My Feet is Tired, but My Soul is Rested

So I figured I'd share my first week of capoeira experience with you. I started about three weeks ago but only went to one class since they announced they were starting a new class in Kirkland, which is much closer to the Empire. I didn't understand at the time how laid-back Brazilians are, so I waited two more weeks while they actually got the class kicked off. This week I started out in the new place, located shadily behind a Brazilian espresso shop, but less shady than the old location in the Old Rainier Brewery in the industrial section of Seattle, hidden up a dark stairwell behind the array of dumpsters outside the brewery.

I guess the first impression is that everyone is really friendly in the Brazilian manner. I knew everyone's name almost immediately and we were all laughing with a common rapport within a few minutes. It's also very family-oriented: all the married guys bring their wives, who sit in the back with their children watching like a spectator sport. There's definitely a warm vibe around this art, a solid reflection of Brazilian culture.

The padded mats had not yet arrived for the first two sessions so we are training and playing on concrete floor. Ouch... I'm typing this after applying two more bandaids to my shredded feet. After day 1 my lower back was incredibly sore from jenga'ing, but after day 2 it felt fine. My kicks on day 1 were pretty weak, but I felt at the end of day 2 they were actually improving significantly. I feel I may do well at this.

One of the MSFT Capoeiristas just sent me a document containing all our songs, so I'm starting into that, and a very friendly Brazilian lady at MSFT has also volunteered to help me learn Portuguese in exchange for my improving her English. Good deals all around!

In summary, I'm really liking it so far.

The Electric Car is Back!

I'm a biodiesel enthusiast: I've been to biodiesel workshops, I follow it in the news, I drive a Jetta TDI fueled with 99% biodiesel, and I've made it in my garage. I strongly believe that for engine fuels, biodiesel can't be beat.

But I still think there's a lot of value in the cheap commuter car that's powered by electricity. The EV1 was the late 90's first attempt at a commercial electric vehicle, but it failed miserably, partially because it was ugly, slow, and awkward, but also because Big Oil killed it. Fortunately, the geeks of Silicon Valley have not yet given up and have recently launched another electric car.

This time it's hot. Check out the Tesla Sportster from Tesla Motors and see a hot looking car that gets 250 miles to a charge, goes from 0 to 60 in under 4 seconds, and costs around 2 cents per mile. Expect to see it in California in about a year.

I can only hope it will take off, especially given my concerns about the sustainability of heavy use on lithium ion batteries. But suppose it does and the rest of the auto industry gets on board. There is a good chance you'll start seeing SmartCars powered by battery stacks rather than gasoline. And that's what most of us commuters need: 2 seater tiny cars that have a range of 300 miles and are cheap.

Onward!

The adventures should never end.