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State representative disapproves of Darwin 2009 Project • Thomsen: Dawkins does not represent Oklahomans CADIE THOMPSON The Oklahoma Daily

James Cornwell/ The Daily

An unidentified man causes a disturbance during the lecture given by Richard Dawkins in McCaslin Fieldhouse Friday night. The man claimed Dawkins was a fraud and was escorted out of the building by security.

WHAT’S INSIDE OU librarians are helping students in the dorms with research projects. Page 2A. A Stanford sociology professor will speak Thursday about changing gender equality. Page 3A.

LIFE & ARTS

OU students and faculty are busy celebrating the anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth and the publishing of his book “On the Origin of Species,” but one Oklahoma lawmaker is not too happy about the party. House Resolutions 1014 and 1015, introduced by Rep. Todd Thomsen, R-Ada, assert that OU’s recent evolution-related discussions, part of the “Darwin 2009” project, have been unfair and biased because proponents of creationism and intelligent design have not been represented equally alongside evolutionary biologists. “I am trying to promote free thinking,” Thomsen said. “I strongly oppose the Department of Zoology for their unwillingness to lead our state in this discussion and not have opposing views in this matter.”

Although Thomsen’s resolutor of graduate studies in the tions would not enforce any Department of Zoology. government action if passed, “It’s as close to law as can his efforts still have been met be,” she said of the theory of with opposition. evolution. “It’s the equivalent to “It’s breathtakingly stupid,” See the both ‘Dawkins’ gravity.” said Rob Boston, a spokesman Still, Thomsen said OU for Americans United for the House bills online. should encourage students to Separation of Church and State. think independently about the “Rep. Thomsen might as well issue by inviting speakers wellbe complaining students are being indoctrinated versed in creationism and intelligent design. with the theory of gravity.” But creationism and intelligent design theoBoston said he thinks Thomsen’s resolu- ries do not hold ground when compared to tions promote creationism and are a step evolutionary biology, Knapp said. toward implementing creationism instruction “What’s really unfortunate is that people that in schools. are opposed to the fact that we don’t discuss AUSCS is working with the Oklahomans for things like intelligent design have a hard time Excellence in Science Education to make sure recognizing intelligent design is not a scientific creationism is kept out of the classroom, he theory,” Knapp said. “It’s not on equal standsaid. ing.” HR 1014 claims that the OU Department The majority of Oklahomans hold views difof Zoology has “been framing the Darwinian fer opposed to the teachings of evolutionary theory of evolution as doctrinal dogmatism biology and the philosophy of author Richard rather than a hypothetical construction within Dawkins, who spoke on the Norman campus the disciplines of sciences.” Friday night, Thomsen said. But the word “theory” means something dif“I don’t believe it was a good idea for Dawkins ferent in science than it does in colloquial language, according to Rosemary Knapp, direc-

DAWKINS Continues on page 2A

NFL hopefuls showcase their skills on OU Pro Day

Batman is dead? Who will take over his crime-ﬁghting job? Check out “This Week In Comics” on page 5B.

• Policy cannot be reviewed again until 2014

Love is in the air and our readers want to know how to score a date this season. Check out The Daily’s “Shake for Advice” on page 5B.

SPORTS

CADIE THOMPSON The Oklahoma Daily

The Sooner baseball team ﬁnished oﬀ its eight-game homestand Tuesday with a double header against Houston Baptist. The Sooners won both games and stayed undefeated at home. Page 1B.

Zach Butler/The Daily

Wide receiver Quentin Chaney leans toward the final cone of the 20-yard shuttle Tuesday morning in the Everest Training Center. Chaney posted times of 4.36 and 4.49 seconds. Representatives from 27 different NFL franchises came to Norman to watch former Sooners work out. The event was a chance for players who didn’t perform as well as they liked or weren’t invited to the NFL Combine to showcase their skills.

See the full story in Sports, page 1B.

Amy Frost/ The Daily

Blake Griffin (23), sophomore forward, goes for a lay-up against Oklahoma State Saturday. The Sooners beat the Cowboys 82-78 for their fifth straight Bedlam win. The Big 12 men’s basketball tournament starts today and the Sooners’ ﬁrst game is tomorrow. The Daily’s Eric Dama predicts the winners of all 12 games. Page 2B.

TODAY’S INDEX Campus Notes 3A Classiﬁeds 4B 4B Crossword 5B Horoscope 3B, 5B L&A

News 3A, 5A, 6A 4A Opinion Police Reports 2A 1B, 2B Sports 4B Sudoku

WEATHER FORECAST

TODAY

No change to Dead Week policy

LOW 32° HIGH 48°

20%

THURSDAY

LOW 35° HIGH 45° 30% Source: Oklahoma Weather Lab

Fake honor societies scam students • Legitimate societies are active on campus JAMIE BIRDWELL The Oklahoma Daily Students with good grades usually receive invitations to join prestigious honor societies, but some invites are nothing more than a ploy to get money from unsuspecting students. Honor societies are academic groups with the purpose of recognizing and promoting scholarship, leadership and research, said Dorothy Mitstifer, executive director for the Association of College Honor Societies. Students are offered admission to honor societies based on their gradepoint averages and amount of credit hours earned, said Alice Lanning, director of freshman programs. The “recognition” society Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities was once thought of as a respected honor society, but now its standards are too low to be considered legitimate, Lanning said. “Basically all you have to have [for Who’s Who] is a 2.0 and be able to breathe,” Lanning said. Mitstifer said Who’s Who isn’t out to harm students, but its standards are not high enough to make it a legitimate society that will reflect well upon students.

Photo Illustration by Chelsea Garza/The Daily

A fake honor society invitation solicits new members through the mail asking an OU student to join their prestigious group. Students are bombarded by offers from false honor societies and it may be hard to tell which are legitimate. Other illegitimate societies are simply there to take money from students, Mitstifer said. Some schools sell lists of students’ contact information, but there are many ways to steal the information from schools’ Web sites, she said. Information also can be stolen from Facebook and MySpace. “Anyone who can phish could find a list of students, e-mails or addresses,” Lanning said. “It’s kind of like identity theft.” Many students receive invitations

SOCIETIES Continues on page 2A

“Basically all you have to have [for Who’s Who] is a 2.0 and be able to breathe.” Alice Lanning, director of freshman programs

There will be no reforms to Dead Week until at least 2014, despite the fact that more than 93 percent of the student body voted for some type of policy change. Faculty Senate voted 19-12 not to amend Dead Week regulations Monday afternoon, Student Congress representative Frank Wood said at the Student Congress meeting Tuesday night. Wood, zoology senior, said as soon as the vote ended, a motion was made to take the current policy and amend it so it could not be reviewed again until 2014. Wood has worked on reforming the policy with the faculty senate for more than a year and has attended all its meetings, he said. He voiced his frustration toward the Faculty Senate’s lack of attention to the students’ voices during Tuesday’s meeting. “It would have been OK if they would have failed it and allowed us the opportunity to go talk to those who voted against it, and amend it to allow them to put it in, to figure out the problem they had with it and try to change that,” he said. “But no, within 10 seconds it was made again so that it cannot be reviewed again for five years.” Although the proposal was denied, a significant number of faculty members worked to get the bill passed, Wood said in an e-mail. Student Congress representatives soon followed Wood’s lead and began to express their concerns about the Faculty Senate’s decision not to amend the policy and implement a freeze on any further changes to the Dead Week policy. Matt Gress, Student Congress representative, said the Faculty Senate’s decision will have much larger implications. “Dead Week reform is now dead, no pun intended — that’s the bare bones of the matter,” Gress said. “When they voted 12 to 19, they effectively silenced 8,000 students who voted for the proposal, 8,000 people last year who clamored for reform.” Gress said the Faculty Senate vote was a sobering indicator of how Student Congress and OU students’ voices are perceived on campus and by the faculty. He said the current lack of involvement in Student Congress is an indication that things need to change. “I hope this is a wake-up call for Congress, for students, for UOSA, that we need to chart this organization, the way we do business, our ideas in a new direction that insists upon students being heard,” Wood said. “I think that we are going to have that. I think that new members are ready to go forward with new ideas, loud ideas and I’m very confident about that.” The current Dead Week policy, as outlined in the OU Faculty Handbook, prohibits instructors from assigning projects during Dead Week, and any assignments due that week must be equal to or less than 10 percent of the class’s total grade.

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News

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Gov. hopefuls tentatively set campaign agendas with the values of his party, but is still true to his morals and believes his time in office proves his conservative stance. “The Democrats have suffered because Republicans were successful at twisting the label of Democrat to mean something bad,” he said. “Oklahoma Democrats are not like other Democrats,” Askins said. “Oklahomans have always elected the individual, not a party. When people get to know me, then they will realize where my heart is.” Both candidates agreed that the economic downturn should be the next governor’s priority, but they disagreed on how the situation should be handled. Askins emphasized the federal stimulus package had potential to help the economy, but should be reviewed. “We should balance the state budget, and the money from the stimulus bill should be spent on projects,” Askins said. She said the money from government spending would go to state projects and employees. When these employees buy things and pay their bills, that money will end up back into businesses and jump start the economy. Edmondson said Oklahoma should be cautious about the stimulus package and focus on building permanent jobs in the private sector. He said he is concerned the jobs created in the stimulus package will be temporary and will disappear once the stimulus money is spent, leaving more people out of work.

