Recently in Health and Fitness Category

I met Judith Aldama briefly before our shoot at Heritage Park in Calgary, Alberta. That meeting allowed us to break the ice and to discuss what we wanted to accomplish. Through my discussions and work with Judith, I know that she is extremely focused on her modeling career. She is an extremely determined, passionate, and creative individual and model.

On Friday, 27 July 2007, a hot day with the temperature at 32C (90F), we arrived at Heritage Park for our shoot. We found our first location, and then discussed the general sequence of shots. We began with three quarter length shots and ended with close-ups. Judith moved effortlessly and gracefully through a variety of poses.

Throughout the shoot, I found it extremely easy to work with and photograph Judith because I did not have to provide direction. She instinctively knew what to do. She is able work quickly and efficiently. In every manner, she is a complete professional.

Heritage Park itself is a fantastic location for amateur photographers. There are lots of buildings and props to work with. Our only challenge was a lack of time. We were in the park for slightly less than two hours, when we could have spent much longer. As we were walking back to the vehicle, we were both pointing to each other saying, "That would be a great location for some shots." If you do decide to go to Heritage Park for photography, be sure to allow yourself plenty of time.

If you require a model, I highly recommend Judith—I give her the highest praise. As mentioned, she is determined, passionate, and creative. In addition to her passion for modeling, she has the same intense passion for fitness. When I was with her, I could tell that modeling courses through her veins. Moreover, she is friendly and outgoing. You can read more about her One Model Place or preferably Model Mayhem. I am positive that if you work with Judith, you will enjoy the experience and will create extraordinary images.

The photograph of Judith Aldama is hosted at Flickr. If you click on her picture above, you will be taken to where you can view a larger version. And if you click here, you can see more pictures of Judith. I will be adding pictures over the next few weeks.

These two beautiful women were floating down the Bow River in their kayak yesterday on a very hot Saturday, 14 July 2007. The temperature was about 32C (90F). While these two were using a kayak, many were rafting instead. From the pedestrian bridge where I was standing, there were rafts and kayaks as far as the eye could see. As an aside for those interested, I was standing on a pedestrian bridge located at Bow Green Crescent NW.

The women were friendly enough to smile and wave as I took their photograph, true of their Calgary spirit. All those who were floating down the river enjoyed the hot weather and the experience. I will be uploading more pictures to my Flickr account over the next several days showing other people enjoying themselves as well.

Most people begin their rafting or kayaking journey at Bowness Park, on the west side of Calgary. From Bowness they float toward downtown, about 12 kms (7.5 mi), and usually stop at Prince's Island. Some might go a bit further east toward the Calgary Zoo. If they go much further beyond the zoo, they come to deadly weir. While the logic of risking certain death might not be precise, the danger is real. Two rafters drowned earlier this year, so the threat is real.

The weir itself is deceptively calm and peaceful looking. How could something so calm be so dangerous? You can view another photo of the weir from a different angle.

The pictures are hosted on Flickr. If you click any of the pictures, you will be taken to my Flickr site where you can see even larger images. You can also see my other pictures while there. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Today is an exceptionally hot day with the temperature at about 32C (or 90F). Before I go biking later today, I went to a bridge across the Bow River to take some pictures of the many people out rafting today. While getting set up for my rafter shoot, I chatted with these three young men. They looked like that had been in the water, and I asked if any of them were planning to jump into the river.

Moments later, two of them did jump into the Bow River. In fact, they jumped more than once. I asked if it was safe. They mentioned that at this particular location, the depth of the water is about 10 feet (or 3m). When they jump, they do touch the bottom of the river and then quickly surface again. I also made sure that they were not just jumping so that I could photograph them. I would hate to have someone jeopardize his safety just to be immortalized in a camera shot.

With our short summers, we have to make the most of these hot summer days.

The pictures are hosted on Flickr. If you click on either of the two pictures, you will be taken to my Flickr site where you can see even larger images. You can also see my other pictures while there. Tomorrow, I will release some of the rafting pictures taken today. I hope you enjoy the pictures.

This Dove advertisement has been seen most everywhere on the internet. But if you have not seen it, here it is. The commercial shows how images are altered to appeal to the mass markets. I like the Photoshop part at the end.

