Wings clipped! An Oil gusher? And NHL playoff thoughts...

Well, my Oilers should be christened the cardiac kids. What a game last night! I was up until after 2 a.m. watching another game in this series go to a second OT. This one turned out better than game one though, as Jarret Stoll took a backhand whack at the puck that got past Manny Legace. (See top) Rexall Place went wild, and so did I. This game should have been in the bag in the third period. With nine minutes to go, Edmonton enjoyed a 3-1 lead, but the Wings wouldn't die. That comes as no surprise, though. Hey, the Wings won the President's Trophy for having the league's best record, so I knew going in this series was going to be a tough fight.

The Oilers must stay out of the penalty box if they hope to win this series. One powerplay and one lost faceoff later, and the Wings tied it with about six minutes to go in the game. That's where the Wings can kill you - on the faceoff dot and when your players are in the penalty box; Detroit had the best powerplay in the league this season. So, I'm hoping Edmonton learns the lessons of game 3 for game 4. A 3-1 series lead would be huge, but it won't be easy. I fully expect the Wings to come out fighting for their playoff lives tomorrow night. The Oilers had better be ready, because Detroit isn't just going to roll over.

One more word on my Oilers before I move on to another topic that vexes me, and that's the local team, the Flyers. I've watched a fair amount of hockey so far in the playoffs, courtesy of the best thing going, the NHL Center Ice Package. I'm yet to see an arena more jacked for the playoffs than Rexall Place in Edmonton last night. It was deafening, and that was just from watching it on TV! The crowd totally drowned out the introductions, and the last half of O Canada couldn't be heard. There are many great hometown crowds in the NHL, but Edmonton has to be in the top 3 when it comes to the playoffs. Hell, even in the regular season. All but one regular season game was sold out at Rexall this past season, and the one non-sellout was only a few hundred short. Edmonton loves its Oilers, and so do I.

These playoffs have been nothing short of remarkable. One year ago, no one would have predicted this. The NHL was on the ropes, life support, whatever metaphor you choose. It's amazing how the league has charged back and had a wonderful regular season, and the playoffs are looking to be the same. A record number of fans came to the games this year, and every playoff team is playing in front of adoring standing-room-only crowds, and it's awesome to see.

The one thing to complain about so far in these playoffs has been the officiating. It's been uneven, to say the least. There have been plenty of non-calls, and that's incredibly frustrating to watch. However, I've been watching hockey long enough to know that it's part of the game. There are imperfect players playing the game and imperfect officials making the calls. Good teams overcome the random non-call or borderline penalty. That's just the way it is. However, would someone please tell this to the three-headed jackass otherwise known as Steve Coates, Jim Jackson and Gary Dornhoffer? (Second from top, from left to right) These guys are flat out ruining Flyers games, which are bordering on unwatchable because these goddamn crybabies are criticizing every call that goes against Philadelphia. I've never heard anything like it in my life. (Hey, last night Michael Peca got clubbed in the head - no call. The Oilers OR the announcers didn't bitch about it - they kept fighting and won the game in the end.)

To wit, in game 2 of the Philly/Buffalo series, Philly's Denis Gauthier slammed Buffalo's Thomas Vanek into the boards. Boom - game misconduct and Buffalo goes on the power play. More on the hit in a minute. So, as I'm watching the game, the trio calling the Flyers game decried the penalty being called and couldn't figure out why Gauthier was given a game misconduct. Coates even said, "Does he [the ref] have a minutes quota?!?" Unbelievable. I just started laughing at that point - what little credibility these guys had in my mind was gone at that point. Hey, a garbage hit is a garbage hit, and that one was garbage. Not only did Gauthier deserve to be kicked out of the game, he should serve a multiple game suspension DURING THE PLAYOFFS for that hit. Of course, the NHL, as it's wont to do, didn't suspend him. The NHL front office has historically been wimpy when it comes to doling discipline during the postseason, and this was no exception. I don't dislike the Flyers. Quite the contrary. They are the only team in Philadelphia that I could ever root for, ever, and that's because I love hockey so much. Flyer fans deserve a winner, and so far, "Clarkie" the GM hasn't delivered. Hopefully someday he, or his replacement, will. I root for Philly when I'm not rooting for Edmonton, and when the two teams aren't playing one another.

