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John, while gazing at a hologram with is mom, had two distinct,
simultaneous thoughts that morning.
First
The flat picture seemed to have depth and movement. "I wonder,"
he said inside is mind. "I wonder if the person in that picture is
real and is looking out at me?"
John thought that perhaps... read more
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Secret Snow
© 2007 Bryan Costales
One day, high in the mountains, a mother and daughter were out
for a walk. Snow was plowed high along the road's edge, but the sky
was clear. The mother, as always, wished to prove herself superior
to her... read more
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John looked in the mirror and immediately his brain went in two
completely different directions.
First
John remembered that it took time for light to travel from him
to the mirror and back. Not much time, to be certain, but a tiny
bit of time. This caused John to conclude that his refection was... read more
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Wayne the sea gull was, perhaps, one of the dumbest birds
ever hatched. He weighed less than other birds because he
had a harder time finding food. His feathers were a mess, because
he was always flying into things he shouldn't. But because
Wayne was a sea gull, all he could conclude from his life... read more
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"I guess, when sails get old, they can rip," Phil said to Bob who was
steering the boat back home.
"Damn my dad," Bob muttered. Then looked hard at Phil and said, "Course
you being drunk didn't help."
Carol, Phil's girlfriend had just emerged from the companionway. "Hey,"
she snapped at Bob.... read more
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Dqaw was one one of the youngest members of the Bell clan. His
arrival late that day for the afternoon rest strangely offended
one of the oldest elders.
"Bong, bing, ding ding, ding," bellowed the oldster who let go of the
sky and floated down to Dqaw. "Ding ding ding!"
Dqaw, being among the... read more
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Little Sammy Sandstrum looked out the window at the rain. "Mommy," he
called. "Will the rain keep Santa away?"
His mother walked into the small front from the kitchen. She
wore a flour dusted apron and wiped her hands with a dish towel.
"No," she said. "Santa will be here, rain or snow or... read more
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Michael Spinnley disliked his name. He preferred to be called Mike.
Most of his friends called him Mike, but his parents insisted on
calling him Michael. Mike was only twelve, so that was a huge problem.
One blazingly hot Saturday, Mike bought a plastic bottle at a flea
market for a quarter. He... read more
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"What time is it?" Nancy asked her sister.
"Mrful Shoffy," Vicky answered from well tucked into her sleeping bag.
Nancy shook her sister gently. "It's light out."
Vicky's head poked out and sleepy eyes cast about for a reason.
"Too early," she said and pulled her head back into the bag... read more
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"Just look at that," Sam said. He was gesturing at the base of the back
window. "Somebody screwed that window shut."
Leonard finished pouring a cup of coffee and walked over to join
Sam at the little table that bordered the back window.
"What do you mean?"
"Just look outside. That's your fire... read more
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Laughing Hubb, the clown, threw a party for all his so-called friends.
Mostly the gang he called friends were customers who hired him
to perform. Other than that smallish group, he'd never made any
lasting friendships.
Because Laughing was a bit on the poor side, he decorated by... read more
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Bullets in the Fog
© 2007 Bryan Costales
Alan Dexter and Phil Morris were half brothers with a common mother.
Alan was older and taller, but not the wiser of the two.
When they had left for school that morning, the weather was
clear as a bell and sunny. But half way there, while... read more
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Santa Junior
© 2007 Bryan Costales
Dave Claus looked up to his old man. "Dad," he would often say.
"I want want to be just like you someday."
But his desire to become a Santa played ill while he was in school.
He was beaten by student thugs so often he became... read more
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The Chrome Helmet
© 2007 Bryan Costales
George was the first to notice that the helmet was odd. He paid
the kid in the parade $50 for the helmet.
"It belongs to the school," the boy... read more
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IHOP had been crowded, so Bill and Emma Cutter ate
brunch outside on the patio of a surfer-style restaurant
on Pier 39. Emma sat with her back to the street as was
her usual habit, deferring to her husband's desire to
watch the "goings on."
Emma had just finished her spinach omelet when she... read more
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Little Billy Moonsky crawled around the locked gate through
a gap so small an adult could never follow. He slid over the edge
to a gap below the ice floor. There he hid from his mean brother.
Under the floor the darkness seemed to suck all the warmth from Billy's
bones. His eyes gradually adjusted... read more
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Two young girls were playing in the park when they happened to spot
a dandelion. They ran over to it and plunked themselves down.
Nora Phibert was raised by new-agers that attended
Burning Man every year. She lived in the big house at the end of the lane.
Betty Wellmast lived mid-block in one of... read more
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L'Moe Defoet was born and raised in Brussels. When he was
eight years old, his father painted the tops of the stone
walk in front of their house with bright colors. "These are
marine-grade paints," he said. "They will last forever."
At 16, L'Moe survived the first great pandemic. His father... read more
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Gary the Gull failed to see things as they really were. A philosopher
might wonder if such a failing might prove his undoing. Gary,
however, was capable of no such pretense.
Gary began that day flying high above Oakland. Ahead of him
he saw a lake and flew across it. What Gary didn't know was
that... read more
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Young Wayne Mobblie looked forward to Christmas break.
He needed sleep and relished the thought of sleeping in
each day of the break, except Christmas morning, of course.
Wayne was sleep deprived because he awoke every night at
midnight to the sound of his parents fighting. They would
fight loudly... read more
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Sally Eternali was four hundred years old but inhabited
the body of an eight year old. She wanted to see the
reindeer exhibit at the zoo, so she arrived at the gate
early that morning.
Sally spotted a childless couple and stepped between them.
Taking their hands, she said, "I'm Sally, your... read more
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Bill Cutter had always been reckless and brave. He'd
worked on the railroad for years and thought nothing of
jumping off and on a moving train.
His vacations typically involved sky diving, or mountain climbing,
or back country bicycling. He had always been athletic
and active.
So, it blind-sided... read more
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Hannah Glow was supposed to meet her blind date under the sculpture
in the lobby of the Hyatt Regency only two weeks before Christmas.
Just that morning she'd talked to her sister Lucy on the phone
about that evening's date.
"How in the world could our mother have ever arranged such a thing?"... read more
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Andy Tipps liked to kick things. Ever since he was a boy, he found
sport in tagging his booted toe to someone's behind. As a teenager
he liked to toss a quarter on the ground and when another kid stopped
to pick it up, he would kick that kid in the behind.
Naturally, kicking made Andy disliked. In... read more
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The proto people were allowed to wander the fenced wooded
area. The p3 and p7 groups mingled. Thus far, they were the
only two groups that survived to childhood.
A slightly older p3 girl wandered separately from the group.
She was joined by a slightly younger p7 girl. Together they
found a patch... read more
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Tony Toyo crept quietly up the small rise, then fell
on his stomach to stay hidden and stared at the quiet
river. Across from him was a small town, lit and inviting.
Tony was the sole survivor of a massacre. He was a rebel.
Dressed like all rebels in bug suits, they'd crossed a
wide area too soon... read more
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Luis Groops remembered the first snow ever in San Francisco.
It drifted up against the stores and caused automobile
accidents in the streets. His parents told him it was a
fluke, a once in a lifetime event.
