Jive SBS Syndication Feed

Active's Pepsi Challenge

jspitzberg — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:21:20 GMT

In the latest installment of "[No man can...|http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061512/]" challenges, we bring you the Active.com Product Developer Pepsi Challenge. Can any of these fine men drink 2-liters of Pepsi in less than 4 minutes? Let's, as they say, go to the video tape...

The Active Lifestyle

jspitzberg — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 22:55:53 GMT

I guess this is what passes for fun around here.

The lesson, as always, is don't brag that you can do the same number of sit-ups that you could do when you were 12 unless you can do the same number of sit-ups that you could do when you were 12!

This is all the result of a "warped" corporate culture here at Active where we are encourage to... well, BE active. A great example of this is the Active X program that our Art Director, Arch Fuston has put together. There's a full and a lite version for those of different fitness levels. It's great fun and a killer workout, as I'm sure Damon will attest.

Skin to Win

jspitzberg — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 20:09:43 GMT

New advertiser, and a "fun" new way to feature them on the site. We built a Gaiam "skin" for our Mind and Body channel.

I think it's a nice way to strongly brand the page without being obtrusive and getting in the way of the content that the user has come to the site to find. It's also not the most difficult implementation ever - which is nice. The trickiest part was getting the logo on the background image to be clickable. It took an anchor tag being blocked and relatively positioned to make that happen. Of course the hardest part of that was - and isn't everything - dealing with cross-browser DOM/box model inconsistencies.

Feedback

jspitzberg — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:00:19 GMT

Per my earlier post about our home page refresh, please consider the comments on this page your open feedback thread.

It's alive!

jspitzberg — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:51:48 GMT

As you may have seen on the way here, we've redesigned... "refreshed" in the parlance... our home page. If not, do check it out. We'll wait.

So? What do you think? For us it is hopefully a big improvement in that it will get you the user to where you want to be on Active.com quicker. Now there's a lot to that statement, so let's unpack it a little.

First of all, the page should load faster. We've done a lot of fun things to the code and creation of the page. We've done everything we can to streamlined our HTML, stylesheets, and javascript code. One fun new approach for us was using CSS Sprites to reduce the number of images we load on the page. In all, we've cut about 30% off our file size and our load time; and we're not going to stop there.

As for the layout of the page - we've replaced the duplicate left navigation menu with an expanded global navigation across the top of the page. We also removed the tabbed content from the page because it hid more than it helped to display.

The page now has a nice focus on what our tag line says - and please forgive me if this crosses (or has crossed) the line into cliche - "your guide to an active planet". We've got lots of content, clearly displayed, to help you become a better, stronger, healthier runner, softball player, yogi, whatever. We've got videos, message boards, and blogs where you can share stories or ask and answer questions. And we're giving the core of our site (It's all about the Core) - our directory of events, races, classes, campgrounds, tournaments, etc - the prominence it deserves.

Again, all this should help you find what you want on Active.com quicker and easier. The organization of the page, the colors, the speed in which the page gets to you... it's all done for this same reason.

Of course, we could always use your help to make it better. We can look at all the stats, and we all have our own opinions too. But how are you finding the site?

Thanks, and now get out there and participate!

Jeremy Spitzberg

Codehisattva

Now it's biblical

jspitzberg — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:32:59 GMT

BEIJING -- First there was the freak snowstorm in February. Then the Tibetan riots in March. Then in rapid succession the controversial torch relay, Sichuan earthquake, widespread flooding and an algae bloom that's tarnishing the Olympic sailing venue. Just when it seemed that nothing else could go wrong this year in China, the locusts arrived.

Locusts? What is going on here? The litany of near-biblical woes would seem to lack only a famine, frogs and smiting of the first born.

---

The full story, from the LA Times, is here.

Italy names Olympic squad

jspitzberg — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:21:47 GMT

ROME (AFP) - Italy coach Pierluigi Casiraghi unveiled his 22-man squad for next month's Beijing Olympics here on Thursday.

