Possible move to Norman. Will it work? (Tulsa, Moore: house, tornado)
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Actually, I asked my original question about spiders to get an idea of what to expect if I ended up at OU. I'll admit that the idea of sneaky little things that can harm you without your even knowing they're there ready to harm you makes my skin crawl, whether it's creepy little bugs or creepy little people, but nothing I've read here about spiders is going to keep me away from Norman if OU looks like the right school. I'm not up on my entomology, so I have no idea whether recluses are generally more numerous in rural or wooded areas, or places with moist climates, but I'm sure there must be concentrated populations of them more in some places than others, for whatever reason. It sounds as if they're not generally a major problem in Norman. I'm guessing the suggestions on here to keep your place clean and avoid clutter should keep the problem as much under control as possible in any area.
NYnewbie, when I first saw the NY in your name, I thought maybe you had moved to Norman from NY, but after reading your post I think it looks as if you have moved from Norman to NY. I don't know if this means you've lived in the Northeast in the past, but, being from MA, I'd be interested in hearing from anyone who has moved to OK from an area that's not especially prone to tornadoes, which was the other feature of the environment in Norman which I had asked about originally. Like the spiders, it's not something that's going to stop me from moving somewhere, but it would be good to know what to expect, so I'd appreciate learning of the impressions people had after moving from the east coast, eastern Midwest, west of the Rockies, etc., and then going through their first tornado season in Norman.
Thanks again everyone for all the info. Ultimately, I'll choose a grad school based on the school itself, but it's very helpful to get a picture of a place, and Norman sounds like a really nice place. Also, the people here on the OK forum have been very friendly and helpful. Thanks everyone, and take care.
I am originally from Chicago, which is also prone to tornadoes. Still, I never actually saw one until I lived in Oklahoma. I stood on the balcony of Burton Hall and watched that enormous storm destroy Moore, OK back in 1999.
I don't know what to say other than that you get storms there. Be prepared for them. I never took shelter from a storm while there, but then I wasn't in the line of one. Had I been, I don't know what I would have done because my condo was on the second floor. After seeing what that tornado did to Moore, I know if one hit my complex I would have been very dead.
Still, if I could pick a place to live, Norman would be a fine place. Because I didn't have a child at the time, I didn't pay attention to the quality of the school. Though Norman is relatively more cosmopolitan than the rest of Oklahoma, I can't imagine its public schools being much better than the state average.
The least savory part about Norman was the politics. You are dealing with a very backward state. Sen. Coburn is a nut. I heard rumors that David Boren was made to swear on a bible that he wasn't gay by the state assembly. It is cooky, but then it is the southwest.
I am originally from Chicago, which is also prone to tornadoes. Still, I never actually saw one until I lived in Oklahoma. I stood on the balcony of Burton Hall and watched that enormous storm destroy Moore, OK back in 1999.
I don't know what to say other than that you get storms there. Be prepared for them. I never took shelter from a storm while there, but then I wasn't in the line of one. Had I been, I don't know what I would have done because my condo was on the second floor. After seeing what that tornado did to Moore, I know if one hit my complex I would have been very dead.
Still, if I could pick a place to live, Norman would be a fine place. Because I didn't have a child at the time, I didn't pay attention to the quality of the school. Though Norman is relatively more cosmopolitan than the rest of Oklahoma, I can't imagine its public schools being much better than the state average.
The least savory part about Norman was the politics. You are dealing with a very backward state. Sen. Coburn is a nut. I heard rumors that David Boren was made to swear on a bible that he wasn't gay by the state assembly. It is cooky, but then it is the southwest.
I have a minor in poly sci.... You are very confused n borens policies...Tell me specifics please...i want to know. Because I know everything about Boren...Do you know he actually teaches many classes at OU??? How many university presidents do that?? He is a mod Dem. His resume/careeer is impecable. He brings prestige to OU. By far one of the best U presidents to be in office. CIA...Govenor..Sen. Think for a second about that please!!
On another note...I am a REAL OKE I have seen storms and more....Many of the so called TWISTERS do not touchdown..only the OU football team does!! I have weathered storms for over 30 years...What have you weathered??
Moore.... Is that the crazy example that everyone should be scared of when they get to OKie homa?? NO. Many storms do not touchdown...You were really here at a bad time. Period. This is no BS. You were freaked because of Moores freakish tornadoes. There is a higher chance of being hit by a hurricane in Florida than a twista in Okie town. The odds weigh against the typical tornado. So what I say is flee florida while you can... Flee...Flee...
