Metro Run-Ins

Most of the time I love Metro. Except when they make me wait on the platform for forever, like they did this morning to get to work. Oh well, since nobody is here, and since I never do anything all day anyways, it wasn't a big deal.

But yesterday was a big day for me on the Metro. On my way into work, I rode opposite Roy Hibbert of Georgetown. Let's just say that he was a big, big man. His calves were big old things, as big as my thighs. And anyone boarding the train had to walk on the opposite side of the pole from him. Because his knees stuck out all the way to it. I guess I had forgotten just how tall 7' was even though my boy Matt Slanika from the old Silver Spring Blue Devils Days.

Then on my way home, walking up the steps at Union Station, who walks by me, but the author of one of my favorite websites -- bobbyboswell.com. Of course I tell him, "Keep up the good work Bobby" which caught him off guard. He shook the hand, complimented me on the Bobby Boswell.com wrist bracelet from my night of heavy drinking and sleeping on the couch.

Of course, then he asks where I'm going, and I BLEW IT!!! I was going home. Totally should have tagged along with him on his Metro ride. Next time, I'll take the ride.

And Bobby, if you read this, give a shout out to section 131 tomorrow vs the Pink Cows and the drinks are on me next time. VAMOS UNITED!!!

Bizzare News Story of the Week -- No. 2

Sorry I was gone all weekend and on Friday. Friday, it was a hangover, and yesterday, just was still tired from the weekend.

But this week's bizarre news story comes from the Washington Post.

I too am fed up about an early termination fee, but if that's the case, I do'nt think I'd be this drastic.

After reading on a blog that wireless companies would cancel the contracts of deceased customers, "I thought, 'What have I got to lose, besides a cellphone I despise?' " Taylor said. The Chicago consultant fashioned a fake death certificate and had a friend fax it to Verizon Wireless, his carrier. He thought he was in the clear -- until the company caught on.

"In the end, I forked over the money," Taylor said. "But I bet I sent a definite message about how much people hate being strapped to a cellphone that doesn't work."

I hope actually that they hit this guy up with a lot more than $175, because it's people like that that make us have to pay more. And, as the industry points out, the cell phone that's sitting in my pocket now that I got basically for free, not to mention all the towers and fiber optic cables that make up the network, have to be paid for. It's either pay the cancellation fee or pay a higher monthly rate, and since I can live with an extra bit of time before moving on, I'll pay the fee if I have to leave.

I certainly won't fake my own death.

I Am Shocked, Shocked

Just found a really interesting article in today's Washington Post. Talking about the market for Carbon offsets and how exactly it is that you're willing to pay and what exactly you're paying for, when you buy them.

Here are the opening three paragraphs that summarize what the article is going to be about:

Sites such as this one, offering absolution from the modern nag of climate guilt, have created a $55 million industry that once would have been beyond the greenest of imaginations. The market for "voluntary carbon offsets" now encompasses dozens of sellers and thousands of buyers, including individuals and corporations.

But in some cases, these customers may be buying good feelings and little else.

A closer look reveals an unregulated market in which some improvements bought by customers are only estimated, extrapolated, hoped-for or nil. Some offsets support projects that would have gone forward anyway. Others deliver results difficult to measure.

It's a question that I've been wondering about for myself for awhile. For instance, what exactly do you get when you buy an offset? How is it that by spending more money, you're able to cancel out your own problems? Isn't this just shifting the blame for carbon problems that lead to "man-made" global warming?

But in a way, as a capitalist, I have to like the idea of carbon offsets. I mean, I love futures markets for commodities, I love the stock market and what it does, what's wrong with carbon trading? I think I, and other free-marketers would love to see an actual commodity develop that could be reliable traded back and forth. That would solve my problems.

But how do you create this commodity? Who's going to oversee it? The article asks that question.

But it also asks some of these other questions:

Some of the money paid for these certificates stays with the offset vendor or with a middleman. The rest usually winds up with the energy project's builder or the utility that buys its electricity. In some cases, this can amount to something like a donation to a for-profit company: American Electric Power, which sold an undisclosed amount of certificates from wind farms last year, earned more than $1 billion in profit.