The Azzurrini (the little Azzurris) will undergo their pre-Games medical examinations on Monday before heading off to their training camp at Coverciano near Florence.

They have a warm up game against Romania scheduled for July 22 and are due to arrive in Beijing four days later.

Italy Olympic squad

Ignazio Abate (AC Milan), Robert Acquafresca (Cagliari), Salvatore Bocchetti (Genoa), Antonio Cadreva (Udinese), Luca Cigarini (Parma), Andrea Coda (Udinese), Andrea Consigli (Atalanta), Domenico Criscito (Genoa), Paolo De Ceglie (Juventus), Lorenzo De Silvestri (Lazio), Daniele Dessena (Parma), Sebastian Giovinco (Juventus), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Riccardo Montolivo (Fiorentina), Marco Motta (Udinese), Antonio Nocerino (Palermo), Andrea Ranocchia (Arezzo), Tommaso Rocchi (Lazio), Giuseppe Rossi (Villarreal), Andrea Russotto (Treviso), Salvatore Sirigiu (Citta di Castello), Emiliano Viviano (Brescia)

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I post this because even though I/we don't know any of the names now, save for Guiseppe Rossi because of his Manchester United days and his flirtation with US Soccer, I bet that we will know some of them come the end of August.

Solo selected for Olympics, Scurry left off roster

jspitzberg — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:41:22 GMT

[!http://www.surroundedbygirls.com/images/fepl/hope-solo070928011701.jpg!|http://www.surroundedbygirls.com/images/fepl/hope-solo070928011701.jpg]

bq.

CHICAGO -- Goalkeeper Hope Solo is among 18 players picked for the U.S. Olympic women's soccer roster, nine months after she was kicked off the team at the World Cup.

Briana Scurry, who took over from Solo for last year's World Cup semifinal loss to Brazil, was left off the roster by coach Pia Sundhage, who replaced Greg Ryan following the World Cup debacle.

Solo was the starter for most of 2007, but Ryan surprisingly replaced her with Scurry for the semifinal, which the Americans lost 4-0. Solo criticized Ryan, saying she would have made the saves, and was dropped from the team.

I'm happy to see Sundhage picking on athletic merits, rather than bizarre motivational ploys or petty squabbles. As to the rest of the roster, I'm surprised that the US is only taking three forwards to the Olympics. Granted Wambach is a force and the US has lots of attacking talent in midfield with Wagner, et al. But might it limit the US' options if they need to change the pace or rhythm of a match, or (god forbid) have to chase one in search of a goal?

Finally, while there are quite a few veterans on the roster, most American will never have heard of any of these players... well, save for Solo after the aforementioned dust up. But no Hamm, Lily, Chastain, Milbrett, or Fawcett. NBC (and US Soccer) and going to have to rev up the old PR machine to sell this team to us all over again.bq.

Olympic roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): Nicole Barnhart, Hope Solo.

DEFENDERS (6): Rachel Buehler, Lori Chalupny, Stephanie Cox, Kate Markgraf, Heather Mitts, Christie Rampone.

MIDFIELDERS (7): Shannon Boxx, Tobin Heath, Angela Hucles, Carli Lloyd, Heather O'Reilly, Lindsay Tarpley, Aly Wagner.

FORWARDS (3): Natasha Kai, Amy Rodriguez, Abby Wambach.

</div>

Perilous

jspitzberg — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:45:07 GMT

Medical personnel stabilize Ogden Standard-Examiner photographer Ryan McGeeney's leg after he was pierced by a javelin directly below his right knee while covering the Utah state high school track championships at Brigham Young University's Clarence Robison track stadium in Provo, Utah. McGeeney was transported by ambulence to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, where the javelin was removed. He received 13 stitches, but suffered no serious damage to any ligaments or tendons. McGeeney took the photo himself.

(AP Photo/Ryan McGeeney)

Cycling is sexy!

jspitzberg — Wed, 07 May 2008 18:14:47 GMT

Or so the Deputy Minister for Cycling of the Hungarian Ministry of Economics and Transport would have you believe.

