Frenship Coach Brad Davis, Littlefield Coah Bryan Huseman and Estacado Coach Danny Servance Talk High School Football on Sportsline [AUDIO]

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Coaches from three high schools in the Lubbock area called into Jack Dale?s Sportsline with Steve Dale, hosted by Kelly Robinson and George Watson to discuss the upcoming football season.

The first coach to join the show was Frenship coach Brad Davis, who spoke with Kelly and George about their situation coming into the season and what their expectations for the next season will be. Coach Davis discussed the losses from the previous season, and how they will be affected by the redistricting that happened in the off season. Davis also discussed the possibility of a 6a program, and how that would change high school football for the better.? Listen to the entire interview below.

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Next up was Littlefield coach Brian Huseman. Kelly and George discussed the upcoming season with coach Huseman, who talked about preseason conditioning, and how tough Littlefield?s schedule will be in the upcoming year. Coach Huseman also talked about the rivalry between Littlefield and Muleshoe. The discussion then changed to Littlefield?s incoming class, and how good he feels about his team this season. Listen to the entire interview below.

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Finally, Estacado head coach Danny Servance joined Kelly and George to discuss Estacado?s upcoming season, and how much work they will have to do to replace last years team. Coach Servance discussed is offense and defense for the upcoming season, as well as what they are doing to prepare for the upcoming season. Listen to the interview below.

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Source: http://1340thefan.com/frienship-coach-brad-davis-littlefield-coah-bryan-huseman-and-estacado-coach-danny-servance-talk-high-school-football-on-sportsline-audio/

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Pakistan's Texas-sized problems

Despite the some cultural overlaps, the American and Pakistani paths are parting ways.

By Scott Baldauf,?Staff writer / June 28, 2012

A Pashtun boy stands at the window of his family's mud house, looking at children playing nearby on the outskirts of Peshawar, Pakistan, last week.

Fayaz Aziz/Reuters

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Years ago, before Sept. 11, when I first started traveling in South Asia, a Pakistani diplomat gave me a quick tutorial about how his people, Pashtuns, were not so very different from my own people, Texans.

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We both follow conservative religions, although not so closely as we like others to believe, said the diplomat, delicately cutting into a plate of enchiladas at a Tex-Mex joint in Washington. Like Texans, we love our guns. We have very traditional beliefs about marriage and the role of women in society. We love barbecued meat. We distrust government, and hate paying taxes. We?re not as different as you might think.

As intriguing as this Pashtuns-are-Texans theory is, it is clear that the differences between the United States (which includes Texas, for the time being) and Pakistan (which includes many ethnic Pashtuns, for the time being) have become vast. US military airstrikes, aimed at Islamist militants but also killing civilians and even Pakistani soldiers, have turned many Pakistanis against what they see as a ?great Satan.? Pakistani tolerance of, and even support for, Islamist militant groups on Pakistani soil has pushed many US military commanders to conclude that Pakistan is, in effect, more an enemy than an ally. According to Christine Fair in this week?s Foreign Policy magazine, some are contemplating a new approach: either containment, or benign neglect.

At present, Pakistan no longer allows the US military or the NATO alliance to use its ports or roads to resupply NATO troops based in Afghanistan. And with US elections approaching, and Pakistan?s government increasingly fragile, it is hard to see how the two countries can bridge the gap.

Pakistani public opinion has turned sharply against the United States, with a recent Pew Research poll showing that 74 percent regard America to be an enemy, up from 69 percent in 2011, and 64 percent three years ago.

Recent headlines indicate that things are not getting better, but rather worse.

* In her?Foreign Policy piece, Ms. Fair suggests that US military are close to giving up on its tactical alliance with Pakistan. As Fair writes, Pakistan is in such a state of crisis, it couldn?t change course even if it wanted to do so.

Pakistan is in crisis. Its courts act on whim rather than jurisprudence. Its political parties are vast pools of corrupt patronage networks that aggregate elite interests while disregarding the interests of Pakistan's struggling masses. Neither elected politicians nor military rulers have had the political courage to right the nation's fiscal woes by enforcing income tax or imposing industrial and agricultural taxes on the ruling elites and their networks of influence. While the army has retrenched from a direct role in politics, it has done so likely because it has no other option: Pakistan's military suffered a mighty humiliation after the bin Laden raid, which left many citizens wondering whether their country is a failed state, a rogue state, or both.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/mc3y_ZT5GU8/Pakistan-s-Texas-sized-problems

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Congress poised to act on highways, student loans (The Arizona Republic)

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Yemenis say al Qaeda gave town security, at a cost

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Egypt elections: Muslim Brotherhood in a fight for survival

The Muslim Brotherhood has a lot to lose if the group's candidate?fails to win Egypt's presidential elections runoff. Turnout appears?light on the second day of voting.

