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Renowned historian to address graduating class

CAMPUS BRIEFS

• McCullough authored bestselling biographies on John Adams, Harry Truman UOSA elections today UOSA elections are open through 9 p.m. Students can vote at elections.ou.edu. Results will be posted on OUDaily.com.

Summer financial aid applications due today Wednesday is the last day for students enrolling in summer sessions or studying abroad to turn in their applications for summer financial aid. Students who plan to enroll at OU for summer sessions, which begin June 8, and need financial aid should apply, said Judi Voeller, associate director of financial aid services. To check the status of summer financial aid eligibility and access the summer financial aid application, students can type “summer application” in the Ask the Sooners search on the Financial Aid Services Web site.

ASHLEIGH WOODALL AND LEIGHANNE MANWARREN The Oklahoma Daily Two-time Pulitzer-winning historian and author David McCullough is scheduled to deliver OU’s 2009 commencement address and will receive an honorary degree on May 15 at the Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Considered one of America’s most widely read historians, McCullough has authored bestselling biographies as well as lending narration for documentaries and movies, such as “The Civil War” and “Seabiscuit.” McCullough, who has been writing for more than 40 years, won two Pulitzer Prizes for his biographical works on Presidents Harry Truman and John Adams. Because of the success of the biography, “John Adams” was adapted into an HBO TV miniseries and is one of the nation’s most widely read biographies. His most recent book, “1776,” was named a New York Times’ bestseller and has more than 3 million copies in print. Historians believe McCullough helped shape how Americans view the subjects of his books. Archived photo Cody Mulcahy/The Daily “His biographies have contributed to the changing of the neg- Former President George H. Bush (left) shares a laugh with historian David McCullough when both came to speak at Paul F.

COMMENCEMENT Continues on page 2 Sharp Concert Hall in Catlett Music Center March 7, 2007.

FINALLY!

—WHITNEY ORTEGA/THE DAILY

UOSA aims to improve international student relations

Tobacco tax hikes come to Oklahoma

Student Congress passed a bill Tuesday night geared toward giving international students a bigger voice on campus. The Department of International Affairs Act would create a new department and executive cabinet position within UOSA that will act as a liaison between international students and UOSA. The Graduate Student Senate will vote on the bill April 12. Student Congress also allocated emergency funding for projects and events to the Japanese Student Association, The Big Event and Relay for Life.

• Money from price increases to support federal programs RICKY MARANON The Oklahoma Daily

—CADIE THOMPSON/THE DAILY

WHAT’S INSIDE The Phi Gamma Delta fraternity will be homeless soon, if everything goes according to plan. Flip to page 2 to find out why. The Daily’s Brittany Burden got a chance to speak with local band The Nefarious Double Clutchers. Check out the Q&A on page 10.

LIFE & ARTS What are the super heroes and villains up to this week? Check out The Daily’s ‘This Week in Comics’ on page 10.

SPORTS The softball team takes on Baylor in a double-header today at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the OU softball complex. For details, see page 9.

OUDAILY.COM Need more L&A? Check out the video of local DJ, Blake Ward, at OUDaily.com!

Amy Frost/The Daily

The Sooners advance past the No. 6 seed Purdue Boilermakers Tuesday night in a 74-68 win in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament in Oklahoma City. With the win, the Sooners advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2002. For the full story, see page 8.

Campus Notes 13 Classifieds 12 12 Crossword Horoscope 13 L&A 10, 11

News 3, 5, 6, 7, 13 Opinion 4 Police Reports 13 Sports 8, 9 Sudoku 12

WEATHER FORECAST

TODAY

LOW 41° HIGH 72°

THURSDAY LOW 41° HIGH 59° 40% Source: Oklahoma Weather Lab

TAX Continues on page 2

Enforcing justice: a day in the life of an OU parking attendant • It’s a tough job, but someone must do it RICHIE MILLS The Oklahoma Daily

TODAY’S INDEX

Two new taxes taking effect today are no April Fools’ joke. The most dramatic of the two tax hikes affects tobacco users who smoke cigars, hookah, use smokeless tobacco and roll their own cigarettes. Under the new federal tax, the price of non-cigarette tobacco will go up from about $1.10 per pound to $24.62 per pound. The money from the tax increases will go to federal programs to help children receive better access to healthcare. “The government should have found something else to tax,” said Mohammad Davani, owner of the Norman Hookah Bar at 177 N. Crawford St. He said he expects annual operating costs to rise by at least $7,000. To keep prices down temporarily, Davani said he would charge his current prices until he runs out of stock purchased before the tax increase. “My customers will be pissed at first,

I once thought being an OU parking attendant was one of the worst jobs on campus. After spending time with a parking attendant on the job, I realized they enjoy and take pride in their jobs. Parking attendants at OU walk at least six miles a day to patrol one of the seven designated parking areas to which they are assigned. They can tell the make and model of a car from yards away and can see parking permits through tinted glass. They have a good laugh Monday mornings when they find randomly parked cars that might be left over from the weekend. They can even pick out which individual cars have received multiple tickets out of packed lots. And for those who think they might be intimidated by drivers yelling and throwing parking tickets on the ground, they aren’t. Instead, they swap stories about drivers who try to act tough and end up looking dumb. Parking tickets are, after all, on students’ permanent records. Gail Andrews has been an OU parking attendant for about seven months. Born in Germany, Andrews has lived in Norman most her life and has received a degree in sports and nutrition from OU. She said

James Cornwell/ The Daily

Gail Andrews, a University of Oklahoma parking services employee, place a ticket on an illegally parked vehicle at the Goddard Health Center parking lot. her most memorable moment was when a man broke the entrance bar to a parking lot, then parked without a permit. She said his car was towed and he had to pay for the damage. Andrews usually arrives at work at 7:30 a.m. and meets with the other attendants to learn about any events that need special parking that day, or if they should look out for lost or stolen cars. After her morning meeting, Andrews arrives at her area, which covers Jacobson

Hall and most of Elm Street. Checking for illegally parked cars makes time go by quickly. By the time she has hit all the parking lots and the garage near Catlett Music Center, it’s lunch time. At noon she takes a break, then gets back to work until about 3:30 p.m. “It is pretty much the same routine every day, except for days when the weather is bad or when some of the parking lots are being used for an event,” said Andrews, who said she gives about 40 parking tickets

a day. Those days, Andrews doesn’t have to hit every lot. Around 2 p.m. Tuesday, I joined her at Goddard Health Center to watch her in action. She said watching for students who park illegally in patient-only spots, and then head to class is Andrews’ favorite part of the day. “It is really funny to watch them pretend like they are going to Goddard,” she said. “Some of them even pull out prescription paper bags out of their backpacks to pretend like they are going or have been to the pharmacy inside Goddard.” Andrews’ job wasn’t easy in the beginning, but she caught on quickly. At first she couldn’t tell the lots apart and got tired easily because she had to walk around each vehicle to check for permits. But after seven months, she now knows each lot by name and simply walks behind a row of cars to tell if a vehicle has a permit or if a meter is expired. Andrews said she enjoys her job, not because she likes giving parking tickets, but because she’s one of many who can enforce justice at OU. “I have been a student here before and I always parked illegally, so I know how it feels to get those yellow gifts on your windscreen, but people who pay for parking need to be able to park,” she said. She said she has accepted the less

PARKING Continues on page 2

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News

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Commencement Continued from page 1

ative perceptions of these two presidents, both Harry Truman and John Adams,” said Ron Peters, political science professor. “Both were disliked since the end of their presidency, and it is widely believed that Truman has become more favorable among historians since David McCullough’s book.” The commencement speech will be McCullough’s third trip to OU and is expected to draw a large audience as he has done during his previous visits. “I went to one of his previous visits to OU, and I know he has a close relationship with President David Boren,” Peters said. “He spoke very fondly of OU and I think he thinks very well of this

place.” McCullough has lectured all over the world, and is one of the few private citizens to have ever spoken before a joint session of Congress. While studying at Yale University, McCullough was inspired to become a writer. There he also met his wife and in 1955 earned a English literature degree. With McCullough announced as the 2009 commencement speaker, professors anticipate he will speak from a historical perspective about the graduating seniors’ future. “I hope that he will frame his commencement speech with a depth of perception of histori-

Taxes

cal events and how it relates back to the present,” said Robert Griswold, history department chairman. “Hopefully what he has to say will touch deep cords of history that will resonate to today for the students.” Previous OU commencement speakers have included William Cohen, former secretary of defense, in 2008; Michael Bloomberg, former New York City mayor, in 2007; Katie Couric, then NBC’s “Today” anchor, in 2006; and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in 2005. “I am very pleased to know that he’s speaking,” Peters said. “It is a nice thing for students to be getting food for thought and not the typical ‘rah-rah’ speech.”

TOBACCO TAXES

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(prices are per-pound except for cigars)

but in the end, they have to realize that I’m not the one responsible,” he said. Local businesses that do not sell tobacco and tobacco products will also face a slight sales tax hike. For the first time in Cleveland County history, a countywide tax has been implemented, according to the Cleveland County commissioner’s Web site. The fourth-of-a-cent sales tax will help pay for the new Cleveland County Jail. Jerry Hatter, owner of Balfour, a collegiate apparel shop on campus corner, said customers haven’t complained in the past and his sales will probably not be affected. “We’ve had taxes like these in the past,” he said.