• Economy is the biggest concern for candidates RICKY MARANON The Oklahoma Daily With term limits bringing Gov. Brad Henry’s tenure to a close in 2010, the race to become the next governor is heating up. Three prominent figures have already made plans to run for the state’s top position. Democrats Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and Attorney General Drew Edmondson have shown intentions to run. Republican U.S. Rep. Mary Fallin has thrown her name in the ring. The Democrats each sat down with The Daily for a first look at the 2010 election. The candidates said they chose to run so they could stay in Oklahoma rather than running for national office. “I’ve never had any interest in running for office in DC.” Askins said. “I can do more here at home.” “If I were to go to Washington, I would have to shift my focus to getting a prominent and powerful position in the Senate first,” Edmondson said. “The people of Oklahoma would be left until later. I want to focus on their problems right now.” Both candidates are personally conservative members of the left-leaning Democratic Party. Edmondson said he stands

Societies

LEGITIMATE HONOR SOCIETIES

Continued from page 1A

through mail or e-mail from fake honor societies that trick students into paying annual fees, Lanning said. Some students don’t know the honor society is illegitimate until they have their resume checked over by an adviser, she said. “It’s a good way for [scammers] to make money,” Lanning said. “Collect what you can, and then run away with the money.” Most illegitimate societies present themselves as legitimate through letters and e-mails, but there are some ways to tell the real from the fake. Lanning said if a society requires annual dues or doesn’t require a high class ranking, it’s probably a scam. Most legitimate honor societies require a one-time-only fee for lifetime membership, Lanning said. Most also require students to be in the top 20-35 percent of their class, Mitstifer said. This policy helps even the playing field among students from large and small schools. Legitimate societies are also recognizable on campus. An honor society also needs to have a campus chapter associat-

Alpha Lambda Delta Nat’l Society of Collegiate Scholars Phi Beta Kappa Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society Phi Theta Kappa Source: Alice Lanning, director of freshman programs at OU

Ricky Maranon/The Daily

Democrats Lt. Gov. Jari Askins and Attorney General Drew Edmondson may run for Oklahoma governor in 2010. “We need to learn how to do more with less.” he said. “Oklahoma should get the biggest bang for its buck.” Worried about being labeled tax-and-spend liberals, both candidates said raising taxes is not an option, especially in this economy. Both candidates said text-

CAMPUS NOTES TODAY

CAREER SERVICES Career Services will host an informational session about how to break into pharmaceutical sales at noon in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

ed with it and the charter permission from upper administrative members, Mitstifer said. Societies should be active on campus and should participate in events, Lanning said. Most societies’ local chapters have student officers and faculty advisers. If neither is present, students should be wary about paying dues, she said. For more on honor societies, read The Daily’s editorial on Page 4A.

POLICE REPORTS Names are compiled from the Norman Police Department and OUPD. The reports serve as a record of arrests, not convictions. Those listed are innocent until proven guilty.

PUBLIC INTOXICATION Lisa Marie Bray, 47, S Berry Road, Monday Adan Garcia-Delgado, 38, 1120 N Berry Rd., Monday, also petty larceny Valerie Kathryn McCall, 45, River Oaks Dr., Sunday, also assault and battery

CHRISTIANS ON CAMPUS

MUNICIPAL WARRANT

Christians on Campus will host a Bible study at 12:30 p.m. in the Oklahoma Memorial Union.

Dana Paul Chitwood, 44, 6726 E Alameda St., Monday George William Claude Graves, 20, 3289 Ridgecrest Ct., Monday Richard Dewayne Hall, 28, 1910 Fillmore Ave., Monday Melvin Shy-Travis Johnson, 38, 1910 Fillmore Ave., Monday Ally Elizabeth Sharp, 19, 201 W Gray St., Monday

THURSDAY See the full list of real honor societies online.

book prices were a top concern, and wanted to find a way for students to get a better buyback rate on used books. Edmondson said during his 16 years as attorney general, he has investigated textbook price complaints. Askins said she understands how students and parents feel

SCHOOL OF MUSICAL THEATRE The School of Musical Theatre will perform at 5:30 p.m. in the Reynolds Performing Arts Center. DEPARTMENT OF SOCIOLOGY The Department of Sociology will host Paula England at 7:30 p.m. in the National Weather Center. SCHOOL OF MUSIC The University Vocal Chamber Ensemble will perform at 8 p.m. in Catlett Music Center.

GRAND LARCENY Jennie Lynn Dodson, 22, 3499 W Main St., Monday

POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE Cherie E. King, 50, W Lindsey Street, Sunday, also possession of drug paraphernalia Laura A. Rodriguez, 26, W Lindsey Street, Monday

about the cost of education, and wanted to look into expanding the reach of state financial aid programs. “It has always been hard for me to see my constituents struggle on the area of higher education,” she said. Fallin was unavailable for an interview before press time.

This story is part of ongoing coverage of the 2010 Oklahoma gubernatorial election.

Dawkins Continued from page 1A

to speak and I don’t think he represents anything of scientific value or anything Oklahoma represents,” he said. According to HR 1015, Dawkins’ “published theories about evolution and opinion about those who do not believe in the theory are contrary and offensive to the views and opinions of most citizens of Oklahoma.” Thomsen did not point to any surveys to verify his statements regarding the opinions held by the majority of Oklahomans. But even if the majority of Oklahomans do agree with Thomsen, it is still the responsibility of OU to educate citizens about evolutionary biology, Boston said. “The underlining problem with

these resolutions is they foster and promote ignorance,” Boston said. “Part of the reason public universities exist is to expose students to different ways of thinking.”

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCURACY The Daily has a long-standing commitment to serve readers by providing accurate coverage and analysis. Errors are corrected as they are identified. Readers should bring errors to the attention of the editorial board for further investigation.

ERROR SUBMISSIONS e-mail: dailynews@ou.edu phone: 325-3666

NOTICE OF PUBLIC ACCESS During the Regular Meeting Of

ASSAULT AND BATTERY Cody Austin Miller, 21, 1111 Oak Tree Ave., Sunday

BARKING DOG Heidi Leigh Puckett, 28, 2705 Northern Hills Rd., March 2nd

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Nijim Dabbour, managing editor dailynews@ou.edu phone: 325-3666 fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

News

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

10 shot, killed in Alabama, including shooter • Tragic killing spree leaves locals shocked SAMSON, Ala. — A gunman went on a shooting spree in two neighboring south Alabama towns Tuesday, killing nine people before he shot himself at a metals plant, authorities said. Police are investigating at least four separate shootings, all believed to be done by one gunman, whose name was not released, said the Alabama Department of Safety in a statement. The shootings began late in the afternoon in Samson. The shooter killed five people in one home and one each in two other homes. The gunman also shot at a state trooper’s car, striking the vehicle seven times and wounding the trooper with broken glass. He then killed someone at a Samson supply store and another person at a service station. Samson contractor Greg McCullough said he was pumping gas at the station when the gunman opened fire, killing a woman coming out of the service station and wounding McCullough in the shoulder and arm with bullet fragments that struck his truck and the pump. “I first thought it was somebody playing,” he said. He said the gunman roared into the parking lot and slammed on his brakes. Then he saw the rifle. He said the gunman fired and the rifle appeared to jam, then he “went back to firing.” Then he drove off. McCullough, a father of two, said he tried to help the woman who was shot and yelled for someone to call an ambulance. “I’m just in awe that something like this

AP Photo/The Dothan Eagle, Jay Hare

An unidentified man is reflected in a storefront window that was shot during the shooting spree in Samson, Ala. on Tuesday. A gunman went on a shooting spree in two south Alabama towns Tuesday, killing nine people before he shot himself at a metals plant, authorities said. could take place. That someone could do such a thing. It’s just shocking,” McCullough told The Associated Press in a telephone interview.

Police pursued the gunman Reliable Metal Products just north of Geneva, about a dozen miles southeast of Samson, where he fired an

estimated 30 rounds, the safety department said. One of the bullets hit Geneva Police Chief Frankie Lindsey, who was saved by his bullet proof vest. The statement says the gunman then went in the plant and shot himself. His name was not released. The gunman had worked at Reliable Metal, said state Rep. Warren Beck, a Republican whose district includes Geneva. “My secretary heard gunfire everywhere,” he said. “This is one of the most tragic events ever in Geneva County.” State Sen. Harri Anne Smith, R-Slocomb, said some of those killed in Samson were sitting outside. “He was just driving down the street shooting at people sitting on their porches,” she said. “A family was just sitting on the porch and they were shot.” The department of safety said state fire marshals are investigating the scene of a burned house in Coffee County where one body was found. The scene is believed to be involved in this series of incidents. Reliable Metal Products makes grills and vents for heating and AC systems, mainly for hotels. A call to a person who answered the phone at the plant said no one could talk about the shooting. The towns of Geneva and Samson are roughly 30 miles south of Fort Rucker, near the Florida border in southeast Alabama. Geneva’s population is about 4,400 and Samson, 2,000. Smith and Beck were at the Statehouse when state troopers came to get them and took them to Geneva County. Smith said the governor’s office is sending resources and state troopers are setting up a command post.