By Kristen Chick,?Correspondent / June 17, 2012

The Muslim Brotherhood movement in Egypt is fighting for political?survival against the country's military rulers, resisting the?military's attempts to dissolve the parliament and urging voters to?back the Brotherhood's man for president on this second day of voting.

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Relatively few Egyptians appear to be turning out to cast ballots as?the Brotherhood?s presidential candidate, Mohamed Morsi, faces former?military man Ahmed Shafiq in a race that has high stakes for the?Brotherhood. If Mr. Shafiq wins, many in the once-banned organization?fear a return to the days of ousted President Hosni Mubarak, when?Brotherhood members were often arrested in their homes and detained?for years.

The Brotherhood?s Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) said in a statement?Saturday evening that the military has no right to order the?dissolution of parliament, and such a decision can only come through a?national referendum. The statement is a challenge to the Supreme?Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF), the military generals ruling?Egypt, who said a Thursday court ruling means the parliament is null.?The generals have sent soldiers to the assembly building who are?refusing to allow members of parliament to enter.

?The constant threat to dissolve a parliament elected by the will of?30 million Egyptians confirms the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces??desire for a total power grab against the popular will,? said the FJP?in a statement that called the ruling a ?blatant attack on the great?Egyptian revolution.?

The SCAF?s decision is based on a ruling by Egypt?s Supreme?Constitutional Court Thursday that the law governing the parliamentary?elections, which ended in January, erred when it allowed parties to?contest the seats reserved for independents.

Coming after months of threats of parliament dissolution by the?SCAF-appointed government to the Brotherhood,?and from a court full of Mubarak-appointed justices, the ruling is?seen by many in Egypt as politicized. It has increased the power of?the military, and hurt the Brotherhood, whose party held about half?the seats in parliament and had used that position to secure a solid?hold on a committee elected to write Egypt?s new constitution. The?military has now indicated it will appoint a new constitutional?committee.

With both of these footholds gone, the Brotherhood is hoping for an?electoral victory by Dr. Morsi.?

Brotherhood could face court freeze

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Vodafone gets green light to buy Cable & Wireless, goes on a high-fiber diet

Vodafone has succeeded in its attempt to buy Cable & Wireless in a bid to become the UK's second largest telecoms company. The £1.04 billion ($1.6 billion) purchase had been at risk thanks to a C&W shareholder rebellion, but will will now go ahead barring regulatory approval. Big Red will take control of undersea cables that connect global telephone lines, a booming business division and a national fiber-optic network, which it'll use to boost its mobile data service -- sad news for anyone hoping the company would offer triple-play services on all that shiny fiber.

Vodafone gets green light to buy Cable & Wireless, goes on a high-fiber diet originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 16:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ambrose takes Sprint Cup pole at over 203 mph

Marcos Ambrose, of Australia, drives to secure the pole position during qualifying for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 auto race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., Saturday, June 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Luke Brodbeck)

Marcos Ambrose, of Australia, drives to secure the pole position during qualifying for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 auto race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., Saturday, June 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Luke Brodbeck)

Driver Marcos Ambrose, of Australia, poses with the pole sitter flag after qualifying for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 auto race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., Saturday, June 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Bob Brodbeck)

Driver Martin Truex Jr., waits in the pit area before qualifying for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 auto race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., Saturday, June 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Drivers Trevor Bayne, left, and Tony Stewart talk in the pit area before qualifying for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quicken Loans 400 auto race at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., Saturday, June 16, 2012. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

BROOKLYN, Mich. (AP) ? The last time anyone was this fast in qualifying in NASCAR's top series, Richard Petty was still driving.

He's an owner now, but when Marcos Ambrose won the Sprint Cup pole at Michigan International Speedway on Saturday for Richard Petty Motorsports, the Hall of Famer was on hand to put the accomplishment in perspective. Ambrose posted a speed of 203.241 mph, the first time since 1987 the 200 mph mark was broken during Sprint Cup qualifying.

