#Judson University

[tomsiebert]

Actor Edward James Olmos stands and delivers at World Leaders Forum at Judson University in Elgin, Illinois

Actor Edward James Olmos stands and delivers at World Leaders Forum at Judson University in Elgin, Illinois

(Photo by Robb Davidson, courtesy Judson University) By Tom Siebert Pioneering actor Edward James Olmos shared his intriguing takes on God and country, in addition to giving a well-received shout-out to Chicago’s baseball teams at the Inspirational Series of the World Leaders Forum at Judson University in Elgin on Monday night. “Everyone knows God is a woman,” Olmos told the Christian college…

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#Edward James Olmos #Elgin #Judson University #Tom Siebert #World Leaders Forum

[nefarious-616-necromancer]

#the reaper #red reaper #judson caspian #dr gruener #joe chill jr #batman villains #dc villains #dc comics #dc universe #dc characters #dc art #dc artwork #dc #dcu #dceu

[psykicks]

Mortal muses who decided they're older than the immortal ones crack me up.

#otto has decided he's older than anyone in the universe #and jenkins is fairly yound compared to a lot of immortals but he's also decided he's older and that's the root of his conflict with Judson #aziraphale on the other hand has assigned himself baby for some reason and would rather identify with mortals #which I'm not going to discourage tbh because somebody needs to identify with the puny humans at least #ooc

[firefighterbracket]

Round 1A - 911 Universe

#eddie diaz #edmundo diaz #edmundo eddie diaz #judd Ryder #judson ryder #911 #911 fox #911 lone star #911 ls #polls #round 1

[twistedtummies2]

Top 10 Portrayals of Mrs. Hudson

The last time I did a list related to the “supporting cast” of the Sherlock Holmes universe, I did a Top 10 of my favorite takes on Inspector Lestrade. Today we’ll be going over the other member of the “Baker Street Family,” Mrs. Hudson.

Mrs. Hudson is a character whom I often feel gets overlooked in the grand pattern of Holmes’ cast. She’s not really a major player in most of the original stories, but her presence is a fairly constant one. Like Watson and Lestrade, she essentially acts as an anchor, bringing some semblance of sanity into the wild madness that is Holmes and his world. Some adaptations barely make use of her, but a lot of my favorites play up the relationship between herself and her tenants in some fun ways. Mrs. Hudson is usually shown to be a sort of surrogate mother to Holmes, in more ways than one: she loves him dearly, but she’s also always in a tizzy over his hijinks, and forever put off by his rude behavior. 

The two flip-flop between genuine affection and sniping at one another constantly…but no matter how often they fuss and fume, each genuinely couldn’t imagine being without the other. She is just as valuable a member of the team as Watson, or any member of Scotland Yard, and just as persistent a character. Very few Sherlock Holmes adaptations are without her, even if she’s just there for a few moments. For, as one version of Holmes rightly stated: “Mrs. Hudson leave Baker Street? England would fall.” Picking my favorite versions of Mrs. Hudson was really quite difficult, but I think I managed to arrange and choose some winners from the bunch. With that said, let’s see those winners now! Help yourself to some tea and muffins: these are My Top 10 Favorite Portrayals of Mrs. Hudson!

10. Alison Leggatt, from The Seven Per-Cent Solution.

Honestly, I mostly chose this one because of the actress. It’s hard for me not to enjoy the Queen of Hearts as Mrs. Hudson.

9. Candis Cayne, from Elementary.

An interesting modern interpretation of the character to say the least. In this series, Miss Hudson - rather than Missus - is a slight latecomer to the show, and acts as a maid rather than a landlady. She’s a recurring character throughout the show, but ultimately not as prominent as one might expect after her initial appearance.

8. Mrs. Judson, from The Great Mouse Detective.

Voiced by Diana Chesney. While her role is very small, her brief scenes have always been quite memorable to me, and I felt this list wouldn’t be complete without this rodent reimagining.

7. Geraldine James, from the Guy Ritchie Films.

By far the most snarly relationship between a Holmes and Hudson of practically any version. I wish there had been some more genuine warmth between the two, but I will say that their banter is quite amusing.

