A thought about the Super Bowl ads and the poor treatment of women

Some people are upset about this ad because of the violence against women.  O.K. I get it.  I wasn’t offended by it, but, well, I suppose some people could be.

But for all those who were offended by the violence of the “Tebow” ad, I have a question.

Shouldn’t you mention this ad too?  Or this one?  Or this one?  I guess those acts of violence against women don’t count.

If you’re gonna be against violence to women in ads, be against ALL violence against women in ads, not just one.  It’s almost if you have an agenda of some sort.

And that’s the problem with agendas, they end up making you look like a hypocrite.

Venezuela, a non-expert analysis

I just got back from Venezuela and had to make a few observations about how things are there.

First, I love Venezuela, but it definitely has some problems.  And it all stems from one person.  El Presidente, Hugo Chavez.

When you´re in Venezuela, it´s hard not to hear from, or about Chavez and his talking about the U.S.  In fact, there´s a great YouTube post (looking for the video, but can’t seem to find it) (It’s there now, in Spanish. thanks to Julia)from the OAS where the representative from Panama told the joke.

“When his wife cheats on him, a right wing fascist will beat her up.  A social conservative will plead with her “Why?” The communist will immediately collect all the stones around and start throwing them at the U.S. Embassy.”

In Venezuela, there is more than a little truth about that joke.

Throughout the whole country, there are rolling power outages and water shortages, all because Chavez long ago fired anyone capable of maintaining these infrastructures who was not Chavista.  So what does he do?  Does he try and fix the problems?

No.

Instead he throws rocks at the United States.  Chavez says U.S. planes are spying on him, that Obama is the same as Bush, and that a U.S. attack on Venezuela is coming anytime.

Listening to all this, there’s only one conclusion I can make.

He wishes the United States would invade.  It’s the only way he can get out of this complete fiasco he’s created for himself.

Think about this.  Ten years ago, Venezuela was exporting electricity to other countries.  Now there are shortages.  So much so that Christmas lights were forbidden in many areas.  Additionally, water is being rationed throughout the country.  In Caracas, the water is shut off so they can conserve.

Incredible.

Ask any Venezuelan about this.  They are tired.  Tired of lines 50 people deep waiting for the money machines with no power.  They are tired of shopping in dark malls because  whole cities lose power for hours on end.  They are tired of storing water so that they can use the toilet, or have a drink of water.  One woman said to me that if she had told people that Venezuelans were sitting in the dark”with no light and no water they would never believe us.”

It’s true.  And they know who’s to blame for it.

Oh yeah, elections are coming up this year, which could spell big trouble for Chavez.

If the elections are clean (a huge “if”, I know) there is a good chance that the congress could have a significant number of opposition members elected.  Why?  Opposition parties who have boycotted past elections in protest are instead organizing and winning.  There were several opposition wins last year for governor and mayors of major cities, including Caracas.  Of course, Chavez usurped the election and took away the winner’s powers, the police, etc.  That will be much harder to do if several opposition candidates gain seats in congress this year.

He will certainly try, but it may just backfire.

Many remember that when the first vote to change the Venezuelan Constitution, in order to let Chavez run indefinitely, failed Chavez tried to withhold the voting results until the military stepped in and said it would not support him if he didn’t acknowledge the results.

I can see a similar scenario unfolding again if Chavez, say, dissolves an opposition controlled congress.

His grip on the presidency is weak right now with many of his former supporters now turning against him.  He must tread carefully if he wants to remain president.

Chavez, of course, recognizes none of this.  He still grandstands, acts impulsively (devaluation anyone?), and still believes (and hopes) a U.S. invasion is coming.   It won’t of course.  And why would we?  Chavez is doing a fine job of losing his grip on Venezuela without our help.

So here’s to a hopefully happy, and Chavez free Venezuela in 2010.

The word of the day is…..

BRONCOS!!!!!!!!

Just ask Drew Litton…

A thought about the Olympics pick

I found it pretty amazing that no South American country has ever hosted an Olympics and I think it’s about time that they got one.

Congratulations to Rio and Brazil!!!!

And thank goodness ol’ Chavez didn’t get them.  Could you just imagine?

Shannon Sharpe knows how to make an entrance

Congrats to Shannon for making the Bronco Ring of Fame.

When racism isn’t

Just saw the transcript of the Gates 911 call and it seems pretty tame.  In fact, I think the thing that struck me most was a concerted lack of labeling Gates and his chauffeur as any type of race.

It won’t matter though as most everyone has already made up their minds about this regardless of what facts may come out.

Confederations Cup results: A balanced view

When looking at the U.S. finishing 2nd in the Confederations Cup, it is easy to start getting excited about the team.  I think, however, the excitement might be a little premature.

If we look at the tournament in its entirety we see, not a soccer team ready to vie for a World Cup, but rather a team that made the semifinals via the longest of long shots.  Did they deserve to be there?  Sure, they made their own luck, but that’s not to say that they’ve been a dominant team recently.

Now, don’t get me wrong, the victory over Spain was an excellent win, but it was a bit like surviving a siege.  The U.S. were dominated in every aspect of that game except on the scoreboard.  The U.S. will not get very far next summer, or even in CONCACAF letting Tim Howard get shelled every game.

That’s the problem.  The U.S. played the same way for every game of the Confederations Cup except for their game against Egypt, a team ranked considerably lower than them that they should beat every time.

When you look at each game of the tourney, it becomes even more obvious that the U.S. is not nearly ready for primetime.

Game 1:  They go up 1-0 at halftime and then let in 3 second half goals to Italy and lose 3 -1.