— AP

Stanford University professor to lead discussion on gender equality • More women moving into executive roles ASHLEY BODY The Oklahoma Daily A Stanford University sociology professor will lead a discussion Thursday about what has and hasn’t changed for gender equality. Paula England will speak at 7:30 p.m. in the National Weather Center Auditorium about American subgroups’ challenges in equality. She said in the past 40 years, women’s roles have shifted from

homemaker to provider. Men are still dominant in the workforce and hold more executive positions, but women are starting to move into those positions as more women earn higher degrees, England said. England said she became interested in gender equality issues because she was anxious to see the transformation of women’s roles, and was curious to see if gender equality would progress through her generation’s efforts. Those efforts might have paid off, but there are still gender equality issues, she said. There has been a substantial move toward gender equality, especially between women and men who are equally educated, she said, but the movement has slowed in the past 10 to 15 years. Inequality is morally wrong,

The women of Kappa Alpha Theta invite all OU International Students to:

Wednesday, March 11 5-7 p.m. 845 Chautauqua

“A chance to share our home with you!”

and doesn’t make much sense, England said. Inequality for women doesn’t do men any good, she said. Aparna Mitra, economics professor, said the discussion with England will be stimulating for students and encourages everyone in the OU community to attend. She said it will be a good opportunity for people from all walks of life to learn more about gender issues and implications of gender policies. The discussion “Gender Inequality: What’s Changing? What’s Not?” is part of the sociology department’s Presidential Dream Course Series and is a comprehensive summary of England’s research in gender inequality in labor markets, families and romantic and sexual relationships. She has also written many books on the subject.

Opinion

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

OUR VIEW

STAFF CARTOON

Ray Martin, opinion editor dailyopinion@ou.edu phone: 325-7630, fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

Matt Reed - broadcast and electronic media senior

Honor societies not all honorable It seems honor societies aren’t bership in such organizations. so honorable. Any award that requires a moneThere are numerous organiza- tary contribution is questionable, at tions that have turned recognizing best. Genuinely important awards academic achievement into a rack- are bestowed on the basis of merit, et that has people charging students not money. for the so-called “honor” Future employees of being included on can find out a student’s OUR VIEW certain lists or in certain GPA with a glance at is an editorial societies — for a price. a resume. Random selected and debated See Page 1 for details. Greek letters under the by the editorial board and written after a These organizations “Organization” headmajority opinion is prey on students’ desire ing on a resume simply formed and approved to increase their chances aren’t that impressive. by the editor. Our View of post-graduate success, Of course, that isn’t to is The Daily’s oﬃcial implying or sometimes say that students might opinion. outright stating that gain valuable experimembers of their orgaence in the honor societnizations will be highly sought-after ies that actually have functioning by employers. chapters on campus, whose memBut many of these organizations bers meet regularly and participate require not much more than a pre- in service or other projects. sentable GPA and a credit card But the sham organizations that number to join. never ask for anything other than Students shouldn’t strive to be a membership “application” and a members of academic groups that check shouldn’t be supported in charge for recognition or base any way by OU. That means stuacceptance solely on GPA. And dents shouldn’t join and university they shouldn’t be gullible enough to personnel shouldn’t promote honor think that potential employers are societies that aren’t very honorall that concerned about their mem- able.

YOUR VIEWS

Check out physics professor Mike Strauss’ controversial letter to the editor, a student letter and the opinion blog, all at oudaily.com

STAFF COLUMN

Anti-atheist prejudice widespread in America

Americans find atheists a particularly repugnant minority. According to Gallup, they are more disliked than any other major religious group, with the exception of Scientologists. Research by Gallup also indicates the majority of Americans would not vote for a well-qualified atheistic presidential candidate. Even a gay candidate, the data suggest, would face less formidable discrimination. But what is it about atheists that makes the American public revile them so intensely? To illustrate anecdotally, in 2007, a Sundayschool teacher asked a class of fifth and sixth graders to draw a Christian and a nonChristian. One student ZAC drew his Christian as a cheerful-looking SMITH man holding a cross and declaring, “I LOVE GOD!!” His non-Christian was unkempt, tattooed, covered in piercings, holding a bottle of “drugs” in one hand and displaying angry eyebrows. His speech balloon read, “Cussing! God isn’t real!” This is, to my observation, actually a

pretty accurate depiction of the popularly perceived dichotomy between theistic and atheistic character. The atheist is beheld as a hopeless individual roaming a world which, devoid of gods, is without purpose or potential for the morality that would ward him away from swilling down bottles of “drugs.” The prevalence of this sort of stereotyping, particularly in highly conservative areas like Oklahoma, is unfortunate. The reality is that an atheist is not someone who is morally rudderless, who wants to eradicate all religion, who is “angry at God,” who worships Richard Dawkins or who is even certain of the nonexistence of a god.

Major minority Significant statistical data on atheists is actually fairly scant. According to a 2004 study by the American Psychiatric Association, depressed theists are less likely to attempt suicide than depressed atheists. A study released in 2008 by scientists working at the Universities of Ulster and Aarhus implies a correlation between atheism and elevated intelligence. Studies like the former are frequently cited by people wishing to demonstrate the bitter nihilism of atheists. But would it be sane to make strong, sweeping judgments on the basis of either of these stud-

ies or others like them? Would we consider it acceptable to use statistics like this to justify stereotyping racial minorities? In fact, is there any evidence at all that justifies making strong generalizations about the character of atheists? Not that I’m aware. The only characteristic we can attribute to atheists with justified certainty is definitional: They do not believe in a god or gods. To my experience, atheists generally do not hate religion or wish to see it forcibly extinguished. I would characterize my own feelings toward religion as a mixture of disgust and irritation, though God knows I’m not above enjoying the apocalyptic artwork of William Blake, Martin Scorsese’s film “The Last Temptation of Christ” or the Catholicism-centric britcom “Father Ted.” Nor am I incontrovertibly certain of the nonexistence of a god or gods. If evidence emerged suggesting the existence of a god, I would readily adjust the certainty of my atheism. However, anecdotes about people inexplicably being cured of cancer don’t count as evidence. The Bible doesn’t count as evidence until independent confirmation is unearthed of its supernatural claims. These sorts of things aren’t discounted because of

a commitment to disbelief in gods, but because they’re legitimately worthless as evidence.

From Darwin to Dawkins Another semi-popular misconception is that atheists hold science as a kind of surrogate religion and worship scientific figures, particularly Charles Darwin or Richard Dawkins. Funnily, I’ve found that Richard Dawkins is associated much more closely with atheism by those outside the atheist community than by those within it. While I’d say the majority of atheists I know like Dawkins, a significant minority find him pompous and overrated. The only atheists I’ve ever known to actually worship Dawkins are girls who find his sophistication and general Britishness sexy. So far as Darwin goes, while most of the atheists I know appreciate his contributions to science and are aware of him as a likeable sort of guy, I doubt most of them could provide more than a very loose description of his life or of his personality, things one would expect a person’s worshippers to know intimately. Despite my intense aggravation with the way religion facilitates human rights abuses, particularly in contemporary Muslim nations like Saudi Arabia, I would

never support a law banning religiosity. Every atheist I’ve ever spoken with on the topic concurs. Theism, delusional though it may be by our estimation, should not be restricted except in those instances in which it leads to rights infringements. I never attempt to sugar my dislike of religion, and I hope the thinking theists in my readership will see that although I differ with them on important points, I have no desire to do them harm and am more than a dead-eyed atheist stereotype. Similarly, it doesn’t bother me that the Bible says Christians should shun me (2 Corinthians 6:14) and appreciate the many Christians who have chosen to ignore this command. However, it does bother me when unwarranted stereotyping is used as a justification for intolerance toward atheists. It bothers me that coming out as an atheist would be suicide for politicians in most parts of the country. It bothers me that my sister was mocked and harassed in high school for her own lack of belief. It bothers me that, throughout America, people are being intimidated into silence about the very simple and unthreatening fact that they don’t believe in a god. Zac Smith is an English junior.

