July 16, 2008 at 12:40 PM
- Anonymous said...
My source? The fact that daugherty helped create the ridiculous notion of "diversity" in NASCAR. If certain groups of people are not smart enough to know that they can build a race team, or drive for a race team if they work hard at it, than those are people that NASCAR does not need. Just like everything else: Your in because of TALENT, NOT because the color of your skin!
It's because of people and comments like this that NASCAR is currently in a lawsuit. Your opinion, in my opinion, is completely uncalled for. So basically what your saying is the only reason Danica Patrick won a race is because shes a girl and she gets more money than the guys? OH and Brad D. didnt work hard to get where he is today. Everything was handed to him since he is black? PLEASE! He has worked harder than anyone to get where he is today. You have to remember he is in a partnership. That means he was chosen over other people. He obviously is qualified for the job.
- July 16, 2008 at 1:30 PM
- Anonymous said...
3web88, it's called entrepreneurship and is what makes America different from so many other countries. I applaud Brad for having the guts to take the risk and I hope he reaps the rewards. He seems like a super nice fellow, as does Marcos. I wish them much success in the future!
BTW, I am a Junior fan and am sure that Junior nor Dale Senior would approve of your earlier comments.
- July 16, 2008 at 4:20 PM
- Kenn Fong said...
At first I was troubled by the conflicts-of-interest of Rusty Wallace and Ray Evernham, but I have come to believe their knowledge as current owners is far more important to me than any conflicts-of-interest.
After all, NASCAR is one big product placement and, uh, a few races sprinkled in here and there.
I think having Brad Daugherty as the owner of a first-year one-car team will help us understand the problems of a struggling one-car team during the season
Alameda, California
- July 16, 2008 at 5:26 PM
- Anonymous said...
I don't mind when people involved also give opinions as long as everyone understands the situation and can judge each comment on it's own merit. What I don't like is when someone is affiliated with a company and wears their name on their shirt, but never discloses the affiliation or prefaces controversial comments that state that affiliation. Brad, Rusty, and Ray are all up front with the connections so I have absolutely no problem with them.
- July 16, 2008 at 6:21 PM
- Anonymous said...
At first I was troubled by the conflicts-of-interest of Rusty Wallace and Ray Evernham, but I have come to believe their knowledge as current owners is far more important to me than any conflicts-of-interest.
After watching Rusty's clumsy attemtps to deal with Steven Wallace's weekly crashes--and his inability to assign blame to Steven--I have to disagree.
- July 16, 2008 at 7:36 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
After watching Brad's comments on Wednesday's NASCAR Now about whether or not Toyota needs to get slowed down in the engine department, I was struck by how differently I heard his words.
This is going to be interesting.
- July 16, 2008 at 8:33 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- July 16, 2008 at 8:33 PM
- Kenn Fong said...
Anonymous 7:36:
After watching Rusty's clumsy attemtps to deal with Steven Wallace's weekly crashes--and his inability to assign blame to Steven--I have to disagree.
Does it surprise you that Rusty might be a proud father and therefore lack objectivity? I see it and discard that portion of his comments. I'd rather hear what he and Evernham have to say about how teams work and the off-the-track problems that teams have.
You can throw the proud father off your screen, or as some here do, throw out the adulterer and everything he says, but then you lose the value that ESPN sought when they hired him. I think we might agree that the powers that be at ESPN are not naîfs, so they must believe the value they get from Rusty, Ray, and now Brad outweighs any possible credibility gaps.
Alameda, California
- July 16, 2008 at 9:04 PM
- Newracefan said...
Like JD commented with Brad I have a problem when Rusty the team owner goes on about the Toyota engines and Nascar needs to fix it, I have no problem when Rusty the car owner doesn't want to throw his driver under the bus, I especially am OK with this since his son is the driver. Would you really want to watch a man critcize his son on TV, he has said at time that Steven made a mistake but usually he is silent and lets the others in the booth do the talking. Now Brad is going on about Toyota power. You don't hear Larry Mac saying they should change things mid season do you. I don't recall Ray saying that either. I wonder if Rusty didn't have such a big platform; which now Brad will also have; Nascar would have reacted at all. They didn't FIX chevy last year when they were winning everything did they.
- July 16, 2008 at 10:06 PM
- Anonymous said...
As long as the potential conflict is disclosed, then I can decide whether or not I want to discount a commentator's position. In fact, I believe potential conflicts are disclosed more in the racing and TV racing arena than in almost all other sports - and by other parts of the media. I am a big Bill Cowher fan, but I know he will not be wearing a sign "Coach for Hire" on CBS this fall - but he might be available. As far as I know the Charlotte Observer, for which David Poole writes, does not disclose how much advertising revenue it receives from SMI and from the huge auto dealer network controlled by Bruton Smith. If Jeff Hammonds shows up on a SPEED show with a corp. logo on his shirt, like Toyota, then I am alerted to their being a potential conflict.
