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some time ago i got my hands on the russian Magic Chalk. i finally got a chance to perform a test drive. below are my impressions.
i’ve tried other brands of chalk before (the NIR, blue diamond, & predator), and i’ve seen the name Magic Chalk floating around, but i never decided to give Magic Chalk a whirl until recently. it’s dr. dave’s experiment that changed my mind.
after my brush with the so-called super chalks, i personally feel that while those chalks do offer an improvement in grip, the effect is slight at best. thus my own experiments stopped at blue diamond chalks, since i didn’t feel the need to mess with other stuff. BD chalks has remained my favorite super chalk, until now.
i came across dr. dave at random. according to his bio, he’s a mechanical engineering professor at Colorado State University, and he has posted a number of pool videos online exploring various topics in pool. (read dr. dave’s bio here.) one such video was his experiment on chalks and their ability to keep generating friction after chalking only once. the actual experiement covered a lot more ground than that, so i’ll let you read the article yourself and watch the video on your own time.
according to dr. dave’s results, if you chalk after every shot, it does not matter what brand you use. however, if you don’t like to chalk after every shot, then Magic chalk is the clear winner of the bunch, even beating the very expensive kamui by a wide margin. based on the results, i decided to give Magic Chalk a spin. i do like solid evidence derived from experiments. frankly, i’m sick of some hypeman giving lip service without providing a shred of evidence. and i don’t ever want to hear stuff like “i shot a hunnert consecutive shots after chalking only once with the (insert super chalk of the month here) without proof.
subjectively, the chalk dust from the Magic chalk seem to be a little finer than the BD dust. when i apply the chalk to the tip, the Magic Chalk has less build-up than the BD, meaning the Magic Chalk does not cake up as much as the BD. when i shoot with heavy spin, the Magic Chalk is less prone to miscue than the BD, especially after shooting two or three shots without chalking. i know that chalking after every shot is good practice, but personally i feel that you gain some mental momentum when you can shoot three shots without chalking. that’s just me though; don’t copy my bad habits. chalk afer every shot and save yourself some money.
is Magic Chalk worth the money? i think it’s worth my money. i like that it generates a bit more friction than the BD chalk, and i like not having to chalk after every shot. (i’m lazy. there.) i like that the chalk gives me more confidence on heavy spin shots and power draws. will i buy some more? absolutely. do i recommend it? yes. should you buy it? i can’t answer for your wallet. you decide.
i watched the new pool reality tv show. i don’t even know where to start.
full disclosure: i watched the first two episodes, each an hour long. this s** works better than xanax. i felt extremely sluggish and apathetic after. maybe mildly homicidal.
this new show is comprised of people i don’t care to know playing in ways i don’t wish to learn in an environment i don’t want to be in. there are two known pros in the show: dechaine & barretta. then there are a bunch of people i don’t know, who act like total douchebags. “act” could be the keyword here, because none of the stuff on the show seem real, or even try to seem real. i don’t even think they’re actual players, just actors hired to be on tv. could be i’m just really out of touch. and there are more screaming and hollering and hopping around than a 70’s gangbang porn, at least what i imagine a 70’s gangbang porn would look like. maybe slightly less hairy, i dunno. correct me if you’re an expert on 70’s gangbang porn, perhaps leave a link in the comments section. on second thought, don’t leave a link.
i would comment on the pool, except what little footage they show are so chopped up & spliced together you never see anyone play a complete game. whoever edited the show must really enjoy stitching, cuz that’s how pool is treated on this program.
of the two pros on the show, dechaine is his usual as*** self~~an unlikable person acting in unlikable ways. barretta on the other hand seemed like she could care less about being there. incidentally, she’s the least douchebaggy of the bunch, but also one of the least interesting character to watch on this show. her husband (i don’t know if that’s her real husband or an actor) relish being a jerk in front of the camera. i could go on.
so this is the new show about pool we get. probably what we deserve right now.
if you’re a fedora-wearing, big-beards-having, ear-hooping, selfie-taking, & self-promoting hipster douchebag pool player, your dream has now come true. there is now a pool reality tv show, and it will air later this month. *golf clap*
i won’t bother linking the show here. i will say that the show is centered around some players in NYC, and from what i can find out about the show, they’ll try to gamble/hustle each other, plus whatever mishegoss they can muster. what “hustling” will mean will be up to the people involved with that show. my cursory look through the “talent” roster didn’t reveal much, except that many of them appropriately look like d-bags. (i’m personally hoping there will be one exception who decides not to act like a douchebag. but the way reality shows edit their raw footage, anything goes.) we will likely get some full bore douche-on-douche action, which will probably make a pretty wet show.
that said, i try to be fair on this blog. so i will don my neoprene suit & watch some episodes to make sure i didn’t make a hasty judgement. (there may be drugs present to dull the senses. and snacks.) i will try to give my opinions after, assuming it’s not too horrible to mention. hold on to your gentle ears, my fair readers. or watch it yourself and gimme your take on it. cheers.
p00lriah. 