Quirky ‘Arse Bombing’ Sport Is All About Making a Splash

Hi ya! Have to be quick this morning. It's Sunday and Nong and I are off to Martintown for the Mill Market there. It is supposed to be a great day today so we are hopeful that our sales will pick up. Hey...good to see you! Water you up to. Misspelling? Wait and see as soon as you fill yor mug and snag a virtual treat or two. Remember to wait a while after eating before venturing into the water. Speaking of water...

A cannonball splash is the easiest (and most fun) way to dive, but did you know it’s a legitimate sport as well? It’s officially called ‘splashdiving’, but fans lovingly refer to it as ‘arse bombing’!

While regular divers are judged on how smoothly they land in the water, in splashdiving it’s the exact opposite that counts – points are awarded for the size of the splash created on impact. That sounds painful, but leading competitors say it doesn’t really hurt as much as you’d think. “The pain is minimal,” according to the reigning arse-bombing world champion Rainhard Riede from Bavaria.  And in the words of arse-bomber Lukas Eglseder, “You get used to it.” 

Splashdiving has its own set of rules, and believe it or not, competitors can choose from 13 different styles of diving. The classic ‘arse bomb’ involves landing bum first with the knees tucked into the stomach. Other techniques include ‘the cat’, ‘the chair’, and ‘the plank’. Contestants are required to announce their moves in advance, and are given four chances to make a big impression.

The first dive is all about the splash, as divers aren’t allowed to perform acrobatic moves. The remaining dives give them a chance to show off with somersaults, twists, and various positions. They’re judged on takeoff, execution, and landing. Freestyle elements such as handstands, palm flips, or grabs are given a different score – from one to ten – by each judge. The highest overall scorer wins. 

This year, Riede managed to win the coveted title of world champion by performing an impressive set of somersaults and twists, while also hitting the water hard and making a big splash. The women’s splashdiving contest was won by 15-year-old Franziska Fritz. She’s been the champion three years in a row, but wishes more women would get interested in the sport. “It’s a shame that I’m always so alone,” she said.

Founded by a German man named Oliver Schil in 2003, the official splashdiving event was his attempt to “change how pool bombing is viewed by people worldwide.” He came up with the entire structure and rules in one night, and the very next weekend, he organised the first Arschbombe (arse bombing) contest. It was a huge success, with over 6,000 spectators and enormous press coverage. The first ever winner was Michael Schmidt from Bayreuth, Germany. 

Since then, Arschbombe World Cups have been a yearly event, with several world champions crowned since. Over time, the name ‘Arschbombe’ was perceived to be rather crude, so they changed it to Splashdiving.

According to splashdiving champion and Guinness World Record holder Christian Guth, the sport is quite close to Olympic diving. “Only we do it freestyle and splash on purpose,” he said. He also added that splashdiving is like boxing in terms of the pain. “When you get in the ring for the first time and get hit with two well-aimed left hooks from the local champion, you will probably be crying about it for the rest of the week. But by your 20th match, you will probably know how to avoid the blow or block it.”

“It is the same with splashdiving,” he explained. “With a bit of training, you can get your body ready for almost anything.”

Guth believes that there are about 500 to 1,000 splashdivers in the world today, but only a few of them take part in competitive events.

Looks like fun. Of course we Taylors have our own version of arse-bombing but we won`t get into that. A-r-r-r-g-h-h-h. Did you do that?

See ya, eh!

Bob  

Droning onwards and upwards!

Off we go...into the wild blue, crowded skies full of planes and drones. Hey how are you today? Ready to take off...your shoes, kick back and enjoy a refreshing mug of arabica coffee and a virtual treat? I should think so! Speaking of taking off, read this...

The US Federal Aviation Administration recently granted (likely for the first time ever) an application to fly a paper airplane. 

Prominent drone advocate Peter Sachs had applied to conduct commercial aerial photography with his "aircraft" (a Tailor Toys model with a tiny propeller and maximum range of 180 feet), and the agency, concerned with air traffic safety, accommodated by treating the request (unironically?) under the rules for manned flights (that, among other restrictions, Sachs must not exceed 100 mph and must engage a licensed airplane pilot to fly it). "

With this grant," said the "victorious" Sachs, "the FAA has abandoned all logic and sensibility." 

So there you go...a stimulating bit of trivia you may use at will.

See ya, eh!

