Dave Arneson, Co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, dead, 61, cancer

MINNEAPOLIS – Dave Arneson, one of the co-creators of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy game and a pioneer of role-playing entertainment, died after a two-year battle with cancer, his family said Thursday. He was 61.

Arneson and Gary Gygax developed Dungeons & Dragons in 1974 using medieval characters and mythical creatures. The game known for its oddly shaped dice became a hit, particularly among teenage boys. It eventually was turned into video games, books and movies. Gygax died in March 2008.

I have very fond memories of playing Advanced Dungeon and Dragons. I played with friends for a little over a decade until family life and careers caused us to stop. Some of the friends I made playing AD&D are my closest and dearest friends I still have today.

Mighty Sword Skill Have You!

Mad Skillz!


Modern Samurai Cuts Flying BB in Half - Watch more Funny Videos

Fires, everywhere

These are the worst fires I've ever seen. DDDN Studios in Norman are safe and not in danger. Several co-workers have lost their homes. My friend lost his shop, about 10 cars, and everything but his trailer home. Ironically, he had just called his insurance agent to get the out building covered with insurance but had yet to get the policy setup. The shop burned to the ground in the fire later that afternoon. His trailer home may still be a total loss due to smoke.

The areas burning that are not established neighborhoods are new growth scrub oak trees that are all less than 20 feet in height. Very thick woods you can barely walk through with very dry undergrowth. That makes it nearly impossible to get a pumper truck in to fight the fires. Lots of people have mobile homes on little 5 acre plots east of Oklahoma City.

We have been in a drought since before December with less than 2 inches of rain since the year began. Everything is VERY dry. The grounds at DDDN have not even begun to turn green yet. Normally by this time of year I have cut the lawn at least twice.

As you watch the video the flames and smoke are blowing straight across. This is due to 30-40 mph constant winds and gusts above 50 mph. Many fires are still burning.

Extremist Web Sites Are Using U.S. Hosts

On March 25, a Taliban Web site claiming to be the voice of the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" boasted of a deadly new attack on coalition forces in that country. Four soldiers were killed in an ambush, the site claimed, and the "mujahideen took the weapons and ammunition as booty."

Most remarkable about the message was how it was delivered. The words were the Taliban's, but they were flashed around the globe by an American-owned firm located in a leafy corner of downtown Houston.

I wonder if we could use this information to change their sites and disrupt their activities? I wonder if they could trace the IP address to a physical address? I wonder....yeah, the guys in spooky suits probably have figured that all out.

History Channel host finds cash on Montana street

MISSOULA, Mont. – Actor R. Lee Ermey is living up to the Marine Corps' mantra: "A Few Good Men."

The former Marine drill instructor and host of The History Channel's "Mail Call" was in Missoula on Monday to film a segment for his upcoming series, "Locked and Loaded," when he said he found some cash. A lot of cash.

Ermey stopped the car and picked up the bag, which contained cash and checks that looked like they were meant for deposit in a Native American fund.

Ermey told the Missoulian newspaper he thought: "Some poor guy right now is probably getting fired, probably having the worst day of his life. So what we did was we went right down to the Wells Fargo bank and deposited it for him."

Doing right never ends. Its all about character and doing the right thing.

Yar, US warship arrives as pirates' options dwindle

NAIROBI, Kenya – A U.S. destroyer kept watch Thursday on a drifting lifeboat where Somali pirates were holding an American ship captain hostage, a day after bandits hijacked a U.S.-flagged vessel for several hours before 20 crew members overpowered them.

The pirates took Capt. Richard Phillips as a hostage as they escaped the Maersk Alabama into a lifeboat in the first such attack on American sailors in around 200 years. Negotiations were believed to be under way, a relative of the captain said, but it was not clear who was conducting them.

Bully for the crew to retake the ship. Shipping companies have begun training their crews in small arms, preparing them for the inevitable pirate attacks. It still surprises me that pirates can even get on the ships in the first place.

That's some fine police work there Lou

A MELBOURNE father's speedy rescue of his two kidnapped sons has embarrassed Swedish police, who struggled with the case for six months.

Armed with just a pair of binoculars and a rental car, it took the dad only one week to find his missing sons, aged 11 and ten, in Sweden.

"It is a genuine failing mark to the work of the police," columnist Lars Lindstrom wrote in the Swedish newspaper Expressen.

Sometimes I wonder about police and how they do the difficult job they aspire to do. I've watched them take statements from people and totally miss what would to me seem to be the most important parts.

Oklahomans dominate ACM awards

Carrie Underwood's dress almost stole the singer's own thunder for her Entertainer of the Year win at Sunday's Academy of Country Music awards in Las Vegas.

The country music awards show has only given its most coveted award to a woman six times previously. But her dress during her performance "I Told You So" made a bigger splash -- the dark red strapless dress practically billowed across the set and threatened to swamp the MGM Grand.

Rascal Flatts, took home the award for top vocal group for the seventh year in a row.

We love our Country and our Western music here in Oklahoma. That is a nice dress.

2008* ? Seriously?

Red Dirt Kings broke this story in February. And after yesterday's hub bub about the asterisk the athletic department is taking the banner down. (Read that as: moving it to somewhere media doesn't have access)

The celebrated asterisk banner is coming down
Posted by ESPN.com's Tim Griffin

I just received word from Texas assistant athletic director for media relations John Bianco that the school plans to remove a display in the team room inside the Moncrief-Neuhaus training facility that credited the school with a Big 12 title -- with an asterisk -- from last season.

Oklahoma nosed out the Longhorns on a controversial tiebreaker to qualify for the championship game, despite losing to Texas during the regular season. The Sooners then won an unprecedented third straight championship by beating Missouri -- a victory that was acknowledged everywhere except maybe in the Texas team room.

You can read about the douchebaggery here at Red Dirt Kings.

So they got caught and the embarrassment was too much for them.

The gist of the posts show a general mood of embarrassment. Could you seriously believe you won a trophy or award that you clearly didn't win? And don't give me that it was a joke/there to motivate the players for next year crap either. Do they have their players lining up to drink the Kool-aid or what?

UPDATE:
Texas staff are getting bonuses as if they had won the Big 12 Championship.