The Joy of Bocce Weekly
 In This Issue: Vol. I, Issue 24 - June 17, 2002 
•   Notes from the publisher
•   Bocce product of the week - Premier boules measure
•   Readers' questions & comments
•   Photos of the week - Brutocao Schoolhouse Plaza in Hopland, California
•   For good measure - geometric bocce?
•   Non bocce product of the week - cardiovascular health maintenance
 Notes from the publisher
Come visit us often at www.joyofbocce.com. We have bocce info, merchandise, links to other great bocce sites, and the best selling bocce instructional book in the USA. http://www14.mawebcenters.com/striker/orderform.ivnu Order Now @ $12.95.

WELCOME TO THE 86 NEW SUBSCRIBERS SINCE LAST WEEK!

Disclaimer: Hey, I don't claim to be a bocce pro. Heck, I'm not even a very good player - but no one loves the sport more than I do. My contribution to the game is in having interviewed many of the top players and then assembling the information into a concise, easy-to-read book. What I've created is comparable to what others have done for basketball, soccer, and other sports.

Please help us grow by forwarding this issue to your bocce playing friends. They can opt in for the FREE Ezine at http://www14.mawebcenters.com/striker/feedback.ivnu.
I promise that I will never be in the business of selling or trading your email address or other personal information.

A word about ads: Like any entrepreneurial type, I'd love to turn a profit from something I really enjoy. For now, I have decided not to accept paid advertisements. If I pitch a product here, it is something I have examined and tested and deem it beneficial to our readers.

From the "I'm blushing" department...Janet Roberts writes a wonderful and very popular column for electronic newsletter publishers via Ezine-Tips.com. This week her piece made reference to "Mario Pagnoni, who publishes an infectiously enthusiastic email newsletter called the Joy of Bocce Weekly..." The talented Ms. Roberts even recommended The Joy of Bocce Weekly for an ezine-review newsletter that she does for List-Universe. I am proud, humbled, and thankful to Janet Roberts.

Had this issue forwarded to you by a friend? "Opt in" to add your email address to The Joy of Bocce Weekly subscriber list. It's FREE!

 Readers' questions & comments
Publisher's comments in {brackets}

Clemenza Affinito of California sends this query...
"Can you tell me why the first player (the one who throws the pallino) is called the sixth man?"

{Clemenza, I have never heard this term and am as curious as you. Can any reader help us out by clicking REPLY and enlightening all of us as to the derivation and/or meaning of the expression?}

Several from Bocce Anonymous (Yahoo Group) asked "Do you know of a bocce group in Santa Fe?"
{Again, I wish I could be of more help. But I must turn this over to the readership in the hopes that someone will click REPLY and help us get the word out.}

Also from Bocce Anonymous..."Does someone know of anyplace where I can find a teaching course in Bocce. We plan to hold classes one night a week for 6-8 weeks for beginners. If we could find an already prepared lesson plan, it would help us greatly." {Please REPLY if you can help}

Steve Watkins of Santa Monica, California wrote..."I wanted to let you know (although you've probably already heard about it) that highlights of Steve Mariucci's Celebrity Bocce Ball Tournament were shown on Fox Sports Net's 'Best Damn Sports Show, Period.' They did two separate segments, one interviewing Mariucci and the other with John Madden and actor Danny Glover, both of whom played in the tournament. It was great national publicity for bocce!

Thanks for the newsletter, and keep up the good work."
{Thanks Steve, and please keep us posted on bocce happenings in your area.}

Click to give Feedback or to ask a question.

 For good measure - geometric bocce?
Believe it or not, you can use the Pythagorean Theorum to determine which ball is in. Here's the deal...We normally advise that you stand by the pallino and kind of straddle it to get a vantage point. But try this...stand by the bocce balls and form a triangle with the object ball (pallino) at the apex (see photo).

1) Draw an imaginary line (A - B) between the two bocce balls (see photo - RED to the left, GREEN to the right).
2) Now draw an imaginary perpendicular (C - D) from the pallino to line segment AB
3) Since AD is obviously shorter than DB, then AC has to be shorter than BC...so the RED ball is in. If you had known this strategy, I bet you would have tried to stay awake in geometry class. This might also indicate, as previously suspected, that the ancient Greeks played some serious bocce.