Roll-your-own tobacco: $1.10 to $24.62

Chewing tobacco: $ 0.20 to $0.50 Pipe tobacco:$1.10 to $2.81 Snuff: $0.59 to $1.50 Large cigars: 20.72% to 52.40% (based on retail price) Source: Congressional Budget Office

Panel to address domestic violence • Native American women subject to triple the violence SHERIDAN STOVALL The Oklahoma Daily Ranking highest in the percentage of incarcerated women and home to a Native American community that endures much more more violence than the general population, Oklahoma paints a vivid picture of the need for advocacy, Women’s Studies Director Jill Irvine said. OU’s Women’s Studies Program and the Xenia Institute will sponsor “Don’t Look Away: Violence Against Women and Human Rights in Oklahoma” 7 p.m. Thursday in the Sandy Bell Gallery at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art. The event will be led by five panelists involved in different aspects of violence prevention in Oklahoma. After the discussion, the panelists will take questions from the audience. Irvine said she expects the panelists to address violence in Oklahoma relating to the high rate of incarcerated women, and how their incarceration may be linked to domestic violence. Irvine said battery is the leading cause of injury among women in

the United States, and Oklahoma ranks fourth in the nation in the number of women killed by men. Panelist Kelly Stoner, director of the Native American Legal Resource Center at Oklahoma City University, will discuss high rates of assault against Native Americans relative to other demographics. Irvine said because Native American police departments do not have authority over nonnatives, Native American women are subjected to three times the amount of violence than the rest of Oklahoma women. Eighty percent of assaults on Native Americans are by non-native people, she said. Women’s studies spokeswoman Karin Jonsson said that because of complications arising from the complex relationship between the Native American and state authorities, Oklahoma has a responsibility to seek new ways to lessen domestic violence. “It seems that policies that are often created to help are counterproductive,” Irvine said. “Women fear losing their children if they admit that there is domestic violence in their home.” Jonsson and Irvine said the event’s main is to engage the community to seek solutions for domestic violence. “We often think of human rights [violations] as taking place somewhere else,” Irvine said. “Intimate violence represents a human rights issue, and it is all around us. I hope that will help people take notice of what they can do locally to help.”

Image Provided

Architectural rendering of the new Phi Gamma Delta house. Demolition of the current house will begin this summer.

Fraternity awaits new house • New building will house 70 members ALEX LYNN The Oklahoma Daily The Phi Gamma Delta fraternity will be temporarily homeless after the demolition of its house this summer. The fraternity’s current house, located at 1200 S. College Ave, has been the same since 1955, but once the semester is over it will be torn down and a new one will be built in its place. “The house [we] have now is pretty old and beat up back from when the campus was wet,” said Will Bowersox, Phi Gamma Delta president. Being a member of a homeless fraternity might sound slightly depressing, but members of Fiji are more excited about the future $6 million house than concerned with not having one until the fall of 2010. John Rosener, University College freshman, said he thinks its size will help promote a stronger sense of brotherhood. “The house is very important to the fraternity,” Rosener said. “The house we have now only sleeps around 40 to 50 guys which is not nearly enough for our fraternity. The new house will be big enough for 70 guys. It will make us all closer as brothers.” A lack of physical presence could also be a potential

problem for fraternities come fall rush, but Bowersox said it will only help the fraternity. “If anything it will be leverage,” he said. “The new house will be ready for move-in in time for the fall 2010 semester. Because all incoming freshman are required to live in the dorms, our newest pledge class, from fall 2009, will be the first to live in the new house.” One hundred percent of the nearly $6 million project was funded by the fraternity’s alumni, said Bowersox, finance and entrepreneurship junior. The fund-raising campaign began last March when the economy was in a better state, but the economic downturn has not affected the project and it is on schedule, he said. Lee Allan Smith, Vice Chairman of AckermanMcQueen and Fiji alumnus, raised much of the capital for the project. He said fond memories made alumni eager to donate money for the new house, even during a recession. “There is a saying that Phi Gamma Delta is not for college days alone, which I truly believe,” he said. “That is why so many alums have stepped forward with contributions to make this a reality. They all cherish their memories.” Will McGarry, Phi Gamma Delta and OU alumnus, is sentimental about the house that stands today, but said the new house will mean just as much to future members. “It held a lot of good memories,” he said. “When a bunch of college kids move into one house together there is bound to be good times and experiences to last a life time.”

Parking

surroundings.

OUR COMMITMENT TO ACCURACY

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enjoyable parts of her job, like the large amount of students who dislike parking attendants and the drive-by curses she hears daily. While I was spending time with Andrews, she came across a car illegally parked in a garage by a student who complained to Andrews for not warning him

before he parked. She nicely explained she couldn’t tell everyone where to park because there are signs that outline who can park where with what permits. Andrews said she has learned a lot from her job, like the importance of having a positive outlook and how to be observant of her

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.

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

State News

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Female candidates emerge for state’s top job • Lt. Governor Askins, Rep. Fallin could be state’s first female governor RICKY MARANON The Oklahoma Daily Republicans and Democrats are producing two big names for candidates in what is becoming a historic race for the governor’s seat. Lt. Governor Jari Askins and Rep. Mary Fallin each have announced they will run for governor in 2010. Congresswoman Fallin is so far the only Republican to announce that she seeks to fill Democratic Gov. Brad Henry’s seat, which he must vacate because of term limits. Jari Askins became the state’s second female lieutenant governor after Fallin resigned to take her seat in the U.S. House of Representatives in January 2007. Both candidates are Oklahoma natives. Fallin grew up in Techumseh and Askins grew up in Duncan. Askins graduated from OU while Fallin is an Oklahoma State University alumna. If elected, either would become the first woman to serve as governor of Oklahoma. Fallin has already put her name in Oklahoma history books by becoming the first woman to serve as lieutenant governor. When she won her seat in Congress, Fallin became the first woman since 1921 to be elected to represent Oklahoma in Congress.

“I like making history,” Fallin said. Fallin said her gender is a non-issue, because she already has proven she has the skills and abilities to get the job done. “With my experience and knowledge of Oklahoma politics and issues, I feel more than ready to be governor,” she said. Fallin must wait for the Democratic Party primary to conclude between Askins and state Attorney General Drew Edmondson to figure out who she will face in the general election. If Askins defeats Edmondson, Oklahoma will face another historic moment when both major parties for the first time will have two women competing against each other for the state’s top job. “I look forward to running against Mary,” Askins said. “It will be a great historical time for Oklahoma.” Fallin emphasized the effect of her and Askins’ candidacies as a positive influence on young women. “This race will be a great opportunity to show the little girls growing up in Oklahoma that they can be anything they want to be regardless of the way God made them,” Fallin said. Fallin considers herself a strong conservative in both her voting record in Congress and her actions as lieutenant governor. “I believe in limited government, free enterprise, family values and the Constitution,” she said. Askins also said she identifies herself as conservative, but tries to do what is right regardless of political affiliation. Fallin and Askins both predict the economy and state job growth will be the major issues in the 2010 gubernatorial campaign.

Photos Provided

Rep. Mary Fallin (R-Oklahoma City) and Democratic Lt. Gov. Jari Askins have both announced plans to run for governor of Oklahoma in 2010. Either could be the first female to serve in the role.

STATE BRIEFS Obama taps Oklahoman for treasury post TULSA — President Obama has nominated an Oklahoma native for a top post at the U.S. Department of the Treasury. According to a White House announcement, the president plans to nominate Oklahoma City native Beth Garrett to be the assistant secretary for tax policy. A graduate of Putnam City North High School, the University of Oklahoma and the University of Virginia Law School, Garrett was a staﬀ aide to then-U.S. Sen. David Boren in the 1990s. She was Boren’s legal counsel and

legislative assistant for tax, budget and welfare reform issues. Garrett currently is the vice president for academic planning and budget at the University of Southern California. In January 2005, Garrett was appointed to then-President George W. Bush’s nine-member bipartisan Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform.

Former police officer sentenced to prison for weapons theft MUSKOGEE — A former Muskogee police ofﬁcer has been sentenced to four years in prison

for possession of stolen ﬁrearms and falsely claiming a military award. Thirty-one-year-old Kris Ledford was sentenced Tuesday, and is to report to federal authorities by noon May 15. Ledford pleaded guilty in November to taking guns from the Muskogee Police Department property room and falsely claiming to have been awarded a Purple Heart by the military. He was a crime scene investigator for the department at the time. Ledford still faces charges in Muskogee, Tulsa, Wagoner and Cherokee counties of embezzlement, concealing stolen property, grand larceny and impersonating a police oﬃcer.

Civil justice bill clears Senate legislative committee OKLAHOMA CITY — A legislative committee voted 6-2 Tuesday for a 227-page bill to revamp the state’s civil justice system after the Senate’s top leader said it was needed to lure jobs and retain doctors. There was no debate in the Senate Judiciary Committee on the bill, sponsored in the Senate by President Pro Tem Glenn Coﬀee, R-Oklahoma City. Among its key provisions are to place a so-called $300,000 “hard cap” on pain and suffering damages, to require a certiﬁcate from an

expert that a lawsuit has merit and to change class-action lawsuit guidelines by requiring litigants to “opt in” to a suit rather than “opt out.” Doctors held a news conference at the Capitol before the vote to urge that it be sent to the Senate ﬂoor and on to Gov. Brad Henry, who has twice vetoed similar legislation. “Every year, we are losing more physicians to retirement or other states due in large part to Oklahoma’s high medical liability insurance costs,” said Dr. Lee Schoeﬄer, president of the Oklahoma Medical Association.

— AP

Thanks to the students of JMC 3433, PR Publications!

Opinion

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

OUR VIEW

COMMENCEMENT 2010?

McCullough a solid choice for 2009 commencement In January, we called on the OU administra- the address. And the university can hardly be tion to make a big splash with a commencement accused of making a biased choice in favor of a certain political party. speaker for this year’s spring graduation. McCullough is a scholar. He’s also an excelIt delivered. Officials announced Tuesday that Pulitzer lent communicator and popularizer of history, Prize-winning historian David McCullough as his books like “John Adams” and “1776” — both New York Times bestsellers — will deliver the 2009 commencement address at 7 p.m. on May 15 at OUR VIEW show. Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. His extensive and detailed knowlis an editorial See Page 1 for more details. edge of how America works and of selected and debated by the editorial board Sure, in a list that included multiple what has shaped our country throughand written after a out history is bound to be beneficial to young, energetic personalities, the majority opinion is students who are on the verge of enteradministration chose one of the oldest formed and approved by the editor. Our View ing the workforce for the first time guys in the bunch. is The Daily’s oﬃcial takng their place in American society. But graduating seniors should be opinion. McCullough already has been to proud to listen to him at their comcampus on two separate occasions. mencement ceremony. McCullough isn’t a president or a former pres- Both times, he received warm welcomes and ident. He isn’t even a political figure — which is large crowds. His third visit should not be any different. one reason why he’s a great choice. It’s an event students shouldn’t miss, regardThere won’t be protests like there would be if Al Gore or George W. Bush were giving less of whether they’re graduating in May.

