World Cup

As a long time soccer coach I am obviously interested in the World Cup, not a fanatic or into hooliganism but interested. Sports talk shows typically condescend about soccer most notably criticizing low scoring and insinuating there is a lack of action. These are the same sports talk shows that love golf and think a no hitter in baseball is a great game, yeah, two guys play catch, great game.

This year's World Cup does have one problem, I'm watching with the sound turned down or muted. Considering sports announcers sometimes hitting the mute button is not a bad move but that is not the concern. The vuvuzela, sometimes called a "lepatata" or a stadium horn, is a blowing horn approximately 1 m (3 ft 3 in) in length. It is commonly blown by fans at football matches in South Africa. These horns are a constant background annoyance which affects the enjoyment of the game. They never stop and the constant noise sucks. They should be banned, I doubt FIFA has the courage.

The Future

When I think about my 10 month old grand daughter I have to wonder what kind of world she will see in her lifetime. My generation and those close to mine are using up the earth resources at an unsustainable rate. Peak oil was projected to be around 2006 or 2008. We are close to the downside or already there and it won't take a 100 years to use what is left. When I hear the "drill baby drill" mantra I say no, leave it in the ground for our grand children. Let's change how we live now so the children of today have some natural resources when they are old. It is not just about oil, it is clean water, arable land, pollution of our oceans to name a few. We need more public transportation, fewer sprawling suburbs, more alternative energy, less water use, more hybrid cars and less consumption. Personally I have a hybrid car, recycle almost everything, have solar panels and still need to do more.