Some environmentalists balk at this. If the certificate is bought only after the energy is produced, they wonder, how can an offset vendor know the energy wouldn't have been produced anyway?

Now, I don't have a problem with that at all. In fact, if a company is doing something the right way, and their service has value, then they should profit. That's the way the economy works. That's the way the system works.

Just something I've been thinking about a lot. I'd like to see it develop, but I'd like to see a whole heck of a lot less governmental subsidies in general. Lose the ones for oil too while we're at it. I'm willing to pay a little more for wind power.

And if a hydrogen fuel cell car ever comes along, I'm buying it immediately ...

Vamos United!!!

If you haven't read it yet, it's an enjoyable Washington Post Style section feature on the lunatics who sit around me at DC United games. They're well worth the price of admission and they don't care about the weather. It does, however explain how the chant leaders are able to watch the game.

Big game tonight though, in the SuperLiga semis. We take on Beckham and the L.A. Galaxy again, this time at their place, instead of ours. I'll be up all night watching it of course.

IF United wins (knock on wood) then we'll host the Pumas of Pachuca, who beat Houston last night in a penalty shootout. I of course, did watch the game, even though it kept me up late. My thoughts:

The game was brutal in terms of heat and humidity, and you could see everyone was walking pretty much the whole second half.

I couldn't believe that Pachuca's 10 shirt, who came on to start the second half, couldn't even finish the half before picking up two yellow cards. Including one for diving. When was the last time that we've seen a dive by a forward get a yellow card from a Central American referee? Great call, although a little harsh to get sent off for to technical yellows, and no hard tackles.

How bad a penalty kick was that one taken by Ngwenya? I mean, mon Dieu!! Hit the ball, and at least make the keeper move.

Houston was lucky to be in that game.

The two second half goals were complete and utter garbage. Really. An American goalkeeper would have saved Robinson's header, or at least dived, and why was Onstad diving backwards? Both saveable, and it should have been a 1-1 tie.

Great job by the Houston fans. Very impressive guys and gals. Keep it up.

Why hide behind a shield?

So I'm sure you're trying to figure something out. Why the DC Centurion? Well, here's a piece of fun info:

The exterior and interior of Union Station are guarded by a series of statues of Roman centurions. When he received the commission for designing the statues, Saint-Gaudens [the artist who sculpted them] asked the Fine Arts Commission if they wanted the statues to be historically accurate and was assured that they did.

When the models were delivered, the Fine Arts Commission were dismayed to find that some of the statues were obviously naked below their tunics -- historically accurate, yes, but not acceptable to turn-of-the-century Washington.

Saint-Gaudens redesigned the statues so the centurions now hold "modesty shields".

That's where the guy to the right comes in. I've always thought that whole idea was hilarious. Here we are, two blocks from the Capitol Rotunda, and we could have sculptures of the ideal of manly beauty with everything hanging out? I can hear the Bible Belt fainting in a heap already.

But, you'll also notice the shield of the under-appreciated DC United soccer team front and center, instead of the Roman Eagle adorning the real sculptures as they stand sentinel over Union station huh? [The profile picture will be coming soon. Bear with me]. Take a look at all these pictures and tell me if it's not an improvement.

But why Union Station? Well, I live in Washington, D.C. I won't call it what it used to be called in terms of the "Free World" but since I live two blocks from Union Station, walk by these semi-nudes every day and sometimes get freaked out by the idea of them coming alive and down to beat on me ... it seemed to fit.

I'm a young, mid 20's professional, and as it says in the subtitle, this is a scattershot blog. I'll be harping on all kinds of fun things. Currently on my list of topics to discuss are the books I'm working on, the movies I see, the food I eat, all of my soccer and other sports fun, my soccer reffing career and anything else that piques my interest.

Check back in, and if you want me to track anything down for you, I'm happy to.