I would rather hear Rusty, Ray E., or Brad D. and take the potential conflict into account than not hear them.
- July 16, 2008 at 10:40 PM
- Anonymous said...
My first race was a Busch Series race at Hickory where Spencer punted Jarrett at the end. Late 80's. Brad had financed Robert Pressley fledgling entry into this BGN race. I was 6 rows from the fence when RP was pushed into the wall and sprayed us with debris about midway of the event.
I say hurray for Brad. How does that relate to Randy Moss? Some of you people have too much red in your koolaid.
I speak as a southern redneck, so I say what Brad gets, he's earned through his involvement in the sport since his debut at that time. It has been well documented in stories both in print before the dawn of the internet and in subsequent stories since the birth of the interwebbietubies the connection Brad has with NASCAR and any allegation that Brad has no credibility as a NASCAR owner is simply disengenious.
I could rant all day but you goobers will never see the light of day.
JD, you can delete this post, as well you should but it has been good to get this off the big ole hairy chest.
- July 16, 2008 at 11:00 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
I don't think the real issue here is his credibility. That was just Andy Petree's response to a question on NASCAR Now.
My issue is what happens when Brad or Ray or Rusty is put on the spot during The Chase with an issue like Toyota being docked because they make too much power?
The entire idea of having a commentator is someone who can say what is on their mind. Between Michael and Darrell, Rusty and Ray and now Brad I think it has put their opinions in a very different light whether that is deserved or not.
Michael is doing the Trucks and Rusty the Nationwide Series, but Brad and sometimes Ray are going to be high-profile on ESPN and ABC with the Cup stuff.
As I said, it should be interesting.
- July 17, 2008 at 5:03 AM
- Anonymous said...
Does it surprise you that Rusty might be a proud father and therefore lack objectivity?
Not at all.
That is exactly why he does not belong on a professionl, national-level sports broadcast, calling races involving his son.
- July 17, 2008 at 6:55 AM


text:
Rocking with sigrok
A coworker asked me about buying a telescope the other day. I gave him advice I'd received earlier: The best telescope is one that you will use. If you have a $100 telescope that takes 5 minutes to set up, you might use it more than an $800 telescope that takes two people an hour to set up. So even though the $100 telescope isn't really all that great, it is a better value because you will use it more. Last time, I was talking about my inconvenient logic analyzers; this time, I'll tell you more about my quest for convenience.
A little eBay shopping let me pick up an "ArmFly" logic analyzer for about 10 bucks. No kidding. It is a Cypress CPU that receives a firmware load from the host computer. In reality, it is a clone of the USBee hardware, although as far as I can tell they all originate from a Cypress reference design. From what I have read online, there is a constant battle to keep the USBee software from running on these clones, but since I wanted Linux software anyway, that didn't concern me (there is no USBee software for Linux).
The open source software sigrok supports the ArmFly (and the USBee, and a host of other logic analyzers and similar instruments) and my plan was to use that. In the end, I did wind up using it, but not in the way I expected.
There are a few things that sigrok suffers from and the main one is out of date or lack of documentation. Another item is that some of the ancillary pieces are not quite ready for prime time. For example, the serial UART decoder has a comment in the code that there needs to be a way to invert the incoming signal, but it fails to provide a way to do that (short of writing your own code, of course). The GUI front ends are not really polished nor do they offer all available features.
None of these problems are insurmountable, but they do detract from the overall package. Of course, the strong parts of sigrok are its wide array of input and output options. Last time I showed you the LogicSniffer software and — not surprisingly — the sigrok tool can output in that file format.
Once again, I hooked up an Arduino with a simple SoftwareSerial test program:
#include <SoftwareSerial.h> SoftwareSerial mySerial(10, 11); // RX, TX void setup() { // set the data rate for the SoftwareSerial port mySerial.begin(9600); } void loop() // run over and over { mySerial.println("Hello, Dr. Dobb's."); }
With a probe on pin 11, sigrok can dump a "graphic" right to the terminal:
Cute, but hard to read. Note the command line:
sigrok-cli --driver fx2lafw --samples 1024 -O ascii -p 1
Despite the current documentation, this is the correct way to use the tool. The
--driver options tells the software what device to look for. In my case, all of the Cypress-based cheap analyzers use the same driver, fx2lafw. The rest of the options are self-explanatory. Collect 1024 samples from probe 1 and emit them as ASCII. You can read up to 8 channels at once with this hardware.
