Top International Chefs to spice up Vancouver during the Olympic Winter Games
Jet Set Sports Creates Premier Dining Experience with Culinary ‘Dream Team’
Jet Set Sports is assembling an international all-star team of accomplished chefs in Vancouver to head the Chef’s Table, the 2010 edition of Jet Set’s series of Games-time fine-dining experiences. Each of the award-winning chefs – from Great Britain, France, China, Germany and Switzerland – will take turns at the helm of the restaurant, adding his or her own signature flair to the dining experience. Described as a downtown, “pop-up” fine-dining venue, the Chef’s Table will operate only during the Olympic Winter Games and is being made available to guests of Jet Set Sports, the world’s leading Olympic hospitality company.
“Vancouver is bringing the world together, so we are bringing some of the world’s greatest chefs to Vancouver,” said Sead Dizdarevic, chairman and CEO of Jet Set Sports. “Five remarkable chefs will join us from Great Britain, France, China, Germany and Switzerland. Each of them will put his or her stamp on the Chef’s Table and provide our guests with an extraordinary meal to cap a fantastic day at the Games.”
The Chef’s Table will be located at 1088 Burrard Street at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre. Participating chefs include:
Chef Andre Jaeger, owner and operator of the Rheinhotel Fischerzunft in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, has masterfully created dishes for nearly four decades and has held 19/20 Gault Millau points since 1995.
Chef Edouard Loubet, the acclaimed proprietor of La Bastide de Capelongue in Bonnieux, France, is one the youngest French chefs to earn two Michelin Stars.
Chef Anton Mosimann, arguably the world’s first celebrity chef, is now the proprietor of the legendary London dining club, Mosimann’s. His talents were polished in leading restaurants in Switzerland, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Japan and Canada.
Chef Heinz Winkler, owner and operator of the Residenz Henz Winkler in Bayern-Chiemgau, Germany, was awarded his first Michelin star in 1979, and at the age of 32, became one of the youngest three-star Michelin chefs in history.
Chef Zhang Jin Jie (a.k.a. Jin-R), the incredibly talented owner and chef of the “classic-modern” Green T House in Beijing, takes inspiration from the changing seasons. Her creations are works of art with each dish cleverly infused with Chinese teas, spices, flower petals and her signature garnish, Green Tea Powder.
“We’ve been a proud partner to the Olympic Movement and Organizing Committees for 25 years. Part of our role is to make sure our guests have a great experience at the Games and in the host city. We take this responsibility seriously, so for each Games, we try to create something special,” said Dizdarevic. “Without a doubt, the chefs we have assembled will add that special ingredient to our guests’ Games experience.”
Operating at every Olympic Games since 1984 in Sarajevo and serving only Olympic Games travelers, Jet Set Sports has repeatedly demonstrated its ability to deliver the very best in accommodations, event tickets, ground transportation, management, and of course, dining.
Super Bowl advertisers stock up on celebrity
Four in ten Super Bowl XLIV ads feature celebrities or pop music, with familiar icons and music from the likes of Kiss, Bill Withers, Stevie Wonder, Abe Vigoda and Betty White scoring with consumers
GreenLight released the results of its GreenLight Ad Gauge for Super Bowl XLIV, revealing that more than 40% of TV commercials aired during the big game featured celebrities or pop music, a similar amount to the past two years. The full report can be downloaded at www.greenlightrights.com/blog
The GreenLight Ad Gauge analyzes TV advertising during the Super Bowl — the world’s biggest television event every year — as a barometer to identify trends in how brands are using celebrities and pop music in their TV commercials.
Key findings from GreenLight’s 2010 Super Bowl analysis include:
– 34% of Super Bowl ads had celebrity endorsements from the worlds of sports, film, television or music – many featuring older icons like Betty White, Abe Vigoda, Jim McMahon, Mike Ditka, Stevie Wonder and Chevy Chase
– 20% of Super Bowl ads featured pop music, with both contemporary artists like Beyonce and will.i.am to retro icons like Bill Withers and Kiss in the spotlight
– 41% of 2010 Super Bowl ads included either celebrity endorsements and/or pop music
– Just one brand — Intel — used a branded jingle, sung by a chorus of employees
“Retro is the new contemporary as advertisers tapped into pop culture ranging from Kiss to Abe Vigoda in their quest to make an entertaining and emotional connection with consumers,” said David Reeder, Vice President, GreenLight. “This is a smart move by brands because they can leverage the familiarity of these icons to get attention and generate some laughs without breaking the bank.”
