That's right. Suisham is sick nasty. All you NFL jokers best realize and respect. Elam's got nothing.

Beckham in his prime

Instead of going to bed at a reasonable hour last night, I was drawn in by a replay of the classic 2001 World Cup Qualifying match between England and Greece. To set the stage, the die hard British fans were hungry for some football glory. After losing to the West Germans in a shootout in the semis of World Cup 1990, they failed to qualify in '94, got to the second round in '98, and had a couple poor Euro Cup performances sprinkled in between.  The loyal fans demanded better.

So here, in 2001, with the fickle Brits reluctantly putting their faith in David Beckham as captain, the English faced potentially not qualifying for the World Cup once again.  With Germany, Finland, Greece, and Albania in their qualifying group, England arrived at this last game having done well (5-1-1) but still facing potential elimination dependent on the outcome of the Germany v. Finland game that was being played simultaneously.  If England won, or if both games resulted in a draw, they would ensure top spot in their group and have a direct entrance into the World Cup Finals without needing a playoff game.

Even though the announcers and some of the fans were monitoring the Germany v. Finland game, most of the players didn't know that their score was remaining 0-0.  But they had the more pressing issue of being down 1-0 to Greece at halftime.  How would they pull it together?  They couldn't fail to qualify again.  They had to find a way.

The answer came from their epic leader, number 7.  He had been playing hard in the first half, but from the whistle in the 46th minute, Beckham went nuts.  He was all over the field, stealing the ball, playing in crosses, through balls, making runs (it was refreshing to see him actually playing soccer instead of just jogging around the pitch waiting for a free kick to take or flash bulb to smile for) and his whole team followed his example.  The English side came out like gangbusters in the second half and cranked up the offensive pressure on Greece, getting chance after chance, but just couldn't break through.  

But Beckham wouldn't be denied.  He wouldn't let his country down again.  Finding the substitute Sheringham's head on a free kick, England drew even in the 68th minute.  But that didn't last long.  Greece struck back a minute later, with the help of some poor defending, sucking all the excitement out of Old Trafford.  The rest of the match played out full of tension and anxiety.  The Brits couldn't seem to slow the clock down or find the way through as the Greek keeper continued to have a stellar performance.  So this is what it comes down to, England down 2-1 after 90 minutes played.  Four minutes of stoppage time added on.  The fans, the whole country, praying for a miracle.  And the chance comes in the 93rd minute, a direct free kick from 30 yards out.  Beckham steps up, takes the hopes of millions on his shoulders, shakes his head at the fans who had already filed out of the stadium, and with his right foot brilliantly seals his fate and legacy in the annals of English footballers.  

When his team, his manager, and his country needed him to step up and earn the title of captain and leader, Beckham answered the call and slotted a sick free kick into the old onion bag.  This game, in my opinion, is who David Beckham was as a soccer player at his best.  Very unlike what we saw at Real Madrid or now at the L.A. Galaxy.  He was a leader, he worked hard on the field, he earned the respect of his coaches and teammates, and ultimately, he produced results when it came down to it.  Say what you want about his photo shoots, frosted sunglasses, rail-thin high-maintenance wife, Hollywood lifestyle, or global reputation.  As a soccer player, at one point in his career, he deserved every ounce of hype that he got.  He was money and everyone knew it.

That is what made it totally worth it to stay up late last night and watch the replay of that match and see him at his best once again.  It had been awhile, but it was enthralling.  Here are some clips from that match.  Doesn't do justice to the drama of it, but still great.

This is Congress' energy policy?

Congressman Ted Poe explains Congress' plan to solve the energy crisis, by forcing the American people to buy florescent light bulbs instead of incandescent.  Since when was it the federal government's job or right to tell its people (government of the people, by the people, and for the people, right?) what light bulbs to buy?  