Game 2:  They get blown out by Brazil, who score 3 first half goals and cruise.  The final is 3 – 0.

In fact, going into the third game against Egypt, who beat Italy and nearly beat Brazil, most thought it was going to be another blowout.

Game 3:  The U.S. did a great job and finally played to win rather than not to lose, but the 3-0 win only helped them when Italy collapsed against Brazil.

Game 4:  The U.S. scored a goal early, then held on for dear life against Spain, who everyone knows overlooked the U.S..  Even then, Spain had most of the chances and were unlucky to score.  A late U.S. goal makes the final 2-0, but there was no time in that match that U.S. looked equal to Spain.

Game 5:  Finally the U.S. played like they may be ready to do something in the World Cup.  The first half against Brazil was the best they’ve played in months, but 45 minutes doesn’t make a game, and to be fair, Brazil still had most of the play.  If Tim Howard doesn’t make several huge saves, the game is tied at the half.  The U.S. comes out  and gets crushed in the second half when Brazil scores 3 (really 4) goals and ends up with the trophy.

The U.S. really played about 120 minutes of good soccer out of a possible 450 minutes played.  Not really the type of performance we should be expecting out of the 14th best team in the World, according to FIFA.

In fact, I believe that if the U.S. keeps playing the way they did for most of the Confederations Cup in CONCACAF qualifying, they might not even make it to the World Cup next summer.

The U.S. has a lot of work to do before next summer.  They would do well to study their play in the whole tourney rather than focusing on where they finished.

Turnabout is fairplay

I need to say this upfront.  I’m generally pro-bike on the roads.  I give them as much space as I can when passing.  Heck, I even have a bike I ride around town now and then.  Bicycles are a great mode of transportation.

What I don’t like, however, are the bicyclists who don’t obey the traffic laws, are belligerant, and basically have no respect for drivers, like me, who go out of their way to be courteous.

The worst is the Critical Mass folks.  Having been caught in one of their protests, I can tell you first hand that they had no respect for me or other drivers.

So this in today’s Daily Camera gave me a smile.  It talks about a “Critical Mass” with cars protest to stop bicycles from hogging the roads.  Part of the flier reads:

“On July 25, in celebration of driver’s rights, many cars will use the Left Hand Canyon Road, drive slowly and many may break down unexpectedly, blocking areas to the cyclists on the return leg of the ‘Sunrise Century,’” the anonymous, one-page note reads. “Many cars and safe drivers all working together can send a message to the Statehouse to restrict cycling on our roads which are our only alternatives during family emergencies, commuting and required duties.”

I love it!  It’s about time that drivers employed the same tactics to bicyclists that they have had to endure for years.  Of course the reaction from bicyclists is hysterical, and predictable:

David Flores, 46, an avid cyclist who lives near Lee Hill and Left Hand Canyon drives, said he and his neighbors found the fliers stuffed in their mailboxes Thursday.

“There is nothing to be gained in trying to line the roads with cars to try and disrupt people on bicycles,” Flores said. “I don’t hope cyclists unite and decide to block U.S. 36 to make a point.”

Flores said the tone of the letter is obviously meant to incite a confrontation during the ride, despite its suggestion that pulling over to “inspect” vehicles for “engine trouble, sounds or other safety issues” is a form of civil disobedience.

“If that happens, there will be either an accident or some kind of confrontation,” Flores said. “There are people who will go out of their way to light the powder keg on both sides.”

Flores is right.  It’s obviously a form of civil disobedience to incite a confrontation.  It’s what Critical Mass bicyclists have been doing for years.  Now that the shoe is on the other foot, however, bicyclists don’t like it.

Well turnabout is fair play and it heartens me to know that there is still a bit of rebellious spirit left in Boulder.

When coaching pays off

As a soccer coach, wins are fun and losses are tough, but it’s off the field accomplishments that make me the proudest.  Over the weekend, one of my captains did me proud.

Tomas Garcia accomplished something no one in his family has ever done. On Saturday, he graduated from the Denver School of Science and Technology (DSST) with the hope of becoming an architect.

Excellent news, but they didn’t report that Tomas was one of only a few graduates to not only win a state ACE scholarship but receive a national ACE scholarship as well.

Great job Tomas!!

Well then, I won’t

Sometimes stupidity in others is funny….really funny.  Other times, however, when their misguided actions are sure to cause them personal pain, or difficulty, it becomes a little harder to watch.

Take this story from Fox News…

Celebrity hotspot and renowned Japanese restaurant Nobu has written a note to diners at its London restaurants warning them not to eat the bluefin tuna on the menu because it is endangered, the London Telegraph reported Wednesday.

The restaurant, popular with stars like Brad Pitt and Kate Moss, calls the $50 dish on its own menu “environmentally challenged.” It asks patrons to “ask your server for an alternative.”

This misguided attempt to be environmentally friendly is not only a patently superficial gesture, but will probably cause the restaurant to take a huge hit, financially or otherwise.  Whoever does Nobu’s P.R. needs to tell them to rethink this.

Look, the worst thing you can do is sit on the fence about something.  If you really care about the plight of the noble bluefin tuna, then don’t serve the noble bluefin tuna at your restaurant.

If you’re interested in making $50 bucks a plate from selling the tasty, tasty fish, then sell it, without apology.

Fence sitting will only get both sides mad at you.

But hey, maybe they’re going for the “I tell others to be environmental but don’t have to do it myself cause I’m so cool” crowd.  And, Lord knows, there’s plenty of those folks around.

Needless to say, the next time I travel to one of my favorite cities, Nobu will not be on the…um…menu.

via Drudge.