Quote of the day.

The wise are instructed by reason, average minds by experience, the stupid by necessity and the brute by instinct.

"They never let you live it down. ONE little mistake!" - Nero

Since my old 'buddy' Jason seems to be posting some old school photos of me, I thought I would respond in kind. This was taken on the move from Charleston to Tampa about ten years ago when the truck caught fire and burned to the ground. Nero may have fiddled, but at least Jason had his Slurpee.

Bald Eagle Cam

Here is something pretty cool. Someone stuck a camera at a bald eagle nest and is streaming live video from it. This is strangely captivating to watch. The quality and speed of refresh is absolutely amazing.
Be sure to check it out in the daytime since you obviously wouldn't see much at night. The camera is set up in Vancouver.

Check it out: http://www.infotecbusinesssystems.com/index.asp?op=company.videoUpdate

Edit: 5/6/06
After dropping by to take a look at the Eagle nest, I found a sad note that the hatching had failed. Here is a short blurb about what might have happened. http://forum.hancockhouse.com/article.php/20060430150923711

Interesting study, if only I was smart enough to comprehend it

The tendency of the average person to believe he or she is better-than-average is known as the "above-average effect," and it flies in the face of logic… by definition, it is impossible for a majority of people to be above average [median]. The more incompetent someone is in a particular area, the less qualified that person is to assess anyone's skill in that space, including their own. Here is the summary of the study.

New incoming fad

Remember when we were in high school that the big fad was to have neon lights under the car/truck when heading down the highway at night? Then the cars started getting low with dropped clearance. Recently we've seen 'spinner's for the tire rims to demonstrate Newton's First Law of Motion. Soon we'll be seeing tires with LEDs in the rims that, when in motion, will be able to display pictures, graphics, and anything else the rider chooses. Check out the video. Remember, you saw it here first (or maybe second if you read digg.com every day).

Kayakers do it rapidly, then roll over and do it again.

Tonight night saw the resumption of our Tuesday night paddling. Six of us met at Rick's on the River and launched around 6:45. Although the winds were picking up, we decided to head down river to pass the downtown area and maybe loop around Harbour Island. Jessica and Corey were on flat sit-on-tops and decided to break off around the University of Tampa campus and Jason's shoulder was starting to bug him right around the mouth of the river so Jon and I decided to make it a nice quick paddle around the island while he turned back. Though my arms were getting a little tiring, it was nice to be able to keep up a good pace and heart rate whereas a lot of the group paddles seem to go a bit more slowly when trying to keep together. At first I wasn't sure if I wanted to go, but I figured that being a bit tired is no excuse to not exercise and I actually felt energized soon after starting. The conditions were really nice and I had fun. This weekend I might be going to the Ultra Music Fest in Miami, though it is not 100% certain. It seems like a fun time with a massive amount of music, so if I go it should be fun.

"Excuse me while I kiss the sky" - Jimi Hendrix

On Saturday two other Tampa folks joined me on a trip to Wallaby ranch near Orlando for a bit of hang gliding. The event was organized by a couple of hashers as a means of trying something new. They set it up so that the trail, camping, dinner, breakfast, and the beer were all for $20 for both days. With the size of the group, the price for the flights went from $100 a person to $75 a person. Because of the insane I-4 traffic, we missed the trail and finished setting up the camper just as the runners were coming in. We had around 25 people signed up for the tandem flights, so as soon as the conditions were favorable people started going up. It was a real delight to see the gliders soar up after being towed by the ultralight.

I was one of the last to go since I wanted to make sure that those leaving Saturday had their chance. I was able to get on a sunset load, which always the best time for skydiving if you get the colors just right. The takeoff, flight, and landing were very smooth and about what it felt like when parachuting after a skydive. My tandem instructor showed my how to steer, bank, and change the pitch. After landing, we hug out for the evening like a regular campout with the laid back staff and regulars of the ranch. Though I slept in, tandem flights resumed in the morning, however winds picked up and flight had to be suspended until later afternoon. My roommate Holly and one of her sorority sisters came Saturday and each participated in a flight and came back with huge grins on their face. After seeing how easy the first few flights might have been, everyone was signing up with alacrity.

Dad came out Sunday, however wasn't able to go gliding due to the wind conditions. I arranged for him to at least get to go on a flight with one of the ultralights so he could at least get a nice taste of flying. I'm seriously considering going back soon and going through the ground school and instruction so I can do some solo flights someday. I probably don't need another expensive sport to pick up, but the feeling you get when soaring can be indescribable. I recently got my skydive rig repacked and will be setting up an event at the end of April to hopefully get more people involved. Take a look at the quote at the bottom of the blog; I think it is very appropriate.

Searching?

I recently sent this to a friend that is going through some tough times. While not extremely profound, I figured that I would share a thought.

