Spaceport Awesome

Frankly I think Spaceport America is a bit cheesy for a name, but being humanity's first commercial spaceport is pure awesome. New Mexico is building it and Virgin Galactic has agreed to make it their headquarters. When my kids graduate from high school they're getting a vacation to the moon. I'm assuming that by then tickets will run for less than the inflation adjusted equivalent of $200k rather than that I'll be a millionaire.

The Love of Machines Is the Love of Creation

The piston descends, pulls the gas, the shaft spins.
The piston ascends, the gas explodes, spins the shaft.
The cylinder is a cannon that fires,
and fires upon itself.
The imagination has yet to invent itself.

© B. Jason Reardon
3/14/2007

Tranquillo

In the States I always kept a frisbee in my car. Tossing it around is one of my favorite activities. Be prepared, you know. I had never even seen one in Costa Rica. There's always a fierce wind blowing through the valley or heavy rain, and I just assumed it never caught on.

Last Sunday night at church I was walking past a guy when I heard that magical word "frisbee". I interrupted him and learned that he plays Ultimate Frisbee with a group every Monday and Thursday night from 8 to 10. They've been playing for years and have a mixed group of Gringos and Ticos. He had a frisbee in his car, and we broke it out right then and there. I had just been thinking how much I missed it.

I went last night and got rocked. I've been running intermittently and taking a dance class, but I was not prepared for the dead sprints of Ultimate. There were some very skilled people there who could throw a disk as well as anyone I've seen (and in high wind). Around 20 people showed up and rotated through teams of 7 each. Hearing people call out familiar commands in another language is a good way to learn. "¡Aqui!" (Here!) "¡Marcalo!" (Mark him!) "¡Pasala!" (Pass it!) "¡Uno cada Uno!" (Man-to-man!) It's also a good way to ruin the play out of confusion. "Tranquillo" (Gringo, take it easy instead of passing to thin air again.)

Yep, Wii

Susan from the office invites me to have dinner with her family to practice my Spanish, play with the kids, and help solve their computer problems. I always enjoy my time with them (except when their computer is showing the blue screen of death). They threw in some extra incentive yesterday by announcing that they had purchased a Wii. Swinging that controller like a bat, a tennis racket, and a golf club is ridiculously entertaining. Their ten year old son was already a pro with it after owning it for a only few days. I'll get him next time.

Snorkeling Manuel Antonio

My parents came down to Costa Rica last weekend (the day after my twenty-ninth birthday) for a vacation. We took off to Quepos on the west coast to spend time at the Manuel Antonio Park. After their last trip my dad became enthusiastic about the snorkeling we had done, and bought the three of us equipment. We decided to find out what we could see at the beaches within the park. Our first try was at beach 3 which looks like the most sheltered, but once we had gotten away from the shore we found the water pretty rough. The sand was too stirred up to see much plus it was difficult to get close to the outer shoreline where the fish gather. I got tired and woozy after an hour of swimming around. It was disappointing after the quantity and variety we saw at the point we visited last year.

Later in the week we tried the south edge of beach 2 on a recommendation. It's a wide beach, but that part of it turned out to be well sheltered. The water was clear and we started seeing fish almost immediately, too numerous to name or count (as if I knew any of their names in the first place). My dad pointed out a brilliant starfish and a small red eel. I saw a pair of large fish (a couple of feet long) that darted away almost as soon I spotted them. We saw many schools of smaller fish. You could float above the rocks and see them weaving in and out and popping out of hiding places. It's incredible down there. You stick your head above the water and you have no idea how vibrant it is right below the surface. As I was coming in at the end passing from the rocky outer area to the empty sand close to shore a tiny yellow fish passed directly in front of my goggles. It couldn't have been more than inch from my face. I turned to find it and was surprised to see that it was sticking close to my body, swimming all around me. I had picked up a satellite. It had taken shelter around me like I was big rock, and as we swam into the open area it tried to hide close. I had to get out but I hope it found its way back to shelter.

We also did one of the canopy tours where you ride zip lines through the jungle. In truth you pay much more attention to the stability of your platform than the scenery around you. It included about a dozen lines, two rappels and a "Tarzan" swing. One of the guides found and displayed a tiny, black and green poisonous frog. It's colors were extraordinary. He also pointed out a walking tree which stands propped up on its roots and shoots down new ones in the direction of greater sunlight (uphill). It actually moves about two inches a year.