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

Chris Miller/AP

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin listens to a question during a February news conference in Juneau, Alaska. Would you want Palin to speak at commencement in 2010? Juniors, tell us your top choices online at the opinion desk blog at http://oudaily.com/weblogs/opinion-desk-blog/.

STAFF POINT-COUNTERPOINT

Global warming or global hoax? • ‘Man-induced’ emissions are a scientific fact

• Science disregarded in favor of scare tactics

When I tell people I am a meteorology student, there are normally two questions they ask. The first is what the weather will be like for their picnic/football game/party on the weekend. The second is usually about climate change. I realize that most of the people reading this column will have already formed their own opinions about climate change. If you’ve done the research, read the articles, heard all the facts from unbiased sources and made up your own mind then I applaud you. However, as with many topics, there are a lot of vocal people out there expressing opinions about climate change (on both sides) that show a lack of understanding of the facts and issues. Our own congressman, Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., is an infamous global warming skeptic. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. As intellectuals, it is important to question what we are told. It is through questioning that we learn. However, I have to take issue with Sen. Inhofe’s remark that “man-induced global warming is an article of religious faith.” This seems to imply that climate scientists are following blind faith in their predictions. Contrary to Inhofe’s statement, man-induced global warming is CHARLOTTE not an article of religious faith. WAINWRIGHT It is scientifically proven, and is as much of a fact as gravity or evolution. There are thousands of world-renowned scientists working in this arena. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is comprised of hundreds of scientists from across the globe who work to assess, in an objective and transparent manner, up-to-date scientific literature relevant to the understanding of the risk of humaninduced climate change. The IPCC itself does not perform the research, which enables the organization to be objective in its reviews. It has released four full reports, the latest of which came out in 2007. The reports’ authors jointly received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts. The U.K. Met Office offers a handy guide to the key facts on climate change on its Web site. The first fact: “Climate change is happening and humans are contributing to it.” That’s pretty plain language to me. There is incontrovertible evidence of this warming, and those who try and deny it are simply ignoring the facts. The fifth fact: “If we continue emitting greenhouse gases this warming will continue and delaying action will make the problem more difficult to fix.” Personally, I’d consider that a warning. I’ve previously heard several people espouse the opinion that it would be nice for the global

I am not a scientist, nor do I pretend to be an expert on climatology, and I certainly am not an authority when it comes to global warming. However, I did what most rational people do when faced with this situation: I did research on the topic from people and organizations that are experts. The argument does not center on whether or not the Earth is warming, but whether humans are major contributors to global warming. In case you were blissfully unaware, the idea that global warming is “settled science” or that there is a unified scientific consensus that says anthropomorphic global warming is a dire threat is patently false. In fact, a large portion of the scientific community counters that human contributions to global warming are insignificant in the broader picture. A major problem surrounding the global warming issue is that the science has been shoved aside in favor of sweeping scare tactics and propaganda. Take Al Gore’s documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth.” In the documentary, Gore uses the now infamous “hockey stick” graph promulgated by climatologist Michael Mann to show that global temperatures remained relatively steady for the last 2,000 years until the 1850s, when temperatures suddenly began to rise. Gore declares, both in his book and in his movie, that this graph shows that anthropomorphic global warming is very real and that humans are to blame. However, other climatologists have refuted the “hockey stick” analogy by accusing Mann of falsifying data and ignoring long-term scientific approaches. Key to this argument is the 1996 Woods Hole reconstruction of sea-surface temperature variance over the last 3,000 years, which suggests oscillating temperature variation. Examples show that sea surface temperatures have not been stable, but have in fact fluctuated by as much as 3 degrees Celsius. Ice core samples taken in 2003 from Vostok, Antarctica, show oscillating temperatures over a much larger scale of 420,000 years. The ice core samples indicate five distinct peaks and four valleys in Earth temperatures with variance of 10 degrees Celsius from peak to peak intervals of approximately 100,000 years, and that currently we are near a peak in the temperature cycle. Not once does Gore mention that the current temperature increases are in line with historic data – he merely asserts that humans are to blame. Examples of both local warming and local cooling can be found on the same continent. Examples include melting ice and glacial calving in Antarctica as shown in “An Inconvenient Truth,” as well as the net increase in ice mass in Antarctica since 1970 to the tune of 43 million tons. The latter is not covered in the documentary, presumably because it weakens the argument.

Charlotte Wainwright is a meteorology graduate student.

...‘man-induced’ global warming is not an article of religious faith. It is scientifically proven, and is as much of a fact as gravity or evolution...it is time for each of us to start taking personal responsibility for limiting or reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I N D E P E N D E N T

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T H E

One plausible explanation for global warming theorizes that solar irradiance is partly responsible for the shifts. The Naval Research Laboratory produced evidence in 2000 that variations in solar activity could possibly explain global warming. Data collected by atmospheric scientists conclude that solar variance is proportional to fluctuations in global mean temperatures. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an in-house arm of the United Nations, has declared that global temperatures have risen 0.6 degrees Celsius over the last century, and that humans — and more specifically their carbon dioxide output — are to blame. The National Climatic Data Center reported in 2004 that the mean temperature of the Warth since 1880 was 13.9 degrees Celsius, with an error margin of 0.7 degrees Celsius. The increase reported by the IPCC falls well within this margin of error, and should serve as cause for alarmist skepticism. Roger Pielke Sr., a retired climatologist from Colorado State University, former chief editor of The Journal of Atmospheric Sciences and an ardent believer in global warming, supports the position that the IPCC is overstating the effect humans have on global warming. He does JOE not dispute that they are havHUNT ing an effect, just that human action is not leading to eventual Armageddon. Pielke draws on temperature data gathered by the IPCC as well as other climatic institutions to suggest that 28 percent of recent warming is attributable to atmospheric carbon dioxide. The IPCC estimates that since 1880, there has been a 0.6 degree Celsius increase in mean global temperature, so the impact that carbon dioxide has had on that increase is about .17 of the total. Of this 17 percent, liberal estimates conclude that humans are directly responsible for about a quarter of that output. Conservative estimates are much less than that. Pielke is a self-described believer in anthropogenic global warming, yet he concludes that increased carbon dioxide levels are nowhere near the cataclysmic planetary emergency levels, and man-made contributions to the levels of carbon dioxide are largely irrelevant. It is shortsighted to declare anthropomorphic global warming as irrefutable fact without looking at long-term data on climate change. It is likely that humans contribute to global warming, but that the impact has been blown out of proportion. The real inconvenient truth is that fear mongering has replaced science in the global warming debate. Joe Hunt is a history and economics senior.

It is shortsighted to declare anthropomorphic global warming as irrefutable fact without looking at long-term data on climate change... The real inconvenient truth is that fear mongering has replaced science in the global warming debate. O F

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T H E The Fine Print

temperatures to be a bit higher. However, as anyone who has spent any time in Oklahoma can attest, the atmosphere is a complicated beast. What some people do not seem to realize is that global temperature changes have other consequences aside from melting of the polar ice caps. Climate change could lead to substantial changes in the frequency and intensity of precipitation across the world, putting stress on water availability in some areas already susceptible to drought and severely increasing precipitation totals in other areas. It is also important to note that many people fail to recognize the difference between weather and climate. Weather describes atmospheric conditions over a short time, and climate is how the atmosphere behaves over relatively long periods of time. Failure to understand this key difference can lead to people presenting arguments such as “climate change can’t be real — it just snowed at the end of March!” Almost as misinformed as those who deny that our climate is changing are those who present the “We’re all going to die” doomsday scenario of climate change, or those who blame extreme weather events such as hurricanes and tornadoes on climate change. There have been several studies on the possible effects of climate change on the frequency and strength of hurricanes, producing a variety of results. A March 2008 paper by Kerry Emanuel of MIT suggested that hurricane frequency and intensity will not increase dramatically over the next 200 years. The general consensus in the scientific community is that this is an area with large uncertainty that needs further investigation. Similarly, the fourth IPCC report stated, “There is insufficient evidence to determine whether trends exist in... small scale phenomena such as tornadoes, hail, lightning and dust storms.” As college students, it is our duty to educate ourselves about climate change using reputable sources. I wholeheartedly encourage all of you to read the executive report of the IPCC summary, available at www.ipcc.ch. Read it, consider the facts, then make up your own mind. As someone who has made an effort to learn about climate change, I believe that it is time for each of us to start taking personal responsibility for limiting or reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I hope many of you, once armed with all of the facts, will reach the same conclusion. Perhaps one day, Oklahoma may even elect senators and other lawmakers who share this view. Until then, the onus is on each of us to educate ourselves and the wider community.

