Where are the Cops?

I mentioned earlier I went up to Columbia yesterday for the Mizzou football game. One thing that hasn't changed even with people more aware of fuel prices and energy consumption is the blatant dis-respect for the speed limit on Interstate highways.

I set my cruise on 70 both ways and with the exception of a few tractor trailers I was passed by everyone. And the worst offenders seem to be the owners of BMWs, Mercedes and Cadillac SUVS, Hummers and other gas hogs.

Why am I and others who drive the speed limit or drive smaller cars or hybrids trying to conserve energy while these hogs do as they please? I think it's time for the state to get serious about fining those people who speed along in these monster vehicles. Maybe if the state used a multiplier on speeding tickets like it does using horsepower for license renewal it might slow some people down. And, I don't mean an $80 or $100 ticket. I mean $250-$300 speeding tickets. And while the law is being changed let's double the points on everyone for speeding. That would send a message. It's time to get serious.

But, it won't happen because many of the lawyers who write the laws own the gas guzzlers and won't want to deal with it.

Sign Poll...Update

A couple of weeks ago I wrote that based on campaign yard signs Barack Obama was well ahead of John McCain in my neighborhood or at least along the routes I walk. But, the gap has narrowed. I have seen a lot more signs put up by McCain backers in the last week or so. There are still more Obama signs, but it is a lot closer with just nine days until election day.

A Rebound Game

Mizzou bounced back last night shutting down the Colorado Buffaloes 58-0. It was a great evening to be outside watching the Tigers and the house was sold out.

To say the Buffaloes are a bad team is an understatement. But, Mizzou played it's best game since Nebraska three weeks ago. Chase Coffman was outstanding and set the NCAA record for most catches in a career by a tight end. (And he has four and up to as many as six games left in his career in Columbia). Coffman made one of the most remarkable catches I have ever seen in the first quarter at the back of the end zone to start the Tigers' scoring onslaught. Then in the second quarter he leaped over a Colorado defender to tack on another ten yards on a play that was already a first down.

The Defense looked good, but still has some issues to work out if it has hopes of going to a good bowl game. All in all a great night to be outside in mid Missouri celebrating homecoming with 68,000 of my "closest friends".

...and Beaten Up by the Longhorns

It wasn't much fun Saturday night to watch the Tigers get their butts kicked by a powerful Texas Longhorn football team. There's no need to revisit the score. I just hope that the country didn't tune out before the second half, because Mizzou's offense finally got un-tracked. Still Texas was by far the better team and their foot speed stopped the Missouri spread offense just as it did the Oklahoma offense.

Oh well, I guess I wont be going to a BCS game in January.

Whooped by the Cowboys

I've written at length about my beloved Missouri Tigers. And you would be correct to say I have done my share of bragging on them. Well last night, they got beaten a better team. Oklahoma State came into Columbia as a double digit underdog and stuffed Mizzou's high power offense 28-23. The Cowboys forced three Chase Daniel interceptions in the second half and allowed the Tigers to convert only two of nine third downs all evening. With the loss the Tigers fall to 5-1 and number 11 in the AP poll.

Oklahoma State is very good and may be good enough to win the Big XII conference. I hope the Tigers can win the North division and play the Cowboys again the first weekend of December.

The Tigers now prepare for the newly #1 ranked Texas Longhorns this Saturday in Austin. Texas got there by knocking off the former number one Oklahoma Sooners in the "Red River Rivalry" game yesterday afternoon 45-35.