Wolverine Annual #1 Comic Book Preview

Wolverine Annual #1
32 full color pages

Written by: Gregg Hurwitz
Art by: Marcelo Frusin
Release Date: October 3, 2007
Price: $3.99




THE DEATH SONG OF J. PATRICK SMITTY

Los Angeles Times-best selling author Gregg Hurwitz (The Crime Writer) and Marcelo Frusin (Hellblazer) bring you a gritty, self-contained story! It's Wolverine as you've never seen him before! A botched bank heist. A dozen dead civilians. A man on the run. Smitty's a two-bit hoodlum with blood on his hands and a monster nipping at his heels. A relentless force of nature whose senses are as sharp as his claws.

Smitty is going to die, and he knows it. The only question is: when? To understand the ending, you must start at the beginning. And Smitty's story is a killer.

Original Source: IGN

Your Kid Doesn't Like Sports? They Can Still Stay Fit

Team sports can help a child gain self-esteem, coordination, and general fitness, and help them learn how to work with other kids and adults. But some kids aren't natural athletes and they may tell you - directly or indirectly - that they just don't like sports. What then?

Why Some Kids Don't Like Teams

Every child doesn't have to join a team, and with enough other activities, kids can be fit without them. But it's a good idea to find out why your child isn't interested. You might be able to help solve any deeper concerns your child might be having, or steer your child toward something else. Talk with your child and let him or her know that you'd like to work on a solution together. That solution might mean making changes and sticking with the team sport or finding a new activity to try.

Here are some reasons why sports might be a turnoff for a child:

Still Developing Basic Skills

Though many sports programs are available for preschoolers, it's not until about age 6 or 7 that most kids have the physical skills, the attention span, and the ability to grasp the rules needed to play organized sports. If your child hasn't had much practice in a specific sport, it may take a while for him or her to be expected to reliably perform necessary skills such as kicking a soccer ball on the run or hitting a baseball thrown from the pitcher's mound. Trying and failing, especially in a game situation, might frustrate your child and make him or her nervous.

What You Can Do. Practice with your child at home. Whether you're shooting baskets, playing catch, or going for a jog together, you're giving your child an opportunity to build his or her skills and fitness in a safe environment. Your child can freely try - and risk failing - new things without the self-consciousness of being around his or her peers. And you're also getting a good dose of quality together time.

Coach or League Is Too Competitive

A kid who's already a reluctant athlete might feel extra-nervous when the coach barks out orders or the league focuses heavily on winning.

What You Can Do. Investigate sports programs before signing your child up for one. Talk with coaches and other parents about the philosophy. Some athletic associations, like the YMCA, have noncompetitive leagues. In some programs, they don't even keep score.

Keep in mind that as kids get older, they can handle more competitive aspects such as keeping score and keeping track of wins and losses for the season. Some kids may be motivated by competitive play, but the average child may not be ready for the increased pressure until he or she is 11 or 12 years old. Remember that even in more competitive leagues, the atmosphere should remain positive and supportive for all the participants.

Stage Fright

If your child isn't a natural athlete, or is a little shy, he or she might be uncomfortable with the pressure of being on a team. More self-conscious kids also might worry about letting their parents, coaches, or teammates down. This is especially true if the child is still working on basic skills and if the league is very competitive.

What You Can Do. Keep your expectations realistic - most kids don't become Olympic medalists or get sports scholarships. Let your child know the goal is to be fit and have fun. If the coach or league doesn't agree, it's probably time to look for something new.

Still Shopping for a Sport

Some kids haven't found the right sport. Maybe your child didn't have the hand-eye coordination for baseball, but he or she has the drive and the build to be a swimmer, a runner, or a cyclist. The idea of an individual sport also can be more appealing to some kids who like to go it alone.

What You Can Do. Be open to your child's interests in other sports or activities. That can be tough if, for instance, you just loved basketball and wanted to continue the legacy. But by exploring other options, you give your child a chance to get invested in something he or she truly enjoys.

Other Barriers

Different kids mature at different rates, so it's common for there to be a wide range of heights, weights, and athletic abilities among kids of the same age group. So if your child is much bigger or smaller than other kids of the same age - or less coordinated or not as strong - he or she may feel self-conscious and uncomfortable competing with them. Your child also may be afraid of getting injured, or worried that he or she can't keep up. A child who is overweight might be reluctant to participate in a sport, for example, while a child who has asthma might feel more comfortable with sports that require short outputs of energy, like baseball, football, gymnastics, downhill skiing, and shorter track and field events.

What You Can Do. Give some honest thought to your child's strengths, abilities, and temperament, and find an activity that might be a good match. Some kids are afraid of the ball, so they don't like softball or volleyball, but may enjoy an activity like running. If your child is overweight, he or she might lack the endurance to run, but might enjoy a sport like swimming. Your child may be too short for the basketball team, but may enjoy gymnastics or wrestling.

Keep in mind that some kids just prefer sports that focus on individual performance rather than teamwork. Remember that the goal is to prevent your child from feeling frustrated, wanting to quit, and being turned off from sports and physical activity altogether.

With good communication, you may be able to address your child's concerns. Other issues may naturally fade as your child grows. If you can understand what your child is going through and provide a supportive environment, you can help your child succeed in whatever activity he or she chooses.

Ways to Stay Fit Outside of Team SportsEven kids who once said they hated sports might learn to like team sports as their skills improve, or if they find the right sport or a league with the right level of intensity. But even if team sports never thrill your child, there's plenty a kid can do to get the recommended 60 minutes or more of physical activity each day.

Free play can be very important for a child who doesn't play a team sport. What's free play? It's the activity kids get when they're left to their own devices, like shooting hoops, riding bikes, playing whiffleball, playing tag, jumping rope, or dancing.

Outside of the most common team sports, your child might want to try individual sports or other organized activities that can boost his or her fitness. Here are some ideas:

skateboarding
cycling
inline skating
martial arts
swimming
horseback riding
dance classes
cheerleading
hiking
golf
tennis
fencing
gymnastics
yoga and other fitness classes
Ultimate Frisbee
running

Supporting Your Kid's Choices

Even if the going's tough, work with your child to find something active that he or she likes. Try to remain open-minded. Maybe your child is interested in an activity that is not offered at his or her school. If your daughter wants to try flag football or ice hockey, for example, help her find a local league or talk to school officials about starting up a new team.

You'll need to be patient if your child has difficulty choosing and sticking to an activity. It often takes several tries before a child finds one that feels like the right fit. But when something clicks, you'll be glad you invested the time and effort. For your child, it's one big step toward developing active habits that can last a lifetime.

Original Source: kidshealth.org

The Faction - The Godfathers of South Bay Punk and Skateboarding

The Faction was a hardcore punk rock band from Halloween 1982 until Halloween 1985. Coming from the heart of the once skateboarding capital of the world, (Thats San Jose, if you though I was talking San Francisco or Santa Cruz you're just wrong!) the band was one of the original "Skate Rock" bands whose music and lifestyle tastes centered on skateboarding and punk rock.

One of skateboarding's brightest stars for 20 plus years (he's been arguably the best all-around skateboarder in the world) played bass, and then guitar, in the Faction. Steve Caballero probably attracted a lot of young skateboarder's interest to the band, but the music kept us coming back for more, and he wasn't the only skater in the band. Singer Gavin O'Brien was a heavy local at the Winchester Skatepark and was more than able to hold his own in any session: vert, street, banks, whatever. Adam "Bomb" Segal's trademark high top Vans in all the bright, cool colors of the day had ollie holes on both shoes-the dude was doing switch tricks before anyone. He was a damn fine guitar player, too. Keith Rendon (drummer #1), Ray Stevens, II (bass) and Craig Bosch (drummer #2) were all accomplished skaters; Craig even has a trick named after him: the Bosch (a invert to blunt on a curb, ledge, etc).

