Good morning. ...

Last night I went to a Halloween party at Mike Hire's house. It was a lot of fun. Mike has a great love for the Halloween experience. He has a fun house in his garage with skeletons witches, and dragons. The garage is a maze with nooks and crannies of freaky things. He has enlarged the garage in multiple dimensions with the use of mirrors that makes some people question whether or not he has dug a hole in his garage floor.

I will link some images to this posting tomorrow. ... But for now, here is my costume.

— Jack

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Polly's Proteus

I sent an invitation to everyone in all the classes to join an Editorial email list, where we will learn how to post our own stories to the websites. We had several people join. Polly Hunter Hire, from the class of 1964, sent this email to the editorial email list. I took her email and wrapped this little preface, along with a flower that Polly liked and made this little presentation. ... Interesting all together is it not? — Jack

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Jack,

I joined the new list because I am interested in reading about the lives of classmates from FUHS. Nothing fascinates me more than learning about the challenges we've faced and where we are in our journeys. Being one of the military "Brats" meant that FUHS was one of three high schools I attended; but it meant more to me in every way because of the friends, teachers, and experiences I had while there. I am so grateful for having been there, and for the friendships that continue to this day. There are so many people whose stories I don't know; where did they go after graduation from FUHS? I know nothing about blogs or tools...I just wanted to be part of the conversation...

Polly

Because Polly is from the class of 1964, I posted this to the class of 1964. And because it is of multi-class interest, I posted it to the ClassAnnual home page.

(Join the Editorial email list FallbrookEditors.)

I saw this on "You Tube", and I thought we all could use a good thought after the recent upheaval — Jack

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Have a good evening.

Looks like a lot of fun!

I know a Place.

As we were talking the other evening about the evening Photo Meetup that (is to/did) take place in Downtown San Diego from the Old Town Trolley to the Gaslamp Quarter area of San Diego (depending on when you are reading this). Here are the Lyrics to the song Downtown, and the link to the right will take you to an audio of the song. — Jack

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Every day when the work is behind you
And the shop and the store put the lock on the door
Just get away where your worries won't find you
If you like, well I'll tell you more

Don't let the day get the better of you
When the evening comes there's so much to do
You better put on your best and wear a smile
Just come along with me awhile, cuz I tell you

I know a place where the music is fine
And the lights are always low
I know a place where we can go

At the door there's a man who will greet you
Then you go downstairs to some tables and chairs
Soon I'm sure you'll be tappin' your feet
Because the beat is the greatest there

All around there are girls and boys
It's a swingin' place, a cellar full of noise
It's got an atmosphere of its own somehow
You gotta come along right now cuz I tell you

I know a place where the music is fine
And the lights are always low
I know a place where we can go

Well, all around there are girls and boys
It's a swingin' place, a cellar full of noise
It's got an atmosphere of its own somehow
You gotta come along right now cuz I tell you

I know a place where the music is fine
And the lights are always low
I know a place where we can go

FADE
I know a place where we can go
I know a place where the lights are low

Darius and Steven's little poster Darius and Steven's Gallery

A couple weeks ago, Steven proposed to Darius. We went out and took a bunch of pictures for them to announce their decision to the world. It has taken a little while for the public announcement, so while waiting, I discovered a cool little tool and was playing around with the new software.

They make a great couple. Both are hard working and love dogs and each other. They have a nice house and are well on their way to a fine tomorrow.

We wandered over a lot of San Diego. There are images from Pacific Beach, La Jolla, and evening shots of San Diego. They were very happy all day long.

This little image to the right is a link to a larger version of the image, and directly under that link is a link to their entire gallery.

One other thing about the new tool. I am interested in telling some longer picture stories with the tool. If anyone wants to be a part of those projects, send me an email. -> ijak(at)mac.com — Jack

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Link to The Poster of the evening. Link to Craig's entire Gallery. Link to all Jack's Galleries.

A long time ago, in an earlier incarnation during this very life, I was an actor and a technician at San Diego's Old Globe Theater. Actually I should say, Craig Noel's Old Globe Theater. Craig has been the soul of the Old Globe since first coming to the theater as an actor 1937. Times change, the Old Globe grows up, and still involved, after all these years is Craig Noel.

In those many years, Craig created magic with little toys, young men and women, as the Theater developed. I count myself, in my earlier life, as one of the young men, and last night I renewed friendships with comrades that trod the boards in those cob-webbed memories. I saw people I had completely forgotten till the spark of Craig's unbirthday kindled the fires of long ago. And now, with two days to rummage around in my head stoking those sparks into embers, and embers to full flame, those younger selves dance across my mind. Thank you Craig for your gathering of friends. Because that is what Craig has always done.

