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What the Hatha!? Learning About Hatha Yoga

Yoga was originally meant to be a spiritual treatment of the mind and the soul. It has, in today’s world, become more of a physical treatment than anything else. Hatha yoga is the type of yoga that prepares your body for its spiritual journey. This is mainly done with physical and breathing exercises as well as asceticism. This type of yoga requires the most physical exercise than any of the other types of yoga.

A few of the main factors for Hatha yoga are concentration on your breathing and your posture. This type of concentration can be more difficult than you think. Once you try this for yourself and see what this type of concentration can do, you will want to continue with this type of yoga. The purpose of practicing a great posture is to practice great meditation. You need to find a position that you can sit in for a long period of time. If you cannot be comfortable in your meditation and yoga positions, then you will be unsuccessful. The more postures and positions that you can acquire, a better meditative state will result.

Hatha is the form of yoga that anyone should begin with. Hatha begins with the basics of yoga and teaches you the inner workings of meditation and how you should begin. Once you master your own postures and positions of meditation comfort, it is time to master your breathing patterns. If you can master your own breathing patterns, than mastering your mind is not far out of reach for you. It takes many steps to reach these different levels of meditation and yoga. With practice and concentration anyone can do it.

If you are beginning your new adventure with yoga, Hatha is the form of yoga that you should begin with. If you want your yoga career to be successful you must begin with the proper steps and then learn in the right order. If you only learn the superficial methods of yoga, then you will not experience the desired results from this amazing technique of holistic meditation.

In today’s world, Hatha yoga mostly used for its physical exercise. We do not take advantage of the other benefits that Hatha yoga can give to us. It is a form of yoga that if done properly, can heal you in the most holistic way possible. Hatha yoga does evolve from its physical exercises. It is these exercises that begin and promote the mind and soul healing. No matter why you are participating in yoga, you can receive all of these benefits. The only way you can recognize them or use them to your benefit is to practice the other side of yoga, meditation. If you are unaware that these features, they will be of no use to you. When practicing yoga, you need to be aware of everything going on within you. Pay attention to yourself and you will instantly be able to see the changes that are going on within you.

Hatha yoga can be easy to learn if you are open minded and want to learn. It is a technique that can be mastered if you put all your energy and concentration into it. By learning the techniques of Hatha yoga, you are well on your way to an alternative way of healing in the most holistic way possible.

By Krishan Bakhru

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How To Speak The Language Of Disc Golf

By popular demand, Disc Golf blogger Steven Pease breaks down the language barrier for FSM readers…

Most people who play disc golf know the regular terms and language. There are lots of other words that people use for describing things that happen on the course. Words not in the dictionary, or in the general vocabulary for disc golf. I have gathered some interesting terms from other players, and from what I’ve read that other players use. I will share the common ones, and some better ones that are not common that I have found.

I got a great story sent to me a couple years ago. A player who was new went out to play a round with his dad, there was a reporter and a photographer at the course from the local paper. He asked if you could take a couple pictures for a story they were doing on disc golf; the guy said sure. The photographer got into position about 50 feet up the edge of the fairway; the guy let loose with his drive and hit the photographer square in the chest with his driver.

Very embarrassing and funny now, but no one wants to do that. I love this story because it shows exactly why everyone wants to get better. I put together terms that I have learned over the past 30 years of playing disc golf. Terms that will make you feel that you know what others are talking about. Disc golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. One of the main reasons for its popularity is players of almost any age and ability can play.

I play with guys half my age and I consistently beat them. I am 62 years old and in good shape. I know people older that still play. There are no limitations. If you can get around the course, you can play. If you have never played, you should. If you play now, keep on playing. It’s great exercise, and it’s a great way to socialize. As far as sports go, it is also very inexpensive. You can start with as few as three discs. A driver, a midrange and a putter. For just around $30 you can get started. Most courses are free to play.

Common disc golf language

  • Ace Getting the disc in the basket on the first shot
  • Hyzer Releasing the disc with he edge closest to your body highest than the other edge.
  • Anhyzer The outside is higher than the inside edge.
  • Overstable The disc wants to hyzer into the ground when you release it. To make it not hyzer, you must snap it and throw it hard with a slight anhyzer.
  • Understabe Can throw with less spin, less snap to fly straight.
  • Turnover When you throw the disc hard with good snap; it will turn opposite the way it normally will turn. If you’re throwing right hand back hand it will turn to the right.
  • S Curve The flight of the disc starts as an anhyzer, then will hyzer at the end of the flight.
  • Snap The amount of spin on the disc at release from your hand.
  • Driving The throw from the tee box.
  • Approach The shot from the drive to the basket.
  • Putt Throwing the disc into the basket.
  • Grip How you hold the disc when you’re throwing.

Player Invented Disc Golf Terms

  • Dead man When your putt hits the side of the basket and drops to the ground.
  • Chain smoking Several great putts in a row.
  • Bogey Sandwich A scorecard with a par bogey bogey par.
  • Black ace Acing the wrong hole.
  • Cabbage The weeds in the rough.
  • Chastity belt The yellow band on the Innova baskets.
  • Clank The sound that a putt makes when in hits the chastity belt.
  • Hit the nickel A putt that hits the number plate.
  • Horking A huge long throw.
  • Locals route Taking an unconventional path to get you to the basket.
  • Lumber jacking When you’re hitting every tree.
  • Mirkwood Very thick woods.
  • Nickel A score of 5 on a hole.
  • Nuclear shule Very thick rough.
  • Fly by Putt correct height, but sails by the basket.
  • Fluke deuce A two from something very lucky happening.
  • Gaack Missed a short putt.
  • Grenade A shot that is high and falls fast to the ground.
  • Head Banger When your drive lands under the basket and you might bang your head on the basket as you pick it up.

More Disc Golf Terms

  • Paper plate An understable disc.
  • pig putt A putt that’s really bad.
  • Pinball A shot that hits several trees.
  • Pinball Wizard Continually hitting multiple trees.
  • Rooted When the tree root stops you shot from skipping.
  • Saturn A score of 6 (saturn is the 6th planet)
  • Shank Any shot that does not do what you wanted.
  • Shule Heavy weeds off the fairway.
  • Sneak In flight instruction to the disc.
  • Snob A throw with the nose of the disc up.
  • Snowman A score of 8.
  • Spinach Bushes, trees, and undergrowth.
  • Taco To hit a tree so hard it folds like a taco.
  • Tombstone A disco golf disc that hits the ground, and remains standing on the edge.
  • Treefelction The tree gives you a good deflection.
  • Valet service When you park your drive under the basket.
  • CRF Candy fundraiser.
  • CTP Closest drive to the pole.
  • DL Dead last in the order of throwing.
  • FAT When you hit the first available tree.
  • LB Lucky bounce.
  • SED Seeing eye disc.
  • YSA You’re still away.
  • Gust from the Gods When the wind blows the disc way off line.
  • Getting greasy Sneaking through the trees.
  • Lawn dart A disco that has landed partially buried in the ground.
  • Merked When you get hit in the head from someones throw off of a tree.
  • Tombstone For those discs that stick on edge in muddy ground.
  • Helicopter A shot that needs to come straight down at the end without curving.
  • A rip The perfect drive.

The terms in the top section are ones you need to know. These terms will help you understand the game and how to play and how to play better. The rest are just temps other players use when they are playing.

6 Tips for Tracking Your Fitness

You have decided to bring the body into shape and regular workouts have become your usual routine. Still, after one or two weeks of such physical activity, you don’t see wishful results in the mirror and stepping on the scale just confirms it. For that reason, you give up, abandon set goals and return to a sports lifestyle only when a certain time passes. It is high time to break this vicious circle!

The most crucial thing here is to understand that changes are not a matter of one week. It takes time to achieve progress, so you should gain patience and keep motivated along the way. The best solution for following fitness goals is results-tracking.

Body alterations and how you feel constantly performing physical activities are the greatest motivators for moving ahead. By tracking your fitness, the possibility of reaching goals significantly rises and promotes you working and spending your time yet more efficiently. That way, our key task is to identify what ways of fitness progress measuring are the most fruitful and worth incorporating into the sports agenda. Let’s figure it out.

1. Keeping a Workout Journal 

Tracking your fitness results may be easy as a pie with steady journal keeping. Noting your exercising and meals is not time-consuming, but it will certainly give a clear vision of the advance. Do it the most convenient for you. It can be a usual notebook, notes on your device, or even Excel spreadsheets – it is up to you.

The essential is to be precise with writing down workouts. Try to include what exercises you did with the sets and reps number. If your workouts were of strength type, fix the used weight. In case you did running, record miles and performance time. No less important is the well-being after physical activity. So, point out how you feel after the workout: exhausted or energized, whether it was harsh or easy.

The journal is also perfect for diet tracking. Exercising is requisite, but it loses its sense without proper nutrition. Thus, you will succeed only by blending these two components. Still, you have to be careful since tracking your daily ratio may turn into obsessive calorie counting. To avoid this, we recommend just analyzing your eating habits and based on them, excluding or including specific products in your meals.

2. Fitness Trackers or Apps Appliance

Living in the modern world, we may benefit from various tech novelties, and it also relates to the fitness area. Track your results just in a few moments with smart fitness trackers or apps on your phone. There is a variety to choose from, and X-wrist is the name of one the leading. 

If you still count your steps and manually monitor your heart rate – stop doing this. Currently, such measurements are effortless with the fitness tracker. Select your best fitting application and your workout progress control will become a sheer pleasure. X-wrist is the app empowering you to make healthy choices. Its AI-based building system will allow you to log your meals, set diet goals and plan further nutrition. What’s more, this tracker may monitor your sports activity both at home and in the gym. You can also record workouts and create upcoming exercises routine here. 

So, fitness tracker usage is vital as besides providing info about physical achievements, it helps take care of your health and become the best version of yourself. 

3. Clothes Fitting

As practice shows, an appealing mirror look can be the highest motivation. The best way to get a dose of inspiration is by trying clothes on. For example, find a pair of jeans you have strived for so long to fit into and dress them. Wearing jeans will give an insight into how successful are your sports accomplishments and how far you are from your goals. 

Pay attention to your feelings: whether clothing sits looser or tighter. To attain the most accurate outcome, we offer to pick one specific piece of clothing and measure your progress in keeping with it monthly.

4. Taking Measurements 

Sometimes scale figures may be deceiving, so you should keep in mind that muscles weigh more fat. So it is significant not to limit scaling but to do the measuring to explore gradual changes.

It is worth steering clear of daily measurements. Record your neck, shoulders, waist, biceps, chest, thighs and hips sizes with a tape measure weekly, no sooner. Moreover, the time and conditions of measurements play an extremely important role, so be sure they are the same every time.

5. Blood Pressure Check

Fitness progress means more than an attractive body shape. No matter what goals you pursue: losing weight or gaining muscles, your blood pressure can present you with the overall picture of your health condition. Heart health directly depends on blood pressure that is consequently influenced by physical activity, nutrition and stress levels. 

With regular workouts, both your body and cardiovascular system stand stronger. That way, the blood pressure can be a pointer for diminishing heart and chronic disease risks. A blood pressure watch is the best decision for keeping abreast of your blood pressure indexes.

6. Progression Photos

Some may consider post-workout photos a waste of time. However, it is doubtless a valuable experience. Every day mirror-looking may totally change our body perception. Still, it can be challenging to trace the ultimate progress throughout the path, so pictures will come in handy here. Taking photos weekly will show you incredible differences already in half a year.

All you need to enjoy such contrast over time is to picture within the same conditions, light and angles. Remember that daily weight is floating and the photo taken in the morning will differ from one after the meal. Lighting is also the key point. Poor light can generate shadows and emphasize your drawbacks, hiding the apparent results. In addition, dressing in similar outfits in each month’s photos may confuse and prevent you from noticing differences.

After taking pictures, don’t compare them to two days ago. It makes no sense. The most appropriate checking frames are from four to six weeks.

Final Words

Being fit is not always a synonym for muscular body shape. It is about health, well-being and fulfillment. Regular exercising and proper nutrition will gift you the body of your dream, together with decreasing health hazards and improving mental health. You can’t do without tracking your fitness progress to get this with flying colors. So stick to our tips and the first considerable results won’t be long in coming.

5 Reasons Why Anglers Should Warm Up to Kayak Fishing

Are you ready to explore and enjoy an unbeatable fishing experience? Kayak fishing is the way to go for anglers all around the world. Fishing from a kayak helps you access hidden fishing spots that would otherwise be unreachable on foot or on a motorized boat. Plus, kayak fishing is beneficial to your health. Want more convincing to warm up to kayak fishing? Read on!

1. Convenience

Every angler needs to embrace kayak fishing for convenience. Kayaks are easier to haul and transport compared to large fishing boats. You can haul most fishing kayaks in your car just by adding a kayak roof rack. There are also dependable inflatable fishing kayaks that you can carry with you when hiking. Below are some of the ways that kayak fishing offers convenience:

Fishing kayaks are easy to transport and store If you’ve owned a motorized fishing boat, you know this is a big deal. You only need a kayak cart to haul your fishing kayak from the parking lot to the shore. Also, you can transport a kayak on your vehicle’s roof rack, or carry it in the trunk or backpack for inflatables. You also don’t need a lot of space to store your kayak.

You can fish anywhere Every angler needs to experience kayak fishing at least once in their lifetime. Fishing from a kayak will help you access all the nooks and crannies you wouldn’t reach by foot or on a motorized boat. Fishing kayaks are designed for maneuvering in the tightest fishing spots.

Comfort Try kayak fishing if you want to be comfortable as you enjoy catching your favorite fish species. Fishing kayaks are designed for comfort while fishing. You can stand to cast and sit to retrieve fish without worrying about capsizing.

2. Kayak fishing provides better access 

With kayaks, you can access any body of water, including ponds, lakes, and rivers. You can also maneuver in shallow spots and those with sharp corners. Kayak fishing will be excellent if you want to enjoy various fishing conditions.

Since kayaks are easy to transport, you can carry your kayak as you hike and fish in areas that a motorboat wouldn’t access. With a kayak, you can catch various fish species that you wouldn’t access if you were fishing from a pier or on a motorized boat.

Besides accessing remote fishing areas, kayaks also enable you to get to quiet and serene waters where you can enjoy nature.

3. Kayak fishing is economical and environmentally friendly

Who wouldn’t want to save some bucks even when fishing? Kayak fishing is more cost-effective than fishing with motorized boats. With kayaks, you don’t need fuel, and the purchase price and maintenance cost are significantly lower. 

4. Health benefits 

As an angler, you need to warm up to kayak fishing for the health benefits. Paddling your kayak to look for great fishing sports is such great exercise. By paddling, you are working your arms, shoulders, and core muscles.

This exercise strengthens your muscles, helps you burn calories, and increases your energy levels. Kayak fishing is also healthy for your mind. You enjoy the calmness of nature while engaging your mind to balance between paddling and making a catch.

5. Fishing kayaks are customizable 

Most fishing kayaks come loaded with fishing accessories, including rod holders, tackle crates, kayak cooler, and many more. You can also add other accessories that you need for catching specific species. As an angler, you need to try kayak fishing and enjoy having everything you need on your vessel. A well-equipped kayak makes your adventure worthwhile since the chances of making huge catches are higher.

Top Tips to Get You Started Kayak Fishing 

Kayak fishing is becoming popular as a sport and recreational activity. By now, you must have made up your mind to experience this activity with myriad of benefits. Below are some tips to guide you as you start:

  • Always carry the proper safety gear as recommended by the US Coast Guard. Ensure you wear a personal floatation device before getting into the water. Having water, food, and a first aid kit is also advisable.
  • Have a float plan and share a copy with someone you trust. Doing this ensures that it is easier to find and rescue you in an emergency.
  • Have a GPS to help you find your way back to the shore
  • Choose the right kayak; as a novice, you need a stable kayak that is spacious enough to fit your gear and catch
  • Start somewhere familiar; choose an area where you know what to expect regarding fishing, water conditions, and the type of fish. 
  • Wear self-wicking and quick-drying attire that is comfortable and safe

Key Insights & Takeaways

A good fishing kayak needs to be stable and comfortable to stand up on as you cast. It would be best to look for a kayak with accessories that make your experience enjoyable. Some essential accessories on a fishing kayak include paddle and rod holders, fish finders, tackle box, and additional storage compartments. Pro tip: make sure you get yourself a kayak fishing rod as it will make it easier to cast and reel in your catch from your kayak.

Kayak fishing is a fun and calming way to catch fish. If you have yet to try it, you are missing out. Every angler should embrace kayak fishing to enjoy the benefits mentioned above. We hope you’re convinced and ready to experience a new way to wet a line.

Article authored by Ally

Diveheart Adaptive Scuba Diving Trip Transforms Filmmaker’s Life

(NewsUSA) – Scuba diving can be an exotic and enriching activity for anyone, but for individuals with a range of physical or cognitive disabilities, the unique weightlessness of the underwater environment allows them to exercise, relax, have fun and gain confidence like no other experience. Children and adults with challenges, including traumatic brain injuries, amputation, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and blindness can enjoy the physical and psychological benefits of scuba diving.

Diveheart, a Downers Grove, Ill.,-based nonprofit tax-exempt organization, has been helping youth, veterans and others with disabilities through adaptive scuba and scuba therapy since 2001.Last year, Los Angeles filmmaker David Marsh accompanied a Diveheart team on a scuba trip to Cozumel, Mexico, to make a documentary about the organization and its mission. For Marsh, the experience was life-changing, as he completed the trip and his filming despite the tragic personal loss of his son to a drug overdose just one week earlier.On the last day of the trip, Marsh shared his loss with the Diveheart team.

“David Marsh is amazing and awesome. Despite his loss and grief, he soldiered on and captured the spirit, love and hope that emerges from every Diveheart trip,” says Diveheart’s founder and president, Jim Elliott.”He captured the essence of our mission and shared the real-life experience of what Diveheart does to help those with disabilities experience freedom underwater.”

In the documentary, every day embraces a theme; day one is trust, day two is freedom and day three is adapting. Audiences will see how Marsh translated the feelings of the adaptive divers, who shared their losses, struggles, fears and hopes.

“We are so grateful to David for capturing Diveheart in action,” Elliott emphasizes. “My hope for this documentary is to raise awareness to Diveheart’s mission: to revolutionize rehabilitation by using zero gravity underwater to help those with everything from mobility issues to chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder. We help our participants find that self-confidence, personal strength and independence, and we will continue to do so in the years to come.

The documentary, “Adapting To Dive,” premieres at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at Classic Cinemas Tivoli Theatre, 5021 Highland Ave. in Downers Grove, Ill. To see a trailer of the documentary, click here. Tickets are $12 for general admission and accessible seating.For more information about the documentary and tickets, click here.

Visit diveheart.org for more information about Diveheart. 

FSM Retro Reviews: The Craps Underground

FSM takes a looks back at Thomas “Irshsetter” Morgan’s classic scorched earth review of the controversial 2004 book The Craps Underground – The Inside Story of How Dice Controllers Are Winning Millions from the Casinos.

“Scoblete’s new book depicts the real world of dice influencing about as accurately as Hogan’s Heroes depicted life in a World War II German POW camp.”

That was my initial impression of Scoblete’s new book which I posted on the message board a few weeks back. Now I’ve had a chance to re-read the book a couple of times and fully digest it. Fortunately, I acquired one of the pre-release copies of the book, gratis. I would have had a SERIOUS case of buyers remorse had I actually paid $24.95 for this 315 page hard cover dog.

My complete review follows.

I read a lot. I spend an hour and a half each work day on a train, so I go through books quickly. In my library, I have probably 40 to 50 books on craps specifically or gambling in general. In all the gambling books I’ve read, I can unequivocally say that no matter how poorly written or conceived the book was, I’ve always found some redeeming quality in the book. The Craps Underground is the exception. If a good gambling book is like a delicious filet mignon, this book is more akin to the stuff they feed people on the TV show, Fear Factor.

Let’s start with the ENTIRE title of the book. The Craps Underground – The Inside Story of How Dice Controllers Are Winning Millions from the Casinos. Pure, unadulterated hype. For arguments sake, we’ll assume that “Millions” means something more than one or two million, ten million would be a reasonable starting point, and it’s at least implied that it also means millions in net profit. Last spring, Frank Scoblete estimated that there are fewer than 200 skilled “dice controllers” operating in the US. By doing a little division, that would mean on average, those 200 dice “controllers” are taking down $50,000 in profits, each. Except for a few rather well bankrolled shooters, there is no evidence that the average dice controller is showing that kind of profit. Yes, many dice influencers are consistently profitable but the title alone, and I’ll repeat myself here, is unadulterated hype.

So, now let’s get into the book a bit. Chapter one opens with Scoblete having a marathon winning session with the dicecoach, Beau Parker. Here’s how Scoblete describes the session with the dicecoach,

“…seven glorious hours shooting dice with a fellow dice controller and newfound friend known as the ‘Bodacious One,’ Beau Parker.”

This session, and these warm expressions of friendship for the dicecoach occurred just a few months prior to the formation of GTC. I’ll get back to that later.

Let’s dive a little further into this drivel. In the early chapters, we get to hear Scoblete wax poetically about “the Captain,” again. Yawn…. hasn’t he beaten that horse to death yet? Then he introduces various future members of the GTC organization. Apparently, these guys never lose! Or if they do happen to have a poor session, it is quickly followed by a miraculous comeback. AMAZING! There are a couple of chapters on “The Lee Brothers.” These two chapters are almost engaging. Except for one thing. OF COURSE “The Lee Brothers” coincidentally have read all of Scoblete’s books, and religiously play like the captain. Subtle as a freight train, that Scoblete.

There’s a chapter on the Las Vegas Craps Festival which I participated in. Scoblete briefly mentions me here, and he certainly had the opportunity to take some shots at me if he wanted to. Surprisingly he didn’t though, for whatever reason. However, he did misrepresent what I discussed that day. Here’s what he had to say about me.

“Irishsetter has strong opinions.”

Well, he got THAT part right but later went on to say,

“In fact, Irishsetter made a strong pitch that people shouldn’t be paying or charging to learn dice control, that all the information should be free.”

In all actuality, I said nothing of the sort. The gist of my discussion was twofold. One, that aspiring dice influencers should learn as much as possible for free, or as cheaply as they can, and two, that there is no one single correct philosophy on how to set, grip and throw the dice. My opinion today is no different. If you’re interested, I have an article on dicesetter.com which goes further into my discussion that day called, The “Missing” Tape – The Article. My guess is that given the opportunity, Scoblete didn’t want to take any obvious shots at me, but instead chose to misrepresent my discussion in an attempt to embarrass me since I do occasionally participate in seminars. What IS missing in the book, is what Scoblete talked about that day. One of the major points of his discussion was that dice influencers would soon begin to experience the kind of heat that card counters get if they didn’t go “underground.” It seems Scoblete had a change of heart. Either that, or his definition of going “underground” is hyping dice influencing in books, holding seminars in casinos, and advertising dice control on the radio and in newspapers and magazines.

Blah, blah, blah. Several chapters not even worth mentioning.

OK, what’s next. Scoblete raids Jerry Patterson’s PARR organization of most of the coaching staff and Golden Touch Craps is born. Despite the fact that I’m intimately knowledgeable about many of the personalities involved here, these chapters are about as interesting as watching hibernating bears. I have to give Scoblete credit though. He mentions his GTC staff and as many hangers on in the GTC periphery as often as possible. Why? Because the average Joe will think it’s really “neat” that Frank Scoblete put them in his book. Pathetic? Yes. But, those folks in the periphery will go out on amazon.com, buy multiple copies of the book, and write a glowing review so their friends will buy it and see their names in print. Oh Boy!

Now we get to the “A and E Special.” It’s my opinion that the truth lies somewhere between what was broadcast by A and E, what has been written on the various web sites, and what is written in this book about the special. What Scoblete wants you to believe is that A and E decided not to broadcast the footage of all the winning sessions that actually occurred. This despite the fact that the A and E special was basically a feel-good piece. The funny thing about the A and E special is that the dicecoach, who was the main focus, invited Frank Scoblete to join him. (Scoblete then invited several other folks. What a guy!) Remember how they’d become “friends” during their marathon craps shoot several months earlier? It seems that ‘ole Scoblete is beginning to have a change of heart again. You see, Scoblete in the A and E chapter elaborates these wonderful stories about the GTC folks involved, but basically trashes everyone else who is not involved with GTC like the dicecoach, Soft Touch, and Hardways.

Blah, blah, blah. A couple more chapters not even worth mentioning.

Ah…finally we’re heading to the conclusion of the book. Scoblete closes the book with his Las Vegas Diary. This portion of the book was published on his site several months back, so I was familiar with this part already. I’ll give you the long and short of his 15 day diary here. Frank wins. Frank says wonderful things about the various GTC folks he plays with. Frank says nasty things about various other people he comes across. They lament that Treasure Island isn’t as friendly as it used to be. Boo-hoo-hoo. Frank and his playing partners lose, but miraculously have a comeback! Heard this before? What is really interesting about the diary is how Scoblete trashes dicecoach, again. Remember, in the opening of the book, Frank and Beau are “newfound friends.” Now, just a year later, here are just a few things that Scoblete now has to say about dicecoach. When asked if Frank knew the dicecoach, he replied,

“No, no” and “I barely know him.”

Apparently he doesn’t even have the cojones to refer to Beau by his name or his moniker at this point. Throughout the diary he refers to him now as “Crapsguy” and basically lays blame on Beau for whatever heat they experience in the casino. Frank writes,

“Some GTC members had a theory that the Crapsguy, the freelance dice-control instructor, had been too public, aggressive and up-front at the tables about what he was doing…”

This coming from the Scoblete is a hoot! He goes on to say,

“even when GTC did our course at Sam’s Town in Tunica we were laid back at the tables and never talked about dice control or handed our business cards across the table to drum up new business as the Crapsguy is wont to do.”

Again, from Scoblete’s pen, this is a riot. I mean, he’s holding a seminar in a casino for Pete’s sake and he complaining about the dicecoach handing out his business card? Besides, just a few pages earlier in the book, Scoblete had elaborated the following story which occurred at the Green Valley Ranch crap tables.

“..a dealer at Sunset Station, who likes to play at Green Valley Ranch, complimented me on my style. I gave him one of our Craps Club Black Chips with our phone number, and whispered to him if he was interested in learning how to roll like that give us a call.”

So, Frank will deride you for behavior that he himself exhibits. Hmmm. What’s that saying? Oh yeah. Pot – Kettle – Black.

I wonder how Beau the dicecoach would have been portrayed in the The Craps Underground had he accepted GTC’s invitation to join their organization. You think perhaps THAT had something to do with Frank’s change of heart, from “friend” to “the Crapsguy?”

Basically, the book in a nutshell is this. 70% of the book is an infomercial for GTC. 20% of the book is various trip reports. Don’t worry. The few sessions which aren’t profitable for Scoblete? Just read on, a miraculous comeback is in store. The final 10% of the book is the subtle trashing of anyone who is not involved with GTC or a member of the GTC flock.

If you read the jacket cover of the book, and anything else Scoblete writes for that matter, it says,

“Frank Scoblete is the number-one best-selling gaming author in America..”

If that’s true, and people really do think Scoblete has something to say, well, then, my mother was right when she said,

“Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.”

About the Author: Thomas Morgan aka Irishsetter is the webmaster of http://www.dicesetter.com and is widely recognized in the gambling community as an expert in dice influencing.

Billabong: A Brief History Of Australia’s Most Iconic Surf Brand

If you’ve been around in Earth for quite a while now, then you’ve surely read or heard of Billabong. You may have seen Billabong mens knit woven shirts and noticed the iconic double wave logo.

Founded in 1973, Billabong has since been one of the leading companies in manufacturing and selling surfing wear. With the company now on its 48th year of operations, let us take a brief look into the history of Australia’s most iconic surf brand.

Gordon Merchant, one of the founders, liked to travel a lot in Australia during the late 60s and 70s, totally embracing the surfing lifestyle. The goals of his travels were to find the best surfing spot to settle in. He would pack maps, tents, sleeping bags, and surfboards unto a Kombi van to aid him in his travels.

This surfing brand giant started with humble beginnings. Thanks to his experience when travelling in the years prior, Gordon learned to develop breakthrough innovations in surfing gear. Billabong mens shorts in its earliest form is the starter of the business. The founders, Gordon and Rena Merchant designed and made boardshorts at their home and sold them to the local surf shops. The durability of their boardshorts were the its biggest strength, a quality soon noticed by surfers in the area.

In order to boost the new company’s exposure and business, Billabong started hosting surfing events. This proved to be a very smart move which caused the company to grow faster. By the 80s, Billabong mens shorts were already available all throughout Australia. With the whole of Australia included in their operations, Billabong started putting their sights towards exporting products to other surf-loving countries – New Zealand, Japan, USA, and South Africa.

Billabong grew fast. With this fast growth, the company started to make acquisitions of other sport-related brands. Gordon followed his customer’s wants and needs and ventured into different kinds of board sports. Billabong reached a peak where is managed around 10 sport-related brands including Von Zipper, Kustom, Xcel, and RVCA.

The growth and acquisition continued to grow, but that growth was halted in 2012. Billabong experienced serious financial difficulties. Some say that Billabong got too much on their hands due to their acquisitions, losing clear sight of their core business strategy. Sales dropped and profits declined.

Billabong was able to make deals with the US that enabled the company to get back on its feet. Billabong sold some of its previous acquisitions get back their focus on their main business plan, perhaps confirming the speculation that the company was spread thin due the multiple brands they need to manage.

Today, Billabong is now back on its feet, backed up by the constant support of the community of customers that put their trust on the company. For now, we have yet to see what Billabong would become in the future. In the meantime, we can still be sure that we can still get the best quality boards, shorts, and gear including Billabong mens knit wovens from the beloved Australian brand.

To get your very own Billabong mens knits wovens shirt, be sure to look up Hansensurf online. Or if you want to wear and experience the iconic Billabong mens shorts , visit Hansensurf website to get the best Billabong product deals.

L.A. Comic Con is Nigh! Massive Info Dump

December 2021 brings with it the return of L.A. Comic Con – IN PERSON! Thousands and thousands of geeks and gamers (said affectionately as we are such geeks) will make their way to Los Angeles to experience the latest in comics, science fiction, gaming, and pop-culture. FSM will be on hand. More on that later. For now, the good folks at L.A. Comic Con have treated us with a massive news dump about the event! See below for the latest info:

L.A. COMIC CON CELEBRATES A RETURN TO FULL-SCALE IN-PERSON EVENTS WITH SPECIAL GUESTS ZACHARY LEVI, MING-NA WEN, GIANCARLO ESPOSITO, BRUCE CAMPBELL, AND SPECIAL STAR TREK EXPERIENCE FEATURING NICHELLE NICHOLS  
Programming Includes West Hall eSports, Gaming, and Anime Experience, Smallville Nights, Cosplay National Championship, Laugh Factory Comedy Show, and cast members from Boy Meets World, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Arrow, My Hero Academia, and much more!

L.A. Comic Con to Implement Numerous COVID-19 Health and Safety Measures in Compliance with State and Local Policies and Guidance

WHAT: L.A. Comic Con, L.A.’s largest event for comics, gaming, sci-fi and pop culture, signals a return to full-scale in-person events, leading the way as the first Southern California convention of its kind to bring fans back since October 2019. Full compliance with all Los Angeles Department of Public Health CV-19 guidelines for mega events will be strictly followed, including proof of vaccination or negative test results, and masks will be worn by all attendees. In 2019, over 123,000 fans attended L.A. Comic Con for celebrity panels, autograph signings, activations, comics, cosplay, and pop culture fanfare. The event plays host to 800+ diverse artists and vendors, selling comics, collectibles, art, toys, apparel, and everything in-between. This year, attendees will get up close and personal with some of the biggest and best names in the entertainment industry with a handpicked selection of panels, events, special exhibits, and meet and greet opportunities. Special guests include Zachary Levi, Ming-Na Wen, Giancarlo Esposito, Bruce Campbell, Nichelle Nichols, Tom Kenny, Tom Welling, and many more.

WHEN: The Los Angeles Comic Con will take place December 3–5, 2021.

WHERE:
Los Angeles Convention Center
1201 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015

Schedule Highlights:

Show Hours

  •  Friday, December 3: 4:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, December 4:  9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
  • Sunday, December 5: 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Consistent with Los Angeles Department of Public Health Guidelines, for this year’s convention, here are a few extra measures that will be taken to ensure the health and safety of everyone attending are considered:

  • There will be three entrances — one in the South Hall and two in the West Hall — employing over 20 magnetometers to spread out and speed up COVID-19 and safety checks
  • All fans and guests will pass through two checkpoints: a COVID vaccination/negative test verification station and then security. Free PCR tests (results available in 15 minutes) will be available for those lacking vaccine verification
  • All convention goers will be required to wear face coverings while attending the event
  • All cleaning standards from LA County and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) will be followed before, in between and after all sessions
  • Extra space: With well over 1.2 million-square feet of exhibition space (double the space from 2019), fans will have plenty of room to spread out and maintain safe distances

Programming Includes:

A Star Trek Experience
L.A. Comic Con is teaming up with Atomic Studios to bring you the ultimate celebration of Star Trek, honoring Nichelle Nichols and her contribution to society and pop culture. L.A. Comic Con will host the ultimate Trekkie experience on Saturday and Sunday. Over 35,000-square feet of exhibit space will be dedicated to all-things Star Trek and space exploration. Join over 20 actors from all the Star Trek series for panels, content, merchandise, photo opportunities, and more for an experience that is truly out of this world.

West Hall Expansion Featuring eSports, Gaming, and Anime
L.A. Comic Con is taking over the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center for the first time, thanks to its partnership with PCB Productions. In the 147,000-square-foot West Hall, fans will have the opportunity to watch competitive gaming on the Tiltify Arena stage, created by The Trade Group, past producers of I.E.M. and Dreamhack events. With seating for 800–1,000 patrons, the Arena will be the center point of a hall where fans can play PC games on high-end computers, attend workshops, and interact with some of the top video game and Anime voice-over talent in the industry in intimate settings. Fans will be able to participate in Thankmas, a fundraising campaign to help end global homelessness.

Sideshow Booth
Pop culture collectibles giant Sideshow is exhibiting at Los Angeles Comic Con for the very first time. Sideshow’s booth will feature high end collectibles inspired by fan-favorite characters from the worlds of Marvel, DC, Star Wars, and more — including many that will be making their first physical convention debut.

Laugh Factory Comedy Show
Iconic comedy club Laugh Factory is taking over the Main Stage on Friday night of L.A. Comic Con with an exciting two-hour lineup. Fans can kick off their L.A. Comic Con weekend by laughing out loud with some of the best names in stand-up comedy.

6th Annual Cosplay National Championship
Cosplayers will compete for cash and other prizes in the 6th Annual Cosplay National Championship in one of three categories: Master, Journeyman, or Novice. All genres are welcome including characters from film, television, theater, comics, video games, sci-fi, anime, horror, and original creations.

Smallville Nights
Join your favorite Clark Kent and Lex Luthor as they bring some of your favorite Smallville moments to life. Tom Welling (Clark Kent/Superman) and Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor) will be reading scenes from the series and bringing fans up to act and improv. Enjoy and laugh as Welling and Rosenbaum attempt to get through scenes from the pilot and beyond without breaking character.

Raised by Wolves Season 2 Sneak Peek
L.A. Comic Con is presenting a sneak peek of HBO Max’s original drama series, Raised by Wolves. The series is produced by Ridley Scott’s Scott Free Productions, with Scott, Aaron Guzikowski, David W. Zucker (The Man in the High Castle), Jordan Sheehan (The Terror), Adam Kolbrenner (Prisoners), and Mark Huffam (The Martian) serving as executive producers. The series was created by Guzikowski, acclaimed writer, and visionary behind the highly lauded film, Prisoners.

In the second installment of HBO Max’s original drama series, RAISED BY WOLVES, Android partners Mother (Amanda Collin) and Father (Abubakar Salim), along with their brood of six human children, join a newly formed atheistic colony in Kepler 22 b’s mysterious tropical zone. But navigating this strange new society is only the start of their troubles as Mother’s “natural child” threatens to drive what little remains of the human race to extinction.

The sneak peek will feature:

  •  Amanda Collin, Star
  • Abubakar Salim, Star
  • Travis Fimmel, Star
  • Niamh Algar, Star
  • Kim Engelbrecht, Star
  • Aaron Guzikowski, Creator, Showrunner, Executive Producer, Writer
  • Dalton Ross, Executive Editor at Large for Entertainment Weekly (Moderator)

The Official L.A. Comic Con Scavenger Hunt
Fans are encouraged to download the Oasis Digital AR app, in the Apple App Store or on Google Play, to experience Augmented Reality events in and around the Los Angeles Convention Center. Convention goers can participate in the official Los Angeles Comic Con Scavenger Hunt, brought to you by our digital innovation partner, Liquid Avatar Technologies. Find and collect QR codes hidden around the show to win amazing digital stickers, discounts, and special offers! Once you’ve completed the scavenger hunt, visit the Liquid Avatar booth to collect even more great prizes like limited edition commemorative NFTs, collector Liquid Avatars and more!

Main Stage Featured Guests:

Spongebob Squarepants
Spongebob and Squidward are two of the most iconic animated characters ever created, and part of what makes them so recognizable and beloved are their unique voices. Join Tom Kenny (Spongebob Squarepants) and Roger Bumpass (Squidward Tentacles) for a discussion about one of the longest running shows in television history.

Boy Meets World
From 1993–2000, Boy Meets World explored the trials and tribulations of growing up in the 1990s. Join Will Friedle (Eric Matthews), William Daniels (George Feeny), and Rider Strong (Shawn Hunter) for a chat about this successful and popular series.

Smallville
Clark Kent grew up in Smallville, Kansas, and before he became Superman, he not only had to deal with being different from everyone else, but he also had to learn his place in the world. From 2001–2011, Smallville brought us a dramatic look at Clark Kent’s formative years. Tom Welling (Clark Kent/Superman), Michael Rosenbaum (Lex Luthor), John Glover (Lionel Luthor), and Laura Vandervoort (Kara), will present an illuminating look at this popular show.

