Interests of PJ June:
Radio Control Model Aircraft
I love flying radio control model aircraft, mostly gliders and electric
models. Ridge flying from one of the local mountains in a stiff wind is
my favorite sport. Flying
aerobatics at 60 mph in a motorless glider is a real thrill. I have flown side-by-side
with hawks off my favorite hill. Hawks are territorial and when they see
my bird in their space, they come out to check it out. I have
had them dive on me with talons extended. HA! Just do a barrel roll and they
don't know what the heck is going on! Freaks
them out every time. Great FUN!
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This is actually a Dave's Models ME-109. It is the first EPP glider that I
have built, but it won't be the last. The problem with flying in Arizona isn't necessarily
weather, or flying site--it's the landings on rocks, cactus, and other prickly things.
Everything that grows in
the desert is basically about as tough as nails. Not very hospitable to flimsy, wimpy
construction! On the plus side, wind conditions are usually so intense, you could glue wings
on a rock and it would fly! Then along came EPP foam, which just bounces off the rocks, and if
impaired on a palo verde branch the wound is more or less self-healing when the offending spear
is removed. Great stuff, EPP, just what Arizona has been waiting for.
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Pool
I like pool, also known as billiards in the elite circles. To us working class slugs, it
is simply known as pool. I especially enjoy bar table 8-ball (maybe it's the bar I like), and an old-timers
game called "bottle pool". In bottle pool, you place a plastic
bottle upside down in the center of the table. There are only three balls
on the table at any one time. You make points by making your pocket shots,
making "caroms", and by knocking the bottle over with the cue
ball after striking an object ball. Knock the bottle over the wrong way,
you lose. An old game, but unique and very interesting; always draws lookers
when I play it.
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Computers
I have always loved computers and that is how I make my living. Can't seem to
get enough of them. I spend 90% of my entire work day buried in computers, so what
do I do when I get home but spend even more time with them!
That's fanaticism. I wrote my first FORTRAN III computer program in 1964, and have
been dabbling in software, and hardware ever since. Having been around the field that long I have
seen firsthand the tremendous changes that have occurred in computing. Can't wait to
see what's going to happen next. I bought my first personal computer in 1978, a Radio
Shack TRS80 Model 1, derisively nicknamed the "trash80". Regardless of that misnomer
I learned a great deal from that machine. I then progressed through the Commodore series (the
C64 followed by the C128), finally buying my first IBM PC clone in 1982. I currently use
a 333 MHz Dell Dimension, with 128 MB RAM, DVD drive, a 21" Panasonic E110 monitor, monster 3D card, and all
the normal bells and whistles. I have it networked to my old Quantex 100 MHz Pentium, so I can share the scanner
which is attached to the Quantex. Can also play multi-player games. Multi-player flight simulators really take
advantage of the speed of two networked PC's. No lag whatsoever, so frame rate is killer.
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Computer Games
Computer games are much more impressive than the simple things available in the
early days. Some flight simulators are so damn good they are actually used by the
military for training purposes! Ah progress. Current favorites:
Novalogic F22 Lightning III, SimCity 3000, Roller Coaster Tycoon (misnamed: should be "Amusement Park Tycoon").
Waiting for:
Age of Empires II. I have all the Civilization games including the newest ones: "Alpha Centauri", and "Call to Power".
The nukes in Alpha are terrific. Most nukes in these games don't do enough damage. The nukes in Alpha will wipe out
9 squares--including vaporizing the ground so that nothing but water is left. Now that's a nuke! Speaking of nukes,
Lightning III allows for nuclear weapons delivery with a very impressive shock wave and mushroom cloud. Very cool, if
you can possibly think of nuclear weapons as cool.
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The Movies
I love the movies. Some movies are meant to be seen on the big screen,
in the big theater environment. I have a pretty good home theatre system, and yet there is no experience
like going to the movies. I go at least once a week, and when there is a slew of good ones I
go twice a week. I prefer comedies, action, and science fiction. I hate melodramas. Can stay
home for that. I know that's the opposite of what critics like, but oh well. Don't give me
talking heads or Meryl Streep. I walked out on the English Patient, couldn't stay awake. Guess
I just don't have class. Click here to check out my movie reviews.
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