Bob

Source: Forbes.com, 8-27-2015; Popular Science, 8-31-2015

Planet To Have Its Hottest Year on Record

Hiya! Hot enough for you? Let me tell you...it's September 18 and the forecast high for today is 28C. I'm loving it! Hope you are too. Love to have a mug of hot coffee and a hot virtual treat? You're in the right place. Hot is the word of the day...

This year is in the pole position to take the title for hottest year on record and it shows no signs of slowing down.

August is the sixth month of the year to set a heat record, according to new data from the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) released on Thursday. Five of those months also happen to be among the 10 most freakishly warm months that NCEI has ever recorded.

According to calculations NCEI performed using temperatures through July, this year had a 97 percent chance of being the hottest year on record, taking over the dubious title from 2014. That percentage will have to be revised upward with August’s new record.

“This continues a trend we’ve seen since the latter part of 2014 for a very warm temperature trend relative to history,” Deke Arndt, the head of NCEI’s climate monitoring division, said.

The reason this year’s record is so certain is because it’s been tracking record hot since January and has shown no signs of slowing down. In a graphic showing the six hottest years on record that Arndt likened to a horse race, it’s clear that 2015 is the American Pharaoh of global heat. The planet would have to seriously fall to the back of pack to not be the hottest year on record.

“We would have to see some really unusual cooling behavior. We’d have to spend at least a few months hanging out near the 20th century average and we haven’t done that since the 1980s,” Arndt said.

This year has outpaced all other years from start to finish by riding on the back of record ocean heat. August set the record for the warmest ocean temperatures ever recorded, though land areas were also more than 2°F above normal for the month. Oceans are very slow to respond to temperature changes, which is in part why it’s so unlikely 2015 will lose the race for warmest year.

Decades of human-induced warming have gotten the planet to this point. It’s been 368 months in a row of above normal heat and it’s been more than 100 years since the planet had a record cold year. Arndt said El Niño is essentially helping the planet stand on its tippy toes to set a record.

With that El Niño expected to persist through at least the early part of 2016 and the continued influence of global warming, it’s possible that this year will also have a short reign as the hottest on record.

In other words, don't be surprised to see another hot one next year!

Let's work on getting the winter months shorter and hotter here in the frozen north. I can handle palm trees in February!

See ya, eh!

Bob

Source: http://www.livescience.com/52212-the-planet-is-going-to-have-its-hottest-year-on-record.html?cmpid=NL_OAP_weekly_2015-09-17

 

A Restaurant Without Human Interaction?

Hello, eh! It is very nice to see you. I hope you are well. I shall be your Canadian interactor today. You may call me 'Canuk' eh. Although you won't see me, I am here. Coffee may be extracted from the drawer marked 'virtual coffee' and virtual treats can be acquired through the the drawers marked "virtual doughnuts', 'virtual muffins' and 'virtual pastries'. Other drawers may be available at times. Sound good? No way, eh! One of the prime reasons we eat out is for a little pampering...people to look after our eating needs for a change. But one restaurant is going the other way...

A new restaurant in San Francisco is making headlines for entirely doing away with human staff. Instead, customers at ‘Eatsa’ directly send their orders to the kitchen through iPads. When the meal is ready, it will appear through a small glass compartment. Although there are real people working behind the scenes, patrons don’t have to interact with any of them.
It’s a radical alteration from the traditional model of dining out, but Eatsa owners feel that San Franciscans are ready for the change. They did have concierges in red shirts on the opening night late last month, to help customers place their order, but the restaurant is now fully automated, with no sign of staff anywhere – no cashiers, no waiters, no maître d’. Customers jokingly call it the “robot restaurant”. 

It might sound rather inhospitable, but the restaurant, located in the Financial District, has is so far proving a success. “We are producing food at an incredible rate,” co-founder Tim Young said. “And we’re creating a new kind of fast food experience. What we’ve designed creates a sense of mystery, creates a sense of intrigue.”

As novel as the concept sounds, it isn’t entirely original. According to TIME Magazine, it’s a sleeker version of 20th century automats – cafeterias where people could select pre-made dishes from windowed compartments. 

But Eatsa provides an “individualized, cashless, meat-less” experience. “Customers swipe their credit cards at one of nine iPad kiosks to start customising a bowl full of quinoa,” TIME reports. “Patrons can add options like chimichurri sauce, orange miso sauce, grilled corn, pickled onions, roasted beets or parsnip strips, among heaps of other ingredients. It’s still plenty cheap (starting at around $7 a bowl).” 

To receive their order, customers shuffle over to a wall with seven windowed apartments – transparent touchscreens that they need to “tap twice” for their food. Behind the wall, there are seven human employees, also directed by software, who prepare the bowls of quinoa in record time. 

