Skydiving - When in doubt, whip it out!

Since I'm hosting the skydiving hash next Saturday, I figured it would be a good time to get current again so I'd actually be able to jump with the folks that come out. Looking at my logbook, it had been a couple of years since my last jump and then even a couple of years before that since any real active jumping. I decided to do a coaching jump (pretty much jump with an instructor who helps work on form or technique) to make sure things were about as I remembered. Just like SCUBA diving for me, I can be out of it for quite a while but just as easily step back and have a tendency to remember these kinds of things (emergency procedures, traditions, etc) relatively well since it is mostly muscle memory and just paying attention or being observant. My buddy Jon also wanted to get back into it, so he sat in on an AFF class and did a Level I jump to make sure things were what he remember. We'll be definitely joining us next weekend, so it'll be good to be able to get in some fly time with a few friends.

Since we used the rig and parachute for a photo shoot for the hash tags last Thursday, I even had to repack my own main at home but was able to remember everything with relative easy. Except for being a bit unstable as a result of not flying in such a long time, everything went just as planned. It felt really good to be able to get back into the air again and I'm going to have to simply plan to try to jump at least once every 2-3 months to stay current. I don't think I'm going to be a regular jumper and get into relative work (doing formations with groups of skydivers), but I'd just like to feel the wind every now and then and enjoy the fall and parachuting itself ever now and then.

Never snort Coke.. the ice cubes may get stuck in your nostrils

Passover is here. No, I'm not Jewish, I just like Passover Coca-cola. Due to the special dietary restrictions for observant Jews (Ashkenazi Jews are prohibited from consuming corn during this period), the company puts out a special batch during the holiday that uses sugar or sucrose as the main ingredient rather than corn syrup. The special product is only really recognized by the yellow cap instead of the typical red or white. I like it because I can taste the difference in the product and think it is indeed a good bit better. Coke produced in other countries, such as Mexico, are also usually sugar based and can sometimes be found in specialized Mexican grocery stores. While you may not be able to find it on the store shelves at your typical Publix, Piggly-Wiggly, or Wal-Mart, often the managers can procure a few bottles for you from the distributor if you ask for a special order.

NPR had a blurb a couple of years ago if you're interested in listening to the short (~3 minutes) story. There is also a site that mentions a bit more about the history of the Passover Coke.

But this camera has a ROUND lens, I want to take SQUARE pictures!

I've had my Nikon Coolpix 5000 for a couple of years and really enjoyed taking pictures with it, however I've noticed a lot of the shots I want are actions pictures. Even group pictures and parties or events can be hard if you're trying to capture a moment or some kind of fast movement (ok, hold it, wait, one sec as it focuses, ok, almost... now, opps, no flash, hold on, hold on, one second....). I had been planning on getting a new camera for a while and have been doing some research. This week I decided to finally look around and order the camera. Just by coincidence though, the day I was going to look for pricing and make an order I saw a post on Slickdeals for a deal on the Rebel XT at Dell. Besides being a decent price, the poster found a 20% off coupon, recommended purchasing an additional $35 off $400 coupon from eBay if you didn't already have one, and pointed out the $100 rebate from Canon. I got the coupon at an auction for a total of $2 and had it sent to me within a couple of minutes and then made the purchase.

The camera arrived Friday afternoon while I was at work, but was ready for me to check out when I got home. Excitedly set up a picnic with my friend Lara at the local park along Hillsborough River got a chance to play with it for a while and got some neat shots. While we were there I checked up on my geocache and dropped off an old travel bug that I held onto for too long. The ease of use and quality of photos is very impressive. Although it doesn't have a rotating monitor since SLR cameras have no preview mode, the other features more than make up for it! I've posted two of the pictures below. The one on the bottom was taken of a couple having a picnic when it was well past sundown. They had a bunch of bags with tea lights around the blanket area that could be seen in the distance. A combination of the timer (so I wouldn't jar the camera) and long exposure (20 seconds) made for a great picture such that the photo came out much better than I could see. I could barely see the outline of the closest tress in the dark whereas the camera was able to make out quite a bit of detail. I'm looking forward to learning more of what the camera has to offer and getting some great shots in the future.