The Mandalorian
The Mandalorian took Disney+ by storm and has become tremendously popular during its first two seasons. This Star Wars story, set in the years after the fall of the Galactic Empire, tells the tale of a member of the race of bounty hunters that spawned Boba Fett. Ming-Na Wen (Fennec Shand), Giancarlo Esposito (Moff Gideon) will regale convention goers with tales from one of the most innovative production sets ever built.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
From 1993–1996, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers sprang into action to fight all kinds of baddies and protect the town of Angel Grove, and the world at large. The original series, which was adapted from Japan’s Super Sentai series, launched more than 20 iterations and three feature films. Join Jason David Frank (Tommy Oliver/White Ranger/Green Ranger) and David Yost (Billy Cranston/Blue Ranger) for a discussion about this iconic franchise.

My Hero Academia
Adapted from a Japanese superhero manga, My Hero Academia is an anime that tells the story of a young boy, Izuku Midoriya, who wishes to enroll in a prestigious hero academy. English-speaking cast members J. Michael Tatum, Brandon McInnis, Ricco Fajardo, Alexis Tipton, and Christopher Wehkmap will discuss bringing this popular story to North American audiences.

Interviews and Spotlights:

Gerard Way Interviews Frank Miller
Gerard Way, creator of The Umbrella Academy and The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, and co-founder and lead singer of My Chemical Romance, will interview legendary creator Frank Miller (300, The Dark Knight Returns, Give Me Liberty, Ronin, Sin City) on the Main Stage Saturday, Dec. 4th! Enjoy the conversation between the two pop culture giants as they discuss comics, film and what’s next for Frank Miller.

Spotlight on Bruce Campbell
In the late 1970s, Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi collaborated on a horror short called Within the Woods, which became The Evil Dead (1981) which Campbell co-produced and starred in as Ash Williams. Thanks in part to a ringing endorsement from Stephen King, Campbell and Raimi followed with Evil Dead 2 in 1987, and Army of Darkness in 1992. Campbell reprised the role of Ash in the Showtime series Ash vs Evil Dead for three seasons from 2015–2018. Ash has become one of the most iconic characters ever created in the horror genre. Campbell, who also produces and directs, is also known for roles in the film Bubba Ho-Tep and the TV series Burn Notice.  

Spotlight on Zachary Levi
Zachary Levi is an accomplished actor, singer, and dancer, who has appeared in films, on television, and on Broadway. A regular voice actor on Robot Chicken, Levi is also the voice of Flynn Rider in 2010’s Tangled. He also voiced characters in Tangled: The Series. Most notably, Levi starred as the title character in Shazam! in 2019, and Chuck Bartowski in Chuck from 2007–2012. The Louisiana-native has also played the Asgardian Fandral in Thor: The Dark World and Thor: Ragnarok. His theater credits include First Date, She Loves Me, and Sunday in the Park with George.  

World Class Artists & Creators Including:

  • Frank Miller, Ronin, Daredevil: Born Again, Elektra Lives Again, The Dark Knight Returns, Sin City, and 300
  • Rob Liefeld, Deadpool, New Mutants, Youngblood
  • Jim Starlin, Infinity Gauntlet Saga, The Death of Captain Marvel
  • Brian Azzarello, Spaceman, Batman: Broken City, 100 Bullets
  • Kyle Higgins, Nightwing, Batman Eternal, Gates of Gotham, Batman Beyond 2.0
  • Donny Cates, Venom, Guardians of the Galaxy, Doctor Strange
  • Ryan Stegman, Uncanny Avengers, Amazing Spider-Man, Wolverine
  • Andy Kubert, X-Men
  • And many more!

SPONSORS:

Tiltify
The presenting sponsor of the Tiltify eSports Arena in the West Hall, Tiltify is a fundraising platform for the digital generation providing live, interactive technology that engages and inspires communities to donate or fundraise to important causes the world over.

AREA21 in the West Hall
AREA21, the collaborative project of DJ/producer Martin Garrix and producer/songwriter Maejor, is a conceptual sonic and visual exploration that has the duo making music containing universal messages about humankind as seen through the eyes of their alien alter egos M & M. Their adventures are portrayed through a series of songs and accompanying animated videos produced by award-winning animation studio, Titmouse (Run the Jewels, Dua Lipa). Convention goers can check out their videos in the West Hall expansion.

Digital Innovation Partner Liquid Avatar Technologies
Liquid Avatar Technologies, L.A. Comic Con’s Digital Innovation Partner, will showcase its technology through integrations and demonstrations of verifiable credentials, digital identity, unveiling new and exclusive projects, hosting panels and meet-and-greets with writers, artists, and industry icons, and will also create and administer an Augmented Reality scavenger hunt in conjunction with its subsidiary, Oasis Digital Studios, to showcase a host of digital collectibles.

Hot Topic
Hot Topic offers band-related apparel and accessories, licensed merchandise, and fashion apparel and accessories, which you can find at more than 600 stores and online.

Legion M
Legion M is the world’s first fan-owned entertainment company and partners with top Hollywood creators — from independent filmmakers to big Hollywood studios — to produce a slate of movies, TV, and digital content.

Popshop Live
Popshop Live is a live streaming commerce marketplace that is transforming social shopping. The mobile streaming platform allows sellers to go live, sell their products to a community of shoppers and engage directly in real-time interactions. L.A. Comic Con and Popshop Live have partnered together to elevate the digital experience by giving attendees unlimited access to livestream the main stage through the Popshop Live app, interact with their favorite exhibitors after the convention is over with exclusive discounts and products, and bringing L.A. Comic Con alive with a virtual convention in Spring 2022, streaming exclusively on Popshop Live!

That Hashtag Show
That Hashtag Show writes and produces quality content to hype the films and shows you love, keeping you up to date with everything trending in geek pop culture.

UE COMIX™
UE COMIX™ is a self-publishing platform designed to support and promote Comics, Manga, and Graphic Novels by Independent Creators. We aim to return control to the aesthetic community through the establishment of a self-made, self-published mindset. Words cannot express the appreciation and excitement we have partnering with L.A. Comic Con and participating in the upcoming events.

Voodoo Ranger
Voodoo Ranger is excited to join everyone on the convention floor this year as the official beer partner of L.A. Comic Con!

WHY: Los Angeles is the entertainment capital of the world, and home to the most high-profile entertainers, artists, studios, and the center of the film and television industry. L.A. Comic Con is a celebration for all things pop culture and is meant to be a place where fans can meet their superheroes, comic book characters, and the creators behind them.