But as much as the Faction were into skateboarding, they were just as much about playing loud and fast and heavy punk rock with an emphasis on guitars. The first lineup was Adam playing guitar, Steve playing bass, Keith on drums, and Gavin singing. I think Corey O'Brien had a pretty steady gig as the roadie, too. As a four piece, they recorded two 7" EPs, one LP, and songs for several comps, including the infamous Thrasher "Skate Rock" tape (vol.1) and LP (vol. 2). In 1984, Keith left the band, Craig came aboard, Stevie switched from bass to guitar, and Ray Stevens (who had played in such great bands as the Drunk Injuns and Los Olvidados, and more recently, the Clay Wheels) lent his bass skills. As a five piece, they recorded two more 12" EPs: "Dark Room" and the posthumous "Epitaph," with six songs each. Thirty-four songs in all, recorded over two and a half years, which progress from fairly simple fast thrash/punk to heavy and layered quality punk songs that are fast and loud and beautiful!

As Adam got more into heavy metal (Went on to form The Living End, which became The End), his influence on the guitar leads became more prevalent, but was just one of the factors that led to the band's breakup. It was a sad day in early November 1985, when they'd finaly broken up.

Faction shows were fun and chaotic, and all of us westside San Jose skaters were always up for them: they were an event not to be missed. We never missed one whenever they played in San Jose or SF. I won't go into how it was different then; if you weren't there, you wouldn't understand.

"Collection..." comes with a list of every Faction gig they ever played, including the three shows represented by four songs on the CD. "Spineless Majority" was one of my favorite songs, and they never recorded it in a studio, so we used it live from a Halloween 1984 show live in the studio at KFJC, the South Bay's dominant force in punk rock radio for at least 15 years, way before "it was safe," as Gavin put it in the liner notes. Ironically, that song is about being a free-thinker in a world of jocks, idiots, rednecks: the Spineless Majority. If you're into the history of hardcore/punk rock, it's all there: shows with Social Distortion, Void, Big Boys, JFA, Executioner, Corrosion of Conformity, the Melvins, Scream, Agent Orange, Aggression, Suicidal Tendencies, RKL, Code of Honor, Wasted Youth... the list goes on. Those bands were in good company.

The CD also has a dupe of the original Love 22 dollar bill which was found in a San Jose mall and started a mini phenomenon, plus lyrics to all 28 songs.

Childhood Obesity - Lets take a look at the toys.

There is no arguing that today's teens are in a poor state of health. A recent studies point the finger at the toys our kids play with. This year's hot Christmas toys include Next Gen video game systems, Halo 3, Skate, and a range of others games, Hand Helds, Cell phones, ringtones, Computers, Bratz and Star Wars toys, but not a single toy which encourages physical activity or outdoor play.

The survey notes that the most popular toys during the 1970s were mostly related to physical activity; however, the Toy Retail Association site shows that lego toys tended to be the most popular. During the 70's a number of hit toys, which encouraged outdoor play, were hugely popular such as the spacehopper, rollerskates, the Chopper bicycle, stunt kites, and skateboards. Now we are in the age of electronica. Technology is useful, helpful, and fun but it can also make us lazy and stressed.

No "undesirable elements" allowed in Palos Verdes Estates

Tattoo and massage parlors will no longer be welcome in Palos Verdes Estates, a beach side community near Long Beach. Not that any ink shops or unlicensed masseuses were there to begin with - but just in case, the City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved an ordinance to restrict them from commercial zones. Car washes, truck terminals, recycling facilities, dry cleaning plants and cemeteries were also included in the ban. Not wanting to make decisions about appropriate commercial uses after the fact, the City Council pulled the rug out from such businesses before they could even pull a city permit to open shop. This preventive measure springs from the city's dealings with a medical marijuana dispensary last year. In October 2006, five months after the shop opened in Lunada Bay, the City Council debated and adopted a medical marijuana prohibition ordinance. By December the dispensary had vacated.

"Although we don't anticipate anybody wanting a tattoo parlor in town, we also didn't ever imagine that anyone would want a medical marijuana dispensary in town," Planning Director Allan Rigg said.

However, while cities are free to ban cigar shops, car washes, cemeteries and anything else not protected by the Constitution, tattoo parlors could be considered a method of personal expression, and therefore a First Amendment right.

"I would say banning tattoo parlors would be hard to justify," said Roger Diamond, a Santa Monica-based attorney who specializes in free speech issues. "Basically, it's body art that allows someone to express herself or himself."

Diamond said zoning is a legitimate tool cities use to keep harmful and unwanted elements out of their communities. But when it comes to constitutionally protected rights - such as tattoo parlors, with their freedom of speech implications - a city cannot restrict them outright. There must be a designated place for them within the city's limits.

"You can't ban (tattoo parlors) completely, just like you can't ban bookstores or movie theaters," Diamond said.

Rigg said city staff reviewed zoning restrictions of 15 other California cities, including those in the South Bay, when deciding what would not be permissible in Palos Verdes Estates. Tattoo parlors are banned in Torrance and downtown El Segundo, while the municipal codes of Rancho Palos Verdes, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach don't include tattoo parlors as a permitted use in their zoning.

However, the Hermosa Beach City Council will consider an amendment allowing tattoo parlors in commercial zones at its Oct. 16 meeting. Truck terminals, car washes, recycling and salvage facilities and dry cleaners that clean laundry on site, as opposed to sending it elsewhere for processing, were singled out because they were deemed more industrial than commercial, according to Riggs.

As for cemeteries, he said, "They're just not conducive to a commercial center."

Original Source: Daily Breeze, By Megan Bagdonas

Longboarding, transportation trend among adults

"Hey, Dad, can I borrow your skateboard tonight?"

If that's a sentence you have never heard, you probably haven't heard of longboard skateboards. Longboards are the hottest thing in skateboarding for adults. At the basic level, longboards are exactly that: longer skateboards, from 42 to even 80 inches in length, compared with regular boards that are 30 to 38 inches. The biggest difference is these sidewalk surfboards are designed for comfortable riding, not X Games-type tricks on the halfpipe or at the skate park.

"A general rule of thumb is 'the longer the board, the older the rider,' " says Ken Perkins of Arbor Snowboards and Skateboards, whose Hawaii-influenced designs are among the most popular sold.

"It's not unusual to see 40-year-olds commuting on them. During the recent New York transit strike, I saw some Wall Street types riding their boards to work."

Longboards are more stable and smoother riding because the board is more flexible and the wheels are made of softer plastic, allowing them to roll over pebbles and rough concrete that could cause a trick boarder to crash.

"About 85% of skateboarders leave the sport by the time they reach 18," says Michael Brooke, publisher and editor of Concrete Wave, a magazine dedicated to longboarding. "The high attrition rate is due to the true difficulty of doing the tricks. They're very technical and sometimes dangerous."

In 1998, a U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission study said 80% of the then-11.4 million U.S. skateboarders were under 18. Seven years later, a report by Transworld Skateboarding magazine said skaters 6 to 17 represented only half the nation's 16.4 million skateboarders. Hence the trend toward longboarding. It has become the No. 2-ranked skateboard activity in North America, according to a study by Label Networks, a Venice Beach, Calif., company that tracks youth culture trends. Street-style trick skating is first, and vert-park skating (half-pipe style tricks) is third.

"It is more utilitarian," Kathleen Gasperini, senior vice president of Label Networks, says of longboarding. "You can use it as transportation or have your dog pull you around the neighborhood.

"Girls (whose participation levels in longboarding are 2% higher than boys) love it because it is easier than dropping into a vert ramp and a lot more fun."

Transforming trends

As with regular skateboards, longboards have their gnarly roots in surfing. In the early 1600s, Hawaiian surfriders used 18- to 25-foot mahogany and balsa boards. The modern 8- to 12-foot surfboard emerged in the 1930s. Today's highly maneuverable plastic-foam boards are as small as 6 feet in length. Skateboarding went through a similar but more accelerated metamorphosis. Skateboarding was created in the late 1950s by bored surfers looking for something to do until wave conditions improved. They bolted skate wheels to planks and cruised beach roads and sidewalks, sometimes setting up slalom courses in parking lots. In the 1960s, however, Tony Alva and his merry band of Dogtown surfer-skaters developed a skateboarding style that mimicked the swooping cutback moves of real surfing. Boards got smaller to accommodate their use in empty swimming pools. This evolved into halfpipe ramps and street-skate parks that emphasized riding on rails and ledges.