This week has been very slow. Housing continues to languish. Employment looks a bit better than expected. Inflation numbers are roughly okay. Gold and silver are hanging in there, with silver continuing to show strength in a softening economy. iShares Silver Trust (SLV) now have over 100 million ounces in trust. The ceasefire, though tenuous, is holding up. Iran ignored the U.N. and others are growing anxious. While I hope peaceful solutions can be found to the various conflicts, I remain cautious. The markets as a whole have been doing reasonably well. My prior views on the markets remain.

After the September long weekend people will be back at work, focused on the markets. I am curious to see if the slowdown in housing will be as severe as many predict. I fear that they might be right. I am hopeful that the Israel Lebanon conflict can remain peaceful. But I am much less optimistic about Iran. We appear to be making slow but steady progress in Afghanistan. Given the economic and geopolitical uncertainties, I remain cautious on the markets.

Donald Trump fired Carolyn Kepcher according to a NY Post story and blogged by Nadine Heintz. I enjoyed watching The Apprentice, though I must admit the first season was the best. I hope this upcoming season is strong.

Here in Calgary, Alberta, we are still experiencing terrific weather. But some days are noticeably cool and many of the trees are showing their fall colors. I thoroughly enjoy summers because I can be outdoors much more. I enjoy biking and hiking, which certainly beats working out at the gym.

My friend Dave and I went for a long bike ride on Saturday. I started from Edworthy Park and met him at the weir. From there, we proceeded east along Western Headworks Canal to Lake Chestermere. The complete round trip was 94 kilometers (58 miles) and took about six hours, with some stops along the way. The weather was better than expected. The forecasted high temperature was only 22C (72F) but it actually rose to 27C (81F).

Although bike was enjoyable from an exercise point of view, I would not recommend it to others because there is not much to see along the bike path. Riding along from Edworthy Park to the weir is fun and interesting because there are many people along the path and it follows along the scenic Bow River. However, once we passed the weir and went across Deerfoot Trail, the scenery was not interesting. We followed the path along the irrigation canal through the industrial part of the city and then into the countryside. The path itself is very good. Because it is a long ride to Lake Chestermere, there were not many people riding along the path. For those that want an excellent path for exercise, it is great because it is a flat, wide and paved. And for those who want to enjoy the scenery while biking, there are better paths.

Once we arrived at Lake Chestermere, Dave rested while I explored a bit. There is not much near where the canal enters the lake. It is just an opportunity to rest before turning around and heading back to the city.

A great resource for those who enjoy biking is the Calgary Pathway and Bikeway Map - 2006. The map can be purchase online for two dollars. If this link is broken in future years, try going to the City of Calgary website and then finding the online store. From there, search for paper maps. For the pathway and bike map, according to the website, you can contact Harold Pinel by email or by phone at 403.974.3108.

Yesterday a friend and I went for bike ride for 70 kilometers (about 45 miles) through the northern part of Calgary. We made a loop from Edworthy Park, Confederation Park, Nose Creek Parkway (near Deerfoot Mall), near Hamptons Park to Citadel Park, Crowfoot Park, across Stoney Trail Bridge, Bowness Park, and back to Edworthy Park.

The picture above, hosted at Flickr, was taken from Citadel Park. A Google Map location is shown here. If you click on the photo, you will taken to a larger image at Flickr. The northern bypaass road is under construction. When it is finished, it should remove some of the pressure from 16th Avenue.

With the great weather, we had an enjoyable bike ride.

Last year I was unable to bike across the Stoney Trail Bridge pathway because of the flood damage. The pathway is a lower level of the bridge, far below where vehicles travel. If you look at the pictures, you can see the bottom of the top of the bridge—if that makes sense. Vehicles travel on the upper portion, which is not visible from my pictures. Yesterday, I went for a bike ride to Bowness Park and across the bridge to the north side. The bridge itself is quite spectacular in its size. It is hard to imagine that it could have suffered any flood damage, but apparently it did.

For those unfamiliar with the Stoney Trail Bridge, you can view the Google Map to see where the bridge is located. Having the bridge pathway operational is great because bike riders are able to make a loop around Bowness Park on one side and Baker Park on the other side. Actually, there are many parks in the general vicinity, so it makes for a terrific bike ride. If you do go bike ride riding in this vicinity, please go slow in and around the parks because there are often small children not playing close attention.

