We Need Lucky Luciano In Charge of Kentucky Derby Weather April 29, 2010

We Could Use His Help For Derby Day

Tony Soprano Tale Based on True Story?

On This Date In History: Remember how in the Sopranos that the FBI guys were trying to get Tony to help them out to catch terrorists? Well, in real life that sort of thing has happened in war-time. In WWII it has been said that the underworld controlled the docks in New York and that the government turned to the criminal element for national security help to prevent sabotage and capture spies. Though the veracity of the claim is unclear, US Navy Lieutenant Commander Charles Radcliffe Haffenden was put in charge of New York dock security and said:

Lansky American Patriot?

“I’ll talk to anybody, a priest, a bank manager, a gangster, the devil himself, if I can get the information I need. This is a war. American lives are at stake. “

When the government approached the mobsters to help out Uncle Sam with domestic dockside security, bigshot Meyer Lansky, recalled not being too impressed. He said, “Everybody in New York was laughing at the way those naive Navy agents were going around the docks. They went up to men working in the area and talked out of the side of their mouths, like they had seen in the movies, asking about spies.” Now, the USS Normadie had been converted to a troop ship (aka USS Lafayette) and on Feb. 9, 1942 it mysteriously burned (video) while at the New York docks. The suspicion was sabotage and the event spurred both the mob and the Feds to get together for the good of the country and the story is that the government stayed out of the activities of organized crime on the docks in return for security.

Luciano Happy To Help?

While he never actually acknowledged that he and his cohorts helped out in the war effort stateside, it is notable though that Lansky never denied helping the government. Anyway, the real boss in the New York syndicate was Charles “Lucky” Luciano who had risen through the ranks of organized crime after arriving in the US as a poor immigrant from Sicily earlier in the century. He earned the “Lucky” moniker by numerous escapes from “hits” put out on him by his competition. In 1943, Luciano was serving a 30-50 year prison sentence. The allies were planning on invading Sicily but didn’t have much intel. Luciano is portrayed as having an allegiance to the United States but he also had a vendetta against Benito Mussolini who had cracked down on the mafia in Italy in the 1920′s. So, on this date in 1942 US Naval intelligence asked for Luciano’s help as the Allies attempted to invade Italy. Lucky eventually agreed and the results were spectacular. With the hundreds of informants attracted with Luciano’s help,

Luciano Deported 1946

United States intelligence officers were able to infiltrate Italy’s naval headquarters and get all sorts of maps and documents. It is said that Luciano’s helpers were even able to convince some Italian soldiers not to fight…but they weren’t doing much of that anyway as the German army did most of the heavy lifting. Of course, the invasion was successful and the rest, as they say, is history.

The US Navy tried to cover its trail regarding the work with the underworld but eventually it came out with perhaps the greatest evidence being the inexplicable release of Luciano from prison in 1946 after serving just 10 years of his sentence. Luciano was deported to Sicily continuing his fame as being Lucky Luciano.

SPC Severe Weather Probability 7AM Derby Day to 7 AM Sunday

Kentucky Derby Weather Forecast: We’re going to need a lot of luck for Derby Day because,  if you want good weather for the Kentucky Derby, come back next year. Now, Oaks Day looks great.  But the story that I’ve been eyeballing all week is really getting lots of data supporting it.  In general, it would seem to me that we get a cold front coming close to us and it stalls.  It gets parallel to the Southwest to Northeast Jetstream flow and stays oriented from around Gary, IN to east of St. Louis to Texarkana and on through San Antonio.  At low levels, there will be lots of moisture converging up the Lower Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.   I think we’ll have two time frames of maximum rain as two separate jet streaks comes through associated with an upper low. 

GFS Over 2 inches on Derby Day

Oaks Day will be fine..in fact it will be great.  Oaks Day weather looks to be in the low to mid 80′s, breezy and partly cloudy.  Then the first disturbance and strong upper energy comes through bringing heavy rain from say 6 AM to Noon.  Then, I would think that we’d see more scattered activity on Saturday afternoon during most of the races and the condition of the track will be a function of how well the track drains.  The NAM follows what makes sense to me and is most likely as it has an inch of rain from 7AM to 1 Pm and then a tenth of an inch in the afternoon.  Then, the second wave comes through Saturday night with the strong upper jet winds as it may even develop into a surface feature.  If we get severe weather, it seems that this would be the most likely time and high winds would be the biggest bugaboo. But, the story will be rain.  The NAM concludes at 7PM on Sunday with a 36 hour total of about 4 inches.  I’m referring to the 12Z Thur run so it doesnt’ go beyond 7 PM on Sunday but I bet it would have slightly more rain in the offing.  This scenario seems most sensible  to me.

By Sunday Evening GFS dumps over 5 inches of rain for 36 hour total

HOWEVER….the GFS…has a similar solution except that it has heavy rain all day on Saturday and carries it through Sunday night.  By early Monday morning, the GFS has over 5.1″ of rain in less than 36 hours.  The biggest difference is that the GFS has substantially more rain during the races on Derby Day than the other models.  The GFS solution has been closest to what is now the consensus all week and it makes the least sense should we have two seperate jet streaks.  With two different streaks it would call for something less in between.  However, we are going to stay in a jet stream flow over the top of us and, if there is no confluence aloft to limit rain, then we would get persistent rain. 

The Derby will be wet one way or another.  The degree of wetness is the question.  For we locals, make sure that drains are clear because, unlike the South, our geology is  not conducive to supporting such rainfall….not to mention the pumps  of which I might remind the authorities only work properly if you turn them on!

Peace Conference, Kentucky Derby Forecast Look All Wet April 28, 2010

This Outfit for Man and Horse Was Required for World War I But You May Need Something Else For Kentucky Derby 136

Click Image to See If There is Anyone You Know

On This Date In History:  Ever noticed how there are some people who feel like that effort or intent is  more important than actual results?  Symbolism over substance.  Today marks such a day because, if that’s not the case, then it would be largely forgotten.  On this date in 1915 World War I (then known as the Great War) raged and the International Congress of Women convened at The Hague in the Netherlands.  The meeting was one of women’s rights organizations and suffrage groups from around the world. 

Aletta Jacobs

 One of the main organizers, Aletta Jacobs, said in her opening remarks that the group meeting would “have its moral effect upon the belligerent countries,”  The conference lasted 3 days and concluded in part ”…we can no longer endure in this twentieth century of civilization that government should tolerate brute force as the only solution of international disputes.”  They outlined specific ways of conflict resolution with continual mediation.   Later, this conference led to the creation of other groups including the Womens’ International League for Peace and Freedom.

This Banner At the Hague Really Made a Difference in 1915

What Did More To Bring an End to America's Involvement in Vietnam? John and Yoko sitting in bed giving peace a chance or Nixon bombing North Vietnam back to the negotation table?

People like these women meant well and their underlying notion has practical merit.  After the 30 Years War, Europeans came up with the Peace of Westphalia which was reached with everyone taking an eye toward balance of power.  The war had taught them that little was accomplished and the weaponry and methods of the day resulted in such destruction to the economy and people that war was becoming too costly to consider as a viable means of settling conflict.  But a condition of mankind seems to be one of violence and so ideals, regardless of their merit, tend to be squashed by reality.  These ladies seemed to think that having a meeting and bringing attention to themselves would do anything when in fact, it did nothing.  Action requires boldness.  

The Great Seal of the United States of America

If you look at the Great Seal of the United States.  You will find that in the talons of the Eagle, there is an olive branch as well as a cluster of 13 arrows.  The most obvious representation is that the 13 arrows is for the 13 original colonies.  But, the cluster of arrows and the olive branch indicates “peace through strength.”  The founding fathers knew that a strong nation was one more likely to live  in peace.  