However, what Ed Snider and Clarke are doing by having these three dickheads call Flyers games is a disservice to Flyers fans and hockey in general. And, I don't think it's a stretch to say that all of this whining and crying by the Flyers' broadcast team carries over to many (but not all, Chris) fans. What this trio says during broadcasts is generally picked up and believed by many people who watch the game. Jackson I can stomach - he's actually quite a good play-by-play man. But Coates and Dornhoffer and more annoying to listen to than a bin Laden tape. Another quick example, if I may:

In game one, R.J. Umberger took a whale of a hit by Buffalo defenseman Brian Campbell. It was a clean, bone-jarring hit. Umberger was on the ice for quite a while. I told a friend the next day I was reminded of the old Snickers commercials with the line "Not going anywhere for a while?" I love to see good hits in hockey, but I don't like to see anyone get hurt, and I hope Umberger returns to action soon (I hear maybe game 4). Anyway, Dornhoffer and the Philly announcers start whining that Buffalo was replaying the hit over and over on the scoreboard and that it "contributed to the bloodlust of Sabres fans." First off, if the hit was being replayed while Umberger was on the ice, then it's not a classy thing for the Sabres to do, case closed. You don't do that when a player is laying on the ice. But, I have several things to say about the Philly announcers and their comments. For instance, if the exact opposite where true, say, Umberger laying out Campbell at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia, can we be certain that Philly wouldn't have been replaying the hit? Um, no. And second, would some Philly fans would have been cheering? Again, it's a hypothetical, but you can be sure that more than a few would be.

Most Philly fans conveniently forget or try to minimize how many (most) at the Vet cheered as Michael Irvin was stricken on the turf following a hit in 1999 in a Cowboys game vs. the Birds. (The clean hit, to the lower part of his neck, ended his career.) Philly fans loved it, because they hated Irvin and they hate the Cowboys. I watched the game, and I was nauseated. Hey, if Philly fans hate the player or the team enough, or if the game's important enough, they'll cheer and a few idiots will even hope for injuries to the opposition. So, I wish all Philly announcers would fucking stop it already with the "Woe is Philly" whining. Some of Philly's reputation is exaggerated and perpetuated by the media. (Enough with the booing Santa Claus references already!) But, some of it is well deserved, too - the aforementioned Irvin incident, the snowballing of Jimmy Johnson in '89, the bounty that Buddy Ryan put on the Cowboys kicker, and the fact that the Eagles and the Philadelphia Police Department had to put a municipal judge in the bowels of Veteran's Stadium to discipline lawbreakers at Eagles games. A great deal of Philly fans' bad reputation is well deserved. If Terrell Owens gets hurt this season during the grudge match at the Linc, you think Eagles fans will keep quiet as he lays on the turf?!? Riiiiiight. But, I digress.

I just found it amusing that an integral piece of the "Broad St. Bullies," (as the Flyers were known in the 1970s and early 1980s) Gary Dornhoffer, chose to decry any kind of violence in hockey like he did the other night. That's tantamount to Adolf Hitler coming back to life and criticizing Saddam Hussein for his genocide. Puleeze. Dornhoffer was at his hypocritical best following the Umberger hit. Those Flyers teams in the 70s tried to hurt people and actually took pride in it. Hey Gary, enough already.

An interesting footnote is that Comcast owns the Flyers, and the trio of Jackson, Coates and Dornhoffer are actually employees of the team. That doesn't seem right to me, and I wonder how many other teams have this sort of arrangement? For instance, the Oilers have a broadcast team that calls the games, but they work for the network that broadcasts Edmonton games, not the team. A small but important distinction. Sure, Oilers broadcasters want to see the Oilers do well, but there's at least some separation between the broadcasters and the team.

Okay, rant over about the Flyers announcers. I hope Philly bounces back tonight and I think they will. Esche is starting in net, so that's the big unknown. The question is, which Esche will show up - the game-one Esche who was virtually a sheet of plywood over the net, or the Swiss Cheese game-two Esche who had to be pulled after the first period? We'll soon see.

One thing's for certain - well actually, two things - I can't wait to watch, and I envy my best friend Chris, who will be at the game tonight. Cheer loud for me, bro!

Get Cup Crazy, ya heard?!?

It's a baby girl for TomKat!*

* - Who gives a shit.

Am I the only one nauseated by all of the media coverage of the Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes love child? Puleeze. This guy has gone from hero (okay, not exactly hero, but for rhyming purposes, go with me) to zero in just a few years. It used to be that I never missed a Tom Cruise blockbuster movie. Now, not even under threat of taser shock or decapitation would I go see any of his movies or contribute to his success.

His ill-conceived (pun intended), misogynistic comments on postpartum depression and psychiatry are mostly the reason. But how about this - I just flat out don't like the guy. I'm sick of Scientology, and I'm flat out bored with all of the press coverage on this... this... "religion." I'm simply placing Cruise in the category he so richly deserves: with all of the other religious zealots who deserve zero attention and even less credibility. Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Tom Cruise. Yes, he fits in there nicely. The best thing the press could do would be to just ignore this egomaniac. Okay, I know that's not going to happen, but I can dream, can't I?

Top Gun, The Firm and A Few Good Men seem like a million years ago, when he was my favorite actor.

