Buy Coffee - Help stop human trafficking

the International Justice Mission has teamed up with Storyville Coffee to help raise money against human trafficking.

The IJM is one of my absolute favorite organizations and Gary Haugen's team does great great work helping those who are oppressed in third world countries.

Storyville Coffee has decided that 100% of the revenue they collect in May will go to IJM! so not only do you get some great coffee, you get to help a great cause. please take a minute and check it out!

Here's my stuff (i ordered on May 1st, coffee roasted on May 4th, sent priority mail which they do with every order, received May 6th.  pretty awesome turnaround time!)

RANT: Spoilers

Okay, so i'm gonna rant a little here.

We've all known about Spoiler Alerts for awhile, and basically it's in bad taste to spoil a movie or whatever for someone else, especially if it's something that doesn't have a set date, for example, a movie. people can go see that movie anytime, whereas a sporting event happens on a certain date or time.

With the popularity of Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and social networking it is very easy to find out the results of an event, maybe even before you want to. here's a hint, if you don't want to know who won a game, who got voted off American Idol, who won the Presidential Election - DON'T GO ON FACEBOOK.

If you are DVR'ing, Tivo-ing, recording an event, and you don't want to know what happens, YOU need to put out the effort to stay away from places where you might find the result, like the internet, or a phone call from a friend who likes the same event, or co-workers. You can't blame somebody else for ruining it for you.

We've learned this a lot in this day-and-age, with so many reality TV shows like American Idol, Top Chef, Dancing With the Stars, etc that you just cannot go on Facebook or Twitter because most likely one of your friends have updated their status with "I can't believe that Danny Gokey just won Idol, yes!!".

Unfortunately for me, i follow European Football, which takes places right about noon our time, so it takes a lot of effort to make it half a day at work without most of the Internet. then getting home, ignoring my soccer friends, and firing up the DVR about 8p (since Addie could care less about soccer). but its something i have to do if I want to watch something "live".

Do you get it? don't blame me if i post an update with the result of something you're trying to hold out for, especially if my status update starts with ***SPOILER***. sheesh.

My Feelings on the Browns Draft

This year wasn't nearly as dramatic as 2 years ago, when the Browns passed on Adrian Peterson and Brady Quinn to take left tackle Joe Thomas, and then traded to also get Brady Quinn. I liked that pick, and i like this year's pick as well.

If you didn't follow the draft, the Browns were picking #5 after their terrible season last year. A lot of buzz was being created about the Browns trading out of that spot, and it eventually happened, trading with the NY Jets and their 17th pick. From there, the Browns traded to the 19th pick, and finally to the 21st pick, picking up later picks as they went. In the end the Jets took the highest profile player in the draft, Mark Sanchez from USC, and the Browns took a center that no one had really heard of, and about 10 other players, and got 3 players from the Jets (the Jets that new Browns coach Eric Mangini coached for the last 3 years).

WPB Dawg Fan broke it down the best anyone could, at The Browns Board so i'll let him do all the talking:

When we traded from #5 overall down to 21 (eventually) the Browns got a lot more than just 3 players and a pick. A LOT MORE!!!

All total, the Browns got:
#21 Alex Mack, C
#52 David Veikune, LB
#191 Coye Francies, CB
#195 James Davis RB
Brad Ratliff, QB
Kenyon Coleman, DE
Abram Elam, S

Coleman and Elam are likely to be starters for the Browns...but at the very least they will be key rotational players. Mack is also likely to be a starter....and Veikune is expected to challenge for the OLB starting roll.

So, instead of getting ONE starter (Raji or whomever) at #5...the Browns filled 3 to 4 positions.

BUT THAT IS NOT ALL!!!

The thing that nobody is talking about is the fact that the Browns ALSO saved about $40M on the rookie salary to their first round player. And this may actually be the most important component of the trade!!!

That means that the Browns will be in a position to make contract extensions to key FA's next year:

RB Jerome Harrison UFA (likely starter)
FB Lawrence Vickers UFA (starter)
WR Braylon Edwards UFA (starter)
OT Ryan Tucker UFA (starter)
OL Isaac Sowells UFA
LB D'Qwell Jackson UFA (starter)
LB Leon Williams UFA
SS Brodney Pool UFA (starter)

The Browns have 5 starters that will be FA's next year, and 1 that is a likely starter (Harrison will likely play often).