It takes some detective work to figure things out. If you use the
--show option you can learn more about the driver's support for your hardware:
[email protected]:/tmp/sigrok$ sigrok-cli --driver fx2lafw --show CWAV USBee AX with 8 probes: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Supported triggers: 0 1 Supported device options: samplerate - supported samplerates: 20 kHz 25 kHz 50 kHz 100 kHz 200 kHz 250 kHz 500 kHz 1 MHz 2 MHz 3 MHz 4 MHz 6 MHz 8 MHz 12 MHz 16 MHz 24 MHz
That tells us that there's an option for the driver called
samplerate. The values are fairly tolerant. For example, 25 kHz can appear as '25 kHz', 25khz, or even 25000. Let's go to 100kHz sampling:
sigrok-cli --driver fx2lafw -d samplerate=100khz --samples 1024 -O ascii -p 1
The same trick works for learning about protocol decoders:
[email protected]:/tmp/sigrok$ sigrok-cli -a uart --show ID: uart Name: UART Long name: Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter Description: Asynchronous, serial bus. License: gplv2+ Annotations: - ASCII Data bytes as ASCII characters - Decimal Databytes as decimal, integer values - Hex Data bytes in hex format - Octal Data bytes as octal numbers - Bits Data bytes in bit notation (sequence of 0/1 digits) . . .
The output goes on, including wording about inverting data. However, in the actual code there is simply a comment that inverted input is "to do."
I can change the
-O ascii option to
-O vcd and get a dump that is just what I would get from a typical Verilog simulator. A tool like gtkWave can easily read that:
Note that I'm only looking at one signal by choice. You could easily add any or all of the 8 signals into any of these displays.
Of course, gtkWave doesn't do sophisticated signal decoding (that I know of, at least). But with the OLS format (
-O ols) it is possible to read the data into LogicSniffer and use the UART analyzer tool just like I did last time.
You can combine the sigrok software with the idea of using named pipes I talked about last time:
mknod /tmp/sigrok.pipe p sigrok-cli –driver fx2lafw –d samplerate=100000 –continuous -O binary –p 1 >/tmp/sigrok.pipe
Now you can ask LogicSniffer to do a "generic" acquire on /tmp/sigrok.pipe and you can capture the data directly into the tool without an intermediate file.
You can trigger in a very limited way, and perhaps I'll talk about that next time. However, if you expect this little box — about the size of a small box of mints and about the price of a hamburger — to match an expensive professional instrument, you'll be disappointed. However, its cost/benefit ratio is very good. It is also handy, like a small cheap telescope. It might not give the best views, but you are more likely to look.

subset: commoncrawl


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text:
I headed to the xkcd forums to try to find the guy who wrote "that's so funny, it seems like every product fits into one of those categories" so i could be like "well DUH everything is either within 25 years or in 25+ years" but I couldn't find it. Instead I found a phd comic:
linear. The joke is not "if he says x, it will take Y, if he says 2x, it will be 2y" etc. The 3rd item on the list subverts the expected joke, and then the 4th does it again. In the 5th item the issue isn't even the length of time, so it's in some ways a different sort of joke. Basically, it isn't repetitive. It isn't inefficient with space.
Also, what Lint of Death said.
Holy CRAP how does Subnormality manage to write so many goddamn words in a single comic? How is that possible?
I'm still reading Homestuck over at MSPaint adventures but I feel like it's been about a month since anything important to the story happened. It's just...too expansive, this world he has made. Too many people and too much backstory for each of them. Does it matter that John hates Betty Crocker? Some wacky diversions are fine - that's part of MSPA's thing. But it just seems like he's going downright crazy with them these days.
Only one more shitty post from me and then it is Aloria for a week! Hurrah!


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The Stowell surname in my tree is from my maternal side of the family. The earliest person with this surname that I have been able to find so far is my 3x great grandfather William Stowell. As far as I can tell he was born about 1802 in the small hamlet of Bell Busk in the Yorkshire Dales, England.
I have a total of 23 Stowell's including my 2x great grandfather John Stowell and his daughter Ellen Stowell, my great grandmother.
Since then the name has been given as a first name to one of my uncles.
According to surnamedb Stowell is a locational name from a number of places named with the Olde English pre 7th Century "stan", meaning stony, and "wella", meaning a spring or stream.
These places include Stowell near Northleach in Gloucestershire, recorded as Stanuuella in the Domesday Book of 1086; Stowell in Somerset, appearing as Stanwelle in the Domesday book; Stowell in Wiltshire, entered as Stowelle in the Charter Rolls of that county in 1300; and also Stawell near Bridgewater in Somerset, recorded as Stawelle in the Domesday Book and Stanwelle in the 1279 Hundred Rolls of Somerset.
My Stowell's migrated across the Pennines in the 19th Century and latterly are to be found in the Burnley and Padiham areas of Lancashire.
There are few variant spellings of the name including Stawell and Stowelle.