The 2010 Super Bowl averaged a 47.2 rating/69 share, with an estimated 100 million viewers watching in the U.S. alone. Super Bowl ads this year cost an estimated $2.6 million.
Twenty brands featured celebrities in their ads including Snickers, Boost Mobile, Sketchers, Coca-Cola, Taco Bell, Motorola, Volkswagen and HomeAway.com. Twelve brands incorporated pop music into their ads including Papa John’s, Dr. Pepper, Flo TV, Kia and Audi. Some brands scored, and some fumbled, according to GreenLight expert David Reeder.
“Snickers scored big right off the top with Betty White and Abe Vigoda getting pummeled in a game of weekend warrior football,” said Reeder. “This is another solid entry in the series of Snickers’ subversively funny commercials over the last year — which have been effective and given new life to little seen or somewhat forgotten — read cheaper — celebrities.
Boost Mobile was among the brands that fumbled.
“Boost tried to reinvent past magic with Jim McMahon and Coach Mike “Da Bears” Ditka and a spoof on their oh-so-awful 1985 Chicago Bears Super Bowl Shuffle music video,” said Reeder. “Despite faithful production values, the selling proposition of this spot was lost in an 80’s era music-video-smoke and bad choreography. Lesson to Boost Mobile — not everything gets better with age.”
To download the complete GreenLight Ad Gauge of Super Bowl XLIV, visit www.greenlightrights.com/blog
Allstate offers safety and insurance protection tips prior to Super Bowl
Fact: According to Hallmark Cards, Inc., the Super Bowl represents the No. 1 at-home party event of the year – even bigger than New Year’s Eve.
Super Bowl XLIV is hours away, and what will many Americans be doing? Hosting or attending a Super Bowl party! No one wants to spoil the fun of the big game, so Allstate Insurance Company is recommending tips to prepare and protect party hosts and guests getting ready for the big game.
Many party hosts don’t think about the liability risks that accompany a party. In some states, a host could be held liable if a guest is injured on his or her property. A host also may be liable if a guest has too much to drink and something happens. Fortunately, there are ways for hosts to protect themselves:
– Worried about a raucous guest falling and injuring himself in your home? Check your homeowners policy to make sure you have personal liability protection that provides adequate coverage for your home and assets. Liability protection provides coverage when others are injured or have sustained damage to their property for which you are responsible. If an accident in your home does happen, make sure the injured persons are comfortable and call for medical assistance if needed.
– What if that guest breaks your pricey antique vase in his fall – will your insurance replace it? Protect your home valuables – like fine art, collectibles or sporting equipment – with a scheduled personal property endorsement to your homeowners policy. Scheduled personal property provides protection for loss or damage to personal property items not always covered under traditional homeowners policies.
– Protect yourself and your guests. Provide non-alcoholic beverages to guests, and don’t let guests that have had too much to drink or drowsy guests drive home.
The party’s over, and your team won! Now, all you have to do is drive home and revel in your team’s victory. Unfortunately, drivers who are drowsy or have had too much to drink may be sharing the road with you and could make your happy drive home a dangerous one. Here are some tips to help protect your family when you’re traveling home after the big game:
Don’t drink and drive. If you know you will be drinking alcohol, use a designated driver or public transportation. Many cities even offer safe-ride-home programs.
If you spot an impaired driver on the highway, maintain a safe following distance and don’t attempt to pass.
Immediately report a suspected drunk driver by calling area law enforcement. Give police as much information (i.e., license plate number, make, model and color of vehicle, direction vehicle is traveling, physical description of driver) as possible.
Allow enough travel time, especially when traveling long distances. Drowsiness can reduce reaction time almost as much as drinking.
