Everybody in the pool. It's open thread time.
And now for something completely different...this demonstration of the Total Immersion school of swimming. This instructor mesmerizes me every time I stare at the video. I also employ the TI method of swimming, only I can assure you I look nothing like this man. Rather, think Great White meets Arthritic Orca. Either way, being "slippery" in the water truly is much easier than slamming the water and gasping for air at the end of every length. Since I began studying TI in books and on video, I've reduced my crawl strokes from 25 to 15, per 25 yards. Not bad for an old lady who is turning one year older. Everybody in the pool. It's open thread time.
Laura Novak
11/19/2011 03:32:12 am
I'll start with this HuffPo story on the events at UC Davis:
mistah charley, ph.d.
11/19/2011 03:35:52 am
One thing I read a lot about yesterday on the web is the fall of Robert H. Schuller's televangelist empire, and the sale of his trademark building the Crystal Cathedral to the Catholics - it will soon be a real cathedral (the seat of a bishop), not just a "cathedral."
Viola-Alex
11/19/2011 03:52:47 am
Can't wait to watch the video. I've always hated swimming, and this may be the equivalent of barefoot running, of which I'm a devotee.
mistah charley, ph.d.
11/19/2011 04:23:50 am
About the UC Davis pepper spray incident, the following is from Gaius Publius writing at AMERICAblog.
WakeUpAmerica
11/19/2011 04:29:49 am
I'm not sure what you mean by "slamming the water" as there should be none of that regardless of your swimming method. What I see as notably different is the head is riding about 3" lower in the water, causing the water to ride over the top rather than breaking at the front of the head and moving around the body. One would probably have to look at aerodynamic principles to determine the efficiency of that. Second, because the head does still need to break the surface to breathe from side to side, a dolphining action of the body is added to the total effect. I noticed also that the swimmer is kicking once per stroke, a long distance technique. It would be interesting to see how this method of TI works on sprints. 11/19/2011 04:40:05 am
Did you see the letter from Rev. Rich Lang, the Methodist minister who was pepper sprayed by police this week in the Occupy Seattle demonstration? He says, "the emerging police state ... protects the property interests of the Marie Antoinette’s who have seized control of our government, commerce, media, military and increasingly the Church itself."
nswfm
11/19/2011 06:08:41 am
http://boingboing.net/2011/11/18/police-pepper-spraying-arrest.html
Laura Novak
11/19/2011 06:38:53 am
WakeUp: I see swimmers all the time who slam the water so hard it makes waves. Of course it's a waste of energy and it's truly disruptive if you're in a lane next to them. In fact, one day, a guy next to me was splashing so hard, I inhaled drops of his splash and had to stop to cough. It's inefficient and I always wonder how they become such strong swimmers like that. And this guy's kick (on the video) I don't have down yet. But I did have someone tell me that I slice through the water with precision. I'm glad I found the TI method. It was recommended to me by a really good swimmer friend. And I waste much less energy and have a much better swim.
Laura Novak
11/19/2011 06:42:25 am
Thanks for all those links, nsfwn. The Davis video makes my stomach turn. And those sites are all over this story with great links and more footage.
mistah charley, ph.d.
11/19/2011 07:11:44 am
Just a bit more about the catastrophic collapse of Hour of Power tv show and the Crystal Cathedral congregation - the faction who shoved Robert A. Schuller aside were in the process of disaffiliating it from the Reformed Church in America (formerly Dutch Reformed), and making it into a modern bible-believing evangelical church using the "praise-music" style of worship. As things continued to fall part, this spring all the choir members were asked to sign a pledge recognizing that sex is only for married people - specifically one man, and one woman, married to each other. There's a lot more to this "Covenant" but what it comes down to is "be quiet and obey" - full text is at
Viola-Alex
11/19/2011 07:47:24 am
Thanks, Mistah Charley, for your last comment and the links. I hope I didn't offend you with my comment about my visit to the Crystal Cathedal. I only meant to write that whatever was happening to the Church, by 2006 things felt very wrong there (to me). The disparity between the congregation and the obscene expansion and over-large gift shop was glaring. My husband found nothing of the dream his grandparents had had when they were friends of Robt Schuller's and founding members of the Garden Grove church. My husband also felt like his boyhood memory of what the church community had been wiped away by greed. It seems a dangerous religion when it all rests on one man or woman.
Viola-Alex
11/19/2011 07:55:42 am
@Laura, how does that man in the video breathe??! It's beautiful to watch-- and I envy you being able to swim like that.