"That's when they threw the baby out with the bathwater," Brooke says.

Long days journey

Today's longboards are a return to those early days of road riding and slalom racing. Some longboarders are even going to extremes, in a laid-back, longboard sort of way. Adam Colton and two of his friends rode their longboards nearly 3,000 miles from Newport, Ore., to his home in Springfield, Va., last year. They skated more than 50 miles a day and had to tape their sneakers with thick layers of duct tape to keep them from disintegrating.

"The key to the whole trip was switching legs to push off, otherwise I would have had one huge leg," Colton says.

Colton, 22, and associate Adam Stokowski, 21, also from Springfield, are taking longboards in a completely new direction by choreographing dance steps to be performed on them. They are also taping promotional videos for a line of longboards.

"I hurt my leg doing tricks," the lanky Stokowski says. "My parents are really happy that I'm able to make a living with longboards."

Parents aren't a visible component of trick skating, but Gasperini says longboards are giving the sport a cross-generational boost. "In longboarding, you now have parents who used to do vert riding skating with their young kids," she says. "This is the first time that has happened."

Original Source: USAToday

Skateboarding as transportation

San Francisco, Ca. Everyday, unless it’s raining, Ramsey Garcia, 30, rolls his longboard (a three-foot skateboard with large black wheels) to San Francisco State or to work downtown. He rarely uses his a car and he doesn’t have a bicycle; the skateboard is his principle transportation from his house on Sloat Boulevard. “It takes a good portion out of my daily commute,” said Garcia, a native of San Clemente. “And it gets my heart rate up to keep me warm in a colder city.”

Longboard skateboards, different than those used for ollies, 360 flips and grinds, are becoming a trendy form of transportation. According to the San Francisco Skateboard Task Force, Garcia is one of an estimated 25,000 skateboarders who live in San Francisco. Many ride their boards as a form of alternative transportation although it’s illegal on city streets and many sidewalks. “Skateboard use, as transportation, on the streets and sidewalks of the city is rampant,” according to the Task Force’s 2004 Skateboard Master Plan. “While current law only permits skateboard use on residential sidewalks between dawn and dusk, real usage is going on nearly around the clock.”

For skaters like Garcia the ride can be a haphazard gauntlet of speeding cars, pedestrians, potholes and police. “Scary moments? I’ve had a few,” Garcia wrote in an e-mail, “a couple of close encounters with cars pulling out into traffic and not seeing me on the shoulder.” The law is another risk for skaters. When Garcia rolls to the east edge of the SFSU campus, he always tries to remember if it’s a protest day or not. If a protest is happening, he can’t ride through the sloped campus because University police are on the prowl, said Garcia. A run-in with the police could mean a ticket, a fine and possibly confiscation of his board. Garcia has been warned several times. “If I see them I try to hop off,” Garcia said. “Or I’ll have my headphones on and pretend like I don’t hear them.”

In California, skateboard law varies from county to county, city to city even sidewalk to sidewalk. State law allows “transit boards, public agencies, and local authorities,” to specify where skateboards can be used on public property. San Francisco traffic code states that skateboards cannot be used on any city street at any time, only on residential sidewalks from dawn to dusk. “When compared to other locales both in and out of California, San Francisco has the most restrictive code (as of January, 2004) to be found,” according to the Skateboard Master Plan.

The problem, said Adam Colton who in 2005 pushed his longboard 3,000 miles across the United States for charity, is that police don’t distinguish between street skaters that often damage property with their daring grinds and longboard skaters, which are usually harmlessly cruising. “Unfortunately, the law doesn’t allow for that,” said one San Francisco State University Police Officer. This results in skateboards being used for transportation throughout San Francisco “illegally as often as legally,” according to the Skateboard Task Force. But a few ‘no skateboarding’ signs and obscure traffic codes won’t stop skaters altogether. “Overall, this city has revived my passion for skating,” said Garcia, who has never been hassled by police for skateboarding outside of university grounds.

Original Source: Broowaha, By: DrSinValley

Exercise and Fitness for Kids

Although poor eating habits get a lot of the blame for the rise in childhood obesity, another very big factor is that kids just aren't as active as they used to be. Unfortunately, the focus for many people on battling childhood obesity is only on improving nutrition, like making school lunches more nutritious and taking soda out of schools, but doesn't do enough to actually get kids more active. As with improving their child's eating habits, parents can have an important role in helping their kids more physically active. In addition to more physically active, unorganized free play, getting involved in youth sports, such as soccer, baseball, and gymnastics, etc., can be a good way to encourage kids to be active.

How Young Is Too Young For Sports?

Since most youth sports programs for young children are very noncompetitive and are just about getting kids to be active and learning some basic rules, even older toddlers and preschoolers can play some sports. In fact, many communities now have programs like Soccer Tots for toddlers who are 20 months and older. Depending on where you live, you might also find:

Gymnastics - gymnastics programs are available for kids at almost any age, even infants and toddlers, like at The Little Gym, and get more physically demanding as your child gets older.

Swimming - although the AAP doesn't recommend formal swimming lessons until children are 4 years old, an introduction to the water type Aquatics program is okay for toddlers if they are well supervised.

Flag Football - typically age 4 and above.

T-ball - typically age 4 to 7.

Soccer - the YMCA has a Small Fry Soccer program for preschoolers over age 3.

Your local YMCA and their Youth Super Sports program is a good place to look for noncompetitive sports for younger kids. You might also find a youth sports program through your city, a private association, or a larger church in your area. Keep in mind that youth sports that are run by private associations tend to be more competitive than the YMCA, church groups, and most city leagues. Benefits of Starting Sports Early

Although some parents try to avoid youth sports until their kids are older, like 9 or 10 years old, because they want to avoid what they think is a competitive environment for their younger children, it is important to remember that most youth sports for younger kids are noncompetitive. Of course, you could have your 7 year old tryout for a tournament baseball team that travels from state to state with the goal of going to the Little League World Series or a football team that practices 4 days a week, and they would both likely be ultra-competitive. But you could just as easily join a team at the YMCA that doesn't have tryouts and doesn't keep score.

Some benefits of starting sports early, in addition to teaching responsibility, teamwork, and commitment, etc., include:

• Avoiding childhood obesity.


• Encouraging a healthy lifestyle and continued physical activity as they get older.


• Building motor skills.


• Making new friends.


• Less time to watch TV.

And if your child starts playing sports early, he or she can play a variety of sports, or all of them, and get a better idea of which one they like best.

Team Sports vs Individual Sports

In addition to differences in motor skills and how well they play sports, kids can have very different personalities and temperaments. Some are outgoing and competitive and love to play team sports, like soccer, basketball, and baseball, while others are overwhelmed with the idea of being on the field with a large group of kids. If your child isn't interested in team sports, that doesn't mean that he can't be active.

There are many individual sports that might be a better fit, including:

• skateboarding


• surfing


• swimming


• biking


• gymnastics


• wrestling


• tennis


• golf


• martial arts


• track and field


• dance

Keep in mind that some kids don't like team sports simply because they had a bad experience with one sport, team, or coach, and you might give another team or sport a chance or join a new team with a close friend so that he feels more comfortable.

Helping a Late Bloomer

Some children don't like sports because they just aren't as good as the other kids on the team. Especially for younger kids, there can be sharp differences in their abilities and developmental levels, but instead of giving up on sports, it can be a good idea to get your child some extra help so he can catch up. This can include gymnastics classes to improve general motor skills, enrolling in a skill and fitness program to help develop your child's athletic skills, extra practice at home, or getting some lessons in the specific sport you are playing.

Original Source: About.com, Vincent Iannelli, M.D.

