One From the Vault

Sorting out some old photos I came across this snapshot of myself taken at Easter, 1981. I was camping with Jacqui by the Buffalo River in Arkansas; we were on a canoe expedition with the High and Dry Philosophical Society - an eclectic group of friends somewhat centered around the Arkansas Geological Survey.

This is how computing on the road was done in the era before laptops. The Apple ][ in the photo is running off 110 volt A/C from an inverter plugged into my car battery. The inverter also runs the portable B&W TV that serves as a monitor, and the Apple thermal printer sitting atop it. The TV sits on top of the $500 Apple 5 1/4" Disk ][, each disk holds 480K - yes, K - of data. This arrangement worked pretty well for a young geologist on the road. I was able to write reports in the field and send them by 300 baud modem to the main office, where the secretary would print them.

I'm putting this photo up here for the benefit of a delightful lady in Beijing who once wondered how I would look with a beard. Here's the answer; I hope it's not too scary.

The red pack of Dunhills next to the computer betrays the fact that I used to smoke unrepentantly in those days. (I quit about 5 years after this photo was taken, but that's another story.)

Beijing

This is the first full day of the Olympics in China. It still looks smoggy out the window of my friend Xiaojun's Beijing apartment. (The tall building in the distance on the right is where I lived in an apartment during the month of June.)

I wonder how the athlete's are doing with the smog? I used to go for long walks in the city, but there were some days when I would walk only a few blocks and have to go back inside because of the smog hurting my eyes and lungs.

But Xiaojun tells me that at her house in the north suburbs of Beijing the air is much better, and you can sometimes see the blue sky.