One more word on the TomKat baby - don't people have anything better to do? People can blame the media all they want, and many do, but the sad truth is that magazines, newspapers and TV shows clamor for news on these celeb babies because it's what their audiences want. I've got two words - pathetic and sad. With so many more important things going on in the world around us - this is what the media spends its time on? I think we've finally settled back into the pre-September 11, idiotic mindset, brought to you by the same people who gave us endless coverage (and even perpetuated some of the stories) of JonBenet Ramsey, Chandra Levy and Gary Condit and, oh yea - Monica Lewinsky. People, the planet is warming at a dangerous rate, a gallon of gas will soon cost more than a drink in the city, Iran is on the verge of becoming a nuclear power, and our young men and women are being struck down in the prime of their lives over in Iraq and Afghanistan every single day. That's what's important - not this rubbish. But, I digress.

Anyway, back to my friend Tom for just a second. Instead of a rant, I'm just boycotting him. He's now on my list which includes AOL, Cingular Wireless and Circuit City. (I won't get into the those now, other than to say their customer service stinks to high heaven.) I'm putting my money where my mouth is - no Mission Impossible 3 for me, or any other movie starring Cruise for that matter, until he changes his tune. Yea, I'm just one person, but at least I can do something about it - I'll spend my money elsewhere.

Empowering.

Scott McClellan resigns

So, we're getting a new PR hack to parrot Bush's lies and deception. Yipee! I guess I'm being a bit unfair, though. Honestly, I won't like just about anyone the president could pick, because a White House press secretary only divulges and says what the president wants him or her to say, and I don't agree with just about all of the president's policies. But, on the other hand, I liked and admired Marlin Fitzwater, Bush 41's press man. Neither of Bush's PR guys could hold Marlin's pen though.

In light of McClellan's resignation, Bush was hardly overwhelming in his praise, saying McClellan had a "tough assignment. I thought he handled his assignment with class, integrity," the president continued. "It's going to be hard to replace Scott, but nevertheless he made the decision and I accepted it. One of these days, he and I are going to be rocking in chairs in Texas and talking about the good old days."

The "good old days"? I guess the case of lost WMDs, 9-11, tax cuts for the rich, escalating gas prices, marginalizing Cindy Sheehan, impuging the war record of John Kerry and covering up the Valerie Plame mess, the inability to find Osama bin Laden and the unjust and immoral war in Iraq qualify as the "good old days." Oh, and have I mentioned his environmental record? I hesitate to call it a record, because that implies that he has one.

So long, Scott. Don't let the door hit you in the ass on the way out. I'm going to miss you about as much as I miss Ari Fleischer.

1,007 Days to go.

Meet the 21st century's biggest non-nuclear threat

Recently, much has come to light about global warming, and just about none of it is good news. This growing problem and concern should be on every American’s mind, now and into the foreseeable future. I know that isn’t going to happen, but I hope and pray that our next president, no matter Democrat, or heaven forbid, Republican, makes this important issue a top administration priority, because our current president’s indifference is sending this horrible message to the rest of the world: “We’ve got bigger things to worry about.” The good news in all of this is that the latest scientific data should jolt even the most hearty of global warming deniers out of their smog-induced drowsiness.

New evidence strongly suggests that much of what dozens of government agencies report about on science is edited with a heavy hand at the White House, according to Rick Pilts, NASA’s top scientist on climate change. Recently, Scott Pelley of 60 Minutes interviewed Pilts about climate change, and what he had to say was highly disturbing.

His thoughts? “The strategy of people with a political agenda to avoid this issue is to say ‘There’s so much to study way upstream here that we can’t even begin to discuss impacts and response strategies. There’s much too much uncertainty,’” said Pilts. “And, it’s not climate scientists who are saying that. It’s lawyers. It’s politicians.”

Pilts, much like the much-maligned Richard Clarke (the former anti-terrorism chief – more on him in a future post), has worked for both Republican and Democratic administrations; he worked under President Clinton as well as current President George W. Bush. Every year, he wrote a report on climate change called, “Our Changing Planet.” He was responsible for writing and editing this report, and he sent a review draft to the White House. “It comes back with a large number of edits, handwritten on the hard copy, by the chief of staff of the council on environmental quality, Phil Cooney.” When asked if Cooney is a scientist, Pilts responded, “No, he is a lawyer, he was an environmental lobbyist for the American Petroleum Institute before going into the White House.”

This is unsettling, to say the least, but hardly surprising considering this administration’s environmental record. The 60 Minutes report offered up hard evidence – first Pilts’ notes, then the final copy of the report. Take a look at these examples:

One line in the Pilts draft that read, “Earth is undergoing rapid change” was rewritten as “Earth may be undergoing change” in the final report.

Further down, “uncertainty” becomes “significant remaining uncertainty.”

Another line that said, “energy production contributes to warming,” was crossed out altogether.

“He was obviously passing it through a political screen. He would put in words ‘potential’ or ‘may,’ or weaken or delete text that had to do with the likely consequences of climate change,” said Pilts.

In one section, Cooney added the line, “The uncertainties remain so great as to preclude meaningfully informed decision making.”

60 Minutes obtained the final report, and Cooney’s edits made it into the final report. Pilts, clearly seeing that there was no room at the White House for people who disagree with the administration, resigned. Sound Richard Clark-ish to you? Sure does to me.