That was seventy years ago. Luis now sat comfortably
in an over stuffed chair, his legs... read more
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Juai B'Neust skated that night because the next morning
the weather folk predicted a dust storm. The dust storms
on Mars were huge and could last a week or longer. After the
water wars on Earth in the 2050's, terraforming went into
high gear on Mars. Currently, the air was thin, but enough
for Juai... read more
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Mike Helix awoke to the the sound of surf and a breeze
blowing through the palms. The smell of the sea surrounded him.
As he awoke, the house sensed his movement and faded out
the beach. Photo portraits appeared, tastefully placed around
the bedroom walls. Mike's
closet opened, and his freshly... read more
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Frank Hibro was thirty five and walked his dog for miles every day. Frank's
dog was a medium sized, mixed breed he'd rescued from the animal shelter.
The dog's name was Bowzer, because the dog reminded Fred of a commercial
he'd watched as a child.
Franked liked to drive to a new area each day, and... read more
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Jack Hill lived at the foot of Bernal Hill in San Francisco. He and his wife
Jill threw an informal barbecue every first Sunday of every month except
December. It was their way to give back to all their fine neighbors.
Jack laid out a dozen ears of corn on the grill for the few guests
he expected.... read more
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Dave Scales, half brother to Rod Scales, peered through
the Chinatown store window at two pairs of Chinese slippers.
He consulted his notebook which contained a description and compared
it to the slippers. The smaller pair was an exact match.
Inside, the proprietor greeted Dave. "Good... read more
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Alan Barkley was 30 years old and waited at the top of the
escalator for his mail order wife to arrive. He had dressed in shorts
and a T-shirt early that morning so that he could impress
her with how warm it was in Los Angeles. A 9:00 a.m. on the
dot, Alan shivered and waited.
A group of people... read more
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Colorado W. was her stage name. She stood in line in a fashion
store on the mall. She sipped
orange juice, and waited for her turn to purchase an on-sale
blouse. It was Black Friday, the big sales day following Thanksgiving,
a Friday in 2007.
Colorado was bored and needed a smoke. Her hair... read more
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Dave Doubleten had lead a remarkably dull and uneventful life.
He had never traveled, never flown, and never met anyone
interesting. Instead of living his life, Dave lived
vicariously by reading books.
Dave collected rare books, and signed first editions. He always
used book marks, and looked... read more
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Donna Gillio was a 4th grade teacher. She was driving herself
to work that morning in 1952, because her husband was at home
with the flu. It was a chilly morning in Concord, California,
with a light tule fog. Despite the car's heater, she wore a
wool button-up sweater to stay warm.
Donna thought... read more
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Rod Scales, Private Eye, was walking down from the breath-taking
views of Tank Hill, when he noticed a clock inside a window.
The clock read 2:30. Rod stopped in his tracks and said, "I'm
late."
Now understand that Rod Scales was never late. He was, sometimes,
a little early, but never, not ever,... read more
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Rod Scales couldn't believe, despite the rain the night before and the
delayed flight, he was finally standing on the walk of fame in Hollywood.
Over the years, Rod had traveled the entire state of California, and
most of the other states, but during all that traveling, he had
never before had... read more
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Rod Scales, Private Eye, was dressed like a tourist in plaid shorts and a T-shirt that
read, "Disneyland." He was in Universal Studio's City Walk working on a case.
Rod sat on a bench under a cow upside down in a car and rotated the Upstart Crow gift
bag so that it faced two men standing a dozen... read more
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Rod Scales, Private Eye, had no one with whom to celebrate seasonal
holidays. He had never married, and his few remaining friends
were, as he said, "Damned old stick in the muds."
To a significant extent, Rod's unattached freedom was responsible
for his Thanksgiving day flight to Burbank's Bob... read more
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Rod Scales, Private Eye, stood on one side of Market Street
and watched a woman on the other side of the street watch
the parade. She was Nell, wife to Judge Hapson. She always
seemed to dress in women's suits a half size too large and
wore low-heeled pumps. This morning she was limping and using
a... read more
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When Rod Scales was a young boy, his uncle Kevin Lynch would
visit whenever the circus stopped in Miami. Kevin had been
a problem as a young teen and hidden one day from the police.
When he ducked his head back, his face was burned on the left
side by a steam pipe. That left a long dark vertical... read more
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Rod Scales, newly minted Private Eye, was not a penny
pincher, but tended to be frugal. After all, he was
just starting out his career as a private detective and
was eating through his savings at an alarming rate.
Rod always bought his daily dose of fish at the little fish
market on Stockton... read more
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Rod Scales, Private Eye, flagged down a taxi on Market Street and was
surprised when an old-time yellow cab pulled up. He bent down to
make sure the cab was authentic, and was greeted by an frumpy
gentleman wearing a formal top hat.
"Good evening, Mr. Scales," the man said with a big smile. "Where... read more
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On a fine spring day in 1967, several people reported a blinding
light on Third street. When their vision returned, a body was
discovered slumped on the sidewalk against a green marble wall.
Police could find no identification on the body. The victim's
clothes were sent to the crime lab. Ozzie... read more
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Penny Wistom liked to enter contests. She preferred word contests
over those based on chance, so naturally was smitten by a web-based
"25 words or fewer" contest on the web.
The contest had a $1 per word entry fee, but guaranteed a one in two chance
of a minimum of $100 prize, with the... read more
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Rod Scales Private Eye visited the zoo on a rare sunny
morning in San Francisco. He paused on the steps of
the conference building and marveled at the fine
tile fresco that depicted children at peace among
animals.
Rod noticed a tile seemed loose. He wrongly thought that
by pushing it in he could... read more
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Rod Scales Private Eye disembarked the train in Galway,
Ireland, and immediately went in search of a taxi.
He walked out the main door and saw an imposing line
of buses. A ramp-like sidewalk lead down to the
cross street so he followed it down. At that end of the
building he found a Hotel but no... read more
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In his middle years, Rod Scales Private Eye made it a point
to document the town in which he worked. He carefully
crisscrossed San Francisco, taking photographs of every building,
front and back. He believed that such photographs would
be of value when his investigation business blossomed later
in... read more
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Rod Scales Private Eye was in hot pursuit of a toy napper. He ducked
under a tree branch and swerved left to avoid an amazingly large pile
of dog poo. Rod was not in that great shape to begin with and all that
running was beginning to wear him down.
Rod rounded the back of the Hall of Flowers and... read more
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Rod Scales lived briefly just off Cortland Avenue in Bernal Heights. He liked
the weather there because that part of San Francisco seemed most often
to escape the cold fog.
Rod liked to spend Saturday mornings in the library, researching old
news stories about California and its history. One... read more
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Gerrold LeBoff, owner of The LeBoff Restaurant, telephoned Rod Scales.
"Mr. Scales," he said. "On Sunday, I rode my horse
in the How Berkeley Parade. When
I returned to my restaurant afterward, I found the door unlocked but nothing
missing."
"Who else has a key?"
"No one. I have the only... read more
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Wayne Jeffers worked for Texas Instruments which provided
him with a Wyse terminal and modem for use at his home.
