Yearly Archives: 2009

Two Wheel Oklahoma Airing Statewide

altThe Two Wheel Oklahoma series will be shown on Oklahoma Educational Television Authority (OETA) stations beginning in April 2010. The travel show first aired on local Tulsa television in October 2009.

Two Wheel Oklahoma features Brad Mathison and Rex Brown as they travel the scenic highways in and around Oklahoma in search of unusual roadside attractions, historical sites, unique eateries and forgotten landmarks.

Each episode features a different destination or stretch of highway, all seen from the perspective of the two hosts aboard their motorcycles. Interviews with interesting characters encountered along the route are an integral part of each episode, and everything is treated in a documentary style. Rex and Brad add commentary through video diaries to share more details about the particular destination they have visited, or people they have met.

“The idea for the show originated from our own motorcycle excursions,” Mathison explained. “It started out as simply documenting our journeys for friends and family.”

There are four episodes so far, with plans for more in the Spring 2010. A few of the destinations so far include the Rock Cafe, the Round Barn, Spavinaw, historic Fort Gibson and Woolaroc.

Co-host Rex Brown said, “The greatest compliments we receive are from people who tell us they watched our show and then went out for a drive. That’s a really great feeling to know you inspired someone to get out and enjoy our state.”

Shakedown In Copenhagen

If you would know what Copenhagen is all about, hearken to this nugget in The Washington Post’s report from the Danish capital.

"Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenari — who is representing all of Africa here — unveiled his proposal Wednesday for a system in which rich countries would provide money to poor ones to help deal with the effects of climate change. …

"Zenawi said he would accept $30 billion in the short term, rising to $100 billion by 2020. … This was seen as a key concession by developing countries, which had previously spurned that figure … as too low."

There was a time when a U.S. diplomat would have burst out laughing after listening to a Third World con artist like this.

But not the Obamaites. They are already ponying up.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack just pledged $1 billion at Copenhagen to developing countries who preserve their forests. Thus, America, $12 trillion in debt and facing a second straight $1.4 trillion deficit, will borrow another $1 billion from China to send to Brazil to bribe them to stop cutting down their trees.

When you slice through the blather about marooned bears and melting ice caps, oceans rising and cities sinking, global warming is a racket and a crock. It is all about money and power.

Copenhagen has always been about an endless transfer of wealth from America, Europe and Japan and creation of a global bureaucracy to control the pace of world economic and industrial development.

End game: enrichment and empowerment of global elites at the expense of Western peoples whose leaders have been bamboozled by con artists.

When Katrina hit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast and Rita came ashore in Texas in 2005, we were told this was due to global warming, and hurricane seasons would now get worse and worse until the world radically reduced the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

President Bush ignored the hysteria. What happened?

As Michael Fumento reports, the 2009 hurricane season ended quietly, with the fewest hurricanes since 1997, and not one hurricane made landfall in the United States.

When the feds sought to list the polar bear as an endangered species, Gov. Sarah Palin protested this "politicized science" and sued, claiming the polar bear was a healthy species whose numbers had doubled in recent years.

Was she wrong?

Is the Arctic ice cap melting? So we are told. But what harm has befallen mankind other than to have a Northwest Passage opened up to maritime traffic in the summer?

The Antarctic ice sheet is nine times as large as the Arctic, and here is what the British Antarctic Survey wrote last April:

"(D)uring the winter freeze in Antarctica this ice cover expands to an area roughly twice the size of Europe. Ranging in thickness from less than a metre to several metres, the ice insulates the warm ocean from the frigid atmosphere above. Satellite images show that since the 1970s the extent of Antarctic sea ice has increased at a rate of 100,000 square kilometres a decade."

One hundred thousand square kilometers a decade?

This would mean Antarctic sea ice expanded by 300,000 square kilometers since the 1970s, or 116,000 square miles, which is an area larger than all of New England.

How can the Antarctic ice cap grow for three decades as the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has steadily increased, unless carbon dioxide has little or nothing to do with global warming?

Unlike the Arctic, Antarctica is a continent, and while chunks of ice are cracking off in Western Antarctica, in Eastern Antarctica, four times larger, the ice sheet is thickening and expanding. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research reported last April that the South Pole had shown "significant cooling in recent decades."