"I can't hardly remember that far back," Petty said. "To be able to do it on a flatter race track, not Daytona or Talladega, that is unheard of."

Ambrose made his first Sprint Cup pole a memorable one on a day 19 drivers surpassed 200 mph on the newly paved surface at MIS. Speeds have been soaring since drivers began testing sessions, and NASCAR decided to alter the left-side tires for the race Sunday. The cars slowed down significantly at a practice session after the switch, but the change didn't affect qualifying.

The last pole winner to break 200 mph in this series was Bill Elliott, a quarter-century ago at Talladega. Ambrose had the 11th-fastest pole-winning speed in series history.

"It's going to sound great at the bar when you have had about six too many," Ambrose cracked. "It is good bragging rights, I will give it that."

Ryan Newman's track qualifying record of 194.232 mph went by the wayside almost immediately. In fact, 40 drivers broke the mark, set in 2005.

Petty won a pole at MIS in 1972 ? at 157.607 mph.

"When they redid the track and came up here testing and said they were running over 200 mph it was blowing my mind," Petty said. "I think the last time we even flirted with that was when they redid Atlanta and we ran 198 or 199 mph. We knew it was going to be quick but I think it was a whole lot quicker than what we thought and definitely quicker than what Goodyear was thinking."

Goodyear changed its tire recommendation Friday night, saying the high speeds caused increased left-side tire temperatures. Drivers were routinely exceeding 200 mph in practice, with Greg Biffle topping out with a lap of over 204 on Friday.

On Saturday night, after the tire switch, the top speed at practice was 195.647, by Biffle.

"The tire is very different. It hasn't got much grip," Ambrose said after the extra practice session. "I think we did enough stuff during practice to get a feel for what we need."

Kevin Harvick was second in qualifying. Biffle was third.

"I am extremely happy with where I qualified. I just go into turn one and bump Marcos out of the way," Biffle said. "No, I am extremely happy, I just don't know about this tire that we are going to."

Carl Edwards had other problems besides the new tires. He'll start from the back after abandoning his qualifying run.

"I think it is a fuel issue," Edwards said. "It almost feels like there is an air leak or something in the pickup for the fuel. It is running, but it acts like it is running out of fuel. I wanted to run this lap so badly. ... I wanted to be the fastest guy in NASCAR for the last 25 years."

Points leader Matt Kenseth qualified sixth. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 17th, and Kurt Busch was 26th in his return from a one-week suspension for verbally abusing a media member.

Ambrose, the Australian who has one win in 133 Sprint Cup starts, entered the record books in his No. 9 Ford, but the biggest theme this week hasn't been the drivers, but rather the track itself. It was repaved in the offseason, and Ambrose joined Elliott, Benny Parsons and Cale Yarborough as the only drivers to win a pole at over 200 mph.

How fast is too fast? Ambrose didn't seem to be worrying about it.

"We're racecar drivers. That's what we do," Ambrose said. "We're going to get on the starting line, we're going to put the pedal to the metal, and we're going to go."

Associated Press

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Swiss voters say no to yet more referendums

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Iran, 6 powers both need success at nuclear talks

MOSCOW (AP) ? Iran and six world powers resume nuclear talks Monday no closer to progress than in previous rounds, and with the clock ticking on international diplomatic efforts to persuade Tehran to curb activities that could be used to make atomic arms.

Diplomats from several nations meeting with Iran in Moscow depict the talks as crucial. They say it will likely be the last in a series and that, if negotiators fail to make headway in persuading Tehran to stop higher-grade uranium enrichment, it's unclear if or when new talks would occur.

Iran insists all of its nuclear activities are peaceful. It denies interest in the nuclear weapons application of uranium enrichment, insisting it wants to make only reactor fuel and medical isotopes.

While Iran wants the other side to recognize its right to enrich and blink first by easing sanctions, the six say the onus is on Tehran to show it is ready to compromise. Such a stalemate makes the chances of substantial progress unlikely in Moscow.

The United States and its Western allies routinely warn that time is running out for a diplomatic solution to the standoff. But this time such warnings carry more weight than before both for Iran and its negotiating partners ? the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.

Iran would be most immediately hurt by a lack of progress in Moscow followed by a long hiatus in new negotiations.