Life is a roller coaster, you have your ups and downs unless you fall off

Sometime last year Sheikra opened up with much fanfare at Busch Gardens. This is a dive coaster that Busch Gardens set up to increase attendance (they seem to open a new ride every 3 years or so). The coaster take you up to ~200 feet and then teeters the car over the edge for 3-4 seconds before dropping nearly straight down. There are a few other loops, a second drop and then a finish as it skims over the water throwing up a rooster tail behind it. A couple of weeks before it opened to the public, Busch Gardens set up a photo shoot for some marketing material. My friend Monica, whom I miss seeing after having not seen her in a couple of months due to a new boyfriend, works in the Busch Gardens marketing department and invited me to join. When she invited me for the first photo shoot in late May, I was just getting vertical again after severely twisting my ankle trying to get to second base several weeks before while playing kickball (apparently no means no). Since I figured that they wouldn't want to have crutches in the pictures nor deal with potential liability, I had to pass on the opportunity. A couple of months later another shoot was set up and she remembered me.

We had to show up around 6:30 in the morning and wear colored shirts sans any logos or marks. After signing a photo release we boarded and were told to keep our hands on the handle bars or below us and look like we were having fun. Then we just held on and waited to ride as many times as we could handle. The car would run through the circuit and we would stay in place until ready for the next ride. Unfortunately I could only handle 5 times in a row before I had to take a break before jumping back on 10 minutes later for another 2 rides before the shoot was done. Cameras were set up on the car as well as several places around the coaster to get some good shots. I didn't know if anything came of it until Monica dropped off a small stack of brochures for me while I was at work one day with my smiling face circled on one of them. It is kind of neat to see yourself in print, so I appreciate the opportunity as well as the chance to try out the ride a bit before it was generally open to others.

Running-A-Muck

This weekend was spent at Camp Run-A-Muck. This is the annual campout organized by the Orlando Hash House Harriers. We had the entire campground reserved for the 120+ hashers that showed up from all over the state and even outside Florida. Kiddie, CB and I left my house around 1:30 and got there around 5 o'clock to set up. After getting the camper set up relatively close to the fun we were ready to party. Festivities started early with disorganized games of beer pong, tippy cup, 3 Man (a dice game) and other things like that. Much of the weekend is a blur or fun and activities such as the Hash Olympics that had us doing dizzy Frisbee golf (twirl around a golf club 8 times and throw the Frisbee at your target within 5 seconds and then quickly repeating the process until you hit the target), board shuffle (4 people standing on 2 8' 2x6s had to walk in unison around an obstacle course), musical chairs using ones designed for pre-schoolers, boccee ball, and other fun things. The trail on Saturday was great since within the first one hundred yards we had a water crossing and a bare minimum of anything resembling a street or level ground! At some point some anonymous person (whom shall never be named by this blogger for fear of retribution) even fortified CaughtFromBehind's tent around 3 o'clock in the morning as he slept. That anonymous person has taken note that next time the industrial wrap used for packing pallets and luggage would be more effective and take less time to apply.

Some of us went kayaking Sunday morning while others just stayed under the shade and watched everyone else move around. My favorite part is always Sunday afternoons when there is a core of folks that just hang around and talk and swap stories. After partying all weekend people are just relaxing and I have as much fun then as the other previous days. Somehow someone came up with a queen sized mattress and threw it on the flatbed that previously carried the cooking gear to the hash. Somehow we all just gravitated to the trailer and then found ourselves doing an impromptu fat boy trail (traditionally a very, very short trail that is usually less than 100 yards in length done in the mornings after a big event so we can say that we did something athletic) where someone unexpectedly jumped into the truck and drove the trailer around the parking lot. After doing a quick pub crawl with some of the final folks to hang around (though I stopped drinking hours before since I had a long drive ahead) we finally left Orlando around 10 o'clock. Needless to say Monday was wholely unproductive, so I'm sure I'll be working overtime for the next few days to catch up. Oh well, it was well worth it. I met a lot of great people as usual and must give a shout out to Senior Spitzen, Kansas Snack Box/Rebarb/Give the *itch a Ring (no one could remember her name so we just kept renaming her all weekend), CaughtFromBehind, Kiddie, ThanksForTheMammaries, LunarEClit, Peterphile, Wronghole (who took the picture of me that is posted above) and all the others that made this a great weekend.

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).