As Wayne typed, glowing capital letters appeared on his
screen. The letters appeared slower than he typed so he
had to pause every once in a while to wait for the screen
to catch... read more
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Rod Scales had heard that the lower end of Belgrave
Avenue in San Francisco was considered by some to be
a little slice of heaven. Rod reached the top of
Stanyan street almost totally out of breath from the
long uphill walk from the trolley stop. The last block
at the top had been steps rather... read more
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Rod Scales ace detective didn't think of himself as tall,
but standing there by the Primrose sisters he felt like
a towering redwood. Bess and her sister Rose barely
stood up to Rod's chest.
The sisters stood together in the back room of their candy store.
Dour looks on their faces, they stared at... read more
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Rod Scales sat in a comfortable sofa, part of a set
all covered in the same green fabric with a clear plastic outer
cover. He sipped a cup of overly sweetened iced, Lipton
tea from a tall thin glass.
"Just begin at the beginning," he told the couple sitting across
from him. It was their house and... read more
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Rod Scales, ace private eye, was born with the name Flying Velochki.
His mother performed a high wire act in the circus, and his
father was a vagabond who drifted briefly through his mother's life.
His mother named him Flying because that's what she did every day
on the high wire.
She gave him his... read more
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Rod Scales, private eye,
had been hired to track down and recover a stained glass
peace symbol of sentimental value only. It had been taken along with
other but valuable jewelry during a daylight burglary the week before.
Rod carried an 8x10 colored photograph of the lost peace symbol that
showed... read more
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Rod Scales was growing old and forgetful. He lived alone
in San Francisco and
had become a man of habits. He awoke every morning to the
same ritual, ablutions while coffee brewed, then coffee
to finally awaken at his bay window.
Rod had once been a private eye but was now retired. He missed
some... read more
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In the summer of 1968, John Speltzer went out into
the woods stoned on LSD. He took with him small tins of marine-grade
paint and religiously painted the tops of several tree
stumps. He slept in the woods and, when normal the next day,
used the painted stumps like bread crumbs of the old fairy
tail... read more
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Some say that when evil magic runs its course, beneficial
magic remains.
Wona Huevo worked days in a small back-room downtown.
She spent her days sewing "Made in U.S.A" labels on
imported garments. She always looked forward to
her trip home to see her son. She and her son lived
with her mother in... read more
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Laura Tafts found a nice hat in a flea market. It fit
her perfectly and was only a buck. Inside the brim was
a small strip of tape with the word "haunted" written
in a delicate script.
Laura knew that Halloween was the next day so thought little
of the label. Surely it must be just another... read more
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"I have in my pocket, a little pill that will make you young again," whispered the old man
in the black top hat.
"But," François leaned closer and whispered back, "If that is so, why do you
still look so old?"
"Would you trust me if I looked like a young man?"
"A little youth? Yes, I... read more
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Pam was not born like most folks, from a mother and father. Instead, she
was hatched from a pumpkin. This is why, it seemed to her, all her
early photos showed her playing among pumpkins.
On her twenty-first birthday, Pam was enjoying an outing with her friends.
They were exploring a corn maze... read more
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Danny and Donny were brothers who liked to play pretend war games
in the fields behind the hotel. Their mother worked the front desk
in the hotel, and let them play after school when the weather was nice.
This day was much nicer than most. The sun was warm and the air utterly
still. Not a single... read more
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Aggie Booth liked to gamble. Cards, horses, it did not
matter to him. Anything that involved a wager worked.
So Aggie was tickled to receive an invitation to a special
event for folks like him. The invitation was embossed in gold
on a stiff card and invited Aggie by name. Aggie smelled
the... read more
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The vandose was invented by science to control population
growth. The theory proposed held that if mankind could
no longer go out at night, the human population would
begin to decline. It was hoped that after 200 years,
the population would drop to a sustainable one billion
worldwide.
The vandose... read more
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Morgan Nelson lay on the gurney in the back of the
ambulance, his tummy on fire, his hands and feet numb,
and his head like a fuse-lit bomb. He thought back to
dinner and wondered why so many people would be poisoned.
The gang always met at Alphrado's after work Fridays for drinks,
conversation... read more
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Little Kenny knew better than to disobey his parents, but
the shiny toy was just out of reach. He pulled off his
life vest that was tethered to the boat and crawled to the
toy, a blue plastic fish.
The boat rose on a not-too-gentle swell which caused
Kenny to slip and fall overboard.
Kenny was... read more
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Death was always careful to avoid touching anyone who should
not die just yet. In crowds, he would wend his way like a wisp
of smoke between moving people, never touching, until he arrived
safely next to the one whose life he was supposed to take.
Death was in a bit of a rush that morning. He... read more
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A fish story
© 2007 Bryan Costales
The Sanchez brothers loved to fish on Sunday afternoons.
Generally the Delta weather was mild and the fishing good.
Juan Sanchez was the oldest and knew the waters best. "The
turn below the old bridge," he had decided that... read more
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The Dock End
© 2007 Bryan Costales
Henry Stacklov bought a six pack of beer and headed
down the dock to his boat. He set the six pack
on the deck and was about to step aboard when he spotted
a wing floating in the... read more
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The ghost appeared looking much like a white shadow under the tree.
Greg Tuffly eyeballed the ghost, reached out to touch it, and said,
"What the heck are you?"
The ghost pointed with a pale hand at the berries in the tree. Its
voice seemed like wind whistling through the cracks of a broken... read more
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Sally and Sandy were twins. Sally liked to sail and see
movies, and so did Sandy. Sandy liked the beach and
the zoo, and so did Sally.
One morning while digging in the sand at Ocean Beach,
a rogue wave swept in and washed both girls out to sea.
Because they were twins, they washed out... read more
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When Mitch Doogle died, his wife got it into her head to
ship his clothes to their son. She boxed them in brown
boxes and shipped them UPS. She checked the web site like
Mitch had taught her and was relieved when the web site
said the boxes had been delivered. She waited, and months
passed before... read more
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Mary Mich-Yang enjoyed the rare warmth of the afternoon.
The seawall overlooked the Pacific Ocean, a vast body of
water that extended from the sea wall to the horizon.
She leaned over and looked at the water licking the concrete
a mere few feet below where she stood.
"You know," said the man... read more
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Sadie Sidewell was a young girl but had a cracker-jack mind
for numbers and mysteries. Last Saturday morning, for example,
she counted the top-story windows in the building on the
U.C. Berkeley campus. Some, like the
tower, had only one very high up, while others, like the student store,
had... read more
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Balthar VI was sent back in time to fix a small problem. He landed
in the middle of a parade. Not the most quiet of entries, but one that
might, he felt, fit his needs.
Balthar turned on his cloak of invisibility, and lollygagged until he fell
back into a group of musicians. There he dropped his... read more
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A fine, sunny Sunday found the two on a walk south of Market.
The visitor had just seen the military cemetery at the Presidio
the day before, so was confused when they passed the freeway.
"You Yanks are so bizarre. You put a cemetery right next to
a busy road."
His San Francisco friend didn't... read more
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On her way home, Rhona Finnes was startled by a crooked
little sign on a wall. It appeared to advertise a new
show. But the juxtaposition of the poster next to a large
M just seemed plain wrong to her.
Rhona studied the poster, but could find no reason for her
disquiet. She shrugged and continued... read more
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Jenny Strems worked in reception at a recording studio
on the south end of Dublin. Traffic in town was always
so bad that she never drove. Instead she liked to stay
in shape by walking. That gave her the opportunity
to sit at the occasional bench and work on her short
story writing.