You Tell'em, Teddy!

Pragmatism and reality doesn’t seem to dissuade or convince folks though because, today there are many associations like International Congress of Women that think they are doing something, that tell people they are doing something and have people tell them they are doing something when, in fact, they accomplish nothing except headlines.  Martin Luther King achieved success through action.  The US achieved freedom through action.  Peace is ultimately achieved through action.   The Spirit and words of President Roosevelt do well here: 

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.” 

I Told You So! (at least I think so)

Kentucky Derby 2010 Forecast: For several days I’ve been telling you about the potential for some interesting weather for Derby Day. I saw some local TV guys have a 30% chance for rain and I said how I wasn’t sold on that. Often when there are big events, forecasters tend to “wish cast” which would be making a forecast based on what they want it to be instead of what the data suggests. In this case, some models had the system slow and another fast. The slow model would result in a better Derby Day forecast and so many people chose that. Better to be the bearer of good news. I had surmised that the truth would probably be in between with rain likely on Saturday and strong storms possible. For now, it may be worth bringing out Colonel Klink and also for you to prepare for rain, though I do not think Churchill Downs allows umbrellas. But, you can place your bet on your favorite mudder. See details below.

SPC Outline of Area for Severe Storm Potential on Derby Day

GFS Has Heaviest Rain (1.5") Early Saturday Morning

Weather Bottom Line:  After a chilly Wednesday start, we get into a warming trend starting today as high pressure in Louisiana moves to the east.  That will result in a SSW flow set up and create warm air advection as well as increase moisture from the Gulf.   The European model had been holding everything back such that it was possible that the next storm system didn’t get here until Sunday or even Monday.  But the GFS consistently brought it out much faster.  The GFS solution would have messed up both the 136th Kentucky Oaks on Friday and possibly the 136th Kentucky Derby on Saturday.  I had been looking for an ultimate outcome of something in between, meaning that I expected that Oaks Day would be partly cloudy, warm and breezy with a fair amount of rain on Derby Day with t’storms. I kept looking for severe weather on Saturday but the models weren’t all that committed.  At this time, the data is supporting my hypothesis except that now the models are more bullish on the severe potential and the Storm Prediction Center has jumped on board.  

NAM Initializes Rain Event Saturday morning

Yesterday, I mentioned that all we needed was a “kicker” to ignite the unstable atmosphere and we’d have an increased potential for severe weather on Saturday.  The GFS was throwing out about 2 inches of rain for Derby Day.  It would seem that now we do indeed have all the ingredients for not only excessive rain but also strong storms.  Basically, the main low makes its way to the Great Lakes but another low comes out of Northern Mexico into S0uth Texas.  That sets up a long frontal boundary from North to South with the boundary just to our west.  There will be ample southerly flow providing an influx of moisture into the Lower Mississippi Valley and Ohio Valley.  The low to the south will tend to slow the front down.  It will also tend to throw off pieces of energy.  

Canadian Advertises over an inch of rain Saturday Afternoon

So, we have a set up with a stalled front that will result in consistent rain and then a low tossing out energy that will run up along the front and produce a risk for severe weather as it moves NE along the boundary.  The GFS has backed off its rain plans on Friday though the NAM does want to try to increase chances.  I still think that Oaks Day will generally be fine unless a stray shower or t’shower moves over Churchill Downs.   Saturday though looks tough.  I also think that the rain chances will stay pretty high through Sunday.  Of course, this is Wednesday and things could change with regard to timing but so far, the data is generally coming more in line with what I had thought would be a likely scenario which was the one that made the most sense to me, regardless of what the models were saying.  And you know what…the weather always does what it will do without consulting the computers to find out what its supposed to do.  I would have a concern that the folks that got slammed by twisters last Saturday will be facing the potential for another round.

The Greatest Maritime Disaster in US History: Sultana April 27, 2010

Steamboat Sultana Looked Overloaded to Everyone but the Captain

Extremely Overcrowded Steamship Sultana April 26, 1865 near Helena, Arkansas

On this Date in History:  When we think of maritime disaster, one immediately thinks of the RMS Titanic.  After all, there have been numerous movies and documentaries that detail and discuss the incident.  When the news of the Titanic hit the papers, any other news of the day was lost to the backpages and buried.  Hence, when Harriet Quimby became the first woman to fly across the English Channel, she had the misfortune of doing so the day after the Titanic sunk.  She died not too long after and so most Americans think of Amelia Earhart as the first lady of flight.  Back in 1865, the news of the killing of John Wilkes Booth on April 26 dominated the media.  So, when the greatest disaster in maritime history took place, it too was left to the backpages and since, like Harriet Quimby, has been largely lost in the conscience of American history.  Timing, they say, is everythying.

 The steamboat Sultana was steaming north on the Mississippi River shortly after the conclusion of the American Civil War when three of its four boilers exploded. The Sultana was rated to carry a maximum 376 passengers. On the fateful journey, it was overloaded with some 2200 to 2500 former prisoners of war returning home on this date in 1865 along with the crew and some civilian passengers.  The incident occured around 2AM about 7 miles north of Memphis, TN as it moved against the strong Mississippi River current. Many of the passengers were wounded Union soldiers. The deaths of at least 1700 souls was brought about by the fact that the boilers catastrophically failed in the middle of the night, the river current was strong and turbulent and extremely hot water and fire rained on surviors.  Unlike the news of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, the Sultana disaster was relegated to the back pages of most US newspapers.

Andersonville 1864

What adds to the tragedy is that the vast majority of those on-board were Union prisoners of war who had been held in the infamous Andersonville Confederate prison and other prisons such as Cahaba (aka Cahawba).  These soldiers, many wounded and extremely frail from their time in horrid prison conditions, wanted to get home as quickly as possible.  But, it was not just the desire to get home that resulted in the overloading of the boat.  I mean, the Captain could have simply said that his boat was full and told the rest to wait for the next one.  But, the policy of the government in providing transportation was to pay 5$ for each soldier transported.  Keep in mind that most soldiers received about $15 a month while they were fighting so $5 was a pretty good chunk of change.  It was such a good deal for the steamboats that boat captains regularly paid US Army officers $1.15 for every man that officer directed to a particular steamboat.  Bottom line is that the more people a captain could stuff on his boat, the greater his profit.

Andersonville Survivor-Many on the Sultana Were Very Frail

Now, the soldiers were loaded on board in Vicksburg, MS for a trip to Cairo, IL and the Sultana was just one of many boats providing transportation.  It was the chance of a lifetime for steamboat operators and any delay would result in the potential loss of profits.  So, when one of the boilers on the Sultana sprang a leak while in port at Vicksburg,   the captain ordered a patch be put on the leak.  This was a shortcut and perhaps a fatal mistake.  Most researchers suggest that the bulge in the boiler should have been removed and replaced.  But that would have taken about 4 days so the captain went the 1-day patch route.   If he had waited 4 days, other steamboats would certainly have picked up the precious cargo and there would be no way to make up for the loss as this mass transport would happen just once.   Historians Stephen Ambrose and Douglas Brinkley say that the US Army officers knew of the maintanence issues with the Sultana but were eager to get the $1.15 per man kick-back and loaded the unknowing soldiers on board.