That is a lot of talent the Browns need to lock down going into next year....and that $40M will go a long way to making sure we are able to keep the talent we want to keep.

We will also have a full slate of draft picks in 2010 (and an additional 5th)...in what is shaping up to be a much stronger draft than this years.

So...the Browns actually got at least 3 starters (maybe 4), were able to keep options open for trading a QB (DA) or WR (BE), and saved enough money to keep the 5 starters we stand to lose to FA next year.

I would say...for the price of ONE PICK...

THAT WAS AN AWESOME TRADE(S)!!!

Feeling much better about this season than all of the Bronco fans here in Denver!

Addicted to Twitter

so i haven't posted in awhile because i've discovered Twitter, and i am hopelessly addicted.

Also because of the lack of interesting things to talk about lately. The NBA is finally closing in on playoffs races, with the Nuggets trying to hold off the Jazz and the Blazers (and the Kings are nowhere to be found). The NFL offseason has seen the Browns essentially ruin the only 3 players i like by trading Kellen Winslow, ticking off Shaun Rodgers who now wants out, and not showing any love to Brady Quinn. ugh.

So in the midst of all that, i've given in to Twitter. if you don't know already Twitter is basically a place where people update their status, in a short sentence or two. like "Brian is going to lunch at Red Robin" or something like that. you can follow whoever you like (if they're also on Twitter that is) and my current favorite Twitter-er is Shaq, he's hilarious, and he updates all day.

I have this on my work PC so now i'm updating way too often. you can also post links, pictures, and other content as well, so that makes it interesting when you follow people like Mark Driscoll or the Emergent Village.

You should check it out, you can use programs like TWhirl to update your status and it will automatically update your facebook status as well (facebook-ers probably don't like people who update their status this often). A lot of people are on twitter, famous or not, so check it out.

my screen name is BMer916 , check me out here: http://twitter.com/bmer916

More Ugliness!

With the recent trade of Sam Cassell to Sacramento for, well, about nothing, i noticed that a high amount of players with exceptional ugliness have either played for my beloved Kings, or my adopted team, the Nuggets.

Back in 2007 Aaron and I came up with the All-Ugly Team, and now, i've seen most of the these players join my 2 favorite teams:

-Reggie Evans (Nuggets)
-Mikki Moore (Kings)
-Chauncey Billups (Nuggets)
-Hedo Turkgolu (Kings)
-Sam Cassell (Kings)


man there are some ugly players in the league!

I'm On A Boat

i love Digital Shorts on SNL, this was last weeks and its hilarious! T-Pain is gangsta!

You Can't Deny Beckham!

Alright, enough people in the world have written articles about David Beckham, almost everyone has an opinion, and most "true" soccer fans don't like him, or at least think he's overrated. thats fine, but i like the dude.

He's played for the best club teams in the world in Manchester United and Real Madrid, won hardware with both teams, was a captain for ManU and a captain for the English national team. he's played in three World Cup (they're every 4 years) and he's got a legit chance playing for the next one in 2010. He had some success in MLS here in America but i don't think he realized how bad the talent level is in the league and there's only so much one man can do.

For the last month David Beckham has played with AC Milan, the top club team in Italy, in a league that boasts some of the worlds best player including the best in the world, Kaka, and former World Player Ronaldhino. And Beckham has earned a starting spot and has already scored twice and had numerous assists.

Hate on him all you want, but its almost the same as Shaq being the best center still, or Ray Allen leading the Celtics in scoring, or Brett Favre still competing, or Curt Schilling, Micheal Jordan his last few years...

These guys didn't just play late into their thirties, but they were among the best in their prospective leagues. Beckham is the same, AC Milan would not be offering the amount of money (11 million) or a starting spot on an amazing team if Beckham was washed up. He still is among the best at his position (right mid-field) and will be on the English national team for at least a few more years.

I enjoy watching Beckham plays, he's a hard worker and he good looking...what?!

And yes, i'm actually watching the games, not just going on highlights, as i'm writing this i'm watching Milan v Lazio and Beckham has gotten 2 assists on crosses to Ambrisoni and Pato, and a third goal from Beckham to Pato was called back on offsides.

He's good, just enjoy the fact we still get to watch him play! You only hate on him because you're jealous of him, just like you hate on Leonardo Dicaprio, Tom Brady, Brad Pitt, and Micheal Jordan (i was a hater in high school).

Beckham today with two assists: