Category: art, culture, lifestyle
By Larry J. Pitman
As we sat down to lunch in our favorite chifa, Liliana said,
“Let’s not talk about the election, I am tired of
it.”
We all nodded our agreement, and immediatel…[more]
Living in Peru : Features
SUNDAY MAY 29 6:24 AM
When will it end?
Several more inches of snow fell on the Tahoe Basin late Saturday into this morning, with 4 to 6 inches accumulating above 7000 feet.
The latest system was moving south and east of Tahoe this morning, with only scattered snow showers in its wake. Temperatures should be warmer today and Monday.
But the trough of low pressure that brought this storm to Tahoe remains entrenched off the Pacific Coast, and it is likely to send more weather our way later this week. A low pressure system will build off the Northwest coast of California early in the week and could send some energy toward Tahoe midweek. When that low finally moves inland later in the week we could see another cold storm, possibly next weekend.
The long range forecast shows a ridge of high pressure building over the coast about the start of the second week in June, which would finally bring some warmer, more typical late spring conditions to the region.
Temperature forecasts:
Tahoe City:
Sunday 38
Monday 52
Tuesday 56
7000 feet
Sunday 31
Monday 40
Tuesday 40
\Regional radar with rain/snow mix:
9
MONDAY MAY 30 7:24 AM
The Tahoe Basin is set for a nice spring day today, with temperatures about 10 degrees warmer than Sunday. And no snow!
A weak ridge of high pressure building over the west will keep things clear and warmer.
But the next low pressure system is already moving our way from the Pacific Northwest. It is forecast to move down the coast today and Tuesday before moving inland. We’ll see a chance of light rain and snow Wednesday, with little accumulation likely.
Thursday should be warmer as another high builds across the region, but another, stronger low pressure system remains in the long range forecast for next weekend. As of now it seems certain to drift slowly down the coast, and the big question is when and where it will turn inland. It could keep going all the way to Southern California. Or it could take a left and slam into the Sierra next weekend, bringing significant rain and snow, especially for the first weekend of June. We might not be done with the winter style weather yet.
Stay tuned for details.
Temperature forecasts:
Tahoe City:
Monday 52
Tuesday 52
Wednesday 47
7000 feet
Monday 40
Tuesday 40
Wednesday 34
\Regional radar with rain/snow mix:
9
Eco Friendly Tourism, St Lucia
More and more savvy travellers are doing their research and choosing ecologically and socially responsible vacation destinations. The surge of the eco-friendly holiday has made responsible tourism trendy while effecting good in the communities which offer the option. St Lucia in the Caribbean has emerged as one of the more preferred eco-friendly destinations, located as it is in the dense rainforest belt of the Caribbean archipelago and boasting a natural beauty that has garnered the attention of international publications like Condè Nast and several tourism industry award bodies.
St Lucia’s lush vegetation and tropical rain forest, which lends itself to hiking, bird watching, camping, and a whole host of nature-related activities, has long made it a favourite of those who are seeking a quieter, more environmentally friendly tourism experience. That is not to say that there isn’t a fair amount for the thrill seeker as well. St Lucia’s dramatic coast is the playground for sailing, diving, snorkelling, wind and kite surfing, all activities which guarantee maximum recreational enjoyment with minimal environmental impact.
The new environmentally conscious traveller is looking for accommodation that subscribes to an eco-friendly ethos, and St Lucia’s hotels and bed and breakfasts have responded to the demand by examining the sources of energy they employ, sustainability of growth and conscientious waste management practices, and by forging relationships with the communities that host them. This is particularly so in Soufriere, St Lucia’s former capital under the French, and breadbasket of the island.
Situated as it is in some of the most fertile land on the island, Soufriere is leading the way in insisting on low air mile produce. Hotels and restaurants are provisioned with the freshest local ingredients grown right in the heart of this remarkable town. And when a resort or restaurant grows their own produce or sources from local farmers and markets, you are guaranteed a great dining experience.
The town of Soufriere, referred to by American personality Oprah Winfrey as one of the top ten places to see before you die, is uniquely placed in its claim to eco-tourism. The coastal town which rises dramatically into some of the most spectacular mountain scenery on the island, is home to the iconic Pitons, the sulphur springs, several waterfalls and a botanical garden and constitutes an environmentally and culturally protected area as a World Heritage site. The UNESCO appointed epithet assures the visitor that certain standards are being maintained with regard to the actual upkeep of the site, and the efforts at ecological and architectural preservation and conservation.
St Lucia’s picturesque town of Soufriere is increasingly appearing on the radar of ecologically conscious travellers who want an environmentally friendly holiday with their pina coladas. (Both pineapples and coconuts are locally harvested!).