On April 24, 1865 at about 9 pm, the Sultana cast off from Vicksburg.  Captain J. Cass Mason, who is described by the US Naval Institute as “respected” but “reckless,  told an army officer that he’d carried that many men in the past and that the boat was sturdy.  Mason was well aware that his boat was extremely overcrowded but did not consider it overloaded.  He assured the officer that the Sultana was a good ship and the men were in very capable hands.   The officer told Captain Moss, “Take good care of them.  They are deserving of it.”    With that, the ship was on its way to Memphis where on April 26, 1865 it stopped to pick up a load of coal.  At around midnight, it cast off again to continue it’s journey.  The repaired boiler exploded about 2 AM on this date in 1865 and the fact that it was only 7 miles upstream illustrates just how slow it was moving.  Between the load it was carrying and the flow of the river against it, it was only able to muscle 3.5 miles per hour.  The strain on the patch was too much.  It exploded and that caused two others to immediately blow up.  Fire raced through the boat, the two smokestacks fell and crushed many on the deck.  Keep in mind that a steamboat boiled water to create the steam so scalding water no doubt affected numerous passengers, many of whom were unable to move due to their condition and were in great pain from their wounds.

The Sultana was but 260 feet long with a draft of just 7 feet.  The RMS Titanic was 882 feet long.  The RMS Titanic had 2223 passengers and 700 survived the sinking while 1517 perished.  The much smaller Sultana carried 2200 to 2500 and 1700 to 1800  were killed in the disaster leaving  500 to 800  to survive initially, but 200 more would die later from their wounds.  The survivors of the Titanic were fortunate in that it was a still night with calm seas, but it was extremely cold and the water was freezing.  The weather conditions of the Sultana disaster weren’t nearly as cold, but the river had a very swift and turbulent current due to spring run-off from melting snow and seasonal rains upriver.  Those who escaped the exlosion had to fight the deadly current.  The boat itself was not completely destroyed in the explosion and fire but the hulk of wreckage floated downstream before ultimately sinking at Memphis where today it rests covered in mud and covered by the Mississippi River.

SPC Severe Probability Thurs AM to Fri AM

12Z Tue GFS Very Bullish for Rain Midday Derby Day

Weather Bottom Line:  I’m not convinced that it’s going to be dry for the Kentucky Derby Forecast.  The longer range models still show disagreement in that the European model keeps big storms several hundred miles to the West on Friday while the GFS has  a cold front draped across St. Louis.   Either way, we will get a warming trend ahead of the system beginning on Wednesday.  Moisture levels will also be increasing as we head to the low to mid 80′s. 

12Z Tue NAM Hold Rain Just West for Oaks Day

I still have an eyebrow raised about the prospects of severe weather around here but I don’t see a kicker.  Further, the GFS vertical profile prog doesn’t really present menacing severe indecies.  However, the GFS does throw out a little more than a half inch of rain for Friday afternoon which may mean we have a questionable Oaks Day Forecast.  I tend to think that we will be okay for Oaks Day.  I”m not sure if the progression will be as slow as the Storms Prediction Center seems to be going with, which is the European solution.  My guess is that the timing of this will be something in between the GFS and European.  Any slow down in the GFS solution will result in a pretty good Oaks Day.  But, the GFS throws out 2 inches of rain in Louisville from 1AM Saturday morning until 7 pm Derby Day.  Even if it’s slower, we get rain and t’storms for the afternoon.  Every model right now throws out some amount of rain for Derby Day.   So, if you are picking a horse early, a good mudder will be a wise decision.  However, I think the wisest thing will be to wait to make your wager.  There is such disagreement with the data that its difficult to really pin down a firm forecast.  While all indications are that we will have low level convergent flow and an increasing jet stream intensity, which would support t’storms, the timing is debatable.  Should that scenario play out and some sort of kicker like a shortwave come through the flow, then we’re talking severe potential.  I have a fair amount of confidence that the rain and t’storm chances will be high for Derby Day.  I feel pretty good about the idea that Oaks Day will be warm, breezy and partly cloudy.  But, there is enough uncertainty that its probably not a good idea to hang your derby hat just yet.

Assault With Breast Milk and Other Odd Crimes March 7, 2010

Spraying Milk Was Once Thought of as Beneficial!

Breast Milk is a Weapon!  When you look at Webster’s for a definition of assault, this is what you find:

 1 a : a violent physical or verbal attack b : a military attack usually involving direct combat with enemy forces c : a concerted effort (as to reach a goal or defeat an adversary)
2 a : a threat or attempt to inflict offensive physical contact or bodily harm on a person (as by lifting a fist in a threatening manner) that puts the person in immediate danger of or in apprehension of such harm or contact

See Griner's Punch that was not assault while the milk-spraying woman was in jail

Let’s see…”violent”…”combat”…”bodily harm”…lots of words one associates with physical violence.  Now, in recent years, many jurisdiction has made it a felony assault or worse for someone who knowingly has AIDS to spit in someone or have unprotected sex with a person.  But, now Owensboro, Kentucky has broadened the defintion of assault.  A 31 year old woman who was put in the drunk tank was charged with assault for squirtjng her breast milk on an officer.  Come on….does that really fit the definition of assault?  What would Wyatt Earp have done?  Britney Griner of the Baylor University women’s basketball team might have dotted her eye.  The video at the right shows how the basketball star retaliated to rough play with a haymaker that broke another woman’s nose.  Griner was not charged with assault but was suspended.  Perhaps if she had sprayed breast milk on her opponent she’d be in jail.

Meat Cleaver More Menacing than Hair

Now, I”m not sure if this measures up to the breast milk caper, but there was an instance in New Jersey not long ago when a cook who had received numerous tickets spotted the officer who had written the tickets in his restaurant.  He decided not to get mad but get even.  The cook is now charged with placing human hair on the officer’s sandwich.  I’m not sure if it qualifies as assault, but probably so.  I wonder if it would be an aggravated crime if the hair was not from his head.  But, come on…a hair?  If that is assault then just about every other time I went to the drive through I’d be going to the cops.  And then, they’d have to prove the guy did it on purpose.   Now…if the cook had used a meat cleaver then that would be another story.

Mugshot Says 1000 Words About the kid who attacked his mom with a taco

Now, here’s a guy who got charged with assault for retaliating for what he thought was food tampering.  The Taco Bell customer in Alaska drove through the drive through twice, claiming that the manager messed up his order.  Then, the customer thought that the manager had spit in his double taco.  So, he threw it in the face of the manager.  Let’s see…Webster’s does have “offensive physical contact”  as part of the secondary definition…but come on.  I wonder if anyone checked to see if the manager did indeed spit in the food.  Perhaps it could have been a double taco double assault!  But, he wasn’t the only one who used a taco as a weapon.  The Florida kid was charged with assaulting his mother with a taco after she very rudely asked him to stop playing XBox and come to dinner.  parents these days are so tough.  Actually, if you think about it…calling the cops on your kid is pretty tough love. 

Perhaps Simmons' tongue could be considered a deadly weapon

Now, this story from Louisiana back in October 2009 got world wide attention.  It wasn’t Lorena Bobbit but was somemwhat provocative.   Seems this woman was upset that the doctor told her that she wasn’t pregnant.  Her boyfriend said that he tried to comfort her and she said that he hadn’t given her a passionate kiss lately, so he obliged.  At that point, the woman bit off her boyfriend’s tongue.   When the police arrived, the woman handed over a plastic bag filled with an interesting piece of flesh and said, “We had a domestic and I bit his tongue off. Here it is.”  Okay….I’ve mentioned Lorena Bobbit with the woman who bit off the tongue so the obvious quesiton is…well…you know and the answer is yes.  A Thai woman was angry with her boyfriend whom she suspected of cheating on her, so she bit him.  The victim suffered severe bite marks but nothing was severed.  Now…I’d say that is assault.  I wonder how often that this happens but is not reported.  In this case, the 56 year old Belgian refused to give details to the press. 