Keeping the Family Fit

Getting fit is almost always at the top of adults’ to do list. But what about the kids? Too often couch-potato parents raise stroller-potato youngsters. With 10 percent of 2 to 5-year-olds and 16 percent of 6-to19-year-olds already overweight in the United States—and rising obesity rates in the rest of the world, experts say it’s crucial to get children moving early. Habits formed in childhood can often extend through adulthood. As New York pediatrician Jennifer Trachtenberg notes, “active kids do become active adults.” But that doesn't mean dragging your kids to the gym every day. “Any type of exercise is good, as long as it’s supervised, and parents are using common sense," says Keith Gorse, chair of the age-specific task force for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.

Girls and boys just want to have fun. So let them. “Kids should play. They should move. They’re wired for these things naturally,” says pediatrician Peter Belamarich, associate professor of clinical pediatrics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. Don’t forget to get down on the floor and play with your kids. Mike Monroe, a New York-certified strength and conditioning specialist who is lead trainer for an exercise program called PUSH, lets his 1-year-old son, Miles, crawl around him and on top of him. He also rolls a ball to Miles’s right side and then to his left. “People overanalyze what they think will help advance their kid,” says Monroe. Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, says he was like a “tree” for his four sons, now 10, 13, 15 and 17, when they were little, encouraging them to climb all over him. “One of the biggest mistakes parents make is to think it really has to be this really complex, packaged program and approach,” says Bryant. “The key is just to get your children to move. Just make sure it’s fun.” Don’t rush into organized sports. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends only 15 minutes of “structured activity” for preschoolers. After all, little kids’ attention spans are short, and they should be playing and exploring rather than doing formal calisthenics. The AAP statement also notes that participating in sports that aren’t age appropriate can cause problems: “When the demands of a sport exceed a child’s cognitive and physical development, the child may develop feelings of failure and frustration.” Enrolling them in ballet or gymnastics for tots is fine, with a caveat. “The key is not to take it too seriously,” says Dr. Angela Smith, an orthopedic surgeon at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia who is past president of the American College of Sports Medicine. Whether your child grows into a basketball superstar comes down to nature and nurture, says Small. “There’s genes and what you do with those genes.”

Turn off the television. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV for kids under 2, and no more than two hours of total screen time (TV, videogames, computers) for older children. Belamarich, a New York pediatrician, finds it sad when he asks kids to tell him about their hobbies and they say Playstation and XBox. “I’m seeing a bunch of kids pushing buttons hour after hour,” he says. Kids who watch more than 10 hours of TV each week are more likely to be overweight, aggressive and slow to learn in school, according to the American Medical Association. There are also concerns that kids who are “over stimulated” by TV and videos may be more prone to Attention Deficit Disorder. If your kids can’t resist the lure of the computer, have them engage in a “learning activity instead of a mindless activity,” says Vehrs of BYU.

Be a good role model. “Set the example of knowing that activity is as important as brushing your teeth,” says Sandra Perlmutter, former executive director of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and an adviser to a company called athleticBaby. It’s good for kids to see you head out on a run. (But don’t take them with you in a Baby Jogger until they’re at least six months old because they lack sufficient control of their heads.) Walk with your little ones. Or get them to “exercise” with you. Every day, Baton Rouge, La., speech pathologist April Garrity, 29, and her daughter, Susanna, do “downward facing dog” and other yoga moves together. Susanna also likes doing push-ups along with her dad. “They see us working out,” says Garrity. And they naturally want to join in the fun.

Environmental Design Changes: Ways to Help Reduce Childhood Obesity

Did you know that physical inactivity has been documented to cause numerous physical and mental health problems, is responsible for an estimated 200,000 deaths per year, and is shown to contribute to the obesity epidemic? Among preschool children and adolescents, obesity has doubled since the 1970s. The percentage of obese children 6 to 11 years old has tripled. Turning these statistics around means increasing children’s physical activity and improving what they eat. Much research has focused on educating children and changing their behavior, but these approaches have had limited success. Changing the environments in which children eat and play is now seen as an essential strategy in fighting the obesity epidemic.

Environmental barriers to healthy eating and activity

A panel of experts convened by the Institute of Medicine recently identified five factors in the environment that are barriers to healthy eating and physical activity for children:

• Pressures on families to minimize food costs and preparation time, resulting in frequent consumption of convenience foods high in calories and fat;

• Reduced access to and affordability of fruits, vegetables, and other nutritious foods;

• Urban and suburban designs that discourage walking and other physical activities;

• Decreased opportunities for physical activity at school, after school, and reduced walking or biking to and from school;

• Competition for leisure time that was once spent playing outdoors with sedentary screen time.

Listed below are some ways to change these five environmental factors to help solve the childhood obesity epidemic:

Changing the environment to increase children’s physical activity:

Safe places to walk and play help children to be more active. Many children and youth lack opportunities to be physically active. Walking or bicycling to school is increasingly uncommon and daily physical education has been cut from most schools (only 6 percent of middle schools provide it). More than one-third of high-school students nationwide are not getting recommended levels of moderate or vigorous physical activity.

Children need safe and accessible places where they can be active. Special attention may be needed for lower-income and minority communities, which tend to have fewer parks, sports facilities, bike paths, pools, and other places to be active.

There is strong evidence that access to facilities, like parks, and activity programs is associated with more activity for both children and adolescents. Some studies of preschool children have found that the more time spent outdoors, the higher the activity level.

Active living for children: The trip to school

Children can get regular, sustained physical activity walking, bicycling, or skateboarding between home and school, but distance, traffic, and crime are all barriers. Research shows environmental changes can help.

More children walked to school where there were sidewalks. For example, A Safe Routes to School program in Marin County, California, that included both safety improvements and encouragement, increased the number of children walking to school by 64 percent in two years. Children whose route to school passed a completed Safe Routes to School safety project at 10 elementary schools in California were more likely to increase walking to school (15%) than children whose route did not pass the improvement (4%).

Creating activity-friendly environments at school

Once at school, research shows the environment influences children’s activity levels. This environment includes the presence of effective PE classes and opportunities to be active during recess and the lunch break. A Centers for Disease Control review of 14 studies found that enhancing PE classes by increasing their length, or having students be more active throughout the class, consistently improved students’ physical fitness.

Five to seven year old students spent 18 additional minutes per day in active play after the pavement on school grounds was marked for play. Providing balls and other equipment to ten and eleven year olds increased their active play during recess by 24 percent.

Middle school students were more active throughout the school day if school activity areas had more facilities and if equipment and supervision were provided.

Improving safety to increase activity

In at least one study, adolescent girls were less active outdoors when they lived in high-crime neighborhoods. Parental concerns about traffic and ‘stranger danger’ are clearly linked to children’s activity levels. A Chicago study found children were physically active for an extra 49 minutes a week in safer neighborhoods than in unsafe neighborhoods.

Traffic safety is critical, pedestrian injuries are a leading cause of injury death for children five years and older. Several studies show that specific street improvements can improve child pedestrian safety. Speed bumps reduce the chance of child injury. Children were about half as likely to be injured by a car in their neighborhood if they lived within a block of a speed bump. It is more important and probable to reduce speed than to reduce traffic volume to improve child safety.

Changing the environment to reduce screen time

Kids spend more time watching TV than in school. While the results are somewhat mixed, studies show that TV and video time may encourage obesity both by displacing time that might be spent being physically active and through exposure to advertisements that encourage children to eat high-calorie, low nutrition foods. The American Academy of Pediatrics and Healthy People 2010 recommend no more than 2 hours per day of TV.

Interventions aimed at decreasing sedentary behavior can increase physical activity and reduce body mass index. Eliminating screen time for 10 days, and then restricting it to 7 hours a week was linked to lower body mass indexes for 3rd and 4th graders who also took classroom lessons and had a “TV budget” device to use at home.

If children must ride a stationary bicycle to activate the TV at home (1 min. pedaling = 2 min. viewing) TV viewing drops dramatically. At the end of one study the children were watching 1.6 hours of TV weekly, compared to 21 hours for a control group.

The research to define healthier food and physical activity environments for children and adolescents is starting to suggest some fruitful strategies. Studies have shown correlations between environmental factors and physical activity levels or eating habits, and several have demonstrated that changing the environment can change behavior. Few studies show a direct link between environments, or environmental changes, and reduced obesity. Nonetheless, the limited research to date does point to environmental change as a promising strategy in fighting childhood obesity.