About The Author
Articles distributed by Fond Doux Estate, Fond Doux Holiday Plantation in St Lucia is a 19th century colonial plantation hotel set in nature amidst the lush, tropical foliage of St Lucia’s breadbasket, historical centre and world heritage site, Soufriere.
Use or redistribution of the article MUST maintain link back to our web address – http://www.fonddouxestate.com
There is no doubt about the greatness of Mark Spitz in his time and Michael Phelps’ recent ongoing dominance on the swimming scene. Both Mark Spitz and Michael Phelps are multiple Olympic champions with many world records under their belts. Every competitive swimmer knows their name and dreams of their swimming accomplishments.
These two swimming giants are separated by four decades of swimming science innovation and an unprecedented technological revolution. When Mark Spitz cruised to his 7 gold medals in the 1972 summer Olympics in Munich, Germany, the Internet was just being invented and nobody was aware of its large potential and how it will change the human kind. When Michael Phelps beat Spitz’s record and claimed 8 gold victories in the 2008 summer Olympics in Beijing, China, the Internet already enriched the lives of about ~25% of the world’s population. In 1972, nobody really knew who Mark Spitz was unless they were keen swimming sport enthusiasts or journalists. In 2008, the whole world was watching Michael’s incredible reign and probably millions of tweets were sent around to announce his victories. I don’t even attempt to predict what will happen in 2012 summer Olympics in London, UK, but it will be the most amazing Olympic event for the swimming community yet to be recorded.
Back on track though, so we have two extremely talented swimmers who were/are on top of the world as the best swimmers in their time and age. Has anything changed since Mark Spitz cruised to his Munich Olympic victories in 1972? Both Phelps and Spitz swam the butterfly stroke as their signature style, so after our discussion of the top 4 most common butterfly mistakes let’s have a look on how these two super swimmers did it and how they compare against each other.
Apart from the obvious that Mark Spitz had a mustache, didn’t have an access to a full Speedo LZR suit, didn’t use swimming goggles and didn’t wear a swimming cap, the most interesting differences come to light when we examine the video footage and photographs from their butterfly events.
The main visible difference comes to light during the breathing part of the stroke. Mark Spitz employs the over the water concept and lifts his head and body quite high out of the water. Michael Phelps on the other hand is using the more modern style with very slight oscillation of the body and just skimming the surface with his chin. Spitz is creating a lot more up and down motion which in turn translates into a much higher drag coefficient and thus slower or more energy wasting swimming style. Michael uses majority of his energy for forward motion instead of the lift motion, therefore, making him much more efficient in the water.
One thing in regards to breathing is common between these two super athletes though. They both breathe every stroke. Michael does not breathe off the start and off the turn, but otherwise every stroke. The idea here is that breathing every stroke keeps the swimmer in the correct rhythm and it supplies the ever needed oxygen. Also, it was said that if a swimmer breathes every other stroke, during the non-breathing cycle, his/her body is deeper in the water, thus adding to the swimmer’s dreaded drag. In contrast, with every stroke breathing, the swimmer stays higher in the water and has to exert less energy into forward motion propulsion.
What else is different? How about the way the arms move during the recovery cycle of the stroke (above the water)? In Mark Spitz’s case, elbows are bent which causes a lot more stress on the shoulder, more energy output since more muscles need to be involved to perform the bent motion and most of all, the higher body position during the breath as he needs much more room to clear the water with his arms. Michael, on the other hand, has his arms nice and straight, just skimming the surface of the water which saves energy and also makes the arms move faster during the butterfly recovery phase.
I wasn’t able to find a great underwater footage of Mark, but from looking at a short front facing video, we could see that he keeps his elbows quite bent on the entry and also his hands are producing a lot of bubbles. Michael, keeps his arms quite straight on the front entry and there are almost no bubbles under his hands in his stroke. You might be wondering, what the heck am I talking about, “bubbles”? And rightfully so. This is an advanced skill to master, but the idea is that your hand should enter the water so cleanly that you do not trap any bubbles in your palm and fingers. This bubbleless entry will allow you to catch the water much sooner and your catch will be more powerful since you are catching water and not air. Next time you are swimming, why don’t you look at what your hands do in the front of the stroke during the entry and watch for the bubbles. Try to adjust your hand entry or your underwater reach, so the bubbles that are created by the hand disappear before you start with your catch.
Finally, in today’s competitive swimming world, if you do not have a powerful underwater dolphin kick, you are as good as fish without a water. Some coaches even go as far as calling the underwater dolphin kick, a fifth stroke. Michael has one of the best underwater kicks in the world, so the kick also contributes to his success. During Mark Spitz’s time, there was no such thing and everybody popped up out of the water as soon as they pushed off the wall.
