The First Digital Camera

Here's a link to an interview with the guy who invented the first digital camera. Developed in the 1970's, it was a 0.01 megapixel Kodak.

Where's My Shirt?

On August 29, I ordered a Barack Obama shirt. And it still hasn't arrived! I guess Change takes time...

A Plateau

I've come to the conclusion that my progression in Jiu Jitsu has plateaued somewhat. It's still quite enjoyable and a great workout, however I'm not making much progress. Part of the problem is time. Those who progress quickly are putting in 4 hours a week at minimum. I'm averaging less than half that. But that's fine, I'm in no rush. The other problem is that I haven't been attending the more intermediate classes. And so tonight I went to the later class. The school has grown considerably so the fundamental classes are packed. The intermediate class is much smaller and affords more opportunity to focus on technique.

For something new, I'm trying a different class - Haganah. It stands in direct contrast to Jiu Jitsu. Where Jiu Jistu is much more controlled (even though it looks like it's just sweaty guys rolling around) with varying degrees of force (restraint, chokes, or broken joints), Haganah is simply about inflicting the most damage in the least amount of time to an aggressor. It's a great way to burn off some steam. There are many weapon disarms as well - so it's quite real world. But a gun disarm brings up a new problem for me. While I theoretically could disarm someone, I've never fired a gun. Perhaps a gun safety class is in order. It's probably not a bad thing to know - especially in Florida. When in Rome...

Olympic Caliber Photos

If you're tired of Bob Costas and would like an alternative way to experience the games, check out this photo blog.

Fay Finally Fades

Thursday night and Fright was by far the worst part of the storm for us. The wind was howling overnight and the lights went out a few times. But we escaped unharmed and dry. The biggest problem was that the cable was out all day on Friday. So I had nothing better to do but clean the house.

Apparently Fay set a few records. I heard it was the first storm to strike the coast in 4 places. The forecasters admitted it was difficult to predict. With the storm moving only a few miles per hour, the directional forecasts seemed accurate within about 45 degrees.

The funny thing about having 2 days off was that I got nothing accomplished. After talking to some coworkers today, I realized I wasn't alone. We all loafed around and watched the winds blow. Then it sounded like cabin fever struck us hard yesterday. I went to the beach for some photos. Even after another baby shower today, I'm still restless.

Fay Continues to Fester

As Tropical Storm Fay moves across Northeast Florida, I took these two snapshots from the front door of the house. As you can see, things really don't look that bad. It's been wet all day and the rain will continue for at least another day. The winds have picked up slightly, although these photos don't really show it.

Two major bridges have been closed (as winds have reached 40 mph in those areas). Bonnie reported the winds were much stronger on her commute home (the beer making never stops). Power outages are scattered. The beaches are a mess and have been officially closed. News stations reported one drowning after a few people went swimming (the victim was from Indiana). There's concern about flooding in the lower lying areas of the city and at the beach. High tide is around midnight. A few areas of southern FL have seen sever flooding.

I was hoping to try out the extra wind support beam in the garage. But it looks like my flood insurance policy will be of more importance at the moment.

Home For Awhile

I returned from Sacramento this evening from a quick work trip. Everything was quick except the flights. And that'll about do it for the traveling for the next few months. The dry heat was an odd change from the sharp humidity here in Florida. It was pushing 100, but it only felt like 80 here.