Flickr Photos

I ran across a bunch of slides I'd taken from a photo class way back in Junior High, and decided to put them on my Flickr account. The photos aren't anything special at all, but might be of some interest to anyone who attended Clement Junior High in the 80's. So head over there and check them out at your leisure. Also, if you have any information about the people in the photos, please let me know and I'll update the information from them.
What is interesting about the class is that the students did all their work on black and white slides, so they could be processed in the school's dark room. The slides usually were covered with dust and debris, so even the best images would have a dated feel to them. I'm glad these survived and can't imagine that current photo classes use this medium any more. Digital cameras are so easy to use, and so low maintenance that a dark room would seem like a quaint lab to offer. Heck, I'm not even sure that the school has a photo class any more. But it was a great class during the years I was there, and was one of the bright spots of my day. Thanks Ms. Alexandrus!

Greater Morongo Basin Lobster

OK, this one came out of the blue. I was spending the day at the Greater Morongo Basin Nature Preserve and taking advantage of probably the last day of the month that will have less than 110 degree weather. I was checking out the local wildlife, and saw something strange in the small pond that runs through the center of the preserve. A flash of orange had caught my eye, and when I looked over the side of the boardwalk to investigate further, I was surprised to see a goldfish. A large goldfish. Now the exotic way to name these things is to call them Koi, but they're carp all the same. This one was about the size of a harmonica and was lazily drifting along in the cool water. When the current took him out of view I kept looking to see what else was in the water.
I saw another smaller goldfish. Then two more.
I have no idea what these guys were doing in the preserve, and they were probably thinking the same thing about the crayfish which was poking along the bottom. Yeah, a crayfish.
All I can imagine is that someone was having to get rid of their apartment aquarium, and couldn't stand the thought of flushing these guys out to sea. So they smuggled them into the park and released them into the wild. I can't say anything about the wisdom of such an action, but the fish seem to be doing well, and the crayfish looked happy. Or as happy as crayfish look. They don't really have faces, you see.

YouTube Videos Released

Tripwire in Rancho Cucamonga has dropped a batch of new videos on YouTube, and I'm glad to say that I'm in some of them! Of course the stars of the night are on the stage, but I'm in the crowd singing along with everyone else. They put on a great show, and I'll admit that almost all of the songs they cover are ones I have on my iPod at any given time.
Summer heat has decided to take up residency in the High Desert, and it's no fun. The unspoken rule is that you try to get as much done with your day before 11pm, because after that it's not really worth it. The heat is crazy, but the nights are fine. I'm a nightowl so I've got an advantage here. But the mid-day heat takes its toll in many ways. I'm not going to the gym before 9 at night. It shouldn't make any difference because the place is very well air conditioned, so even it it means a hot drive to the gym, it shouldn't affect the workout, right? Wrong. There's something unrewarding about doing a full workout after sweating in a car. And when the routine is over, there's no reward to leaving the building at noon. So for the time being, I'm putting in some late hours at the gym. It works, but it's strange. I'd much rather get my workout over with before lunch, but the 105 degree weather is keeping me indoors for now!
BBQ with the group this Monday. Heh, we'll see how that goes.

He Shoots, He Scores!

Second time getting published! In your face Van Gogh! Do you hear me? In your post-impressionist face! BOOYAH!