There's "no doubt about it" you "can't live without it" – GANG GREEN

"Out of control", would undoubtedly be the best way to describe Gang Green, but a more precise account might be one of the all time fastest hardcore 'rock to the core' bands to ever hit the stage. Born and brewed in Boston, Gang Green has been pushing the limits on every aspect of rock and roll since the dawn of Hardcore approximately 25 years ago. From the beginning front man Chris Doherty has led the party, legend for his success at excess; his “full tilt, full time” approach to life has been the essence of the band’s music and attitude and has made him an inspiration. Many are surprised to learn his age, still relatively young for someone whose groundbreaking work has contributed so much to punk rock’s history and served as a major influence to the wide spectrum of today’s hard edge bands.

Gang Green CDs are now available through their web site. Another Wasted Night, Another Case of Brewtality, PreSchool as well as the Back And Gacked EP are all available. Check them out!

3rd. International London Tattoo Convention

The most important artists in the world at an extrodinary meeting with world tattoos: The London Tattoo Convention 2007

October 5, 2007 to October 7, 2007

The best tattoo artists in the world and a series of additional events will make this 2007 edition a hit. The organizers decided to repeat the experience and actually they had no other choice considering the enthusiasm showed by tattoo fans during last year's convention. There will be about 150 artists representing all the tattoo styles ticking away with their machines in an exciting atmosphere, where light-shows and music will become an integral part of the event, mingling with the artistic expressions of the artists at work. A convention that will be both a sort of art gallery and community festival. The location chosen for the 2006 edition is still the Old Truman Brewery, a charming building of the 700's (it was built in 1724) in Brick Lane, in the East End of London. The booths will be located on the three floors of the building which are very easy to access.

EXHIBITIONS:

Sabina Kelley
She calls herself simply a "burlesque-dancer", but Sabina is an international phenomenon. She brings to life the iconography of the pin-ups of the 50's with irony and incredible energy. Her rockabilly and strip-tease shows are a must.

Art Fusion Camp
Art Fusion has become a must for every convention. The visitors love it. During this year's Art Fusion Camp the creative energies of the finest tattoo artists will come to life in front of the visitors in a combination of ideas, styles and unique proposals.

Tattoo Contests
This is one of the most awaited moments of the convention. A time in which the tattooed public become the protagonists. The tattoo contests are organized for the different categories (black & grey, small pieces, big pieces etc...) and every day artists and the visitors can take part in an exciting competition in which art and fun are the real winners.

Anthropological exhibition
The Anthropological Exhibition is back after the incredible success of 2005. A journey through the tattoo styles and techniques of different populations, cultures and traditions, searching for the deep religious and ritual meanings of tattoo art. The exhibition is organized by Lionel Titchener, a tattoo expert, creator of the British Tattoo History Museum and founder of the prestigious Tattoo Club Of Great Britain.

Suicide Girls
Suicide Girls is a contemporary lifestyle brand. Combining the DIY attitude of underground culture with a vibrant, sex positive community of women (and men), the company was founded on the belief that creativity, personality and intelligence are not incompatible with sexy, compelling entertainment, and millions of people agree. The site mixes the smarts, enthusiasm and DIY attitude of the best music and alternative culture with an unapologetic, grassroots approach to sexuality.

Vatea Tahiti
In Polynesian mythology, Vatea is the first man along with his wife Papa who generated the Hawaii islands. Vatea and Papa then lived there as the first man and woman. Vatea Tahiti take inspiration from these ancient legends and leave their mark at every convention with their impressive and colored traditional dances...

Les Soeurs Tribales
Les Soeurs Tribales are an all-female group of dancers that have been practicing and spreading "tribal belly dance" for the past years. Tribal belly dance originated in the US in the 80's and takes inspiration from traditional Oriental belly dancing, but it is a more creative and interpretative tribal style...

Even Seinfeld and Tera Patrick
Don't miss Evan Seinfeld and Tera Patrick at this year's London Convention. The couple just starred in the TV show SuperGroup, on channel VH1 in the US. Seinfeld, legendary bass player of Biohazard (one of the most important bands of the New York hardcore movement) just formed a super-group with guitarists Scott Ian (Anthrax) and Ted Nugent, drummer Jason Bonham (son of John Bonham, ex drummer of Led Zeppelin) and singer Sebastian Bach, and he is also working on the new series of the TV show Oz.

The One Stop Online RAMP Skateboard Shop

Knott's Berry Farm's 35th Annual Halloween Haunt

Knott’s professional “scare-masters” have transformed the old Berry Farm into Knott’s Scary Farm for another year of the world’s first, biggest and most famous theme park Halloween event! Beginning September 27 and running for 27 select horrifying nights through Halloween, this is the original, in-your-face LIVE Halloween experience – a 160-acre living horror movie filled with 13 chilling mazes, 7 hair-raising shows, 4 horrific scare zones and 1,000 monsters roaming for their next victim. Knott's Halloween Haunt continues to set new standards in adult scare entertainment!

What's so special about The Haunt? Knott’s 35th Annual Halloween Haunt is: The world’s first Halloween theme park event. The world’s largest theme park Halloween event. The largest event in the amusement park industry. The original inspiration for hundreds of “copycat” Theme park Halloween events worldwide. Received the 2007 Golden Ticket Award for "Best Halloween Event in the World" by Amusement Today.

September 27 - 30, 2007

October 3-7, 10-14, 17-21, and 24-31

Knott’s Berry Farm closes at 5:30 p.m. each evening and reopens at 7 p.m. as Knott’s Scary Farm. The fear continues until 1 a.m. (2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays).

Convention of the Tattoo Arts

October 26-27-28, 2007

South Hall - 435 South Market St. San Jose, CA

A Convention of the Tattoo Arts is an annual event: We don’t see any reason to throw this show more than once a year. We are from San Jose. We are not trying to flood the market with tattoo conventions purely for financial gain. We are part of the local tattoo scene and have no interest in throwing shows in other cities. Tattoo events should be thrown by the local tattoo community.

World famous artists? Many shows claim to have world famous artists when in reality they feature local smoke shop scratchers, we list ALL of our artists, not just a few. We know our hand picked roster is top notch but don’t take our word for it, look at their websites and do your own research. Please do note that advance booking is required for many of the participating artists and you should contact them directly.

Most of our artists are from out of town. This is a gathering of the tattoo industry, people come from far and wide. You are not just paying to see local tattooers whose shops you could visit for free. We are proud to bring a global roster to San Jose. Please keep in mind that our artists spend a great deal of money on planes and hotels just to be here and exhibit for you. So show your support! Get a tattoo, buy a shirt, buy them a beer…. Show them that San Jose welcomes them.

This is an artist oriented show. That is why we have a 5% vendor rate. No sunglass booths, bands, dancers, piercers… we are all about tattooing and the tattoo arts.

Horitaka and Roman

State of Grace Productions

Event schedule is as follows: Thursday October 25, 7pm - Skin Vandals art show at Gallery ADThe Convention: live tattooing, tattoo contests and art fusion Friday October 26, 5pm-11pm Saturday October 27, 11am-11pm Sunday October 28, 11am-6pm Tuesday October 30, 9pm - Strong Tattoo One Year Anniversary Party and Artshow at the Blank Club

Admission is $20 per day / $40 Weekend Pass available on Friday

Tattoo contest categories: Best American Best Backpiece Best Black and Grey Best Bodysuit Best Japanese Best Newschool Best Overall Female Best Overall Male Best Tribal Best of Day (Friday, Saturday, Sunday)Tattoo contest schedule TBA at event

Revenant Publishing presents the American release of the new book compiled by Steve Boltz and Bert Krak "REVISITED"All prints will be on display, as well as a select preview of the upcoming "BELLA" book

Worldwide book release of "The Sketches of Horiyoshi III"

Special contest Sunday 5pm TBA

The official hotel is the downtown San Jose Marriott$119 per night group rate available for the convention, you must book by September 24th 408-280-1300

Re-released: TSOL - Dance With Me

"Dance With Me" was the second TSOL release. Originally released on "Frontier Records", this is the first full length album from the band. It features all original members. Jack used a different names (Alex Morgon) 1981. Nitro Records have re-released Dance With Me and it is available now from any good record store!