More on this, including translation from the Hungarian, here

h/t Ezra

Stupid is as stupid does

jspitzberg — Fri, 02 May 2008 21:34:51 GMT

via Slate.com

Fashion, on a bicycle

jspitzberg — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:16:17 GMT

!http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2036/2419212022_947abfe129.jpg?v=0!

Vélocouture is not bicycle fashion. Vélocouture is fashion, on a bicycle.

Therefore "cycling clothes" like jerseys, bike shorts, etc are not the point of this group. Wearing stylish, practical, non-cycling specific clothes — and cycling — is the point.

Hat-tip to Kottke

It couldn't be any plainer

jspitzberg — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 15:52:31 GMT

Couch-potato culture may cut our lives short

We as a nation are doing ourselves in with our couch-potato culture of eating way too much and exercising far too little. Some health professionals even raise the controversial notion that today's generation of kids like Justin — about a third of whom are overweight or obese — may be the first to live shorter lives than thei parents...

"All of the signs are pointing in the wrong direction," says Dr. Jennifer Shu, an Atlanta pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"Young kids are getting what have traditionally been adult-type diseases — type 2 diabetes and heart disease," she says. "It's like advanced aging."

"These kids are headed for real trouble," agrees S. Jay Olshansky, a professor of public health and a researcher at the Center on Aging at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Their parents may not be faring so well, either, he says. Two-thirds of American adults are overweight or obese.

There's no better introduction to CoolRunning's Couch-to-5K Running Plan is there?

Sad News

jspitzberg — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 15:16:00 GMT

This was just posted by the Tri Club of San Diego:

It is with great sadness that we inform everyone of the death of TCSD President Jim McCann.

Jim died suddenly in his home last night, June 20. Jim was 46 years old

Jim joined the Triathlon Club of San Diego in 1988. He was Race Director from 1997-1999. He has been the club President since the year 2000 during which time the club has grown from a few hundred members to one approaching 1800 members.

We will do our best to keep you all informed of memorial services and how you can send your condolences.

In the meantime, please keep Dee Dee and her and Jim's family in your thoughts and prayers.

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This is indeed sad news. Jim was an enthusiastic triathlete and a great ambassador for the (multi-) sport community. He brought a level of fun, and an acceptance of competitors of all skill-levels, to the SD Tri Club that will be a proud legacy. All of our best wishes go out to his family and friends at this time.

Pope to step aside at season's end

jspitzberg — Mon, 18 Jun 2007 18:12:09 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY -- Often celebrated as the best defender the United States has ever produced, Eddie Pope announced Thursday that he will retire from Major League Soccer at the end of the 2007 season.

I''m not sure what to say. I have to admit to being a little sad, and I'm not sure I can quite capture my emotions fully in this post. But the Pontiff is retiring. Definitely the end of an era.

Pope was the shy kid out of North Carolina who wore #23 in honor of fellow alum Michael Jordan. He was the rookie of the year and stand-out defender on a team full of more experienced and well-known players. Of course, he scored the header in stoppage time that won DC the first of their now four MLS Cup championships. And he famously, or at least for me memorably, turned down interest from Europe to stay close to home.

So many memories of my young adulthood are tied up with DC United and it's hard to avoid the sense that an era in my life is passing too. I'm no longer in DC, and no longer a young adult. Pope is with Real Salt Lake (and to paraphrase ESPN's Sports Guy, "He never played for NY. Can we all agree that that just never happened?"). But I get nostalgic when my friend Neal text messages me from RFK as he did this weekend. And this news is a bit of a bolt out of the clear blue sky -- even though I'll always associate the Pontiff with the pouring rain in which he won his first two DCU championships, the second of which I was lucky enough to attend.

Okay, I'm officially babbling. Back to work, but not without one final chant of "Ooh ah! Eddie Pope! I said Ooh ah, Eddie Pope!"