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The Philadelphia Phillies won the World Series hours ago, beating the Tampa Bay Rays in game 5. Fifty hours after Game 5 started but was halted due to rain, Brad Lidge and the Phillies finally finished off the series winning 4-3.

After craving the title for so long, the Phillies finally won the title in a suspended game. This is their first championship since 1980 and the 2-day storm that suspended the game even added to their long wait. It was among the weirdest world series endings in baseball history — an end to a best-of-seven series which resumed in the bottom of the sixth inning tied 2-2.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter will hold a news conference Thursday at Citizens Bank Park to announce details of a parade to be held Friday which will start at noon at 20th and Market Streets. Phillies fans have been waiting for this day for 28 years. Congratulations Philadelphia!

For those who have been going on a diet, you all know that the most difficult part to trim down is the belly. We all dream of having a flat belly. But it seems to be the most stubborn part of our body and is usually the last part to lose fat. Aside from avoiding food with high carbs and sugar, exercise is a necessary part of the regimen. However, I find doing numerous crunches and other exercises a big strain.

Yoga and Pilates, on the other hand, has been known to have exercises or poses that help a lot in trimming the abs. Here are some yoga poses that concentrates on strengthening the abs and trimming down excess fat. I will add more in futures posts, including pilates workouts that will give you a flat belly.

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My favorite yoga asanas are those that strengthen and lengthen the spine. I’ve had scoliosis since I was a kid, and back pains and discomfort have been part of my life. Yoga twisting poses usually does a good job of flexing the spine. One that I do on a daily basis, even when I am at home, is the Belly Twist or the Jathara Parivartanasana. It’s a supine twist that stretches the back muscles, realigns and lengthens the spine, and hydrates the spinal discs.

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Probably the most basic balancing pose in Yoga is the Tree Pose or the Vrikshasana. It is a core yoga position that is practiced even in advanced yoga. It is the perfect pose to develop physical balance and agility. Aside from balance, it also strengthens the legs and improves the flexibility of the hips and shoulders. However, due to the pressure on the knees and the hips, it is not recommended for those who have undergone chronic knee or hip injuries.

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I love sports. The excitement . . . the thrill . . . and the human skill involved amazes me. For that reason, I always look out for the world’s best athletes. Whether it’s in the Olympics, the NBA, Major League Baseball, or NFL, I just enjoy watching them.

Being a frustrated athlete, I do try my hand at any sport available to me. But despite the skills I developed in swimming, volleyball, badminton, and a lot more, nothing beats watching the pros show you how it’s supposed to be done. And if it’s sports video you want, only SportsVids can give them to you in their website. Aren’t you tired of searching for sports videos in a video site where it’s free for all? Now, search, watch, or upload your favorite sports video in a site dedicated to the excellence of the human body and spirit. Watching videos of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Tiger Woods, or Usain Bolt lifts the soul. It tells me there’s so much more we are capable of doing if we put our heart, mind, and soul into it. I believe that sports is the best representation of a human beings ability to persevere against all odds.

If you’re looking for a video clip of Tiger Woods’ amazing shots or older clips from Michael Jordan’s buzzer beaters, SportsVids.com is definitely the website for you. Watch or upload videos in this premier online sports video site. Below is one of the more famous athletes that have graced the headlines in the past months as he attempts the impossible and succeeds even more than expected. Watch Michael Phelps in one of his memorable races in the Beijing Olympics as he breaks the World Record and wins one of the many gold medals in the 400 Individual Medley swimming event.

Michael Phelps 400 Medley Original - Click here for more sports videos

After making history in the Beijing Olympics about a month ago, Michael Phelps steps out of the pool and agrees to host the season premiere of “Saturday Night Live” this weekend. He will be on the same stage his comedy idol Chris Farley once made people laugh. His record-setting eight gold medals in China has earned him the spotlight and the hosting stint. He also continues to make the rounds on TV shows, presenting at the MTV awards, and of course making the headlines on tabloids.

He claims to be more nervous about the show than he was while on the starting block at the Water Cube in Beijing. However, it is a new experience that he looks forward to and one he hopes to enjoy. The spot at SNL has also earned him his teammates envy like Lochte who plans to tease him and make fun of him before the show.

Phelps believes there will be a sketch about him but has no idea who will play his part. Other sketches on the 90-minute show will also involve his mom, his swimsuit, and his gold medals. He knows that they will take advantage of almost every topic possible.

He laughed when it was suggested that he will take off his shirt to to show his rock-hard abs. He says that if it happens, it happens. It’s not bad as long as it’s all done in good fun. Though he is nervous, he only has this to say — “No matter what happens they can’t take those medals away.”

China proved to be a determined first-time Olympic host as it tops the gold medal chart with 51 in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The United States, Britain and an array of small nations also had reasons to celebrate. The US, though with less golds at 36, garnered first place overall for the fourth consecutive Olympics with 110 total medals.