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News

Big summit, small hopes; leaders meet on economy • As world leaders meet to fix economy, London prepares for massive protests TOM RAUM Associated Press LONDON — Desperate but divided on ways to lift their nations from economic misery, world leaders converged for an emergency summit Tuesday holding scant hopes of finding a magicbullet solution for the crisis that brought them hurrying to London. Even as President Barack Obama and the others were arriving, the U.S. acknowledged its allies would not go along with a massive burst of stimulus spending, while Europe was forced AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis to backpedal from hopes for tighter financial regulation. A workman boards up the World War I War Memorial in front of the Bank of England in central London’s City Instead, leaders are trumpeting the limited financial district, Tuesday, ahead of potential protests during the upcoming G20 summit. World leaders are common ground they could reach, including more money for the International Monetary gathering in London for the Group of 20 summit amid an unprecedented security operation to protect the Fund and closer scrutiny of hedge funds and meeting from possible violent protests. tax havens. As for the broader issues, they’re “For the first time, there’s a recognition that the crisis is too serious to allow us to have a hoping for the best — or at least that they will major emerging markets and developing coun- summit for nothing,” he said. do no harm. European countries are pushing for a tougher With turbulent world markets watching close- tries have a critical role at the table,” said Mike ly, the stakes are high, especially for America’s Froman, a White House international economic regulatory system for global finance, while the adviser. U.S. is emphasizing more spending — an idea new president, stepping But will that mean action that holds little interest for Europeans wary onto the world stage for the to stop a global downward about debt. first time to deal with the spiral? Obama planned a round of meetings with leadeconomic crisis and to meet Froman acknowledged ers on Wednesday, including Queen Elizabeth II, face-to-face with many other that there have been few summit host British Prime Minister Gordon leaders. examples of international Brown and the presidents of Russia and China. One global change is being gains in times of crisis. “The The world economy is in far worse shape acknowledged: The forum depression was made ‘great’ than when the group of rich and developing for grappling with world ecoby the lack of cooperation,” countries last met in November and set lofty nomic problems has grown he said, noting that nations goals for international cooperation. beyond the established eight Mike Froman, White like to keep control over Trade is deteriorating, protectionism is on post-war economies that their own fiscal and mon- the march and joblessness is rising. Street demdominated previous ecoonstrations have increased, and widespread House international etary policies. nomic summits — the U.S., And global leaders were protests are expected in London this week. Britain, Germany France, Japan, Canada, Italy and economic adviser quarreling up to the last min- Brown, the host, had initially trumpeted the ute before the summit. gathering as “a new Bretton Woods — a new Russia. Now, 20 nations are Adding to the pressure, financial architecture for the years ahead.” But coming together in London, French President Nicolas the meeting was shaping up as bearing little simwith fast-growing developing economies such as China, India, Brazil and Sarkozy said Tuesday the leaders cannot afford ilarity to the 1944 conference in New Hampshire Saudi Arabia — important players in any effort to let the week pass without making substantial where the winners of World War II gathered to set postwar global monetary and financial to coordinate economic policy — sitting as full progress in fixing the world’s economy. “We have to obtain results, there is no choice, order. negotiating partners.

“The depression was made ‘great’ by the lack of cooperation.”

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Retired officers advise Obama to mantain ban on gays in the military • Military retirees say gays could jeopardize morale DAVID CRARY Associated Press NEW YORK — More than 1,000 retired military officers, including several who were top commanders, are urging President Barack Obama and Congress to maintain the law that bars gays from serving openly in the armed forces. Obama is consulting with the Pentagon on the issue and says he supports eventual repeal of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy, which prohibits gays in the military from being open about their sexual orientation. A bill that would allow gays to serve openly has been introduced in Congress. A statement issued by the retired officers Tuesday said passage of that bill “would undermine recruiting and retention, impact leadership at all levels, have adverse effects on the willingness of parents who lend their sons and daughters to military service, and eventually break the All-Volunteer Force.” Among the signatories were Gen. Carl E. Mundy Jr., a former commandant of the Marine Corps; Adm. Leighton W. Smith, a former commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe; Gen. Charles A. Horner, who commanded U.S. aerial forces during the 1990-91 Gulf War; and Adm. Jerome L. Johnson, a former vice chief of Naval Operations. The retired officers said they strongly supported the principle that “homosexuality is incompatible with military service” and warned that repeal of current law could jeopardize morale and “unit cohesion.” Mundy said in a telephone interview that he believed a “large segment” of currently serving officers shared the views expressed in the statement. “We just see a great many downsides to attempting to enforce on the military something I don’t know is widely accepted in American society,” he said. The statement was criticized by Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, an advocacy group seeking equal treatment of gays in the military. “The signers of this petition are mired in the fears and politics of the past,” Sarvis said. “More than 75 percent of the American public, including most younger service members as well as many active duty flag officers, realize the question is not if ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ is repealed, but when and how.” On Sunday, Defense Secretary Robert Gates indicated that executive branch action on “don’t ask, don’t tell” was not imminent because he and Obama have “a lot on our plates right now.” “Let’s push that one down the road a little bit,” Gates said on “Fox News Sunday.” Sarvis, who criticized Gates’ remarks, said Obama should press for repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell” as part of the upcoming Defense Department budget process. “The most important factor in lifting a gay ban is a clear signal from senior leadership,” said Dr. Nathaniel Frank, senior research fellow at the Palm Center, a think tank at the University of California, Santa Barbara, that studies issues involving gays and the military. “Everyone knows it’s just a matter of time before the gay ban falls, so for officers to come out and say ‘Gays are a threat to the military’ could cause the very problems that they ostensibly fear,” Frank said.

News

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Pakistani Taliban threaten strike on Washington • Affiliated militants seek retaliation against US KATHY GANNON Associated Press ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s Taliban chief claimed responsibility Tuesday for a deadly assault on a police academy, saying he wanted to retaliate for U.S. missile attacks on the militant bases on the border with Afghanistan. Baitullah Mehsud, who has a $5 million bounty on his head from the United States, also vowed to “amaze everyone in the world” with an attack on Washington or even the White House. The FBI, however, said he had made similar threats previously and there was no indication of anything imminent. Mehsud, who gave a flurry of media interviews Tuesday, has no record of actually striking targets abroad although he is suspected of being behind a 10-man cell arrested in Barcelona in January 2008 for plotting suicide attacks in Spain. Pakistan’s former government and the CIA consider him the prime suspect behind the December 2007 killing of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. And Pakistani officials accuse him of harboring foreign fighters, including Central Asians linked to al-Qaida, and of training suicide bombers. But analysts doubt that Taliban fighters carried off Monday’s raid on the Lahore academy on their own,

AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti

Pakistani police officers cordon off the area during the funerals of polices killed on Monday’s attack, in Lahore, Pakistan, Tuesday. The commander of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility Tuesday for a deadly assault on a Pakistani police academy and said the group was planning a terrorist attack on the U.S. capital. saying the group is likely working more closely than ever with militants based far from the Afghan frontier. It’s a constellation that includes al-Qaida, presenting a formidable challenge to the U.S. as it increases its

troop presence in the region, not to mention nucleararmed Pakistan’s own stability. Mehsud told The Associated Press that the academy and other recent attacks were revenge for stepped-up

American missile strikes into Pakistan’s border badlands. “Soon we will launch an attack in Washington that will amaze everyone in the world,” Mehsud said in a telephone interview with an Associated Press reporter. He offered few details, though in a separate recorded conversation with local Dewa radio station, he said the White House was a target. FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said the bureau was not aware of any imminent or specific threat to the U.S., despite what the Pakistani Taliban leader said. “He has made similar threats to the U.S. in the past,” said Kolko. State Department spokesman Gordon Duguid said he had not seen any reports of Mehsud’s comments but that he would “take the threat under consideration.” The ruthless attack on Lahore’s outskirts Monday left at least 12 people dead, including seven police, and sparked an eight-hour standoff with security forces that ended when black-clad commandos stormed the compound. Some of the gunmen blew themselves up. The siege-style approach using heavily armed militants came just weeks after the deadly ambush of Sri Lanka’s visiting cricket team in the heart of Lahore. Both attacks were reminiscent of November’s siege of Mumbai, India — also blamed on Pakistani militants. A senior police investigator, Zulfikar Hameed, told Dawn News TV, that the men arrested for the attack have corroborated Mehsud’s involvement. Besides Mehsud, a little-known group believed linked to him also claimed credit. Mehsud declined to discuss the group, Fedayeen al-Islam, or any others who might have been involved.

Benjamin Netanyahu: Israel is seeking peace with Arabs • Soon-to-be leader to uphold acclaimed two-state solution STEVEN GUTKIN Associated Press JERUSALEM — Benjamin Netanyahu, taking office as Israel’s new leader Tuesday, promised to seek “full peace” with the Arab and Muslim world, but refused to utter the words the world was waiting to hear: “Palestinian state.” The well-spoken, U.S.-educated hawk took pains to portray himself as a pragmatist, telling a packed parliament that Israel does not want to rule the Palestinians. “Under the permanent status agreement, the Palestinians will have all the authority to rule themselves,” Netanyahu said in comments that appeared to hark back

to a decades-old notion that peace could be achieved through limited Palestinian autonomy. His words drew a sharp reaction from Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat. “I want to say to Mr. Netanyahu that the only way the Palestinians can rule themselves, by themselves, is through ending the Israeli occupation that began in 1967 and establishing an independent Palestinian state,” Erekat said. Netanyahu’s refusal to embrace the idea of Palestinian statehood could put him at odds with the Obama administration and much of the rest of the world. So could his decision to appoint ultranationalist politician Avigdor Lieberman as foreign minister. In recent days, however, Netanyahu has moved to soften his image, welcoming the centrist Labor party into an otherwise markedly right-wing coalition and announcing that he supports peace talks with the Palestinians. The 59-year-old politician — the son of

a prominent historian and the brother of a war hero who died commanding the daring 1976 hostage rescue at Entebbe, Uganda — is returning to the premiership a decade after being forced from it amid a string of failures. In his speech before parliament Tuesday, Netanyahu praised Islamic culture as “great and rich,” and said Israel and moderate Arab states could find common ground fighting radical Islam and what he called the extremist regime in Tehran. “Israel has always, and today more than ever, striven to reach full peace with the entire Arab and Muslim world,” he said. A senior Netanyahu aide appeared to suggest his boss would accept the much hailed two-state solution to the IsraeliPalestinian conflict in the next few weeks, perhaps ahead of a planned trip to the United States. The aide, speaking on condition of anonymity so as not to pre-empt any announcement, said Netanyahu will say

“Israel has always, and today more than ever, striven to reach full peace with the entire Arab and Muslim world.” Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s new leader something that will “take this issue off the table” and avoid confrontation with the world. If he does, Netanyahu would join the ranks of hard-line Israeli leaders such as Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon, who changed their minds about giving up land and ended up making far-reaching concessions. However, so far there is no indication that Netanyahu’s latest conciliatory

statements are anything more than words designed to curry favor with the West. He has not retracted his promise to press ahead with construction in West Bank settlements to make room for settlers’ growing families. And his new government includes many ministers opposed to territorial compromise, including a housing minister from an ultra-Orthodox Jewish party that sees giving up land as a betrayal of God’s will.