Early example of the surname include: Richard de Stawell (Wiltshire, 1273) and Lecia Stowelle (Cambridgeshire, 1273). In 1591, one John Stowell of Somerset was entered in the "Oxford University Register". The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Adam de Stawell. This was dated 1272, in the Hundred Rolls of Somerset


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April 23, 2014
You might ask why I prefer this to Arduino. It is an easy path to move to a more powerful setup.
In a world of square and round holes, I'm an octagonal peg. That is, I'm not exactly a software guy nor am I exactly a hardware guy. I suspect a lot of people who do embedded development feel the same way. When I work with hardware guys, I find that a lot of them dabble in software to some degree. The number of pure software guys that I see who try their hand at hardware is somewhat smaller.
I have noticed that number is, however, on the rise. The Basic Stamp was one of the first "easy" embedded platforms, and these days the Arduino is all the rage. Both of these offer an easy way to build embedded systems. An inexpensive board incorporates everything you need to program the device using a common PC. These boards are somewhat anemic, though, featuring relatively small amounts of memory and limited 8-bit instructions sets.
On the other end of the spectrum are boards like the Raspberry Pi, the Beagle Bone, and a host of imitators. These boards are more like early model PCs (actually, many of them far exceed my first PCs). These often use Linux and are really more miniaturized PCs than what I think of as classic, small embedded systems.
I've been interested lately in what can fill the gap between these two extremes. Even more than that, how can people who want to build their own hardware get past the "buy a module" stage? I think I've found a pretty good answer.
I've written before about using 32-bit ARM processors, typically using some inexpensive development board. These are great, except for two things. First, the boards aren't really suitable for any sort of production. But they are better to prototype with because the CPUs are in tiny surface mount chips. I don't mind prototyping with surface mount, but for someone starting out (or a student) it can be daunting. The other problem is the toolchain.
If you buy one of the commercial environments, that's not a big problem. A lot of the boards come with some trial or limited software and if that meets your needs, that's probably fine. If that software doesn't run on your operating system, or if you don't want a limit on what you can do, you need to set up your own tools. That isn't as hard as it used to be, but it is still a barrier. Each CPU has slightly different start up needs, and getting a good build environment set up isn't trivial for the neophyte.
I'm not saying any of these things are impossible, of course. But if you are trying to get started from some environment like the Arduino, it is definitely an obstacle. However, a few things have changed that makes getting started with ARM more on par with the Arduino.
The trick is the NXP LPC1114FN28. This is an ARM Cortex M0 CPU with 32K or program storage, 4K of RAM, and an internal clock that can drive the chip at 48MHz (the chip can run at 50MHz with an external clock). The internal clock, the fact that it is in a 28-pin DIP package, and the inclusion of serial bootloader makes the chip ideal for prototyping. They cost about $3, which doesn't hurt either.
If you are familiar with a solderless breadboard, it is as easy as plugging the chip in, providing a 3.3V regulated power supply, and connecting a TTL-level USB to serial cable to the chip's serial port. You could also use an old-fashioned serial port if you have a TTL level converter. Either way, those items are common and cheap these days.
The only other thing you need is a way to pull the bootloader pin low on reset so you can load software on the device. If you want to go first class, you can put a button or a jumper on the reset and the bootloader pin. If you don't, you can just use a piece of wire on the breadboard to short the pins to ground.
For tools, there are plenty of choices, and I'll talk about some of them next time. For a starter, though, there's the online Mbed compiler shown in the figure below. You can use this online IDE to compile C++ programs using the very nice Mbed libraries.
The Mbed libraries take care of the startup, multiplexing, and other tasks that beginner ARM programmers usually find daunting. Here's a simple Mbed program to generate PWM on an output pin:
#include "mbed.h" PwmOut led(LED1); int main() { while(1) { for(float p = 0.0f; p < 1.0f; p += 0.1f) { led = p; wait(0.1); } } }
There are Mbed objects to cover common operations available on the CPU. For example, here's how you'd read an analog input port:
AnalogIn ainput(p19); float v; . . . v=ainput;
You might ask why I prefer this to Arduino. The CPU has more power, of course. A 32-bit processor running at 48MHz is a good bit of horsepower. However, it is more than just that. Granted, the online IDE and the Mbed libraries make things simple like the Arduino. But, it is an easy path to move to a more powerful setup. The LPCXpresso suite, for example, works well and interfaces with several inexpensive debugging probes (in the $20 range) so you can do single stepping, breakpoints, and the like. On top of that, if you want to do something serious, there are plenty of upgrade paths to larger processors (although not on a solderless breadboard).
Next time, I'll show you how my development environment is wired. It is simple enough for a first embedded hardware project. If you honestly don't want to wire up anything, you can get a similar processor (with more memory) already on a board for way under $15. The board has an integrated touch sensor, a three-color LED, and a three-axis accelerometer. It also has built-in USB so you don't need any additional cables.
The board is a lot of fun, but honestly, you'll learn more building up your first board from scratch. It isn't hard and it will make it easier in the future to integrate your design with a finished product.