6. Pat Keen, from Without a Clue.

In this film, Watson and Holmes effectively swap out, as it’s revealed the doctor is the real mastermind with Sherlock as his bungling sidekick. Mrs. Hudson is one of the few people who knows the truth, which is only fitting.

5. Mary Gordon, from the FOX/Universal Films.

While Mary Gordon didn’t really DO much throughout these movies - nor in the radio show with Basil Rathbone & Nigel Bruce, where she was also a constant presence - something about her was just so memorable. She brought a sort of befuddled warmth to her scenes, and it’s worth noting that she was the only character, aside from the original Dynamic Duo, to appear in every single movie to some degree or another.

4. The Version from Moriarty the Patriot.

Much like Elementary, this version of the character is called “Miss” Hudson, and is depicted as much younger than usual. She’s something of a comic relief figure, but she still manages to work as an excellent take on the character. I love the sort of big sister/little brother relationship she has with Sherlock, and while, again, she rarely actually DOES much, she’s always fun to see in action.

3. Rina Zelyonaya, from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes & Dr. Watson.

It was hard to choose between my top three takes on Mrs. Hudson, as all of them are pretty close together, and could all be considered arguably the definitive takes on the character, in my opinion. In this Russian series, Zelyonaya’s Hudson is a wonderfully experienced old lady. You get the feeling she’s known Holmes since he was still VERY young, and knows him better than anybody, even Dr. Watson.

2. Rosalie Williams, from the Granada Series.

This is one of the most “motherly” versions of Mrs. Hudson, in my opinion, in the way she interacts with both Holmes and the good doctor. I love her moments of temper and authority, but I also love her moments of genuine concern and care when they come out. I think one of my favorite parts of the show was all her scenes in “The Empty House,” and how excitedly she gets involved once she realizes Sherlock is still alive.

1. Una Stubbs, from Sherlock.

Much like Rosalie Williams, this version of Mrs. Hudson has one of the most overtly motherly demeanors of any version. I love how she’s so sweet and bubbly on the outset, but then as the show goes on you realize there is a real steel underneath that seemingly frail surface. Like most of the other major cast members, it was neat to see her go from the modern world to period Victoriana in “The Abominable Bride,” and I was very sad to learn of her recent passing. A marvelous depiction overall.

#mrs. hudson #miss hudson #hudson #sherlock holmes #moriarty the patriot #sherlock #elementary #without a clue #the seven per-cent solution #great mouse detective #basil of baker street #disney #mrs. judson #best #favorites #actors #acting #top 10 #list #countdown #film #tv #movies #animation

[adarafaelbarba]

Who do I write for?

Law and Order SVU and other Law and Order shows

Sonny Carisi

Rafael Barba

Mike Dodds

Nick Amaro

Kat Tamin

Peter Stone

Hasim Khaldun

Grace Muncy

Rita Calhoun

Toni Churlish

Joe Velasco

Mike Duarte

Jamie Whelan

Bobby Reyes

Nolan Price

Frank Cosgrove

Jet Slootmaekers

Samantha Maroun

Terry Bruno

~~~

Raúl Esparza Characters

Frederick Chilton

Bryan Kneef

Nevada Ramirez

Jackson Neill

Jonas Nightingale

~~~

Chicago PD

Jay Halstead (Could also be Will if you want)

Antonio Dawson

Adam Ruzek

Greg "Mouse" Gerwitz

Dante Torres

Vanessa Rojas

Kevin Atwater

Sean Roman

~~~

Chicago Fire

Matt Casey

Kelly Severide

Joe Cruz

Sylvie Brett

Blake Gallo

Christopher Hermann

"Mouch"

Otis

~~~

Marvel Cinematic Universe

Literally any of the Avengers

~~~

Mayans MC

Angel Reyes

Miguel

Bishop

Coco

Nestor

~~~

A Discovery of Witches

Matthew

Diana

Baldwin (specify if you want old or new Baldwin)

Gallowglass

Marcus

Phoebe

Miriam

Dominico

Ransome

Geraldine

Philippe

Ysabeau

Louis

Louisa

Verin

Freyja

Stasia

Hugh

Godfrey

Sarah

Em

Peter

Gerbert

Benjamin

Father Hubbard

~~~

Sherlock:

Greg Lestrade

Mycroft Holmes

Sherlock Holmes

Moriarty

Molly