Flunked geometry? Click to order a measuring device.

 Bocce product of the week - Premier boules measure
Speaking of settling disputes over whose ball is closer...I just happen to have the finest measure for bocce stocked right on my shelves. Still our most popular measure, this Prohawk International measuring device has been a big hit in this Ezine. I've placed photos on my website that clearly illustrate the product's features. They are very high quality and sell for about 20% less than comparable products I've seen elsewhere. The Premier Boules Measure is my favorite for settling disputes over who's closer. It is designed for "inside measure" which is by far the most accurate. The tape extends to 2 meters (about 6 ½ feet) and has a self-locking mechanism, calipers, and a game scoring mechanism. Makes a great gift for the bocce lover in your life. Every serious bocce player (and not-so-serious player) should have one.

Please check them out ($19.95 plus shipping).

 Photos of the week - Brutocao Schoolhouse Plaza in Hopland, California
Sue from Brutocao Schoolhouse Plaza sent some wonderful photos of bocce play at Brutocao Schoolhouse Plaza in Hopland, California. Sue says "We are called North Coast Bocce Federation. Keep the newsletters coming - we love 'em!"

The absolutely gorgeous courts are 13' x 90' and the surface is crushed oyster shell. There are six courts leagues play four nights per week. There are teams named "Kiss My Pallino", "The Long Shots", "Red Wine Hooligans" and "Bocce Bellas".

Sue adds that "Since the weather is mild here we have leagues in the spring, summer and fall. And if that isn't enough we have an INDOOR league in the winter! We are hosting the International Friendship Games this year with teams from Italy, China, Canada & USA competing on July 10-14th.

Last weekend we hosted a BIG event with approx 500 people in attendance called "Big Bottles & Bocce" - a kick-off for the weekend-long Mendocino Winegrowers fundraiser to benefit the local search and rescue unit. Over 15 winemakers in attendance pouring from large format bottles (3 liter and larger) and a bocce tourney followed by a barbecue. Very successful and a good introduction to bocce for people who hadn't tried it yet."

{Please follow Sue's lead and send bocce photos from different areas of the USA. The Joy of Bocce Weekly features too many photos from the East - need pics from the "left coast" and the South & Mid-America too. I'd love to post them here on "This Week's Photos."}

Check out This Week's Photos.

 Non bocce product of the week - cardiovascular health maintenance
{Hey, bocce's great, but I'm always on the look-out for all kinds of good products for my readers}

A new product from my company (the quality of which never ceases to amaze me) is Tri-Omega PLUS. Heart disease is the number one killer of people in North America, taking more than half a million lives per year. The good news is that in combination with a proper diet and regular exercise, there are certain nutrients that we can help maintain health. Among these are "omega-3" long-chain fatty acids. Tri-Omega PLUS provides a powerful blend of pharmaceutical-grade omega-3 fatty acids along with a powerful blend of three B vitamins to help you maintain cardiovascular health.

Tri-Omega PLUS provides a powerful blend of pharmaceutical grade omega-3 fatty acids (docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, and eicosapentaenoic acid, or EPA) from fish oils, and alpha-linolenic acid from cold-pressed flaxseed oil. It also contains linoleic acid, an important omega-6 fatty acid, as well as selected B vitamins (B6, folic acid, and B12), which have been shown to assist the body in maintaining normal ranges of homocysteine.

Let me make things simple...if you don't eat fish as many times per week as you should, this product can fill in the gaps. Bottle of 60 softgel capsules retails for $14.95 plus shipping.

Check it out - get more info...

Merchandise still available at joyofbocce.com

Check out the first-rate equipment we offer. The finest measuring devices for bocce (made in UK by Prohawk for lawn bowling, petanque, and bocce) - the finest bocce balls in the world (made in Italy by Perfetta) and the number one selling instructional book on bocce in America.
 Photos and ordering info for merchandise...