I never imagined that a squirrel would provide some valuable life lessons. That’s certainly what I thought - until one fateful day not that long ago.
Wilber was his name. Wilber the squirrel. In all reality, he probably wasn’t called Wilber in the animal kingdom. I am sure he was nameless in the squirrel world, until he received the moniker from me.
Wilber and I would have not had any reason to meet. Wilber’s world hadn’t crossed mine - until he fell out of a tree. I am sure it’s not that rare for a squirrel to fall out of a tree, land on it’s feet, and scurry off to new adventures. But as I soon found out, he was a baby squirrel, and I don’t think he’d fully understood the concept of how to jump and fall safely. I found him in the yard, obviously scared and unable to move his hind legs. He was barely the size of my palm.
It was a Sunday morning, and a quick online search revealed a contact email for Wildlife Rescue. Email sent. Waiting. Waiting. More waiting.
It’s been three long weeks since the last time I posted anything about the beloved Longhorns. They had a rather challenging road trip – first to Missouri, and then off to Oklahoma State for what was supposed to be the biggest remaining hurdle in the Longhorns’ schedule. So what happened? It was pretty simple - great defense, consistently inconsistent offensive play calling (Greg Davis at his “finest”), a non-existent running game, and a jump back up to number 2 in the BCS. Two solid victories, though it can be debated how convincing they really were. But at the end of it all they now own the state of Oklahoma for 2009, having beaten both Oh-Who? and OhEss-Who?. Today saw the Horns take on Central Florida. It is a strange oddity to have a non-conference game in November. Although it was a 35 – 3 Longhorns victory, always a good thing in the Longhorn Nation, it left a very bitter taste in my mouth.
It all started back in 1983 in Kingston, Canada – and after 12 albums and 26 years of playing together, it is readily apparent to me: the Hip have still got it.
It’s fair to say that the Tragically Hip are relatively unknown in the US, though they are one of the greatest Canadian bands to grace the planet. In Canada, it’s an afterthought that they sell out stadiums and open air venues within hours of tickets going on sale. But the “Live Music Capital of the World”, Austin, has always had a connection with Das Hips.
I’ve been fortunate to watch their growth and evolution over the years. They were students at Queen’s University when I was doing my undergrad degree there. The early days had them playing on campus at Alfie’s and off-campus at places like The Manor. In 1987 they recorded their first EP, and I distinctly remember the talk on campus that the Hip were doing a video for their first single (I think it was “Small Town Bringdown”) at the Manor, so everyone should show up. They were a good cover band, and the first inklings of their own material were solid. The Hip were the real deal in Kingston. Ahhh I remember those days well.
Moving to Austin in 1990, I got to see them in some very small clubs, something that was unheard-of for them in Canada. Friends used to lament that I was able to see them in a small venue, and they couldn’t get tickets to see them anywhere in Canada. I was able to see them at classic venues like Liberty Lunch. One of the most notable was the show at the Lunch in which they were in town to do a live test of upcoming material. Austin has been one of the few US cities that really “get” the Hip.
Sure, this may have been in jest. But, consider for a moment what it says if it wasn’t in jest.
Tom and Ray Magliozzi write a column (and have written a book) called "Car Talk" which is syndicated nationally. They answer reader questions related to automotive issues and news, and also have a podcast. In a recent column, there was an interesting letter from a physician, the full text of which can be found here.
“You mentioned in a recent column that ethylene glycol (antifreeze) is toxic to animals. Is it also toxic to humans? I'm a doctor, and I prescribe a medicine for my patients that cleans out their colon called Go-Lytely (which makes a person do anything but go lightly). The main ingredient in Go-Lytely is polyethylene glycol, which sounds an awful lot like ethylene glycol, or antifreeze. So, when I prescribe Go-Lytely to prepare my patients for a colonoscopy, am I really prescribing antifreeze? If so, could I just tell my patients to down a gallon of Prestone and save themselves a trip to the pharmacy? – Dan
Let’s just say that I really, really hope, that this wasn’t an actual reader question.
The rules of sport are put into place for a reason. They are usually implemented for safety, or to decrease the liability of the event director and sanctioning body. They may be instituted to create a level playing field for all competitors. Rules are generally not made to be broken. And yes, rules ARE made to be enforced.
Perhaps this post should be entitled “An Open Letter to USA Triathlon” … or the World Triathlon Corporation, or to all of the triathletes out there that are doing events sanctioned by these bodies. Suffice it to say that in the races that I have either participated in or have viewed as a spectator, there have been plenty of instances of people “breaking the rules”. It’s not just the pros. And it’s not getting better with more and more participants in the sport – if anything, I think it’s getting worse.
The basic premise of triathlon is simple – complete the course under your own power, and without any external assistance. It’s the thrill of the competition, and the challenge that we face within ourselves. Sadly, this can get lost in the mix.
Winning ugly.
It’s true that no matter how you cut it, a win is a win. The score could be 1 – 0 or 50 – 0. Either way, it’s a win.
The Longhorns have somehow managed to find a way to go 6 – 0 this season. Yesterday, they managed to find a way to struggle past the Sooners 16 - 13. Once again, they didn’t arrive to really play until the second half. Maybe they got stuck at the fried butter booth. Or perhaps it was too many pre-game funnel cakes? Or maybe they were just a little awestruck to be in the presence of Big Tex?
Mack Brown and Colt McCoy both made post-game comments to the effect of “we’ve not played our best game yet”. The problem is, one of these days, the ”not-showing-up-until-the-second-half” syndrome is going to bite them in the butt. And then, it won’t matter if they still haven’t played their best game because the season will, for all intents and purposes, be over. Thirty minutes of football isn’t going to get it done, more often than not.
Why would a one loss team be out of the equation, especially with the current season being as unpredictable as it’s been?
It’s been a while since I posted anything about the Horns. Why? I have been waiting to assess the fall-out after the Wyoming game. We’re now 5 – 0 and are heading to Dallas for the showdown with Oklahoma. Everyone thought that this weekend’s match-up would be a battle of top 5 teams, and, well, only one top 5 team is heading to the State Fair this weekend. Sorry, Sooners.
After Wyoming, we faced Texas Tech. 2008. Enough said. This time around, the game shouldn’t have been close – but it was. Quarterback Taylor Potts was simply - amazing. Another diamond that has been mined by coach Mike Leach. What is even more amazing is that since then, Potts sustained a concussion and Leach brought in third string QB Steven Sheffield – who threw for 490 yards in his first start. It’s time to start investigating “quarterback performance enhancement” out in Lubbock, because somehow Leach is a genius when it comes to finding quarterbacks that can throw the ball. Wow. But nonetheless, the Tech game wasn’t a game the Longhorns were going to lose. Reason? Once again – 2008. It might have been close, but there were too many people that couldn’t forget the sting of 2008 and had to exorcise it from memory.
Mission accomplished.
Up to 60% of runners will sustain an injury within any given year. Poor running mechanics, in conjunction with poor, ineffective and outdated training methods, can pose a significant injury risk. "RunSmart" was written to address these issues in the running community.
"Running Injuries: Etiology And Recovery- Based Treatment" (co-author Bridget Clark, PT) appears in the third edition and fourth editions of "Clinical Orthopaedic Rehabilitation: A Team Approach" by Charles Giangarra, MD and Robert C. Manske, PT.
Allan Besselink, PT, DPT, Ph.D., Dip.MDT has a unique voice in the world of sports, education, and health care. Read more about Allan here.
Top 5 finalist in three categories: "Best Overall Blog", "Best PT Blog" and "Best Advocacy Blog".
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