Student Research + Performance Day Saturday 4 April 2009 10:00am to 3:00pm National Weather Center 120 David L. Boren Boulevard Norman, OK 73072 Hosted by

The Joe C. and Carole Kerr McClendon

Honors College Graduate College K20 Center Graduate Student Senate

Come celebrate the discoveries of undergraduate and graduate students as they share their research results and demonstrate their creative talents at the annual Student Research and Performance Day.

For more information or accomodations on the basis of disability, contact the Honors College at 325-5291 or the Graduate College at 325-3811.

News

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Auto makers race to hold off bankruptcy • Staying afloat demands major cost cuts TOM KRISHER Associated Press DETROIT — He doesn’t know exactly what the Obama administration wants him to cut, but Fritz Henderson, the new CEO of General Motors Corp., isn’t waiting around to find out. Cut deeper. Work harder. Move faster. That’s how he described the ailing automaker’s urgent effort to meet a June 1 deadline to fix its debt-ridden balance sheet, cut billions in costs and take other steps to transform itself into a profitable entity. It’s the same governmentimposed race that Chrysler LLC is running, only GM’s smaller neighbor has to cover more distance in half the time. The Auburn Hills, Mich., automaker must make the same cuts as GM, and sign up Fiat Group SpA as a partner, all in 30 days. Fiat’s CEO jetted to Detroit for intense negotiations, but if Chrysler doesn’t meet the deadline, it’s almost certainly destined for the auction house. For GM, failing to take quick action means surrendering to court

supervision in bankruptcy. The company has resisted bankruptcy talk in the past, but Henderson said Tuesday it is now “certainly more probable.” The companies have yet to receive specifics from the task force on how much more they must cut and where, but Henderson is proceeding with deeper cuts and pulling previously announced measures forward. “We need to reinvent General Motors, and we need to do it in a very, very abbreviated time frame here in 2009 so that we’re not spending our time careening from crisis to crisis in the future,” he told reporters at GM’s headquarters complex in downtown Detroit. There are formidable obstacles, though. Even with less demanding hurdles in the government’s original loan terms, GM’s bondholders have been reluctant to settle their $28 billion for what may be pennies on the dollar. The company still hasn’t reached a deal with the United Auto Workers on funding a union-run trust that will take over retiree health care costs. It’s uncertain whether they can work together to compromise on their competing interests, even though failure means they stand to lose a lot more. It was clear, though, that every scenario will include more pain for just about anyone connected with the companies. GM said in its February plan it

Carlos Osorio / AP Photo

General Motors Corp.’s new CEO Fritz Henderson addresses the media during a news conference in Detroit, Tuesday, March 31, 2009. Henderson said Tuesday that more of the automaker’s plants could close as part of GM’s effort to meet new, tougher requirements for government aid. would cut 47,000 jobs worldwide by the end of the year. Presumably those cuts will come sooner. Henderson said GM also must slash its staggering liabilities — not just the $49 billion in bond debt and secured loans, but also pension obligations and retiree health care

costs. “We need to basically address all of our level of indebtedness, because in fact, what they want is a healthy balance sheet, and that healthy balance sheet needs to address each of these constituencies,” he said.

Henderson wouldn’t say specifically if pensions or health care would change, but it’s likely that GM’s 400,000 U.S. retirees and spouses will see benefit cuts, along with its 244,000 active workers. He said the company probably will close more than the five fac-

tories it promised to shutter in its February restructuring plan filed with the government. More buyout and early retirement offers are likely. If GM doesn’t satisfy the government in time, a short bankruptcy would allow the company to wipe out its debt, change contracts and emerge as a healthy business. The government is backing automakers’ warranties and has pledged financing for GM. For Chrysler, however, Obama’s auto task force has decided it has no chance to survive alone, and it would be left to get sold off in pieces. There were signs of progress, however, that a partnership could be arranged. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne flew to Detroit late Monday for talks, and the Italian automaker agreed to reduce its stake in Chrysler from 35 percent to 20 percent in exchange for providing small-car technology, according to a person briefed on the negotiations who was not authorized to speak publicly. Under the new terms, Fiat’s share would increase in 5 percent increments every time certain milestones are met, the person said. At GM, Henderson said the 60 days should be enough time to accomplish its work, but bankruptcy could come before then if GM management and the government determine it won’t be able to meet the deadline.

Obama’s aunt becomes symbol in immigration debate • President Obama must make tough call DENISE LAVOIE Associated Press BOSTON — Barack Obama’s Kenyan aunt lost her bid for asylum more than four years ago, and a judge ordered her deported. Instead, Zeituni Onyango stayed, living for years in public housing. Now, in a case that puts the president in a tough position both personally and politically, Onyango’s request is being reconsidered under a little-used provision in U.S. immigration rules that allows denied asylum claims to be reheard if applicants can show that

something has changed to make them eligible. Such as the ascension of her nephew to the presidency of the world’s most powerful country. “If she goes back to Kenya, she is going to be much more in the limelight, and that, in and of itself, could put her at a greater risk. The chances of her going back and keeping a low profile are gone at this point,” said Boston immigration attorney Ilana Greenstein. Onyango, 56, the half-sister of Obama’s late father, moved to the United States in 2000. Her first bid for asylum was rejected, and an immigration judge ordered her deported in 2004; she continues to live in public housing in Boston. In December, a judge agreed to suspend the deportation order and reopen her case. An initial hearing is scheduled Wednesday in U.S. Immigration Court in Boston.

Obama has said repeatedly that he didn’t know his aunt was living in the United States illegally and believes that laws covering the situation should be followed. If she wins asylum, he could look soft on immigration enforcement. If she loses, he could face criticism from immigrant advocacy groups. The White House says Obama is staying out of it. “The President believes that the case should run its ordinary course, and neither he nor his representatives have had any involvement,” spokesman Ben LaBolt said last week. Over the past decade, relatively few Kenyans have sought asylum in the United States: 343 through immigration courts in the fiscal year 2008, compared with 9,250 asylum requests from China and 6,424 from El Salvador. Only 60 of those Kenyans were granted asylum.

From the fiscal years 1999 through 2008, about 20 percent of Kenyans who applied through immigration courts were granted asylum, according to an Associated Press review of immigration records. People who seek asylum must show that they face persecution in their homeland on the basis of religion, race, nationality, political opinion or membership in a social group. Onyango’s reasons for seeking asylum have not been made public, and her immigration hearing will be closed at her lawyer’s request. Kenya has been fractured by violence in recent years. In 2008, more than 1,000 people were killed in the East African nation following a disputed presidential poll, which saw a Luo candidate, Raila Odinga, declared loser to President Mwai Kibaki, a Kikuyu, the largest tribe in Kenya.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Sports

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

Women’s Basketball

Sooners set sights on St. Louis • OU advances to first Final Four since 2002 ANNELISE RUSSELL The Oklahoma Daily Sooner fans can book those tickets to St. Louis because the OU women’s basketball team is headed to the Final Four after surging past Purdue Tuesday night 74-68. Both teams struggled on the offensive end in the first half but put up big numbers in the second. Senior center Courtney Paris had 19 points, 13 rebounds and six blocks and a fivepoint halftime lead for the Boilermakers wasn’t enough to stop OU for reaching their first Final Four since 2002. The Sooners took over the first possession of the game and after senior forward Ashley Paris missed her first shot but her sister was there to put it back in. Neither team came out strong on offense. OU missed numerous layup opportunities and the Boilermakers simply missed early shots.

PARIS NAMED ALLAMERICAN Senior center Courtney Paris was named an AP All-American for the fourth time in her already decorated career. Paris was named a first-team All-American, and with the honor has now been on the team every year since coming to OU. Paris is COURTNEY the first women’s basketball player PARIS to make the team all four years. This season, Paris has averaged 16 points and 13.7 rebounds per game while shooting 57.7 percent from the field. Also joing Paris on the team are sophomore guard Danielle Robinson and senior forward Ashley Paris, who both received honorable mentions.

The score remained tied at four when Ashley Paris picked up her second foul and sent Purdue to the line where the Boilermakers picked up the six to four lead. It was clear after the first few minutes, the first half was going to be a back-and-forth battle. While the Sooners struggled a bit offensively, they were able to keep it close with help from a Sooner-heavy crowd. Coaches coming into Oklahoma have continued to talk about the fans and the atmosphere of Sooner games, and Tuesday night was no exception. The crowd of more than 11,000 people was on their feet and rocking the Ford Center for the Sooners. OU continued to struggle as the half wound down, making careless passes and turning the ball over at an alarming rate. OU’s post position hit a bit of early foul trouble with the Paris sisters both picking up two fouls in the first half. The Sooners could not get enough defensive stops and came up empty every time they drove to the basket. OU only shot 23.5 percent in the first half. OU narrowed the lead to five heading into the half, but was still down 27-22. The Sooners came out of the half and got a defensive stop, but on the offensive end they again turned the ball over. Purdue continued to make shots, but the Sooners’ intensity was growing. After four minutes in the second half, the Sooners tied it up at 31 on a put back layup by sophomore guard Danielle Robinson. Freshman guard Whitney Hand was silent on offense in the first half, but the freshman came out and knocked down two 3-pointes, igniting the Sooner offense. OU put up a 37-31 lead after almost seven minutes in the second half. Even though OU picked up steam, the Boilermakers were not going to fold without a fight. OU continued to lead the Boilermakers by 4 points with under six minutes to go, but the Sooners’ couldn’t extend the 4-point lead. With just under four minutes to play, the Sooners kicked it into another gear and went up 58-51. Courtney Paris began to make all the lay-

Amy Frost/The Daily

Senior forward Courtney Paris (3) celebrates after scoring against the Purdue Boilermakers during their Elite Eight matchup at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City. The Sooners won 74-68 and are headed to play Louisville Sunday in the Final Four in St. Louis. ups she missed in the first half. Courtney Paris carried the Sooners into the final minutes of the game and was one of two players to step up for OU Tuesday night. The other was Robinson, who ran a Sooner offense that struggled in the first half, but fought

their way back in the second half. The sophomore had 23 points in the contest. OU will head to the Final Four in St. Louis this weekend where it will play No. 3 Louisville on Sunday. Louisville advanced to the Final Four after upsetting No. 1 Maryland.

