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!