According to Young, this kind of system allows them to cater to a larger number of customers. “Every person that has a role has an iPad that manages their job,” he explained. “Quite frankly, people can’t manage that kind of queue. They can’t understand that they have this kind of volume, here’s what the timing will look like.” With the help of technology, the waiting time for a meal is slashed considerably.

The experience, according to Sarah Fritsche of SFGate, was “downright fun.” She wrote: “With all the interactive digital bells and whistles, it was almost like playing a video game. Biggest surprise of all – the meal I ordered, the burrito bowl, was actually good. It was also very filling. I had enough leftover to serve as lunch the next day. Not bad for $6.95.”

Although not every restauraunt interaction is pleasant, generally they are...and occasionally they are platforms for those few people who delight in complaining. I used to know someone like that. I don't know if it was a cry for attention; an effort to take control or what but his lady, without fail, found something to complain about no matter what waiters put down in front of her.

Customer: "Waiter, what is that fly doing in my soup?"

Waiter: "Looks like the backstroke to me!"

See ya, eh!

Bob

Don't throw out those cassettes!

Well hi there! Glad you could make it today. What'cha been up to? Anything interesting? Nong and I are mentally busy trying to come up with food items that will stimulate sales at the Martintown Market this coming Sunday. Meanwhile, why don't you fill your mug and grab a virtual treat or two? Hey...remember cassettes? Hell..I can remember having a collection of 78s...then 45s...then EPs...and LPs...then the ever-popular...wait for it!...8-tracks!

I haven’t seen audio cassettes in use in over a decade, so it’s pretty shocking that a company is still making a profit manufacturing them. In fact, National Audio Company (NAC) – the last audio cassette maker in America – has had its best year since it opened in 1969!

The tapes are apparently high on nostalgic value, and that’s why they’re still flying off the shelves. And NAC’s stubbornness in not quitting when the other manufacturers did has finally payed off. “You can characterise our operating business model as stubbornness and stupidity,” NAC president Steve Stepp said. “We were too stubborn to quit.”

“Probably the thing that really enlarged our business at a faster pace than anything is the retro movement,” he added. “There’s the nostalgia of holding the audio cassette in your hand.”

Almost every other manufacturer switched to CDs in the late ’90s, but NAC refused to budge. They continued to produce tapes for spoken-word performers and people who buy blank tapes. So they actually bought their competitor’s equipment. Stepp says he always foresaw that tapes would be back in vogue. “[We were] preparing ourselves to pick the music market up when it came back, and that’s exactly what happened.” 

NAC production manager Susie Brown explained that musicians still love audio tapes as well. “There was a drive from the independent bands to get that warm analog sound again, and it just continued to grow and grow,” she said.

“There’s the under-35 age group who have learned now that life is not comprised of mp3s and earbuds. They like the sound of analog, and that has really helped us a lot” Stepp added. 

About 70 percent of the company’s sales are from music cassettes – they have deals with major record labels like Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group, and smaller contracts with indie bands as well. They’re even making tapes for Metallica, for a special release of the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack. The rest of the sales are from blank cassettes.

“We intend to be the last cassette company operating, and right now, we are,” Brown said. Perhaps it’s time to blow the dust off your old walkman?

Jeesh! I think I dumped mine ages ago. Had all kinds of excellent ones, too including a great double one from Aussie comedic singer Kevin 'Bloody' Wilson.

Gone the way of the dodo bird I'm afraid!

See ya, eh!

Bob 

Japanese Mad Scientist Creates Neon Noodles

Hiya! Konichi wa! Good to see you. Coffee's on and so the virtual muffins and doughnuts are fresh out of the oven and cooling down a little. While you're waiting, how about a bowl of 'neon noodles'?

Neon udon noodles are the latest addition to Japan’s ever expanding list of bizarre foods. Taking their place among winners like poop-flavored curry, deep-fried maple leaves  and citrus-scented eggs, these psychedelic noodles hardly look appetizing. 

Food writer and mad scientist Kurare Raku, who invented the glow-in-the-dark noodles, posted a couple of photographs on Twitter last week. One displayed neon pink noodles swimming in a neon green broth, topped with slabs of blue tofu. The other bowl had dark pink noodles topped with tofu that suspiciously resembled strips of Scotch Brite scrub pads.

Raku prepared the dish to display at the Unbelievable Science Festival that took place in Osaka last month. 

He didn’t reveal the secret behind the neon coloring, but some speculate that he dyed the noodles and exposed them to ultraviolet light for the glowing effect. However, Raku did say that they taste pretty much like regular, plain udon noodles. 


Raku’s glowing creation are not yet commercially available, but knowing Japan’s interest in bizarre things -especially food – I’d be willing to bet his idea will be picked up by a restaurant chain very soon.

Would I try them? Hmmm...as much as I love noodles, these look way too radioactive for my taste. Pass!

See ya, eh!

Bob

Disabled Student Turns His Wheelchair into Awesome Mad Max Cosplay

G'day to you! Glad you could make it today. Those cyberlanes are hellish sometimes, aren't they? Good thing we have freshly brewed coffee and a slew of virtual treats to calm you down, eh! Help yourself. Speaking of hellish...

Inspired by summer blockbuster Mad Max: Fury Road, a college student in Florida has converted his own wheelchair into a spectacular Mad Max costume. Benjamin Carpenter, 20, made the most of his physical disability to create the ingenious costume, and it was an instant hit at the Tampa Bay Comic Con last month. His photographs made the front page of Reddit last week. 

Carpenter, who was born with spinal muscular atrophy, uses an upright wheelchair to move around – and he managed to work that right into the costume. He rigged the wheelchair to so it could be attached to a chariot or a larger buggy, and then added finer details, emulating lead character Max Rockatansky’s look as a mobile blood bank in the film.

Carpenter said that his obsession with the post-apocalyptic action flick inspired him to create the costume. He got together with a few fellow Mad Max enthusiasts, including Amy Brumfield whom he met at Metrocon in Tampa last year. They were the only two Mad Max cosplayers at that event, so they decided to team up for Comic Con as well. Carpenter also revealed that he is motivated by other cosplayers with disabilities.


Apart from being a regular at such events, Carpenter has a host of other achievements to his name. He plays for the US National Power Wheelchair Soccer Team, and in 2007, he was awarded Nestle’s Very Best in Youth Award. Nevertheless, he was quite surprised with all the attention his costume received on Reddit.

 “Thank you so much for all the support and comments,” he wrote on the website. “I am utterly speechless at how this cosplay has been spread, and honestly, all I can say is thank you for making this SO SHINY AND CHROME!” Max Max fans get it…

I saw all of the original Mad Max flicks with Mel Gibson. Great fun! Haven't seen the new one yet.

Benjamin is doing something he obviously loves. Remember... if life throws you a lemon - get out there and make lemonade. Good on you, Ben!

See ya, eh!

Bob

Martintown Mill Market

Hey! Hey! Thanks for clicking by today. Hope you didn't get too wet on your way here (not likely unless you had your window wide open, eh!) Pour some freshly brewed java into your mug and help yourself to a huge coconut bun why don't'cha? Speaking of coconut buns...

Today will be our second Sunday offering Asian Food at the Martintown Mill Market. It is the same one I was participating in two years ago but the set up is better now. It is still a small market but right at the crossroads for folks going on up to Apple Hill, Alexandria, Williamstown et al. 

We have Thai and other Asian foods for sale...Thai spring rolls (2 kinds), Vietnamese spring rolls (2 kinds), baked Sala Bao buns (3 kinds including coconut), Pad Siew noodles, Sweet & Sour chicken to name a few. 

If you are in the area or feel like a drive in the country, c'mon by for a taste of Asia.
We'll be there from 10:00AM - 2:00 PM today. 

Other vendors include a farm lady selling fresh veggies, a baker, a lady selling all kinds of jams and jellies, one selling stuffed dolls and a couple others.

The Mill also has several artists exhibiting their works. Last week, one woodworking artisan had a display of bird houses - one of which I dubbed a 'bird condo' because it had multiple layers...really neat. Some lady bought it ($150, I believe) but it was too big to fit in her car. She had to have a friend with a pickup truck come by to get it.

We'll keep an eye out and hope to see you stop by.

See ya, eh!

Bob

Pregnant Woman to Have Dolphin-Assisted Birth

A splendiferous day to you. May you be bathed in sunshine and roses! (What've you been  drinkin', Bob? You're sounding weirder than normal...if that's even possible.) Great to see you as always. Coffee's perked and there's a tray full of delectable virtual treats waiting for you so dig in. And...I'm just prepping you for today's topic...

A Hawaii couple might be taking their quest for a natural childbirth too far – they’ve decided to deliver the baby in the ocean, surrounded by dolphins! Dorina Rosin and her husband Maika Suneagle claim to be “dolphin people” and believe that their baby will be able to “speak dolphin” after the birth.

It sounds bizarre, but as it turns out, dolphin-assisted births are really a thing. The trend has been around for a few years now, and it appears to be gaining popularity. The idea apparently sprung from immersion or water births that are quite popular the world over. But couples aren’t satisfied with just water any more – they want to be surrounded by friendly dolphins as well.

According to the Sirius Institute in Hawaii, which runs a dedicated dolphin-attended birth centre, the idea is quite “reasonable”. Their website states: “Since birthing in water is beneficial, and dolphins are able to heal or improve a wide range of medical conditions, it is reasonable to suppose that their presence at water births could be beneficial.”

Not everybody agrees with that, though. “Because of their friendly disposition and common occurrence in aquariums, we tend to think of dolphins as trustworthy, loving creatures,” Christie Wilcox wrote for Discover Magazine. “But let’s get real for a minute here. Dolphins don’t eat sunshine and fart roses. They’re wild animals, and they are known to do some pretty terrible things.”

“Male dolphins are aggressive, horny devils,” she added. “Males will kidnap and gang-rape females, using alliances of several males to keep females isolated from the rest of the group. They also get a kick out of beating on and killing other animals. 

Dolphins will toss, beat, and kill small porpoises or baby sharks for no apparent reason other than they enjoy it. Is this an animal you want to have at your side when you’re completely vulnerable?”

Apart from the risk of the dolphins turning aggressive, there are plenty of other things that could go wrong while giving birth in the ocean. “There’s the obvious concern that a Great White shark may turn up in the vicinity, attracted by all the discharge and blood – not something anyone should have to deal with while in labor,” Katherine Martinko wrote on Tree Hugger. She explains that should any complication arise during the pregnancy, it would be almost impossible to get the laboring woman out of the water fast enough to assess the situation. “Joyous water births can quickly turn tragic when a baby is left to swim too long,” she added.

But Dorina and Maika seem immune to such practical arguments. They recently posted a video on YouTube of 38-week pregnant Dorina taking part in a dolphin blessing ceremony. In the footage, she is seen swimming alongside dolphins with a snorkel and flippers, while Maika twists and dances with the creatures.

On her website, Dorina writes: “I invite you to experience yourself as a part of the earth and to remember your love. Let us meet the treasures together that the earth provides for us – security, protection, trust, calm, strong roots, joy, strength, beingness, deep lust, and a lot more.”

Dorina’s dolphin birth will be featured in a documentary by British filmmaker Katie Piper which profiles women who opt for unorthodox births. Piper confirmed that “dolphin people” like Dorina and Maika believe their child will be able to “speak dolphin” as a result of being born alongside them.

The worrying bit is that, according to CBS Atlanta, the Rosin’ dolphin birth plan only consists of her showing up in the ocean during labor and hoping some friendly dolphins show up to assist her. Let’s hope everything goes according to plan, for all their sakes.

Hey, like, who says the hippy movement is dead? Still got your bell-bottoms? They could be making a comeback anytime now! Peace!

See ya, eh!

Bob

I love you to the Moon and back.

Hey! How're you doing? Over the moon? Wow! Good for you. Got time for a mugful and a virtual treat? Of course you do. Speaking of over the moon...

You might not make it to heaven in the afterlife, but you sure can go as far as the moon. Celestial funerals are now a possibility, thanks to San Francisco startup Elysium Space. For a ginormous fee of about $12,000, the company will privately transport your cremated remains to the moon!

Founded by former NASA engineer Thomas Civeit, Elysium boasts of bringing space and funeral experts together to provide the unique service. “Families now have the historic opportunity to commemorate their departed loved ones every night through the everlasting splendour and soft illumination of the Earth’s closest companion: the moon,” they stated in a press release. 

Although the company was founded in 2013, the service only offered in August of this year, after Elysium managed to seal a deal with space logistics company Astrobotic Technology. They’re currently taking orders, and the first batch of ashes will travel to the moon on Griffin Lander spacecraft – Astrobotic’s inaugural lunar mission – in 2017.

According to Civeit, the families who are opting for the service usually have a special connection with space or the night sky. In fact, that’s how the idea for the service came about. Elysium’s initial plan was to run a service called Shooting Star Memorial, in which ashes are briefly sent into orbit and return to Earth as a bright streak across the atmosphere. But then they were approached with an unusual request by US Army infantry soldier Steven Jenks.
 