Lets also think about the politics of Florida or NY or Cali?..Come on they all have their problems...What political office doesnt....
You will regret the idea of not moving to norman for school because of tornadoes...Im laughing over here...please someone give me another after OU beat the**** out of Tulsa...LOL.
Last edited by happytown; 09-21-2007 at 11:03 PM..
Related Pages:
Boren is given The University of Oklahoma, 1995
David L. Boren inherits the Governorship...
Boren Articles from The Oklahoman
David Boren Biography
David Lyle Boren - Overview
Boren, David Lyle (b. 1941), David L. Boren was appointed as the thirteenth President of the University of Oklahoma. He is widely respected for his distinguished political career as a reformer of the American political system.
Boren served as Governor of Oklahoma from 1975-1979. As governor, he promoted key educational initiatives which have had an enduring impact on Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, the Scholarship-Leadership Enrichment Program, and the Oklahoma Physicians Manpower Training Program, which provides scholarships for medical professionals who agree to practice in underserved rural areas.
As United States Senator from Oklahoma (1979-1994), Boren served on the Senate Finance and Agriculture Committees and was also the longest-serving chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. For more than ten years, he led the fight for congressional campaign finance reform. Among his important accomplishments, he is author of the National Security Education Act of 1992 which established the National Security Education Program.
Boren is a graduate of Yale University (1963). He was given a Rhodes Scholar and a master’s degree in politics, philosophy and economics from Oxford University in England (1965). In 1968, he received a law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. He has served since 1998 as a member of the Yale University Board of Trustees. His university experience also includes four years on the faculty of Oklahoma Baptist University, where he was chairman of the Department of Political Science and chairman of the Division of Social Sciences.
Born on April 21, 1941, in Washington D.C.
David Lyle Boren was born on April 21, 1941, in Washington D.C. while his father, Lyle H. Boren (1910-1992), served during one of the most difficult times in American history. Though the challenges of the Great Depression were beginning to lessen, international discord would soon envelope the United States in World War II. Unpredictable in his loyalty to the Democratic Party, Boren actively supported court packing but was passionately against price controls and rationing for the war effort. Despite his sometimes controversial stance on the issues, Boren enjoyed two high points during his first term of office: the beginning of his long friendship with Speaker Sam Rayburn and placement on the Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee. Boren was the father of former U.S. Senator and current University of Oklahoma president David L. Boren.
Swearing on a White Bible
Regarding Boren and the Legislator, there is another event of overwhelming interest. During his first race for federal office the Legislator held a press conference to deny a rumor that he was a closeted homosexual. As any Oklahoman who followed politics in the decade knows, that is exactly what David Boren did in 1978. Taking an oath on a white Bible, he swore that he was straight. Signorile reports that the accusation of the Legislator being homosexual surfaced during the summer. The banner headline "Sex Charge A Lie, Gov. Boren Replies" appeared on the front page of The Daily Oklahoman on August 11, 1978.
The match on the press conference and accusation of homosexuality would be enough to create strong suspicion that the sexually abusive Legislator was indeed Boren. But there is more. The Legislator supported the Supreme Court nomination of both Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas, as did Boren. The Legislator was reported to be a married man with children at the time of the 1978 Senate race. In 1978 Boren was married to his second wife Molly Shi, and had children by a previous marriage.
U.S. Senator David L. Boren
David Lyle Boren has compiled a long and distinguished career as a state legislator, Governor of Oklahoma, and a three-term United States Senator. His achievements as a statesman, political leader, and champion of education have contributed significantly to the quality of life in Oklahoma and throughout the nation.
Senator Boren in the United State Senate's longest-serving chairman of the Select Committee on Intelligence and also ably serves as chairman of the newly-created Subcommittee on Tax Policy in the Senate Finance Committee. His exemplary service to the U.S. agriculture is reflected in his leading role on the Senate Agricultural Committee.
Senator Boren compiled on outstanding legislative record as a member of the Oklahoma House of Representative from 1966 to 1974. He later earned the distinction of being the youngest governor in the nation when he served the State of Oklahoma in the capacity from 1975 to 1979. Widely known as a reformer during his tenure as governor, he instituted such progressive measures as conflict-of-interest rules, campaign financial disclosure, strong open meeting laws, and more competitive bidding on state government contracts.
