Bob's
Page
Rev. 1/29/01
Bob's
Page
| Writing | The advent of a Spellchecker has allowed me to write without embarrassing myself |
| Computers | This has been my profession, now my hobby |
| Fishing | My avocation, even an addiction |
| Surfing | A great form of exercise as well as relaxation |
I've enjoyed writing three small books that were self-published. They were written mainly for my grandkids. The titles are:
"Bear Stories and Lookout Tales"
The first "Bear Stories and Lookout Tales" has been included as e-text with the software package VR (Vertical Reader) written by Gilles Kohl for the HP200LX palmtop computer. I like to joke that my stories have been published world-wide.
"Patience, Perseverance and Pure Dumb Luck - The Education of a Fisherman"
This second book is "Patience, Perseverance and Pure Dumb Luck, The Education of a Fisherman". This is a collection of short stories about my fishing, my mistakes and what I may have learned.
"The Second Liar Ain't Got A Chance"
The third book, "The Second Liar Ain't Got A Chance", are recollections I have, beginning in early childhood, and I’m sure many of them influenced me my whole life. Collectively, they are why I’m me.
Half Life of Computer Knowledge
I'm
working on several others that will be included -- if I quit goofing off
and start writing again.
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I'm an Electrical Engineer by education (check my
resume if you want the boring details).
In the late '50s I got into the computer field working for Boeing in Seattle
and have watched computers "grow up" -- it's been fascinating. We have a
desktop system that I estimate has more than several hundred times the total
computer power that Boeing had designing the 707. We also have a laptop which
goes on trips with us so we can stay connected to the Internet. And I carry
a HP200LX palmtop
computer
with me at all times, in my pocket or in my hand -- one time my old boss
asked me if it was surgically implanted in my hand.
The HP200LX is the computer that gets the most use. I use it for so many varied things:
Most of these programs I've found on Internet and downloaded to my HP.
If you want to know more about the HP200LX e-mail me at
bgraham@hawaii.rr.com
or check out the url's below:
I'll admit that I spend a good bit of time on the Internet each day -- reading, writing and answering e-mail; reading and responding to a selected set of News Groups that cover my interests such as
reading the "News Paper" (the New York Times is on-line, try http://www.nytimes.com/); checking the weather forecast http://www.underground. com/forecasts/HNL.html; and searching for things we are interested in.
I find I'm buying more and more over the Internet, using it as a shopping source -- I'm convinced that when using the encrypted mode it is even more secure than ordering by phone, which we've been doing for years.
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Fishing, for me is "reserved" for the mainland, mainly for trout in the
western states. For some unknown reason I've never taken to fishing
here in Hawaii -- later maybe?
In the meantime look at --
"Patience, Perseverance and Pure Dumb Luck - The
Education of a Fisherman"
I guess "later" has arrived. Take a look at --
"Christmas Island"
03/10/01
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Bodyboarding is my favorite form of exercise and relaxation. And its a great way to get rid of stress while keeping in shape.
I started bodyboarding late, when I was in my late 40's -- my kids wouldn't be caught dead surfing with their old man, so I had to learn all by myself. Their peers, my former Cub Scouts, were more compassionate. They gave me advice, kept me from getting in over my head and out of trouble.
My "home water" now is Diamond Head Cliffs -- been surfing there for 20+ years. Diamond Head usually breaks a foot or two higher than the Waikiki and Ala Moana breaks. The lineup isn't as clean as at breaks like Publics, Kewalos, Turtles and Irmas so you spend quite a bit of time chasing waves.
Irmas is the break about a mile on the Makapu side of Sandy Beach. This is where I really learn to bodyboard. Later I found the waves at Publics, on the Diamond Head end of Waikiki were better shaped, more consistent and the lineup was predictable. Then for about 5-6 years I surfed Kewalos during my lunch hour. Kewalos is the break on the Waikiki side of the channel coming out of Kewalo Basin. I could see the break from my office and run right down when conditions were right. Turtles is right in front of our home. It is a 3/4 of a mile walk in knee to thigh deep water followed by a short paddle through a nice channel in the coral reef. Almost invariably I see green sea turtles there. And on occasion I've seen humpbacked whales breach a half a mile out when I was sitting in the line up -- what a place to surf.
A couple of years ago I had a dream where I was being chased by a shark. Now my grandson, Kaianui, who was 8 at the time, is part Hawaiian. His family aumakua is the shark. So I consulted him about what I should do. He advised me to not go surfing for a week to let the shark forget. Ah yes -- surfing in Hawaii has it's lore.
The board I ride is a Turbo made by Russ Brown. When I first started bodyboarding a board would only last me a few weeks. Either I would tear up the bottom on the coral reef or break the back of the board going over the falls or trying to catch too large of a wave. A professional bodyboarder told me about Russ who was just starting out to make his Turbo boards. They were just what I was looking for -- hard bottom so the coral wouldn't cut them up, and stiff so they wouldn't fold up in large waves. The added bonus is the material Russ used for the top skin prevented getting belly rash from riding them. For me they were great and I've been riding them ever since.
The swim fins I use are TechFinz
made in Australia and I wear them with fin socks.
The first pair of fins I bought were Churchills, the old green ones
that would float -- I think later they increased the density of the rubber
composition so they would sink, just so you'd lose more and they could sell
more; you can't find them if they get knocked off in the water. As I got
older I started feeling the torque that the asymmetrical fins put on my knees.
Redleys are also asymmetrical so I had the same problem with them.
Finally I tried TechFinz, which are symmetrical and this eliminated
the torque problem. They are made of two compositions of rubber, a soft rubber
for the foot and a stiffer material for the blade. They have a drain hole
on the top -- think about it; the hole is on the bottom where it should be
when you turn over to swim. Worn with fin socks they are the most comfortable
fins I've ever had. And they float.
Here are some good surfing links here on Oahu and elsewhere --
The
location of Turbo Land
http://www.turboworld.com/contactmain.html
Captain
Turbo himself
http://www.kenu.com/things/hotline.htm
A
good site showing a surfing map of Oahu
http://www.kenu.com/things/oahumap.htm
"Sponge"
has a great site, don't miss
it http://www.iav.com/~sponge/
All about
Tech Finz
http://www.hydrosportz.com/
And here are a couple of great Hawaiian stories about the "man in the gray suit".
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