NASA satellite data estimates that one person in ten would be affected directly by rising sea levels due to global warming.
Want to see if you're one of those folks? Check out Flood Maps, which uses Google Maps to show the influence of the oceans' rising one meter at a time.
Hope you don't live in New York City or Florida...
The boys at JibJab are at it again... take a look at this one. This is particularly ironic because I was just about to post about a conversation I had with some of my co-workers about this very topic.
If you're like me, the inequities that exist for people trying to run for public office scare you. The electoral system has caused itself to be set up so that only the richest folks can run.
Well, there is a bill being proposed in Congress that would help to limit that. More information here, and you can sign a petition to support this bill here.
Normally, I don't put any stock into pre-season matches of any kind, as they don't mean anything. They're made up of games where the rules are bent to let many more players get some field time than a normal game would allow, the players themselves are in varying degrees of fitness (and availability), and the coaches are trying out different strategems and tactical ideas in a game environment.
That being said... this pre-season's Crew has got me excited. They are 6-1-1, with their loss and tie coming in the first two games of pre-season. They beat Dallas in Dallas in the inaugural Pioneer Cup in honor of Lamar Hunt. They're SCORING GOALS. Note that last one: SCORING GOALS. Their last four games have been 4-1, 3-1, 3-0, and 4-1 scorelines. I think that's more goals than we scored all last season.
Okay, seriously - we scored 30 goals in 32 games last season. In FOUR preseason games, we've scored 14. At that rate, if we were to do that in league play, we'd have 112 goals for the year. The most ever scored by a team in a year is 85 by the Gals in 1998 - the past few years it's barely gotten above 60.
Now I'm fully aware that a pre-season goal means precisely jack, as do pre-season goal totals. But the fact that it's this high in pre-season, even if it's cut in half, is still in the range of the top totals for the past few years!
Not since a smiling Trini named Stern John graced our field have we had a scoring threat, and the interesting thing is that our supposed new scoring leader, Andy Herron, hasn't even been in camp yet (due to Visa issues, I think). So... I'm cautiously optimistic.
Let's face it - this club has disappointed me so much in the past that I've looked to the native Ohioans around me at games and asked "so, is this what it feels like to be a Browns fan?" (and gotten some nasty looks). But it feels different, finally. I'm looking forward to April 7th.
A huge pet peeve of mine is people who think that they can win an argument by changing the subject ever so slightly.
Case in point: on a bike forum I'm on, I pointed out the Bush Administration's poor environmental record and the weakening of environmental protection standards by the Bush EPA.
Some guy replied to me that this was a total misconception, and that Al Gore has three houses without any sort of environmentally friendly sources of energy or other features, while Bush's ranch down in Texas uses solar and geothermal. He responded with "Score one for Bush."
NEVER in our discussion did he actually address my point - he just pointed out that ONE house owned by Bush is sort of green. And I responded with a link that listed all the Bush Administration environmental woes.
The attitude that you can rebut criticisms about "your side" by pointing out the faults of the "other side" is absolutely laughable to me. You should rebut by pointing out the faults in the original argument if you can, otherwise you need to shut up.
Good news for Crew fans - we won't be shackled to the radio as much this season because ALL the away games are being televised! Thanks ONN, FSC, HDNet, etc. for their efforts.
There are three games that are ONLY on HDNet, but I think that can be handled.
COLUMBUS CREW PRESS RELEASE
ONN-TV TO CARRY 10 CREW GAMES THIS SEASON
All 15 Crew regular-season road games will be televised by either ONN – the Dispatch
For Immediate Release: Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Contact: Dave Stephany, 614-447-4190, or Jason Smith, 614-447-4176
COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Columbus Crew and ONN-TV today announced the network’s 2007 Crew broadcast schedule, which will ensure that all 15 Crew road games in 2007 will be televised. For the third straight season, ONN will televise the majority of Crew road games, totaling at least 10 this year, beginning April 14 at Real Salt Lake. The complete schedule follows.
Dwight Burgess, the original “Voice of the Crew,” will handle play-by-play duties for all ONN broadcasts and Bill McDermott returns for another season as lead analyst. Katie Witham returns for her third season as sideline reporter.
Fox Soccer Channel will air two more Crew road games nationally and HDNet will televise the other three (in addition to two ONN is carrying, as well), meaning that Crew fans will be able to see all 15 Crew road games live this season.
“ONN has continually increased it sports programming over the past few years and has evolved into a sports programming destination for many fans,” said Crew VP of Corporate Sales & Broadcasting Chad Schroeder. “The Dispatch Printing Company relationship is significant, as it links the Crew with the strongest promotional partner in central Ohio and substantially increases our ability to create awareness for our game broadcasts and our brand.”