STAFF COLUMN

Fight against the encroachment of the federal government

History lessons In McCulloch v. Maryland (1819), Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall argued that while the Articles of Confederation expressly granted only those powers explicitly mentioned, the Constitution contained no such language. This is clearly not the case. The U.S. Constitution is a contract between the people of the U.S. and the federal government that expressly delineates the powers granted it. As the 10th Amendment to the Constitution clearly states, “The powers not delegated to the United

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States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to it by the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” This could not be clearer — the states themselves are sovereign entities with real power. In fact, during the Constitutional Convention, James Madison, the revered “Father of the Constitution” proposed legislation that would grant the federal government veto power over the laws of the individual states, and this proposal was soundly defeated. Anti-Federalists and others opposed to the Constitution believed the document gave too much power to the federal government. Patrick Henry argued that the necessary and proper clause and the supremacy clause of the Constitution allowed for an abuse of power by the federal government and provided a means for an erosion of civil liberty. To placate the objectors, the Ninth and 10th Amendments were included in the Constitution. The Ninth Amendment states, “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” Arguing in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965), Supreme Court Justice Arthur Goldberg opined that even though the right to privacy is not explicitly granted to the people by the Constitution, it is a right that they are neither denied. Goldberg argued then that the Constitution meant to limit the powers of the federal government, and that those not expressly granted to the government

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T H E The Fine Print

T H E

U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section VIII, expressly enumerates and delineates the 18 powers reserved to Congress. Contrary to the beliefs of many loose constructionists who take an unrestrained view of the Constitution and understand it to be a malleable document, our founding fathers wrote the U.S. Constitution under the positive grant principle. They argued then, as many strict constructionists such as Key and Brogdon do now, that the federal government is authorized to exerJOE cise only the powers explicitly positively — granted it by the HUNT — Constitution. Those not explicitly granted to the federal government are reserved to the individual states, and to the people themselves.

There is a political storm brewing in the halls of the state Legislature. While many claim the issue of secession was settled as a result of the American Civil War, the battle for states’ rights is alive and well in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed on Feb. 18 a joint resolution by a margin of 83 to 13 in favor of declaring the state of Oklahoma sovereign of the federal government. House Joint Resolution 1003, authored by Rep. Charles Key, R-Oklahoma City, seeks to reclaim state sovereignty under the Ninth and 10th Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, the resolution declares that today the states themselves are no longer considered sovereign powers (as they were at the end of the American Revolution), but are in fact “demonstrably treated as agents of the federal government.” This resolution seeks to serve notice to the federal government that the individual states, while not always exercising the right, have always retained powers separate from the federal government. The Oklahoma State Senate version, Senate Joint Resolution 10, sponsored by Sen. Randy Brogdon, R-Owasso, was introduced Monday. It is difficult to determine whether these actions constitute mere sabre-rattling or if they represent a genuine effort by the state Legislature to limit the power of the federal government, but one thing is certain: It is about time our legislators stood their ground and defended the rights of Oklahomans against the encroachment of federal power. For those of you unfamiliar with the text of the

were reserved to the people. In City of New York v. Miln (1837), Supreme Court Justice Philip Barbour argued the individual states retained undeniable jurisdiction over all persons and things within its borders, excepting those powers explicitly reserved to the federal Congress.

Time to take back sovereignty Key and Brogdon argue that the federal government has overstepped its authority through unconstitutional mandates such as No Child Left Behind, Real ID, education, the PATRIOT Act and social welfare programs. Oklahoma and the 20 other states with sovereignty resolutions feel compelled and coerced into implementing federal legislation and unconstitutional mandates largely because the federal government threatens to withhold federal funding otherwise. Both resolutions argue that the power exercised by the federal government greatly exceeds its constitutional mandate. Loose constructionists argue that the Constitution is a “living” document, and these resolutions resoundingly dispute this theory. A living Constitution is a powerless Constitution, since its openness to interpretation renders it helpless against an abusive government. Oklahoma HJR 1003 and SJR 10 lay the groundwork to kill the idea of federal encroachment once and for all. It is time we took back our sovereignty.

U N I V E R S I T Y

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Nation

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Some wounded soldiers likely to be punished

State revenue collections plunge OKLAHOMA CITY — State revenue collections in February plunged 21.6 percent over the same month a year ago and were 30.4 percent lower than the official estimate upon which the current budget for state agencies is based. Collections were $65.4 million below the prior year and $103.9 million below the estimate, led by an 80.6 percent drop in net personal and corporate income tax collections. State Treasurer Scott Meacham said the figures show Oklahoma is falling deeper into the grip of the national recession, but the big decline in income tax collections is partly due to faster filing for tax refunds.

Bill deregulates public schools OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Senate has passed a bill to allow 20 percent of public schools to operate as charter schools, free of many current state mandates. Sen. John Ford’s School District Empowerment program now goes to the House for consideration. Ford, R-Bartlesville, said his bill seeks to restore local control to Oklahoma schools. Schools would be deregulated over ﬁve years, beginning next year in districts where schools have been identiﬁed by the Board of Education as being in need of improvement.

Obama backs teacher merit pay WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama called for tying teachers’ pay to students’ performance and expanding innovative charter schools Tuesday, embracing ideas that have provoked hostility from members of teachers unions. He also suggested longer school days — and years — to help America’s children compete in the world. In his ﬁrst big speech on education, Obama said the United States must drastically improve student achievement to regain lost international standing.

Gold prices sink as Wall Street stages rally NEW YORK — Gold prices tumbled Tuesday, closing below $900 an ounce for the first time in a month, as investors returned to Wall Street in force on news that troubled Citigroup Inc. has been operating at a profit. Oil prices fell on a government report forecasting weak demand, while grain prices rose in tandem with gains in equities. Demand for gold, which is often seen as a safe-haven investment, suffered amid an increase in risk appetite as investors scooped up beaten down stocks. The equities market made its first big advance in weeks on word that Citi is having its best quarter since the last time it recorded a profit for a full period in 2007.

—AP

• Soldiers fear medication will only cause them to oversleep FORT BRAGG, N.C. — Staff Sgt. Jason Jonas says when he goes to bed at night, he is terrified his medication will cause him to oversleep and miss morning roll call again. His commanders are fully aware the paratrooper wounded in Afghanistan has been diagnosed with a sleep disorder, because he is one of about 10,000 soldiers assigned to the Army’s Warrior Transition units, created for troops recovering from injuries. Instead of gingerly nursing them back to health, however, commanders at Fort Bragg’s transition unit readily acknowledge holding them to the same standards as able-bodied soldiers in combat units, often assigning chores as punishment for minor infractions. In fact, the unit has a discipline rate three times as high as Fort Bragg’s main tenant, the 82nd Airborne Division, and transition units at two

AP Photo/Gerry Broome

Staff Sgt. Jason Jonas is seen at his home in Hope Mills, N.C. A paratrooper wounded in Afghanistan, Army doctors have diagnosed him with service-related narcolepsy, a condition that causes him to oversleep and has led him to miss formation four times, resulting in a demotion. other bases punish their soldiers even more frequently than the one at Fort Bragg, according to an Associated Press review of records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. “In my 10 years of service I have often seen soldiers mistreated, abused

or left hanging, but never have I seen an entire unit collectively mentally and physically break down its members,” said Jonas, a 28-year-old from Tempe, Ariz. Jonas is one of 11 current or former soldiers who have spent time in Fort Bragg’s transition unit and say

that its officers are either indifferent to their medical needs or trying to drive injured men and women from the military. Some complain they are being punished for the very injuries that landed them in the unit. “It is the military’s way of dealing with it: ‘You’re a fake. You need to go back to work,’” said Pfc. Roman Serpik, 25, who enlisted in Duluth, Ga. He said he injured his head and back in a practice parachute jump last April. Jonas suffered a concussion on a jump in 1999 at Fort Bragg, and military doctors determined that that led him to develop narcolepsy, a disorder that causes people to fall asleep abruptly, he said. He provided copies of his medical profile to the AP to confirm he has the disorder. He said medication for his condition made him miss formation five times, resulting in a demotion that cost him $400 a month. Officers in the transition battalion at Fort Bragg’s Womack Army Medical Center would not discuss individual soldiers’ medical or disciplinary records, citing privacy laws. Speaking generally, they said the way to get soldiers back on their feet is discipline, not accepting excuses.