In April 1992, as the alarm over the Earth’s end times began, scientists worldwide issued what was called the Heidelberg Appeal, aimed at just the kind of hysteria we are witnessing now in Copenhagen.

"We are … worried … at the emergence of an irrational ideology which is opposed to scientific and industrial progress and impedes economic and social development," said the scientists.

"We contend that a Natural State, sometimes idealized by movements with a tendency to look towards the past, does not exist and has probably never existed since man’s first appearance in the biosphere. … (H)umanity has always progressed by increasingly harnessing Nature to its needs and not the reverse.

"We do, however, forewarn the authorities in charge of our planet’s destiny against decisions which are supported by pseudo-scientific arguments or false and non-relevant data."

Since then, 4,000 scientists and 72 Nobel Prize winners have signed on. Again, it needs be said: Global warming is cyclical, and has been stagnant for a decade. There is no conclusive proof it is manmade, no conclusive proof it is harmful to the planet.

Patrick Buchanan is a national syndicated columnist, former presidential candidate and the author of the new book "Churchill, Hitler and ‘The Unnecessary War." 

Shakedown In Copenhagen

If you would know what Copenhagen is all about, hearken to this nugget in The Washington Post’s report from the Danish capital.

"Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenari — who is representing all of Africa here — unveiled his proposal Wednesday for a system in which rich countries would provide money to poor ones to help deal with the effects of climate change. …

"Zenawi said he would accept $30 billion in the short term, rising to $100 billion by 2020. … This was seen as a key concession by developing countries, which had previously spurned that figure … as too low."

There was a time when a U.S. diplomat would have burst out laughing after listening to a Third World con artist like this.

But not the Obamaites. They are already ponying up.

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack just pledged $1 billion at Copenhagen to developing countries who preserve their forests. Thus, America, $12 trillion in debt and facing a second straight $1.4 trillion deficit, will borrow another $1 billion from China to send to Brazil to bribe them to stop cutting down their trees.

When you slice through the blather about marooned bears and melting ice caps, oceans rising and cities sinking, global warming is a racket and a crock. It is all about money and power.

Copenhagen has always been about an endless transfer of wealth from America, Europe and Japan and creation of a global bureaucracy to control the pace of world economic and industrial development.

End game: enrichment and empowerment of global elites at the expense of Western peoples whose leaders have been bamboozled by con artists.

When Katrina hit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast and Rita came ashore in Texas in 2005, we were told this was due to global warming, and hurricane seasons would now get worse and worse until the world radically reduced the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

President Bush ignored the hysteria. What happened?

As Michael Fumento reports, the 2009 hurricane season ended quietly, with the fewest hurricanes since 1997, and not one hurricane made landfall in the United States.

When the feds sought to list the polar bear as an endangered species, Gov. Sarah Palin protested this "politicized science" and sued, claiming the polar bear was a healthy species whose numbers had doubled in recent years.

Was she wrong?

Is the Arctic ice cap melting? So we are told. But what harm has befallen mankind other than to have a Northwest Passage opened up to maritime traffic in the summer?

The Antarctic ice sheet is nine times as large as the Arctic, and here is what the British Antarctic Survey wrote last April:

"(D)uring the winter freeze in Antarctica this ice cover expands to an area roughly twice the size of Europe. Ranging in thickness from less than a metre to several metres, the ice insulates the warm ocean from the frigid atmosphere above. Satellite images show that since the 1970s the extent of Antarctic sea ice has increased at a rate of 100,000 square kilometres a decade."

One hundred thousand square kilometers a decade?

This would mean Antarctic sea ice expanded by 300,000 square kilometers since the 1970s, or 116,000 square miles, which is an area larger than all of New England.

How can the Antarctic ice cap grow for three decades as the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has steadily increased, unless carbon dioxide has little or nothing to do with global warming?

Unlike the Arctic, Antarctica is a continent, and while chunks of ice are cracking off in Western Antarctica, in Eastern Antarctica, four times larger, the ice sheet is thickening and expanding. The Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research reported last April that the South Pole had shown "significant cooling in recent decades."

In April 1992, as the alarm over the Earth’s end times began, scientists worldwide issued what was called the Heidelberg Appeal, aimed at just the kind of hysteria we are witnessing now in Copenhagen.