Get Your Music Off of Your iPod

Dumping your entire music collection onto an iPod is a simple, one-click process.

But what about getting your music off an iPod? You'll find that's not so easy. Apple's iTunes software only lets you put the music onto the player, and not the other way around. The iPod/iTunes combo was designed with this restriction built in to prevent piracy and illicit trading. However, there are a number of legitimate reasons you might need to transfer songs from your iPod to your hard drive.

For instance, if that fateful day arrives and your PC hard drive crashes, you can restore your music collection without re-ripping dozens of CDs.

Fortunately, there are many applications you can use to get your tunes off your iPod. Some of them are even free, so they won't cost you a thing.

Today's society is a little more extreme

Today's society is a little more extreme than it used to be. We drive faster, hit harder and take more risks.

Decades ago most kids dreamed of becoming a star football, baseball or soccer player. But kids today are more likely to pick up a skateboard, in addition to playing other more traditional sports. Skateboarding, one of the fastest growing sports behind snowboarding, is now considered normal.

"(Skateboarding) is still a form of rebellion, but it's approachable," said Andy Roberts, an undeclared sophomore.

That wasn't always the case. Skateboarding used to be considered the radical, bad-boy thing to do. It was a true underground sport.

Skateboarding has been in and out of popularity ever since it started. Many saw it as a fad, similar to lava lamps or bell-bottoms. Skateboarding rose in popularity in the early '80s when skaters built their own vertical ramps and formed a big underground movement. This is how skateboarding legends such as Tony Hawk got their starts. Then, as history repeated itself, the skateboarding fad faded out once again.

The hardcore skaters, however, didn't stop and the sport's popularity rose again in the '90s as skateboarding reappeared with a raw, edgy and dangerous attitude. Skateboarding came with the punk movement this time, and the image of the poor, angry skater-punk actually helped fuel its popularity.

Then in 1995, ESPN -- the self-proclaimed worldwide leader in sports -- expanded into the extreme sports vein with an extreme games competition in Rhode Island.

The competition was set up to create an international gathering of action sports athletes. The Extreme Games had 27 events in nine categories, which included bungee jumping, eco-challenge, in-line skating, skateboarding, sky surfing, sport climbing, street luge, biking and water sports.

The competition received an enthusiastic response from athletes, spectators and sponsors. The impressive reaction prompted ESPN to announce that the games would be held annually, instead of bi-annually as originally planned.

With the new year, a new name for the Extreme Games emerged: X Games. The X Games have grown each year since by adding more events, throwing bigger tricks and increasing media coverage.

In 2002, ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC Sports all covered the games. They set the record for the most watched X Games ever with nearly 63 million people tuning in. The first 24-hour X Games coverage was in 2006, when 10 different stations broadcast it.

Media coverage has played a huge part in the popularity of the X Games. The mainstream population depends on television coverage and is a major factor in pulling skateboarding and other extreme sports closer to mainstream.

It also helped that the marketing didn't come off as anti-authoritarian, said Devin Deaton, a junior in marketing.

The commercialization of new media and products continue skateboarding's growth, as well. Extreme sport video games, such as the Tony Hawk Pro Skater series, are popular with kids regardless of whether or not they skate.

Better parks and boards have evolved with the shift into mainstream. Skateboard-specific companies have arisen and now innovate and invent new things to better the sport.

Skateboarding is not the only extreme sport that has benefited from the X Games. Snowboarding, BMX riding and Motocross have seen rapid growth spurts after becoming a part of the X Games.

Snowboarding started in 1965 in Michigan when Sherman Poppen fixed two skis together so his daughter could surf down the hill. He called it the snurf. Jake Burton, Demetrije Milovich and Tom Sims specialized and refined their own board designs in the early '80s and helped get the snowboard industry rolling.

Through the mid-'80s, the snowboard craze grew. In 1997, the snowboard big air contest was a part of the first Winter X Games. Then a year later, snowboarders participated in the Winter Olympics for the first time in Nagano, Japan, with the slalom and half-pipe events.

Snowboarding has progressed and added more events to the X Games, such as the Superpipe, and is the fastest growing sport.

BMX, or bicycle motocross, started in the '70s when kids modified their bicycles to emulate their motorcycle motocross heroes. Imitation led to innovation and BMX became a sport all its own.

BMX was a part of the first X Games. The only event for it was stunt biking. In the years following, more events were added to the BMX event, including vertical riding, big air, flatland stunts, street stunts and racing.

Motocross, or Moto X, began after World War II with flat races. In 1971, Moto X held a race on a temporary course at Daytona. All races prior to it had been held in rural, countryside areas, but this race brought it to the people. A year later, Moto X races were brought to urban stadiums and its popularity increased.

The level of competition also grew. Through the '80s and '90s, teams, sponsors, manufacturers and others worked to bring Moto X to a new audience. They got their chance in 1999, when Moto X became an X Games event.

The X games have become a family event and a type of Olympics for extreme sports.

Thanks to the X Games, we can let the rebel inside us out to pick up a skateboard without being shunned by society.

Original Source: Daily Uthah Chronicle, Jessica Dunn

Parents should let kids be kids

Shaun White loved soccer, but there was a moment when he learned it wasn't for him."I showed up at the field late one time, and it was intense," he said. "I'm playing on this lower, recreation level, just so I could have fun. Someone else's mom came over and yelled at me, 'You better get out there and you better score!' There is something about someone else's mom yelling at you."

White said he did as he was told and shortly thereafter he quit. Instead of traditional organized sports, he gravitated to nontraditional activities like snowboarding and skateboarding. The 21-year-old, who won an Olympic gold medal in snowboarding in 2006 and an X Games gold medal this summer in skateboarding, said the decision changed his life and his relationship with his parents.

"Instead of my dad yelling at me from the sideline, we were out riding together," he said. "(Snowboarding) really drew our family together."

The professional skateboarder who was in Salt Lake City this week to compete in the AST Dew Tour said he believes a lot of young athletes turn to nontraditional sports because they have more freedom.

"Normally, there are no moms allowed in the parks," he laughed. "It's brutal when you have people always telling you what to do. My attraction to skateboarding was that you didn't have that. You could just ask your friends, learn tricks from each other or just figure it out on your own."

Original Source: Deseret Morning News, Amy Donaldson

Starbucks to give away music as new service starts

From October 2 to November 7 at more than 10,000 U.S. Starbucks locations, customers can receive "Song of the Day" cards redeemable on Apple's iTunes store for a complimentary song hand-selected by Starbucks Entertainment, the company said.

Starbucks said it will give away 1.5 million downloads per day for a total of more than 50 million free songs. Customers will have until the end of the year to redeem the song on iTunes.

Earlier this month, Apple and Starbucks said they had reached a deal to allow people to buy songs wirelessly from Apple's iTunes music store in Starbucks coffee shops without paying WiFi connection fees.

The service is to debut at more than 600 Starbucks stores in New York and Seattle on October 2, and will be expanded to other major U.S. cities later this year and next.

Screamfest Horror Convention

When: Friday, October 19th through Sunday, October 21th. Friday night doors will open at 5pm. Saturday and Sunday doors will open at 11am and will remain open until the party is over. Celebrity Guests will be signing autographs from 5pm - 10pm on Friday night, 11am - 5pm Saturday and Sunday.

Where: The Wyndham Orlando Resort 8001 International Drive Orlando, FL 32819

How much: Tickets this year are $25 for a one day admission and $35 for the entire weekend – (this will give you admission for all events taking place Friday night through Sunday.) That’s only an extra $10 to make sure you don’t miss out on one thing! Tickets will be available on the website or you can purchase them at the convention.

What events will be taking place: We will have autograph signings by the celebrities, seminars, demonstrations, Q&As, live music, tattoos, horror movies, FREAK SHOW Horror Film Festival, and of course our exhibitor room selling all kinds of collectibles, and plenty of other surprises to be announced.