—AP

Somali community in Minneapolis arouses FBI suspicion • Somali community is confused why some want to return home MINNEAPOLIS — Members of the Twin Cities’ thriving Somali community say they are being questioned by the FBI as it investigates whether some young men are being “radicalized” in Minnesota and recruited to fight with terror groups in their homeland. The immigrants are a success story in Minneapolis and St. Paul, where the state’s tradition of welcoming refugees has helped attract one of the nation’s largest Somali populations. Why some would want to leave, especially to return to a lawless country, has confused many Somalis. “Like most of the community, I had difficulty believing that anybody would go to Somalia after their own families left because of wars,” said Dr. Abdirahman Mohamed, a Minneapolis physician. “It stunned most of us, I think, when we heard a name of someone who went and died.” The Senate’s Homeland Security Committee plans a hearing Wednesday on possible terror

recruitment in the United States, and witnesses from Minnesota are expected to testify. Some local Somalis say the young men might have thought they would be seen as patriots. Somalia has not had an effective government since 1991, when warlords overthrew a socialist dictator and then turned on each other, causing anarchy in the African nation of 7 million. In 2006, Somalia’s weak government called in Ethiopian troops — with U.N. support — to oust an Islamic group controlling Mogadishu and southern Somalia. Many Somalis saw the troops as an invading and abusive force. There were countless reports of civilians being raped, beaten or having their homes looted. Islamic militants in the capital city fought back in battles that killed thousands of civilians over two years and displaced more than a million people. “The majority of Somalis here were opposed to the (Ethiopian) occupation,” said Abdi Samatar, a University of Minnesota geography professor. “The Somali people did not ask for it, and the brutality was incredible. Anybody who’s human-rights oriented and has a patriotic sentiment would be incredibly enraged.” Then in October, a Minneapolis man carried out a suicide bombing in Somalia. FBI Director Robert

Mueller said last month that the bomber had probably been “radicalized” in the Twin Cities. Now many Somalis say FBI agents have questioned them about recent travels abroad and asked which mosques they attended. Sharmarke Jama, a 26-year-old businessman, was questioned after traveling to Canada. He said the Ethiopian invasion was a topic of discussion among immigrants, so he was not surprised to hear that some young men might have gone to fight. But, he said, the suicide bombing was different: “It really shook the foundation of the community ... as soon as the suicide bombing came into the equation, it was a whole new ball game.” The Oct. 29 bombing by Shirwa Ahmed was part of a series of coordinated attacks that targeted a U.N. compound, the Ethiopian consulate and the presidential palace in Hargeisa, capital of the Somaliland region. U.S. counterterrorism officials have raised concerns that an extremist group called al-Shabab is recruiting young men in Minnesota and elsewhere. It isn’t clear if Ahmed was part of the group. Al-Shabab, a name meaning “The Youth,” controls much of Somalia and wants to establish an Islamic state there.

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World News

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Mexico’s drug war is drenched in blood • Desperate cartels resort to other criminal enterprises

MEXICO CITY — Headless bodies in Tijuana, kidnapped children in Phoenix and shootouts on the streets of Vancouver: These are the unwanted byproducts of progress in the Mexican drug war. While the headline-grabbing chaos creates the appearance of a drug trade escalating out of control, evidence suggests Mexico’s cartels are increasingly desperate due to a cross-border crackdown and a shift in the cocaine market from the U.S. to Europe. Those pressures are forcing Mexico’s criminal networks, once accustomed to shipping drugs quietly and with impunity, to wage ever

more violent battles over scraps and to diversify into other criminal enterprises, including extortion and kidnapping for ransom on both sides of the U.S. border. “This is not reflecting the power of these groups,” Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora told The Associated Press in an interview. “This is reflecting how they are melting down in terms of capabilities, how they are losing the ability to produce income.” As evidence of that pressure, the U.S. government says the amount of cocaine seized on U.S. soil dropped by 41 percent between early 2007 and mid-2008. Reduced supply is said to have raised street prices by nearly a third to about $125 a gram in the U.S. and lowered purity by more than 15 percent. Both the U.S. and Canadian governments are seeing prolonged shortages of cocaine. “The reason you see the escalation in violence is because U.S. and Mexican law enforcement are winning,” said Garrison Courtney, spokesperson for the

ket as well, the U.S. and Mexican governments say, though smuggling of marijuana from Mexico has increased steadily since 2005 as demand increases. The trouble for Mexico’s illicit trade began on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorist attacks in the U.S. prompted heightened security at the border. President Felipe Calderon upped the ante by directly confronting the cartels on his first day in office two years ago, sending 45,000 soldiers and federal police to battle the cartels across the country. Improved cooperation with the U.S. since then led to the recent arrests of 755 Sinaloa cartel susGuillermo Arias/AP Photo pects in U.S. cities and towns as Federal police officers take a suspect into custody in connection with a shooting small as Stowe, Iowa. Mexican authorities, meanwhile, rooted out in Tijuana, Mexico, Monday. Mexico’s cartels are losing their grip on the prized more than two dozen high-level govU.S. drug market, largely because of a cross-border crackdown and a regional ernment security officials, including Mexico’s former drug czar, who was shift in worldwide cocaine consumption. allegedly paid to protect the same Drug Enforcement Administration, sonable to assume they are going to gang, Mexico’s most powerful. The U.S. Embassy reported a Tuesday. “You are going to see the try to fight to stay relevant.” Mexican cartels are being cut out record 85 extraditions from Mexico drug traffickers push back because we are breaking their back. It’s rea- of the U.S. methamphetamine mar- to the U.S. in 2008, contributing to

DHARMSALA, India — Somber prayers and hymns remembered the dead. Monks in ornate yellow headdresses blew giant conches and long brass trumpets to announce the coming of the Dalai Lama. A band playing drums, cymbals and bagpipes added to the din. Then, the soft-spoken man of peace delivered an unusually harsh message — a systematic indictment of the Chinese government that forced him to flee Tibet into exile during a failed uprising in 1959.

“These 50 years have brought untold suffering to the land and people of Tibet,” the 73-yearold Buddhist spiritual leader told some 2,000 Tibetan exiles gathered Tuesday to commemorate the rebellion. The Nobel Peace laureate, who accused the Chinese government of treating his people “like criminals deserving to be put to death,” highlighted the widening gulf between the two sides since last year when violence engulfed the region and talks broke down. Beijing, which accuses the Dalai Lama of trying to split Tibet from China and fomenting the recent violence, denounced his speech as “lies” and underlined the development it had brought to the vast Himalayan plateau. The Dalai Lama’s 30-minute speech in Dharmsala, the two-street town perched

—AP

Afghan hot spot gets policing

Dalai Lama: Tibetans ‘suffering’ under China • China denounces “harsh” message of Dalai Lama

a power vacuum that sparked an all-out war among the cartels as they battle for routes to the U.S. and control of Mexico’s growing domestic drug market. These successes, however, come with a brutal cost: skyrocketing violence in Mexico, with twice as many deaths last year and more than 1,000 people killed in the first eight weeks of this year; more than 560 kidnappings in Phoenix in 2007 and the first half of 2008, and more than two dozen shootings so far this year in Vancouver, British Columbia, where a shortage of cocaine from Mexico has pushed prices up from $23,300 to almost $39,000 a kilo. The Mexican government estimates that 90 percent of those killed are linked to the drug trade, and many kidnappings in the U.S. are also drug related. Mexico was just a token player in the cocaine trade some two decades ago, when the U.S. cracked down on the Caribbean routes for Colombian cocaine.

• U.S. forces teach effective military tactics to Afghan police Ashwini Bhatia/AP Photo

The Dalai Lama, right, greets his followers at the Tsuglakhang temple in Dharmsala, India, Tuesday, March 10, 2009. China has overseen a “brutal crackdown” in Tibet since protests shook the Himalayan region last year, part of decades of Chinese oppression that have driven Tibetan culture to the verge of extinction, the Dalai Lama said Tuesday in a speech to mark the 50th anniversary of the failed uprising that sent him into exile. in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas where he set up his headquarters in exile, warned that Tibet’s unique religion, culture and language are “nearing extinction.” Decades of China’s communist experiments, particularly the violent xenophobic

Cultural Revolution, “thrust Tibetans into such depths of suffering and hardship that they literally experienced hell on earth,” he said, adding that these campaigns led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Tibetans.

—AP

TAGAB VALLEY, Afghanistan — As a teenager is released to village elders, a U.S. commander warns him to stay away from the Taliban fighters with whom he was arrested. Then the American orders him to thank the district police chief for his freedom. “Listen to me: he’s your hero, not Taliban,” the commander tells the bearded young man. Police Col. Zelawar Zahed wasn’t involved in the arrest and didn’t have the power to release the youth on his own. But the nod to his authority indicates one key way in which NATO and the U.S. are seeking to rescue their faltering efforts to stabilize Afghanistan. The international community has spent several years and hundreds of

millions of dollars training Afghanistan’s army and police. Afghan forces will play a vital role in securing presidential elections expected in July. Ultimately, they are supposed to reach a strength that allows the foreign troops to go home. But they have often failed to prevent insurgents from filtering back into areas cleared in sweeps led by international forces, endangering civilians who may have sided with the government — and forcing the troops to start all over again. In Kapisa Province’s Tagab district, just 30 miles from Kabul, NATO forces are trying to use a hard-won peace to instill the authority of their firepower in the police, who are often seen as the weakest force in Afghanistan’s violent areas. U.S. forces teach the police commando-style military tactics and work to make men like Zahed the public face of the effort to rout out militants. The idea is to encourage communities to turn to police to settle personal feuds, rather than to Taliban or other militants.

—AP

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Sports

Steven Jones, sports editor dailysports@ou.edu phone: 325-7630, fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

Football

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

FOOTBALL NOTEBOOK Tennell confident about wide receiver position Wide receiver Adron Tennell was injured for a good part of last season, but the junior said he is more conďŹ dent in himself and ready to step up. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel like back in high school like Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m unstoppable, like nobody out there can touch me right now,â&#x20AC;? Tennell said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just on cloud nine.â&#x20AC;? The Sooners lost three receivers to graduation, but Tennell said this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s corps is working to get better. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are getting better each and every day,â&#x20AC;? Tennell said.

