"What are YOU doing this weekend?" (Photo by Veronica ML) Ah, the lazy days of summer are here. Wait -- "lazy?" We Americans are lazy enough already, according to this month’s American Journal of Medicine. That means it’s time to get out, get active, and to take advantage of some summertime activities! Nothing on your calendar? No problem! Ours is packed through the season. Here are just a few ideas for just this weekend: In major metropolitan areas, of course, there’s always something going on. If you’re anywhere near Chicago, this weekend is "Taste of Chicago," with free admission and filled with food and music. Speaking of music, everyone in Dallas is likely lined up for the "American Idol" auditions. If you missed registering in Texas, get your plane tickets now for one of the upcoming auditions in Los Angeles, Orlando, or Denver. Are there events geared toward those who want to get or stay fit this summer? Certainly! Remember the "Seinfeld" episode where Kramer swims in the East River because the pool is too constricting? It turns out there's a gaggle of like-minded New Yorkers who are swimming around Liberty Island today. If you can't make it, don’t worry; they have more events scheduled. Of course, you don’t have to live in the big city to find cool things to do. Wherever you are, you can still participate in "Take Your Dog to Work Day" (provided your employer approves, of course!), Some folks in Petaluma, California, however, will be skipping work with their pooches to visit the Sonoma-Marin Fair and enter the "World’s Ugliest Dog Contest." If the thought of big crowds and rats on leashes makes you want to just stay home -- or if you’re just saving all your energy for the Fourth of July weekend -- you can still get involved by watching other people push the limits of hockey, golf, or pure speed. Just don’t say you’re bored!

Directory categories: American Idol, Recreation in Manhattan, Chicago Travel Guides, Activities for Dogs, Sports

Archived under: American Idol, Animals, Boredom, Calendars, Chicago, Cities, Contests, Dogs, Eating, Entertainment, Events, Festivals, Food and Drink, Health, Outdoors, Pets, Recreation and Travel, Regional, Seinfeld, Sports, Summer, Swimming, Tourist Attractions, Travel, Vacations

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Johnny Weissmuller, before he play Tarzan Me Tarzan, you reader. Friends ask Tarzan why English lord speak so badly. Tarzan shrug and answer, "Give people what they want." Tarzan speak fine in 1912 when Tarzan created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. (Tarzan even speak French.) But when Tarzan played by Johnny Weissmuller in many movies, Tarzan somehow tongue-tied. Go figure. Anyway, Tarzan is King of Apes and of many jungles: African jungle (even have song about it!), movie jungle, TV jungle, radio jungle, comic book jungle, cartoon jungle. Tarzan even had Broadway musical. Eat heart out, Batman! Today good day for many friends. Cheeta recently celebrate 77th birthday. Live in Valley. Paints. Lucky. ($125 a painting? Maybe Tarzan should try.) Weissmuller's 105th birthday today. Couldn't speak, but good swimmer. To them and you, Tarzan have only one thing to say: Ooohhhhaaeeeaaaahhhh Oooohhheeeaaahhh! Suggested Sites... Tarzan.com - home of Edgar Rice Burroughs, creator of Tarzan, John Carter of Mars, David Innes, Carson Napier, and dozens of other pulp heroes. Tarzan: The Broadway Musical - swinging onto the Great White Way. ERBzine - dedicated to all of the creations of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Salon: Jungle love - Stephanie Zacharek puts the Tarzan and Jane marriage under the microscope. Tarzan of the Apes - the complete first novel, anotated.

Directory categories: Tarzan, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Tarzan Movies, Musicals, Primates

Archived under: 1910s, 1930s, Africa, Apes, Athletes, Authors, Birthdays, Broadway, Cartoons, Comic Books, Comic Strips, Disney, Entertainment, Fiction, In Character, Movies, Musicals, Olympics, Royalty, Superheroes, Swimming, TV, Tarzan

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Polar bear swimmers take a dip in Barrie, Canada (Photo by Kevin Lamb) While you're still picking confetti out of your hair from the New Year's Eve bash, hardy winter bathers all over the world will don swimsuits for a refreshing dip in frigid waters. Why would they do that, you ask. Well, many swear by the health benefits of cold bathing. The founder of the venerable Coney Island Polar Bear Club and "Father of Physical Culture," Bernarr Macfadden promoted the cold plunge as an endurance builder. Some people just find it invigorating and fun. The Vancouver Polar Bear Swim Club started with 10 brave souls jumping into English Bay. The club now boasts thousands of members who join the swim, even with water temperatures as low as 38 degrees. In Finland, winter-dipping, called Avantouinti or ice-hole swimming, is practically a lifestyle. If you're game to take the plunge, make sure you take the necessary precautions. Most clubs recommend checking with your doctor first and insist on a signed waiver before you participate. But think of the sense of accomplishment you'll have when you swim off the winter doldrums. The rest of the year should be a cakewalk! Suggested Sites... Bernarr Macfadden - Find out about the bodybuilder, health advocate, nutritionist, and author who founded the Coney Island Polar Bear Club in 1903. Winter Swimming World Championships - for the over-achievers in the Polar Bear Club set. Brrring it on! Icing Down with Arctic Adventures - try some "avanto" adventures of your own with a little help from Frommer's.

Directory categories: Winter Swimming, Polar Bear Clubs, Winter Sports, Swimming and Diving, Fitness

Archived under: Fitness, Health, Outdoors, Sports, Swimming, Winter

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World champion freediver Tanya Streeter (Photo by Dan Burton) Before the invention of scuba gear, divers answered the ocean's call by holding their breath to reach sunken treasures and collect creatures from the bottom of the sea. Today, this activity has evolved into an extreme sport known as freediving. Without the aid of breathing equipment, aquatic athletes draw on their mammalian diving reflex in a discipline that drives them hundreds of feet underwater within a single breath. These thrill-seekers flap their monofins and hold onto propulsion systems to descend deep into the big blue in hopes of breaking mind-blowing records. Participating in competitions all over the world, freedivers train vigorously to avoid dangerous hypocapnic blackouts. A few have suffered the consequences from pushing themselves too far for too long, nevertheless the sport thrives with new superstars -- who breathlessly challenge the limits of human physiology. Suggested Sites... DivingFree.com: Video Gallery - plunge deep underwater to view record dives from start to finish. Performance Freediving: Sink Faze - visit the Cayman Islands where top freedivers attempted record-breaking dives in April 2006. FreeDivers.net: What Is Freediving? - find out what it takes to be a freediver and how it all started. Freedive Central Articles - personal accounts from two freediving champions. Apnea Mania: Apnea Divers of the World - meet the many masters of international competitive apnea.

Directory categories: Freedivers, Freediving, Freediving Organizations

Archived under: Fitness, Outdoors, Sports, Swimming

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