In 1979 , Senator Boren was recognized by Time magazine as one of America's most promising young leaders; and he also was honored by the United States Jaycees as on to the "Ten Outstanding Young Men in America." In 1988. The almanac of American Politics identified Senator Boren as of the five most effective members of the United States Senate. During that same year, he was inducted into the prestigious Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
A staunch supporter of education, Senator Boren provided leadership in creating the Oklahoma Summer Art Institute for artistically gifted high school students, an innovative Scholar-Leadership Enrichment Program for Oklahoma college Student, and state funding for gifted students at the elementary and secondary levels. In 1985, he established the prestigious Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence, which awards prizes to outstanding public school educators recognizes outstanding high school seniors as Academic All-Staters, and provides assistance to communities forming educational foundations to support local public schools. Senator Boren also has authored legislation to establish a National Foundation for Excellence to help attract outstanding students to the teaching profession.
David Boren for Reform Party
Boren, a conservative Democrat, served as Oklahoma's Governor (1974-78) and US Senator (1978-94) before resigning from the Senate to become President of the University of Oklahoma. As chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, he built a solid record as a military hawk. Boren successfully pushed in the Senate for tax cuts and deregulation of energy prices. He was also a strong supporter of campaign finance reform and never accepted PAC money in any of his Senate races. Despite being married since the mid-1980s, public rumors about Boren's sexuality have dogged him throughout his career -- actually forcing Boren to call a bizarre press conference during his 1978 Senate campaign to swear on a Bible that he was not gay. Perot invited Boren to run in 1996, but Boren declined (telling Perot he had obligations at the University until 2000). Like Perot, Boren also told party activists he would not seek the nomination but would accept a draft nomination in 2000. Beyond that, Boren did little to encourage a draft effort. The above link goes to the dormant Reform Party Committee to Draft David Boren -- which has shown no new activity within the past two years.
"When the rights of free speech and free expression for any members of our community are violated, we are all diminished."
Lyle Boren calls Anita Hill
Lyle Boren is the father of former Senator David Boren, who was the senator from Oklahoma at the time of the hearings, a Democratic senator from Oklahoma. Lyle Boren was a person who was involved in politics in the state and--involved in the Democratic Party in the state. He was also an individual who called me during--immediately following the hearing, made a concerted effort to get in touch with me at the law school, talked to at least one another--other person at the law school, really to express his displeasure at his son's vote in favor of the confirmation of Clarence Thomas.
Now in fairness, I have to say that Senator Boren--or former Senator Boren, now the president of the University of Oklahoma, has disputed that. Or--he says that his father called for another reason. But that is absolutely not true. His father called to say that he was very angry about his son's vote and wanted to offer me any support that he could.
David Boren and Anita Hill
That was at the university at a university social function. I had attempted to try to set up a meeting with him in 1995 to discuss some matters including the Hill professorship that had been getting--had received some--some unfavorable treatment at the university and particularly outside of the university from some politicians. I wanted some assurances that that would not continue under his reign at the university. I tried to set up a meeting with him. He would not set up a meeting with me even though he said he had an open-door policy. And the reasoning that he gave was that he thought that meeting with me might --have a negative impact on conservative legislators as they were determining what the university budget should be.
I did not meet him during the hearings. We made an attempt to call him. The dean of the law school, David Swain, who was the dean of the University of Oklahoma Law School where I worked, and from which Senator Boren had graduated, made a concerted effort to call Senator Boren. None of the calls were returned, so I never spoke with him during the time of the hearing. Interestingly enough, the Republican senator, Don Nickles, did return the phone call and I did speak with him on the telephone.
The Intelligence Community
Another interesting Bonesman is David Lyle Boren, the Senate Democrat from Oklahoma. While he is not an employee of the CIA (some say this is open to question), Boren nevertheless is part of the intelligence community because he is the chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence.
WHO THE HECK BELIEVES THE DAILY OKIE HOMA OR ANY BS PRESS FOR SELLS OF THEIR PAPERS!! He is NOT gay and if say let it BE! Who cares about ones private life...Uhhh..Clinton.
I really can't recall any disaster ever hitting Norman, whether tornado, bad flood, or ice storm. I looked around on the internet but I couldn't find any record of anything in Norman. Anybody else know? Maybe that's why they put the weather center there, so they would be safe.
How often does May 3, 1999 happen. Well, it has been over 8 years and nothing else has happened as far as big tornadoes go. Category 5 tornadoes are rare in the whole United States. Those big tornadoes just do not happen that often, most of them are small, stay up in the sky, and not that dangerous, as long as you take some precautions. The TV news make a really big deal about the weather, but we like the excitement, and you should always keep an eye on the weather, just in case. You should know how to take tornado precautions. Tornadoes happen in Florida and New York as well. Didn't I hear about a tornado in Brooklyn recently?