WHO:

  • Nichelle Nichols, Actress, Star Trek
  • Zachary Levi, Actor, Chuck, Shazam!
  • Ming-Na Wen, Actress, The Mandalorian, Marvel’s AGENTS OF S.H.I.E.L.D
  • Giancarlo Esposito, Actor, The Mandalorian, Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul
  • Bruce Campbell, Actor, Evil Dead, Spider-Man, Bubba Ho-Tep
  • Jason David Frank, Actor, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
  • Tom Kenny, Comedian and Voice of Spongebob Squarepants
  • Roger Bumpass, Actor, Voice of Squidward – Spongebob Squarepants
  • David Yost, Actor, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers
  • Tom Welling, Actor, Smallville, Lucifer
  • Michael Rosenbaum, Actor, Smallville, Guardians of the Galaxy 2
  • John Glover, Actor, The Walking Dead, Smallville, Scrooged
  • Rider Strong, Actor, Boy Meets World, Cabin Fever
  • William Daniels, Actor, Boy Meets World, Knight Rider, St. Elsewhere
  • Will Friedle, Actor, Boy Meets World, Batman Beyond
  • John Barrowman, Actor, Doctor Who, Flash
  • Casper Van Dien, Actor, Starship Troopers, Sleepy Hollow
  • J. Michael Tatum, Actor, Black Butler
  • Chris Wehkamp, Actor, My Hero Academia
  • Brandon McInnis, Actor, Black Clover
  • Alexis Tipton, Actress, Sakura Quest
  • Ricco Fajardo, Actor, Black Clover

ABOUT LOS ANGELES COMIC CON:
L.A. Comic Con is Los Angeles’ biggest and best multimedia pop culture convention, held annually at the Los Angeles Convention Center. L.A. Comic Con assembles the most exciting, new, and innovative players in comics, movies, sci-fi, fantasy, horror, anime, gaming, and all things pop-culture. Over 123,000 fans attended the 2019 event, making it Los Angeles’ ultimate pop-culture destination. L.A. Comic Con’s top priority is the safety and enjoyment of the show’s fans and regularly updates its CV-19 protocols. As one of the most diverse and celebrated geek and pop-culture events in the United States, L.A. Comic Con gives fans once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to truly enjoy safe interactions with their favorite creators and major players in the entertainment industry.

MORE INFORMATION ON L.A. COMIC CON
For more info on L.A. Comic Con, please visit: https://www.comicconla.com or follow us on TwitterFacebook, or Instagram.

HASHTAGS: #ComicConLA #ComicConLA21

5 Home Gym Equipment Ideas If You Have Limited Space

Having a small room or apartment doesn’t mean you need to skip out on exercise, check out these easy home gym equipment ideas if you have minimal space.

Let us face it, with the reigning pandemic and lockdowns looming around every corner many of us have taken it on ourselves to start exercising from home. Some by choice, others not so much in the same regard.

When you’re a fitness fanatic and don’t know which corner to turn because you can’t go to the gym you’re probably looking for ways that you can exercise at home, for those of us that are doing forms of bodybuilding we probably want some type of resistance training as well that can only come from lifting weights.

Regardless of who you are or what your choice is, there are options for us to train at home, even if you have limited space such as a studio apartment. Below is a list of equipment that you could use at home, even if you have limited space and best of all, they don’t cost a fortune. 5 Gym Equipment Ideas You Can Use At Home If You Have Limited Space

Adjustable Dumbbells

Dumbbells are usually an essential part of strength training and if you’ve ever gone to a proper gym they usually have a whole section entirely dedicated to dumbbells ranging from a few pounds to a few hundred pounds. It’s really a gym staple. 

Adjustable dumbbells are great because you don’t need to have 20 different dumbbells sitting in your home which takes up a lot of space, they are basically like your ordinary dumbbells except that the weight is not fixed. They tend to have a locking system and come with different plates of weights that you can fix to the dumbbell and then lock it.

This makes it easy to start with a low number and then work your way up as you build upon your strength training, pretty neat right?

Adjustable Kettlebells 

Much like the adjustable dumbbells, adjustable kettlebells are similar in nature where you can increase the weight range of them and lock them into place. Some of them have a simple system where you just push a button to release the weights and then clip in further sizes, usually in 6-pound increments. 

Kettlebells are a lot more versatile than dumbbells because you can use them to do things such as goblet squats, as well as bicep curls and various other kettlebell exercises. They’re a great space saver as well as they can just sit in your wardrobe or in a corner.

Ab Wheel Rollers

You’ve probably seen these around at gyms, people usually look like they’re flattening out the pastry of a pizza base on the floor moving up and down. Those are called ab rollers, they can be used to train your core, hips, arms and back muscles and don’t require much room other than your body size.

Skipping rope

If you’re opting for a cardio option instead of weights, then a skipping rope is always going to be a staple for any fitness enthusiast. You don’t need much room other than where you’re standing and if your place has a common area like a backyard or courtyard then you can simply take it out with you as it’s very mobile and light without much hassles.Conclusion

As you can see, you can still get an intense workout even if you have limited space with these options. And if you can’t afford any of them yet, then you can focus on the good old basics of calisthenics such as pushups, situps, jumping jacks and so on. Stay hard!

About the author: Marko Rakic is a trail runner and fitness enthusiast from Sydney, Australia. He is the lead writer for The Ultimate Primate and believes the best way to live a happy life is to take a holistic approach to fitness and health.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

FSM First Look: Jail Blazers

Kerry Eggers, who covered the Trail Blazers, goes back twenty years for the stories from the players, coaches, management, and those in Portland—during an era when the local NBA stars were in the headlines for both their play and their off-court behavior.

In the late ’90s and early 2000s, the Portland Trail Blazers were one of the hottest teams in the NBA. For almost a decade, they won 60 percent of their games while making it to the Western Conference Finals twice. However, what happened off-court was just as unforgettable as what they did on the court.

When someone asked Blazers general manager Bob Whitsitt about his team’s chemistry, he replied that he’d “never studied chemistry in college.” And with that, the “Jail Blazers” were born. Built in a similar fashion to a fantasy team, the team had skills, but their issues ended up being their undoing. In fact, many consider it the darkest period in franchise history.

While fans across the country were watching the skills of Damon Stoudamire, Rasheed Wallace, and Zach Randolph, those in Portland couldn’t have been more disappointed in the players’ off-court actions. This, many have mentioned, included a very racial element—which carried over to the players as well. As forward Rasheed Wallace said, “We’re not really going to worry about what the hell [the fans] think about us. They really don’t matter to us. They can boo us every day, but they’re still going to ask for our autographs if they see us on the street. That’s why they’re fans and we’re NBA players.”

While people think of the Detroit Pistons of the eighties as the elite “Bad Boys,” the “Jail Blazers” were actually bad. Author Kerry Eggers, who covered the Trail Blazers during this controversial era, goes back to share the stories from the players, coaches, management, and those in Portland when the players were in the headlines as much for their play as for their legal issues.