Don’t get behind the wheel when you are sleepy, and stop driving if you become sleepy while on the road.
Source: Allstate Insurance Company
Super Bowl ads rival game in 2010
Poll predicts ads will drive Web traffic and social media chatter
Super Bowl ads remain a big draw for viewers, with over 57 percent of U.S. adults who expect to watch Super Bowl XLIV planning to tune in as much or more for the commercials as for the game. This is a 5 percent increase from 2009. According to the latest Hanon McKendry/Mindscape at Hanon McKendry poll conducted online this month by Harris Interactive®, 71 percent of U.S. adults plan to watch Super Bowl XLIV, with 35 percent of those anticipated viewers watching equally for the ads as for the game and nearly 22 percent tuning in exclusively or predominantly for the commercials.
The 2010 poll also found that over 35 percent of those who watch Super Bowl commercials say they are more likely to visit an advertiser’s Web site after seeing a Super Bowl ad, up from 30 percent in 2009. Additionally, among online U.S. adults who watch Super Bowl ads, 48 percent say they are at least somewhat likely to discuss the ads on a social networking site.
“After five years of running this poll, I’d like to say that nothing surprises us,” said Bill McKendry, founder and chief creative officer at Hanon McKendry. “But even we were surprised at the level of online engagement that will be driven by Super Bowl ads. With 35 percent of viewers saying they are likely to visit an advertiser’s Web site and 48 percent of those engaged online stating they’d likely chat about the ads, the synergy between traditional broadcast advertising and digital engagement only appears to be growing.”
Building on the synergy between TV and Web, Hanon McKendry launched www.superadbowl.com in 2009, where visitors voted for their favorite Super Bowl ads after each quarter and got real-time results as they submitted their ballots. The site will go live again on Thurs., Jan. 28. In advance of the game, visitors will be able to weigh in on Super Bowl advertising via Twitter and Facebook and can cast their votes for their favorite ads starting at the close of the 1st quarter on game day.
The Hanon McKendry survey aims to quantify the draw of Super Bowl commercials among the more than 95 million anticipated viewers.(1) Now in its fifth year, the poll found interest in Super Bowl commercials even higher in 2010 than in 2009, when 52 percent of U.S. adult viewers planned to watch as much or more for the ads. The question that gets at online U.S. adult viewers’ likelihood to discuss a Super Bowl commercial on a social networking site is new in 2010.
While interest in Super Bowl commercials is growing among both men and women, the 2010 Hanon McKendry / Mindscape at Hanon McKendry survey confirms highest interest in Super Bowl ads among women:
– While anticipated female Super Bowl viewership remains statistically steady — 67 percent in 2009 vs. 65 percent in 2010 — the percentage of female viewers who say they’ll tune in as much or more for the ads has grown 5 percentage points in 2010, up from 62 percent in 2009.
– A significantly higher percentage of women than men who plan to watch the Super Bowl will do so at least as much for the commercials as for
the game — 67 percent of female vs. 48 percent of male viewers.
– Female viewers are 2.5 times more likely than male viewers to watch exclusively or predominantly for the commercials — 32 percent of female viewers vs. 13 percent of male viewers.
The Survey
Harris Interactive fielded the study on behalf of Hanon McKendry and Mindscape at Hanon McKendry between Jan. 8 and Jan. 12, 2010, via its QuickQuery(SM) online omnibus service, interviewing a nationwide sample of 2,215 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. The sample included 1,121 men and 1,094 women. Data were weighted using propensity score weighting to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online. Data for questions related to online use or behaviors were weighted specifically to the respective “online” populations. No estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
(1) In its annual Guide to the Super Bowl, The Nielsen Company reports that Super Bowl XLIII drew a record average viewership of 98.7 million, up from 97.5 million in 2008.
Source: Hanon McKendry
80 million European runners reveal their reasons to run
ASICS looks into the runner’s mind
The world of running is experiencing a ’second running wave’, with approximately 36% of 15 to 65 year-old Europeans taking to the streets, parks, forests, and gyms. But how did this new boom come about in Europe? Why is it that we run?