Well, whatever you feel about David Boren, he has really done a great job as President of OU. OU has more national merit scholars per capita than any other university in the US. The grounds of OU are spectacular. Just because a guy likes flowers does not mean he is gay, and even if he were gay (I don't think he is) then so what.
People think Oklahoma is anti-gay. What about Jim Roth, openly homosexual, who was elected Oklahoma County Commissioner. He would still be serving, except he was appointed to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission.
Actually, Senator Coburn has not been as kooky as I thought he would be. He has mostly been about stopping government spending waste, and I think that is a good idea.
Thanks to everyone for all the info. Norman keeps sounding really nice. The tornado situation sounds quite manageable, even there in the heart of "the Alley." No concern that this would keep me away, anyway. If OU looks like the place, and they want me, I'll be there. I just wanted some picture of what I'd need to expect regarding the weather.
What is it about Moore anyway? I've heard about that town. It's been nailed a few times if I'm not mistaken. One of the many mysteries out there in the world, I guess. Anyway, thanks again for all the info. I'm really impressed with how friendly and helpful people have been on this forum. Thanks again, and take care, all.
Norman's a great place as well as the entire OkC metro. If someone let tornadoes or politics prevent them from moving to Oklahoma I would have to say they are a little on the paranoid side. Oklahoma is a conservative state, yes. What the heck is wrong with that? People on the left like to label themselves as "progressives" as if everyone else is "regressive." That ain't so. There's good and bad to be found in BOTH parties. Mostly bad, IMO. Boren has been good for the State of Oklahoma and he's a good man. He's been an excellent President for the University of Oklahoma as well.
Ogre, the meteorologists would disagree with me, but people say that the Canadian River protects Norman. The river turns the tornadoes toward Moore. I know, I know, that is just a myth! But I have heard that for a long time.
By the way, Moore was not destroyed. It is nicer than it was before the tornado. It is kind of interesting to look at the "scar" of the tornado. People got their insurance money and built big nice houses on the path of the tornado.
Last edited by peggydavis; 09-25-2007 at 06:54 AM..
Reason: added on
Ogre, the meteorologists would disagree with me, but people say that the Canadian River protects Norman. The river turns the tornadoes toward Moore. I know, I know, that is just a myth! But I have heard that for a long time.
By the way, Moore was not destroyed. It is nicer than it was before the tornado. It is kind of interesting to look at the "scar" of the tornado. People got their insurance money and built big nice houses on the path of the tornado.
Okay, it's just a myth that a river, or any geographic feature, will deflect a tornado that has already formed, but the more I read, the more I'm wondering whether geographic features can have some effect on where they are most likely to form in the first place, on a fairly local scale. There's a website, Tornadochaser.net, where the guy who runs the site talks about "multiple smaller tornado alleys" scattered across much of the eastern two thirds of the U.S., rather than the simple picture of one big tornado alley that covers most of the central and southern Plains. He's talking about areas as large as a whole section of a state, and I've never heard any theory that something as local as a particular town, or section of a city, could be more or less prone to tornadoes, but I wonder. Not that living in a town without a history of tornadoes is a guarantee that this never will happen, but just that I wonder whether the risk is inherently greater in some local spots than others. Is it just a matter of chance that Moore keeps getting slammed? And there are other towns across the U.S. that have taken several hits over the years. Well, who knows, but it's interesting to wonder about it.
Anyway, thanks again everyone for all the helpful info.
I wouldn't be surprised if a significant number of elected politicians have had potentially controversial sex, whether gay or straight, under highly secretive circumstances. The problem arises when the person who has had sex with them think they're extra special and have to boast about it to someone. If Monica was wise and mature enough, she would have carried her episodes of sex with President Clinton to her grave, choosing not to reveal it to anyone.
Norman's a great place as well as the entire OkC metro. If someone let tornadoes or politics prevent them from moving to Oklahoma I would have to say they are a little on the paranoid side. Oklahoma is a conservative state, yes. What the heck is wrong with that?
Well, good lord, there's a heck of a lot wrong with being a conservative state, such as Oklahoma, when it results in a state with a low standard of living. Where do I start? For instance, it hasn't been widely publicized, but Oklahoma ranks no. 6 for toothless residents. Oklahoma is ranked as 7th poorest state in the union, no. 44 in public health quality and is ranked no. 8 for no. of deaths per capita. These are not mediocre figures. They are LESS than mediocre. Oklahoma seems to be in a fight with the other conservative states for the no. 50 position. And as long as conservative states, like Oklahoma, come with poor standards of living, I won't be a conservative in a million years.
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You are so confused