Wow, I feel so much better about global warming knowing that our president has former lobbyists who share values with oil companies making edits on climate change reports to Congress. Clearly this administration has its collective head in the smog when it comes to global warming.

More damning evidence that the administration doesn’t acknowledge/doesn’t care about global warming: In a Web exclusive I just watched the other day, 60 Minutes' Pelley had this to say about global warming, and I’m paraphrasing here:

Dr. James Hansen heads NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, which is the agency’s preeminent institute for studying the Earth and the Earth’s climate. Way back in the 1980s, Hansen was one of the first scientists to conclude that greenhouse gases were causing the Earth to warm. Since then, his research has been cutting edge in a number of ways. A few weeks ago, the Goddard Institute found that 2005 was the hottest year on record. The White House continues to say that we need more time, that there is so much we don’t understand, that we can’t conclude anything just yet. Hansen says the research and the data are in, and that there is no doubt that the Earth is warming, rapidly.

*****

When I hear and read things like that, I can’t help thinking our planet is sitting on the stove, the burner’s on high, and the water is starting to do more than simmer. So, just what is America doing about it? Our politicians stall and debate, while Earth cooks. What the hell are we waiting for? What’s even more sickening to me, and I’m sure to a significant portion of the rest of the world, is that the United States has about 5% of the Earth’s population, and we contribute anywhere (depending on where you are getting your numbers) from 25 – 33% of the Earth’s greenhouse gases. Stevie Wonder could see the disparity with those figures.

To be fair, Pelley also reports that the administration is spending billions on research on climate change, probably more than any other administration. That’s encouraging, but what this administration is not doing is acknowledging the fact that much hard, credible evidence is conclusive now, and the time to act is yesterday. In my view, what Bush is doing is simply postponing (Read: Until January 20, 2009) the necessary tough choices that will affect industry, jobs and the lifestyle that Americans are accustomed to.

Republican sycophants are quick to jump up and down and say, “But Bush recently proposed alternative fuel sources, like ethanol and hydrogen cells!” Yes, but simply putting forth these ideas, and actually offering real and tangible incentives for companies to aggressively pursue these technologies are two different things. It’s a typical Bush strategy that I’ve become all too familiar with these past 5+ years – he puts forth an idea or suggests something, then later shrugs his shoulders and says, with a straight face that Congress isn’t doing anything about it. He counts on and usually is rewarded by the public’s two-week memory span. He then later substitutes his “idea” for “doing something about the problem.”

Remember Bush’s proposal a few years ago for the U.S. to have a manned mission to Mars? It’s a lofty and admirable goal for Americans to achieve. Too bad he didn’t have one suggestion or solution to how we would pay for the $100+ billion price tag. His proposal was greeted with so much enthusiasm, he failed to mention one word about his Mars mission proposal in his State of the Union speech just days later.

Time recently ran an entire series on global warming in the April 3, 2006 issue. The report contained a number of eye-popping statistics, not the least of which is this passage:

If everyone lived like the average Chinese or Indian, you wouldn’t be reading about global warming. On a per capita basis, China and India emit far less greenhouse gas than energy-efficient Japan, environmentally scrupulous Sweden and especially the gas-guzzling U.S. (The average American is responsible for 20 times as much CO2 emission annually as the average Indian.)

It makes me shake my head in amazement that other countries don’t resent us more than they do. It’s pretty breathtaking that we aren’t taking a leadership role in the world in curbing greenhouse gases, thereby cutting down on what could be humankind’s biggest scourge since the dawn of the nuclear age.

To be fair, the Clinton Administration deserves blame here, too. Following Kyoto’s creation in 1998, Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisors did a thorough analysis of the potential impact of the treaty on U.S. GDP. The conclusions were that GDP impact could be significant. I ask you, if sea levels rise 5 feet, 10 feet or more, what impact will that have not only on U.S. GDP, but all Americans and humankind?

Although Clinton deserves some blame, President Bush earns marks that are no better on global warming. In fact, his record is substantially worse. For beginners, his thoughts on Kyoto, as found on Wikipedia:

“This is a challenge that requires a 100 percent effort; ours, and the rest of the world's. The world's second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases is China. Yet, China was entirely exempted from the requirements of the Kyoto Protocol. India and Germany are among the top emitters. Yet, India was also exempt from Kyoto. . . . America's unwillingness to embrace a flawed treaty should not be read by our friends and allies as any abdication of responsibility. To the contrary, my administration is committed to a leadership role on the issue of climate change. …Our approach must be consistent with the long-term goal of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere.”

So, Kyoto is seemingly dead – Clinton did not and Bush will never present Kyoto for ratification in the Senate. I’m not an expert on Kyoto, and of course an environmental treaty as far reaching as this one deserves careful consideration.

But, the U.S. should be showing much more leadership on global warming. Perhaps we could come up with our own alternative, or at least work on our own to drastically cut greenhouse gases? Bush simply throws his hands in the air, says the treaty is flawed, and then proceeds to pretty much ignore this growing threat.