At least he seems like a nice guy

Today a Costa Rican who happens to follow the NFL stopped me and said, "Has anyone ever told you that you look like Payton Manning?" That's the third time I've been asked that question in six months. The first time when a coworker in the States said it to me I didn't think much of it, but the second time when an American on the flight to Buenos Aires stopped me I was surprised. Three times must mean they're on to something, huh? Personally, I'm convinced that I look like myself. And doesn't anyone notice that I'm undersized by a foot and a hundred pounds?

Sabatical

Tomorrow I begin a month's hiatus from the office. This will be the longest I've been away from work at one time since I got out of school. I'll be spending the next three weeks in Buenos Aires, Argentina taking an intensive Spanish class. Even though I've lived in Costa Rica for a year now my Spanish has advanced very slowly due to the extensive use of English in the office. Hopefully this trip will get me over the threshold into regular Spanish speaking.

It's strange preparing to leave the office for that long, almost as if I was leaving for good. For once 100% of my responsibilities have been transitioned. It's a freeing and alarming feeling.

The last of week of December I'll be flying from summer in the Southern Hemisphere to winter in the Northern. It won't feel like Christmas for me until the airplane touches down in Chicago and slides off of the icy tarmac. Speaking of flying the trip is going to be a doosey. I leave San Jose at 1:30 tomorrow, then wait around in the Houston airport until 9:00 at which time I fly through the night to Buenos Aires and arrive at 10:20 the next morning.

This is my first time publishing an entry in the latest of version of Blogger. I'm not sure what the new features are yet, but it did cause me to discover a backlog of unapproved comments. I think I have to forfit my already shaky geek credentials. That's what happens when you're just a nerd who learns a little bit of programming. If you've commented on this blog in the last six months and haven't seen it appear that would be why. It's all fixed now.

I leave you with a few interesting links.

See the last earthquake to hit Costa Rica at http://www.ovsicori.una.ac.cr/. I felt my first one a couple Saturdays ago. I was spaced out on the couch watching TV when I felt a tremor. They don't really consider it an earthquake until its around 6.0, but it's slightly alarming nonetheless. It actually felt similar to when they dynamite big rocks at the construction site next to our office. The floor shakes and the windows rattle over a muffled boom. Of course in this case the epicenter wasn't next door but miles and miles away.

Last, best article I've read:
Bill Hybels on Outreach

The reimagined Battlestar Galactica is the best written show on television. You should definitely get into it even if science fiction is the last thing you want to turn on. This ain't no Star Trek. Rent the pilot and you'll see that it's not your traditional scifi, what with Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell. The first season ends strong. The second season will consistently impress you with believable characters in tough circumstances. The third, current season is beyond all belief and levels of quality.
http://www.slate.com/id/2154625/

http://intihuatani.usc.edu/cloud/flowing/
This is an enjoyable and creative flash game that you should waste a half-hour playing.

http://factory.lego.com/getstarted/default.aspx
Now you can download a LEGO building program! Can't afford those little overpriced bricks? Make things in the virtual world.

http://labs.live.com/photosynth/
This one will bring your computer to its knees, but it's fascinating. It reads up a set of pictures and constructs a three-dimensional model of the photographed structure. It feels like Hollywood's idea of an intelligence tool. James Bond would be so lucky.

Informative Reading:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/
http://bigpicture.typepad.com/
http://www.businesspundit.com/

Fun Reading:
http://www.boltcity.com/copper/
http://www.scarygoround.com/
http://jjrowland.com/

Third Time's the Charm

It is the rainy season here in Costa Rica. One day probably sees as much rain as Arizona does in a decade. It was raining and the clouds were low on Saturday morning as Jim, Kathy and I caught our tour bus. They had flown in the night before for work, but wanted to get in a day trip over the weekend.

We were going to visit Volcan Arenal one of the most famous in the world. It is only 2,900 years old, a babe in geological terms. It has been erupting continuously for the last fifty years and looks just like your childhood science fair project--or so I've been told. I've visited it twice before but have only seen clouds. I didn't expect to see it this time either considering the weather, but there was another attraction on the agenda. Tabacon is a legendary resort at the foot of Arenal. Staying there is expensive by any standard, but a more affordable option is to visit its biggest attraction--the hot springs. They've built up a river bed and use natural heat from the volcano to create a river with the comfort and warmth of a spa.

We had been driving for a couple of hours, the bus was tilting along the steep roads when we caught a wide view. Our enthusiastic tour guide interrupted his impromptu musical number and said that the volcano could be seen at 10 o'clock. It was only a shadow on the horizon but the cone shape was clearly there. There was no sun and occasional rain, but fortunately the cloud ceiling was high enough.

After another half hour we glimpsed it again and this time we were close enough to see a puff of smoke from an explosion. The near, eastern side is green like any ordinary hill in Costa Rica. There is a patch of white near the top which is the fuselage from a recent plane crash. They say intense magnetism plays havoc with instruments. No one recovers a wreck near the top of a smoldering volcano.

