I tell students that being a nerd is not only regionally fashionable, but that it's OK to be focused and intense about one's interests. This page is really made of links I frequently use, so it is here as much for my convenience as for your possible voyeuristic interests over what I spend spare time doing. This list short, because my interests are pretty specific.

I like technology. Early radio sets fascinate me because they were experimental, rapidly evolved to consumer appliances and really echo, retrospectively, rapid adoption of the Internet and other digital technologies like PCs. There are many places to go, but perhaps the busiest marketplace for these sets is Ebay, an online auction familiar to many. Also look here to find a wealth of antique radio sites.

I also am a (very) amateur organist, having conned time in past years making noise on pipe instruments (I was initially fascinated by the mix of mechanics and electronics that make these behemoths work). This has rarely been long encouraged by anyone in earshot, so I've sought electronic substitutes for home use. For decades, good electronic simulation of pipe sound has been elusive, at least in the budget categories. Most such efforts sound, well, "electronic." Duplicating a wind instrument precisely proved difficult until digital sampling of actual pipe sounds was possible about 15 years ago. Two Italian engineers developed software that sonically creates a workable, middle sized pipe organ using a common MIDI sound engine widely available to musicians, the Roland Sound Canvas SC-55. The software manages these lean resources magnificently, turning about $600 worth of add-on parts (sound generator, keyboard and cables) into a respectable instrument. See (and hear!) MP3 samples at the SCPOP website.

Finally, my partner and I have searched for over a decade to find vacation property and a possible place to retire when that distant day comes. Last year, we purchased property in Canada's South Gulf Islands, a beautiful place with welcoming people. Just north and west of the US San Juans, we are but a few kilometres from the border - but far away from the crowding and noise of Seattle. It's a nice change. Here are some digital images we've taken on Pender Island.