Popular yoga poses and questions

Actress Chyler Leigh in a half lotus pose, meant for yoga beginners. A popular and well-known yoga pose it brings up the question: yoga looks easy but I need something that challenges my body? When people get around to doing yoga, it dawns on them: my body is sore all over, why's yoga sooo hard?? Yoga is an all round exercise system that builds strength, flexibility, balance, and yes it burns

White girls play more sports

From The New York Times: This month marks the 40th anniversary of Title IX of the Education Amendments becoming law. This legislation has been monumental in women’s and girls’ sports participation. But the focus of Title IX has been gender equity, not racial equity in women's sports. The most glaring outcome of the legislation is that white women — as athletes and administrators — have been the

Outhouse to the penthouse: Where I was eight years ago last night

(I think it's safe to tell this story in public now. At least I hope so.)

Eight years ago last night (June 7, 2004), the Tampa Bay Lightning were facing the Calgary Flames in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. It was the most fantastic, incredible night I've ever experienced as a sports fan, although it definitely didn't start out that great.

I was not an employee of the Lightning at that time, but I was a huge fan, as I had been since the team began back in 1992. The NHL playoffs are two months of severe manic mood swings. Wins produce euphoric elation. Losses result in soul-crushing despair. Friends and co-workers would base decisions on whether or not to interact with me based on the team's performance the night before. Yeah, it was a big deal.
Being as I worked at the Sun Dome, an arena across town, I had peers, colleagues and friends in the Lightning organization, some of whom were able to hook me up with tickets for games during the regular season as well as the playoffs. Away games were spent at The Press Box, Tampa's oldest established sports bar. As the team advanced, tickets were difficult to get. When the whole thing boiled down to Game 7, a single winner-take-all contest to decide the whole thing, they were non-existent for freeloaders like me. However, one of my friends was dating an upper-level executive with the team at the time (he's actually in that photo at the bottom). She told me that she and others would be in a suite and if I could somehow find my way there, I was more than welcome to join them. Meanwhile, another friend who was actually an executive herself told me she didn't have tickets, but she would be willing to open a side door while looking the other way. Hey, 2/3 of a plan is better than nothing! Although that missing middle part was pretty important and would need to be addressed somehow...
I left work early and got downtown around 3:30 in the afternoon. True to her word, my friend opened the door and said "Good luck, I don't know you" as I hurried through. I quickly made my way to an elevator that took me to the floor where the suite was located. I found a men's room, locked myself in a stall, squatted on a toilet and read the Tampa Tribune, standing up every now and then to discourage pesky leg cramps. Occasionally, someone would come in and I would freeze like Lucas Haas in "Witness".


"Ohh shiii..."


But nobody ever challenged me being in there and later, when I was finally sure I could hear crowd noise out in the concourse hallway, I got up and tried to dart across the hall into the suite...but I'm not really a darter. I got nailed by an usher who wanted to see a ticket I didn't have. I told her I'd forgotten it and would go back and get it. I walked down the concourse a few feet, looked back and saw her step away from her post and doubled back quickly and got inside before she saw me. I was there before my friend, so I had to introduce myself to the other people in there, among them Lightning general manager Jay Feaster's wife Anne, head coach John Tortorella's wife Christene and goalie coach Jeff Reese's dad. No longer stressed about being discovered and getting thrown out (or arrested!) after hanging around a men's room for over four hours, I relaxed and helped myself to free chicken tenders, chips and spinach dip and ice cold beer, all while watching the Lightning skate to a 2-1 victory over Calgary to win the championship. 

   

I don't Like that

Recently, a co-worker who happens to be an aspiring writer used my computer. I found out when I visited Facebook and found out that I had "Liked" her romance novels.


Here's the thing: Sometimes at work, I visit Facebook. Sometimes, other people need to use my computer. Often, I don't log out of my account when I'm finished. This always leaves me at risk of people doing inappropriate things with my Facebook account. Okay, that's on me. I shouldn't do that and I should accept the consequences when I do. That's fair punishment. But be reasonable, folks. Change my profile photo to a picture of a dog's butt. Change my status to "I Heart Balls!" Sign me up for a bunch of Adolph Hitler fan clubs. Whatever. But don't presume to speak for me, making it look like I "Like" your shitty books, you hack. What makes it worse is I'm all about supporting fellow writers, or anybody indulging their creative pursuits, for that matter. If she had asked me to "Like" them, I would have done so happily. Hell, that's a lot easier than actually having to read them.

"Before I open this, I'm not going to find
 any moody, lovestruck vampires, am I?"

Instead, I'm going to do the opposite of "Like" them and help her. I'm going to un-"Like" (or hate) them and un-help (or hinder) her. And that's just a shame, because like I said, that's not my usual inclination.
Seriously, what kind of psycho does something like that? I'm not normally somebody who wrings their hands over this perceived wave of bad behavior spawned by the likes of Facebook and Twitter. Twitter isn't what makes people say stupid things on Twitter; stupid is what makes people say stupid things on Twitter. And it's the same way with Facebook not turning normal, rational people into assholes. Although, this situation has thrown me. It's like showing up uninvited at some kind of function and using it in an attempt to impose your personal preferences and beliefs on someone...just because you're an opportunistic, bottom-feeding dipshit. That kind of thing doesn't happen in the real world, does it?

Never mind.





Paddleboarding lowers stress

Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio does some paddleboarding in Hawaii. Stand-up paddleboarding is an increasingly popular water sport and a fun family activity. Paddleboarding skill levels are pretty standard for people of all ages....you just need to stay balanced on the board. It is easier for women because of a lower center of gravity in female bodies. Gliding along on water, while enjoying

The RAWR of the crowd

I love sports action photos. The images captured are often incredible but what I find really entertaining are the reactions of spectators watching the action. Sometimes, you can look at the same photo a hundred times and find something new going on in the crowd every time. Other times, you can spot something that completely draws your focus away from anything else going on in the photo entirely.
For instance this is what is currently my computer desktop wallpaper at work:

This is Martin St. Louis who plays for my favorite team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, celebrating after scoring a goal against the San Jose Sharks. Marty is truly a great player, easily one of the top five to ever play for a Tampa Bay team in any sport, which is why I chose it initially. But now, after looking at it dozens of times and studying it in detail, I find myself fixated on what's going on with this guy:



"Bra-a-a-ins...err, I mean, Go-o-o-o-al!"

 So it's no longer a picture of one of my favorite players celebrating a goal, it's now a picture of one of my favorite players seperated from a zombie by a pane of glass and a helmet.

If I started a bucket list right now, it would already be half finished

As much as I complain about it, I actually have a pretty cool life. I get to do some cool stuff, anyway. Because of some weird, mystic combination of knowing a bunch of different people who are engaged in a wide variety of activity, my big mouth and a pinch of Forrest Gump-like serendipity, sometimes I find myself with opportunities that clearly aren't earned on any kind of actual merit. Previously, this has resulted in things like getting to sit in a dugout with Brooks Robinson and Harmon Killebrew at an exhibition baseball game in St. Petersburg or riding through Times Square in a limo with Leeann Tweeden. More recently, this happened...

Over the last few years, I've gotten to know Ronny Elliott. Ronny is a musician's musician, in that while many people don't recognize his name, there's a chance that they own an album by somebody that he's played with, and the people whose names are on those albums probably know him. I'm not going to attempt to write a bio because I'll forget something important. If you're so inclined, you can read the one that's posted on his web site. I'll just leave it at mentioning that he opened for Jimi Hendrix.
Anyway, recently Ronny mentioned that he's recording a new album, his first in five years. As is my wont (for better or worse), I had to open my piehole: "Hey, I want to be on the new album!". Now, I'll point out that I was being completely sincere: I did/do want to be on the album, but that doesn't mean I expected to get the opportunity. I want to do all kinds of things but not every single self-indulgent whim that comes flying out of my mouth gets granted. More accurately, my bluffs often go uncalled, dismissed with a pat on the head...but not all the time.
Ronny told me that they would be in a recording studio last Friday and I was welcome to come by. Well, sure! Sounds like fun! Maybe I could contribute hand claps or bang on a tambourine or something. When I got there, Ronny met me at the door. "Are you warmed up?", he asked, gesturing to his throat. "Huh? Oh yeah. I was singing along to the Beatles on the way over. Ha ha!" "Good. Because you're up next. Rebekah already did her part. We just need to add you singing with her and that track is done."
Singing? Me? With who? Rebekah? As in Pulley? Yes. He actually wanted me to sing. Further, I'd be singing with the immensely popular and critically adored Rebekah Pulley (one of my favorites). Suddenly, the stakes were MUCH higher. But rarely have I been accused of favoring discretion over valor so I wasn't going to back out...unless I was given the chance, of course. Steve, the producer said to Ronny, "I don't know if you need more vocals. Maybe a (French term that I don't remember) would fit." "Yeah, definitely", I said, "I could do a (French term I don't remember). What is that?" "A (French term that I don't remember) is a brief spoken, not sung, part." "Oh right. Yeah, I should probably do one of those." Ronny said, "No, let him sing. It will be good."
They played the song for me and said "just sing the same part as Rebekah on the chorus" and put me in a room by myself with a microphone. I put on the headphones and realized the microphone could pick up everything. I immediately became self-conscious about my breathing and cocked my head at a weird angle and started breathing out of the corner of my mouth, like a smoker trying not to blow exhaust fumes in someone's face. The song started playing and I sang along quietly. Steve stopped the song and said "are you singing?" "Yeah..kind of...it seems really loud" "Don't worry about that. Just sing normal." "I don't normally sing." "Just sing loud and I'll take care of it in here."
We started over and I sang louder this time, and kind of got into it. When it was over I asked, "Is there a back door that I should just leave through back here or...?" "Come on up. It's fine." I went back to the control room and Ronny said, "Wow, you turned into George C. Scott there!" The guy that won the Oscar for playing Patton isn't the first person that pops into my mind when I think of music but I said thanks. "I just mean in terms of how dramatic you were. It was good!" So apparently, he's happy with it and they're going to keep it. The album is scheduled to be released around the middle of July and I'll be sure to include all the info here so you can check it out.

So while that may not have been as cool as hanging out with Brooks Robinson and Harmon Killebrew, it's definitely up there.

ECO GLAMAZINE June 2012

Evil Queen? More like Beauty Queen - Charlize Theron is this month's Eco Angel. Meet our newest Glamour Gal, gorgeous vegan Miss Brittany Littleton. Plus we share our secrets to becoming an Eco Goddess so you can help save the planet too! 

JUNE 2012

• ECO ANGEL: Charlize Theron. Beauty Queen 
• GLAMOUR GAL: Brittany Littleton. Vegan Vixen
• How to: Be an Eco Goddess.... and save the planet!
• plus weekly eco-friendly articles about beauty, food, fitness and saving the planet!