Prior to the 2000 election, candidate Bush ran on a promise to make mandatory cuts in carbon dioxide (greenhouse) gases. After taking office, Bush proposed voluntary emission cutbacks by companies. This is akin to telling a drug addict, “I think you should stop, so I’m asking you to cut back on your crack cocaine use, but I’m not going to make you.” Yea, right.

The scary part about our lack of leadership on global warming is its effect on the two sleeping, but quickly awakening, economic tigers in the world – India and China. To be blunt, without even factoring in the U.S. contribution to greenhouses this century, China and India could quite literally hold the fate of the world in their hands. Ask yourself – how worried should they be about their emissions when the U.S. continues to stall and even deny that there is a real problem?

Put yourself in the positions of both India and China and consider the problem from their perspectives: The United States has been burning and belching fossil fuels into the atmosphere since the mid-to-late nineteenth century, while in the process getting rich and forming the world’s largest and most expansive economy. We’ve profited, polluted and pilfered. Fast-forward to now – it’s very obvious to just about everyone that the Earth is warming at a rapid rate, the bill for the environment is due, and we’re walking out on the check. Why should China or India have their economies stymied in the name of environmental recovery when we refuse to even adequately address the problem?

A few startling facts from Time’s report:

“Barbara Finamore, director of the National Resources Defense Council’s China Clean Energy Program, estimates that China’s total electricity demand will increase by 2,600 gigawatts by 2050, which is the equivalent of adding four 300-megawatt power plants every week for the next 45 years. India’s energy consumption rose 208% from 1980 to 2001, even faster than China’s, but nearly half the population still lacks regular access to electricity – a fact the government is working to change. ‘They’ll do what they can, but overall emissions are likely to rise much higher than they are now,’ says Johnathan Sinton, China analyst for IEA [International Energy Agency].”

Time also reports that “India’s greenhouse-gas emissions could rise 70% by 2025, and the increase in China’s emissions from 2000 to 2030 will nearly equal the increase from the entire industrialized world.” Frightened yet? You should be. This will not only affect our children, but their children, and their children, and their children. This is a planet-threatening problem, yet few people seem to take notice. But, the Indian and Chinese governments are taking notice at U.S. inaction. To wit, also from Time:

“‘Our issue is that, first and foremost, the U.S. needs to reduce its emissions,’ says Sunita Narain, director of the Center for Science and Environment in New Delhi. ‘It is unacceptable and immoral that the U.S. doesn’t take the lead on climate change.’”

It’s tough to disagree with him. Bush’s position is that developing nations should be made to curb their emissions. True, but we had no restraints when we were developing and experiencing an industrial revolution, so why should other countries? True, our industry boom was before anyone realized the drastic effects on the environment, but it’s not a stretch to see our government’s hypocrisy. We need to take the lead, and take it now. Discovering not only alternatives to fossil fuel, but also ways to reverse global warming is a much bigger undertaking than flying to the moon, curing Polio, and inventing nuclear weapons put together. In fact, it’s a much bigger undertaking than all of humankind’s inventions in history put together. No one on the plant is immune to global warming’s effects.

Frustrated at our government’s inaction? Turn your frustration into determination. Here’s a small list of things you can do to make a difference, and don’t say to yourself, “I’m just one person, what kind of difference can I possibly make?” Imagine if Jonas Salk felt that way, or Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At the risk of sounding like a desk calendar, a 1,000-mile journey begins with one step. So, take these steps to limit your contribution to energy consumption, trash and pollution. Conserving water, waste, electricity or any natural resource has an impact on the manufacture of goods and environmental impact. Here’s a quick list of things I’m doing/trying to do as much as possible.

1. Grocery store plastic bags – reuse the ones you do get, and refuse a bag when you don’t need it. I know this sounds like a simple one, but these bags are made from petroleum, if I’m not mistaken, and think of how long they will sit in a landfill. Most grocery stores give you a few cents per bag with each shopping visit, so you can save dozens and even hundreds of bags a year simply by bringing in old ones. Ever go into a convenience store and they offer you a bag when you buy as little as a pack of gum? I experience this all the time, and I refuse a bag every time. If I absolutely need a bag, I reuse it. I read somewhere that the average person uses 250 of these bags a year. Imagine if you reused the ones you already have, while using maybe 50 new ones a year and you reuse them! It would make a big difference. Now, multiply that difference by millions of people, and hundreds of millions of bags could be saved a year.

2. Turn off those lights and lower/raise your thermostats for the season. I know, I know, easier said than done, but even a few degrees makes a difference. I’m not talking about when it’s 100 or 10 degrees outside, but in the moderate spring and fall seasons, wear a t-shirt to cool off or a sweater to warm up. Every bit helps. Also, consider energy-saving bulbs. Yes, they are a bit more expensive, but they last up to 5 times longer (some more) and use a fraction of the energy. Another energy saver: turn off your computer monitor. If you have to leave your computer up and running, use the energy saver mode, and turn off your monitor when you walk away.