text: 10/12/2012 (08:00PM - 09:00PM) (Friday) : THE BATTLES BEGIN - THE COACHES ENLIST GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING ARTISTS, BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG, MARY J. BLIGE, MICHAEL BUBLE AND ROB THOMAS TO PREPARE THEIR ARTISTS FOR BATTLE - IN A NEW TWIST, EACH COACH HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO STEAL ARTISTS WHO ARE ELIMINATED FROM OPPOSING TEAMS - The "battle rounds" continue and the coaches enlist the help of the music industry's top recording artists to offer their knowledge and skill as advisers. Christina Aguilera teams up with Billie Joe Armstrong, Adam Levine with Mary J. Blige, CeeLo Green with Rob Thomas, and Blake Shelton with Michael Buble. In this phase the coaches pit two of their own team members against each other in a dueling duet. After the vocal face-off, each coach must choose which artist from their team is the strongest and in a new twist, also has the option of stealing losing artists from an opposing coach. Each coach has two steals during the battle rounds where their artists will proceed to the new knockout rounds. Carson Daly ("Last Call with Carson Daly") hosts. Christina Milian ("Be Cool") serves as Social Media Correspondent.


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Quick, before the Christmas bills roll in: commit to making at least one memorable trip in 2012. Something to look forward to during the bleak days of midwinter and to look back on fondly for years to come. We've scoured the web, talked to friends, sorted through a mountain of travel promotions to find something for almost everyone. And off we go …
1. Barging the Canal du Midi
Southern France
Special Places Travel
Emma, a handsomely restored century-old barge with room for six passengers, plies the 17th century Canal du Midi seven months a year.
The weeklong, 80-kilometre trip meanders from either Carcassonne to Beziers or Carcassonne to Toulouse (it goes in reverse on alternate weeks). You enjoy daily stops, such as visits to the sprawling market in the ancient city of Olonzac or to Narbonne, the capital of Roman Gaul where chariot marks still score the Via Domitia. Other excursions include wine-tasting at a vineyard and a ramble through a château. The barge also carries six bicycles. Bloggers rave about the laid-back ambience and the hospitality of the owners/hosts.
Downside: Small cabins (100 square feet). July and August can be very hot in the south of France, but the barge is air-conditioned.
Cost: $5,638 per person. Charters available starting at $22,000 for four people. Price does not include getting to Paris or from Paris to the barge.
When: March 31 to Oct. 20, 2012
Contact: 1-877-642-2743 or www.bargesinfrance.com
2. The Mayan Route
G Adventures or self-planned
Despite ancient Mayan predictions, the world will probably not end in 2012. But that's no reason to delay a jaunt along the Mayan Route, named the second best region in the world to visit in 2012 by guidebook publisher Lonely Planet. The route, which is not a formally linked one, meanders 2,400 kilometres through Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and other countries. Tour operators typically offer a smattering of archeological sites, jungles and other highlights from 3,000 years of ancient Mayan history.
G Adventures offers the Mayan Adventure, a 22-day tour including the ruins at Uxmal and Xunantunich, a boat ride through the Sumidero Canyon, and stops at indigenous villages. Adventurous travellers, though, can organize independent tours including trips to the lovely city of Antigua and Chichicastenango's indigenous market, both in Guatemala (for self-planning ideas, check the Thorn Tree forum at www.lonelyplanet.com/searchResult?q=mayan+route).
Downside: Crime in big cities; in May, farmers in Belize burn their fields causing extensive smoke.
Cost: G Adventures: From $2,255 for the Mayan Adventure (doesn't include flights to Central America).
When: Year-round.
Contact: 1-877-277-9853 or www.gadventures.com
3. Mysteries and Manners in Savannah: Selected Works of Flannery O'Connor
Worldwide Quest/Classical Pursuits
According to the website TripAdvisor, cultural voyages are second only to beach trips as the most popular vacation options for 2012.
This five-day event in Savannah, Georgia, includes readings from and discussions about the works of the late master southern fiction writer Flannery O'Connor, a native of Savannah; prowls through that city's antebellum architecture and its 24 public squares; and a trip to the Gothic-sounding Andalusia, the O'Connor family farm in Milledgeville.
Downside: You risk being the bore of the cocktail party circuit with your endless elucidation of all things O'Connor.
Cost: $1,737 (doesn't include getting to Savannah).
When: April 1 to 5, 2012
Contact: 1-877-633-2555 or www.classicalpursuits.com
4. Burma (Myanmar) and Laos
Adventure Women
Repressive military rule, human rights abuses and other issues have long made Burma an unappealing tourist destination. That's slowly changing and now's the time to visit if you value discovering a place before the hordes arrive. It's also quite safe, says Helen Tomei of Adventure Women, which runs women-only tours. "We went there six years ago and didn't have trouble." Tiny neighbouring Laos is also little-visited and, according to Adventure Woman's website, has no bright lights, shopping malls or amusement parks. The trip includes archeological ruins, pagodas and Inle Lake, Burma, home of floating vegetable gardens and Ngae Ni's Intha tribe, famed for their one-leg rowing technique.