We stopped for lunch after La Fortuna, the closest city to its base. We could see part of the west face which is black from constant lava flow. Small patches of white smoke burst out all over it. It felt alien.

The afternoon brought us to Tabacon. You could feel the heat and the steam filled the rain forest. It was beautiful. A spa is great, but sitting under a waterfall at 105 degrees is a dream. The afternoon slipped away. It's funny but the whole tour group seemed to agree that the best attraction was not the river itself but the normal, unheated pool. It felt refreshing. From the pool you could just make out the top of the volcano. We saw more puffs of smoke, but with a little time the extraordinary can become ordinary.

The real show began after sunset when our tour guide caught my attention and called me to the edge of the pool. I could just make out the silhouette of Arenal. There was a single red light at the top as on a radio tower. The light moved slowly down like the tower was crumbling, but then it split and split again leaving a trail of red. With the help of nightfall we could see the leading edge of the lava. When everyone was quiet I could just make out a sound like distant fireworks, the sound of rocks larger than cars colliding and exploding.

We had a great dinner at the resort, then drove to a point that gave us a better look at the volcano. We stood there for a long time watching and listening. Some members of the group made futile attempts to take long-exposure photos. The last thing I noticed before we left was not on the mountain. It was right along the road. Apparently they have lightning bugs in Costa Rica too.

Travels

Well I just got back from a great trip to the States. It was really awesome to catch up with friends again. Six months doesn't seem that long at first, but actually a lot can change. Two friends got married in that space and two more will be married by the time I come around again. I feel like I've been traveling though a time warp.

This last week back at work in CR was crazy. I've barely had time to unpack. This morning I met up with some of my friends here, and they introduced me to the local Parque de Diversiónes. With only two major roller coasters (and I'm being generous) it wasn't exactly the Six Flags I grew up with, but it was nice to walk around and practice my Spanish. Speaking of which....

I'm trying to workout taking off all of December up to Christmas for an intensive Spanish course. My plan is to fly down to Buenos Aires, Argentina and do a program there. I've been wanting to return to BA since I visited there with Highlands a couple years ago, and see the family I stayed with. A solid three weeks there would be incredible. I just have to make sure that absolutely everything I do at work is covered, which isn't exactly trivial, but I think I can make it happen. Wish me luck.

Mackinac

A nine hour car ride is never exactly a breeze, but if you like to live with a little more on the edge try it with a three month old. I became aware of the true level of adaptability of the human mind when I learned that it can filter out the continuous screaming of a baby. Lily is my favorite niece and I don’t regret a minute with her (but maybe a few loud seconds here and there).

The family (minus my hard working brother-in-law Tobie) piled into a borrowed minivan for the classic family vacation. Long road trips are how the Reardons have always done it: Illinois to Colorado, Florida, wherever. I put in my share during college too and I’ve never lost the love of the open road.

We headed north through Wisconsin across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and down the Mackinac Bridge—the third largest suspension bridge in the world. The bridge and nearby Mackinac Island (pronounced “Mackinaw”) are at the border between Lakes Michigan and Ontario. The island has been a tourist destination since the late 1800’s.

The area was of strategic importance during colonial times. The French originally built fort Mackinac as a trading hub on the Michigan mainland. They surrendered it to the British after the French and Indian War who then moved it to the more defensible island only to hand it over to the newborn United States. The first land battle of the War of 1810 was a British and Indian attack on the fort. The fifty-some US troops surrendered to the 400 attackers. The fort did not return to US possession until after that war.

My favorite story from its history was an Indian attack on the original fort. The French had recently ceded control to the British who were not as sophisticated in their dealings with the Indians. Rather than sending gifts and traders directly to the tribes as the French had done they required everyone to come to the fort. The Indians took affront to the changes and concocted a plan to force the British out. They gathered outside of the front gate for a game similar to modern day Lacrosse, but had the women watching on the sidelines conceal weapons in their belongings. Their signal was hitting the ball over the wall. The players rushed through the gate seemingly to retrieve it, but grabbed their weapons as they passed the women. They quickly captured the fort. When the defeated British returned a few years later to reestablish a trading presence they wisely restored the French policies.

Although the history was fascinating it was really only scenery behind the time spent with the family. We enjoyed bike rides around the island, sunsets on the lake shore, good dinners, and late nights around the camp fire, but mostly we enjoyed each others company. You really don’t need any other entertainment when you’ve got a baby around. Lily always commanded our attention (in fact, she usually demanded it).

In Images