To honour its 60th anniversary this year, ASICS took its expertise in running to another level by conducting an unprecedented research into the mind of the runner. Executed by the research institute Synovate, ASICS’ ‘Reasons to Run’ research asked more than 3,500 runners in seven European countries* to reveal the ‘why?’ behind their actions, making it the biggest study of its kind ever.
From body to mind
A significant fact that comes up in each country is that the attitude towards running is one of ‘first the body, then the mind’. The physical benefits of running far outweigh the mental benefits when it comes to getting started, with health issues such as fitness (for 54% of runners) and weight-loss (for 40%) being the two main reasons why Europeans start running. As time goes by however, the balance shifts from the body to the mind as runners discover the mental rewards running gives them, with 34% declaring they do it for fun and 35% as a means of stress-relief.
On average, Europeans wish to lose 6.1kgs by running, but the Dutch go above and beyond this target with a goal of 9.5kgs. On the topic of running partners, the British hold the highest number of runners who run with their babies in strollers while the Italians hold the highest percentage of running-club memberships (13%) as they enjoy the company of a running partner the most. When asked what goes through their minds whilst running, the Spanish declared they scrutinise other runners they see, while the French focus on their breath, pace and rhythm, the British worry about their finances and the current credit crunch, and Belgians think about nothing at all.
We run as we are
Delving deep into the runner’s mind, ASICS’ ‘Reasons to Run’ research delivers some intriguing results. The findings range from a general consensus over certain aspects (such as why people start to run) to factors that differ hugely between nations (such as motivation to continue, injury prevention, and preferred locations). These differences are down to the fact that the runner’s mindset profile greatly resembles their country’s disposition. The hard-working Germans, for example, are diligent runners who don’t like to give up, while the joie-de-vivre French run mainly for fun. The down-to-earth qualities of the Dutch mean they are not bothered by anything while running in contrast to the passionate Spanish who find they are easily irritated.
The marvels of running
Not since the first running boom of the early seventies, when people realised that running was a reliable means of getting healthy, has the world of running seen such an immense escalation in runners. Progressively more runners appearing in parks, streets and gyms, a surge in numbers on marathon registration lists (with a total of 494 marathons taking place in Europe alone), and a huge increase in women taking up the sport (33% of European women started in the last 12 months) are just some of the signs highlighting what is now known as the ’second running wave’. This latest boom is emphasised by the fact that a third of today’s runners started in the last year and the numbers just keep growing, with the current total of European runners exceeding 80 million.
* NB: The countries that participated are Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, and the results are a representation of the 80 million runners in these European countries.
For more details, facts and figures about the Reason to Run survey, please see www.everythingaboutrunning.asics.eu.
Who will be America’s Next Top Technician?
2009 NATIONAL AUTOMOTIVE TECHNOLOGY COMPETITION
National Finals to Be Held at the New York Auto Show – Wednesday, April 15th
With new cars getting increasingly sophisticated, as more and more high-tech gizmos and gadgets are added, so too must the young men and women who will service and repair them in the future? Watch this year’s brightest high school automotive education students from all over the U.S. battle it out to see will be names America’s Top Technician at the 2009 National Automotive Technology Competition.
Who: High school seniors from all over the U.S. are competing for a chance to represent their State in the National Automotive Technology Competition. The National Finals will take place April 15 at the New York International Automobile Show.
What: It’s a test of skill, a measure of knowledge, and a race against time, all rolled into one. Each two-person team of high school vocational education students must diagnose and repair a number of problems under a car’s hood against the stopwatch. Each “bug” correctly repaired is worth a number of points, depending on the level of difficulty. The student’s overall knowledge is also tested through a series of written and workstation tests.
Visual: The contest will feature the 30 two-person teams of high school technicians under the cars’ hoods racing to repair them.
When: Wednesday, April 15th
8.30 a.m. — Opening Ceremony
9.00 a.m. — 12 Noon Competition
Where: New York International Automobile Show
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
11th Avenue between 34th and 39th Streets, New York, NY
Why: There is currently an annual shortage of 60,000 technicians nationwide. This nationally recognized competition motivates students and teachers, helping raise education standards.
