Other Interests


Jogging

I jog at lunch three or four days a week. Actually, it's more like a slow waddle. I've been jogging since about 1984 and I'm still not sure why I do it. I jog about three or four miles per outing.

Whale Watching

I enjoy getting up close and personal with humpback whales and other members of the cetacean family. My wife and I have been humpback whale watching off the coast of Trinity, Newfoundland, gray whale watching off the west coast of Vancouver Island, and orca (killer whale) watching in Johnstone Strait between Vancouver Island and the mainland of Canada. Most of our whale watching has been from rigid hull, inflatable boats (e.g. "Zodiacs"), but we've also been out in larger boats including a sailboat.

The first whale watching trip was by far the best. This was the trip to Trinity, Newfoundland where our whale watching experience was provided by the folks at the Village Inn. I'll never forget drifting in a Zodiac in Trinity Bay with humpbacks surfacing nearby, taking a breath, and diving to feed. I had a great sense of wonder as these giants swam under the boat as we sat quietly. Another day on Trinity Bay, "Jeremy", a male humpback, came near our boat and spy hopped. In spy hopping, the whale moves to a vertical position so that his eyes are near the water line. This allows him to take a look at the strange creatures in the nearby boat.

Whale watching is a growing tourist industry. Because of the increasing number of whale watchers, the industry is becoming more and more regulated. In some cases, this is self-regulation based on an agreement between the operators of whale watching services, while in other cases, there are government regulations.

For more info, check out Whale Watching Web and the the Whale Information Network. This link on Dental Facts About Whales was sent to me by Libby from a home schooling group.

Pictures from my 1992 whale-watching trip to Newfoundland, Canada.


Music

I enjoy composing using a Casio CZ-1 keyboard connected to my PC with runs Quick Score Professional and has a Sound Blaster AWE sound card. I used to play guitar, but I gave it up (mostly) because I find the keyboard less restrictive.

What type of music do I compose? Benjy Music, of course. It's a style all its own. Actually, I do music to relax, not to share.

I have an eclectic mix of music I like to listen to. I like new jazz most at this point, but I also listen to old rock 'n' roll, new pop and rock 'n' roll, new age, and classical.

I subscribe to Jazziz magazine which comes with a sample CD of cuts from recent jazz albums. I find this a good way to preview a lot of different jazz CDs.

My current favorite CDs are


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