~~~

Kingsman:

Merlin

Harry

Whiskey

Eggsy

Roxy

Lancelot/James Spencer

Percival/Alastair

~~~

The Rookie:

Lucy Chen

Tim Bradford

Celina Juarez

Aaron Thorsen

Nyla Harper

Angela Lopez

Wesley Evers

~~~

911 / 911 lone star:

Athena Grant

Bobby Nash

Henrietta "Hen" Wilson

Evan "Buck" Buckley

Eddie Diaz

Howie "Chimney" Han

Ravi Panikkar

T.K. Strand

Owen Strand

Carlos Reyes

Marjan Marwani

Paul Strickland

Tommy Vega

Judson "Judd" Ryder

Grace Ryder

Nancy Gillian

Mateo Chavez

#karen speaks #who do I write for? #law and order svu #law and order organized crime #law and order #chicago fire #chicago pd #kingsman #a discovery of witches #mayans mc #marvel cinematic universe #the rookie #sherlock #911 lone star #911 abc #911 fox

[radical-revolution]

Judson Brewer, author of Unwinding Anxiety, once said to me, “My personal practice comes together with my lab’s research in exploring the experience of contraction versus expansion and how that manifests in the world in so many ways.”

Jud—who is a psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and director of research and innovation at the Mindfulness Center at Brown University—began by telling me about a dynamic web of interconnection in the brain called the default mode network. The posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)—the hub of self-referential habits—is a key part of this network. In his research, he found that “when people were feeling guilty, they activated the PCC. When they were craving a bunch of different substances, they activated it. When they were ruminating, they activated it. When they were anxious, they activated it.”

What Jud and his team found was that the PCC correlated with a feeling of contraction: “The experience of anxiety, of guilt, of craving, of rumination—all of these—share literally an experiential component of contraction. We contract, and we close down.”

None of this is to say that contraction is bad or wrong to feel. But if it becomes chronic, we begin living more and more in a world of tunnel vision, of auditory exclusion, of distorted perception, of narrowed interests, of joy that is right here in front of us that we miss simply because we don’t see it. Our perception of options, of possibility, of aliveness, fades.

We suffer.

Learning to be aware of these narrow straits and changing how we respond to them is crucial. “If we read the news and read something that pisses us off, it is that reaction of contraction that feels bad,” Jud explained. “So we may have this urge to make ourselves feel better by firing off a tweet, writing an email, eating a cupcake. This perpetuates the entire process. If we’re not aware of our habitual responses, we not only may make things worse for ourselves, but also for society.”

What we are working to evolve is an inner environment where we can surround that state of constriction, of holding back from the flow of life, with spaciousness, ease of heart, and kindness. Cultivating that radically changed relationship is the essence of the journey to being free.

— Sharon Salzberg

[bethwarw]

Research of Doctor Who and LGBTQ characters through time:

Doctor Who has been one of Britain’s longest running shows and a show I have grown up with throughout my childhood. My first doctor that introduced me to the show was David Tennant as the 10th doctor. If you were to ask my mother the doctor she grew up with she would likely say Peter Davidson as the 5th doctor. Science fiction had always been one of my favourite genres alongside fantasy, horror and thriller so it was fairly obvious that from a young age I would have been introduced to sci-fi with Doctor Who.

I know a few of the very obvious LGBTQ+ characters in Doctor Who including the spinoffs Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood. I think quite a lot of the LGBTQ+ characters were very subtle since I did not pick up on it whilst rewatching the show for the 7th time. I’ve had a look at a few different pages that state characters that I never even considered to be LGBTQ+.