Is Screamfest 2007 for the whole family? Absolutely! Bring the whole family, children under 10 get free admission. Must be accompanied by an adult.

3rd Annual Milwaukee Beer City tattoo convention

3rd Annual Milwaukee Beer City tattoo convention.

When: October 5, 2007 to October 7, 2007

Where: Milwaukee WI

Philadelphia Eddie's Tattoo and Tattooed Kingpin present Milwaukee's Beer City Tattoo Convention at the Four Points Sheraton, Milwaukee Airport 4747 Howell Ave., Milwaukee, WI 53207. Call 1-800-558-3862 for reservations and mention code "Beer City Tattoo Convention" for discounted room rates. Call 1-800-541-8239 or 215-423-4780 for all other convention info.

Original Source: TattooNow.com

CDBurnerXP version 4.0 final is now available

CDBurnerXP is a free application to burn CDs and DVDs, including Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. It also includes the feature to burn and create ISOs, as well as a multilanguage interface. Everyone, even companies, can use it for free. It does not include adware or similar malicious components.

Key Features:

• burn all kinds of discs audio-CDs with or without gaps between tracks
• burn and create ISO files data
• verification after burning process
• create bootable discs
• multi-language interface
• bin/nrg → ISO converter
• simple cover printing and much more!

Operating Systems: Windows 2000/XP/2003 Server/Vista

Protec Drop-Ins Skateboard Knee Pads.

Right now we have the newer style pro tec Drop-In knee pads. They are pretty nice pads, I'm happy with them. We also have the Pro-tec Park pads and although they are great pads, there is no comparison between the two. The Drop-In line has much better padding and is also more molded to the knee than the Protec Park line skateboard pads. There's a huge difference when hitting the concrete with the Drop-ins vs. the Park knee pads. These pads feature gusseted stitching, friction/rip resistant nylon, strategically located natural suede leather, compression molded EVA foam, memory foam internal padding, and a low profile replaceable hard cap with a built-in wear indicator. Available in sizes SM/M and Lg/Xlg

The Pro-Tec Ace Signature helmets.

• The Pro-Tec Ace Signature helmets are almost perfect in every way. Comfortable, advanced SXP technology gives the helmet lasting durability, and the pro style and signature aspects make the Pro-Tec Ace skateboarding helmets a great choice. Plus, Pro-Tec Ace Signature helmets come in four styles matched up to the pro who wears that helmet, plus come with stickers to match.

• SXP Multi Impact Technology - padding inside the helmet rebounds to original shape after impact
• CPSC Certified - Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Pro Signature helmets, including sticker sheets for Pro Sponsors
• Steve Caballero Pro-Tec Ace skate helmet - red with black straps
• Bucky Lasek Pro-Tec Ace skate helmet - white with black straps
• Bob Burnquist Pro-Tec Ace skate helmet - Black with black straps
• Brian Patch Pro-Tec skate helmet - Dark blue with yellow straps
• Available in sizes Jr., SM, MED, LG, and XL

Pro-Tec makes protective gear for skateboarding, wakeboarding, and snowboarding. They've been at it a long time. The Pro-Tec Classic line "The original helmet from the 70's redone", is a great place to start. The Pro-Tec Ace is the standard helmet, with Pro-Tec Aces for wakeboarding, snowboarding, kayaking - everything you can think of, water, snow, and dirt.The Skateboarding Pro Signature versions of the Pro-Tec Ace are just as good, with four types to chose from. Steve Caballero, Brian Patch, Bucky Lasek and Bob Burnquist each have a helmet. Each Pro-Tec Ace helmet is colored according to the style of its pro, and each comes with a sheet of that pro's sponsor stickers.

But in my mind, even better than being able to wear a helmet like Bucky Lasek, is Pro-Tec's SXP technology. SXP Multiple Impact Technology allows the padding inside the helmet to reform back to place after an impact. With regular helmets, the wearer is supposed to replace the helmet after each impact. That gets expensive, so most skaters don't bother, meaning that the helmet is getting less and less effective. But with Pro-Tec's SXP technology, that's not a problem. You end up saving money in the long run, and also saving your head!

The bottom line is this, they look good, are comfortable, and you don't need to buy a new helmet after every crash. Best of all the price is fairly low! Try one, and see what you think.

Original Source: Steve Cave, About.com

The Pro-Tec B2 skate helmet is comfortable, safe and stylish.

• 
  The Pro-Tec B2 skateboarding helmet is a fusion of styles and technology. The Pro-Tec B2 skateboarding helmet has the shape of the Classic Pro-Tec helmet, but packed with all of Pro-Tec's latest design and technology improvements. Just like the Pro-Tec Ace helmet, the Pro-Tec B2 skate helmet comes in four styles, each keyed to a pro and including a sticker sheet of that pro's sponsors.

• CPSC Certified - Consumer Product Safety Commission
• Available in four pro sponsored styles
• Bucky Lasek - gloss black with orange straps
• Lincoln Ueda - Matte gray with black straps
• Omar Hassan - Army Green with gray straps
• Willy Santos - Desert sand with black straps
• Available in sizes SM, M, LG, XLG
  
  The comfort of the Pro-Tec B2 skate helmet comes from the changeable padded liner and intuitive shape of the helmet. The Pro-Tec B2 holds onto the head well. The B2 helmet also comes in four sizes - Small, Medium, Large and ExLarge. It's nice to see a helmet company make a helmet dedicated to sizes, and with a true "ExLarge" size.
  
  The Pro-Tec B2 skate helmet is also safe - CPSC certified, and improved with Pro-Tec's SXP technology. SXP multiple impact technology means that when the helmet suffers from an impact, the foam inside will spring back to its original shape. With regular helmets, the padding inside the helmet absorbs impact and then stays compressed, making the helmet dangerous for future impacts. SXP technology makes Pro-Tec skateboarding helmets safer, and they last longer because they don't need to be replaced as often.
  
  Pro-Tec B2 skateboarding helmets also look cool. The old school rounded style looks great, and the colors available are pretty sick. You should be able to find one that you like, especially with the Pro-Tec B2 helmets being keyed to pros. If you have to wear a helmet, you might as well look cool - try the Pro-Tec B2.
  
  Original Source: Steve Cave, About.com

No Olympic Skateboarding

There has been a lot of debate in the skateboarding world about whether or not skateboarding should be added to the Olympic roster. According to some, it was only a matter of time. According to others, that first group is full of lying jerks who only want money. And then there was another group that just wanted to skate and not worry about it, while yet another group got distracted and forgot why there were there. But, the bottom line is, "No Skateboarding in the London Olympics". It's done. According to Clarkie, author of Real Skate online skateboarding magazine, it's been decided that there will be no skateboarding in the 2012 games. Clarkie's been pushing for this for a while, so she's pretty pleased. And, she's right on many points - especially that if skateboarding is going to be in the Olympics, it needs to be done right.

Original Source: Steve Cave, About.com

You don't have to stay inside!

With summer behind us and the wet season soon approaching, have a look (in low def) into the way Gonz handles his business out on the wet streets of NYC. I love how he handles the old folks protecting their turf at the park, just like Count from Sesame Street, one 360, two 360's three 360's.. Ah Ah Ah! It just goes to show you that you don't have to stay inside on a rainy day, go skate, go now! - Be sure to clean your bearings!

Grinding For Life at Kona

Mike Rogers and his organization Grind for Life which has been putting forth a big effort to help those with cancer is rolling out the 4th stop of its skatepark series this Saturday, September 22nd. It takes place at the legendary Kona skatepark in Jacksonville, Florida. Show up to skate and support!

DIVAS in DRAG FUNDRAISER - Benefiting B4BC

DIVAS in DRAG FUNDRAISER - Benefiting B4BC
When: October 16th
Doors: 6:30pm, event kicks off at 7pm
Where: outdoor DIVAS Boulder, CO location-1133 Pearl Street
Cost: A $10 suggested donation is requested

Outdoor DIVAS and B4BC invite you to join in the fun for the 2nd Annual DIVAS in DRAG on October 16th at the outdoor DIVAS shop in Boulder, CO. With world class snowboarder, Leanne Pelosi, emceeing the event, the night will feature some fly guys showcasing the latest in women's riding attire, a silent auction, and Pelosi's new Ride film La La Land. Event proceeds will benefit B4BC's educational outreach efforts. So come on out enjoy the man DIVAS, bid on some cool auction items, and chill out for the cause!