Sooners putting bowl losses behind them

Zach Butler/The Daily

Former Sooner safety Lendy Holmes runs in the three cone drill Tuesday in the Everest Center in Norman. Holmes recorded a time of 7.26 in the event, which was good for fifth best among participants. Holmes, OUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s starting safety last season, was one of 19 former Sooners who worked out for NFL scouts on Tuesday.

Former Sooners work out at Pro Day CLAIRE BRANDON The Oklahoma Daily Scouts from 27 NFL teams attended OUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2009 Pro Day at the Everest Training Center on Tuesday. Top results included wide receiver Quentin Chaneyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 4.59 40-yard dash and safety Lendy Holmesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 4.06 shuttle. To prepare for the NFL Combine and Pro Day workout, former Sooner center Jon Cooper has been working on gaining weight. Weighing in at 290 pounds, he has gained roughly 40 pounds since the end of the season. He plans to gain five to 10 more pounds before possibly playing in the NFL. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I had to push the calories quite a bit because the combine was only three or four weeks after the [East-West Shrine Game], â&#x20AC;&#x153; Cooper said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But nothing too extreme.â&#x20AC;? Running the 40-yard dash at 5.10 and 5.09, he said he thinks he ran pretty well but admits it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t his fastest time. Gaining weight so quickly might have slowed him down a little, Cooper said, but not significantly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I worry about it a little bit, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d run at that weight for two years,â&#x20AC;? Cooper said. Since the season ended in January, he said his skills have slightly improved, however, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a different course than heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s used to. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a little different training, getting ready for the Combine and Pro Day,â&#x20AC;? Cooper said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not really like football training, like you

TOP TIMES A total of 19 former Sooners worked out for representatives from 27 NFL teams on Tuesday in Norman for OUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pro Day. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a look at some of the top times: Vertical jump: Lendy Holmes, 35 inches Broad jump: Darien Williams, 10 feet., one inch 40-yard dash: Quentin Chaney, 4.59 seconds 20-yard shuttle: Lendy Holmes, 4.06 seconds Three-cone drill: Nic Harris, 7.00 seconds 60-yard shuttle: Nic Harris, 11.44 seconds For a full list of times, go to OUDaily.com. do everyday during the season.â&#x20AC;? The 2009 NFL Draft is April 25-26, and Cooper, a three-year starter at OU, said he thinks he will get his shot in the league. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I get a lot of good feedback,â&#x20AC;? Cooper said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Coaches telling me they like what Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m doing, they like how I move, they like my leverage, everything like that. My size was a big thing at first, and then I said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Well Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to put the weight back on.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? Cooper said NFL scouts are looking at his blocking skills and techniques on the path to the draft. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where I excel is my technique and my leverage,â&#x20AC;? Cooper said. Wide receivers Juaquin Iglesias and

Manuel Johnson did not run the 40-yard dash on Tuesday. Iglesias said he is pleased with his time of 4.51 at the combine and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think he would dramatically improve his time at Pro Day. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just wanted to put down a good number at the combine and I felt like I did that,â&#x20AC;? Iglesias said. Iglesias empathized with Johnson, who hurt his hamstring at the combine and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work out at all. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like my brother,â&#x20AC;? Iglesias said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to see him do well and I want to see him out here working out with me. I know heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to fight through this and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to get in the NFL and heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to do great.â&#x20AC;? Although Iglesias has spoken to most of the 32 NFL teams, one franchise stands out as his favorite: the Dallas Cowboys. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They were my favorite team as a kid,â&#x20AC;? Iglesias said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a Texas kid. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re still my favorite team.â&#x20AC;? Regardless of position in draft, Iglesias said he would be happy to be a part of any NFL team. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I want to be on a team I like but I also want to be the first pick,â&#x20AC;? Iglesias said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really matter to me. Wherever I get chosen, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m blessed to be on an NFL team.â&#x20AC;? Iglesias said he has heard rumors about his drafting, but itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s too early for anyone to know certainly. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just trying to make the most of my opportunity when I get there,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Ending the 2008 season with a loss is not what OU planned on in 2008, but sophomore defensive tackle Gerald McCoy said OU is moving forward as a team. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Going into this new season, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re putting all this bowl stuďŹ&#x20AC; behind us and getting ready for the upcoming season,â&#x20AC;? McCoy said. Part of moving forward is having a good attitude and a strong chemistry

to build upon, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This group we have now has a lot of chemistry and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why I think that our team last year was so good, because of team chemistry,â&#x20AC;? McCoy said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We have a lot of that still because weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had to grow closer.â&#x20AC;?

Freshman safety getting early start on season OU lost both starting safeties last season and the Sooners might be looking to early-enrolled freshman Javon Harris to ďŹ ll that role. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a big challenge for anybody that hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been here very long, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s especially a challenge for a high school player that just graduated,â&#x20AC;? secondary coach Bobby Jack Wright said. Coming into a new system can be tough and takes time for freshmen. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Javonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a heck of a good high school football player, and now heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s having to learn a whole new philosophy and whole new terminology,â&#x20AC;? Wright said. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; ANNELISE RUSSELL/THE DAILY

Baseball

OU sweeps Huskies, finishes homestand 8-0 JONO GRECO The Oklahoma Daily

threw his second career complete game and allowed one run on five hits while striking out The No. 15 baseball team three. He set career highs by swept the winless Houston throwing 113 pitches, and seven Baptist Huskies Tuesday 10-1 strikeouts. Wise, junior right fielder and 6-0 in its day-night doubleKaleb Herren and freshman header at L. Dale Mitchell Park. The sweep completed a third baseman Garrett Buechele homestand where the Sooners led the offensive charge for 10 runs after falling (15-3) went 8-0 behind 1-0 after and extended their four innings. home record to Wise went 2-3 12-0. with a two-run Senior pitcher homer and a douC.J. Blue (2-0) The Sooner softball ble while driving bested the Huskies in 3. Herren was (0-13) with his first team won two games on perfect at the plate career completeTuesday. For coverage, go by going 3-3 with game shutout, to OUDaily.com. a double and one allowing six hits RBI. Buechele hit while striking out 3-4 with a double, three. Five OU hitters ended the sec- triple and drove in two runs. The Sooners head out to the ond game with two hits each, including a solo blast by senior USF Bulls Baseball Classic in Tampa, Fla., Friday, on a hot catcher J.T. Wise. In game one, sophomore streak as they have won 10 of pitcher Michael Rocha (2-1) their last 11 games.

SOFTBALL ONLINE

MORE ONLINE For more sports coverage, including coverage of the Big 12 tournament, go to OUDaily.com.

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The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity employer. SMU will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, or veteran status. SMUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commitment to equal opportunity includes nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Sports

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Men’s Basketball

2009 Big 12 tournament predictions 8 9

• With the Big 12 tournament kicking off today, The Daily’s Eric Dama predicts who ultimately will win in Oklahoma City

5 12 4

The Wildcats, currently on the NCAA tournament bubble, will be playing for their tournament life Thursday. They need at least one — maybe two — wins this week to feel conﬁdent on Selection Sunday. Kansas State already beat the Longhorns in Austin this year. Why can’t they do it in OKC?

You can expect the Wildcats to be psyched for this because an appearance in the championship game would do much to impress the selection committee. Bill Self’s Jayhawks will be too much for Kansas State, however, as Sherron Collins & Co. will soundly cruise past the Wildcats, whose two losses to Kansas this year were by a combined 27 points.

Last time these two teams met, Kansas won because Cole Aldrich was grabbing every offensive rebound in sight and Sherron Collins was hitting 3-pointers from what seemed like the parking lot. This time, Blake Griffin will be around to patrol the paint, and even if Collins goes berserk again, Griffin’s added production and limit on Aldrich will make a big enough difference to push the Sooners to the title.

7 10

People say it’s harder to beat a team when you play it back-to-back, and that it’s nearly impossible to beat a team three times in one season. I say, if you’ve already beaten a team twice this year, what makes anyone think you won’t do it again?

6 11 3

It wouldn’t truly be March without the upsets, and this is mine. The Tigers have already played A&M once this year — and the Aggies won by double digits. Missouri has been very hot and cold lately, and the coin ﬂip says it comes up short on Thursday.

OU Summer in China

In one summer, travel 6,800 miles to experience 5,000 years of history.

Journey to China May 24 through June 26 During this ﬁve week study abroad program, students will travel to four different Chinese universities: • Xi’an International Studies University, Xian • Yunnan Normal University, Kunming • Peiking University, Beijing • Fudan University, Shanghai For more information, contact Alice Kloker at kloker@ou.edu.

