Goooal! AFN scores the World Cup!!

Proving that newspapers do in fact report good news sometimes, this morning’s Stars and Stripes paper reported: “Just hours before the start of the world’s largest sporting event, American Forces Network secured the broadcasting rights to the 2010 World Cup.” For many soldiers and support personnel working at US bases, this was a matter of great worry– as only few places have access to ESPN. Soccer fans had consigned themselves to having to try and find an online stream, or the really lucky few to find a TV set with ESPN. Even the day before the world’s biggest sporting event, people at cafeterias on US bases found themselves staring at the Stanley Cup replays and some random baseball matches. No, not even in America does anyone REALLY care about the Stanley cup. Fine– except maybe about 7 people!

Meanwhile, further down the article on realizes why this was a big issue. Reports the Stars and Stripes: “The process to obtain the broadcast rights involved 34 international television licensees and sub-licensees in 28 territories, who waived their territorial exclusivity, the AFN release said.”

So here we are–ready. Here in Kuwait this means the games will be on at the big TVs where we can all gather to watch, and maybe– just maybe– all the excitement draws in a few new converts to the beautiful game!

Cheers,
-r-

World Cup is coming! Google's special "next page" icon

So there’ll be a lot of searching of World Cup related terms on Google. Yes, I’m writing two consecutive posts having to do with Google, but hey, if they’re doing things right… !

As I was looking for a printable version of the official World Cup Schedule (pdf), I realized that for related searches, the bottom of the Google page looks like this:

Also, if you want a schedule that is in your timezone, on the FIFA website, they have a place where you can click and it converts the time into your zone. Unfortunately, the schedule is not printable with those times!
Meanwhile, here’s a place where you can check current World Cup scores and game results.
Not to be missed also is the work this guy put in to create a World Cup Excel template which generates all the right matches coming up, depending on the results  you put in. Definitely fun for tracking the madness!

4 years in the waiting and it’s coming soon! Hopefully you’ll find some fun places to watch from!

Cheers,
-r-

I want to be a gladiator! The "Spartacus" workout

Ok, not really.  Unless it was just a themed workout. So to all my people that want to get in shape:I just did this workout today and it is a.freaking.mazing.
This is the actual workout that the stars of Spartacus (which I haven’t watched so can’t comment on) use. And well, if I could look just a bit like Peter Mensah, it wouldn’t be a bad thing (also, see video on MH website below):

Here is the link to their site, which has a lot of great info to look through. But nicer still, you can get a printable version so you can take along to the gym. Start off with smaller/ no weights so you can get through all of the steps. Use longer breaks in the beginning if you need.  The smallest weights will feel like boulders in your hands before you’re done one set, so start off with lighter weights/ no weights and work your way up. Same with the breaks, if you can’t manage just 15 seconds inbetween sets, then lengthen that a bit, but remember: this is a circuit workout, intended to be done at high intensity with minimal rest. So anything more than 30 seconds of break and you’re starting to defeat the point. Also to note when you’re starting off, is that if you just can’t get through a full minute, just hold the position for the rest of the minute until its time to move to the next set. So really, if you look at this and think “oh I have to work out for a month before I can even start this!”, don’t. Because you can start this at your level–just you have to make sure to work through it consistently.

Although the workout is posted in Men’s Health magazine, I think women could benefit from this as well. You just want to keep your weights to a minimum so you don’t bulk up. Or I’m sure there are other already modified /tried / tested circuit workouts offered in women’s health magazines!

Try this.  Let me know how you like it!

Cheers,

-r-