The broadcast agreement is the lynchpin of a larger integrated partnership that positions the Dispatch Printing Company and its affiliated properties as a cornerstone partner with the Crew. As such, The Dispatch Printing Company receives a significant presence within Crew Stadium, hospitality, promotional rights, media rights and a community outreach platform with the Crew. The Crew benefits by having an established television broadcast home with a statewide footprint and reciprocal promotional and advertising assets.
“ONN’s commitment to Ohio sports has been a core value since the day we began,” said Tom Griesdorn, President and General Manager of ONN-TV. “Anyone who’s been to a Crew game knows the energy, excitement, and enjoyment the fans experience. This is a great fit with our other local sports franchises and we’re very pleased to be Ohio’s television home for The Crew.”
Burgess returns for his 12th season behind the microphone for the Crew and his 17th calling professional soccer play-by-play. A 26-year broadcast veteran, Burgess was a two-time soccer collegiate All-American at DePauw University and was twice selected to developmental camps for the United States National Program. He also currently serves as the head men’s and women’s soccer coach at Capital University.
ONN is Ohio’s channel for news, weather and sports and is available in 83 of 88 counties. ONN is a member of the Dispatch Broadcast Group, which includes WBNS-TV, WBNS-AM/FM, ONN and Radio Sound Network in Columbus, Ohio; WTHR-TV and SkyTrak Weather Network in Indianapolis, Indiana. For a complete ONN channel listing, please visit the website at OhioNewsNow.com. In Columbus, ONN is available on all Wide Open West and Insight cable systems, while Time Warner customers should upgrade to digital to get ONN.
Single-game tickets for the 2007 home season went go sale to the general public on Saturday (March 10) at the Crew Stadium Box Office, all Central Ohio Ticketmaster retail locations, via Ticketmaster phone at 614-431-3600 and on-line at TheCrew.com. Fans can still become Crew Soccer Nation members, as well, by purchasing full-season ticket packages or partial plans. Group tickets are also available for all 15 home games. All ticket packages and plans are available by calling 614-447-CREW and at TheCrew.com.
Founded by Lamar Hunt, the Columbus Crew is Ohio's Major League Soccer club, anchoring a diverse sports and entertainment enterprise. One of the league's Charter Members, it will open its 12th season overall and ninth in first-of-its-kind Columbus Crew Stadium on Saturday, April 7, when it plays host to Claudio Reyna and the New York Red Bulls.
Crew Road Television Schedule
DAY DATE GAME TIME (ET) NETWORK Sat. April 14 at Real Salt Lake 6 p.m. ONN/HDNet Sat. May 5 at Kansas City Wizards 1 p.m. ONN Sat. May 19 at New York Red Bulls 7:30 p.m. ONN Sun. June 3 at Chicago ire 7 p.m. ONN Sat. June 16 at N.E. Revolution 6:30 p.m. FSC Sat. June 23 at Los Angeles Galaxy 10:30 p.m. ONN/HDNet Wed. July 4 at Colorado Rapids 9:30 p.m. ONN Sat. July 14 at CD Chivas USA 10:30 p.m. HDNet Sat. Aug. 4 at Chicago Fire 8:30 p.m. HDNet Sat. Aug. 11 at FC Dallas 8:30 p.m. FSC Sat. Aug. 25 at Houston Dynamo 8:30 p.m. ONN Sat. Sept. 15 at Kansas City Wizards 8 p.m. HDNet Sat. Sept. 22 at Toronto FC 3:30 p.m. ONN Sat. Oct. 13 at N.E. Revolution 7:30 p.m. ONN Sat. Oct. 20 at D.C. United 7:30 p.m. ONN
— Eastern Times listed, Schedule is Subject to Change —
The Dispatch reports today that Jon Busch is very unhappy with the way that his waiving was handled by coach Sigi Schmidt of the Crew.
"We did not have one conversation," he said. "We did not talk about how my knee was doing, how I was training, how I was playing. I assumed either everything was fine or it was a tough-love situation and he had more important things to worry about.
"This wasn’t even on my radar screen that this would happen."
Busch said he had discussions with general manager Mark McCullers about finishing his career in Columbus and eventually becoming the team’s goalkeepers coach. That won’t happen under Schmid.
"I will never work for Sigi again," Busch said. "I will never play for him, never join his coaching staff. He is a very good tactics coach. He knows the game like very few do. But I question his management skills and the way he handles professional players. I think they are poor."
I can't blame Busch one iota for feeling the way he does. And I think Schmidt has made a big mistake in waiving Busch. His reasoning:
"Jon is a tremendous worker and a good pro," Schmid said. "But when Jon plays, it changes how we play as a team. He has a tendency to like to play longer balls out of the back, and that’s different from how we want to play.That may be true. And if you've paid any attention to my soccer comments on this blog over the years, you know how much I hate long-ball. But goalkeeping comes down to one thing, in all seriousness: keeping the ball out of the net. And Jon Busch does that better than Bill Gaudette or Will Hesmer - especially if they've been injured through the preseason.