NAM has high CAPE and SWEAT Index in S. Central US Wed Evening..tis the season

Weather Bottom Line:  Beautiful weekend.  Snow White and I took a walk and happened to come upon our friends Larry and Anne and also had 7 deer wander by to join us.  The lead short wave that was coming out will bring some showers Sunday night and Monday morning but it will be winding down and so I don’t think it will do much.  Now, after that, I’ve been talking about a big pattern change and the main shortwave coming out of the Southwest and producing not only a t’storm threat, but also a severe weather threat mainly well to our South and West.  I suspect that we will have some action in North Texas, Oklahoma and the Arklatex.  The thing that has changed is that we get a several shorwaves embedded in the flow making for a rather unstable and uncertain week ahead.  I still think that Dixie will get some rough weather to kick off the severe weather season this week.  Given that we will see pretty mild conditions all week and moisture will continue to flow in from the Gulf…don’t be surprised to see some t’storms around here later in the week. It will be interesting if we get into the action…possible, not probable at this point.  I’ve still got snow outside but it will all definitely be gone as we have 60′s more often than not this week.

Tyler, Getty and Petty February 28, 2010

Steve Burgin Thinks He Should be King and get all the money

President Tyler Almost Bought the Farm

On This Date In History: On this date in 1844, President John Tyler almost bought the farm. He was cruising on the USS Princeton the Navy’s newest and best warship that featured a 27 inch cannon. Trouble was, the cannon hadn’t been tested. Nevermind, the bigshots in Tyler’s cabinet wanted that sucker fired! So they fired it twice and it worked. The designer of the gun begged them not to tempt fate a third time to no avail. They fired it a third time and it exploded, killing a bunch of people. Now, Tyler had a wife when he took over for William Henry Harrison, whom had died after just several weeks in office. Tyler had 8 kids with the wife. No wonder she died. So, the then single President had taken a fancy to a 20 year old named Julia whom Tyler had asked to marry but she hadn’t answered. When the gun blew up, it killed her father. I don’t know if she wanted a new father or if it was a sign or what, but she then accepted Tyler’s proposal and she promptly delivered for Tyler, another 7 kids. Our most pro-creationist President went on to retire to his home in Virginia which had previously been owned by his former boss, President William Henry Harrison! Today, the home is still owned and lived in by the Tyler family. As of this writing one of Tyler’s grandsons is still alive. Snow White and I visited the home, Sherwood Forest,  several years ago and the only other people there were a nice, attractive couple. The young lady turned to me and said, “aren’t you the weatherman in Louisville?” Small world.

King Richard

On this Date in 1960, Richard Petty won his first Grand National race. It was 50 years ago today and it was the first of 200 NASCAR victories. Eight months earlier, Richard Petty had been declared the winner of the race but he lost after the guy who came in second protested the finish successfully. So his first victory was snatched from him by….Lee Petty…his father! Talk about tough love…While his team hasn’t done well without him at the wheel, he is still deeply involved in NASCAR and his record of victories is one of those standards in sport that is held in a lofty status, like DiMaggio’s 56 game hitting streak or Gretzky’s 894 career goals.  It’s very unlikely anyone will ever amass 200 career victories, but they certainly will try.

J.Paul Getty

On this date in 1982, the J. Paul Getty Museum was endowed. Getty had made a fortune in the oil business and he had developed a love of art so he left a third of his fortune to the museum when he died in 1976. At that time, J. Paul Getty was estimated to be worth about $700 million and was one of the richest men in the world. By the time the courts got done with all of the legal wrangling involved in big estate cases, the economy was booming and the endowment grew to $1.2 billion. By 2000, the endowment had grown to $5 billion. Three of every 4 years, the law says that the trust must spend 4.25% in order to maintain tax-exempt status. The first year that was $54 million. Today it’s more like $200 million! The trust has a hard time finding places to spend it. They don’t want to look like they are greedily hoarding all of the world’s art but they have to spend it somewhere. Such problems. Steve Burgin thinks they should give it to him since so many people consider him a national treasure.

Weather Bottom Line:  I told you that I was skeptical.  The low clouds did not get worked on enough from the sun to create some breaks so we didn’t get to 40.  The extreme western parts of the area did get some sun and moved to the low 40′s. I’m not too enthused about the clouds breaking in the next 5 days so 40 may be a dream.  Could be sorta kinda on Monday we may get some cloud breaks to get toward 40 but after that, I don’t think we get to that magic number until Friday or Saturday.  At that point, it appears that there will be a pretty decent pattern change for awhile and we get some milder days.  Remember, the average high this time of year is 51 so getting to average will be quite an accomplishment.   Light, mainly insignificant snow showers are possible late Tuesday into Wednesday.  Shouldn’t be a big deal.

February 12th Significant For More than Lincoln February 12, 2010

Abe Shares His Birthday with other notables, including Nit and Wit

Nit and Wit have a Full Bag of tricks for their 14th birthday

On This Date in History:  Everyone should know that today my two cats, Nit and Wit, turned 14 today and that the day marks the 201st anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln.    In years past, this would have been a holiday but Congress decided that we had too  many holidays and so when they decided to give everyone the day off for Rev.  Martin Luther King’s birthday,  they felt like that they had to eliminate one.  So, they took Abe’s birthday and General Washington’s birthday of February 22nd and combined them to form President’s day which falls between Abe’s and George’s birthdays.  But, February 12th not only marks Abe’s birthday and Nit and Wit’s birthday, but also a couple of other notables were born on this date.

All thumbs up for Bill on February 12th

President Clinton got a rebirth of sorts on this date in 1999 and again this year.  The former president is recovering very nicely after going home on  February 12, 2010 following a scare.  On the previous day, he was rushed to the hospital after suffering from chest pains.  Doctors discovered a heart problem and quickly inserted a couple of stints.  Everyone keeps saying that our healthcare system needs to be fixed but, the fact that this procedure is relatively routine and Mr. Clinton went home the next day illustrates that the health care in this country is top shelf.  It’s the payment system that has flaws.  Anyway, it’s hard to say if Mr. Clinton is more grateful today or on this date in 1999, when his impeachment proceedings ended in an acquittal following a Senate trial and subsequent acquittal.  Remember, impeachment is the charge, not removal from office and, like Andrew Johnson before him, President Clinton lived to fight another day in the White House, much as he is doing now as a goodwill ambassador teaming with George W. Bush to help bring relief to Haiti.

Fierce Rivals Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain

On this date in 1934, basketball great Bill Russell was born in Monroe,Louisiana.  Bill Russell played for the Boston Celtics for 13 years and won 11 championships.  He even won as player-coach.  He was a 5 time league  MVP.  He is credited with changing the game with his defense so his offensive statistics,while impressive, will not be found at the top of too many all-time categories.  The league did not count blocked shots when he played but there is little doubt that, if they had, he very well may have been the all-time leader, even today.  His defense was so great that he was able to be more than a match for the great Wilt Chamberlain.  But, a little recognized fact regarding Russell is that he was not the number one pick in the NBA draft.  The Rochester Royals had the first pick but chose another player because the owner wouldn’t pay the $25,000 signing bonus that Russell was demanding.  Boston’s pick was way down the list so they traded two very good players to the St. Louis Hawks for the second draft pick.  The Hawks went on to win the NBA championship that year but they handed the Celtics a dynasty that would last more than a decade. 

Then there is an old favorite, Ben Cartwright.  He was the patriarch of the family that featured 3 sons from different mothers.  When Adam left to travel the world, a hired hand took his place, Candy.  Of course this is all fiction as I”m speaking of the TV show Bonanza that aired on NBC from 1959 to 1973.  If I recall, Bonanza was promoted heavily because,in the early days, it was one of (if not the first) prime time show in color and NBC wanted to promote NBC color in conjunction with its new peacock symbol.  Canadian born actor Lorne Greene was born on this date in 1915 and, while his character was ficticious, Greene said that he based the character on a real person: his father. 