And is this really a solution to an energy deficiency?  In light of the gas prices and the strain on our economy, the American people are looking to the government and asking them to "Do something!"  Pressure on OPEC, pressure on the corporate oil conglomerates making massive profits, sanctions and penalties for the speculators driving the price up, investigation and justice for price gouging, working to pursue alternative energy options and alternative modes of transportation.  But forcing the American people to buy florescent light bulbs instead of incandescent?  Come on.  

Do these light bulbs reduce energy consumption?  Sure they do.  Does that mean that people are choosing to purchase them instead of regular light bulbs?  Yes it does.  Does that give the Government the right to mandate purchasing of only those bulbs?  No, it does not.  As Congressman Poe goes to great length to point out, these are very different bulbs than Edison's invention and they have inherent dangers and logistical nightmares that aren't thought of by people buying them to save energy.  Ultimately, whether the energy advantage of these bulbs outweighs the potential risk and danger they could cause, Congress cannot mandate their use in our country.  They are over-stepping the boundaries of their role in the management and future development of our country.

RIP George

George Carlin just passed away yesterday. Now, I know there are a lot of people out there that won't be too sad about that. They might actually be happy to have his fowl language and abrasive demeanor off the stage and airwaves. But me, I am going to miss him. I am going to miss his honesty and fearless desire to "say it like it is." And yes, he did use very colorful language, but you got used to it and saw it as his way to express his anger and frustration about politics, religion, and people in general. And as a person who often gets frustrated and pissed off when I see things that don't make sense or aren't done well, I enjoy comedians like Carlin and his pupils Carlos Mencia and Lewis Black, cause they put into words all the things that piss me off.

The great thing about any artist, though, is that their art will continue to live on after they have died, making them immortal. But in an ironic twist, one of his most recent routines is a bit was titled "Life is Worth Losing." I checked it out this morning as a somewhat morbid, but in my mind appropriate, tribute to George. Check it out here.

Bringing the world together by dancing...

Basically this is the coolest thing ever. I want to be jealous that he got to do this, but honestly, I can't. It makes me smile and makes me too happy to be jealous. I just can't help but feel good inside while watching this.

Simply awesome...

Edelweiss....

As much as I love the Euro Cup 2008 coverage, with Switzerland and Austria as the co-host nations, the games being played in Salzburg sure do make me miss that city.  What a great place.

This ESPN Travel Guide to Salzburg really brings back memories of some of my favorite places around town.

oh no....

As if Congressional productivity wasn't already incredibly low.... now they have found out about Twitter.  It is kinda comical to think about legislators tweeting from the floor... but don't they have better things to do?  Goodness.  What's next?  Getting a Facebook account so you can change your status every three minutes to things like "Frank Wolf is wishing these tree-huggers would get off their soapbox already... sheesh"  Sometimes it is best if our government policy-makers stay in the dark on some of these new, popular technological advances.

Rapid Commercialization... and Cheerleaders

This is a fun little ad that is very well done, I am assuming with stop motion photography. Very cool. But it is also kinda ironic seeing as this is a commercial that talks about over-commercialization ruining the beauty of nature, as you search for a quiet, peaceful getaway.  Or at least that is what I got out of it.  But still, very cool, I think.

This round goes to the Old Dominion

Finally, there is some resolution to the historic feud between Maryland and Virginia drivers.  Which one is worse?  Virginia drivers think that Maryland drivers are insane and dive dangerously.  Maryland drivers make identical claims about their Virginia brethren.  So who is right?

D.C. Council member Jim Graham lays it out there for us: Maryland Drivers = The Devil Incarnate

As a Virginia driver, I could have told you that years ago... but now we have an objective perspective.

There won't be any Poland Spring left...

As I always say, I am a self-professed sucker for great marketing. If a commercial or marketing campaign is targeted at me or does a great job communicating or pitching a product to me, I feel obligated to respond and give that company my business. Sure it might sound like I am being a sheep and am totally gullible for commercials, but really it is a conscious decision to reward the hard work of the marketing team behind that commercial. Since my brain thinks along those lines anyways, I really like it when someone does a great job.