The first very obvious characters that I know that are LGBTQ:

Captain Jack Harkness portrayed by John Barrowman who is a 50th century man who is bisexual and often kisses both women and men (Torchwood)

Ianto Jones portrayed by Gareth David-Lloyd who was heterosexual but then falls in love with Captain Jack meaning he is in a way bisexual(Torchwood)

Bill Potts portrayed by Pearl Mackie who states right off the bat that she is more attracted to women and is lesbian. (Doctor Who)

The Doctor; this one is quite controversial because when the show first aired it was very taboo for open homosexuality. I would say the queer implementations started in the rebooted version that began in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston. The Doctor is a time traveller and an alien who on quite recent events can also regenerate into a female meaning that they are probably somewhat bisexual. However it gets confusing because every time The Doctor regenerates they become an entirely different person, new teeth, new look and even a new personality. The 9th Doctor portrayed by Christopher Eccleston was attracted to a human named Rose but he also meets Captain Jack and is not even bothered by kissing him on the lips. This means that there is some sort of interspecies mingling and also non conforming to what gender The Doctor would fall in love with or feel attracted to. Different doctors have had different sexualities and it changes depending on the new personality upon regeneration which definitely puts The Doctor into the LGBTQ+ spectrum .

The Master; similarly to The Doctor, a Time-Lord which means they can regenerate into both a female form or a male form. The Master is The Doctor’s sworn enemy although I always detected some sexual tension. I always wondered if they were exes in the past because of the way they talk to each other. The Master is always scheming and causing problems for The Doctor but always talks as though they have a long history together.

Characters I have never considered throughout time:

1963-1989

Dr Judson from the episode The Curse of Fenric who was a mathematician struggling with his sexuality. During the time of release this was a taboo topic and was only later announced to be the case.

Ace and Karra have subtle lesbian context.

1990-1995

Commander Millington from The Curse of Fenric who was said to also have feelings for men. A flashback shown that Millington had jealousy towards Judson for having feelings for another boy in school. Commander Millington was the cause of Judson’s spinal injury due to fighting because of jealousy.

Luke Pendrell and Christian Purcell sharing the first same-sex kiss in the Doctor Who Universe.

1996-2004

Chris Cwej and Joel Mintz from the novel Damaged Goods which implied a sexual relationship at a bar between the two.

The 8th Doctor portrayed by Paul McGann was said to have had sexual relationships with both men and women.

Fitz Kreiner who had kissed The 8th Doctor in a novel was non-heterosexual.

2005-2009

John Hart from Torchwood spinoff in episode Kiss Kiss Bang Bang was Jack Harkness’ ex boyfriend that was stuck in a time-loop with him.

Lee McAvoy who was Donna’s husband in the library episode Forest of the Dead was originaly supposed to have been assigned female at birth but they didn’t go through with the plans on-screen.

Luke Smith from the spinoff series Sarah Jane Adventures was originally meant to come out as gay but the plans got cancelled.

Alonso the shipman.

2010-2017

Canton Everett Delaware III from episode Day of The Moon was planning to marry a man in the 20th century America

Jenny Flint and Madaam Vastra from the episode A Good Man Goes To War were a married lesbian couple.

Clara Oswald the Doctor’s companion who was split into multiple timelines throughout The Doctor’s life was said to have had a relationship with at least one other woman meaning she is bisexual.

Rani Jhuka an open lesbian woman in episode The Swords of Kali.

Heather, Bill Pott’s girlfriend.

2018-Present Day

Adam Lang and Jake Willis shared a kiss in Praxeus.

Calypso Jonse the first non-binary human to be shown.

The 13th Doctor and Yasmin Khan who repeatedly flirt and have feelings for each other.

I just recently watched one of the newer episodes where Yasmin Khan actually confesses her feelings to the 13th doctor. It turns out she is closeted and has lied to herself about being a lesbian because of her religious background. The 13th doctor likes to pretend she doesn’t know and avoids the fact that Yasmin is in love with her because The Doctor is afraid that due to being an undying/unaging 1000 year old alien and she cannot spend the rest of her life with Yasmin but Yasmin could spend the rest of her life with The Doctor and she would age and die.

[tomsiebert]

[bluejay-in-write]

THREE PART CROSSOVER...

Okay so this is very ambitious of me but I had the amazing idea to do a three part crossover where the multiverse exists and these characters have met in at least three different universes, I'll give you a hint 👀

🦇📖💸

If you have guessed it the shows are...

Angel, The Librarians, and Leverage

The story would hop back and forth between all universes where the characters work together to take down billionaires, creatures of the night, and magic organizations (or sometimes all three at the same time depending on the universe haha)

Here is our lineup...