Roy Hoping Ben Will Come to the Rescue

While Greene was a star in Earthquake with Chuck Heston and later starred  in Battlestar Galactica, which was a far stretch from his days roaming about the Ponderosa, it was a vehicle to introduce him to a whole new generation of young Ameircans.  Personally, I always liked the way that he, Hoss, Little Joe, Adam and later Candy always seemed to be in Virginia City bailing out Sheriff Roy Coffee, whom I think is tied with Sheriff Micah Torrance of Northfork as the worst sheriff in the old west. In Micah’s case, it was always Lucas McCain who was coming to the rescue.  Where would Micah be without “Lucas-boy” or Virginia City be without the Cartwrights?  Where would America be without “Pa” who lived in our living rooms as the stern but kind, Ben Cartwright on Bonanza.

National Weather Service Correctly Not Tipping It's Hand Just Yet

Fri 18Z GFS Bullish with 6-8 Inches Louisville and South Thru Midday Wed

Weather Bottom Line:  We are going to get snow.  The question is how much?  That’s a good question.  I’ve seen on TV anywhere from 2 inches to 8 inches.  I would say that the former is more likely than the latter but the truth will probably be somewhere in between.  Now, I must say, I don’t see how we did it, but we nudged to 33 for a few minutes on Friday.  The sun should be absent on Saturday and Sunday and Monday so I don’t see how we get above freezing on those days, but like before, if we do it won’t be by much or for long.  Early Saturday morning there may be some light snow showers or flurries. No big deal but it may be enough in some areas to create some slick spots Saturday morning. 

12Z Fri NAM Had 3-5 inches by Monday Evening but...

Now, this next guy is a little clipper system.  Typically, an “Alberta Clipper” is an area of low pressure that forms in Alberta, Canada and then moves pretty quickly down through the flow.  It usually moves quickly and since it originates over the land, doesn’t have a huge amount of moisture to work with.  The heaviest snow associated with a clipper is in a relatively narrow band just to the left of the track of the low.    So, the trick will be the track.  There are no models that take this low north of Louisville so that is why I know we will get some snow.  But, if it tracks too far south, then we get a little.  If it comes just right, then we get heavier snow.  There is no way to know for certain.  Some models want to have the narrow band of 4-6 inch totals down around E-town.  Others put it over Louisville.  I’ve seen some try to bring up to 8 inches by the time this is all over with on Tuesday or early Wednesday but its tough to get that much snow out of a system like this.   

Fri 18Z NAM Shifted Heaviest Snow Well South

The idea for  the bigger totals would be an inch on Saturday, 1-2 inches on Sunday and 4-6 on Monday.  I say nonsense to that.  We will probably get well below an inch on Saturday and the snow doesn’t get going again with the clipper until Sunday night.  I would think the most anyone gets would be 3-4 inches on Monday with perhaps a total of an inch for Monday night through Tuesday into Wednesday morning in the form of snow showers or flurries.  I don’t see how we get above freezing again until Thursday in advance of another system that may bring some messy rain/ice/snow for the end of next week.   But, we’ll deal with that later.

Finally The Saints Time February 4, 2010

Click Image for "Finally the Saints Time"

Fortunately For New Orleans, This Forecast Was Wrong

The Saints Go Marching to Miami:    If you have ever lived in New Orleans, then you know how devoted the Saints’ fans are.  Even when they were terrible, which was most of the time, the fans might have shown up in paper bags bearing the word “Aints”  but they showed up.  But, it’s not just New Orleans.  I’ve also lived in Lafayette and also Alexandria and wherever you go on a Sunday during football season, you will find people crowded around televisions in bars, hotels and even hospitals when the Saints are on.  But, I noticed that if the Saints weren’t on and it’s a different game, the audience in front of those tv’s are sparse or non-existant.  Even when there was a  great game being shown or a playoff game sans Saints, hardly a soul.  When I realized this, I understood that Louisiana fans are largely Saints fans and not so much general football fans.  On the radio, the Cowboys football network was on a few stations and some folks followed them, but certainly you never heard a peep about the nearby Houston Oilers which was the closet AFC market to the area.  No, in general, it was the Saints or nothing.

Click on the Dixie Beer Logo for "The Night We Drank That Dixie Down"

Since the Saints have only had 9 winning seasons out of 43 years of operation, this time of year the TVs have largely been broadcasting to many empty chairs in public locations as the Saints had only won 1 playoff game out of a handful of appearances until their recent success.  I wrote about their futitility in a piece that included what I called the greatest football song of all time, The Night We Drank That Dixie Down, which was an homage to the Saints.   I got a lot of queries wondering who it was that penned such lyrics and made the video put to a famous Robby Robertson tune.  As it turns out, the band and the writer wrote me.  It seems that the inspiration for the song was to pay tribute “to capture the melancholy surrounding the nature of being a long-time Saints fan.”

I Bet Rockin' Sydney Agrees its Finally the Saints Time

Now that the Saints have made it to the first Super Bowl in franchise history, a new song and video seemed appropriate and that new effort has the title,  Finally the Saints Time.  The words and video are set to the famous one hit wonder song “Walking on Sunshine” by Katrina and the Waves.   Rather ironic that they chose Katrina and the Waves for the source of the tune.   The lead vocalist is Tracie Simon, but on the Drink That Dixie song, the lead singer is Valerie Andrus.    These folks are part of a group who hail from Lafayette, Nick Lick and the Hickies.  They’ve been what they call a “studio ghost band” around Acadiana for some two decades.  They apparently just get together from time to time with various musicians from other area bands at night and create little songs for radio stations just as a way to have some fun.  They don’t do it for any commercial purposes but simply to provide radio stations with well produced tunes as a way to connect with their audience.  The local public loves the songs, everyone gets a laugh and the radio station managers are particularly happy since they get content for free.

Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys Might Be Found at Freds

I don’t know who else the muscians are for these songs but I do know that Pat Onellion is responsible for much of the material put out by Nick Lick and the Hickies.  Not sure if Pat was the actual writer of Drank That Dixie or Finally the Saints Time, but I suspect Pat was heavily involved.  I’m not even sure if Pat is short for Patrick or Patricia!  But that’s okay because he, or she, is a pretty good representative of musical talent that is all around Acadiana.  Every morning our TV show, Passe Partout, on KLFY would start off with about 15 or 20 minutes of videos from local musicians.  Some had more commercial success than others.  Some played traditional cajun music, others were zydeco musicians.  I loved Rockin’ Sydney and a local favorite was Rockin’ Dopsie whose footsteps have been followed by Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr.   There was a very popular band that I saw once at a Mardi Gras street party in Mamou, where if you ever go, you must go to Fred’s Lounge.  The band was an is  Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys.  I believe that Steve and the boys  have received three Grammy Award nominations.  I also had the opportunity to meet the band Beausoleil, whom I know for certain won several Grammy Awards and have had other Grammy nominations.  You may have seen them too on the Today Show.   

You Never Know when the former Prez will show up with this horn

 When I was in Alexandria, I had the pleasure of working with Bobby Felsenthal who is one of the funniest guys I’ve ever met and is one of the best rock and roll piano players you could find.  He and another great musician, Dave Duplissey, whom I believe is in the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame as a fantastic saxaphonist  had many tales from their days on the road, including one great one involving a gig they once did in Arkansas.  It seems that  the young, and then little known, Arkansas Attorney General, showed up with his saxaphone to sit in with Dave.  Today, we know of that musician as President Bill Clinton.   The Nick Lick and the Hickies songs capture the fun, skill and creativity found in the Louisiana music scene, which is a great contribution to the unique art form known as American music. 