The Refill Not Landfill ad / action campaign is no exception. You may have seen the commercials (can't find one online, but will add later if I do). Simple, but powerful, showing a brief activity where someone is drinking bottled water, and then the background fades out to show just the bottle, with the bottom line being the fact that the bottle will stay in a landfill long after the basketball game is over. It is a whole new perspective on drinking responsibly. This isn't about cutting yourself off after a few beers so you can drive home safely, it is about taking into account the impact of our desire for convenience and avoidance of perfectly good, potable tap water.

First of all, I think we are spoiled. When individual sized bottled water first came on the market, people mocked it because they couldn't imagine someone actually paying for water when we have plenty of water available pretty much everywhere. I mean come on... compared to a lot of countries in the world, our tap water is incredible. It is clean, drinkable, and it even has minerals and nutrients that are good for us. Are we really that spoiled that we don't like the taste of it? It is water, people. Now, remember back to when I would visit my grandmother's house and also when I worked at a summer camp in rural PA, both of which got their water from a well, I can see how the taste of that water would take some getting used to. But ultimately, that is exactly what I did, I got used to it. It is water... I mean, what do you want? Something completely devoid of taste? Is that really refreshing? We should stop being such high maintenance elitists and drink the water that we have.

And speaking of which, if we increase our reliance on Aquafina (aka Pepsi) and Dasani (aka Coke) for our water, our amazing water filtration and refining system that provides clean water to your kitchen will fall into disrepair and neglect. Then when bottled water prices skyrocket, we will be left without recourse (like our dependence on oil).

And I know that there are some steps being taken to change the impact of these plastic bottles on the environment and our landfills. Poland Spring, for instance, is marketing their eco-friendly bottles that require less plastic. Clearly they aren't going to encourage you to drink water from a re-usable bottle instead of theirs, but they are trying.

Now that I work at a company deeply involved in the green, renewable energy industry, ever since I got here I have been trying to find ways that we can be more responsible in our own facility to mimic our actions out in the world. These ads really hit home for me and seemed to be a simple way to make a difference. In spite of the availability of soda at work, it really is great to see that most people choose a bottled water over a Coke. But that means hundreds of bottles a week are going into the trash, or hopefully recycling. And yes, we do recycle, and yes, that is great. But it still requires tons of energy to produce these bottles and then to recycle them. Is it really that hard to bring a Nalgene to work instead?

So, starting today, I am drinking from my Nalgene. Every bottle-full of water means two fewer plastic water bottles that go in the trash or recycling. I know I can't make a huge difference by myself, but I decided it is time I do what I can.

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Additional Links:
For more info on the Refill Not Landfill campaign, visit their website: http://www.refillnotlandfill.org/

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Check out this interesting article (from Fox News of all places) about the impact of America's obsession with bottled water: Green Alternatives to Bottled Water

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As seen at Nationals Park and Windpower 2008, plastic cups made out of 100% biodegradable corn are now available and in use.

sick + nasty

at least John Mayer got something right. Martin Sexton is amazing. Best recognize...

Putting it in perspective

Looking at the price at the pump is one thing. But as painful as that can be, it is all about context. These graphics show what the nationwide impact of gas prices are, showing prices, average income for the areas, and then the percentage of income spent on gas. It is eye-opening to see that while we are all getting hit with high gas prices, some people are struggling to keep the wheels turning more than others.

Impact of Gas Prices

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AWEA Windpower 2008

Attending the American Wind Energy Association's (AWEA) Windpower 2008 conference last week was an eye-opening and exciting experience. The industry is growing so quickly and there are so many different aspects and facets of what makes wind energy grow and operate. It was really cool and exciting to talk about our product with these industry professionals from many different walks of life and explain how we can improve and maximize their production. It was a long week and the months leading up to the show were stressful and crazy, but ultimately we had a great show and definitely raised interest.

AWEA put together a video recap of the show that is pretty cool, so check it out.