Usually she... read more
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After work every day, and still well dressed,
Jason Fields would stop at the
cafe across from the park and pick up an herbal tea to-go.
He would then cut across the park, loitering when the
weather was nice or hurrying when it was blustery or rained.
After the park it was a brief walk around the... read more
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When Edgar Waggons moved from Wyoming to Berkeley, he hauled
with him his carefully restored Model-T Ford. He parked the
Model-T in his garage in North Berkeley and there left it.
Unlike Wyoming, Berkeley was temperate all year round. In Wyoming,
Edgar used the winter nights to restore his... read more
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Joshua Bean was night guard at the zoo. He liked to
eat "lunch" by the carousel because it seemed open
and peaceful there. On the night of his first
full moon there, he noticed a glow from the carousel
enclosure.
Joshua thought the glow might be from a flashlight, so
he left his lunch and went to... read more
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Bitta Yongo was afraid of dolls. On day at the outdoor market
she happened upon a bin of toys. As she reached for a fuzzy bear,
a doll raised its arm toward her and said, "Adopt me."
Bitta screamed and ran.
The shopkeeper called after her in French which she did not
understand, "Revenu. Revenu.... read more
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The blue Screwheaded people arrived from another planet over
five years ago. With only one foot, they hop from
place to place, but are always frendly and fun to
have around. The never talk, and never interact with
humans.
Yenta Doodle was sunning her baby in the park that
afternoon. She watched a... read more
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Rick O'Mally was a loquacious old bloke. He no longer worked but still
lived at home with his aged mother. His pension was enough
to keep them living well. With a bit of extra in his pocket at month's end,
he was wont to nip a bit at the pub.
A nasty foreign fellow was sitting at the bar when Rick... read more
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The old robot was very old. At 10,000 years he considered
himself no longer a spring chicken. The old robot never had
a name, but a few hundred years ago he found a companion,
a smaller robot. She called him Bob. He called her Betty.
Bob examined his face in the mirror. "You know," he told
Betty,... read more
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"Where did I come from?" asked little Debby.
"We found you," her dad said. He rummaged through
a pile of photographs and pulled out one showing
Debby's older sister behind a metal elephant.
"Here, Debby, look at this."
Debby looked at the picture and... read more
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There is an old joke that says, "You can tune a piano, but
you cannot tuna fish." This is not to say that it is a good
joke. Rather it is a pun --a play on the pronunciation and spelling
of words. One might argue that the difference between a joke and
a pun is like the difference between a smile... read more
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Hans Deilich had been an engineer with AMTRAK years before.
The train he'd been driving on the Sacramento to Oakland
run struck a car in an intersection and killed the woman
inside.
Hans retired from the railroad and swore to himself he
would never operate a train again. But one can seldom
resist... read more
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Landrew McAllen was eighty years old and felt himself too
feeble to ever ride a carousel horse again. He seldom got
out of the house and, when he did, he had to use a walker
to get around. This weakness in his legs irritated him no end.
The shop keepers had to listen to his complaints whenever
he... read more
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Patio Furniture
by Bryan Costales
Zeek Baggs was an big man. He stood a head taller than
most men, and was built like a grizzly bear. He worked days
spreading asphalt for roads, and liked to hang out and drink with the
guys every night and tell... read more
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It was a hot summer in Capps Campground. Jackie was
sweating plain and simple. Too hot. Jackie was thirty
that afternoon and bored so she walked to the old
bridge and looked at the names carved into it.
On a whim, she carved a heart and wrote her name at the
top. "There," she said to herself, "Now... read more
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The glowing rose
by Bryan Costales
There was once a rose garden, and like all rose
gardens the roses therein bloomed only after the
rains abated. It was in this rose garden that
an odd rose was discovered, a black rose that glowed a
bright red when... read more
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Harry, Luis, and Franz were three buddies that always had a great deal of fun
together. Harry only spoke English and American English at that,
which he tended to speak too fast. Luis only spoke French, but
with a Parisian accent. And Franz only spoke German, albeit with
an occasional... read more
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The light through the window at his hall's end seemed
much brighter than usual
as Wayne Hobbon stepped out of his apartment.
He glanced down the hall and wondered what could be so bright
outside.
Wayne pulled his door shut with a firm yank and slid his key
into the lock. He noticed the shadow of... read more
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M Trocker wrote science fiction. She never used her
first name because it seemed too staid and un-writer-like.
M liked to write on sunny afternoons while in the park.
Any park would do, provided it was sunny and warm and
provided there were dogs about to bark occasionally.
M began her short story... read more
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If you wish to see a country, nothing beats a trip by train.
Dora Blixen always traveled by train. So it was no surprise
when, one day out of the blue, she decided to ditch work
and travel to Galway on the other coast.
Along the way she met a nice man named Al who was from
the states and who... read more
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I remember my brother peddling down the sidewalk that afternoon.
Someone took our picture and just a few months later a man
called. He wanted my brother to appear in an advertisement.
The day after my fifteenth birthday, my brother left for
the States. I never saw him again in person, only on... read more
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Tina Glassom spent every weekend (when her parents allowed) and most
school days (when the tide was out) to look for treasure. She had once
found an old book in the back of their basement tucked among rotting wooden
boxes. It was hand written and spoke of a modest treasure buried in
the harbor at... read more
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A summer home overlooking the sea, the advertisement
had read. In sunny Ireland.
John Flags, born and raised in Key West, always felt his
real home was in Ireland. A bit of the Blarny Stone was
in his blood and he, indeed, had the gift of gab.
The flights were long, from Key West to Miami, then... read more
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Phillip Nophace had never, ever in his life, been able
to remember what his own face looked like. At an early age
he learned to pretend he did to avoid questions. But every
time he looked in the mirror, a stranger would stare back.
Monday morning his phone rang. It was Bob, his buddy from
Oakland.... read more
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They had been selling super powers at the local Supermart that
morning. Joey had dropped fifty on fast running, figuring it
would help him snatch purses, his only source of income.
He noticed that fast thinking was very pricey at over two hundred.
But he could not imagine what good fast thinking... read more
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Bobby Talfey was twelve years old. All he had was his
mother and, because she was sick and couldn't work, they
were on public support. They ate well enough, but his mother
could not hold food down because of her pain pills.
Bobby liked to fish on Saturday mornings, because he was
off from school... read more
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When Jill met Rodney she found him cute and loved that he liked to
hang out in the shade at the edge of the park and neck. In fact,
Jill found so many things of Rodney's to be cute, that
she eventually married him. She never wondered why Rodney
wanted his picture taken, there in the edge, so... read more
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1967
Terri Costa and her new husband Bernie splurged that day and
ate at the restaurant overlooking the Grand' Plaza. Terri
had roast lamb which was delicious and Bernie enjoyed Bouillabaisse.
When the meal ended they both turned to gaze out the windows
and the busy square below. Terri noticed the... read more
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Grandma leaned back in her rocker and smiled warmly.
All her grandkids, me included, had been called
to her because she "was getting on in years," and
wanted to depart her wisdom to us.
"Today," she always began with the obvious, "I will
tell you about how I met your grandpa, my husband."