Downside: The risks that go with any politically troubled area.
Cost: $6,146 (doesn't include getting to Bangkok, Thailand).
When: Feb. 15 to 28, 2012
Contact: 1-800-804-8686 or www.adventurewomen.com
5. Guided Sea Kayak Weekend on Lake Superior
Naturally Superior Adventures
An unhurried — and affordable — paddle along the northernmost wilderness coastline of Lake Superior Provincial Park, this guided outing is geared to inexperienced and intermediate kayakers and campers alike. Trips run Friday afternoons to Sunday afternoons, with kayaking instruction, overnight camping and fresh meals by "wilderness chefs." Sights include boreal forests, rocky headlands and such wildlife as peregrine falcons and moose. You need to supply your own sleeping bag and will be expected to carry gear. This would make a dandy trip for outdoorsy families with children over 16.
Downside: Bad weather could make it a less than stellar weekend.
Cost: $385 per person (doesn't include getting to base at Rock Island Lodge near Wawa, Ont.)
When: July 20 to 22, July 27 to 29 and Aug. 10 to 12, 2012
Contact: 1-800-203-9092 or www.naturallysuperior.com
6. The Silk Road by Rail
Journeys by Jerry Van Dyke
The kind of trip most of us can only salivate over, this three-week tour de force follows the ancient trade route from Beijing across the Far East and Russia to Moscow. It includes private group excursions at Xian, land of the Terra Cotta Warriors; Ashgabat, the "Las Vegas of the Kara Kum"; Dunhuang and the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas, the latter a treasure trove of classical Chinese and Buddhist art; and other sites. There are also trips to the Great Wall of China, Red Square in Moscow and other sites. The trip includes 15 nights aboard The Shangri-La Express and The Golden Eagle and five nights in hotels. The trains feature twin-berth cabins, some with ensuites, as well as piano bars and on-board doctors.
Downside: Rail travel, with its rocking motion and relatively slow pace, is not for everyone.
Cost: The trip starts at $22,490 per person, which includes return airfare from Toronto.
When: Sept. 24 to Oct. 15, 2012
Contact: 1-800-265-8174 or www.jerryvandyke.com.
7. Golden Sands and Silvery Backwaters of South India
Sacred Earth Journeys
At once an inward and outward journey, this 15-day tour led by meditation master Padma blends daily yoga and meditation sessions with an unhurried tour of the country where yoga was born. Stops include the tea plantation area of Munnar, the temple city of Madurai and the Hindu holy place of Mahabalipuram. Heck, there's even time for an overnight houseboat cruise and western-style sightseeing and shopping in the capital city of Tamil Nadu, Chennai. There's also a three-day yoga and meditation retreat on the Arabian Sea and private meditation consultations with Padma. This trip could cure the ills induced by our pell-mell Western ways.
Downside: Canadian government travel advisories recommend exercising high caution in all areas of India, including around religious sites, because of the threat of terrorist attacks.
Cost: $4,445, not including airfare to India.
When: Feb. 26 to March 11, 2012
Contact: 1-877-874-7922 or www.sacredearthjourneys.ca
8. Out of the Northwest Passage
Adventure Canada
With climate change ramping up, who knows how much longer trips like this will be around? This 17-day excursion includes Nunavut, the Northwest Territories and Greenland in a single sailing, including a stop at the Ilulissat where North America's icebergs calve from the Greenland ice cap. The operational word here is ice which is ubiquitous and can foreshorten ventures like the journey into Smith Sound, the route to the North Pole. The tour includes a round of golf on a course overlooking the Beaufort Sea at Ulukhatok and daily lectures on destinations. The north is a "profound place," says Ottawa-area singer/songwriter Ian Tamblyn, a veteran traveller and staff member on this trip. "I don't know anyone who's gone there and didn't come back addicted."
Downside: Because of the enormous distances covered, such trips are really samplers without a lot of time to linger in any one spot.
Cost: From $7,376 excluding airfare to Kugluktuk (Coppermine) in Nunavut and return flight from Greenland.
When: Sept. 1 to 17, 2012
Contact: 1-800-363-7566 or www.adventurecanada.com
9. Hiking Iceland
National Geographic Adventures
Predictions that next year will offer the best northern lights displays in a decade; worldwide attention thanks to the 2010 volcanic eruption; voted top destination for 2012 by readers of Lonely Planet and one of National Geographic Traveler's Best of the World picks: how can you not visit Iceland? National Geographic's 10-day outing includes a trek on the glacier-topped Eyjafjallajökull volcano whose ash caused air transport nightmare in 2010, a hike up a basaltic-framed waterfall, a boat ride among newly calved icebergs and a dip in the thermal waters of a crater lake. This trip is rated moderate for physical effort including hikes of up to 12 kilometres including some steep terrain — just the thing to spark your appetite for Iceland's ubiquitous seafood.
