ANIMUSIC


Animusic: computer animated music.


This is really cool; I saw these two DVD music videos, while at Fry’s Electronics, down in Southern California last spring. I saw them again, last month on PBS during one of their subscription drives. I finally got around to ordering them last week and just received them today. I can’t wait to have company over to show them off!


Preview clips can be seen, and downloaded, on their web site: Animusic


If you have never seen them before, give yourself a treat and visit their website.

FLIGHT SIMULATOR X DELUXE EDITION

I’ve just purchased and installed Flight Simulator X, Deluxe Edition, and I’m very excited about it. It offers some good aircraft selections, great graphics, and 24,000 airports around the world. I can take off from my local airport in Klamath Falls, Kingsley Field, and fly all over the familiar landscape of Southern Oregon; I swear, I can almost see my house as I fly over its location, well sort of, anyway.

In the simulations, the landscapes and weather are seasonally sensitive; that is they are represented as they might be for the time of year you are actually flying; like right now when I fly out of Kingsley Field the weather is cloudy and patchy snow is on the higher elevations.

Microsoft has set up an official Web Site for the game. They have a lot of information there and some cool screen shots. They also have a free Trial Version to download.

I highly recommend giving it a try or at least give the web site a look.

LIONHEART

Oh fond memories! Sometimes they seem like it was better than it really was!

I recently ran across this picture of Capt’n Ron Reinert at the helm (Tiller) of my old Catboat Lionheart and it brought back many fond memories of Ron and I sailing her all over San Diego Bay, from Chula Vista to Point Loma, and back again.

We sailed her down in San Diego for about three years and then another year in Long Beach and Los Angeles Harbors, from Belmont Shore to San Pedro.

In the summer of 2000 Mike King, my Son-in-Law, and I sailed her to Catalina Island and back.

I sold her when I retired and moved to Oregon. I really wish I had not done that now. Klamath Lake, here in Klamath Falls, would have been a perfect environment for her; Her shallow draft and stability would be ideal for this lake’s shallow waters.

I sure do miss her; reminiscing over these pictures really makes me want another Catboat.


Maybe someday I will…

WILD CAM AFRICA

It’s back: Wild Cam Africa by National Geographic!

National Geographic provides live video/sound feed from Pete’s Pond in Botswana Africa.

See animals of the Veld coming to the water hole to drink. Just this evening I saw a herd of about 50 Impala at the water hole drinking. Natal Francolin (birds) seem to always be there too throughout the daylight hours.

Several species frequent the watering hole, some more than others, both diurnal and nocturnal. The best viewing times are at sunrise and sunset; remember, Botswana time is approximately 12 hours ahead of PST.

Here is a link to: Pete's Pond in Botswana

IT’S BASKETBALL SEASON AGAIN AND THE OWLS ARE A HOOTIN.

Tonight was the season opening game for the OIT (Oregon Institute of Technology) Hustlin’ Owls against the Anchormen of Puget Christian College.

It was a lopsided game with the Hustlin’ Owls demolishing the Anchormen 109 to 38. The Owls played every man on the squad and everyone scored at least once.

Tonight’s lopsided win came as no surprise to anyone; what with the Owls' Cascade Conference Championship and a Final Four finish in the NAIA Division II National Championships last year. This year they’re ranked number four nationally and number one in the Cascade Conference.

However, all games are not this easily won; with last year’s number four National Finals finish their record was 26 and 9. Any one of three teams could have won the Cascade Conference championship in the last two games of the season.

I’m looking forward to fifteen more exciting home games this year. The venue here is small, about like a large High School, the home fans are very enthusiastic, and the competition fierce.
On the light side: OIT has a women’s Basket Ball program too, the Lady Owls; they usually play just before the men; I’m just so disappointed that they are not called: the Hooters!

BOOK REVIEW:

Skeleton Coast: Clive Cussler, A novel of the Oregon Files; another Juan Cabrillo adventure.

I just got, and finished in three days, another of CC’s great adventure tales of far off lands, this time Namibia and the Kalahari and Nambib Deserts. Again: This is an ass kicking adventure where Juan saves the world and gets the girl.

Great News: Right on the heels of the publication of Skeleton Coast another CC novel will be released November 28th: Treasure of Khan, this one a Dirk Pitt (Jr.) adventure.

The escapism/adventure reading Gods have smiled upon us this season!