In Australian aboriginal cultures, a 'walkabout' is a ritual in which a man about to come of age goes on a solitary journey through the wilderness in an attempt to learn more about himself and determine his own character and strength. Unfortunately, people do not seem to attempt this journey until they feel that they have reached their aphelion. That is the point where an object is at its it furthest point away from the sun, in the coldness of space. However bleak this may sound, that very moment also is also the start of the long journey to confidently return on it's way to reach perphelion, or the closest it will get to that brightest point. Even strangers can be friends and possibly the best in terms of unexpected aid. I may not be a religious man, but I still understand that we are so often caught up in our destination that we forget to appreciate the journey, especially the goodness of the people we meet on the way. Appreciation is a wonderful feeling, don't overlook it.

Good Times

This weekend was the TBH3 Green Dress Run in South Tampa. It was kind of fun and I wasn't sure if I'd attend since I felt kind of partied out from the last week or so, but I'm glad I went. I had a lot of issues crop up at the office while I was gone including the backed up sewage line, broke AC unit, broken irrigation line, and network that needed to be expanded. It seemed like there were more people there than during the RDR last month and I'm guessing about 65 or so showed up. Trail just involved some pubs in walking distance including the Dubliner and McDinton's. Here are the pics I took of the event.
http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=vnlbugz.5pzt89zv&x=0&y=-qugnv0

Tonight I'll be hitting a series of swing classes at the Zendah Grotto. They are organizing some kind of dance workshop this afternoon with 3 different instructors as well as the normal classes they have before the Sunday night dance. Hopefully I'll be able to pick up some new moves and get in some practice since I've missed the past two Sundays since I'd been out of town. I'll be working next week at the office, but am looking forward to a hanggliding event this weekend and am excited about trying something new like that.

Free (as in beer) books for everyone

Project Gutenburg has been collected books and materials that are no longer held by copyright and has tried to make them freely available to everyone through public domain release. Even in the day of the old BBS system, I remember seeing Project Gutenburg files being traded and even recall CDs being sold, though for a pretty high price considering the cost of the media back then. A lot of the classics you read in college or high school are available for your use. While a hard copy book is indeed easier to transport, it isn't the only way to read. You can take one of the downloadable ebooks and throw it on your PDA, laptop, or any other device. A couple of years ago my friend Tracy turned me onto audiobooks and I have found that is a great way to catchup with reading while on the road. I've read all the Harry Potter books, several Grisham, King, and Clancy novels, as well as numerous works that way, including my favorite 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. Recently though, I've gotten more into podcasting. A podcast is like a radio show that uses the internet for distribution. One can subscribe to a podcast and have their iPod (or other portable device) pick up all the new shows as they are released.

Bike Week 2006

The pics from Bike week 2006 have been posted for anyone interested in checking them out. Enjoy.

BTW, yes I know that pictures of me seem to always seem to have me in mid-blink. Alas.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=vnlbugz.5gwe2cvf&x=0&y=q6v4o1

Mardi Gras and New Orleans Pics

Here is a link to some of the pictures that I took during the Mardi Gras trip.

As always, I release my pictures into the public domain under the Creative Commons license. Use them as you wish. Enjoy.

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=vnlbugz
.4c4clrmz&x=0&y=2tpbnt

Coldplay Concert

Because of an illness, the planned Coldplay concert from last September was pushed back to March of this year. In order to arrive in time, I had to leave Bike Week a bit early as I knew it was something that I didn't want to miss. When I left, I used the Orient Road entrance (near the Hard Rock Casino) since I had been there for a previous concert. When pulling near the gate, we saw several cars turning around. As we pulled up, we noticed several signs indicating that this was a VIP entrance. Undaunted, I wait my turn to enter. as the security guard approached he asked for our tickets. I handed him the general seating tickets and that didn't seem to be too persuasive. He seemed d to just about ask us to turn around when he quickly scanned his flashlight across my dashboard and stepped back, apologizing for not having seen the security pass. He apologized for the mistake and motioned for the other guard to allow us passage through the gate. With a nearly befuddled look on my face I indicated that everything was fine and thanked him for the help. Once out of range we were trying to figure out what just happened when I realized that other cars traveling alongside had green hangtags on the rearview mirror. I looked on the dashboard and noticed the yellow parking pass that we got from the hotel when we parked for Bike Week. Apparently in the dark that looked just like the VIP passes used by the venue. We were able to park about 30 meters from the entrance whereas the general parking was probably 200 meters away from the general entrance on the opposite side of the venue. This made things a lot easier when the concert was complete since we didn't have any traffic trying to get out of the area at the end. Sometimes things do work out, even if accidentally.