NAM Snow Midday Saturday

GFS Snow Midday Saturday...not as bullish as NAM

Weather Bottom Line:  The forecast is about the same as it was before, save for some sniping from a weather critic.  He’s actually pretty astute but, we’ll get to that in a moment. No sense giving him top billing.  Look for rain Thursday night through Friday.  I doubt it, but I suppose it’s possible for some snow overnight up around Seymour or so, but the ground is probably too warm to allow for much accumulation aside from maybe some short term stuff on grassy areas so its no big deal.  The big issue continues to be the roads on Saturday morning area wide.  The main low will move basically up along the western flank of the Appalacians.  The nation’s capital could see as much as two feet of snow.  Look for the snow in DC, Philly and Baltimore as the big story on the national news over the weekend.  We will have the upper level part of the storm.  There will be a change over to snow.  How much depends on whether or not the upper low is right over Louisville, which it might be, and we get and extended period of colder air aloft.  As it is, even if it does not pass over us, we get wrap around colder air and we get a turn over to snow.  Top side would be 3-4 inches, low side more like 1-2 inches and i bet its the low end.  But, the amount isn’t the issue.  My concern would be wet roads and temperatures falling below freezing. No brine solution can be used because of the rain so look out on Saturday morning starting a few hours before sunrise when the mercury may fall to 32 or a couple of degrees colder and ice develops on roadways.

GFS Snow by Tue Morning close to 4 inches with more to come; other models more bullish

Okay…the weather cynic.  Actually, he was absolutely right. I had said that we could see significant snow for Tuesday through Thursday.  He pointed out that everyone else said Monday.  I did, in fact, look too quickly and not look at a calendar and was off by one day.  But, I pointed out for him not to be surprised to see the days get shifted closer to what I had erroneously reported. That is because, in my experience, it is not unusual for long term models to be about 24 hours or so too fast.  Sure enough, today, the Candian model is calling for snow to start on Tuesday, not Monday.  At this point, I think that Tuesday will still be the main part of the snow with some carry over to Wednesday, but it will probably not start until late Monday or Monday evening or night.    Either way, it’s still a bit up in the air but the ranges continue to be somewhere around 4-8 inches, but, the GFS for some reason has lately decided some of that falls as rain sandwiched in between periods of snow.  I don’t like that solution so I will pretend its not there.  Be careful on the roads Saturday morning.

Saints: Best Football Song Ever, Drink That Dixie Down January 23, 2010

Outside the Haitian Community Hospital, which is overflowing and running out of water. Edge will be installing a water filtration system this week for the hospital.Wednesday scenes in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. (Kylene Lloyd, The Courier-Journal) January 21, 2010 (cj/cj)

Haiti remains in great need and destitute.  People are asking for donations but you really aren’t too sure how your money will be used.  Help support a group who is bringing clean water to Haiti now and in the future.  You will know where your money is going, who is using it and how it is being used.  Several years ago, New Orleans had too much water in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.  All was thought to be lost, especially the football team.   But, as a beacon to Haiti that recovery is possible, the Saints stand on the doorstep to the Super Bowl.  If they make it, Hell will certainly freeze over. 

A great new song about the New Orleans Saints and their quest for the elusive Super Bowl is out.  It’s called, The Night We Drank That Dixie Down and is fabulous.  To truly appreciate it, one might want to know the history of the Saints.

Tom Dempsey had half a foot and no hand but still perservered to the record books

New Orleans was awarded a franchise on November 1, 1966, which is All-Saints Day.  They went 5-1 in the preseason of 1967 and on the opening kickoff of the first game in Saints history, the kick-off was returned for a touchdown.  But, that first game kinda set the stage for the franchise.  Hope rises every year followed by disappointment.  The Saints lost that first game, but did manage to win 3 games that year.  The next two years saw improvement with 4 wins followed by 5 wins in 1969.   Their 1970 first round draft pick became a star for…the Houston Oilers.  The team fell to two wins but the season included the most celebrated event in Saints’ history for years to come.  Tom Dempsey kicked an NFL record 63 yard field goal(video)  to beat the Detroit Lions.  That record has been tied by Jason Elam of Denver kicking at the Mile High altitude of Denver, but it has not been surpassed.  

Archie Manning Loved In New Orleans But Saints Never Won Much

In the 1970′s, the Saints won a total of 42 games…an average of just 4 per year.  1979 was the first non-losing season in team history as they finished 8-8.  The first 5 years of the 1980′s were a little better with 29 wins.  By that time, the Saints had gone through several big name players such as Billy Kilmer, Jim Taylor, Archie Manning, George Rogers, Earl Campbell and Ken Stabler.  They also had headline coaches such as Dick Nolan, Hank Stram and Bum Phillips.  Still the highlight of the Saints remained Dempsey’s 63 yard field goal.  The team then went from sad sacks to not too bad and hope was born when Jim Mora took over in 1986. 

Mora asks, "Playoffs?"

After going 7-9 in Mora’s first season, the Saints won 12 games and made the playoffs.  Both the win total and the playoff appearance were firsts for New Orleans.  But, they lost in the playoffs.  The next two years were teasers with 9 wins coming in ’88 and ’89 but they did not make the playoffs.  Still, Saint’s fans were optimistic. In 1990, they were a .500 team but still made the playoffs and promtly lost.  Double-digit wins in 1991 and 1992 led to first round playoff losses.  Saints fans though, remained loyal.  For the next few years, the Saints were mediocre, did not make the playoffs and when the team began 1996 at 2-6, the loyal fans still showed up, but did so wearing bags on their heads that said “Aints”.  That was it for Mora. 

Ditka Williams Marriage Ended Sour

Mike Ditka showed up and Saints’ fans once again were optimistic.  The team went 6-10 in Iron Mike’s first two years, but after Ditka traded all of the team’s draft picks in 1999 for RB Ricky Williams and the team tumbled to just 3 wins, the Aints bags were back out and Ditka was sent packing.  The 2000′s showed improvement but still, they were back to being almost good enough.  It was the make the playoffs and out routine or just missing the playoffs routine.  Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005 and the Saints were forced to play their home games in San Antonio, TX.  Rumors were that  owner Tom Benson, who was from San Antonio, would move the team.   The population of New Orleans fell by the thousands and there was question as to the city could still support the team.  But, those naysayers underestimated the heart of a Saints fan. 

Drew Brees Has Saints on the Super Bowl Doorstep

I can tell you…if you live anywhere in the state of Louisiana, there is no other game on TV besides the Saints, regardless of their record.  Well, in 2006, Drew Brees led the Saints all the way to the NFC Championship game where they lost, again.  After a couple of good but disappointing years, the Saints now find themselves with home field advantage in the NFC Championship Game again.  They play the Minnesota Vikings who have a soap-opera storyline themselves with 4 Superbowl losses in the 1970′s.  And this year they have the journeyman future Hall of Famer Bret Favre.  But at least the Vikings have made it to the Super Bowl.  The Saints are one of only three teams to not be in the big game or an NFL Championship game.  The other two are the Jacksonville Jaguars who did not enter the league until 1995 and the Houston Texans who only have been around since 2002. 

So, let us all hoist a Dixie Beer to the Saints and their loyal but long suffering fans and see what fate befalls the team after 43 years of futility.