"We are … worried … at the emergence of an irrational ideology which is opposed to scientific and industrial progress and impedes economic and social development," said the scientists.

"We contend that a Natural State, sometimes idealized by movements with a tendency to look towards the past, does not exist and has probably never existed since man’s first appearance in the biosphere. … (H)umanity has always progressed by increasingly harnessing Nature to its needs and not the reverse.

"We do, however, forewarn the authorities in charge of our planet’s destiny against decisions which are supported by pseudo-scientific arguments or false and non-relevant data."

Since then, 4,000 scientists and 72 Nobel Prize winners have signed on. Again, it needs be said: Global warming is cyclical, and has been stagnant for a decade. There is no conclusive proof it is manmade, no conclusive proof it is harmful to the planet.

Patrick Buchanan is a national syndicated columnist, former presidential candidate and the author of the new book "Churchill, Hitler and ‘The Unnecessary War." 

Oilers rapidly rush to ‘L’ column.

TULSA, OK—The Tulsa Oilers got what they wanted last night, shaking a monkey off their back in a 2-1 defeat of the Amarillo Gorillas.  As bad as that reference was it was nice to see the Oilers get back in the win column displaying the style of hockey that shot them from worst to first this season.  Standout players last night included two new players on the Oilers roster, goalie Trevor Cann and defenseman Jim Henkemeyer.  

  Cann, on loan from the Lake Erie Monsters of the American Hockey League, stopped 28-of-29 shots while Jim Henkemeyer scored the evenings game winner.  The team performed well, if a little disorganized and all points indicated that perhaps the Oilers winning ways would return.

  The first period was all Rapid City, however as Brendan Cook set the goal judge’s light on fire with a pair of goals, one at 1:36 and the other at 3:51 of the period.  Jon Pelle added a powereplay marker at 19:42 on the clock and the period would conclude heavy on the Rush’s side of the scoreboard.   For their efforts, or lack thereof Oilers fans rewarded the team with a chorus of booing that was sadly well deserved.

  This was followed just 41 seconds into the 2nd period by a Rapid City goal on the power play when Jon Pelle found the back of the net yet again.  Tulsa played chaotically, with little if any organization to the way they played the game.  A pair of fights, the first between the Oilers Jake Riddle and Rapid City’s Gio Flamminio at 5:33 and another between Tom Harrison of Tulsa and the Rush’s Dave Grimson failed to catalyze any sort of comeback efforts by the home team.  It certainly didn’t help that referee Kevin Graber was running fast and loose with the CHL rule book in the period, keeping the Oilers penalty box well stocked with white jerseys.

  Finally, after 39 minutes of abysmal hockey by the Tulsa Oilers Rob Hisey beat Rush goalie Miguel Beaudry on his glove side shorthanded with Derek Eastman and Aaron Davis to end the period with Rapid City solidly in control 5-1.  The bright spot there, apart from breaking Beaudry’s shutout bid  was that Hisey put in his 5th shorthanded goal this season, giving the Oilers 9 for the season.  Hisey also as an individual shares the honor of scoring 5 shorthanded goals with the team efforts of 11 other teams in the CHL.

  The scoring onslaught by Rapid City continued some 7 minutes into the 3rd period when Scott Wray of the Rush skated in and lit up Oiler goalie Trevor Cann to make the score 6-1.  As has happened so often in hockey, the lopsided score caused the frustrations of the losing team to boil over and it did when Rapid City’s Luke Fritshaw pinned the Oilers Troy Riddle in against the half boards and slashed him at 8:17 Riddle reacted with hostility and sparked a line brawl that involved himself, Marty Standish, Tyler Butler and Tom Harrison.  The fighting resulted in game misconducts for all three Tulsa players plus ejections for the Rush’s Gio Flamminio. 

  Though the altercation did a lot to salve the stinging ego of the Oilers players it left the Oilers bench depleted to only 10 skaters and it made the hill that much higher for Tulsa to climb if a comeback effort was to take place.

  The Oilers would pull to within 4 goals when Rob Hisey scored late at 18:28 as he tipped in a shot by Adam Bartholomay from the top of the right circle.  Tyler Fleck also got his first point as a Tulsa Oiler on the play as he had the 2nd assist.  In scoring Hisey became the 3rd player in tonight’s game to have three points, unfortunately the other two were Rapid City Rush players.  All in all, it was a downright abysmal effort by what once was a team that looked like it had made a turn around.