"Ah... read more
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Jerry Blue was stuck. He had been trying to write a new song
for weeks. But every time an idea struck him he felt his
mind grow blank. He felt dried up.
Jerry spent every morning like all mornings. He bought
a croissant and coffee on his way to the park. He made sure
to eat the croissant before... read more
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"Oh, I get it," Gail nudged her husband Al. "The closing
times must be when the sun sets.
9:30 is nice for the summer, but don't you find
4:30 for the winter just a little frightening?"
Al didn't like cold weather and hated snow. Why he ever
accepted a job in Dublin was a mystery to himself and... read more
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Della Diablure was born a giant. By the time she was fifteen
she was already the tallest person in her school. At eighteen
she was seven feet tall and invited to join the basketball team.
This broke her heart because she was no good at sports.
Della dropped out of college early
and decided to... read more
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Helen Doboul had been alarmed all morning. She awoke to
find her husband and baby gone. The telephone would not
answer no matter who she called. The streets were deserted.
Helen broke down and wept. Then someone bumped into her.
But there was no one there.
Helen took the stroller with her and... read more
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The text message on his mobile phone only said, "In front of the
Bryson at 14:00 promptly." Al Flemming arrived early and
leaned against the light post out front. He glanced at his
watch a few nervous times and noted it was now ten past.
At last his mobile rang and he answered too quickly,... read more
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Bryan Costales Sunday 2 September 2007
This photo was uploaded on April 27, 2007 for display
in this photo blog. We have used this interval of
recovery from an overseas trip to catch up with
a bit of... read more
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Bryan Costales Saturday 1 September 2007
This photo was uploaded on April 27, 2007 for display
in this photo blog. We have used this interval of
recovery from an overseas trip to catch up with
a bit of... read more
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"Look," whispered Nick into Al's ear. "Up there.
Under the bridge. Do you see it?"
Al removed his sunglasses and put them on his hat. It was hot
that morning, walking in the creaked. His feet hurt and he was
beginning to think Nick was a liar.
All peered at the bridge. "Where? I don't see a... read more
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Sammy Squirrel had been bitten by a flea the week before and
now felt loopy and friendly. So when a bunch of human campers
arrived, Sammy felt, oddly, that he should welcome them.
Sammy found a pine cone and feverishly worked on it. He pulled
out pine nuts and ate them, then remembered what he was... read more
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Two old wooden clothes pins liked to hang out in the
shade all day. They talked about the old days.
"I recall that sunny afternoon in the back yard. A fresh
sheet, I tell you, the softest most white thing you'd ever
see."
"You remember the rain of 86? I thought we'd be stuck in
that box in the... read more
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Lance Lewis looked at the address and examined the contest
rules once again. Sponsored by Jack's Tires, the goal was to
find the one house in San Francisco whose address exactly matched
its number of steps. The rules defined steps and addresses, and
detailed what was, and was not, a step.
Lance... read more
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Ken Tucker bent over to pick up a quarter when he felt
a hard kick in his butt. He nearly lost his balance
but managed to stay on his feet. Unfortunately the
quarter went sailing out of his hand and dinged
and rolled across the floor.
Where moments before had been a boarded up doorway
below the... read more
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Harold Duffs clutched his chest in pain. He felt as if
he had been simultaneously hit front and back by a baseball bat.
Harold looked at his hand on his chest and saw blood.
"Oh my," Harold said. "I think I've been shot."
Harold dropped to his knees and looked at the City
before him. He noticed... read more
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Daryl Johnston and Aaron Pelter
considered themselves good looking young
men. They excelled in sports and acted in drama together.
They hung out with the same group and went out on double dates together.
In short, they were best friends.
Then, one day, Daryl discovered photography.
Daryl filled... read more
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Danny read the note again. "Where Shephard begins, wait under the green
ladder." After three false starts he finally figured out that Shephard
was the street. This is the strangest blind date I've ever been on,
he mused. The green scaffolding resembled a green ladder, so he waited
uncomfortably... read more
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Bob stood at the farmers' market that afternoon and stared
down at the empty bin. He liked the farmers' market because
of the good smells and the fresh produce he would sometimes
buy. But there was somthing about that empty bin, on that
particular morning, amid the smells and crowds, that... read more
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Two bland mailboxes rested on a post. They remained mostly
quiet, but would occasionally
discuss the plight of their owners. One was owned by an
poet who worked at home. The other was owned by a woman who
commuted into the city for a dull job.
Because of their peculiar schedules the two owners had... read more
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We all worry about gaps. Some of us worry is about
the growing gap between rich and poor. During the Cold
War we worried about the Missile Gap and the Bomber Gap.
Otherwise normal children will worry about gaps in teeth.
But those same children find it fun to leap a gap.
Those that work on cars... read more
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Once there was a pure white dishtowel, about a meter square.
He hung around all day from the handle of the kitchen fridge lending
a hand when called upon. He was willing to sop up any
spill, even sticky eggs or oil, and did so cheerfully.
One Halloween, the dishtowel began to worry about... read more
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Berkeley is located almost due east of the Golden Gate. During
summer and autumn months the Central Valley heats sooner and becomes warmer
than does the coast. The effect is a lower air pressure inland which
causes wind to flow from the coast toward the interior. This
west-to-east air flow is... read more
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When you first visit the
Grand Canyon you can only appreciate its size because you already know it is huge. But a real sense of its size cannot be understood until you view people far below
hiking on a trail. In that instant the mammoth nature of the Grand Canyon snaps into reality.
The human... read more
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Josh Hoffer was homeless and slept under the
train crossing. He didn't mind the noise of the midnight
freight because the crossing kept him warm and
dry even if it rained. Because of Josh's location,
at the edge of town, he was the first to notice the
new tree.
An unusually hard rain fell that... read more
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Once there was a planet of bicycle beings who, like the planet
of humans, had downtrodden masses and their leaders.
Custard was a young red bicycle with
chrome undiminished by years. His bright sidewalls wowed the
females and his tough manner caused others to revere him as
leader.
He called a... read more
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A horizontal rectangle is not the only format for a photographic image. Perhaps we have become accustomed
to that shape because of the common experience of television. But other shapes are equally valid.
Wide horizontal shots may be dictated by the subject
or imposed by the equipment.
Panoramas... read more
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The Statue of Liberty wears a crown with seven spikes.
Those seven spikes are supposed to represent either the
seven seas or the seven continents.
Americans have never had royalty that they could emulate as their own.
The closest thing to a crown wearer is the Statue of Liberty.
Often at fairs and... read more
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All performers love the sound of applause.
When many people
clap with the same timing that is called clapping to the song.
Applause is the the
sound of many people clapping asynchronously.
But why should only performers love the sound of applause? Don't we
all, upon doing something well, crave... read more
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There once was a balloon which was huge, bright red and, at the
same time, invisible. Now this might seem like a contradiction, but
situations like this can sometimes exist in the world of magic.
A great and powerful magician was working the crowd one fine
sunny afternoon in the City. His wife... read more
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And so it went, and went, and went.
Communism. Beginning in the 50's, if a person walked
around in a communist hat he risked being beaten up.
Nowadays, however, a communist hat is nothing more than
an funny looking piece of headwear. Once an object that would
illicit rage, a commie hat is now a... read more
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What runs through a man's mind just before a race?