NWS Louisville graphic

Weather Bottom Line:  We did not get any sunshine today but it was still rather mild with highs in the mid 50′s…sorry you had to go to Bowling Green to find 60.  I will give you one certainty. It will be colder next week.  Beyond that, it gets kinda muddled.  Saturday night will be a good chance for rain and possible t’storms, though nothing too exciting.  Same is true on Sunday.  A cold front comes through on Monday and then a secondary trof may bring some snow late Monday with some flurries or light snow.  I think the snow total comes to about an inch on the most aggressive model and that is over about 36 hours.  The ground probably won’t be cold enough for much accumulation  initially so it really wont be that big of a deal though driving may be tough Tuesday morning.   After that, we have another system by Thursday or Friday.  Some data suggests a guy coming from the Gulf and other ideas are it comes across the southern tier of states.  We may get above freezing from time to time during the week but not much and by late Thursday or early Friday, the issue of the track of the next system will determine how much snow we get. I can draw a scenario of 6 inches and another of rain with a little snow and then another with some ice mixed in, which I don’t like.  So, we’ll have to wait and see.

Without Cold Winters, We Might Not Have Basketball January 20, 2010

Not Sure If This is What Naismith Had in Mind and It's Not Clear We Ever Would Have Heard of Michael Jordan if it Weren't For Cold Massachusetts Winters

Women's Basketball Was introduced to Smith College A Few Months After 1st Men's Team. This is Smith practice in 1903

On This Date in History: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is in Cleveland.  Not sure why Cleveland was picked except maybe the state and city provided good tax incentives.  But, at least its in a big city.  Baseball’s Hall of Fame is in tiny Cooperstown, NY.  I love that town.  The Pro Football Hall of Fame is in Canton, Ohio.  The Hockey Hall of Fame was supposed to be in Kingston Canada but funding dried up.  Eventually, it ended up in Toronto.  I think the first time the term “Hall of Fame” was used was in 1900 when the Hall of Fame for Great Americans was established at New York University, now Bronx Community College.  Then, the sporting world jumped on the bandwagon.  I believe that myth, folklore or history suggests that baseball was first played in Cooperstown and football in Canton, which is why those towns were chosen.  The Basketball Hall of Fame is in Springfield, MA because, on this date in 1892, the first basketball game was played.

Dr. Naismith's gym class produced the first basketball team. They consisted of nine players and their coach, pictured here on the steps of Springfield College Gymnasium. Back row: John G. Thompson; Eugene S. Libby; Edwin P. Ruggles; William R. Chase; T. Duncan Patton. Center: Frank Mahan; James Naismith. Front row: F. G. Macdonald; William H. Davis; Lyman W. Archibald.

It was invented by James Naismith, probably during the Christmas holidays in late 1891.   It really came about as a matter of necessity than anything else.   See, Naismith was a Physical Education teacher at the YMCA International Training School in 1891.  Today, it is referred to as Springfield College.  It gets cold in Massachusetts in the winter.  He had to find an indoor game of “athletic distraction” for the students.  He considered outdoor games such as Lacrosse and Rugby but thought they were too rough, though he did figure a way to eliminate tackling of Rugby was to disallow running and he liked the idea of the goals of LaCrosse.  Then, he remembered a game from his youth called Duck on a Rock.  Something about trying to knock a “duck” off the top of a large rock by throwing another rock at it.  I guess the prospects of throwing rocks in a closed building wasn’t too appealing but he did gain some inspiration from his recollection of that game.

1936 Olympics Are remembered as the Nazi Olympics by many and the Olympics of Jesse Owens humiliating Hitler. But For Naismith, they were the showcase for his game

The rules of the game have evolved.  Originally, Naismith used soccer balls and the baskets were peach baskets.  No one thought of punching a hole in the bottom of the baskets so, when a goal was scored, either a long dowel had to be used to punch the ball out or a guy on a ladder had to climb up to retrieve the ball.  So, the game wasn’t as fast paced as it is today.  Also, originally, bouncing or dribbling the ball as one moved was not part of the rules.  But, you couldn’t run with it either.  It was strictly a passing game.  The court was also half the size of the modern playing area.  Many people today say that basketball players are the best athletes in the world, but I suppose that was not the case back in the day.   Due to the popularity of the YMCA, the game spread rapidly across America and eventually was adopted by organizations in other countries.    Naismith lived to see the little game he invented become an Olympic sport in the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.  By that time, the game had evolved to include movement being allowed as long as a player bounced, or dribbled the ball; the dimensions of the court were doubled; the number of players for each team at any given time was reduced from 9 to 5 and there was an introduction of a free throw line for foul shots.  Oh…and someone did figure out that it might be a good idea to have baskets with an open bottom end.   It is interesting to note that basketball is the only sport in which the women’s game developed simultaneously with the men’s game as Smith College took up the sport in 1892, shortly after Naismith had invented it in Springfield.

Here are the original 13 rules as outlined by Naismith:

1)The ball may be thrown in any direction with one or both hands.

2)The ball may be batted in any direction with one or both hands, but never with the fist.

3)A player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw it from the spot on which he catches it, allowance to be made for a man running at good speed.

4)The ball must be held in or between the hands. The arms or body must not be used for holding it.

5)No shouldering, holding, pushing, striking or tripping in any way of an opponent. The first infringement of this rule by any person shall count as a foul; the second shall disqualify him until the next goal is made or, if there was evident intent to injure the person, for the whole of the game. No substitution shall be allowed.

6)A foul is striking at the ball with the fist, violations of Rules 3 and 4 and such as described in Rule 5.

7)If either side make three consecutive fouls it shall count as a goal for the opponents (consecutive means without the opponents in the meantime making a foul).

8)Goal shall be made when the ball is thrown or batted from the ground into the basket and stays there, providing those defending the goal do not touch or disturb the goal. If the ball rests on the edge and the opponents move the basket, it shall count as a goal.

9)When the ball goes out of bounds, it shall be thrown into the field and played by the first person touching it. In case of dispute the umpire shall throw it straight into the field. The thrower-in is allowed five seconds. If he holds it longer, it shall go to the opponent. If any side persists in delaying the game, the umpire shall call a foul on them.

10)The umpire shall be judge of the men and shall note the fouls and notify the referee when three consecutive fouls have been made. He shall have the power to disqualify men according to Rule 5.

11)The referee shall be the judge of the ball and decide when it is in play in bounds, to which side it belongs, and shall keep the time. He shall decide when a goal has been made and keep account of the goals with any other duties that are usually performed by a referee.

12)The time shall be two 15-minute halves with five minutes’ rest between.

13)The side making the most goals in that time shall be declared the winners.

Thursday Morning low still isnt here

Weather Bottom Line:  The song remains the same.  The shortwave ridging did materialize on Tuesday afternoon but only served to dry the air enough to take out the fog and get the temperatures to the mid to upper 40′s.  There probably was some freezing fog on surfaces like cars and handrails Tuesday morning but road temperatures probably weren’t low enough to cause problems.  Anyway, we still have the pokey low coming in from the west along the stalled frontal boundary.  Look for chilly rain off  and on through early Friday.  Rain chances will go up throughout the day on Wednesday and crescendo on Thursday.  Saturday still looks okay but Sunday…we may even hear some thunder and see some lightning.  At this point, models are hinting at colder air for the last week of January, possibly a little snow.  But we’ll see…the data has been inconsistent and its more than a week away.

Coach Slaps Player on Arm, Apologizes; Are We Getting Soft or Responsible? January 10, 2010

Click on image for video of punch that ended Hayes' career

Coach Martin Can Get Emotional

Kansas State basketball coach Frank Martin today apologized for whacking a kid on the arm with the back of his open hand from frustration at a kids poor play. Maybe he felt like he had to because just a month before a coach had to resign for actions that did not include physical contact and other coaches have been dismissed for physicial altercations.    Kansas football coach Mark Mangino had to resign amidst charges of verbal, mental and emotional abuse.  University of South Florida head football coach Jim Leavitt was fired for allegedly grabbing a player by the throat.  And of course, Texas Tech head football coach Mike Leach was fired following events surrounding charges that he made a player stand in a dark room.  