In addition to longer-term U.N. and other sanctions, Tehran is now being squeezed by a widening international embargo on its oil sales, which make up more than 90 percent of its foreign currency earnings. It desperately needs those sanctions lifted, but the six say it needs to make the first move on cutting back on uranium enrichment.

The White House also stands to lose.

Failed talks at Moscow with no immediate prospect of new meetings would almost certainly expose President Barack Obama to criticism of weakness in dealing with Iran from Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney ? and from Israel, which has threatened to attack the Islamic Republic's nuclear installations should diplomacy fail.

It is unclear if the Jewish state would actually make good on such a threat and, if so, when. But any military move would likely draw in the U.S., widen the conflict through much of the Mideast and further hobble countries already in economic tailspin by driving oil prices sky-high.

All that should be avoidable, considering that each side is keenly interested in what the other has to offer.

Western nations in particular are eager for Iran to stop enriching uranium at a level just a few steps from weapons-grade material.

Western nations also want Fordo, the underground Iranian facility where most of this enrichment is taking place, shut down and Iran to ship out its higher-grade stockpile. Fordo is of special concern because it might be impervious to air attacks ? a possible last-resort response to any Iranian bomb in the making.

Iran, in turn, wants sanctions lifted, particularly those eroding its oil sales.

Sanctions levied by the U.S. have already cut significantly into exports of Iranian crude ? from about 2.5 million barrels a day last year to between 1.2 and 1.8 million barrels now, according to estimates by U.S. officials. A European Union embargo on Iranian crude that starts July 1 will tighten the squeeze.

Iran denies it is hurting from the oil penalties, but in India last week, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said the sanctions are "sending a decisive message to Iran's leaders."

"Until they take concrete actions to satisfy the concerns of the international community, they will continue to face increasing isolation and pressure," she said.

Like canny chess players unwilling to expose their king, both sides have been waiting for the other to make the first move. But too long a wait could translate into opportunity missed.

"Having accumulated precious assets that bolstered their hand in negotiations, both parties are now loath to use the leverage they sacrificed so much to acquire," the Brussels-based International Crisis Group said of the standoff.

The West insists that Iran is in the wrong by continuing to enrich uranium despite U.N. Security Council demands it stop doing so. Iran says its right to do so for peaceful use is enshrined in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty.

Repeating Iran's mantra, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, a senior Iranian cleric, said curbing uranium enrichment was not on the table.

"The Iranian nation has withstood years of Western pressure and sanctions for the realization of its nuclear energy rights and it will not give them up now," state TV quoted him as saying during Friday prayers in Tehran.

Others are more conciliatory, reflecting the many and ever-changing voices of Iran on the nuclear issue.

The talks are being convened by EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, and diplomats say Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili told her Monday that Iran was ready to discuss enrichment in Moscow. On Saturday, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine that his country is ready for "a positive step if the other side also takes steps."

But the problem of who takes the first step remains ? along with whether that will be big enough to be followed by others.

The six are coming to Moscow prepared to ease restrictions on airplane parts for Iran's outmoded, mostly U.S.-produced civilian fleet and are offering technical help with aspects of Iran's nuclear program that cannot be used for military purposes.

While not budging on lifting existing sanctions or those already decided upon, diplomats familiar with the talks told The Associated Press the six are also prepared to guarantee that no new U.N. penalties will be enacted if Tehran shows enough compromise. The diplomats demanded anonymity because that possible offer has not yet been formally made.

Washington has warned Tehran of the alternatives should it not be willing to meet the six powers' demands.

"The window for diplomacy is not indefinite," a senior U.S administration official told AP. "There is tremendous international unity and (oil) sanctions will continue to ratchet up come the beginning of July when our bilateral ones and the EU's come into full force.

"So, these, too, can serve to affect Iran's calculus and make them willing to finally meet its international obligations. The onus is on Iran to take concrete steps or it will face mounting pressure and isolation."

But the proposals from the six that already are on the table fall short of what Iran says it seeks, at least publicly ? a move to ease pressure now by easing existing or looming sanctions.

"Temporary suspension of 20 percent enrichment in return for plane spare parts is like swapping gold for chocolate. It's a joke," said Esmaiel Kowsari, a member of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission who often speaks on the nuclear issue.

"Effectively, the West wants Iran to surrender in Moscow. That will never happen."

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Associated Press writers Bradley Klapper in Washington and Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed.

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