2009 Participating Automobile Associations
Greater Los Angeles New Car Dealers Association — Lexus
New Car Dealers Association of San Diego County — Infiniti
Orange County Automobile Dealers Association — Pontiac
Southland Motor Car Dealers Association — Lexus
Colorado Automobile Dealers Association — Ford
Greater Hartford Automobile Dealers Association — Scion
Central Florida Auto Dealers Association — Pontiac
South Florida Auto-Truck Dealers Association, Inc. — Chevrolet
Chicago Automobile Trade Association — Mazda
Louisiana Automobile Dealers Association — Chevrolet
Massachusetts State Automobile Dealers Association, Inc. — Mazda
Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association — Kia
Missouri Automobile Dealers Association — Toyota
St. Louis Auto Dealers Association — Subaru
New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers — Pontiac
Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association — Subaru
Niagara Frontier Automobile Dealers Association, Inc. — Mazda
North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association — Toyota
The Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association — Ford
Metro Portland New Car Dealers Association — Mercedes-Benz
Greater Lehigh Valley Auto Dealers Association — Scion
Pennsylvania Automotive Association — Nissan
Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia — Nissan
Rhode Island Automobile Dealers Association — Pontiac
New Car Dealers Association of Tarrant County — Chevrolet
New Car Dealers Association of Metropolitan Dallas, Inc. — Chevrolet
Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association — Mercedes-Benz
Automobile Dealers Association of Mega Milwaukee — Lexus
Toronto Automotive Dealers Association — Mazda
www.NationalAutoTech.com
Source: NATC/New York International Automobile Show
Major League Ballparks Predicted to Serve Almost 22 Million Hot Dogs This Season
Council petitions to have ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ updated to include hot dogs
Despite competition from ever-increasing food options – ranging from Ichiro Sushi offered at Safeco Field in Seattle to Rocky Mountain Oysters (fried bull testicles) at Coors Field in Colorado – hot dogs are still top dog in our nation’s ballparks, according to the National Hot Dog & Sausage Council’s (NHDSC) annual survey.
With Opening Day this weekend, the NHDSC forecasts that ballparks around the country will serve 21,733,839 hot dogs this season — an impressive feat and enough to round the bases 30,186 times and stretch to and from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia and Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, FL, the two sites of the 2008 World Series.
When it comes to individual ballparks, Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, topped the survey this year. Fenway Park, which finished second in last year’s survey, will serve up more than 1.5 million hot dogs over the 2009 season, according to projections. Always boiled and grilled, the Fenway Frank is served on a New England style bun (split from the top) and topped with a choice of mustard and relish.
While the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies didn’t take the trophy in this competition, they did win the equivalent of the National League pennant, finishing second overall. Fans are expected to consume 1.25 million hot dogs at Citizens Bank Park this season. Lucky fans might also catch a free dog, which the Phillie Phanatic, the team’s official mascot, shoots into the stands every game using the finely-tuned technology of the Hatfield Hot Dog Launcher.
Third place in this year’s survey goes to Dodger Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Dodgers, with 1.2 million famous Dodger Dogs expected to be devoured. This foot-long pork frankfurter is served grilled or steamed, on a steamed bun, with mustard and relish and choice of toppings.
“There’s no question that hot dogs hit a grand slam year after year,” said Tom Super, spokesman for the Council. “The connection and nostalgia between hot dogs and baseball has been around for over a century. After all, hot dogs were Babe Ruth’s performance enhancing drug of choice.”