Original Source: http://www.b4bc.org/

Tiger Army's fall headlining tour!

ALL dates have now been announced for Tiger Army's fall headlining tour! No more headlining shows are planned for 2007, so if you want to see Tiger Army this year, make sure you catch them the Razor's Kiss Tour!

Some of the shows that have been added since the last news item include: Seattle, WA / Portland, OR / Boise, ID / Santa Cruz, CA / Pittsburgh, PA / Lancaster, PA / Omaha, NB / Providence, RI / Reno, NV / Chico, CA! Tickets for all shows are ON SALE NOW!

AFI will perform at the Download Festival

AFI will perform at the Download Festival in Mountain View, CA at Shoreline Amphitheater on October 6th, alongside the Cure, Kings of Leon, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, She Wants Revenge, Metric, The Black Angels, 65 Days of Static, Vau De Vire Society and more. Tickets are on sale now!

"decemberunderground is a time and a place. It is where the cold can huddle together in darkness and isolation. It is a community of those detached and disillusioned who flee to love, like winter, in the recesses below the rest of the world."-Davey Havok

decemberunderground is also the title of AFI's seventh album. And like much of the record's lyrical and visual imagery, it seems to stand in stark contrast to the name behind the band's world-renowned moniker: A Fire Inside. Then again, the brightest flames burn white-they just don't usually burn so bright for so long.

MISFITS 30th ANNIVERSCARY TOUR HITS THE US THIS FALL!

The Misfits “30th Anniverscary Tour” is running strong WORLDWIDE! The tour kicked off with a debut gig headlining the Topfest in Slovakia, followed by a slew of SOLD OUT shows in Mexico.

Currently the ‘Fits are on tour throughout Europe and the UK with stops in Italy, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, England, Wales, Scotland & Ireland from September 8th – Oct. 5th.

On October 11th, 2007 the Misfits 30th Anniverscary tour hits the US & Canada running non-stop like a ghost train from hell straight through to early December! That’s right fiends, the Misfits are doing everything in their power to hit your city on the occasion of the 30th and by popular demand the band have agreed to extended the tour far beyond the standard run visiting as many cities as possible nationwide.

Select dates will even include a bone-chilling double bill as the Misfits are joined by fiendish counterparts from Japan BALZAC supporting their latest CD/DVD combo “Deep Blue”! In a marriage made in hell, the Misfits perform a full set in honor of their 30-year legacy and Balzac celebrates with a terrifying 60-minute set just before the Misfits take to the stage!

Due to scheduling limitations with their itinerary in Japan, Balzac will only be touring the US from October 24 (in Montreal Canada) through October 31st in New York City so don’t miss this chance to see the Misfits and Balzac tear it up live on Halloween 2007!

Original Source: Misfits.com

Skateboards not a problem on campus

Tyler Soukup, a sophomore in biology, grew up in Ogden and would sometimes skateboard at Weber State University with his friends. People around the campus would harass the group and eventually police would arrest him, just for skateboarding. Now, Soukup skates to class at the U and doesn't have to worry about the long arm of the law, their choke holds, and handcuffs.

Unlike most campuses and public city areas, the U allows skateboarding and longboarding. Students, for the most part, don't seem to mind the boarders and police are generally OK with the practice as long as certain rules are followed. The rules include: being cautious, giving pedestrians the right of way, not exceeding a speed of 10 miles per hour and not riding in buildings, on campus structures or over landscaped areas.

"Walking sucks," Soukup said. "I get pissed when I'm walking and think how much faster, easier and (more fun) it would be on a skateboard."

Many students take advantage of the U's skater-friendly routes to class. Sidewalks take you all the way from the dorms to any building on campus.

"There are ramps everywhere, you don't have to worry about stairs," said Jon Ramanujam, an undeclared sophomore.

The campus is also a safer place to ride, opposed to the streets in the Avenues or around the capitol, for example.

"The U is the best place to ride because there's no car traffic to deal with," said Devin Deaton, a junior in marketing.

Skateboarders and longboarders use the campus even when they're not headed to class. Why wouldn't they? They can ride any path through the university, end up at the stadiums TRAX station, take it back up to either Fort Douglas or the Hospital and repeat. It's not uncommon to see boarders riding TRAX at 11 p.m. to get a few more runs in. Whether you've been on a board since you could walk or you want to finally try it, everyone can appreciate what the U offers skateboarders and longboarders: a safe, fun and convenient place that doesn't carry the penalty of a fine or being locked up.

Original Source Daily Utah Chronicle, Jessica Dunn

Piper City "ramps up" unused tennis courts

Piper City's little-used tennis court could be the site of "ramped-up" activity as the result of village board action on Wednesday.

In response to a request by about a dozen parents and children, the board agreed to dedicate one of the village's two tennis courts to skateboarding.

Parent Matt Johnson, 40, himself a one-time youthful skateboarder in Clifton and Bradley before settling in Piper City, served as spokesman for the group. The appeal followed recent confrontations between skateboarders and police acting to enforce a village ordinance against skateboarding on sidewalks. Business people, apparently fearing liability, had also asked that police chase skateboarders out of their parking lots.

The board said village insurance already covers persons injured on park playground equipment and noted the same coverage would extend to skateboarders.

"Jump boxes," which had been previously confiscated and stored in a village warehouse will be returned to the skateboarders for use in their new venue.

Original Source: Daily Journal, Il. by Mike Lyons

City of Vacaville lays the smack down on skaters

New restrictions could be in store for skateboarders in Vacaville after a city commission's ruling Tuesday night. By a 5-1 vote, the Community Services Commission backed a proposed ordinance, which would bar skateboards from some sections of sidewalk and other areas where they could compromise the safety of pedestrians. Commissioner Katherine Jordan cast the dissenting vote.

City code already prohibits bicycle riding in front of schools, stores or "buildings used for business purposes," according to a city staff report. The Vacaville Business Improvement District has asked for similar restrictions on skateboarding, the report explained, as businesses have reported safety hazards like near-miss collisions between walkers and skateboarders.

Also according to the report, there was a need to revise and update existing city code to "address contemporary skateboarding issues" and to include facilities that were not around or not problematic when the rules were adopted.

If the City Council adopts the ordinance, skateboarding would not be allowed at the city's three community centers, Town Square, the transit plaza, in park-and-ride lots, on sidewalks in business districts, and in parks unless on a path or a road. The city manager could also ban skateboards from sidewalks and walkways adjacent to businesses if he finds that is necessary to ensure public safety.

Arguing against the ordinance, resident Mike Lee said "I think it's not public safety, its a lack of tolerance that brought this on." Lee's son, 14-year-old Taylor, said sidewalks "are much better for beginners" than the city's skate park.

Frank Chavez, whose children are avid skateboarders, said, "I do understand the city's concern for the safety of the public." However, he and Lee questioned whether there were sufficient facilities in the city to accommodate its skateboarding population.

"Depending on the enforcement, I think you're going to have a lot of frustrated teenagers," Chavez said.

Commission Chair Pamela Greaves said if skateboarders are using the sidewalks to recreate, they need to find a more appropriate place. Like Goldberg, she emphasized that "the ordinance is not to ban skateboarding everywhere."

The proposal will be forwarded to the City Council with the commission's endorsement.

Original Source: The Vacaville Reporter, Jennifer Gentile

Outside Report: Oyama takes second at slalom skateboarding nationals

Skateboarding Judi Oyama of Santa Cruz took a second and a fourth at the U.S. Nationals of Slalom Skateboarding in Longmont, Colo., last weekend. Oyama placed second in women's dual hybrid slalom Saturday and fourth in the women's dual tight slalom Sunday. Both events were won by the current women's world champion, Lynn Kramer, who also won the women's overall title.

Original Source: Santa Cruz Sentinel