3. Walk! I know, again, easier said than done, since I live in the city. But, do it whenever you can, or ride a bike. With gas skyrocketing (and we may never see, no I take that back, we will NEVER see $2 a gallon again), it makes all the sense in the world to hit the pavement when you can. It becomes surprisingly addictive once you get started. And I don’t need to talk about the benefits of walking – more exercise, savings in automobile costs, weight loss, etc.

4. When you buy your next car, pick one that is fuel-efficient. Hybrids are becoming all the rage. If I were buying a new car right now, it would be a Toyota Prius. Good looking, and amazing on gas. Better yet, take mass transit when you can. Coming to the city? Why not take the train? A word of caution about the “hybrid” label though – read the fine print. Like “organic” and other buzzwords, it’s often abused for the positive PR effect. Make sure if you are buying a hybrid, you truly are getting a hybrid with the benefit of significant fuel savings.

5. Purchase from companies who are being good corporate citizens in environmental ways – be it recycling, pollution, emissions, philanthropy, whatever. Hey, even Wal-Mart is becoming a bit greener now, and if that company can do it, just about any company can. It pays to do your homework.

6. Recycle. It’s so obvious, but it’s one of the best things you can do to prevent/reduce the manufacturing of new bottles, bags, cans, glass, paper, etc. On Earth, nothing happens in a vacuum. If more paper is recycled, in theory that reduces the number of trees felled to produce the paper… more trees means more absorption of carbon dioxide… which means a cooler Earth… etc. And once you think about it, there are sooo many things that can be recycled; mobile phones – take them to your nearest Verizon store, and they get refurbished and donated to Hopeline, an org. that gives mobile phones to victims of domestic violence; ink cartridges – take them to Staples and get $3 off of your next purchase (it doesn’t even have to be the purchase of another ink cartridge), etc. You get the idea – from computer monitors, old tires, appliances and clothing – chances are, most things have a way to be recycled or reused.

7. Get politically active and demand that global warming become an important issue in campaigns both big and small. The best way for politicians to hear your voice is with your vote. When elected leaders see that the electorate is taking the matter seriously, they will take it seriously. You can be heard not only by who you vote for, but by writing letters advocating recycling (or more of it) in your area, supporting mass transit, etc. Sitting around and complaining about it does nothing. I fell in love with a bumper sticker I saw the other day – “Quit Bitching and Start a Revolution.” Exactly right.

8. Join one or several of the many organizations dedicated to preserving and saving our environment. The list is endless. One site I found that I’m taking an interest in is Our Energy. It’s worth a look, but there are many others – Greenpeace and the Sierra Club to name a few. I just joined both – I want to put my beliefs into action. If you find more sites and/or organizations or have recommendations, please leave a comment at the end of this post and I will pass it along. And of course I will be writing more about global warming in future posts.

These are just a few of the things you can do, and it really does become addicting and gratifying once you start to find all of the little ways you can make a difference. Plus, it can be a real money saver to boot. Americans need to wake up and realize that we are having a significant impact on the environment, but if we all work together, we can help cool down global warming. Let’s lead by example and show the rest of the world how it’s done – most notably, China and India.

Clicks that make a difference

A friend recently sent me these daily click sites on the Internet. If you these sites, once a day, $1 gets contributed to these causes. I haven't done these since college, and it only takes a few minutes of your time, so I try to do them every day. Add them to your morning routine and whenever you check your e-mail each day. The sites:

The Breast Cancer Site. No need for me to state the obvious why this one is important and should be to everyone. You can also buy pink bracelets here.

The Animal Rescue Site. This one has cool pet links, too.

The Child Health Site. A self explanatory site - also has links to Hurricane Katrina relief orgs, as well as Pakistan Earthquake Relief. People still need our help down in New Orleans, and will for a long time to come.

The Hunger Site. Links about African trouble spots, which I assume this site goes toward helping.

The Literacy Site. A problem that just shouldn't be a problem, and it's a tragedy that it's so widespread in the world.

I guess there's no way in knowing if these clicks actually work, but I look at it this way - my heart's in the right place by doing it, and what's the risk? If there's even a chance that it's legit, it's worth the 2 minutes out of my day.

Cell phone tax outrage

I heard about this on Philly's AM news station, KYW-1060, and I thought it was worth sharing. No matter what state you live in, check out this Website:

http://www.mywireless.org/

To be fair, I have no idea who/what organization is behind the Website and what their agenda is, but it's still worth five minutes of your time. It lists ridiculous taxes on cell phone services, state by state, that we all pay. For instance, in Pennsylvania, we are effectively paying double taxes for cell service every month. So, on a $100 bill, you are paying about $6 more than you should, and so on. Hey, this adds up, and no one likes to pay more than necessary in taxes. So, sign the petition on the Website - it takes just a few minutes. Hey, if enough people sign, it can make a difference.

