Dateline Copenhagen

There's definitely a lot of electricity -- and nervous energy -- in the air here in Copenhagen as representatives of the four cities vying to host the 2016 Olympics seek to button hole IOC members for last-minute lobbying before the October 2 vote.Most of the glitterati are already here, with President Obama expected to arrive early Friday morning. It's anybody's guess whether...

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Unhappiness/Practical and Quixotic Pursuits

I am not happy right now. It pains me to say this, but it is true. I wish I could elaborate more on this, but I don't see how. I have been on an almost five year high despite numerous bad things happening along the way during that time. I could point to circumstances in my life currently, but they are the usual mix of good and bad I have had over my run. All things considered, I am probably doing better now than I was this time last year. So, what's the deal?My mood is directly tied to how I look at the world, and I must admit that this view has...

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Nike Brings Back Michael Vick

Interesting news from Liz Mullen of Street and Smith's Sports Business Journal, as excerpted here:Michael Vick has signed an endorsement deal with Nike, according to Mike Principe, managing director for BEST, the agency that represents Vick. Principe would reveal no other details, but referred other questions to Vick’s personal agent, Joel Segal . . . “Mike has had a great relationship with Nike and is excited to be part of the Nike team again,” said Segal . . . Vick will wear Nike shoes, gear and apparel. “He has always been a fan of the...

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Captain of 1980 USA Hockey Team Interview from 2006

Coaches,I found this interview to be ripe with perspective. You may want to make copies for your players.God bless, Louhttp://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/2006-02-19-hockey-advice-usat_x.htmWhat makes miracles? Work"Do you believe in miracles?" sports announcer Al Michaels asked 26 years ago from the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y. The answer came from Mike Eruzione, captain of the U.S. Hockey Team, who scored the winning goal to beat the Soviet team in what may be the biggest upset in sports. The story was retold in the 2004...

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New CSPO-CATF Report on Goverment Role in Energy Innovation

The conclusions of this new report -- Energy Innovation Systems From the Bottom Up: Technology Policies for Confronting Climate Change -- by the Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes and the Clean Air Task Force are well worth reading. They focus on how government can help transition the economy onto a low-carbon path. Here is how they describe the project:Much of what is known about technological innovation and progress has yet to be captured in discussions of climate change mitigation. Successful mitigation of climate change is not about...

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Has Steve McIntyre Found Something Really Important?

A commenter here asks me to discuss recent goings on over at Climate Audit, where Steve McIntyre thinks he is on to something rather important. I've followed Steve's work for years, and I think I have a pretty good sense of what he is up to and why it might matter for climate science and the nexus of science and political debate. And if you don't know what this is about, good luck catching up to speed (but if you want to try, there will be no better place than Bishop Hill's recounting). Such is the complexity of the issue and its history.But...

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Derailleur Adjustment: an Illustrated Guide

Thank you once again everybody for the advice on how to adjust a derailleur. I am pleased to announce, that with your help, it is done.To recap the problem I was having: When downshifting to the lowest gear, there was nothing stopping the chain from going past it and slipping off the cog. Here is how we corrected this:MechanicAssistant MechanicThe all-important toolThe derailleur....

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SOC

I have been wanting to experiment with a stream of conscious style post here for awhile now, and this is it. Being confined to a topic sucks because I am always able to write, but I don't always have things to write about. SOC is more about asking questions.The questions I ponder these days all deal with randomness and luck. If we define success in terms of mass appeal, how then do we make people like or want what we have to offer? Why did people become so enthusiastic about Harry Potter? Malcolm Gladwell can't explain that.That is the real problem...

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Polanski

I don't know how the latest chapter in the Polanski saga will play out, and I'm not even sure what opinion I should have on the matter. The simple fact is that a 44-year-old man having sex with a 13-year-old girl is just fucked up. What he did was criminal.I recognize there are extenuating circumstances in the case involving the judge who was a total media whore. But Polanski was getting a slap on the wrist all things considered. The simple fact is that the rich and famous get a free ride on the shit they do while the rest of us get hard time.The...

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2009 Olympic Congress

By way of background, the Olympic Congress is a periodic gathering of the "Olympic Family" -- IOC members; representatives of the National Olympic Committees, International Sport Federations, and Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games; athletes, coaches, referees, judges, and technical officials; Olympic sponsors; and the media -- and is not otherwise open to the general...