Leverage:

Nate (rip)

Sofie

Harry

Parker

Hardison

Eliot

(as themselves)

***

Angel:

Nate as Angel

Sofie as Cordelia

Harry as Wesley

Parker as Fred

Hardison as Gun

Eliot as Lindsey (ofc)

***

The Librarians:

Nate as Judson (rip)

Sofie as Eve the guardian

Harry as Flynn the librarian (ofc)

Parker as Cassandra

Hardison as Ezekiel

Eliot as Jacob (ofc)

Now I don't know if or when I'm going to actually write this but if any of you wants to ask questions or send suggestions my way feel free! I'm obsessed with this idea and I hope to one day put this ambition crossover onto paper because I have so many ideas 😍😍😍 I know I normally only share what I'm currently working on but I just had to tell you guys about this idea 😅😂 also if you guys ever wanna talk with me about any of these shows my dms/ask box is always open 💙

#my posts #my stories #ALL Crossover #all

[dr-archeville]

Trailer for Gerard Johnstone’s M3GAN (2023) [source]

From the most prolific minds in horror — James Wan, the filmmaker behind the Saw, Insidious and The Conjuring franchises, and Blumhouse, the producer of the Halloween films, The Black Phone and The Invisible Man — comes a fresh new face in terror.

M3GAN is a marvel of artificial intelligence, a life-like doll programmed to be a child’s greatest companion and a parent’s greatest ally.  Designed by brilliant toy-company roboticist Gemma (Get Out’s Allison Williams), M3GAN can listen and watch and learn as she becomes friend and teacher, playmate and protector, for the child she is bonded to. 

When Gemma suddenly becomes the caretaker of her orphaned 8-year-old niece, Cady (Violet McGraw, The Haunting of Hill House), Gemma’s unsure and unprepared to be a parent.  Under intense pressure at work, Gemma decides to pair her M3GAN prototype with Cady in an attempt to resolve both problems — a decision that will have unimaginable consequences. 

Produced by Jason Blum and James Wan, M3GAN is directed by award-winning filmmaker Gerard Johnstone (Housebound), from a screenplay by Akela Cooper (Malignant, The Nun 2) based on a story by Akela Cooper and James Wan. 

The film also stars Ronny Chieng (Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings), Brian Jordan Alvarez (Will & Grace), Jen Van Epps (Cowboy Bebop), Lori Dungey (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, extended edition) and Stephane Garneau-Monten (Straight Forward). 

Universal Pictures and Blumhouse present an Atomic Monster production in association with Divide/Conquer. The film’s executive producers are Allison Williams, Mark Katchur, Ryan Turek, Michael Clear, Judson Scott, Adam Hendricks and Greg Gilreath.

In theatres 2023 January 13.

#M3GAN #horror #sci fi #sff

[kajaono]

Took me until the second novel to realize that Miss Judson is a reference to Mrs Hudson

This book is not the most well written book I might have ever read but beautiful nerdy. Especially because it doesnnot pretend to be the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes (or to be better then Sherlock Holmes) instead Myrtel is also a Sherlock holmes fan. If he really exists in her universe… we do not know

#Sherlock holmes #A Myrtle Hardcastle Mystery #Elizabeth c bunce #holla kaja is live blogging books again

[seeddreaming]

Next Level...

Aborigines Last Days

Judson Davis  University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany  This is an extract on the redemptive return of the divine Feminine in all its manifestations, the receiver of the dead for rebirth, warmth, and abundance. Return Of The Dreaming The Great Mother’s evolution in mythic font from fertility figure to icon of spiritual transformation would transcend numerous incarnations spanning thousands…

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#Earth Energy #grounding #inspiration #life #magik #Origins #wicca

[empathichearts]

911 & 911 Lonestar

evan buckley maddie buckley adriana diaz eddie diaz sophia diaz athena grant-nash howard han bobby nash ember palmer ravi panikkar lou ransone hen wilson mateo chavez marjan marwani savannah mercer carlos reyes marina reyes grace ryder hudson ryder judson ryder vivian ryder owen strand paul strickland tommy vega