WakeUpAmerica
11/19/2011 08:14:23 am
I didn't mean to infer that slamming the water doesn't occur, just that it shouldn't occur. Yes it does look to be a more efficient swim. Part of the reason may be that it is easier to feel "new" water by being a bit deeper in it. To move forward efficiently, the swimmer must be sliding the palm slightly from side to side to find better resistance to push against. The straight through pull is inefficient. As for the kick, what he is doing is kicking with the foot that is opposite the pulling arm. This helps the swimmer to keep balanced in the water and minimize roll. If you try using only your arms and let your legs drag in a relaxed manner, you will most likely start to do the alternating kick to keep your balance in the water. Likewise, the dolphing of the body should not be forced, but rather a natural flow of energy starting at one end and travelling to the other.
WakeUpAmerica
11/19/2011 08:26:34 am
Ok, I'm totally wrong on the kick. He isn't using the long distance technique. What he is doing is more like a one-legged dolphin kick. It might help you to understand if you find a slo-mo film of the butterfly stroke. What the TI swimmer is doing is really more like a one-arm/one-leg alternating butterfly than a traditional crawl. I would expect that this technique will revolutionize the stroke much like the dolphing action now used in the breaststroke. Way cool, and I can't wait to try it as I swam fly competitively and totally sucked at free. I still think the kick will come more naturally for you if you try to just relax and drag your body while stroking. You should start to feel the natural flow of the dolphining in your kick. Don't force it.
Ottoline
11/19/2011 08:31:13 am
My swimming goals are to use MORE energy -- to lose weight, of course. And to build the right muscles. TI is so foreign to me, and intriguing. I'd never heard of it. Thank you, Laura.
WakeUpAmerica
11/19/2011 08:32:09 am
The chancellor has issued a statement referring to the incident as "chilling" and called for an investigation.That sounds promising. As a Californian, I feel very disturbed by what is happening at our campuses. AWhenthese incidents occur, I keep having flashbacks to Kent State. I feel it is only a matter of time before that horror is repeated.
WakeUpAmerica
11/19/2011 08:35:46 am
Ottoline,
Ottoline
11/19/2011 08:40:51 am
Re Laura's identifying Cal, I want to add my own misperception for many years: I just assumed that U.C. Davis, being away from the SF Bay Area, was sort of a provincial cow college. Indeed it does have one of the hardest-to-get-into vet schools in the U.S., but it also is the only CA university that has an illustrious art community, respected even in the NYC art world, with such stars/teachers as Richard Diebenkorn and Wayne Thiebaud.
Laura Novak
11/19/2011 08:50:06 am
I should study TI for the breast stroke, but I am happy doing it the way I do it. And I am never out of breath. The whole idea is that a sailboat glides through the water much more efficiently than a barge. So the rolling side to side makes us more "slippery" through the water. Also, pushing the head down and letting the water glide over the top of the cap forces the right position all the way down. I will try that with the kick though. For now, I'm happy just to have eliminated all those energy sucking strokes!
Laura Novak
11/19/2011 08:52:12 am
And Mistah Charley, where is the Catholic Diocese getting the money to buy new property like that? I thought it was reducing its holdings to pay out the abuse settlements.
Ottoline
11/19/2011 08:54:32 am
WakeUpAmerica -- Yes, I know I look pretty ridiculous when I swim. I remember my grandmother swimming: she put a scarf around her hair, tied at the top, and didn't get it wet. She was from the era before swim caps, at least not affordable ones. She's the one who visited Rasputin to get her fortune told.
Laura Novak
11/19/2011 08:57:04 am
The other key thing to notice about this swimmer is what TI says to do, and that is you keep your arm out until the other one is outstretched, then you pull down that first arm. It forces you to be able to stay afloat at all times. And it's part of the drills before you get to use your arms. My tendency was to always have arms doing two different things. But having them both outstretched even for a few seconds makes a difference in body posture the entire way down.
lisa
11/19/2011 09:01:42 am
I swim at a Coast Guard base with rescue swimmers. They really enjoy chaotic water and often swim without the lanes. I think they do it to mimic swimming in the ocean. It is utter hell to try to backstroke with them, but a good breast stroke is a good workout without the ropes!
Ottoline
11/19/2011 09:17:11 am
Lisa -- I'm thinking about chemicals, too. The place I swim has two outdoor pools, one is the usual chlorine-smelling kind, the other is with UV. I don't notice the difference, although I wonder if the chlorine is bad for my hair.