For you Doubting Thomases who think one voice can't right a wrong, just think back to the pay raise that legislators in Pennsylvania gave themselves in '05. The grassroots outrage accomplished what many pundits said couldn't be done - Russell Nigro, a State Supreme Court Justice who voted yes to the pay raises, was shown the door, and another justice who voted for the raises, Sandra Newman, narrowly kept her seat. This was the first time in over 30 years an incumbent Supreme Court Justice lost an election - these reelections are usually all but automatic - and Governor Rendell was forced to backtrack from his original position of supporting the raises. The legislature had to vote to repeal the raises. Hey, it's the index finger, not the middle finger, that makes a difference, by clicking a mouse and pulling a voting lever.

Still feel powerless?

Hockey - underrated and underappreciated

I've got to take off on a quick rant about the world of sports. As you can see from my links on the right, I'm a big fan of the NHL, and my team is the Edmonton Oilers. I've only missed 4-5 games this year, thanks to the NHL Center Ice package, which only costs $149.00 for the entire season - you can see any game you want, any time, and all the games from the first 2 rounds of the playoffs. It's a steal.

Anyway, to my point. This is one of the most underrated sports on the planet. "Hockey? Are you crazy?!?" you say. Not so fast. Of the four major professional sports in the United States and Canada, it's the purest and the most fun to watch.

First, the drawbacks. Yes, there have been lockouts and strikes, and losing a whole season in '04-'05 was a major black eye. But, the NFL and MLB have had their share of labor battles in the past, too. The NBA has been lucky in this regard, but, well, it's the NBA, and its popularity hasn't been the same since Jordan, Bird and Magic hung up their sneaks. However, I'm not denying the appeal of the NBA (Go Heat!) or the NFL or MLB (Go Cowboys and Red Sox); I'm merely saying the NHL is king of my court, and here's why.

When is the last time you've heard of performance enhancing drugs in hockey? To be sure, it does exist, but the problems don't seem as widespread as football and baseball. As far as I'm concerned, baseball's records are a joke. Every home run record of the last 15 years should be sandblasted off the books. The ball wasn't juiced - Bonds, Sosa and McGuire were. A sad and pathetic chapter in baseball's storied history.

Can you imagine if allegations came to light that Emmitt Smith, Jerry Rice, or Michael Jordan used banned substances or performance enhancing drugs during their playing days? Unthinkable. Worse yet, how about Wayne Gretzky? A revelation about #99 would make hockey's offensive record book read like a fortune cookie. Speaking of The Great One, my close friends know that I'm one of his biggest fans. My one and only tattoo is Above Left. Has it really been seven years since his last game? I miss his poetry in motion.

Back to my point about drugs in hockey: it just doesn't happen on a large scale, at least that we are aware of based on media reports, or the lack thereof. A nod to credibility here necessitates mentioning that there have been unfortunate incidents. Bob Probert is a sad example of what drug use can do to a professional athlete. Edmonton's own Grant Fuhr, one of my favorite players ever, served a 60+ game suspension in the early 90s when it was revealed that he had a cocaine addiction. Few things in hockey made me happier than when he came back from his suspension and enjoyed some success to wind up a brilliant career, culminating with his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Oilers retiring his #31 as well. No one is perfect in life, and Grant isn't, but he dealt with it openly, honestly, and like a man. We all make mistakes, but not many handle them as well as Grant did.

One of hockey's poorest kept secrets is the use of stimulants, and hopefully someday soon, the league will clean up this festering problem. Anyone in the know about hockey knows that this is a problem that has been around for some time, but can you imagine Congress holding hearings on the use of Vivarin and Sudafed in hockey? Yea, neither can I.

Now, on to the positives with the "New NHL," as many call it, and there are many. But, here's eight great reasons to give the NHL a shot:

1. Rule Changes. The NHL has implemented some terrific rule chances this season that have made the game infinitely more enjoyable to watch. I'm not going to run through all of them here, but scoring is up, the dreaded clutching and grabbing is down, the goonery is mostly gone (more on that in a minute), and the game is as graceful and fun to watch as it's been since the high flyin' 80s. One of the best changes is...

2. ...The Shootout. This is the first season where there are no more ties! If a game is tied after a five-minute overtime, it's settled with a shootout - three shooters per side. (I'd like to see five shooters next season.) This rule change highlights one of the best plays in hockey - the penalty shot. Prior to this season, this was a seldom called penalty, and it's a positive, good change to highlight the game. In short, I love it. And, I've had plenty of exposure to it this season - as I type this, Edmonton has been involved in more shootouts than any team in the NHL so far this season. It can be heart stopping, maddening, exciting, and 20 other emotions all in one. More often than not, I'm out of my chair, yelling and hollering - sometimes in joy, sometimes in anger. But I love it. And thank God they implemented the shootout in the right way, and that the league didn't mess with...