Grey's Anatomy Universe

jackson avery andrew deluca lexi grey shreya kumari george o'malley amelia shepherd callie torres jo wilson zander perez victoria hughes diane lewis dean miller pruitt miller theo ruiz ben warren elijah abbott charlotte king caroline king-freedman georgia king-freedman rachel king-freedman addison montgomery betsey parker jake reilly sheldon wallace

One Chicago

sylvie brett joe cruz chris herrmann stella kidd kevin atwater kim burgess antonio dawson trudy platt natalie manning crockett marcel connor rhodes vanessa taylor

Fire Country

javier castillo jake crawford eve edwards bode donovan sharon leone vince leone liana obasi gabriela perez manny perez

#╰––– » 「 ⛑ 」 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹. ┊ come get y’all juice

[mrbopst]

My Sound Advice column for Brick Weekly 2/10/20010

It is reasonable to wonder if love is always a good thing. For it’s many virtues, love compels many who feel it to act in ways that are thoroughly unsavory. It is a blinding emotion where thought and reason are often forsaken. Maybe that is why there is such a need to be in love. Thought and reason requires considered contemplation where as love operates almost exclusively on pure emotion. 

And when people are driven by pure emotion, bad things happen. 

Recently, a Daily Kos/Research 2000 Poll of 2,003 Republicans conducted this month has found that a little over a half (53 percent) actually believe Sarah Palin is more qualified to be president than Barack Obama. I know this may be impossible, but divorce how you feel about either of these people and evaluate both purely on their merits as if both were turning in faceless applications for the job of running the country. One candidate is a former beauty queen contestant that has a Bachelor of Science degree in communications-journalism (with a minor in political science) from the University of Idaho and the other is a graduate of Harvard Law School, magna cum laude and Columbia University with a BA in Political Science. One worked as a civil rights attorney and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago Law School before becoming a three-term senator from one of the most populated states in the union and the other served on city council in Wasilla, Alaska (population 5,469) later becoming the Mayor of city and eventually governor of the state a position the applicant resigned from before the end of their term. Based on this information alone, which of these two applicants would you hire to run the country? Is it even close? If it is, if you are actually in a quandary over who is the most qualified of the two, well, I don’t know what to say. 

Obviously, judging qualified candidates isn’t your forte.

People love Sarah Palin. I think this because a lot of her followers want to fuck her. When I went to the Palin rally at the Richmond International Raceway in October of 2008, I overheard more people talking about her physical attributes than her potential governing ability. Many seemed to be enamored with her solely because of her fuckability. And it is because of these lustful urges that the true devotees of all things Palin can not view her objectively even when her rhetoric and actions are in direct conflict with their romanticized image of her and the movement she come to represent. At the first Tea Party Convention held last week in Nashville, the populist movement turned out to be big money politics as usual. The convention was held at the upscale Gaylord Opryland Hotel, charged $550 for admission and organizers of the event (the for-profit Tennessee corporation Tea Party Nation headed by Nashville-based criminal-defense lawyer Judson Phillips) have been accused of secrecy and corruption by the very people it claims to speak for, threatened lawsuits against dissenters unhappy about the direction of the event and overall movement. When some voiced their dissatisfaction with the event, their ire was not directed at Sarah Palin despite her reported and decidedly un-grass rootsy $100,000 speaking fee that resulted in $349 per-ticket cost to people who wanted to attend the speech. If anything, any reasonable criticism of her frightening lack of competence only strengthens the irrationality of the love they feel for her. "I doubt there is another public figure in our country who gives liberals a bigger case of the hives than our special guest today," Texas Gov. Rick Perry said at a campaign rally on Super Bowl Sunday in his introduction for Palin who is endorsing the governor in the upcoming election, "At the very mention of her name, the liberals, the progressives, the media elites, they literally foam at the mouth." That’s a pretty strange proclamation of someone’s worth, isn’t it? If the ability to offend is the yardstick by which someone’s worth is measured, then I know a lot people who are stellar individuals, but the larger question is this; Is that rage, that frothing of the mouth of which Perry and other Palin enthusiasts site as her defining attribute really just a perfectly justifiable response when reasonable people are confronted with something ethically repugnant? Like someone who keeps sticking his dick in a blender after they’ve been told what irreparable physical harm it will cause them, they cling to their bloody stump logic that Sarah Palin is what our country needs.