Jenks, who lost his mother to lung cancer, wanted to send her remains to the moon because it was a special symbol of their relationship. She would always write to him: “No matter how lonely you feel and how far you are, always look to the Moon and know I am with you. I love you to the Moon and back, Love, Mom.” So when he learned that Astrobotic was set up to send various payloads to the Moon, he asked if they could take his mother’s ashes too.

“It was perfect timing,” Civeit said. “Steven Jenks told his touching story to Astrobotic as he wanted to have the ashes of his mother delivered to the moon.

Astrobotic does not provide such services to individuals but we were signing our contract with Astrobotic at the time and we were honoured to make Steven’s wish come true.” Jenks, of course, is happy to know that his mother’s final resting place will be on the moon. “I will know she is looking down on my family and maybe they won’t feel so alone,” he said. 

For the first 50 signups, the ‘Lunar Memorials’ will cost $9,950. After that, the price will be hiked to $11,950. Families that book a spot on the mission for a Lunar Memorial will be sent a kit including an engravable metal box, into which they can place approximately one gram of cremated remains. 

Approximately 100 remains will be sent to the moon in the second half of 2017. Reservations for the Shooting Star option are a lot cheaper, at $1,990. The company plans to launch its first 100 ash capsules into space later this Fall – they will orbit the earth for several months before falling back and burning up through the atmosphere – like shooting stars.

“People often think about technology when they think about space,” Civeit said. “However, space has other inherent values, like the beauty of the night sky, which can be used to create poetic memorial services. The idea that humankind can look up at the Moon and poetically commune with its ancestors is probably as old as the human culture itself.” 

Once this service “takes off”, the company has plans to extend beyond the solar system. They want to launch a Milky Way Memorial that will send human remains into deep space. The launch date and price are yet to be announced, but it won’t be long considering that the Shooting Star service is already turning a profit.

Say hello to Scotty as he flies by (the engineer from Star Trek who had his ashes sent into space).

See ya, eh!

Bob

It's National Yoga Month!

Namaste! A totally splendid good day to your fine self. And how are your aches and pains today then? What do you mean ‘Don’t ask?’ Of course I am asking. That is because I care about your good self and your good self’s good health. But first, fill your coffee mug and hoist a light virtual treat onto your plate. Now, on to the day’s delightfully body-enlightening activity...

Did you know that September is National Yoga Month? Well, it is in the USA anyway. Unlike National Taco Day, this is an official holiday with lots of cool events happening in celebration (nothing against tacos, as they also deserve celebration). 

What sets National Yoga Month apart from National Taco Day, is that the Department of Health and Human Services endorses Yoga Month, and the non-profit organization, Yoga Health Foundation, has all sorts of yoga events planned to help promote yoga for better physical and mental health.

The easiest way to celebrate National Yoga Month is to just do some yoga! Stop, drop and do your favourite pose. If you’re new to yoga, try one of these simple yoga poses for beginners to get you started. These are basic poses and yoga breathing exercises that anyone can do.

National Yoga Month is a great excuse to mix up your yoga routine a bit. Doing the same practice in the same space every day can get a bit monotonous, but making even a simple change can refresh your yoga routine. Change the venue or try a different style of yoga this month. Do you usually do yoga at home? Take a class at a studio or practice outdoors. Is vinyasa your yoga style of choice? Give kundalini yoga a try. Me? I’m into the kowchpot-ayto style.

Adults aren’t the only ones who can celebrate National Yoga Month. Your kids might like getting in on the yoga action! Find a parent-child yoga class, or try a kid-friendly yoga video. Even toddlers can do a little bit of yoga. My two-year-old son loves practicing at home with the Cosmic Kids yoga videos. They’re free on YouTube!

Even your dog might enjoy a little yoga. Maybe that’s what she’s been trying to tell you when it interrupts your home practice to lick your face! Dog yoga might sound a little bit wackadoo, but “doga” is a thing. And it’s a fun, bonding activity that you and your dog can do together. Dogs, like humans, can get a lot out of yoga. Don’t bother trying to get your cat to try it. As far as cats are concerned, it is an activity reserved for humans and those smelly dogthings that pee all over the place.

Yoga Health Foundation also has a database of other Yoga Month events that you can search by city or zip code in the US. Not all of these events are free, but there are some really cool things coming up this month in the world of yoga that are worth your time and health! But search for ‘free yoga exercises’ on the Net. You are bound to find some and...maybe even a place nearby where you can practice your moves, eh!

Don’t forget the A535 or other pain-relieving liniment!

See ya after your yoga session, eh!

Bob