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All Eyes on Copenhagen

Copenhagen will host a veritable Who's Who at the 121st IOC Session on Friday, with the four cities vying to host the 2016 Olympic Games -- Chicago, Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, and Tokyo-- loaded for bear with all their big guns in tow. President Obama's last-minute decision to attend in person rather than via video ratcheted up the stakes in this winner-take-all contest. Yesterday's...

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Do you Understand my Language

He just smiled and gave me an Isnack 2.0 Sandwich.Doesn't have the same ring to it, does it.People here in New Zealand and over in Australia, the home of Vegemite are fuming.Some marketing company, was paid by Krafts food to come upwith a name for the new vegetime product that contains extra Cheese.So what name did they come up with????These mega brains of the advertising...

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The $500,000 Diet Seems to Work: Glen "Big Baby" Davis shows up to camp in shape

Last month, I blogged about Celtics forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis' new two-year, $5 million contract with the Celtics and the contract's inclusion of an annual bonus of $500,000 if Davis can avoid getting too heavy, which in the past has been a major problem for him.Davis showed up to Celtics' training camp yesterday and it appears that he's in very good shape. Here's Rich Levine of Comcast Sportsnet:We all have a good time making fun of Big Baby’s weight, but the truth is that it was a serious problem. Sure, he might be one of those naturally...

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Resolve: Father/Son Jersey Night

Coaches,A SportsLeader coach held his father/son jersey night last week. His opening words are below. God bless, LouRESOLVEHere on our team our mission is “resolve”or convictions. The crux of manhood, and the deficiency in our youth is just that. I don’t feel that our kids, in this society, are put into situations where a “personal stand” has to be made. Or where a boy has to call himself out, face his fears, find his courage, and witness a success that he otherwise would not have had to do. Generally speaking, our kids don’t have their PHD’s,...

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Ett par Coach-filmer

Påskas tillbringade jag med träningssemester i Tammerfors hos min kompis Antti. Antti, FKA, är en duktig tränare och tävlande i girevoy eller kettlebell sport. Han hittade ett par gamla filmsnuttar på sin dator från ett träningspass. Jag ville spela in för att inte glömma en del tips som jag fick. Sedan föll filmerna i glömska tills Antti hittade dom häromdagen. För er som är fanatiska kettlebelllyftare så tror jag att dom kan vara intressanta. Inte för min teknik, men däremot för dom kommentarer jag får. Först stöt:Sedan ryck:Lite bättre ryck:Det...

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Sports Law Blog Bowl II: Toledo 41, FIU 31

I am happy to report that the University of Toledo (my school) defeated Florida International University (Howard's school) this weekend, 41-31. This avenges last year's lo...

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Provincetown Cycle Yum

I have received a couple of messages asking to recommend "cyclist-friendly" places to eat in Provincetown. This is a tricky one - First, because everyone's taste in this sort of thing is different. And second, because there is really no divide in Provincetown between regular places and "cyclist-friendly": Most restaurants and cafes have racks either right out front, or else...

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Politics Trumping Policy in the U.S. Emissions Bill

When the primary issues involved in the U.S. climate bill ares about how much subsidies are going to be devoted to fossil fuel interests such as coal and petroleum, then you can guess that the bill is not going to do much to decarbonize the U.S. economy. From The Hill:The climate bill coming this week from Sens. Barbara Boxer and John Kerry will likely leave some big questions unanswered, including the biggest: how to divvy up carbon allowances. Allowances are permission slips to release emissions, and they function as a currency in the market...

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Going without breakfast and coffee is a bad idea. Almost as bad as TA...

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To Go or Not to Go....

President Obama's decision to attend the Olympic meeting in Copenhagen on Friday, October 2, to personally pitch Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games could be a game changer, because it gives Chicago's candidacy a rocket boost that no other bid city -- Madrid, Rio de Janeiro, or Tokyo -- can match. But it is also a tremendous risk to his political capital, because...

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UP

Up was the first 3D movie I have seen since Jaws 3 in the mid 80's.It was visually beautiful the effects were great, and more importantly the story and the moral of the movie was sweet.It was also damn funny.The visuals 3D effects were so crystal clear, the humor was aimed at both a kids and adult audience, and their was some genuine touching sad moments, if you have any little...

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Climate Policy Can Decrease Tropical Cyclone Disasters?

It is silly season for climate policy debate. UN FCCC Chief Yvo de Boer points to flooding in the Philippines from Tropical Storm Ketsana and says that an agreement in December can reduce such disasters. Apparently no one has told him that global tropical cyclones are at a 30-year low. "Time is not just pressing, it has almost run out," said UN climate head Yvo de Boer,...

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