His productions were a collaboration of friends. He is a great man. And this past Monday the 26th of September, 2005, Craig held a gathering of friends from all of those years at the top of the Park Manor Hotel in San Diego.

The composite photo to the right, links to a larger version of itself, and under that are a couple links that point to the entire gallery of photos from Craig's 90th un-Birthday party.

Thank you Craig,
One of your lost friends, Jack.

The images to the right link directly into the galery for the medium sized version of the images. They are pictures of Kermit together with his cousin, and Don and Peggy Durling with their old Olds. ...

Patricia's party for Kermit was a huge success. There were about 70 people there, six or seven from our class. The food was delicious. ... I did not take many pictures during the party, but there are some pictures of Kermit in a serape, with a very nice hat. There are some pictures of Sherry, Mary, and Richard. Ted Shephard was there as well. He drove down from the L.A. area, but he had to get home before it was too late, and he left before I pulled out the camera.

There is a whole set of images surrounding Kermit's Birthday (<-Link) That are in his gallery.

Lunch with Mike Hire

Mike and I went to lunch at Chillie's. I think I drove Mike a little crazy because he was being very gracious and would take me anywhere for lunch, for almost any price, but I am so easy to please, MacDonald's would have been fine. ... Or even, a banana sandwich in the kitchen. ...

We did spend a little time at Mike's house. We poked around in his office and looked at Mike's huge collection of pictures. We spend a little time on the Patio, and in the garden, looking at the collection of birds congregating around Mike's bird feeders

Thank you Mike, for a very pleasant afternoon. It was a gift.

These four images, to the right, are linked to four separate galleries. Together these galleries hold more than three hundred new photos. They are in date order, the most recent is the upper left, and the oldest is in the lower left. BUT, none of them are that old, they were all taken last week.

The lower right was an Earthquake Valley with Barry Bunker. Actually, we began on the Sunrise highway, and then moved through Earthquake valley, ending in Jacumba.

The next one was a day trip to Quail Gardens in Encinitas, and Torrey Pines State park, just south of Del Mar. I like the Quail gardens pond full of Water Lilies and frogs. And there is always something interesting at Torrey Pines.

The top two were taken because Val and Bill Loskota invited me up to the Huntington Botanical gardens, because of the unusual beauty of the cactus gardens this spring. After all, the spring rains have brought some very special colors into the cactus gardens. ... I also like the Japanese Gardens there. It has a wonderful arching bridge.


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Have a great time touring the gardens. — Jack

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WWF - Great Apes - Chimpanzees

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I just thought I would throw this into the mix. ... Sometimes email is very short, and words carry meanings through peoples eyes in the reading that was unintended by the writer. So some things said may seem unfair, and even hurtful. In the end, we must decide that the intent of the person initiating the received sleight is either, a friend with a bad choice of words, or just a plain bad human. — Jack

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CNN.com - Study: If it's unfair, chimps will forgive a friend - Jan 27, 2005
Study: If it's unfair, chimps will forgive a friend, But animal doesn't like it if a stranger gets the bigger piece

Chimpanzees' sense of fair play depends on who they're with, a study found.
Emory University
Yerkes National Primate Research Center

LONDON (Reuters) -- Chimpanzees have a sense of fair play but how much they will tolerate depends on who they are dealing with, according to scientists.

They will put up with being short-changed if they are friends or family of the animal getting the better deal, but won't allow any monkey business if it's a stranger.

'We found variation in the response of the chimpanzees that was based on the social group they were in,' said Sarah Brosnan, a researcher at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia."

(Via CNN.Com - Space.)
(Via The World Wildlife Fund - Chimpanzee.)

Jacks Photo Galleries

Good morning. The image, on the right, of the sunset has a link that will take you to the start of all my photographic galleries. That image is also on the front page of the website, and will also take you directly to all the galleries. If you use an RSS reader, the galleries have an RSS feed, so that you can see the newest galleries as they come online.

This is the RSS link to the galleries, without the weblog. RSS

As you may know, I have recently purchased a new camera, probably because you have read some of these postings earlier. Because photography has recently become something that uses large chunks of my time, I have written less and have many more images to show for that time.

I still have my ClassAnnual Weblog, but the weblog, for the first three days after receiving my new camera, became mostly postings about one new photograph collection or another, I thought the weblog got a little boring. So I have stopped posting new photographic galleries to the weblog and notifying you of them. Instead, I have created a link on the weblog photographic gallery, and I have started dating all the new collections. The newest of the collections will always be at the top, and the older ones move further down off the front page, and on to the second, third, and so forth.