Downside: Iceland can be overcrowded with other tourists during the summer.
Cost: $6,146, not including airfare to Iceland
When: June 29 to July 8, July 6 to July 15, July 20 to July 29, Aug. 10 to 19 and Aug. 31 to Sept. 9, 2012
Contact: 1-888-689-2557 or www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com.
10. Eyes on Elephant — Zimbabwe
The Africa Adventure Company
You'll go on walks, take morning and night drives and canoe on this 15-day camping safari that tracks lions, rhinos, elephants and more in Hwange and Mana Pools national parks. Canoe expeditions, which include fishing, leave at dawn. Geography ranges from semi-desert to river islands. These safaris are small — a maximum of six people — and the company, committed to habitat conservation and local education, has been guiding tours like these for 25 years. This trip was one of National Geographic Traveler magazine's 50 Tours of a Lifetime 2011.
Downside: Travellers on other safaris have cautioned that the unexpected can occur on any of these trips — anything from reactions to malaria pills to seeing too many wildebeests and not enough rhinos.
Cost: $7,686 per person, not including airfare to Africa.
When: Tours that are still open include June 12 to 26, July 14 to July 28, Aug. 9 to Aug. 23, Aug. 21 to Sept. 4, Sept. 4 to 18 and Sept. 11 to 25
Contact: 1-800-882-9453 or www.africa-adventure.com
11. Exploring the Byzantine Empire
Voyages to Antiquity
These folks offer higher-end cruises that focus on cultural history. Tours include lectures by guest speakers — authors and university professors among them — and there's no bingo, chorus line or Baked Alaska as one delighted Canadian customer exclaims in a testimonial. The Byzantine Empire tour sails from Istanbul to Venice, with excursions to monasteries, the Holy Cave of the Apocalypse where St. John dictated the Book of Revelation and other spots including the 13th-century Christos Elkomenos cathedral.
Downside: You are with up to 350 other passengers, so activities are at a group pace.
Cost: $4,854 per person, not including airfare (low-cost flights to Istanbul are available from many North American cities including Toronto).
When: Sept. 23 to Oct. 8, 2012
Contact: 1-877-398-1460 or www.voyagestoantiquity.com.
12. Great Bear Rainforest Tours by Sail
Maple Leaf Adventures
The Great Bear Rainforest 3 excursion in September aboard the schooner Maple Leaf visits the fiords, river estuaries and rainforests of B.C.'s coastal Great Bear Rainforest area. The nine-day trip includes cruises to grizzly bear havens where spawning salmon ignite a feeding frenzy (the elusive coastal wolf has also been spotted hunting salmon). With a naturalist aboard, the voyage includes sea lion, humpback whale and black and spirit bear watching as well as shore excursions such as a visit to a First Nations village and a forest walk. Passengers can help sail the schooner (on-board instruction available).
Downside: Like any tour involving wildlife, there's no guarantee every animal will actually make an appearance.
Cost: $5,000 per person (doesn't include getting to Bella Bella, B.C.)
When: Sept. 20 to 28, 2012. The company also offers other tours of this sort in spring, summer and fall.
Contact: 1-888-599-5323 or www.mapleleafadventures.com


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This meaningful piece offers a deeply touching way to commemorate the life of your loved ones. The pendant is fondly engraved with »When someone you love becomes a memory, that memory becomes a treasure«. Acting as a source of consolation, this piece can also make a thoughtful gift to a friend in a time of suffering or grief.
Material: Stainless Steel
Wing size: 2" x 1.11" / 5.2cm x 2.8cm
Pendant diameter: 1.37" / 3.5cm
Our jewelry is not shown to size. Images are often enlarged to show detail - please use approximate measurements provided above to determine item's actual size.
#keychains keyrings key chains key rings key ring key chain
A lot of love and effort was put into creating your Linda's Stars jewellery.
To keep your intricately crafted jewellery at their best for as long as possible, keep it away from chemicals such as chlorinated water, deodorant, perfume, moisturisers etc. The best step you can take in caring for your jewelry is taking it off in any situation that may damage it.
Store your jewellery in a dry location with low humidity.
Clean your sterling silver jewelry with a soft 100% cotton (nub free) cloth or flannel cloth.
Sterling silver is a very soft metal and you can scratch it if you aren't careful so don't rub it too briskly. Never use anything but a clean 100% cotton or a special sterling silver cleaning cloth or very soft bristle brush, like a baby's tooth brush or a horsehair silver brush.