China’s haul of gold medals was the largest since the Soviet Union won 55 in Seoul in 1988. Not since 1936, when Nazi Germany prevailed at the Berlin Olympics, had a country other than the US or the Soviet Union/Russia led the gold medal list. They groomed athletes since childhood in sports academies winning medals in 25 different sports, including its first ever in sailing, beach volleyball and field hockey.

The United States trailed behind the Chinese in golds, the first time since 1992 it didn’t lead the category. Meanwhile, it seems that the sporting world should watch out for Great Britain, host of the 2012 Olympics, which won 47 medals (the most in their history). This is an astonishing 17-medal increase from the previous Athens Olympics. It seems like Great Britain is preparing well as it will host the next Games in London for the first time in 68 years. They have another 4 years to prepare . . . we’ll see if they do as well as China did.

With the Beijing Games winding down, the International Olympic Committee wants close all pending controversies regarding the ages of China’s gold medal women’s gymnastics team. The IOC still could not find sufficient proof of any cheating. They did ask the International Gymnastics Federation to investigate “what have been a number of questions and apparent discrepancies.” Nevertheless, all the information the Chinese gymnastics federation presented supports its claim that its gymnasts were in compliance to age requirements.

The IOC hopes that the matter will be put to rest since the information they received seems satisfactory in terms of the correct documentation—including birth certificates. If the federation had found evidence that the gymnasts were underage, it could have affected four of China’s medals. Parents of the gymnasts would already like to have closure on the issue as most of them have allegedly been indignant over the questions regarding their children’s age.

China coach Lu Shanzan said Asian gymnasts are naturally smaller than their American and European rivals.“Surely it’s not possible that these documents are still not sufficient proof of her birthdate?” Lu asked. “The passports were issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The identity card was issued by China’s Ministry of Public Security. It would be a difficult fight for those who believe they have been cheated. If the Chinese government had been part of the conspiracy, there was no way to prove that the girls were indeed underage. Cached website pages found by hackers that prove the girls were underage have since been removed. Previous gymnasts did admit that they had been underage during the Olympics that they had competed on. Maybe it will take a few more years to find the truth about the controversy.

One of my biggest frustrations is art. I have not been given that gift by God. It’s no wonder I envy those who can draw or paint, those who can sculpt, or even those who are creative enough to do good layouts on scrapbooks. I am dumb when it comes to art. When I see people creating such beautiful products, I am amazed. I have no idea how they do it.

For those who do clay art products or ceramic, the finishing touch on the artwork is actually the glazes. It makes the big difference. It’s what defines your artwork as you paint the hues and design on your clay products. The leading manufacturer of glazes and underglazes is American Art Clay Co., Inc. (AMACO). They manufacture non-toxic glazes that can even be used by preschoolers for their art projects. Amaco is the expert in glazes in the art industry and they offer various types of glazes that suits different types of art products. However, their products are ACMI glazes, or certified by the Art and Creative Materials Institute, Inc. with the proper labels. The glazes are either labeled non-toxic or cautions required (for professionals only). Amaco also offers glaze chalk which are like crayons that are available in intense hues or pastes. These can be sharpened for fine details or dissolved in water for painting or spraying. They also come in the non-toxic labels or the cautions required label.

Whether you are a professional, someone with a hobby, or a parent of a pre-schooler, always remember that safety and quality are important for glazes. Go with the expert and choose Amaco’s glazes and underglazes.

Cuban Olympic boxer Dzhakhon Kurbanov was disqualified during his light heavyweight bout with Kazakhstan’s Yerkebulan Shynaliyev. The bout was stopped 17 seconds before the end of the third round when Shynaliyev showed the referee blood on his shoulders. Apparently, Kurbanov bit him during the clinch.

It was good that Evander Holyfield had already left the gymnasium early on and did not witness the incident. I’m sure he did not need to be reminded of his last bout with Mike Tyson when the former champ took a chunk of his ear in 1997.

Shynaliyev, who angrily showed the blood on his shoulder to the referee, led 12-6 at the time. Kurbanov had already received multiple warnings from the referee earlier for shoving and holding his opponent.

It was a bad ending for Kurbanov who got off to an auspicious start in Beijing last week after beating world champion Abbos Atoev in his first bout. He was also the middleweight won champion in the 2005 Asian championships.

This biting thing in boxing should not become a normal event in competition as it may usher in a new trend that could make the sport even more gory than it already is.

Michael Phelps has now been dubbed the greatest Olympian of all time after eclipsing Mark Spitz’s 7 golds in a single Olympics with his 8th gold in Beijing in the 4 x 100 medley relay. Again, it was Jason Lezak who made sure that Phelps made his goal as he anchored the final leg, keeping the lead that Phelps had given him.

Though the Americans had never lost the event, it was not a piece of cake as the team came in third behind Japan and Australia when Phelps jumped in for the third leg. However, Phelps overtook both teams as he used the same stroke and distance he used in his 7th gold. He passed the lead to Lezak in the anchor leg and despite Australia’s attempt to spoil Phelps’ record, the Americans will not be denied this honor. The Americans broke the world record again with Lezak touching in at 3 minutes and 29.34 seconds.