The most recent notification I have made about the photographs was on November the 6th. There are four galleries since then. I shot some of my family for my sister. We went to Mount Soledad and down to La Jolla cove. That prompted a further gallery of the two places without family.

One Thursday a month, I go to a Meetup.com meeting of San Diego Photographers. That meeting starts about 9 PM at The Living Room Coffee shop in Hillcrest, but I usually get there by about 6 and work on my computer because the coffee shop has wireless internet access. This past Thursday I was down by the harbor prior to my Photo/coffee/group and took some pictures down there. Then I went to the coffee shop and shot some images in the late afternoon, then headed up to the coffee shop.

The new camera is like a film camera, in that I have control over exposure, and I can choose to not use a flash. The photos at the coffee shop were all shot without flash. The room is a little dark, so the exposure times are longer than needed to stop motion, but I feel the images show the warmth of the conversations.

Lastly Barry and I went to the San Diego Zoo. ... Something tells me it's all happening there.

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By the way, I hope you enjoy the photographs. Some of them are very nice. All them, when you get to the largest size, are large enough to make fine desktop images. Right now I have the flying Pelican from the "Mt. Soledad, La Jolla Cove" gallery as my desktop. ... That image replaced one of the earlier sunsets from the Joshua Tree National Park gallery.

If you want to print them, the largest image in the gallery can print only to a postcard size, but the look great on the screen. If you want a larger image, easily up to 24 inches let me know, it is just that those very large images take up too much server space to have them all online always. — Jack

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Jax trip to Joshua Tree National Park

To Joshua Tree National Park. ...
I have started hanging out with a group of Photographers, and this group is rather active in shooting trips. Monday, the 25th of October, 2004, one such trip was scheduled. This particular trip included, Sarah Morgan, Larry Truett, Dan Chusid, and myself. We left San Diego about 10:30 in the morning, Dan was driving, and we arrived to the park about 1 P.M. ... We took pictures all day, and these are my results. ... So the link to the right will take you to my images of that trip. Obviously that selected image is from the evening, but the images start about 1, and move on through the day to just after dusk.

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I hope you enjoy these images, because I rather enjoy some of them. — Jack

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Rain, after a record drought washes the streets, as I sit in the waiting area of Sundown Automotive, the owner, a long time friend, has his crew fixing the brakes on my car, making me safe for tomorrow. Money is tight, tighter than normal, making the choices between the essential, and the recommended, difficult. Locked in this space because I am wheelless until the car is repaired, and disconnected from the net so that I can get nothing done in a normal way with my PowerBook. Looking at yesterday, today and tomorrow, because I only have my mind to run around in, as I sit in this seat listening to Miss Peggy Lee singing "Fever" through the Muzak system. And it rains.

Finally making my way out of the depression of divorce. Reconnections being made with old friends from High School; we recently had our 40th year reunion. I have neglected my friends for a very long time while I searched for my self-standing reality. It is so very good to have my friends back in the environment that surrounds me, so that I can breathe the air they breathe, share experiences with them again, and lean on their strengths, and provide my own.

Making new friends through the connections of our mutual interests in computing, photography, open-minded discussions, and the just plain sharing of moments in time, made interesting by our being there.

A friend asked me whether I was sad.

I have been sad. There have been some down times, because life is a sine wave of transitional energy phases, but the energy level of my mean times sits at a level far above the populations mean. I love my lifes history, to date.

I have traveled many places, seen many things, lived in other countries, learned a second language, made contacts around the world. But times change, locations change, friends come and go. ... The wheel turns. In Denmark I learned the word for Christmas is Jule "Yule". It means "wheel". The ancients saw the world turning, and the wheel of life reborn as the days stopped growing shorter. The sun returned to warm the earth, melt the snow, and breathe life into the plants and animals. And so it is for me now.

Now I stand at the portcullis, making plans for life future tense, another turn of the wheel, standing with these old friends and new connections, soon to be good friends all. There are fifty-seven cycles of the wheel of knowledge, and experience, for me to funnel through that tomorrow gate. Everything cannot go with me through this unidirectional turnstile before me nor do I wish to bear everything. I want to shed the impedimenta of the past, becoming once again, the lean mean fighting machine, reset upon the trail, reading the signs that point my way.

There, shines the sun, under the edge of the clouds, streaming rays of auspice for those that have sight. Shall we go together?