  The Oilers travel to Bossier City for a game tomorrow afternoon then they come back to the amazing BOK Center for a Christmas Night game against the Wichita Thunder.  Tickets for that game and all Oilers home games are available at the BOK Center box office, tulsaoilers.com, and all Reasors locations.

{gallery}sports/oilers/game14/gallery{/gallery}

Photos: Kevin Pyle

GAME LENGTH: 2:34
ATTENDANCE: 4,430
REFEREE: Kevin Graber
CHL GAME NUMBER: 189
1ST STAR: Pelle, Jon (RPD)
2ND STAR: Cook, Brendan (RPD)
3RD STAR: VanderVeeken, Jamie (RPD)
 

Tulsa Oilers take Amarillo 2-1.

TULSA, OK—The Tulsa Oilers came into the amazing BOK Center against Amarillo Friday night desiring one thing: a win.  It doesn’t need to be a pretty win, and it doesn’t need to be a win for the ages, it just needs to be a win.  The Oilers haven’t won a game since the fight filled 6-2 schooling delivered to the Texas Brahmas on November 27th.  Seven games have gone by with the Tulsa squad empty-handed.   

  After a week that saw a flurry of trade activity that resulted in the departure of defenseman Tom Maldonado to Missouri for veteran defenseman and former Oklahoma City Blazer Tyler Fleck, and the signing of an agreement between Tulsa and the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL that resulted in the assignment of goalie Trevor Cann to the Oilers on a 5-game tryout.   Trevor Cann was a 2nd round NHL Entry Draft pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2007 and in 10 games with the Monsters posted a 2-5-1 record.  Cann would get the nod for the Oilers between the pipes tonight.

  As bad as the losing streak has been the Oilers remain in third place at 12-10-1 with 25 points, a far cry from the first place showing they were enjoying a month ago.  The third place position is a tenuous one, however as the Mississippi Riverkings are just one point behind Tulsa and could overtake them with a win at home over Rapid City tonight.  It’s a definite cause for concern.  The Amarillo Gorillas come into tonight’s game in a smaller hole than the Oilers, losing 5 straight.  The Gorillas last played on Sunday, and in that game with the Odessa Jackalopes they lost 9-2.

  Tulsa opened the scoring with a little less than 3 minutes to go in the first period when Tulsa’s leading scorer Rob Hisey found the back of the net with Mike Beausoleil and Sean Erickson assisting.  That was followed at 18:37 by a goal by former Tulsa Oiler Joe Guenther, who put the Gorillas on the board with James Jernberg and David Nimmo helping.   The Oilers would take the lead in the 2nd on a goal by Jimm Henkenmeyer with a little more than a minute remaining in the middle frame.  The period featured a fight between another new Oilers acquisition, Thomas Harrison and Amarillo’s James Jernberg, and the altercation was nothing more than a prolonged bear hug with a few punches thrown.

  The difference in tonight’s game was the Oilers attention to the game, something they have been lacking in the last few outings.  The change in personnel has also resulted in a lot more speed in skating, and the checks were finished with ferocity.  Tulsa players peppered the net with shots from all directions as well.  Taken together it was a better performance tonight all around than in any of the previous games.

  The third period featured no scoring, and a lot of back-and-forth action between the two teams.  It was obvious that the Oilers had settled into a protective mode and though there were a lot of exciting chances for the Oilers to go up by two, 2-1 proved to be good enough to break the 7-game slide.  The Oilers wound up out shooting the Gorillas 29-25, with Trevor Cann posting 28 saves.  Tomorrow night the Oilers face the Rapid City Rush who lost to the Mississippi Riverkings tonight 4-3 and broke the Rush’s 10-game win streak.

{gallery}sports/oilers/game13/gallery{/gallery}

Photos: Kevin Pyle

.GAME LENGTH: 2:21
ATTENDANCE: 4,203
REFEREE: Steve Cruickshank
1ST STAR: Cann, Trevor (TUL)
2ND STAR: Henkemeyer, Jim (TUL)
3RD STAR: Brown, Mike (AMA)

Tickets for tomorrow game and all Oilers home games can be purchased at the BOK Center box office, tulsaoilers.com and all Reasor’s  locations