Give engineering students a workshop to develop innovative vehicles and they are happy. Give them a race track to try out their creations and they are ecstatic. Give them natural gas for fuel and they become world record breakers. Oklahoma State University racing enthusiasts set a record by running their natural gas-fueled formula race car 328 laps in a 24-hour period at Hallett Motor Racing Circuit outside of Stillwater.
See how they did it in this week’s video blog.
Andy Barth
Saturday morning Mick and I were up early preparing food for the Bedlam tailgating festivities. We decided a grocery store run was inevitable and made plans to go together, thus dividing and conquering the massive WalMart Super Store. I was finishing up something in the kitchen when Mick walked in and looked at me. He said, “Kelly. Something bad happened. Do want to see this?” He hesitated. “I’m not sure you want to see this.”
His face conveyed the kind of message sent when a pet dies, or one of our children has broken a bone. So then I hesitated. “What happened?” I asked.
“A litle bird somehow flew into our garage and got stuck in one of the glue traps. It’s really, really stuck,” he responded.
“Well, let’s see if we can somehow free it before we think about other options.” I was thinking out loud. I knew it would be frightened, so I grabbed a tea towel, a pair of kitchen shears and headed to the garage. I was just thinking that when you want to lead a horse somewhere, sometimes you cover it’s eyes. Maybe cutting out any outside distractions would help it stay more calm. I wasn’t thinking that the tea towel would ALSO get stuck in the trap.
Continue reading Throwback Post: A Butterfly Effect Redux: Birds, Humans and Relationships
Dear friends ~ ten days in brand new territory is enough to fill up several photo and video memory cards. And, no matter how much I try, I’ll not really be able to tell the whole story of how my trip touched my heart. There is much to follow up with, and much to think about over the next months and year. However, I hope this video provides some sort of window into our time in Beijing and Guiyang.
This week will be a good one at the RDC ~ we’ve got our Tall Tales to publish from our readers, new content from several of our writers, and some happy news to share soon. I look forward to having a good one, and hope you do too…
Love,
[kelly]
A LINE IN THE SAND . . . I BELIEVE
One of my favorite movies as a child was The Alamo. I remember this Hollywood version of Texas history very well. I don’t think historical accuracy was a major goal of the director, John Wayne, who also starred as Col. Davy Crockett. I remember watching Santa Anna’s Mexican army sweep into the Alamo and there was big John Wayne, swinging his Kentucky long-rifle, gallantly fighting to the last.
Before the final and climatic battle there was a romantic scene. I’m talking about girls and kissing and yucky stuff that eight year boys can’t stand. I’m talking about ‘kid romantic’; I’m referring to a kid who loved Daniel Boone, Superman, and six-shooters.
The Most Romantic Scene: The ‘Texacans’ and other Americans were gathered inside the walls of the Alamo. Col. William Travis (Laurence Harvey) stood before them and explained the situation looked bad, real bad. They were tremendously outnumbered (7,000 to 185) and no help was on the way. Colonel William Travis is hoping to give Houston the time he needs to pull his forces together.
Travis speaks to the men who have been defending the Alamo. He tells them there will be no shame if anybody wants to leave.
Richard Widmark, a real Hollywood tough guy plays the role of Sam Bowie. For some reason lies on a blanket unable to stand. In the most remarkable and indelibly imprinted movie scene of this eight year old had ever seen, Col. Travis draws a line in the sand. If you cross that line in the sand, you are saying you’ll stay no matter what. Nobody moved.
Then, Sam Bowie, laid out on a blanket says, “Carry me over boys,” or something like that. Then all the other Alamo defenders step over the line. I’ll never forget the image of that line in the sand.
WHAT’S YOUR LINE IN THE SAND?
I looked it up. Continue reading A Line in the Sand
My father was a devout man, but far from pious. He had no use for those that sang their hosannas on Sunday and, come Monday, showed little regard for their fellow man. If you are familiar with the scriptures he was a Jamesian, believing “Faith without works is dead” and lived his life accordingly.
When I met the gentleman in this week’s video blog, he reminded of my Dad. We never discussed doctrine or my father, but I came away from the story with an admiration of someone who despite a hectic schedule gives himself to others in their times of greatest need.
I enjoyed doing my story on the paramedic preacher; I hope you enjoy watching it.
~Rob McClendon