3. ... Overtime Playoff Games. The shootout has no place in the playoffs. There's nothing like a marathon playoff game, where the next goal can send a team home... for good. I've seen so many memorable overtime playoff games, I won't even try to list them here. But, there's nothing like playoff hockey, and there really isn't anything like an overtime playoff game, especially a series-deciding OT.

4. The Cup. Speaking of the playoffs, it doesn't get any sweeter than The Stanley Cup, the oldest trophy played for in North American sports. Above Right is a picture of me with hockey's holy grail at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto in 1996. It's so great for so many reasons. Click the link and read and read and read. What a history. To wit - in baseball, football and basketball the winning team gets a newly made trophy every year. Ultra lame. The Cup, the same Cup, goes from team to team, every year. It's what players play for, really. And honestly, unless you are a true diehard or the commissioner of the NFL, MLB or the NBA, can you even name the other trophies? (Okay, the Lombardi gets some name recognition, but it's a distant second to the Cup.) Yes, getting a Stanley Cup Ring is nice. The money is nice, too - any millionaire hockey player will tell you that. But, in the ultimate team sport, the goal isn't a ring, it's to lift 35 lbs. of sheer, shiny joy over your head and skate around the ice like a happy 5-year old.

5. Hockey Players' Pain Threshold. In another sport, can you imagine the equivalent of taking a 100 m.p.h. slapshot in the ear and not missing any playing time in the same game? Yea, right. Earlier this season, Edmonton's Marty Reasoner (now a Bruin) had that happen in the second period, took over two dozen stitches in his ear, and played the third. Take a fastball in the noggin and take the field in the next inning? Ain't happenin', captain. Hockey players have a cadaver-like tolerance for pain. Another reason to love watching these guys, and to etch into stone this indisputable fact - hockey players are unequaled in toughness. Disagree? Bring it! I'd put these guys' toughness up against any other athlete today.

6. The Salary Cap. The lockout and lost season weren't all for nothing. Yea, we lost a season, but now the playing field is equal or much more equal among the small and big markets - NFL style. No longer can idiot GMs from teams like the Flyers, Rangers, Avalanche and Red Wings buy a Cup. Now you have to manage your money and play within a uniform set of rules. Stanley Cup teams must now be built, not bought. Bravo. A thousand times bravo. It will be refreshing to not see the same teams competing year after year for the Cup. Now teams like my Oilers will have no one to blame if they don't bring it home, because the league has given the small markets what they've wanted and cried for since salaries began escalating in the early 1990s.

7. Game Accessibility. This is a blessing, and a curse. The NHL is #4 in the pecking order of the four major professional sports in North America in terms of popularity and ratings. The byproduct of that is that the league can't seem to get a decent TV contract, and ESPN didn't even try to renew its NHL contract when it expired. The league has since switched to OLN, which thankfully I get. But, no matter, because I get the aforementioned NHL Center Ice Package. It bears mentioning again that it's a whale of a deal. To compare, NFL Sunday Ticket costs $399 for the season if you have HDTV, according to a buddy of mine who declined to shell it out this past season. That's a lot of scratch.

8. The Hockey Fight - On-Ice Enforcement. The players police themselves as much as the zebras do. Yea, that's right - what other sport do you see that? To a certain extent, all of them - the brush back pitch in baseball, the hard foul in basketball, and a wallop over the middle in football, but what other sport actually allows others to fight? You just have to love that. Gone are the Broad St. Bullies of the Flyers (thank God - fun in many ways, but that's not the way the game was meant to be played, in my opinion), BUT there are consequences if an opposing player takes a cheap shot or makes a dirty play in a game. If he isn't in the sin bin, serving a minor or major penalty, someone is gonna drop the mitts with him and settle it man-to-man with a good face pounding. What's not to love there? I'm yet to see compelling evidence that fighting doesn't cut down on cheap shots.

Anyway, these are just a few reasons that the NHL is North America's best-kept secret. Okay, just America's, really, because our brothers to the north already have an appreciation for this wonderful sport - it's their pastime. O, Canada! However, I enjoy the fact that hockey has a boutique-like status in the States. The last thing I want to see is for it to get a ridiculous NASCAR-like following. No thanks.

One other thing that newbies to the sport need to know - having appropriate gear is as important as any other sport, and more important than most, in this hockey fanatic's opinion. Ya gotta have cool threads to go to a game and/or watch a good game at home or at a watering hole with your buds. You can always visit the NHL Online Shop to custom build a jersey with your favorite player's name and number. However, retro is sooo in these days, and retro hockey jerseys begin and end with Philadelphia's own Mitchell & Ness. My M&N jerseys are among my most treasured sports items. But, don't buy direct from M&N, though - you'll pay through the nose. Find a dealer - eBay is a good place to start, but buyer beware - there are loads of fakes out there. Hey, email me - I can help and have had some great experiences getting very good deals on the 'Net.

So, that's my case. Here's an invite to hop on board the hockey bandwagon.

Get a jersey, a group of friends, and

GO CUP CRAZY!