www.youtube.com/watch?v=ffWxVvHLwXM

- Matt

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Exec-produced by Steven Spielberg, TNT’s Into the West miniseries chronicles the story of two American families (one Native American, and one Caucasian) over the course of the 19th century.  At times heartbreaking and at others powerfully jubilant, this miniseries effectively captures the spirit of a time and place that has simultaneously haunted and intrigued me for most of my life.

Efficiently traversing almost the entire 19th century, Into the West utilizes a fresh way of looking at topics and events that is at once entertaining and informative.  Events embraced by the miniseries include the exploration of the West, the California gold rush, early Indian policies, Jayhawkers and guerrilla warfare in Civil War-era Kansas , the construction of the transcontinental railway and the ensuing Indian massacres.  Although this is not an easy view (the subject matter is powerful and depressing) I highly recommend this miniseries and hope that you will make time to view it.Similar Posts:

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQITWbAaDx0

- Matt

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Since the British Petroleum (BP) well erupted at the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on April 20th, roughly 800,000 gallons of oil has been spilling into the Gulf of Mexico on a daily basis. While BP has been making limited progress in slowing the leak, they have estimated that the well will not be capped until August, at the earliest. Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen has now estimated that the disaster cleanup could take years, but we can only speculate on the long-term damage to the sensitive Gulf marshes and the likely collapse of the local marine population. Rest assured we will be feeling the reverberations of this catastrophe for decades to come. One just has to look at the environmental and social impact on the Prince William Sound area 20 years after the Exxon Valdez oil spill to get a glimpse of the exponential future repercussions of the worst oil spill in United States history.

If you are like me and have been following BP’s self-inflicted soap opera over the past 49 days, you are frustrated and angry. You are frustrated over BP’s risky business practices and their inability to plan for the potential consequences of such behavior (hastily strung together stoppage techniques like “The Box” and “Top Kill” do not count as a disaster plan). Surely you are also frustrated over the widespread corruption and incompetence at the Minerals Management Service, which is supposed to act on behalf of the American people and is “responsible for inspection and oversight of energy companies to ensure they are following the law and protecting the safety of their workers and the environment.” Unfortunately, having a good mission statement doesn’t stop oil spill disasters. And finally, if you are like me, you feel angry at your inability to make any meaningful impact on this disaster. Fortunately, both you and I would be wrong to think we are completely helpless.

When I typed “how to help the oil spill cleanup,” strangely very few applicable links popped up and there certainly was no comprehensive resource. However, after some digging I found a lot of good information and have already started taking steps to make my own personal impact. And assuming there actually are people out there like me who want to help, but aren’t sure how, I have summarized five action items you can start today.

1. Volunteer your time -- Many organizations are recruiting volunteers, including The Audubon Society, the National Wildlife Federation, and the Greater New Orleans Foundation. The Louisiana Bucket Brigade (LBB) offers a few ways to volunteer and the Environmental Protection Agency has created DeepwaterHorizonResponse.com, which includes hotlines to volunteer opportunities.
2. Adopt a bird -- The International Bird Rescue Resource Center (IBRRC) has an ongoing adopt-a-bird program where you can help ducklings, egrets, and pelicans that have been effected by this oil spill and other disasters (see image below).  Perhaps due to legal requirements, sometime in the past few days the IBRRC changed their donation page to note that “BP has committed to paying for the clean-up and wildlife rescue efforts in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. While your donations cannot be used to fund bird rescue operations in this spill, IBRRC welcomes support for its ongoing programs to rescue and rehabilitate aquatic birds by donating, becoming a member or adopting a bird.”  In any case, the IBRRC appears to be on a mission worthy of your support.
3. Get a haircut -- A unique way to support the oil spill cleanup effort is to get a trim at a barbershop or salon that sends off your clipped hair to be used in those oil containment booms we’ve seen all over the news. The non-profit Matter of Trust provides further information and the following video offers a little insight into this unique way to help:  