After the win, Phelps hugged all his teammates, thanking them for the support they had given him. “Without the help of my teammates, it wouldn’t have been possible,” he said. Out of his 8 golds, 3 were from relays that he was a part of. Phelps set seven world records and one Olympic record, doing a personal best time in every event. While competitors ganged up on him and spewed out challenges that would faze normal athletes, Phelps kept cool and responded to them by doing his best in the pool.

He ran up to his Mom and sisters and gave each one a hug and a kiss. His mother hugged him tighter with tears streaming down her face. It was every mother’s dream — to raise a son who would conquer every challenge in his life head on and triumph by etching his name in history as the greatest Olympian yet. He not only holds the record for the most golds in a single Olympics, but he is also the Olympian with the most career golds at 14, 5 more than any other Olympian in history — and he has one more Games to go.

After receiving his eighth gold, they cranked up the American flag and the Star Spangled Banner. Phelps looked up to his Mom and sisters and finally gave in following days of challenges and pressure — he broke down and cried.

Michael Phelps delivered an unforgettable race at the Water Cube for the 100 meter butterfly. The audience was barely breathing when he turned for the final 50 meters at 7th place. He then shovel-kicked his way to victory by a hair. Phelps won the gold and broke the world record with a time of 50.58 seconds while Serbian Milorad Cavic got silver with 50.59 seconds.

The American audience was ecstatic when the computer registered the time. It was impossible to tell with the naked eye who won the race. Thus, the Serbians later protested the results which led to FINA reviewing the replay and slowing the final second frame by frame. The video and timing system did confirm that Phelps won the race by an eyelash. Even the Serbians relented after seeing the frame by frame video. The race was so close it seems that the American swimming sensation has God’s attention in the Olympics.

The win puts him one gold away from Olympic history. Sunday’s 4×100 medley relay will decide his fate. The Americans have never lost this event and are favored to win. Over-confidence has a way of creeping up on you when you least expect it. And God sometimes has a weird sense of humor. Whatever happens now, Phelps has proven that he is a fighter and a winner. The last gold would simply be icing on the cake. Good luck kid!

Here’s a video of the 100 meter butterfly race between Phelps and Cavic. Amazing race!

Michael Phelps won his sixth gold in the Beijing Olympics in the 200 meter individual medley. What is more critical is that he is on the brink of matching Spitz’s record of 7 gold medals in a single Olympics. And then another to break it. As a matter of fact, Phelps has already made records by being the Olympian with the most number of career gold medals at 12. Yet, he is still swimming as if he has not made his mark in sports history.

His next two races are important, the 100 meter butterfly and the 400 meter medley. The 100 meter butterfly is his signature stroke, so it is likely that he will be able to match Spitz’s record. The last race will be the one that makes or breaks his place in Olympic history.

My money is on Phelps breaking the record. Good luck Mike!

If you have been watching the Beijing Olympics and some action in Women’s Beach Volley, you’re probably wondering what that black goo on Kerry Walsh’s shoulder is all about. I made a guess too and thought it was a cover-up for a tattoo of a non-paying sponsor or something like that. Some say it’s a Nike swoosh gone haywire. Others think it’s not a cover-up but an actual tattoo that means something. Care to guess?

It’s not any of those I mentioned above. The black stuff on Walsh’s right shoulder is actually medical tape called Kinesio Tape. A kinesio tape is made of special elastic material designed to support muscles without impeding any range of motion. Walsh underwent surgery last fall to remove bone chips, bone spurs, and scar tissue that has built up over time from spiking and setting. The tape and the method by which it is applied stabilizes the shoulder and aids in circulation during the match.

We’ll see how this kinesio tape holds up when Walsh and her partner retains the gold medal in Beijing.

While we’re on the subject of athletics, it would be a good to discuss the nutritional supplements for the active lifestyles that most athletes live. Aside from a good diet, athletes need a lot of protein to support muscle development and strength. There are several products in the market that cater to this need. However, very few live up to requirement.

Among those that have stayed in the market and has been patronized by people on the go is Promax Nutrition. Since 1996, Promax has been making the bestselling high protein energy bars that support the active lifestyles of those who love sports. Due in part to its popularity and quality, Promax now has developed several other portable nutrition products that help active people stay healthy and fit for their activities. Aside from the best protein bars, Promax now offers calorie bars, protein shakes, and powdered supplements.

What sets Promax apart from other health supplements is that they make the best tasting protein bar in the market. You don’t feel like eating cardboard or the shoes that you just took off. Promax actually makes products that tastes like chocolate shakes or bars that kids love. You wouldn’t even believe that you’re eating healthy snack bars with the Promax bar or the Promax 70 Calorie bars. Imagine eating something good for your body but taste like junk food. It’s the reason why Promax has stayed in the market this long and even grew bigger with more products for athletes and sports enthusiasts.

Stop taking those protein bars or granola bars that make you suffer through the entire ordeal. Take Promax Nutrition and enjoy your health snack. Stay fit and healthy for that next competition or that fun run you promised to finish.