Kush Got a Statue After Being Fired For Alleged Player Abuse

These types of things are new, but then again they are to some extent.  Woody Hayes was an extremely successful coach and many of his former players are very grateful for what they learned under the tough coach.  But, Hayes often displayed childish and foolish behaviour during games and in 1978, a national TV audience witnessed Hayes’s punching an opposing player after the opponent made a key interception.  The 65-year-old Hayes was fired and never coached again.  Arizona State head coach Frank Kush was fired after a player filed suit alleging that he punched the player in the mouth following a lousy punt in a game.  But, Kush was acquitted in the lawsuit, the team plays on a field named for him, there is a bronze statue of Kush outside the stadium and in 2000, Kush was hired by the university as a full-time special assistant to the athletic director.  

Knight Wasn't Fired For This

 Then, of course, there is Bob Knight who was fired at Indiana following several accusations of mistreatment of players.  He had been charged with grabbing a player by the throat in practice.  But, he wasn’t fired for that.  Bob Knight  instead was fired for violating a “zero tolerance” policy when a 19-year-old kid walked past him and said “hey, what’s up, Knight?”  Coach then grabbed the kid by the arm and lectured him about manners.  Two years later, Knight was back coaching at Texas Tech, the same place that just fired Mike Leach. 

This Board is Tame Compared To Some I've Met Up Close and Personal

When I played sports in Junior High and High School, the coaches were tough.  I remember in Jr. High basketball we had to shoot free throws at the end of practice and for every one out of the final ten that we shot that we missed, we got a swat.  In fact, it was a normal part of discipline for boys to get swats.  Once, a girl protested that it wasn’t fair that a boy could get three swats and be done but girls had to come to Saturday detention, which was when a misbehaving student had to come to school on Saturday for either an entire day or half day.  So, the school agreed it was discriminatory and the girl got her swats.    I also had an Industrial Arts teacher who said we didn’t get any discipline at home.  He was a former Marine Drill Instructor so he took us out on the field every day for a week and made us march. 

In football practice, if a guy messed up a play, the coach would have everyone on the team jump on the offending player in a dog pile.  For recreation, we played dirty basketball, in which there were no such thing as a foul.  

Was This a Good Idea?

In high school football practice, I once had a head to head hit with another player and my helmet broke in half.  It was off to the locker room for a new helmet and then back on the field.  Coaches regularly grabbed us by the face mask to get our attention.  Once, we were in this drill in which there was a board laid on the ground.  The board was a 2 x 6 from the grandstands and the two players faced each other from either end and did battle with each one having to keep their feet on either side of the board.  I went up against Greg Graves, who was twice as big as me.  He destroyed me.  I had to go against him 10 times in a row with my face getting planted in the ground every time.  Talk about humiliation.  Then of course, there was off-season stick fights in which two opponents beat each other with long sticks that were padded on the ends.  

Things changed fast.  By the time I had graduated college, there was no such thing as swats any more.  My friend was a Junior High coach and he told me of a girl giving a teacher a cake laced with Ex-Lax.  They began with threatening suspension.  The parent protested and the school knuckled under. I don’t know what the ultimate outcome was except that the school finally said that the girl had to apologize and that was that…but the parent objected to that saying, “my daughter is not going to kiss ass to anyone.”  Coach also had a kid who wouldn’t dress out for gym class and wouldn’t move from the floor to the stands.  The kid wouldn’t go to the principal’s office.  Coach threatened to carry him to the principal when the kid said if he did he’d be fired.  Coach picked up the kid with one arm and carried him.  Coach was almost fired for touching the kid.  In some colleges today, a student may file a grievance against an instructor who does something as heinous as assigning homework and then doesn’t grade it.   In the workplace, it can also be difficult just to be nice.   I once worked at a place in which you could be fired for complementing a woman, or man, for their appearance.  You were to look your fellow employees in the eye at all times and not to give opinion regarding appearances in any fashion.  

Abibal Adams Often Gave John an Earful For His Views

John Adams often warned of the feminization of America.  He argued with his wife Abigail in letters once referring to the “despotism of the petticoat.”   But, I’m not so sure that Adams would approve of physical abuse of subordinates.  The question of how to discipline children has been around a long time too.  Mark Sullivan was a journalist in the late 19th and early 20th century.  He wrote a book about the first 25 years of the century called Our Times.   He wanted to give a contemporary history of the first quarter century from a journalist’s perspective. One of the things he speaks about is the movement to remove the switch from the hands of the headmaster in schools and the resulting poor deportment of the students.  75 years later, there were cries from conservatives to return corporal punishment to the classroom.  But, I’m not so sure that we want to give others the right to beat our children.  I was never harmed from the coaches swat board, but serious injury is too big of a risk to take in such instances.  

However, the question does come up as to how far is too far the other way.  A coach back hands a kid on the arm and he feels as if he must apologize.  A coach loses a job for emotional abuse.  How can one define that?  It may be emotionally traumatic just to replace a player from a game.  I once went into a game for a guy in the outfield…in the middle  of the inning!  Talk about embarrassing for the kid!  He never started again…I did.  Under some perspectives, that coach might have been liable for a lawsuit because that was pretty emotionally traumatic.  It seems to me that there definitely should be disciplinary boundaries.  Coaches, teachers and parents need to be more creative and not fall to the most primative methods.  But, there also should be some boundaries the other way.   I don’t know of anyone who agrees with not keeping score in kids games, but they do it all the time.  Life is not equal.  There are winners and losers.  And that can be traumatic but its a fact.    Many people use the “tough love” approach but it seems that approach may be going the way of the dinosaur. 

Louisville area lows Jan 10 2010

NAM Snow Mon Afternoon Through Tue AM

Weather Bottom Line:  We had some sunshine but it didn’t do too much good on Sunday.  Temps only made it to the mid 20′s.  If you look at the low temperature map above from Sunday morning, you can see what I was talking about.  I was right but wrong.   Clearly, the western part of the viewing area had clearing skies overnight.  I had been trumpeting the possibility all week that clearing skies would take the mercury to near zero.   In fact, Jasper in Dubois County did get down to zero with many other areas in the western part of the viewing area in low single digits.  But, when you get to Louisville, the lows were in the mid teens.  That is the difference that clouds can do. 

GFS Claims Snow 18Z Sun...at least for now this model run

Now, the clouds will be increasing again as another shortwave comes rolling down the trof from the northwest.   I’m doubtful regarding the moisture but both the 12Z GFS and NAM call for about a half inch of snow for late Monday afternoon into Monday evening.  Evening drive may be interesting.  Previously, there had been some agreement of temperatures getting above freezing for the first time in 2010 by Tuesday afternoon but now the models say Thursday…which is closer to my two week old forecast of Jan 15.  But, alas, I suspect that many people will be above freezing my Wednesday afternoon.  Now, we do warm up to the low 40′s for the end of the week but there is an interesting feature that has shown up consistently.  It’s a big low forming off of New Orleans.  It migrates northeast.  The track has been changing almost every model run.  And half the time, cold air gets dragged down in response to this feature increasing our prospects for more snow on Sunday.  But, it seems that in alternating runs, it runs the low up the Appalacians but keeps the cold air in Canada.  This seems odd to me.  I would think that we would get some cold air dragging down for Sunday.  It’s not a huge pattern shift but just a short term event.  I’m hoping that if it does happen, that an icing situation does not develop…that’s the one bit of weather that I hate…I don’t need that kind of excitement and neither do you.