Stadiums around the country offer a range of options to hot dog-hungry fans. Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves, dresses their Georgia Dog with coleslaw, chili and onion relish. Dolphin Stadium, home of the Florida Marlins, stocks its condiment carts with banana peppers. The Tampa Bay Rays’ Tropicana Field offers “The Heater,” which is served with spicy chili and shredded cheddar. Arizona Diamondback’s Chase Field has a specialty concession stand called “Big Dawgs,” which features five foot-long specialty hot dogs including the Arizona Dog with chorizo, cheese and tortilla chips and the Wisconsin Dog with mac and cheese and bacon bits. The Metrodome, stadium of the Minnesota Twins, is home to the “Dome Dog,” a black angus dog served hot off the grill with toppings made fresh daily. When the Chicago Cubs are in town, many teams will add the famous Chicago Dog to their menu for the series: a natural casing beef frank, served on a poppy seed roll topped, (or “dragged through the garden” as they say in the Windy City), with yellow mustard, sweet pickle relish, chopped onion, fresh tomato, pickle spear, sport peppers and a dash of celery salt.
For those fans with big appetites, a number of ballparks offer special events like “dollar dog nights,” where as many as 70,000 hot dogs are sold in one evening.
Sausage Consumption
When it comes to hot dog’s close cousin, the sausage, no one is in the same ballpark as the Milwaukee Brewers. It is projected that 430,000 sausages will be served this year at Miller Park – the only park in all of Major League Baseball where sausages outsell hot dogs. Many of the park’s sausages and hot dogs are dipped in Milwaukee’s-own special “Stadium Sauce” before being placed in the bun.
Based on sausage consumption projections, the NHDSC has updated its 2009 Fantasy Sausage Race Rankings for the Miller Park Sausage Race, the race of sausage mascots held before the bottom of the sixth inning at every home game: #1 Brett Wurst (bratwurst), #2 Frankie Furter (hot dog), #3 Guido (Italian Sausage), #4 Stosh Jonjak (Polish sausage) and #5 Cinco (Chorizo).
The New York Mets finished a distant runner-up to the Brewers, with approximately 405,000 sausages expected to be sold at the new Citi Field this year. Finishing third in the NHDSC’s first-annual sausage consumption survey is Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers, with 250,000 projected in sausage sales.
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Last year, “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” celebrated its 100th anniversary. But for over a century now, the song has contained a gaping omission – the hot dog. With all due respect to peanuts and Cracker Jack(TM), hot dogs continue to dominate as ballpark’s favorite fare, so the Council has petitioned the U.S. Copyright Office in its quest to have hot dogs included in the song that’s been sung during the seventh inning stretch for decades.
“Clearly, the omission of hot dogs was inadvertent because, as the story goes, the song’s author, Jack Norworth, wrote the song in 1908 but didn’t attend a baseball game himself until 1940,” Super noted. “We are confident that if Mr. Norworth were alive today, he would agree to alter the verse and pay tribute to America’s cultural icon. Behind ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ and ‘Happy Birthday to You,’ ‘Take Me Out to the Ballgame’ is the third most sung song in the United States and we think it should be updated accordingly for the next 100 years.”
For additional information, visit the Council online at http://www.hot-dog.org/.
Established in 1994, the National Hot Dog & Council conducts scientific research to benefit hot dog and sausage manufacturers. The Council serves as an information resource to consumers and media on questions related to safety, nutrition, preparation, trivia and folklore of hot dogs and sausages.
Source: National Hot Dog and Sausage Council
National Walk to Work Day is April 3
If you can’t walk to work, maybe you can walk at work instead.
Friday, April 3 is National Walk to Work Day. Endorsed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the sixth-annual event encourages Americans to turn their commute into an exercise opportunity.
The reason is clear: According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the prevalence of obesity among adults aged 20-74 more than doubled between 1980 and 2006, soaring from 15 percent to nearly 33 percent. Meanwhile, study after study indicates that moderate exercise for 30 minutes per day reduces the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and diabetes.
Participation guidelines for National Walk to Work Day couldn’t be more flexible. If walking to work is impractical, at least shun the elevator and walk up the stairs. If you take public transportation, get off a stop early and walk the rest of the way. And if your commute is too long to consider walking, simply pretend it’s National Walk to Lunch Day instead.
Here’s another idea, one that expands on the spirit of the national observance: Why not try walking at work, too? It’s now possible with the Walkstation, a combination treadmill and worksurface. Developed by Details, a Steelcase company, the Walkstation integrates an electric height-adjustable worksurface with a low-speed, commercial-grade treadmill exclusively engineered for Details.
