Up in Smoke...

I actually had nothing to do with this. I was simply hanging out at the coffeeshop with my camera. All of a sudden, clouds of smoke! We all left a few minutes later. =)

Holiday Cheer in 30 Minutes or Less?

It was Christmas morning and I was on my way to my parent's house. This guy happened to be in front of me as I was driving along. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but it just struck me as odd. As always, I probably put way too much thought into these things but that sign isn't homemade. It's the kind of sign a pizza delivery chain would use. Is he delivering Gefilte fish in 30 minutes or less? Does he enjoy driving around randomly with that sign strapped to the roof of his car? Maybe he's protesting the fact that you can't post "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Hanukkah" anywhere without someone complaining? Does he know he left his fuel door open?

Joe's Gloves

These are Joe's gloves. I took this picture at the Undergrounds Coffeehaus of course, where else? I think he was showing these to me because he's selling them or something. Yes, its Christmas Eve and I'm hanging out at a coffeehouse taking random pictures of whatever people want to show me. =)

Sarah, with belts

This is my last photo shoot with Sarah before she moves to Portland. She's a great model. Thanks to Carole and her mom for lending me most of the belts.

Whistling Squirrel

So I was just walking along, minding my own business, when I heard someone whistling. I'm pretty sure it was the theme song to the Andy Griffith show. I looked all around but all I found was this squirrel.

West Palm Beach

This is City Place in West Palm Beach. The shops are closed and most people have gone home to bed. I like it much better that way. I was here visiting a friend and we saw the film, "Slumdog Millionaire". It was quite good.

Portuguese Man o' War

Today, I took a break from my work and walked along the beach. I don't spend a lot of time on the beach during the day but it was quite windy and the ocean was rough so I pretty much had the beach to myself. Soon, I saw another reason why the beach was deserted. The shoreline was littered with seaweed and little blue balloon-like objects. Growing up on Fort Lauderdale beach, I knew these were Portuguese Man o' War. My parents had warned me about them as early as I can remember. Every year I hear about some unfortunate tourist who touched one in the ocean, stepped on one that washed ashore, or even tried to pick one up, not knowing what it was!

Contrary to popular belief, the Man o' War is not a jellyfish. It is a specialized siphonophore. Its blue "balloon" is an air bladder which it inflates to float on the surface of the ocean. Long, venom filled tentacles dangle beneath the surface, paralyzing fish that come in contact with them. The following is from the Wikipedia article:

Detached tentacles and dead specimens (including those which wash up on shore) can sting just as painfully as the live creature in the water, and may remain potent for hours or even days after the death of the creature or the detachment of the tentacle.

Stings usually cause severe pain to humans, leaving whip-like, red welts on the skin which normally last about forty-five minutes after which it should subside. However, the venom can travel to the lymph nodes and may cause, depending on the amount of venom, more intense pain. A sting may lead to an allergic reaction. There can also be serious effects, including fever, shock, and interference with heart and lung action. There have even been deaths, although this is rare. Medical attention may be necessary, especially where pain is intense or there is an extreme reaction.

Stop Her!

I'm standing near the intersection of Oakland Park Blvd. and US1 in Fort Lauderdale. I'm looking for something to shoot. I see words within words. I move a bit forward and then to the right, watching for traffic. There's a bus coming. I step back. A moment later I step forward again and line up the words. Click. ISO 200 F/5.6 1/250.

I've had a very busy week. I spent all weekend trying to get caught up with client work after completely reconstructing my office. I shot this photo during my 4pm lunch break. No matter how busy I am, I always take a few minutes to sit and look at everything around me. I think many people would be surprised at the things they would see if they just took the time to notice. If I ever become so wrapped up in the commercial world that I fail to notice random things like this, I hope one of my friends will smack me. =)