July 18, 2008

How punk is network TV?

The rebellious “sport” of skateboarding will be all over network TV this weekend. Kids can get their fix between the Dew Tour on NBC and the Maloof Money Cup on CBS. The little wooden toy has come a long way. I remember when I got chased by security just for carrying my skateboard into the mall to buy a soda. Now kids go to the mall to get geared up. Some people like how big skateboarding has gotten, some people hate it and want to keep it underground. Personally, I’m happy I don’t have to hear about pro’s pulling shifts at UPS to pay the rent anymore. There’s a lot of garbage that comes with growth, and sure a lot of kids will try it, fall once, and give it up. But skateboarding has always been able to weed out the ones who aren’t really into it. We all have friends that “used to skate” until they got their driver’s license. So love it or hate it, get ready to O.D. on TV with the Dew Tour, Maloof Money Cup, and the X Games right around the corner. No matter how big skateboarding gets, it will always be punk. Its one thing to sit on the couch and watch somebody skate, but it’s another thing to actually do it.

Matt

July 15, 2008

What is your water footprint?

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It seems like the more I learn about the environment, the more I get bummed out. We’ve all been aware of our carbon footprint for a while, and trying to make changes to minimize our individual impact on mother earth. Now, thanks to Surfers Village we can understand our individual water footprint. The Water footprint of an individual is defined as the total water used for the production of the goods and services consumed by the individual. It can be estimated by multiplying all goods and services consumed by their respective virtual-water content. Check out the article and get freaked out. As the population continues to grow, and as we continue to make a mess of the planet, our water demand is outpacing what the planet can replenish. You can find some examples of the water footprint for individual products and get a better understanding of what’s happening. Everything is listed in Litres. Unless you recently brushed up on the metric system, here’s how a Litre converts. One litre is slightly more than one U.S. liquid quart. There are two pints in a quart. So, two pints at Hensley’s equals one Litre. Now that I know my water footprint on a Friday night is over 200 litres I need to change some other things in my life.

Read the article, check out the examples and calculators, and spread the word. If it’s yellow let it mellow.

Matt


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