Sports

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Softball

STAFF COLUMN

Despite loss to UNC, Griffin should still be favorite in POY race ven though the Tar Heels defeated the Sooners 72-60 Sunday, sophomore forward Blake Griffin did nothing to damage his chance to be awarded the Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Award this weekend. Griffin, who was unanimously selected to the AP AllAmerican First-Team Monday, put together a 23-point, 16-rebound performance in a game that was more about the polar opposite play of the two teams’ guards. All four Naismith finalists made it to their bracket’s Regional Finals, but only two – North Carolina senior forward Tyler Hansbrough and Connecticut junior center Hasheem Thabeet – made it to next week’s coveted Final Four in Detroit. Just look at the other three finalists’ performances during the Elite Eight. Hansbrough scored 8 points with six rebounds and six assists, but was almost a non-factor as guards junior Ty Lawson and senior Danny Green combined for 37 points and dominated the Sooners’ defense. Against Missouri, Thabeet scored almost 8 points fewer than his season average, but it was his defense and rebounding that helped project the Huskies into the Final Four. Pittsburgh forward DeJuan Blair was the only other nominee in the Elite Eight to record a double-double as he scored 20 points while pulling down 10 rebounds against

Elizabeth Nalewajk/The Daily

Sophomore outfielder Chana’e Jones bunts the ball for a single during Wednesday’s game against North Texas. The Sooners won the game 8-1.

Sooners play Bears twice today AARON COLEN The Oklahoma Daily The No. 12 softball team is scheduled to host the Baylor Bears at 5 and 7 tonight at the OU Softball Complex for a doubleheader. Despite two-straight losses over the weekend to Texas, the Sooners have had a strong season thus far, and the team has several top individual performers as well.

Individually, junior shortstop Amber Flores has been on a hitting tear all year, especially recently. Flores leads the Big 12 in batting average, home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and runs scored. Flores is hitting .442 with 10 home runs and 41 RBIs. Senior first-baseman Samantha Ricketts leads the conference in doubles and is second in RBIs, and junior catcher Lindsey Vandever is third in RBIs.

Outstanding offense

Powerful pitching

OU, the top run-scoring team in the Big 12, ranks fourth in the conference in batting average, hitting .304 as a team. The Sooners are also second in conference in on-base percentage and third in slugging percentage. The team has hit 34 home runs, trailing only Texas in the Big 12.

Freshman pitcher Allee Allen has burst onto the collegiate scene with a 12-1 start to her first season at OU. Opponents are only batting .221 against her this season. Senior D.J. Mathis, who recently returned from injury, is 8-3 this year, and is looking to get back in rhythm as conference play progresses. She is allowing a

batting average of only .201.

About the game The Sooners are looking to get back on track, as they have dropped out of the top 10 in national polls. Leading the Bears on offense is infielder Kayce Walker with a .406 average, outfielder Brette Reagan with five home runs and infielder Tiffany Wesley with 51 RBIs. As a team, Baylor is hitting .318 and has hit 18 home runs. Leading the Bears’ pitching staff is Whitney Canion who is 14-10 with a 1.85 ERA. Baylor is 25-12 this year (2-2 Big 12). The Sooners (27-10, 4-2 Big 12) haven’t lost to Baylor in Norman since 2005, and they have dominated the all-time series winning 37 of the teams’ matchups to the Bears’ seven, including four in a row.

Understand the needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual & Transgender students.

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APRIL 4TH

1:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.

For more information, contact 325-4929 or woc@ou.edu.

The Women’s Outreach Center is part of Student Life, a division of Student Affairs. The University of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity institution. Accommodations on the basis of disability are available by contacting the Women’s Outreach Center, OMU room 247 or (405) 325-4929.

Villanova. Griffin’s performances in both Sunday’s loss and his three other NCAA Tournament games were arguably the best individual performances during this year’s madness. He averaged 28.5 points and 15 rebounds per game, both of which were greater than his season average. JONO The only GRECO good argument for any of these three over Griffin is that the North Carolina defense basically shut Griffin down for a portion of the game with double teams, forcing OU guards to take shots from the perimeter. He did not get onto the scoreboard until he made a free throw 11:31 into the first half. But, just one game is not enough to say Griffin is not deserving of the award. His season stats and consistent dominance over his competition are all the voters need to know when making a decision. From the weekend’s samples of the nominees, Griffin was definitely the most impressive player in the nation and should be the front-runner for the Naismith Award, despite OU not making the Final Four. JONO GRECO IS A JOURNALISM SOPHOMORE.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

THE ASTOUNDING WOLFMAN #14 Gary Hampton ﬁnally has been apprehended for the murder of his wife which he didn’t commit. This issue hopes to explore Zacheriah’s relationship with Gary’s daughter Chloe, since in the last issue it has been revealed that she has been feeding oﬀ the ancient vampire’s blood. Robert Kirkman, the writer of the book, is simply one of the best comic book writers working today. Like Brian K. Vaughn, he has been able to recreate the superhero genre by exploring human and familial matters of the superheroes which a few years ago seemed mundane and uninteresting. The art by Jason Howard isn’t anything special, but Kirkman’s writng more than makes up for it.

Life & Arts

Brittany Burden/The Daily

Joel Mosman and Byron White pose outside Othello’s. Mosman and White are two members of The Nefarious Double Clutchers, a folk band from Shawnee. BAND Q&A

Traditional sound, modern twist EDITOR’S NOTE: The Daily’s Brittany Burden spoke with two of the members of The Nefarious Double Clutchers, a folk band from Shawnee. Noted as the band that brings together “real music for particular people,” The Nefarious Double Clutchers features Bryon White, lead guitarist and singer; Joel Mosman, guitar and banjo player; and “Buffalo” Rogers, accordion and mandolin player. This folk band, straight from the heart of Shawnee, brings together an entertaining mix of traditional sounds with a modern twist. By the end of the show, The Double Clutchers will have you smiling, clapping along and greatly enjoying their style.

OSIZIMETE AKEN’OVA IS A FILM AND VIDEO STUDIES JUNIOR.

Q: How would you describe your music? Joel: There’s been so many different genres. This band is really a big compilation of everything that we’ve learned from playing in other bands and listening to all kinds of music. We like to take old music and make it a little modern which really gets the crowd going. People that wouldn’t normally listen to bluegrass — if we can call ourselves a bluegrass band — have come to our shows and really enjoyed it. We play traditional music and we keep that tradition alive. It’s an amalgamation cause we listen to every kind of music.

Q: How do you want your music to affect those who hear it?

Bryon: We’re originally from Shawnee, and Joel and I took guitar lessons from the same country picker named Gary Turley, and that’s where he and I met.

Bryon: I always thought writing songs, for me, has always been about what others get from it. I want it to be something open for interpretation.

Q: When did you decide to pursue music?

In the second issue of this mini-series, Dave Sloan (the killer of demons in question), is confronted by Satan himself. So he does what anyone with angels and demons talking to them does: He checks into a mental hospital. To add to his problems, he has a group of people looking to kill him. This book is very parallel to the “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” TV show, but that isn’t a reason to write it off. There is plenty of office humor mixed with the series’ supernatural themes, and it works. The art by Scott Wegener is very simple and lacks detail, but it gives the dialogue by Christopher Yost a humorous jolt. It’s might be a little too similar to “Buffy,” but it’s a very fun and quick read for people just getting into the genre – especially since it’s only three issues and won’t hurt your wallet.

year, then Joel said one day, “Wouldn’t it be cool to start a bluegrass band?” So, we bought a resonator and a banjo and made it happen.

Q: Where are you guys from and how did you meet each other?

Joel: Bryon moved me out to Oklahoma City about a year ago and we’ve been playing ever since. We met “Buffalo” Rogers on the Oklahoma City local music scene while he was playing with his own band called Buffalo Fitz.

KILLER OF DEMONS #2

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

THE NEFARIOUS DOUBLE CLUTCHERS When: 9:30 p.m., April 11 Where: The Prohibition Room 1112 NW 23rd St., Oklahoma City

Joel: We do a lot of writing, and I try to manifest my thoughts on paper. I want people to hear our music and learn from it. I want people to get out of it an opportunity to learn from us the way we have learned from the music we’ve listened to and the people we’ve played with. Everyone that you play with rubs off on you somehow, and we want our audience to hear that in our music.

For more info, call 601-0363 Bryon: During high school, I really enjoyed golf and thought I would be playing golf up Q: What’s the hardest part about Cost: Free until college, maybe professionally. Then I writing music? started playing at Shawnee’s local coffee Joel: It’s hard to write a song Bob Dylan hasn’t shop, The Bean and Berry, and made some done already. very good tips. It kind of took me from there, nothing is better than enjoying your job—I didn’t want to do anything else. So I chose music over golf. Q: Who are your musical influences? Joel: Music has always been a part of my life. As a child, my mother made me take piano lessons, which I hated at the time, but today I thank her for it because ever since I’ve always had some kind of instrument in my life. When Bryon moved me out to OKC, he really got me into the performance side of it. I learned 30 songs in a week, and decided that I didn’t want to do anything else but perform music.