The Walkstation enables office workers to stay active while chatting on the phone, sending e-mails, reading, and working on a computer. The device is most often used as a shared resource. Employers are apt to place them in common areas or conference rooms, where employees can take turns enjoying the benefits. The integrated treadmill operates within a limited range of one-half to two miles per hour, slow enough to allow users to focus on their work, yet fast enough to burn up to 100 calories per hour.
“The Walkstation isn’t intended to work up a sweat the way a gym workout can,” says Details President Bud Klipa. “The purpose is simply to increase movement while on the job and enjoy the health benefits that can result.”
The American Heart Association website, www.americanheart.org, offers a wonderful online support community for people to supplement their wellness commitments. It provides tips for helping reach fitness goals, as well as nutritional information, and information about their National Start! Walking day which is April 8.
For more information about the Walkstation or other Details products, visit www.details-worktools.com. Details is recognized by the American Heart Association as a Start! Fit-Friendly Company for promoting physical activity and health in the workplace.
Fast Facts:
- Obesity is rapidly becoming the number-one healthcare problem in North America, Europe and Asia.
- Last year, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released the Physical Activities Guidelines for Americans to help people understand how much exercise they should be getting. According to the guidelines, adults can gain substantial health benefits from two-and-a-half hours of moderate physical activity each week, while children benefit from an hour or more of physical activity each day.
- As recently reported by Reuters (“Will Americans put on recession pounds?” – Jan. 9, 2009), Americans may wind up gaining weight during the recession even if they spend less on food. Reason: Buying foods high in sugar, saturated fats and refined grains is an easy, if unhealthy, way to economize.
Details, a Steelcase company based in Grand Rapids, Mich., provides innovative worktool solutions compatible with most furniture systems. Details worktools are sold through a network of 450 dealers and are featured in 20 Steelcase showrooms throughout North America. For more information about Details, visit www.details-worktools.com.
In Greater Phoenix, the Old Ballgame Never Looked So Good
Dodgers, Indians, White Sox Christen New Stadiums for Start of Spring Training
Cactus League Spring Training cracks to life today across Greater Phoenix with more teams, more stadiums and more games than ever before.
But fans can expect one constant at the ballpark: sunny skies and 80-degree temperatures.
Cactus League baseball, a seasonal rite in Greater Phoenix features 14 teams and more than 200 games. Games begin today at 1:05 p.m. MST, with action scheduled every day in March.
A dozen Cactus League teams call the Phoenix area home, and that roster includes two new additions for 2009: the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cleveland Indians.
The Dodgers have relocated “Dodgertown” from Florida to a beautiful new training complex in Glendale called Camelback Ranch. The tradition-rich National League franchise shares the stadium with the Chicago White Sox, who recently migrated to Phoenix from Tucson.
The Indians were one of the adventurous franchises that gave birth to the Cactus League when they came to Arizona to train for the 1946 season. This spring, the Indians return to the desert in grand style, playing in a new stadium in Goodyear.
Baseball fans from Los Angeles, Cleveland and everywhere else will be pleased to discover that tickets to Cactus League games remain famously inexpensive — from $5 for lawn seating to $30 for a lower-level perch behind home plate.
Cactus League officials expect a record 1.5 million-plus fans to fill ballparks across Greater Phoenix this season, from the Chicago Cubs’ historic Hohokam Park to the San Francisco Giants’ popular Scottsdale Stadium to the Oakland Athletics’ red-rock-shrouded Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Next year the league will grow to 15 teams when the Cincinnati Reds move their spring training operations to Greater Phoenix from Sarasota, Fla. The Reds will share Goodyear Ballpark with the Indians, creating a little piece of Ohio in Phoenix’s West Valley.
The recent westward migration of major league franchises from Florida’s Grapefruit League to Arizona’s Cactus League is attributable not only to metropolitan Phoenix’s new stadiums but its consistent weather and concentration of facilities. “Road trips” in the Cactus League tend to be short (no more than 30 minutes in most cases), and the temperature on a typical spring afternoon hovers in the 70s.