Stainless steel is a very durable material with strong anti-corrosion properties. With proper care it will maintain an optimal appearance over a long service life.
In order to ensure that your Linda's Stars stainless steel jewelry maintains its beautiful finish it is critical that you care for it properly. You can use mild dishwashing liquid (two or three drops in warm water will do) and wipe it down with a soft cloth. Steel jewelry is very durable and can withstand a lot of wear and tear.
We recommend cleaning as often as needed using a polishing cloth, or a soft cotton cloth, on any metal parts to reduce tarnish. Please keep in mind, due to personal skin pH levels and the frequency of wear, jewelry may tarnish more quickly for some people.
Please try to avoid exposure to water and sunlight. We recommend removing your jewelry before showering, swimming, etc. Since exposure to air can also oxidize jewelry, we recommend storing jewelry in an airtight pouch, rather than keeping it exposed to air.
With love, Linda's Stars
Colors - Despite every effort to accurately depict product colors, actual colors may vary slightly. This is due to your monitor settings, video cards, browser settings etc. By making a purchase on our website you are acknowledging that there may be slight variations between the actual color and the representation on our website.
Images - Please note that the pictures provided are enlarged for demonstration purposes. All pieces advertised have sizes/dimensions listed under the details tab.
Please allow 1-6 business days + transit times* (Monday through Friday) for orders to be processed. Orders placed after 10:00 am PST on Fridays or during special promotions and new product launches may experience longer processing times (Monday through Friday), but we promise that you are our priority and we will make every effort to get your order processed as soon as possible.
* Transit times - all orders are handled by the USPS or DHL. Delivery times vary depending on your delivery area.
If for whatever reason your Lindastars purchase does not meet your satisfaction, you have 30 days from the delivery to return the product free of charge.
Please contact us at [email protected] for more information.
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Here she is!
Vika, the amazing UberModel from Russia, doing what she does best (posing nude!) around the pool. After a long day of shooting, she's grown tired, and needs to relax. Watch as this fatigued super beauty basks on the diving board, teasing the water with her toes.
Wanna go for a dip with Vika?
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As Oklahoma celebrate its 106th birthday, residents keep their heads up
Oklahoma became America's 46th State on Nov. 16, 1907.
Teddy Roosevelt welcomed the Boomers and even the Sooners into the union 104 years after the land was acquired as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 and 73 years after it became Indian Territory – where entire tribes were relocated after supporting the South in the Civil War.
Tribes from the settled states were relocated to Oklahoma's plains where they joined other Native Americans who already enjoyed the good hunting and grazing lands the area offered.
Of course, when Americans noticed the area would be a good place to raise cattle, many "Boomers" illegally planted themselves in the territory. Soon, the idea to open about two million acres to white settlement was approved and a Land Run was planned. But, like the Boomers, some "Sooners" claimed their spots before the starter's gun started the legal occupation.
Before long, Oklahoma Territory and Indian Territory existed side by side. In 1907, both came into the union as one state using the Choctaw tribal language derived name that means Red People.
More than 10 percent of the state's residents are still Native American. The state's relationship with Native Americans is still a little shaky to this day. The tribes still enjoy some autonomy in localized areas and the explosion of Casinos on Native American controlled land has filled tribal coffers. Agreements with the state government insure that some of that money also helps fund state projects.
The 106-year history of the state has been anything but uneventful. The state's excellent agriculture and ranching areas suffered during the drought of the 1930's when the state became part of the Dust Bowl – a difficult era popularized by John Steinibeck's The Grapes of Wrath.
But just when things seemed most bleak, the oil industry gave the state a second boom that was followed by a second bust during the early 1980s.
As the oil industry has rebounded, the state's economy has followed.
Everyone knows that Oklahoma is in the middle of Tornado Alley. One of the local jokes was always that they may have tornadoes, but at least there weren't any earthquakes.
Now theories abound that the Sooner State may be stabilizing the economy while destabilizing the ground.
Many blame the process of wastewater disposal from fracking (or hydraulic fracturing) for the recent swarm of earthquakes – more than 90 in a month – in the state. Fracking involves injecting fluid into the ground to make it possible to retrieve natural gas reserves that were unreachable before new fractures were created in the rock below ground.
Some believe these new cracks are doing more than making natural gas available.
The atypical earthquake activity began near Oklahoma City about five years ago. While the Oklahoma City area quakes continue, the activity has radiated away to other areas of the state.
So as the Okies celebrate their 106th birthday, residents keep their heads up.
You never know if the next big story from Oklahoma will be a tornado sweeping across the sky or a quake shaking the ground, but if you are near one of the hundreds of the casinos in the state, you can bet that the next 106 years won't be any less interesting.
Kent Bush is the publisher of the Butler County Times Gazette and can be reached at: email@example.com