   www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAou7qy4BvE

4. Make noise -- Although you can submit suggestions on stopping the oil spill and/or limiting the damage to the Deepwater Horizon Response site (apparently BP’s suggestion box has been overflowing for some time now), you should also be sharing your thoughts with both your locally and nationally elected representatives. If you think the government response has been lacking, if you want better oversight of offshore drilling, or if you’re tired of multi-national corporations polluting our oceans (all of the above?), make yourself heard.  Review our Contact Your Government article from last year, which provides an easy way to get in touch with your mayor, governor, congressperson, senator and president in a matter of minutes.
5. Stay informed -- Several sites keep you up-to-date on the oil spill, but some of my favorites include the LBB’s Oil Spill Crisis Map, the National Wildlife Federation, NOAA, and the sad but true Consolidated Fish and Wildlife Collection Report from IBRRC.  Most news outlets will give you top-level information on BP’s response, but these sites will give you more detailed information that shows the true breadth and impact of the disaster.

If you have any other suggestions on how individuals can help the oil spill cleanup effort, share your thoughts below.  And if you’re in need of a laugh at BP’s expense, check out the Twitter feed of their “public relations” consultant, Terry (@BPglobalPR).  During this dark and absurd time, we need all the levity we can get.  Best of luck.

- Matt

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc

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And as if I needed any extra help in getting pumped for the June 11th start, Nike rolled out their new World Cup advertisement yesterday during the UEFA Champions League Final between Bayern Munich and Inter Milan (Inter won 2-0). I don’t typically fawn over ads, but they’ve pulled out all the stops for this 3-minute masterpiece that features: Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba, Italy’s Fabio Cannivaro, England’s Wayne Rooney, U.S.’s Landon Donovan, Brazil’s Ronaldinho (sorry dude…I’m shocked Dunga didn’t include him on the 23-man roster), and every lady’s favorite…Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo.

Check out the ad right here and let me know what you think:

- Matt

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www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlFq9v0fT8E

-Matt

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“Political freedoms (in the form of free speech and elections) help to promote economic security. Social opportunities (in the form of education and health facilities) facilitate economic participation. Economic facilities (in the form of opportunities for participation in trade and production) can help to generate personal abundance as well as public resources for social facilities.”

You might find this either basic or esoteric, but it certainly deserves some thought. Although I think he was actually discussing nation-building, if there is a formula for what makes America such a prosporous nation, Sen’s idea has provided the most accurate and concise I’ve ever seen.

- Matt

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• Hobnobbing with scions of society Ryan Howard (he asked me to call his man-purse a satchel, and as Matt has previously noted, he is 255 lbs), Chase Utley, and Jayson Werth of the recently oft-mentioned Philadelphia Phillies…. SERIOUSLY!!!  Details you ask?  I may or may not have bought Howard (who just signed a 5-year $125 million dollar contract) a cocktail (Tanqueray 10 and tonic) at a bar in San Diego following a Phillies/Padres game,

• Keeping up foreign relations with our North American brothers to the south of us.  Again I may or may not have purchased uniformed police officers tequila shots while they were on their lunch break… I literally lubricated the wheels of justice for a week in Cabo San Lucas… OLE!

• Moving from the greater Los Angeles area to the even-greater Ventura County area,

• Meeting regularly with marketing executives from Just for Men in order to increase the creepiness factor of their recent ad campaigns,

• Attempting to establish previously unrecognized Guinness Book of World Records records in the wearable blankets (snuggie) category,

• Determining how to properly stow my Ipod Shuffle headphones after usage in order to prevent it from taking approximately eight minutes to untangle them before their next use.

As you can see, I have been quite busy and therefore excused for leaving all of our dear readers breathless for our next update.  I will make a deal with all of you, however.  If you continue to read our website, I vow to spend less time buying rich and powerful men drinks and more time entertaining you.Similar Posts:

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