Yea I actually posted something....

I don't believe it either...

Not sure if anyone cares, but I have been MIA for a while. Ive been working on a few things, figuring out what i want to be doing to be happy. I have been shooting and did a little coop with some Hawaii Deviants Nimo, Armarant, and Suzums with Nimo's sister Tasha. Whom strangely enough, I have been friends with for at least 10 years and never knew her brother. I had been talking with on deviant art with for a few months. I invited Tasha to share chistmass with my family and she asked if her brother could come as well, to which i said of course.

We started talking and he brought a camera on loan from a friend with him (Suzums). I had hurt my leg pretty bad a week b4 paragliding and when he asked about it, I told him I was a paraglider and a photographer, as I had my camera with me as well.

Our conversation went something like this.

"Thats really odd, I have a friend thats a paraglider and a photographer, and has a housemate for his instructor."says NIMAI.

"Really?" I replied, thats odd because I know almost all the local paragliders, and I'm the only person I know in training right now other than Jeff. Its cool to meet you though."

1+1=... uh... uh...

"I post some of my shots on Deviant Art." "Oh really me too! My screen name is NIMO".

NIMO... NIMAI...

1... 2... 3... CLICK

"Holy crap your NIMO? haha I'm Freshmeat. So are you going to show me how you do your panoramics or not!"


Thus a photosession with Armarant, Suzums, and Nimo, with with lots of drama as Tasha's dog wandered away and dissapeard. (Taken to Humane Society by a concerned citizen we found the next day).

I have been taking pictures still, and have been flying and surfing again after an injury I sustained while paragliding. I injured myself sinking out up in the mountains above Nanakuli, by pulling a total rookie move and flying out of the lift band (ps. dont leave lift band) to explore a large flat area up in a spot called aircrafts. Hit a sink pocket and emergency landed up in the mountains partially thru a tree.

Hit my calf really hard on a burnt out log, but walked away from it to the edge of the valley and relaunched by myself shortly later. Suffered massive hematoma in my left calf and gash on leg with imbedded wood shards.

I am finally walking again with no limp, I can finally surf again which i did @ Makaha on Saterday, and have flown Kokohead Crater and have been advancing my flying skills at a rapid pace.

I got a few nice shots @ Makaha, and other west side spots. I will post as soon as I get my computer at the end of this week or next week along with the photo shoot with Tasha, and a ton of other work I never got arround to posting.

I'm ADD... sorry

I took my first solo flight today on my paraglider. I bought it 2 weeks ago and have been in training for 2 weeks by my housemate Leo. I can set the glider up over my head at the beach and keep it there hovering and make it go wherever i want for an hour straight. When I'm standing on a rock cliff over Makapu about to walk off it for the first time, I can't bring that thing up under control at all. I'm braking the wrong side, I dont step the right way, I overbrake massively to correct. SHIT! Then the womens hangliding champ of the USA shows up to watch me solo for the first time ever... Her and her friends all take off and I set up again. I put it up and it sits there hovering over my head perfectly, and I walk off the cliff and float up into the air on the updraft like a bird. It was amazing litteraly flying on the wind, a spiritual expericance. I feel a total rush and complete traquility at the same time. I get the same feeling when I set up on a big wave for the drop down an imossibly steep face. All the fears and anxiety in setting up for the takeoff and plunge melt away into sheer exhileration as the commitment is made and all the decisions and consequences are played out in real time. Leo and I stayed up for an hour, flying all over the Makapu area. I got to fly all the way over to the lighthouse on the point, buzzing the lookout point within 50ft as I searched for lift to get me over the cliffs. I trailed up and down the mountain range and out over the ocean for some scenic shots. Sinking slowly as I move away from the mountains, and climbing steadily upwards as I skim the rocky cliffs only 50 feet from my side. I flew low over the ocean over Baby Makapu towards the research pier and made a hard 180 turn towards the grassy landing zone just left of the busy road. The LZ was completely windless and I came in perfectly touching down in the dead center of the zone with a perfect flare on the brakes. Beers and cheers from the group for a virgins first flight and perfect landing.

First flight log: 11/13/05

Need to work on my kiting more in unstable conditions. Had trouble getting the glider over my head. My money is on NERVES standing on a 500ft cliff about to jump off it for the first time and no room to move arround at the takeoff point to adjust for a sloppy glider rise.

Smooth takeoff. Did about 8 sets of figure 8 turns waiting for Leo to take off. Flew NW along the mountain range tops untill we reached the distance of the research pier from the takeoff point and looped back again. Repeated at least once. Flew out over the ocean for a photo opp as Leo was directly overhead (came out blurry). Leo then proceded to the lighthouse on the point. I returnd to the mountain cliffs to gain altitude before attempting the cross to the lighthouse. Once I had gained sufficent altitude, I flew to the light house loosing altitude untill I was skimming along the face of the cliffs with a straight drop all the way to the ocean. I gained lift at the lookout point and buzzed 2 women at the point before flying directly over the lightouse and turning arround the point.

I crossed straight back the the takeoff zone gaining altitude as I came close to the mountain again. I made 2 more circuits off the whole range before following Leo down to the LZ. After Leo radiod me from the ground, I made a low pass over the ocean from the NW with the road on my right. I timed my 180 turn perfectly and hit the center of the LZ with a light flare and didn't even need to do a running landing as can be the case with no head wind.

Beers and cheers from all.

Check the photos, scraps and devs

Annotation to D60.... It showed up in the mail 2 weeks late as packaged and undamaged! Stress level returning to normal. I will get it back after Thanksgiving. Expect some new shots. I think i can get some off time by my boss to shoot some of the Tripple Crown.

Wind permitting, I could be doing my first solo Paragliding flight this week if Leo ok's it. I'll see if I can set someone up with a camera of me eating it into the bushes as I attempt my first takeoff. (hopefully not) I'll put some scraps of me playing @ Kuualoa Beach park with the glider. Jen got a shot of me looking goofy with big eyes the first time i got 8 feet in the air.

Can't wait untill I get to 2000 feet.

"A human being is a part of a whole, called by us _universe_, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest... a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty."

Albert Einstein

I need to shed my own illusions... though I will always be deluded...