Last season, not a single Cactus League game was rained out. This year, the forecast for opening week calls for sunshine, highs in the mid-80s and zero chance of rain.
“Greater Phoenix’s marvelous spring weather is a boon for teams and fans alike,” said Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau spokesperson Doug MacKenzie. “No rainouts mean no wasted training days for players and coaches, and sunny skies mean fun times at the ballpark for spectators. The weather is also ideal for golfing, hiking or dining on outdoor patios.”
In otherwise gloomy economic times, the Cactus League also packs great value. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is a hub for two low-fare carriers (Southwest Airlines and US Airways), and several Phoenix-area hotels and resorts are offering unseasonably low spring rates.
To find some of those rates, baseball fans can log on to www.visitphoenix.com and click on “Spring Training Deals”.
Source: Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau
What is the Story Behind the Symbol on the Headgear of the Pittsburgh Steelers?
What do Troy Polamalu, Coca-Cola and Steel have in common? As fate* would have it, Steelers safety Polamalu will appear in a Coca-Cola ad Super Bowl Sunday — and not only bring back memories of the 1980 commercial where “Mean Joe Green gets comforted by a kid who hands him a coke(1)” — but will carry two strong brands and the crushing strength of the Steelers’ defensive line with him.
The Pittsburgh Steeler’s famed three-star logo is one of the most familiar symbols in sports, partly because steel’s inherent strength and toughness is a perfect match for the Steelers’ highly-touted, bone-crunching defense. Only the Steel trademarked logo found on the Steelers helmet brings worldwide recognition and appreciation for these strengths.
Seven decades after Art Rooney purchased the NFL franchise and five Super Bowl victories later, it has come to symbolize the strength of the team and the Steel City it represents. But how many fans know what the starlike figures mean and where the logo came from?
In fact, the three four-pointed starlike figures within the circle, called hypocycloids for their geometric origin, made it to the NFL in 1962, when Rooney adopted the Steelmark for his football team. The Steelers logo is based on the Steelmark logo belonging to the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI). The Steelmark was originally created for United States Steel Corporation to promote the attributes of steel: yellow lightens your work; orange brightens your leisure; and blue widens your world. The logo’s meaning was later amended to represent the three materials used to produce steel: yellow for coal; orange for iron ore; and blue for steel scrap.
Back in the early 60s, the Steelers had to petition the AISI in order to change the word “Steel” inside the Steelmark to “Steelers” before the logo was complete. Cleveland’s Republic Steel suggested to the Steelers that they use the Steelmark as a helmet logo.
The Steelers are the only NFL team that sports their logo on only one side of the helmet. At first, this was a temporary measure because the Steelers weren’t sure they would like the look of the logo on an all-gold helmet. They wanted to test them before going all-out.
Equipment manager back then Jack Hart was instructed to put the logo only on one side of the helmet — the right side. The 1962 Steelers finished with a 9-5 mark and became the team with the most wins in franchise history to date. The team finished second in the Eastern Conference and qualified for the Playoff Bowl. They wanted to do something special for their first postseason game, so they changed the color of their helmets from gold to black, which helped to highlight the new logo.
Because of the interest generated by having the logo on only one side of their helmets and also due to the team’s new success, the Steelers decided to leave the helmet that way permanently. Today’s helmet reflects the way the logo was originally applied and it has never been changed.
AISI serves as the voice of the North American steel industry in the public policy arena and advances the case for steel in the marketplace as the preferred material of choice. AISI also plays a lead role in the development and application of new steels and steelmaking technology. AISI is comprised of 25 member companies, including integrated and electric furnace steelmakers, and 130 associate and affiliate members who are suppliers to or customers of the steel industry. AISI’s member companies represent over 70 percent of both U.S. and North American steel capacity. For more news about steel and its applications, view AISI’s Web site at www.steel.org.
*Coca-Cola planned the commercial before they knew the Steelers were going to the Super Bowl.
(1) USA Today, Troy Polamalu is the New Mean Joe Greene, by Tom Weir, November 21, 2008.
Source: American Iron and Steel Institute