Ottoline
11/19/2011 09:35:59 am
Re Phillip Johnson designing the Schuller palace, does anyone know a good source for his style of glasses? I.M. Pei too. Iris Apfel too. The eye guys never have them. I usually buy my frames elsewhere, for way cheaper, than the ones available for $300 at the eye guy. I see some sources on the web, but I wonder if anyone knows more?
WakeUpAmerica
11/19/2011 09:47:01 am
90 days!!! WTF? Totally unacceptable. If they want the protestors to leave, just ignore them. There is no joy in protest without publicity. Idiots (police)!! BTW, I totally support OWS.
Laura Novak
11/19/2011 09:57:49 am
Yes, I swim outdoors year round. There is still chlorine in the pool. I try to scrub it off as best I can.
Gay Zundheidt
11/19/2011 11:42:26 am
Re: the Crystal Cathedral ... only when businesses which profit off Jesus' name cover the most spartan of operating budgets and donate the remainder of their income to making the world a better place ... only then are they <b>truly<b/> spreading the word of Jesus Christ.
Sherryn
11/19/2011 12:12:58 pm
I do a lot of water exercises, deep water walking, and underwater treadmill for my Physical Therapy, it's the best form of exercise, because it allows free movement without the forces of gravity. I love my time in the water, more than the torture chamber my regular physical therapists make me do.
V-A
11/19/2011 12:17:10 pm
Ottoline: way to cut to the chase. It's all about the glasses. Check out LA Eyeworks. Some of theirs may be Philip Johnsonish. And if you find the style you like, you can also source the frames on ebay. My daughter who works in NYC fashion buys and sells her designer and couture clothes on ebay.
Sherryn
11/19/2011 12:27:42 pm
The conduct of the police using pepperspray (and looking at the footage, the force and amount of spray seems more like a cannon than a cannister gun) is an affront to democracy. Keith's interview with that wonderful octogenarian brought me to tears.
clf
11/19/2011 03:24:38 pm
For a few months now, I've been watching every TI youtube video I can get my hands on. My favorite clips are the ones that compare the TI swimming in open water vs. conventional swimming. If I were rich, I'd get personal coaching from the guy who invented the technique (btw, he says there is nothing "easy" about it. Everything you see on the videos is the result of hard effort, he says.)
Up
11/19/2011 09:15:04 pm
i'm also uber-interested in finding out how and why the Catholic Church is purchasing a Cathedral. Not only is the Church in the NE selling churches (and in some cases profitable ones ) and being sued by parishioners, but they are also selling other missions such as hospitals because they can't afford to make necessary capital investments. So mant Catholic hospitals have been sold to for profit entities.
Viola-Alex
11/19/2011 10:48:19 pm
UP - what I heard on NPR is that the Catholic diocese of Orange county "needed" a cathedral. (which may be because of the county's growth, size and wealth) Purchasing the Crystal Cathedral was at least 1/2 the cost of building a new cathedral, according to the diocese spokesperson. By purchasing the CC, they automatically own one of the most architecturally significant buildings of the 20th c-- which they never could have afforded to build. The campus also contains two other architecturally sig. buildings: a modernist classic by Richard Neutra (the original drive-in Garden Grove church, where members never had to leave their cars because the church opened up to reveal the sancuary and the cars had sound boxes like in a drive in movie) and a huge marketing complex by Richard Meier-- not to mention lots of gold statues of biblical figures.
Viola-Alex
11/19/2011 11:57:03 pm
@Up - rereading your post, I also think that owning a MODERN cathedral bought from a FAILED organization puts the Catholic church in a new role! The Saviours with a New Future -- not that old-fashioned pedophile-infested denomination.
Viola-Alex
11/20/2011 12:01:24 am
@Tom - if you're here. Your last comments on the Blind Side Penn State post lead me to wonder this: it IS possible that Paterno is their patsy, and that the larger issue to cover is a child-prostitution ring (involving professors, donors) of which Sandusky was a major part. I know this sounds farfetched and conspiratorial, but I for one would not be surprised. A scandal of that nature would destroy the university. Paterno is a small price to pay to save PSU. Today This American Life is doing a show on the Penn State case. It might be interesting.
Laura Novak
11/20/2011 02:10:20 am
Up et al., There is this unusual cathedral that the Oakland Diocese built not long ago:
Laura Novak
11/20/2011 05:59:07 am
Looks like Chancellor Katehi will make it a 30-day turn around for that task force to investigate the Davis incident.
@Viola--I'm tired right now, Vi, and don't want to respond but I did see this blog post that I thought was good.
Up
11/20/2011 12:07:14 pm
@VA, thanks for the info. Interesting. Comments are closed.
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Laura NovakReporter, Author, Blogger, and Mother...
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