Does he think of strategy and the effort about
to be spent? Does he remember dinner the night before and
wonder if the mix of carbs to protein was right?
Does he worry about getting to work on time afterward?
A beginning is a curious place to... read more
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A thousand years had passed during which wars had been fought,
plagues had scrubbed life clean away, and temperatures had soared
until the seas almost boiled. The next thousand years passed
peacefully because life had been extinguished on earth.
Machines were all that lived. Once built to wage war... read more
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Silver was a simple bicycle who sometimes hated himself
because his friends would,
from time to time, taunt him with "Hi ho Silver."
Silver's one weakness was cheap booze, for when he drank
nothing would ever bother him, including he believed,
the taunts of others.
Saturday found Silver cruising... read more
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Freida was a woman who thought herself the most ugly woman in the world.
She was bald except for hairy warts covering her head. Her face was pocked,
and black hair grew from odd places. She slumped over because of a hump
on her back and she had six fingers on each hand.
Billy was janitor in a... read more
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When Nora first saw the house, she was amazed at how long
and tall it was. It ran downhill at least a block and a half,
and was staircased and spooky in its look.
Nora examined again the slip of paper where she had jotted
the message. A cheap way to get from San Francisco to New York
City, and... read more
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Joe swung his hammer hard and missed the nail. In fact
he missed the board entirely and the hammer flew from
his hand. With a wide eyed look on his face he watched
the hammer arc across the alley to strike a fireplug, chipping
paint off.
Joe struggled to his feet and wiped the sweat from his... read more
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That which does not change, becomes invisible.
Consider, for example,
a cemetery like the National Cemetery in the Presidio. From day to day, this
cemetery changes little, if at all.
Driving past it every day, the cemetery
soon becomes a constant. A patch of green
peppered with white that flashes... read more
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Imagine what it would be like. You come home one evening after
a hard day's work. You go to your back door to see why your dog
did not greet you. You find the pet door gone. Outside, in
its original place is a small sign reading
Due to rezoning of this area, no pet door may be lower than... read more
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Jeffrey hated painting that garage door. At his father's insistence,
he painted it every spring, each year applying a bright blue coat over
a freshly sanded surface. It was hard work, and usually hot
in the spring, and Jeffrey was not getting any younger.
Jeffrey's father died when Jeffrey was... read more
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Male artists such as photographers, painters, poets, and writers tend to dress
in colorful clothing. Male businessmen and ordinary workers tend to dress in
drab outfits such as grays and blacks.
Perhaps artists have discovered what is known in the bird and animal world,
that the male is the one... read more
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"Exercise," Everyman mumbled. "Bah humbug."
He walked home late one night last spring, and growing tired, thought
he would shortcut through Esprit Park. A gang of kids soon
surrounded him and demanded his money. He handed over the money
thinking that would be that, but one of the kids punched... read more
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The Jeremiah O'Brien
is one of a class of liberty ships built during World
War II. The federal government moved into Sausalito, raped the
land, and entered the ship building
business in the mid-1940s.
It was necessary to build ships quickly to help fight the war.
After the war, the shipyards were... read more
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Mr. Bunny was a happy go lucky guy who loved nothing more
than bringing happiness to small children. He was a toy
bunny that loved to be snuggled and petted and would squeak
when squeezed for reasons that were beyond him. He had been
purchased second hand, but that seemed never to matter.
He took... read more
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The
Red and White fleet
of ferries offers a July 4th special for viewing the
Independence Day fireworks on the bay. The cost is reasonable
(half the cost of competitors who also sell food) and
sells liquor, soft drinks, and chips for snaking.
The captain of our boat was the most
aggressive on the... read more
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Alcatraz Island was a prison. I once overheard a person viewing
Alcatraz to say, "They had it good. They had windows. Modern prisons
don't have windows."
Now this might make you think that prisoners have it worse now. But
California prisons are in trouble
because they are not providing
prisoners... read more
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Born in the 1930s in Philadelphia, Laughing Sal, and her
Laughing Sam
were soon separated. Sal was sold into exile on the west coast where
she became an icon of San Francisco's Playland.
Sam exploded into the heavens and
inspired Jimmy Hendrix to write "Laughing Sam's Dice."
Sal's fame... read more
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Young girls are given dolls with which to play and fantasize.
Young boys too can be given dolls, but those dolls are usually
called action figures or play cars. No matter what kind of doll
a child possesses, each can use that surrogate figure to play at rehearsing life
scenarios. A lady doll is... read more
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If you have seen Brokeback Mountain, you can imagine why
one would oppose marriage for such two-timers as those two.
Each was married with children, yet the two (movie star caliber)
handsome men loved each
other in a world that feared and hated such love.
But look at the two men in this photo. No... read more
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Little Billy arrived at his 6th grade class with two dollars in
his pocket and a mission from his mom. "Billy," she had told him before
he left home that morning. "Here's two dollars. I want you to stop
by the store on the way home and pick up a really good vegetable."
"What kind?" he asked.
"Oh,... read more
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If you ever talk to an artist at a fair or festival, one thing
you will doubtless discover is that the hardest part of creating
art is selling it.
One method, as shown here, is to create art
on the spot, charging for each custom creation. This can be done
with drawings, of course, but with other... read more
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Go outside to your front steps, your deck, or your patio. Lie
on your back and hang your head back over a step or a rail.
Look at the world upside down.
Not everyone can do this. Not because they are unable, but
because they fear a world in which it is possible to fall up.
In childhood, the Three... read more
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A bubble
has a short lifetime. Shorter than insects and, in fact,
shorter than most things other than some sub-atomic particles.
A bubble's life begins when a soap film gathers around a chunk of
air. If the day is warm or breezy, a bubble may seem to rise for a while,
then descend. Almost anything... read more
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The difference between a boat and a ship is just one of scale.
Few would disagree with the assertion that this is a boat.
It is powered by oars and is too small in which to stand safely.
A boy can become a man. A girl can become a Woman. A joey can
become a kangaroo. But a row boat can never... read more
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We all learned when young that retailers will price goods
a penny or two under an even dollar so that we will "feel"
that an item is cheaper than it really is. Visit any
large or discount store and look at the prices. Is there
any reason other than trickery to price an item at
$2.98 rather than... read more
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People see all sorts of things in clouds.
Imagine lying on your back on a blanket spread over newly
mowed grass, hands behind your head watching fluffy clouds.
"A bus," you announce, then chuckle. "With ears."
"No," your companion counters. "A French bulldog crouched because
he is tired."
We each... read more
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When Americans fly their flag it can represent
a wide range of motives. Perhaps
it flies in support for the war, in support for our
fire fighters, or in support for the president. But it, almost
certainly, does not fly in support of taxation.
When an American sees a British flag, a vacuum... read more
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Originally, this photo was taken with the idea that it would
appear under the
"streetlights"
category. Later, when processing, discarding, and categorizing
images, it was clear that the streetlights pictured were not the point
of this photo. One option was to put this photo under night... read more
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Big links, especially huge rusty links, can be symbolic of
aging friendships. No matter how corroded or roughly coated
they become they still hold fast. A hot torch
might cut those massive links, any such cut would take
a long time to happen and could never go unnoticed.
But.