Fiona Apple was the opening act and was quite enjoyable. Though it was not very easy to see anything from our lawn seats, the sound was still clear. Thankfully the Ford Amphitheater allows people to bring in blankets, a bottle of water, low profile chair, and even a bad of picnic food if they wish. Though there seemed to be some early technical difficulties, Coldplay did make the stage and went through their forte of hits. I was really hoping that they would do a rendition of The Verve's 'Bittersweet Symphony' as they did at the Live 8 concert, but I figured it was a long shot. They did, however, play a short cover of a well known Johnny Cash tune in his memory along Michael Stipe of R.E.M; so that was a pleasant surprise. I think all the well know tunes were covered with quite a few stirring moments as the music danced through the evening. I am very glad that I was able to make the event and really enjoyed the company of several friends that came from out-of-town to enjoy the show. Unfortunately since a couple of them were teachers and the FCAT (Florida student aptitude test) started Monday morning, they were not able to stay and hang out for a bit. I was pretty exhausted from the traveling over the past week, so I pretty much crashed within fifteen minutes of their leaving. I think that was a great week to end a pretty darn exciting vacation. This year is turning out so well.

Terminator: I want your clothes, your boots and your motorcycle.

After a short stay in my own bead Wednesday and Thursday night, I took off with three other Tampa friends to head to Daytona Beach for the beginning weekend of Bike Week. This will my by second year attending the event. We stay at the Mayan Inn every year that is on the beach and just a couple of blocks from main street. There were about 100+ hashers that signed up with quite a few traveling a pretty good distance to get there (including Ft. Walton Beach and Virginia Beach). Most of the attendees were veterans. We had a small pub crawl Friday night in preparation for the main event Saturday. During Bike Week, the police shut down Main Street to vehicles other than motorcycles. For about 10 minutes on Saturday morning, they even stop that traffic so the hashers can do their trail through down. It is quite a sight to witness a large pack of runners with whistles booking down the street with mugs in hand. We hit at least four bars throughout the day and even have time to sit down for some food waterside.

In the evening I decided to take a walk along the beach. There is still quite a bit of devastation from the hurricane that hit Daytona Beach in 2004 with many of the beachside hotels or condos still unusable. Though I usually love to stay late at the big events to sit around a chat, I had to plan to leave by three o'clock in order to have ample time to travel back to Tampa so that I wouldn't be late for a concert.

Fat Tuesday

After the weekend hash events were over I stayed for another couple of days in order to enjoy the city. My awesome host was still generous and invited me to tag along on some of the local activities. On Monday for Lundi Gras we had lunch and went to The Howling Wolf for a free concert with opening local band 'The Bag of Doughnuts' and main act 'Better than Ezra'. I really loved the opening group that did cover songs, but with an entertaining flair about them. We left a bit early and went to the waterfront 'Spanish Park' to see another few groups that were playing. There was a pretty cool flyover of 3 Blackhawks that slalomed between a couple of the tall buildings as the flew directly overhead. The mayor was there to make some proclamations and welcome everyone to the city. I did a little geocaching and had a unique opportunity to walk on the helicopter deck of one of the local skyscrapers. Apparently the chief engineer of that building is really big into geocaching and so he set up a cache where someone would actually go to the security desk of the building asked to being shown the geocache, which was actually located on the roof of the building. The security guard would take you up to the 33rd floor and lead you into one of the generator rooms where the trunk containing the cache was located. After you had signed the log, check out the page for the cache here, and taken or left any items that you wanted, he would then unlock the outside door and allow you to walk around the rooftop and helicopter deck and take pictures of the astounding view of the area. If you check out the pictures I posted earlier, you will see several of the ones that I took. It was really nice to be able to experience an opportunity like that. After checking that out, I went to see the free Marcia Ball concert on Canal Street by Harrah's Casino. I've seen her a couple of times at Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa and even at a concert in Washington DC many years ago and enjoy the music. I was actually able to use some of my newly learned dance skills to add to the enjoyment.

On Tuesday, I hung out with a couple of the people that I had just met the previous day as we walked around Bourbon Street and the rest of the French quarter enjoying the festivities. There were a lot of really exquisite costumes and I was amazed at the level of detail and thought that many people had put into it. We must have walked about 10 miles that day and were exhausted but quite satisfied with the overall experience. I finally hand a Handgrenade drink and even another New Orlean's favorite, a 'Lucky Dog' from one of the street vendors. It was a very exhausting day, but in the end, I was quite satisfied.

Since I did not have if my flight and until late Wednesday afternoon, I decided to visit the D-Day Museum in downtown New Orleans. Even briskly walking through all the exhibits over four hours or so, I was not able to experience the entire place and will definitely have to check it out again whenever I may next return. It was really moving to see many of the pictures and video that were taken in the Pacific and Atlantic theater. This should almost be a required viewing for every citizen in order to gain some kind of understanding as to what kind of price there is to any war. Even with such a moving exhibit such as this, it is difficult to understand the sacrifices that those in the Armed Forces must face.

Overall it was a great trip. Though I do not think that I'll attend another Mardi Gras for a while, it was just what I needed for a while and I am glad to have made it. I wouldn't have had nearly so good of a time had it not been for the kind generosity of my host and the other local hashers. I cannot wait to revisit the area again soon.