So Long to Solo

Outspoken U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo will not be with the team for Sunday's third-place game against Norway in the Women's World Cup.

Coach Greg Ryan announced the decision 24 hours before the game and just two days after Solo went public and criticized him for benching her for the semifinal with Brazil. Ryan went with 36-year-old veteran Briana Scurry, but it didn't matter. Brazil overwhelmed the top-ranked Americans 4-0, superior in every phase of the game."We have moved forward with 20 players who have stood by each other, who have battled for each other," Ryan said on Saturday. "And when the hard times came - and the Brazil game was a hard time - they stood strong. Now it's the 20 who have stuck together who will be ready to go out and compete against Norway."

I think Ryan is the one who looks bad here. Why didn’t he stick with Solo? She was a on a perfect roll, having not given up one goal during the entire World Cup. Scurry was coming off an injury and is definitely not the same player she was several years ago.

The four goals that Brazil scored against Scurry all looked like they could have been blocked. Scurry looked lost out there, and although I admit that it wasn’t completely her fault, I don’t know how anyone can say she played a good game. Solo most certainly could have blocked at least a couple of those shots, which would have at least given her team a chance.

Ryan is trying to blame Solo for not being a team player, but in the end, the coach made a decision and it didn’t work out. If Scurry had played well, none of this would even be an issue.

Taking Solo out just because Scurry had never lost to the Brazilians was a bone headed move. Why mess with perfection? This is a prime example of a coach getting in the way of his team’s success. Dance with the one who brought ya, Ryan. It’s the oldest rule in the book. Let your best players play and don’t mess with a team’s chemistry, especially if they’re winning.

If the U.S. team loses to Norway with Scurry in goal, Ryan will look even worse. He had better pray for a consolation win, not that anyone cares at this point. No one remembers anyone except the championship team.

Defending champion Germany will face Brazil in Sunday's championship game. The Brazil loss marked the second straight time the United States has fallen in the semifinals of a Women's World Cup, failing to repeat titles of 1991 and '99.Solo, 25, in a widely seen interview, said Ryan had made the "wrong decision" by benching her. She also said she would have made the saves, an open criticism of Scurry who led the United States to the '99 title and gold in the 2004 Olympics.Scurry will start against Norway.Captain Kristine Lilly and star striker Abby Wambach said Solo apologized at a team meeting. And on her myspace page, Solo said she did not mean to criticize Scurry. However, she maintained Ryan's decision was wrong.

Get a Good Realtor

Now that it’s a buyer’s market in U.S. real estate, having a good realtor is more important than ever, regardless of whether you’re buying or selling. A lot of people try to save money by selling their home themselves, which is a big mistake. An experienced, savvy realtor can make you money, not cost you. Don’t be near sighted and stupid, get a good realtor to either sell your house or assist you in the process of buying one.

The Excalibur in Las Vegas

The Excalibur Las Vegas is one of the true mega-hotspots in all of Vegas. It’s a casino hotel resort with great amenities, awesome attractions and is just a first-class operation from top to bottom. Sure, there are a ton of really incredible hotels and casinos in Las Vegas, but if I have a choice, the Excalibur is the crème de la crème, there’s no doubt about it!

The Tennessee Football Volunteers

What can I say about Tennessee football that hasn’t already been said. The Volunteers have an incredibly illustrious history of winning big games with big names. This year’s squad is packed with talent and should only get better. Whenever I think of big-time college football, I have to think about the great names of Tennessee. From Peyton Manning to the current QB Erik Ainge, the Tennessee Volunteers play some of the best football in the college game today!

SF Weekly Punks Us All!

The SF Weekly is featuring a cover story this week entitled, “Steroids Confidential – Greg Anderson Has Given Up His Freedom Rather Than Testify About Barry Bonds. But One Man Has Learned The Trainer’s Secrets,” a piece written by Nic Foit and Ira Tes. When I first read this article, I was absolutely astonished at what it uncovered. And what I learned after reading it shocked me even more.