I imagine a lot of Calgarians will be outside enjoying themselves this weekend as the temperatures are forecasted to be in the low 30s C (high 80s F). I hope everyone has fun.

The above image is hosted at Flickr. If you click on the image, you will be taken to a larger image at Flickr.

Nicholas Wade wrote an informative article for the New York Times Scientists Discover Gene That Confers Sizable Risk of Diabetes (free registration required) concerning diabetes.

Scientists have discovered a variant gene that confers a sizable extra risk of Type 2 diabetes and that is carried by more than a third of the American population.

The finding is being reported on Monday in the journal Nature Genetics by researchers at Decode Genetics. The company specializes in finding the genetic roots of human diseases by studying the Icelandic population. Decode Genetics first found the genetic variant in Icelanders and has now confirmed the finding in a Danish and an American population.

An immediate practical consequence of the discovery, Decode's chief executive, Kari Stefansson, said, will be a diagnostic test to identify people who carry the variant gene. If they know of their extra risk, he said, they will have an added incentive to stay thin and exercise.

Given the prevalence of Type II diabetes, I thought this was an interesting article to read.

The Globe and Mail, one of Canada's best business newspapers, reported today that Canadian Supreme Court allows swingers clubs in an article Top court redefines obscenity: Group sex, swinging, no longer considered bawdy behavior.

In a landmark ruling that shifts the legal ground under Canadian sexual behaviour, the Supreme Court of Canada said two Montreal swingers clubs didn't break obscenity laws because the group sex caused no harm to those doing the groping, or to society as a whole.

The decision -- hailed as a "stamp of approval" by swingers-club owners and deplored by conservative groups as a licence for libertine behaviour -- essentially legalizes group-sex clubs as long as participants are consenting adults.

Interesting eh?

For those who want to read the actual court ruling, you can find it here: Jean-Paul Labaye (Appellant) v. Her Majesty The Queen (Respondent). Does anyone think the Queen of England was actually consulted as to her thoughts on this matter? No, me neither. But that is Canada's system.

I cannot help but think how different Canada's society has become from that of the United States. Canada has gay marriage and now legalized swingers clubs. In the United States, Janet Jackson shows her breast on national television and causes an uproar. I am not indicating which I think is better. I just find it fascinating how different the two countries and their cultures have become, especially considering that some 80 to 90 percent of the Canadian population live within 150 kilometers (100 miles) of the Canada - United States Border.

I urge you to read Dr. John Rutledge's article Must Read; Genetic Sequencing of the 1918 Influenza A Virus on the Bird Flu. In reading John's article, I appreciate how he separates hysteria from facts. Once you have read this article, I encourage you to read his prior articles as well.

Yesterday a friend and I went on a long just over 65 km (40 miles) bike ride through the north part of Calgary. I will outline our route in point form.

• We met at Edworthy Park
• Shouldice Park
• Bowmont Park
• Bowness Park
• Went to pedestrian/bike path underneath Stoney Trail Bridge, but it is still off-limits
• Doubled back to 85th street bridge and crossed the Bow River
• Baker Park
• Other end of the Stoney Trail Bridge
• Scenic Acres
• Crowfoot Park
• Hamptons
• Edgemont
• Nose Hill Environmental Park
• Beddington Boulevard
• Nose Creek and Nose Creek Park
• Calgary Zoo
• Fort Calgary Historic Park
• Eau Claire
• Along the path beside Parkdale Boulevard
• Edworthy Park

I highly recommend purchasing a bike map. I know that Chapters, Indigo, or Staples carry Calgary bike maps. Perhaps other retailers do too. But if you cannot get a map quickly or easily, you can visit Calgary City Maps to view a map online. I much prefer, however, the paper version by MapArt. I believe the cost is $3.95.

Our biking trip was about four to five hours. We stopped for a bite to eat for about a half hour. The weather was perfect with a bright sun and a temperature of about 31C (88F). Despite using sunscreen, my arms got burned. So be careful and use stronger than SPF 15. All in all, it was a great trip on a great day.

If you plan on a long bike trip, be prepared to make changes because some of the paths might still be blocked or inaccessible. Be sure to bring water, and be sure to use sunscreen. I hope you have as much fun and enjoyment as we did.