Q: How did you guys come together as a band? Bryon: We’d been playing together as the Red Dirt Band for about a

Bryon: Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Don Conoscenti, Ellis Paul, Neil Young, Steve Earl, Motown such as the Funk Brothers, The Band, Lester Flat, Bill Monroe and Carl Perkins. When they are not rocking out to oldies and bluegrass tunes, the Double Clutchers are currently working on a new album one which will be, according to Mosman, “a real collaborative experience—the real deal—a mixture with other people we’ve played with and a real experience. BRITTANY BURDEN IS AN ENGLISH SENIOR.

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Life & Arts

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

EDITOR’S NOTE: The Daily’s Tyler Branson and Brittany Burden answer questions concerning the Medieval Fair this weekend. You can submit your own questions at our Facebook group, “OU Daily Advice.”

I'm kind of attracted to this carnie who is dressed up like Jack Sparrow. Should I ask him out later? Tyler: Well, you know what they say, you give a carnie an inch, he stalks you until the police get involved. I guess it depends on just how attractive this Sparrow look-alike really is. Even so, give him your friend's number and see what happens with her ﬁrst. Brittany: Hey, I think that the Medieval Fair is all about taking chances, so go for it. But, if he asks you to kiss him, just say no and walk away slowly. photo provided

In “Guitar Hero: Metallica,” (above) players can become members of the band and play its hits. It’s not uncommon for bands to release content through video games to boost sales and appeal to new audiences.

Rock isn’t dead, it’s in video games AJ LANSDALE The Oklahoma Daily

of music games, with only five songs of the 58 on disc being cover songs, and new downloadable content being released weekly. “Rock Band 2” was released in September, with a staggering 84 song “Guitar Hero: Metallica,” the latest entry in Activision’s line of music track list on disc, all master recordings, including 55 of the 58 tracks on games, has raised the bar at which music video games compete. All of the original “Rock Band” disc and any downloaded tracks for that game this competition and addition of new – and sometimes exclusive – con- being playable in the new game. After an experiment with “Guitar Hero: Aerosmith,” Activision tent has swept through the business and given new life to bands who followed suit in October with “World Tour,” its own full-band game, may be out of the loop. “GH: M” is an improvement over its last music game that focused on although tracks from previous games in the series are not playable. As time went by and new incarnations of “Guitar Hero” and “Rock one band, “Guitar Hero: Aerosmith.” The track list is made up entirely of master tracks – 28 from Metallica itself, and 21 from other bands hand- Band” came out, the music industry increasingly used the games as a way to make gamers aware of their music and create new fans. Even picked by San Francisco’s heaviest metal band. It has the same interface as “World Tour,” including the capability to in the first couple of “Guitar Hero” games, the few master tracks in the play as a full band, but I enjoy the playable tracks in “GH: M” better. In games, mostly bonus tracks, were by up-and-coming bands that have essence, this new game is just the latest example of the music industry gained fame in part due to the game. These trends continued in the later games and in “Rock Band,” notably by the band, DragonForce. After utilizing video games to gain fans and notoriety. The first Guitar Hero, made by Harmonix for the PS2, contained 47 the inclusion of the nearly-impossible-on-expert “Through the Fire and songs in all, but the 30 tracks in the main setlist were just covers of Flames,” the band saw a 126 percent increase in album sales the week after “Guitar Hero III” was released. songs, both well-known and somewhat more obscure. Aerosmith saw an increase in album sales after The other 17 tracks primarily consisted of original “GH: Aerosmith” was released as well, and Metallica songs by bands consisting of Harmonix employees. For more on video is likely to see similar results with its game. Despite the odd songs, the game garnered a lot In a lot of ways, the current and primary distincof interest from gamers and Harmonix produced a games, including a tion between “World Tour” and “Rock Band 2” is the sequel, “Guitar Hero II,” which was released later on review of Pearl Jam’s variety of tracks and the process of how they select the Xbox 360. The track list for this game still was tracks for download. “RB2” seems to have tracks by composed primarily of covers, although the cov“Ten” release, check bands that have more of a hardcore fan base, such as ers were of more prominent songs, such as Lynyrd Mastodon and The Grateful Dead, while “WT” tends to Skynyrd’s “Free Bird.” out OUDaily.com. have tracks that are more popular overall and appeals Something new to the games and the jumping-off more to casual music fans, which is probably why point for game-released content, the 360 version also “World Tour” has sold more units overall. introduced downloadable content, although all of the Where Activision has chosen to release entirely new games for early downloadable content consisted of songs from the original game. Later track packs, however, allowed for other bands to add their master specific bands in the past, supplemented by occasional downloadable tracks to the game, such as My Chemical Romance, Dropkick Murphys content, Harmonix tends to release new songs every week, and attempts to release full albums for download every month, such as Stevie Ray and Trivium. Once this trend caught on, the music industry decided to take a Vaughan’s “Texas Flood” and Pearl Jam’s “Ten.” One notable exception greater role with “Guitar Hero III,” likely due to the series’ publisher, is the “AC/DC Live” track pack for “Rock Band,” which was released RedOctane, being assimilated with Activision, the publishers of the Tony at Wal-Mart exclusively for $40, including 18 tracks, all of which being Hawk series of skateboarding games with connections to the music from AC/DC’s legendary 1991 show at Donnington. The tracks can be used as a stand-alone game or played within the main games. industry. Next on the major project list for Harmonix is a music game based More than half of the songs were master recordings. In addition, real-life rockers Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine, and Slash entirely on The Beatles, scheduled to be released Sept. 9, as a standof Guns ‘N Roses and Velvet Revolver appeared in the game via motion alone game, utilizing many of the features of the “Rock Band” series. capture, alongside a cameo by Bret Michaels of Poison. Activision, on the other hand, is re-releasing several of the tracks from “Guitar Hero III” had more downloadable content than its predeces- previous “Guitar Hero” games in a compilation game called “Guitar sors, but Harmonix, not to be outdone, signed with Electronic Arts and Hero: Greatest Hits,” which will replace several covers with master MTV, and outdid its old series by creating a game with not only playable recordings and also allow them to be played with drums and vocals as guitar, but playable vocals and drums as well, which became known as well as guitar. “Rock Band.” At any rate, the war between Activision and Harmonix is likely to With the connections to MTV and EA, “Rock Band” became the king continue, to the benefits of gamers and musicians everywhere.

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Which would make me feel worse about myself — a funnel cake or a giant turkey leg? Tyler: None of them. You should eat them both. At the same time. The great thing about the medieval fair is that, no matter how bad or gluttonous you think you are, there are always going to be people there worse oﬀ than you, walking around somewhere. So you go ahead and stuﬀ your face with an indian taco and wash it down with syrup. And take refuge in the fact that, unlike the person in front of you in line for that indian taco, you don’t have to use a crane to get into the car. Brittany: I’d just go for the turkey leg. It's too delicious to pass up. Especially if it’s the size of your head.

I saw a man walking his child on a leash at the fair. Should I call the cops, or is that normal? Tyler: It's a false alarm. Do not call the cops. They actually exist: Child leashes. Just type them in google. It makes perfect sense actually. Because, after having children, who wants to go through the pains and tribulations of actually having to physically look after them, when instead you could just hold on to a rope while they do whatever it is that children do? Just make sure not to eat the end of the leash as you're stuﬃng your face with fried Twinkies. Brittany: It's normal, it's just weird. Maybe you should call the cops? For fun?

TYLER BRANSON IS AN ENGLISH SENIOR. BRITTANY BURDEN IS AN ENGLISH SENIOR.

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

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Need Peace and Quiet? Large, private studio. Furnished, bills paid incl basic cable, near I-35 & Hwy 9. $375/mo, $200 dep. 360-9983 (W) 639-7571 (C) or suzanne. wyatt@yahoo.com

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Traditions Spirits is seeking a motivated, energetic, and personable Bar Supervisor for Riverwind Casino. The ideal candidate must: have at least 1 year experience in high volume club, hotel, or resort; be skilled in staff management; be knowledgeable of wine and spirits, and have open availability. Apply in person at 2813 SE 44th, Norman or email resume to michelle.snider@traditionsspirits.com 405-392-4550 MERCURY POST & PARCEL needs p/t customer assistant. Apply at 121 24th Ave NW. 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, 11am to Noon, 1300 Classen Bartending! Up to $250/day. No exp nec. Training provided. 1-800-965-6520, x133. BILL’S RESTAURANT Now hiring part time servers. Apply in person. 1101 Elm St. 364-2530. CAYMAN’S seeks part time Sales Associates. Must be motivated, fashion-driven, self-starter with excellent customer service skills. Some Saturdays and holidays required. Apply in person 2001 West Main.

APTS. UNFURNISHED 1 BLK FROM OU, very nice 4 room apt, 800 sf, wood ﬂoors, 1016 S College, Apt 1, $295/mo. Call 360-2873 or 306-1970. P/L Now for Summer & Fall! $99 Deposit! No Application Fee! Models open 8a-8p Everyday! 7 Locations to Choose from! Elite Properties 360-6624 or www.elite2900.com

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HOUSES UNFURNISHED AVAILABLE IN MAY A short walk to OU, 1-5 blks west of OU, nice brick homes, wood ﬂoors, CH/A, w/d, disposal, good parking. 3 Bdrm $750-$1500 2 Bdrm $600-$800 1 Bdrm $420-$460 MISTER ROBERT FURNITURE 9-4 pm, Mon-Sat, 321-1818

805C Cardinal Creek Condo’s, 2 bdrm, 2 bth gated community, pool, weight room, on-site washer/dryer, close to campus, nice enviroment to study, overlooks OU golf course $585/mo. Call (580) 763-4278 211 W Symmes, 4 bd, 2 bth, CH/A, wd, dw, $1500/mo, security dep, no pets, 719-748-5141 4 bdrm house (incl servants apt). 4 blocks west of OU. Wood ﬂoors, CH/A, W/D, DW. Deck, good parking, no pets. $2000/mo. Call Bob 321-1818.