Intensive Chinese Language Program May 31 through July 25 Designed for learners at all levels, the eight week Intensive Chinese Language Program will focus on the Chinese language also known as Mandarin. The course work will be at Yunnan University in Kunming, China and will be transferable to OU as foreign language credit. The OU course equivalents will be established by the Chinese language faculty at OU based on the level of language proﬁciency acquired. For more information, contact Ming Chao Gui at mgui@ou.edu or visit china.ou.edu.

Summer Session in China June 29 through July 24 During this four week session at Yunnan University in Kunming, students will attend two classes taught in English by OU faculty members Karl Rambo and Gus Palmer. Students enroll as part of the summer session at enroll.ou.edu, beginning April 6, and pay tuition through the OU Bursar’s Ofﬁce. Classes offered are: ANTH 2613 - Native Peoples of North America,

Non-Western Civilization ANTH 4623 - Approaches to Cross-culture Human Problems,

Non-Western Civilization upper division general education For more information, contact Karl Rambo at krambo@ou.edu or visit china.ou.edu.

The Aggies virtually locked up an NCAA tournament appearance after beating Missouri, but a shot at the championship would only improve their seeding. OU coach Jeﬀ Capel wants to get the Sooners on track after losing three of ﬁve to end the season. With a chance at the championship on the line, OU will be more than ready.

Luke Atkinson, L&A editor dailyent@ou.edu phone: 325-5189, fax: 325-6051 For more, go to oudaily.com.

Life & Arts

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Q&A WITH THE BAND EDITOR’S NOTE: The Daily’s Matt Carney snuck around the Opolis to find the three singing members of Blitzen Trapper, guitarists/singers Eric Earley and Marty Marquis, and drummer Brian Koch backstage. Here’s what they said.

How’s the recent increase of critical appreciation and publicity helped you guys out? Brian Koch: Well, they’re just opinions—I really don’t read them that often—but we’ve been able to book more gigs in better venues, and we’ve also been sought more for summer festivals. We’ll be playing Coachella ’09, actually. Eric Earley: The publicity has definitely helped us out. Every date on our tour this year has been sold out except for maybe two or three. Radio coverage has been huge, too. We’ve been able to hire a booking agent. Marty Marquis: Yeah, you know, people gotta listen to Blitzen Trapper on their way to work (laughs).

Can you explain your songwriting process? photo provided

Blitzen Trapper plays at the Sub Pop Festival in 2008. The band recently played at The Opolis and will play at this year’s Coachella Festival in July.

CONCERT REVIEW

It’s a ballroom ‘blitzen’ Seeing Blitzen Trapper play at The Opolis Monday night was the best possible way to spend ten dollars in Norman. Receiving acclaim from music powerhouses Rolling Stone, Spin and Pitchfork, Blitzen Trapper is continually touted for their pastoral, varied blend of rock music. University College freshman Spencer Fulton said he was excited to see them perform. “This is my third time to see them,” he said. “You can choose any genre and they’ve probably played a really good song in it.” Formed in 2000, the Portland-based sextet recently released their fourth studio album, “Furr,” on Seattle’s famous Sub Pop Records, home to fellow rockers The Shins. That night, the band exhibited an active and excited stage presence, much of it due to their talented song writing and proficiency in almost any music genre. They kicked off the show with their new song, “Sleepytime in the Western World,” a bouncy, fun track heavy on the church organ. Lead singer/guitarist Eric Earley and backup singer/guitarist Marty Marquis stood side-by-side on stage, physical antitheses

of one another. Earley is a pipsqueak with curly black hair and clean-shaven face, like a grown-up mouse. Sporting coke-bottle glasses, Marquis looks like a white, redhaired, 6-foot-5 version of Kyp Malone from TV on the Radio. Brian Koch drums and sings in the back when a high register or impressive beard is required. The rest of the band seems an odd crew of misfits. The bassist could be Kirk Hammett’s younger brother, the third guitar player looks like he belongs in a punkier outfit, and if I didn’t know better, I’d swear I’ve seen the keyboardist busing tables at Café Plaid. Microphone troubles nearly marred the opener, prompting Marquis to petition the crown for “lots of good energy in here—think positive thoughts.” They followed up with three songs that really proved their artistic range. “Saturday Nite” was an equally bouncy number featuring some jazz scat, and kazoos. “God and Suicide” followed with its heavy metal guitar riff and a cappella chorus. Then they shifted gears and for three minutes, became the strangest-looking country band on earth, playing the gorgeous twinkling slide guitar “Stolen Shoes and a Rifle”. It

was a wonderful down-South interlude, with drawling lyrics like “I love her, she’s got brothers down in Natch-ez…”. The middle of the set featured a headlong dive into the back catalogue. Earley led the band through a prog rock, jam-style breakdown on “Murder Babe,” prompting whispers of the words “Pink Floyd” throughout the Opolis. The closing set started with the dark, slow, ethereal “Love U,” followed by the raucous animal sound-party “Wild Mountain Nation,” and the thrashing, jumpy “Devil’s a-Go-Go”. The ending was hilarious—half the band lay on the floor shaking tambourines and smacking a cowbell. A well-timed beer bottle cracked on the ground percussively. After a loud, earnest encore chant, Earley returned, grabbed his acoustic, faced the crowd, and checked off “folk” the extensive list of genres that his band played Monday night. 23 songs in a handful of different fashions by the same awesome band in just over an hour and a half? Consider that 10 dollars earned, Blitzen Trapper.

BK: Eric’s always writing songs. We usually have to tell him to stop so we can go in and record. Sometimes for him the process is really short, like he just comes in one day with lyrics, but sometimes it takes a lot longer. MM: Yeah, Eric wrote “Black River Killer” and “Furr” both really, really quick, and those are two of our most popular live songs. They recorded really quickly too, cause they’re both really simple musically. I’ve always thought “Black River Killer” sounds a lot like a Queen song. EE: Yeah, I think “BRK” took about an hour and a half or two hours to write.

What is an average day like on tour for Blitzen Trapper? EE: It’s pretty chill. Drive anywhere from 2-7 hours, hang out, do interviews or radio appearances. I’m usually our D.D. since everybody else has a bit too much to drink each night.

Is it noticeably different playing in college towns like Norman? MM: I’d say so. Usually there are more kids singing along with us—actually in Norman last year there were folks singing the words to songs that hadn’t even been released yet, which is crazy. BK: Yeah, college towns always tended to sell out more before we were as popular. MATT CARNEY IS A JOURNALISM SOPHOMORE.

MATT CARNEY IS A JOURNALISM SOPHOMORE.

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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

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Employment HELP WANTED THE MONT Now accepting applications for the following positions: SERVERS-must be available for day shifts beginning at 10:30 am, experience preferred HOSTESS must be available nights and weekends. Apply in person M-F, 2pm to 4pm, 1300 Classen Here is your chance! Blu Fine Wine and Food is now accepting applications for waitstaff and experienced cooks. Must be 21. Apply in person between 2-4 pm M-F, at 201 S Crawford. 360-4258. Make up to $75 per online survey, student opinions needed www.cashtospend.com.

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True Sooners Don’t Haze.

6 8 3 9

4 5 2 7 1

7 9

1 8 5 3 1

4 3 3 6 5

8 5 4

5 1 5 2 3

Previous Solution 5 6 1 9 7 4 2 8 3

3 8 4 1 5 2 7 9 6

9 3 5 4 1 7 8 6 2

8 1 2 6 9 5 3 7 4

4 7 6 8 2 3 1 5 9

6 5 3 7 4 1 9 2 8

1 2 9 5 3 8 6 4 7

7 4 8 2 6 9 5 3 1

Monday- Very Easy Tuesday-Easy Wednesday- Easy Thursday- Medium Friday - Hard

Instructions: Fill in the grid so that every row, every column and every 3x3 box contains the digits 1 through 9. That means that no number is repeated in any row, column or box.

Edited by Timothy E. Parker March 11, 2009

Report Hazing.