Some focus not on... read more
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Huge wheels and powerful motors are required to pull cable
cars up and down the hills of San Francisco. Each cable is
roughly 2 inches (5 cm.) in diameter and made of steel. A one-foot
long piece on display felt like it weighed thirty pounds.
Imagine how much weight the whole system weighs and how... read more
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Jawbreakers, known as Gobstoppers in Europe, are a hard round candy
that a kid can suck on for hours.
Steve considered himself wise when he reached
age fifty. He'd managed, or so he thought, to try most everything by then. He'd smoked,
tobacco and pot, drank all sorts of bad things, used drugs,... read more
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One mushroom was talking to another mushroom in a relativistic
way. "I love the snappy look that needle gives to your cap," he said.
"Thanks," whispered the second with a blush. "And I like the
way the green grass sets off your beige."
A worker ant happened to be... read more
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One wants get a shot of the bridge with a warehouse underneath.
But, drat, those pesky wires are in the way.
Person-A composes the shot with no regard to the wires, because
person-A uses photoshop at home and knows how effortless it is to
remove wires from any shot. To person-A the wires are at... read more
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Too close is ugly but can be beautiful. Imagine a country
stream, bubbling, and gurgling under flowering trees on
a warm afternoon. Now get down on your hands and knees
and look at the banks of that creek. Strangely ugly
crawly things exist there. Look closer and see scaly
lichen and limp moss. Now... read more
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The roots that line the Canal Du Midi can be very attractive,
yet serve an important purpose. By tangling with the roots
of neighboring trees, they form a strongly woven mesh that
holds the shore together. Where trees are absent, because
of the presence of a town or a river crossing, the roots... read more
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The Sacramento River, and other rivers, feed the San Francisco Bay
complex of bays, wetlands, and estuaries. The outward flow of
river water through the Golden Gate and into the ocean
is immense. But as immense as that
flow is, the opposite flow of a rising tide is even stronger.
When the ocean... read more
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The mobile phone is becoming the ubiquitous camera.
It is almost impossible to travel anywhere these days
without finding dozens of people snapping away with
cell phone cameras. Fortunately, the resolution of phone
cameras are low so they are little threat to professionals.
But their quality can... read more
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Wonderful indeed to have a helpless shadow that lays
among the bird poop and shell scraps, unable to pick
up even a piece of rope. Next time you notice your
shadow, thank it. Your shadow does always what you cannot.
Your shadow is drowned by puddles, stepped on by strangers,
evaporated when you... read more
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Downtown
Little Joey's dad had carved him a top, not a fancy one
because his dad was unskilled and kind of dumb and died
that previous winter. But Joey
loved that top because his dad had made it. Every afternoon
after school Joey would sit in the shade on the sidewalk
and spin his top. The top was... read more
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One means to owning a park is to just purchase some parklike land,
like that in the picture,
and use it yourself. By excluding the public you have created
a private park. If you were to do this in the center of town
you might become resented. Imagine buying a vacant lot, surrounding
it with a high... read more
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Many recommend vertical growth
as the means to counter the scourge of suburban sprawl.
The SOMA (South Of MArket) area of San Francisco hosts several new
residential high rises illustrative of this goal.
Each is 50 or more stories high and represents 200 or more
new homes. That is 200 or more... read more
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Unusually warm that day in San Francisco.
Officer McBryan walking off duty down the Lyon Street
steps. The year was 1960, so he wore slacks and a short sleeved
dress shirt. His pistol, a snub-nosed 38, was obvious in his
shoulder holster because he carried his coat over his arm.
His shiny black... read more
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The artist Keith Sklar
created this mural on a huge wall facing the street. He has also been shown in many
exhibitions.
We should be proud to have such art on public display in San Francisco.
It is a shame that it is beginning to show signs of damage due to graffiti.
A sign of how some... read more
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Email from Dr. Carter arrived recently that held the claim:
Thought I'd fix your photo up a little, so that it would look more
"realistic" .
Below you can see the image he supplied that he claims improves
upon the above image.
Alan... read more
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The
F-line
runs from the Castro to Fisherman's Wharf on
surface track. These trolleys are
restored classic trolleys
from all over the world. A ride on one of these beauties
is like stepping pleasantly back in time. It is too bad
there are too few of them for reliable service.
There are no... read more
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A big, bold basketball
married a pretty little soccer ball.
Over the years the couple had three children.
The
football was the oldest and already on his way to
a sports scholarship at Cal. A graceful
tether ball was second
oldest and just knew she would marry and spend her days
hanging around the... read more
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The point of view from which a story is told determines how
the reader interprets it. In the Stan Freeberg audio play
"United States Of America" Columbus discovered Indians
on the beach. But an Indian said to Columbus, "No. We discover you on
beach here. It's all how you look at... read more
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A rarely seen 130 lock
With scissors you can cut off a lock of hair and use
that hair to voodoo another, or scare away the competition.
With skill you can lock in a good job and become a working
stiff for the rest of your life, unless as a wrestler.
With strength you can put a hammer lock on... read more
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Inside of a bar at night
Ever been drinking in a bar, and had your attention drawn
to an odd bowl of something on the counter? At that moment,
the rest of the world fuzzes
out and your entire world becomes that bowl.
Because this is France, the bowl probably does not contain pretzles
or nuts or... read more
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Street lights reflect on what a rainy day it is
Some believe a world exists apart from our own in
reflections. Like
ghosts, the images in reflections are often blurred or distorted and
seem unreal. When viewed overhead, the world hangs upside down above us.
When viewed straight on, left and right... read more
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Stunt riders await a turn to ride stunts
Stunt bicycle riders are a very strange breed. They always seem
too large for the tiny bikes they ride. yet that is the point. With
small bicycles many tricks are possible.
Notice the pegs that stick out form the center of the
front and rear wheels. These... read more
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Imagine a children's tale about a cute little
purple-cabbage that
went out for a night on the town. It was a blue moon that night,
just as it is tonight when we tell this tale. The cute little
purple-cabbage froliced through the garden, talking and laughing with
all the other fine vegetables... read more
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One way to illuminate a woody path is to attach a lamp
to a wooden post and nestle it into a tree. Far from fooling
anyone, however, this attempt at concealment is weak at best, and ugly
to boot.
Along other paths the lamp itself adds to the impression of
beauty. A good street light should be,... read more
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All that is left of a car long ago dumped in the bay is
its axle. Normally it would remain invisible, but this day's
minus tide exposed the rusty axle for a while.
On the road to zero footprint consumerism the automobile
lags far behind. Tires are being recycled into playground
paths. Tennis shoes... read more
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From this picture it is clear that the English know how to
give water to a dog. As any sane person knows, you just fill
a bowl with cool tap water and man's-best-friend will lap it down
joyfully.
We here in the States have grown accustomed to
drinking water in flavors. Not only that, but we now... read more
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Here we show cars number 5 and 27 of the Powel and Market to Hyde and Beach
line. These are single ended cars that have to be rotated at each end.
To learn more than you thought you might ever want to know about
San Francisco's cable cars, click on
the
Cable Car Museum.
If you visit San Francisco... read more
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The esplanade at the foot of Sather Tower,
also called the Campanile, provides a romantic
setting. But, lurking behind the folks depicted here, lies a Sather Tower
filled with
bones.