But that’s love for you. It sometimes makes people stupid.

Chris Bopst February 8th, 2010

#Bopst #Chris Bopst #Columnist #Column #Sarah Palin #Super Bowl #Tea Party #Republicans #Fuck Republicans #2010

[tahomina30]

Swimming outdoors in winter? Some love it. But bring a swim parka

At 6:45 a.m., with temperatures in the 30s, I step onto the outdoor pool deck at the Bethesda-Chevy Chase YMCA, a towel draped over my shoulders. The sky is adorned with pink streaks, and the moon is still visible. A layer of steam hovers over the heated water as I immerse myself and start swimming, the contrast of crisp air and lukewarm water creating a thrilling sensation.

To some, the idea of swimming outdoors in near-freezing conditions may seem crazy, but experts assure that winter swimming in a heated pool is safe and beneficial for health. For the dedicated community of winter swimmers joining me each day, there's nothing quite like the experience.

Massage therapist Valerie Campbell from Kensington, Md., who swims outside at the Y five mornings a week year-round, attests to the invigorating feeling: "It's a joy to feel so refreshed. We enjoy the sunlight, the mist over the water, even the brisk wind at times, which can cool the soles of our feet as we kick. Sometimes, indoor swimmers venture out, but they never last long."

Outdoor winter swimming can also be a spectacle. Financial analyst Robert Judson from Bethesda, Md., recalls a particularly memorable evening swim: "It was a bitterly cold night with the stars out. It started snowing lightly halfway through my usual leisurely mile. It was magical. Perhaps too magical. Maybe it was a dream."

While non-swimmers and even those who prefer indoor swimming may not fully understand the allure of winter swimming, they appreciate the enthusiasts. Professor Kate Macomber Harsh, who swims indoors at the B-CC Y, expresses gratitude: "I'm actually glad that there are so many nuts who love swimming outside. That makes the indoor pools much less crowded."

Despite the exhilarating feeling, experts note that, from a health perspective, swimming in a heated outdoor pool provides no additional benefits compared to indoor swimming. The calorie burn remains unaffected by cold air, but swimming in cold water can increase the calorie expenditure if shivering is added to the activity.

In the warm waters of the B-CC Y outdoor pool (usually maintained between 80 and 83 degrees), the risk of hypothermia is minimal when swimmers are in motion. Unlike in unheated outdoor waters, a swimmer's body fat percentage is less critical in heated pools.

According to Mike Tipton, a professor of human and applied physiology, shivering disappears during exercise at an intensity above "light activity." In the B-CC Y's outdoor pool, where the water is kept comfortably warm, there is little danger of hypothermia.

Swimmers should distinguish between water and air temperatures, as the cool air becomes a non-factor once submerged. Scott Trappe, head of the human performance laboratory at Ball State University, emphasizes, "You stay submerged. It's perfectly fine. It's fantastic, in fact."

Different swimmers have varying preferences for water temperature. Slower swimmers may find an 82-degree pool ideal, while faster swimmers like Anna Alberini, an economics professor, prefer water cooler than 80 degrees but not below 70.

When the water temperature drops into the 70s or lower, the risk of hypothermia increases. This is why many open water swimmers train in heated outdoor pools during the winter.

Swimmers should take precautions and acclimate gradually when the water temperature is below 70 degrees. Michael J. Joyner, a physiologist at the Mayo Clinic, advises, "If the temperature is under 70, get in for a few minutes today, then a few minutes tomorrow, and so on."

Both the B-CC and Silver Spring YMCA facilities offer year-round outdoor swimming. Lifeguards, dressed in warm clothing, rotate every half-hour and have a heated shack to protect them from the cold, wind, and rain. The pool closes when the temperature drops below freezing or the wind chill falls below 25 to prevent accidents on the icy deck.

Wearing a wetsuit is unnecessary for heated pools, as it is most effective in water temperatures below 76 degrees.

#competitiveswimmer #pool #swimingpool #swimmer #swimmingtime #swiming #swimtime #swimmingpool #swimlife #swim.