ACROSS 1 Still up for grabs 6 FBI agt. 10 Portly president 14 Cathedral city near Florence 15 Declaim wildly 16 Dilly-dallying 17 “That’ll teach you!” look 18 “Pretty Maids all in ___” 19 Timely benefit 20 “Curse you, ___ Baron!” 21 Stop at the outset 24 Elevator innovator Otis 26 Old West tales 27 Kind of saw or tire 29 Colonial insect 30 Love deity 31 Very light tan 34 Operating room substance, once 39 Make a bust? 41 Van Gogh’s loss 42 It’s full of holes 43 Lugs around 44 First word in many letters 46 Biblical utopia 47 Orangutan, e.g. 49 Displaced person

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51 Historic Harlem theater 55 “Seinfeld” friend 57 Celeste Holm musical 59 Woman, objectively 62 Smoky mist 63 Glossary entry 64 Semiconductor device 66 Command for silence, in court (Var.) 67 Brainstorm result 68 Basketball Hall-of-Famer Baylor 69 Units of 100 ergs per gram 70 Sleepover beds, maybe 71 Bowler’s button DOWN 1 Nation in Dec. 1991 news 2 Unbeatable baccarat hand 3 Removed unwanted elements 4 Snake eye? 5 Land chronicled by C.S. Lewis 6 Economics textbook feature 7 “West Side Story” song 8 Shakespeare’s river 9 “Danke

10 11 12 13 22 23 25 27 28 29 32 33 35 36 37

Schoen” singer Wayne “Seven Years in ___” Baked brick building Bakery staple Works the garden ___ of Wight Finds intolerable Tough cotton thread Take a breather With the bow, in music Surrounding glow Formally hand over Canadian Arctic explorer John Promotional link Creatures with sharp bristles Lasting

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Previous Answers

beginning? 38 It’s put before Descartes 40 Sacred song 45 Do some mothering 48 Kind of justice 50 Weather forecast word 51 More than dislike 52 ___ Del Rey 53 Flowed slowly 54 Rich soil deposit 55 Bittern relative 56 Succotash beans 58 Change the decor of 60 Entertaining Adams 61 Lessor amount 65 ___-de-France

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2 9 7 3 8 6 4 1 5

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Life & Arts

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

What can I do to make a girl take an interest in me? Tyler: Girls like it when you are a complete douche-bag. It sounds crazy, it really does. But the more poorly you treat her, the less you are perceived to care about her, and the more nonchalantly you tell her you "might call her back," the greater the likelihood she will become interested in you. Conversely, the more you show her you like her, the more actively you pursue her, the more you show genuine interest, the more "creeped out" she'll be at your hopeless romanticism. Unless you get really, really lucky. Brittany: The right girl will like you no matter what, and for yourself, not someone you pretend to be. Sure, you can come off mean to get the girl, or nice to woo the girl, but in the end the truth will come out regardless. Eventually you will slip up and she'll see the real you and probably like you better for it. As for her taking interest, if she's the right girl, she'll notice you. It will just come naturally to you both.

What can I do to get this guy in class to like me?

BATMAN: BATTLE FOR THE COWL #1

Tyler: Show him how smart you are. Haha, just kidding. The best way to really intrigue a guy is to sit next to him. Other than that, your job is pretty much done. Just let his eyes wander, as they usually will, in your direction. His brain will follow. Maybe a quick glance once in class, combined with a smile, and maybe one more as you saunter out after class. He'll very quickly be asking your name â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or he may end up staring at you the rest of the semester. It's the luck of the draw, really.

EX MACHINA SPECIAL # 4

After the death of Batman at the hands of the Black Glove in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;R.I.Pâ&#x20AC;? series and Darkseid in the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Final Crisisâ&#x20AC;? series, Gotham sinks into crime as the rest of its heroes try to handle the death of Batman. As the title suggests, there is a battle to see who will replace the Dark Knight and based on the buzz surrounding this comic, every hero and villain wants to don his cowl. This three-part series puts an end to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Nightwingâ&#x20AC;?, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Birds of Preyâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Robinâ&#x20AC;? comics, which I feel is a good idea because following the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Last Ritesâ&#x20AC;? story arc through the different series was both expensive and annoying. Tony Daniel, who also worked on â&#x20AC;&#x153;R.I.P,â&#x20AC;? is both writing and penciling the series. Little is known about his writing, but his artwork in â&#x20AC;&#x153;R.I.Pâ&#x20AC;? was one of the better illustrations seen in Batman last year. Plus, his interpretation of the Joker is one of the creepiest Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever seen. This should be an interesting series to read and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only three issues long, so it should be light on your wallet.

After the last storyline in this Eisner winning series, Mayor Hundred must solve the energy crises in New York, and has to deal with a super-villian from his past alone, as the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only superhero. Although usual artist Tony Harris didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t illustrate this issue, he is substituted by an equally competent John Paul Leon whose art in the book â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scalpedâ&#x20AC;? is up to par with Harrisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; work. Frankly, anything Brian K. Vaughn writes is worth reading. He is one of the best writers in comic books right now which has been proven with books like â&#x20AC;&#x153;Y: The Last Manâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Pride of Baghdad.â&#x20AC;? Like Alan Moore, author of the recently screen-adapted â&#x20AC;&#x153;Watchmen,â&#x20AC;? Vaughn is able to transcend the medium and demolish stereotypes about superheroes. He proves this comic is not only a superhero book, but one about political administration in New York City. I suggest you pick up this issue. If you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t read this series, you should get the first volume too, which is also available in stores.

Brittany: Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m going to have to agree with Tyler on this one. Men today are looking for more assertive women. If you want him, don't be afraid to go after him! BRITTANY BURDEN AND TYLER BRANSON ARE ENGLISH SENIORS.

OSIZIMETE AKENâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;OVA IS A FILM AND VIDEO STUDIES JUNIOR.

HOROSCOPE

L&A BRIEFLY Rapper Coolio charged with cocaine possession, battery LOS ANGELES â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Prosecutors in Los Angeles say Coolio has been charged with cocaine possession. The 45-year-old rapper, whose real name is Artis Leon Ivey, was also charged Tuesday with battery stemming from his Friday arrest at the Los Angeles International Airport. Authorities say he grabbed a screenerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s arm to prevent a luggage search that turned up the drugs. Ivey was charged with one felony count of possession and one misdemeanor count, each of battery and possession of paraphernalia. He was released on $10,000 bail and is scheduled for arraignment on April 3. A message left for manager Susan Haber was not immediately returned Tuesday. Ivey faces up to three years in prison if convicted. The rapper gained fame for his 1995 single â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gangstaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Paradise.â&#x20AC;?

Stephen Colbert asks fans to vote for his name on space station WASHINGTON â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Earth to Space Station Colbert: The cosmic joke may be on NASA. Comedian Stephen Colbert, who couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get his mock presidential campaign oďŹ&#x20AC; the ground, is polling better by aiming higher. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s convinced his many fans to write in his name in NASAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s online public vote to name a new

room to be added to the international space station. Instead of NASAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suggested choices â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Serenity, Legacy, Earthrise or Venture â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the space stationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new addition may wind up with the name â&#x20AC;&#x153;Colbert.â&#x20AC;? The count by mid-Tuesday had votes for the comedian just shy of 115,000 and Serenity trailing at 98,641. More than 451,000 people have voted.

Real-life â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Cheersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bartender laid off BOSTON â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Eddie Doyle was the guy who really did know everybodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s name, at least when he started working at the tavern that inspired the television show â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cheers.â&#x20AC;? To the tens of thousands of tourists that later passed through, Doyle remained behind the bar to oďŹ&#x20AC;er a smile, a beer and tips about where to ďŹ nd the Boston that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t shown on TV. Now Doyle is out of a job, laid oďŹ&#x20AC; from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Cheersâ&#x20AC;? after 35 years. The barâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s owner has said a tough economy and sagging business forced the move, which was one of several layoďŹ&#x20AC;s. Doyle said heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not bitter, just surprised and a little sad. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This bar, for me ... it was not just another job,â&#x20AC;? Doyle said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was the perfect job.â&#x20AC;? Longtime friend and lifelong bartender Tommy Leonard called Doyleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exit â&#x20AC;&#x153;the end of an eraâ&#x20AC;? and said Doyle is one of the most giving men he knows. Doyle, who was laid oďŹ&#x20AC; in February, has spent the past few weeks cleaning out his oďŹ&#x192;ce and reďŹ&#x201A;ecting on what he considered a great run.

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Wednesday, March 11, 2009 PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -People could find you difficult to please or understand because of your reluctance to be as sociable and outgoing as you usually are. Having a personal pity party never solves anything.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -Your natural ability for practicality may be absent when you go shopping. Unless you take control, you could load up those credit cards more than youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going to like.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s to your benefit to avoid getting too closely involved with someone who is always stirring up trouble. What transpires could end up identifying you with this individual for a long time to come.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Any disagreement between you and your mate must be handled in private, away from relatives or kibitzers. The input of outsiders is likely to be more destructive than constructive.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let others pressure you into altering your goals, because that leaves far too much to chance. You need to identify what you truly want and make realistic plans about how to achieve it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- Be exceptionally careful with regard to what you say about others, especially anything that could be construed as negative. It will be repeated in a way that will be destructive to your reputation.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- Todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s events may make you realize that if you fail to control your destiny, other factors beyond your control will do so for you. Take charge of your life.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- Actions on your part that are motivated out of spite or a desire to get even with someone will backfire. Sadly, the situation will end up making you the one who is totally to blame.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- Although youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re the type of person who is always helpful to others, just because you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel like it at this time, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re apt to pretend to be unavailable to a friend who truly needs your help.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Upon occasion, your good judgment totally deserts you. Today could be one of those times, so be careful when dealing with others, such as siding with someone who is dragging you down.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re likely to get a second chance to handle some friction occurring between you and a friend in a better manner than you have in the past. The question is, will you do so?

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -There is a strong possibility that you could spend all your valuable time on a worthless goal that will bring you nothing. Make sure that you understand whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in it for you or anyone else.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

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