As a side note, not really related to the butterfly stroke, check out the start differences. Spitz, as everyone else at that time is using a feet together start (grab start). Nowadays, track starts are much more popular. Also, most of the swimmers in Spitz’s time didn’t grab the block with their hands, instead they used their hands to swing their body forward. Today, the arm swing is only used during relay starts, but for individual events, everybody grabs the block and uses the hands to generate more power off the block.
There you have it. High level analysis of what swimming was like for Mark Spitz and how it has changed for Michael Phelps. If you spot any other differences, please share them with us in the comments. It is amazing how the sport evolves as our understanding of the swimming science becomes more astound. I definitely applaud all the swimming researchers out there who are trying to make our sport better. Well done and keep up the good work.
More unseasonably cool weather is on tap for the Sierra this weekend.
Today’s highs should be about 10 degrees below normal, with gusty winds approaching 50 mph along the ridges, especially south of Tahoe. Friday will be a little warmer but still below normal for this time of year.
On Saturday another wave of energy from the Pacific is forecast to move inland. This one looks like a bit of an “inside slider,” meaning that the system is on track to move inland over the Pacific Northwest and then drop down the backside of the Cascades and the Sierra.
The storm could bring some rain or snow to far Northern California and some precipitation to the Tahoe region, especially the Eastern Slope late Saturday into Sunday.
A weak ridge of high pressure is forecast to build by Sunday, bringing at least a brief warming trend to the region before more unsettled weather approaches early next week. The Memorial Day Holiday could be the warmest and calmest day of the week, but it still won’t feel like summer is around the corner.
Stay tuned to www.tahoeloco.com for updates.
Temperature forecasts:
Tahoe City:
Thursday 49
Friday 54
Saturday 47
Sunday 50
7000 feet
Thursday 40
Friday 41
Saturday 36
Sunday 41
\Regional radar with rain/snow mix:
9
I always find lots of great ideas in “GrandLoving.” On my last visit to my granddaughters I brought a large container of “beautiful bubble brew” that I found in the book.
How To Enjoy Croatia
by: Neven Grubisic
1. Why Croatia ?
Croatia is the closest Mediterranean destination to central Europe. It takes 2 hours by plane from London, 45 minutes from Munchen… Croatian natural beauties are significant and amongst the best preserved in the world ( over 5,800 km of coast, over 1,000 islands, numerous national parks … ). More about Croatia find on the official web site www.croatia.hr
2. How to Croatia ?
Traveling by car you have to keep in mind that the traffic is increased in summer season. National ferry line is Jadrolinija and the national airline company is Croatia Airlines
3. Where in Croatia ?
Although the inland of Croatia is beautiful as well, lot of tourists decide for one of the places along the Croatian coast. Most of the beautiful places in Croatia are located on the Adriatic sea coast ( National Park Brijuni islands, Roman arena in Pula, National Park Kornati islands, old towns Dubrovnik, Zadar, Trogir, Sibenik, Split, National Park island Mljet … ). Having one day trip in inland you can visit more Croatian beauties like National Park Plitvice lakes, National Park on river Krka, National Park Paklenica, … )
4. Stay (sail) in Croatia ?
Usually tourists rent a hotel room or an apartment and spend a week laying on a beach not aware that there are plenty other places around worth to be visited. Instead of changing hotels and moving your stuff from one place to another trying to see as much as possible , you can rent a boat ( skipper if necessary ), visit all the places along the Croatian coast and islands and have an extraordinary holidays. Croatian coast has 1000 of islands so there are no big waves and high sea. The conditons are perfect for nice and easy sailing. There are no long distance routes across the open sea. You can achor anytime you want and take a swimm. The price for sailing holidays in Croatia is equal to price for a hotel accomodation. More about yacht charter in Croatia find on web site www.Yacht-Rent.com ( or www.star.hr ). There you can find a complete yacht charter offer in Croatia: more than 1500 charter yachts belonging to all relevant charter companies in Croatia ( having at least 10 to 100 boats in their fleet). You can compare the prices for different boat models and select the most appropriate one.
To answer the question how to enjoy in Croatia – sail in Croatia!
About The Author
Neven Grubisic – I have no bio so far.
Just posted the sailing video of the experience of racing the St Thomas Rolex Regatta 2011 with NauticEd students and Safe Passage Sailing. Safe Passage Sailing chartered Kialoa V, an 80 ft maxi, and Northern Child, a 51 ft swan. NauticEd students and charterers with Safe Passage Sailing attended. Over all we had about 20 [...]
NauticEd Blog
Powered by
Wordpress.
Theme daffodil by
pure-essence.net.