Four floors store fossils, and a fifth stores patent copies from the Library.
As a student, I worked in
Doe... read more
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While on a walk back from the Aquarium on a rainy afternoon, we
stumbled across these plastic stars stuck in the top of a stump.
We puzzled over them for several minutes but could not guess what
they might be. Further down the trail we found a pair of
abandoned sun glasses
and, in a blink, the... read more
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All throughout Europe, houses have shutters. Shutters serve
two purposes, first to protect windows from storm damage, and second
to mask sunlight so that a room may be made dark during the day.
Perhaps because of this latter property, it seems most often that
the only interior window coverings are... read more
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One might get the impression from the pictures we take, that most
of the boats on French canals are for rent. In actuality, many are
owned by local folk who
live aboard
their boats.
Living aboard is an more time intensive undertaking than renting. One typically
rents for from seven to fourteen... read more
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All generations attend the race
The Bay to Breakers race has been labeled over the years with
epithets ranging from crazy drunks
to tasteless nudes. From its
beginning in 1912 (to raise spirits after the 1906 earthquake), this
race has grown in attendance consistantly over the years to become one... read more
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It is difficult to describe the sheer immensity of this cemetery,
but perhaps a few facts will help. Pere Lachaise cemetery
currently houses about 300,000
dead compared to Iceland's 301,000 living (the dead are more
compact). The cemetery is 188 acres (48 hectares) or about the size
of roughly 100... read more
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French writer Jules Verne
wrote the novel Around the World in Eighty Days wherein a part of the trip
was by hot air balloon after the unfortunate loss of hydrogen. To a child spinning
around on a carrousel the balloon reflects that spririt of circumnavagation.
The look on the faces of these girls... read more
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This carrousel airplane was made to honor Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and
his famous book The Litte Prince (Le Petit Prince). I must admit that I
did not notice the whimsical detail of the feathered wings until seeing
the photo at home. At the time I just wanted to record another instance... read more
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Not visable from this shot is the roadway on the left that travels
down the middle of the esplanade. That roadway is a very busy one.
Consequently, despite the pastoral look of these grassy areas, those areas
were quite noisy with the sounds of traffic.
Dispite the traffic, the grassy areas were... read more
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Small parks surround the vast gardens along the right
bank of the Siene. Some, such as the one shown here, are
visible to, and frequented by, tourists. Others are more
hidden, such as another small park we later found that snaked
along the path leading to a pedestrian underpass.
We expected to... read more
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Menu at restaurant under leafy chestnut trees
This is the sign for the Cafe Dame Tartine,
a restaurant that has a reputation for being expensive.
Notice the dessert, a créme brulée with pistachio.
The exchange rate at the time equated €6 to about
U.S. $12. Clearly, the expense... read more
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Statue of a man with a boom mike
While wandering through one of the former outdoor statuary gardens
(now covered with a glass roof) we noticed what appeared to be
a film being shot inside the museum. We became quiet and walked
softly up to watch. With an internal bolt of surprise we realized
the... read more
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Pesky French
Flower to the People!
Bryan Costales, Sunday 13 May 2007
I am sure there is more of a story here than Dr. Carter admits.
The sign says that individual liberty is preferred over gathering
the community into one. Why is this sign next to a decorated
container building? Where was this... read more
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Heavy rain is difficult to capture in the country without
some sort of backlight to make it stand out. In the city,
rain is easy because street and building lights help isolate
rain from the background.
Unusual puddles
also say rain, but not on a canal. Hints like an umbrella
also help. But... read more
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While docked in Le Somail, we worried as the weather
clouded and began to rain. We cut our photo outing short
to escape, and from the safety of the boat shot ducks and
folks also escaping
the rain.
From the next boat ahead a British gentleman and his wife emerged
to untie and cast off. We had a... read more
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When we got to Trebes, we decided to not tie up in the main
marina because of some noisy Spaniards. Instead we motored to the
edge of town where we found this dirt road. Although the road
appears to run into town, it actually (like so many roads in
Europe) does not go where it appears to.
Instead,... read more
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An overnight stop in Trebes.
Bryan Costales, Wednesday 9 May 2007
Three of us sat on the back of the boat as the sun quietly
set. The wind died leaving the water glass still.
We shot this same boat at different times using different lenses on
different cameras. Some of these shots were good and... read more
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In France, the black plague
lasted through 1349.
In enclosed places such as monasteries, the infection of one person usually meant the
infection of all. In the
Franciscan convent of Carcassonne
every monk died.
Amid the death and fear of contagion, people died without last... read more
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The walled castle at Carcassonne, called the
Cité,
lies about two kilometers from the canal at the south east end of
Carcassonne. After wrestling lines upstream through single, double,
and triple locks, we were too pooped to walk all the way to the castle.
Fortunately, I had a 500mm lens... read more
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No question that the French can cut the mustard.
Bryan Costales, Sunday 6 May 2007
In fact many fine mustards come from France where
perhaps the best known is Dijon.
In America,
there too are mustard fields. In America the most infamous of... read more
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In the old days of film and optical printing there were few ways
to fix a marred photograph.
Burning, dodging,
and cropping were
were the techniques available and were
limited to rather crude repairs. In these modern times, a photographer
can fix a marred photograph using Photoshop. With Photoshop... read more
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While driving north on a French freeway, somewhere near the eastern outskirts of Paris,
I noticed a fire. Struck by the bright blue sky, dark smoke, greenery, and the red and white
fire ladder that so nicely framed everything, I grabbed my handy camera and shot this photo.
Bryan Costale Friday 4... read more
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Nothing can compare to good lighting to separate one component
from another
in a photograph.
One sometime, however, moves out of the light and into the shadows.
Here, for example, a tall church blocked all the sunlight
from this side of the building.
Normally such an image would hit the trash... read more
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Bryan Costales Wednesday 2 May 2007
This reminds me of the upstream battle with locks.
Normally, lock keepers are among the most helpful people in France. They
will catch your ropes when tossed and help you cleat your boats. This
is most appreciated, especially when traveling light handed in a... read more
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Dog observes photographer
I was walking back to the boat and looked down a side street. In the
photo you might think it's a doorway but it is actually a window
several feet above the street. I saw this large dog looking out and
originally it was looking the other way. I focused on him, got... read more
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I think it must be a French (if not E.U.) law, that anyone between the
ages of 20 and 55 must wear brightly colored, skin tight shorts and top
when riding a bicycle along a towpath... or anywhere else on this
planet for that matter.
Also, Britts (by their own choice) have to pay
twice as much for... read more
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The eye stickers called "Googly Eye Cru" can be found
all over the world
and all over the
Internet.
Who created
them is unknown. The ones shown here are well worn and
aged. These two were found on a bike rack next to the
street on Hayes near Gough in San... read more
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Dense gray clouds hug the ground around a rocky
mountain peak, forming fog. The snow, thin trees,
and bare rock faces could appear charming under
a blue sky, or if the cloud were high over. But
hugging the ground, fog makes this scene appear
as cold and miserable as it actually... read more
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Back when Hovden Cannery was a functioning sardine
cannery in the early 1900s, fishing boats would
occasionally bring in a unique or odd specimen.
A shelf of such specimens now rests in the area of the old cannery that is now part
of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Here, we show a
preserved squid's... read more
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