In the article, they reveal that Barry Bonds injected steroids into his penis in order to satisfy his mistress Kimberly Bell, which later led to Bonds not being able to bend over and caused an error that led to the California Angels beating the Angels in the 2002 World Series. The article also goes on to tell about a titanium brace that had to be implanted into Bonds’ neck in order to keep his huge bobble-like steroid’ed head from flopping over. The article then goes into detail about the supposed fact that now that the MLB is testing for steroids, Bonds consumes a “power drink” that consists mainly of elk semen.

The fact is -- this entire article is a ruse. If you unscramble the authors’ names, you come up with “Fiction and Satire.” What I can’t believe is that there is not one single disclaimer within the entire piece. In one sense – it’s absolutely brilliant. From another point of view, it’s completely irresponsible. If Bonds does not sue the SF Weekly, I will be very surprised.

To read this very creatively written article, check out this link: http://www.sfweekly.com/2007-09-26/news/barry-bonds-drinks-elk-semen-lactates-shoots-hgh-in-scrotum-former-trainer-tells-all/

The San Francisco Art Car Parade, Part III

The San Francisco Art Car Parade, Continued

The San Francisco Art Car Parade

Yesterday San Francisco hosted an incredible one-of-a-kind event – an Art Car Parade and Festival. Starting at Marina Park and winding along the Bay through Fisherman’s Wharf and to the Embarcadero, the parade featured over 30 decorated vehicles. What a spectacle! My favorite was the Sashimi Tabernacle Choir car, an automobile from Texas covered with models of lobsters and fish – 250 of them! They are bolted to a Volvo and when cued, sing a series of songs, everything from opera to pop to punk rock. The car has 2 computers, over 200 pounds of batteries and five miles of control system wire. Wow!
Here is what Wikipedia says about the Art car phenomenon:
An art car is a vehicle that has its appearance modified as an act of personal artistic expression. Art car artists usually drive and own their own work. They are sometimes referred to as "Cartists". Art car artists or owners often dress in a matching motif when displaying their cars. Art cars and car artists come from all walks of life, uphold a wide range of personal philosophies and beliefs and come from all political groups.
An important aspect of art cars and car artists is the general belief that there are no standards. Ideally, there are no super stars nor is any car better than any other. Art cars are unique in that no art car is a "bad" or "wrong" art car. There is more of a sense of inclusion than in other car groups which focus on standards, specific historic periods or makes and models of car.
Most car artists are ordinary people with no artistic training. They are largely self-taught and self funded, though some mainstream trained artists have also worked in the art car medium. Some consider their art to be created as a source of income or as "professional" artworks. Most others agree that creating and driving an art car daily is its own reward. Well known artists like Roy Lichtenstein, Andy Warhol etc. have designed BMW Art Cars and their work has been reflected in racing cars like the BMW V12 LMR.
Art cars can be driven as daily drivers. Others are hauled around the country on trailers and have never driven any where but within art car shows. Others are found everywhere from the local grocery store, to formal museums to organized shows. Some are predominantly functional whereas others are considered primarily art works. Some car artists would never rent their car out while others build cars to make money.

A Love Letter to My Laptop

Ah, but how I love my laptop computer. I don’t know what I’d do without you, my sweet little laptop. You’re like a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stuffy world. How can I describe my relationship with my laptop? I don’t know. She never complains, she doesn’t nag me or use my credit card without permission or kick me out of the bed for being gassy, and whenever I push her lovely Power button, she lights up as if seeing me is the highlight of her day. I call her Dell and she calls me User. We hang out at Starbucks and down at Golden Gate Park and work on projects together. Oh, yes – I love my little laptop – and until I upgrade one day – I guess I always will!

Pulse Oximeters

A pulse oximeter is a gauge that you can use to check the oxygen levels in your blood. It goes right on your finger and an LED read out then tells you the data. Many people who want to gauge the oxygen levels in their blood are using this device to get the information they need very quickly and accurately.