TOWNHOUSES UNFURNISHED Taylor Ridge Townhomes 2 Bdrm, 2.5 Bath, Fully Renovated Townhomes near OU! Pets Welcome! • Call for current rates and Move-in Specials!!! Taylor Ridge Townhomes (405) 310-6599

ROOMS FURNISHED NEAR OU, privacy, $250, bills paid includes cable, neat, clean, parking. Prefer male student. Call 329-0143.

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5 9

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6 7 1 5

1 4 7 6 3 8 2 9 5

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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.

Universal Crossword Edited by Timothy E. Parker April 01, 2009

ACROSS 1 Ejects, volcano-style 6 Boutique 10 Award show hosted by Lance Armstrong in 2006 14 Suspense film classic 15 Da Vinci model 16 Cash in Italy, once 17 Wall tapestry 18 Hard on the eyes 19 Egyptian fertility goddess 20 Fraternity 23 Minimus, e.g. 24 Small incubator 25 Some forensic evidence 27 One-time female auxiliary corps (Abbr.) 30 “Saving Private Ryan” event 33 Even-handed 34 Rat tail? 36 Kind of agreement 38 Less than lite 41 Where the theme entries may be? 44 Needed to be kneaded? 45 Distressed cry 46 007 school 47 Barge canal of song 49 It could be

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10 Whitney or Wallach 11 Place with ties to another place 12 Abbey biggie 13 Obsequious answers 21 ___ a high note 22 Ross of The Supremes 26 Ecological community 27 Mournful trumpet sound 28 Suffix with “symptom” 29 He’s replaced by a baby 31 Pretentious 32 Swift beast 35 “___ Goes My Baby” (Drifters hit) 37 Off-color 39 Lotion ingredient, perhaps

40 Spacek’s biopic role 42 “Talk turkey,” e.g. 43 Ocean bottom 48 Just the right amount 50 Shabby 52 Possible cause of mistakes 53 Something acquired at the altar 55 Australian marsupial 58 Couch potato’s aid 59 Large stringed instrument 60 “So what ___ is new?” 61 Isn’t wishy-washy 62 Flow slowly 63 Shows fallibility 65 ___ annum

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Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Honda connects brains with robotics

ODD NEWS BRIEFS

AP Photo/Newark (Ohio) Police Department

In this photo released Tuesday by the Newark (Ohio) Police Department, a motorized bar stool is shown. Police in Newark, 30 miles east of Columbus, said when they responded to a report of a crash with injuries on March 4, they found a man who had wrecked a bar stool powered by a deconstructed lawn mower. Police say Kile Wygle, 28 was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated after he told an officer at the hospital that he had consumed 15 beers. Wygle told police his motorized bar stool can go up to 38 mph.

Man charged with drunken driving on bar stool NEWARK, Ohio — Authorities in Ohio say a man has been charged with drunken driving after crashing his motorized bar stool. Police in Newark, 30 miles east of Columbus, say when they responded to a report of a crash with injuries on March 4, they found a man who had wrecked a bar stool powered by a deconstructed lawn mower. Twenty-eight-year Kile Wygle was hospitalized for minor injuries. Police say he was charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated after he told an oﬃcer at the hospital that he had consumed 15 beers. Wygle told police his motorized bar stool can go up to 38 mph. Wygle has pleaded not guilty and has requested a jury trial. Koji Sasahara / AP Photo

A Honda Motor Co. employee wears a headgear with codes attached during a demonstration of Honda’s new technology linking brain thoughts with robotics at the Japanese automaker’s headquarters in Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 31, 2009. TOKYO — Opening a car trunk or controlling a home air conditioner could become just a wish away with Honda’s new technology that connects thoughts inside a brain with robotics. Honda Motor Co. has developed a way to read patterns of electric currents on a person’s scalp as well as changes in cerebral blood flow when a person thinks about four simple movements — moving the right hand, moving the left hand, running and eating. Honda succeeded in analyzing such thought patterns, and then relaying them as wireless commands for Asimo, its human-shaped robot. In a video shown Tuesday at Tokyo headquarters, a person wearing a helmet sat still but thought about moving his right hand — a thought that was picked up by cords attached to his head inside the helmet. After several seconds, Asimo, programmed to respond to brain

signals, lifted its right arm. Honda said the technology wasn’t quite ready for a live demonstration because of possible distractions in the person’s thinking. Another problem is that brain patterns differ greatly among individuals, and so about two to three hours of studying them in advance are needed for the technology to work. The company, a leader in robotics, acknowledged the technology was still at a basic research stage with no immediate practical applications in the works. “I’m talking about dreams today,” said Yasuhisa Arai, executive at Honda Research Institute Japan Co., the company’s research unit. “Practical uses are still way into the future.” Japan boasts one of the leading robotics industries in the world, and the government is pushing to develop the industry as a road to

growth. Research on the brain is being tackled around the world, but Honda said its research was among the most advanced in figuring out a way to read brain patterns without having to hurt the person, such as embedding sensors into the skin. Honda has made robotics a centerpiece of its image, sending Asimo to events and starring the walking, talking robot in TV ads. Among the challenges for the brain technology is to make the reading-device smaller so it can be portable, according to Honda. Arai didn’t rule out the possibility of a car that may some day drive itself — even without a steering wheel.“Our products are for people to use. It is important for us to understand human behavior,” he said. “We think this is the ultimate in making machines move.

—AP

Mass. youth coach resigns over Green Death note SCITUATE, Mass. (AP) — A Massachusetts youth soccer coach told parents in an e-mail his team of 6- and 7-year-old girls would be known as “Green Death,” encouraged them to feed their daughters “undercooked red meat” and said “losing is for losers.” Coach Michael Kinahan has since resigned from the Scituate (SIH’-chooet) Youth Soccer League. He says he was joking in last week’s seasonopening e-mail. League oﬃcial Chris Park tells the Patriot Ledger of Quincy that Kinahan has a “wry, sarcastic” sense of humor and some parents understood the e-mail’s tone. But others didn’t and complained. Kinahan also wrote he would heckle referees, expected players to “bleed a little” and wanted parents to cheer, not sit on the sidelines “sipping mocha-latte-half-caf-chinos.”

HOROSCOPE By Bernice Bede Osol

CAMPUS NOTES

THURSDAY

TODAY

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

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

The Department of Economics will host a lecture about the decline of marriage’s effect on economics at 7:30 p.m. in the National Weather Center.

POLICE REPORTS

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

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

PUBLIC INTOXICATION Alejandro M. Bagajewicz, 30, 333 N. Interstate Drive East, Sunday Enrico Fabian Taylor, 34, 333 N. Interstate Drive East, Sunday

MUNICIPAL WARRANT

Jessica Anntonnette Goletto, 24, 500 E. Comanche St., Monday Christopher Michael Jennings, 28, 131 12th Ave. NE, Monday

AGGRAVATED DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE Antonio Deloera Sanchez, 30, East Lindsey Street, Sunday

DISTURBING THE PEACE Jon Murray Sullivan, 19, 2412 Wheatland Place, Monday

Cheridy Ann Wells, 28, 13200 E. South Highway 9, Monday

POSSESSION OF A CONTROLLED DANGEROUS SUBSTANCE

COUNTY WARRANT

Justin Wayne Taylor, 22, 300 Acres Drive, Monday

Sarah Jane Bivens, 24, 1345 Columbia Circle, Monday Thomas Kyle Bivens, 22, 1345 Columbia Circle, Monday Candice Christine Meyer, 36, 1300 Glen Oaks Court, Monday

ASSAULT AND BATTERY Maria Kathryn Fairchild, 47, 124 W. Eufala St., Sunday

POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA Heather Talatha Whatley, 24, 1171 E. Brooks St., Sunday

Wednesday, April 1, 2009 ARIES (March 21-April 19) -Something that has gone unresolved might finally catch up with you, bringing a penalty. Trying to come up with excuses or shifting the blame won’t help.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) -- Should a development over which you have no control delay you from achieving a personal objective, don’t let it disrupt your day or squelch your good nature. Wait for calmer seas.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- Keep your sensitivities under control, and don’t read any ill will into what others have to say where no harm was intended. You’ll be held responsible for creating an extremely unpleasant situation.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) -- A rumble could result if you act in a manner that makes another think you believe your ways are superior to his or her methods. Realize that neither is perfect and that each has their good points.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- There’s a strong possibility that you could take an unwise risk with regard to your career or finances. Keep a lid on a tendency to take a long shot on a get-rich-quick scheme.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) -- It’s important to be extremely alert and on your toes when it comes to negotiations that involve money. If you are indifferent or careless, you will be the one who suffers the loss.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -Use caution when challenging the views of associates, about which they feel strongly. Think about how you would feel if others picked apart your beliefs.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Don’t take anything for granted when negotiating an agreement, and make sure that the other party is leveling with you. Before signing anything, take the time to check things out.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- It might be your turn to be saddled with a work assignment that everyone has tried to avoid. Complaining about it will only make you look indifferent to what your coworkers have endured. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -Someone within your peer group might try to play politics and attempt to make you the pawn, so keep your guard up. You’ll have to be on your toes, because he or she is a skilled manipulator.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) -- Instead of helping ease your problems, well-intentioned co-workers could create more ills if you don’t first screen their suggestions before applying them. You need help, not more trouble. PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) -- Being justified for reacting harshly to a sticky social situation won’t do your image any good. In fact, it could do more harm than help. Bite the bullet, and don’t make any needless waves.