LifeTracker: photo-a-day blog for 2010

Oddity

2010-06-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

LOL, I went back again and it still stayed there just exactly like that, not a millimeter did it move.

Anyone remember the show MTV Oddities. I used to love that show. It was the best animation on MTV apart from Aeon Flux.

I am gonna hunt oddities for this Project 365 and see what I can come up with.

:-p

Strange Spider

2010-06-29T22:04:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Wow, I couldn't stop looking at this creature. I wouldn't even have called it a spider if it weren't for its web.

It sat at the center of its web and the web also had unique white zigzag markings at 4 corners in sort of an incomplete X mark. And it sat at its center.

In the photo it looks as if it has 4 legs only, but I dared to look closely and actually the bottom 2 legs are 4 legs - the 2 legs each held closely together that makes it look like that.

Never seen this type of spider around these parts, or maybe I cared to notice only because of Project 365, LOL.

Click Image to enlarge

:-p

Thar she blows!

2010-06-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

:-D

From Photo-a-day-2010

Hehehehe! The metal machine rumbling towards me and my camera.

I ain't gonna want to reel that thing in.

This is an experience you can't feel from images. The power of the train, the proximity to you, and the commonness of all of this.

Wow!!!

:-D

What we were waiting for

2010-06-27T10:22:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

That thing will pass right next to my face and then our train will have the tracks free to move ahead.

8-)

Midnight Meat Train

2010-06-26T10:19:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

LOL. Not as horrific as the Clive Barker short story (and movie) of the same name.

But quite an ordeal nonetheless. The indicator tells the train's scheduled time.

:-D

Ceiling Fan Principle

2010-06-25T10:16:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

When you finally find a place to stand in the local train, it is that spot where the overhead fan doesn't function.

:-D

Looking back

2010-06-24T10:14:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

I look back at the long train from the door.
Yes, all open doors as per policy. LOL.

:-D

Traffic signal

2010-06-23T10:04:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Can you see it?

LOL. Click image to enlarge.

:-D

Tracks and Tracks

2010-06-22T10:02:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Saw the previous one. This is another.

:-D

Tracks and Trains

2010-06-21T10:00:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

The intricate network is mind-boggling but at least you understand that it works.

LOL

:-D

Baby pigeons

2010-06-20T09:57:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

A pigeons nest under my hotel room's window beneath the air conditioner.

They look well grown up and well fed.

:-D

Speed and Light

2010-06-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

A train pulls on to the platform, the powerful lights and horns heard from far away enough.

If you see this, step away.

LOL

:-D

Wheeler rolls on

2010-06-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

The Wheeler Bookstall Company rolls on and on well into the 21st century.

Now, no longer owned by the founding Frenchman/British company, it still has presence across India in all railway platforms.

Cheap books, latest books, newspapers, magazines, anything you need to read to pass the time on your train rides.

:-D

Incoming

2010-06-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

The lifeline of the city, the local trains operate for like 22 hours a day, everyday, including public holidays.

:-D

Open graves

2010-06-16T09:42:00.000-07:00

8-/

From Photo-a-day-2010

So you thought open manholes and jaywalking were bad?

Well, crossing railway tracks probably kills more people than city roads.

:-p

If you can read this...

2010-06-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

...Then you missed the train.

LOL. Every railway station has these digital clocks. I miss the ancient round clocks with their giant needles moving visibly. I guess it had to change with changing times. LOL. Pun alert.

:-D

Onwards

2010-06-14T09:29:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

This type of a signboard announcing the railway station are placed at each ends of the platform.

:-p

Shaded Time

2010-06-13T09:26:00.000-07:00

:-D

From Photo-a-day-2010

Can we ever be shaded from "time". It just trounces and overrules everything and everyone.

This is a time-indicator at a railway platform telling the time when the next local train is expected.

The electronic indicator has a tin cap on it, for protection.

If only that was enough for us all.

:-D

Where there is smoke...

2010-06-12T09:24:00.000-07:00

:-D

From Photo-a-day-2010

...there should be chimneys.

LOL. The rooftop venting some smoke in the morning.
I gave it some company of course.

:-p

How green was my valley?

2010-06-11T09:19:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Don't know what happened here. We are well into the monsoon season. I guess the keepers of the rooftop garden may have poured some pesticide which has dried away all the grass while I can still see insects there.

Insects are a major problem of monsoon. The grass will grow and be green again. But this was astonishing to watch. Like walking on the dead, on a mass grave.

8-/

Bright White

2010-06-10T09:18:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

Bright white flowers from a flowering plant.

:-p

Tiny coconuts ?!?

2010-06-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

LOL. What the hell are those things supposed to be? Really tiny coconuts forming in that tree.

8-/

Gone Baby Gone

2010-06-08T09:13:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

A fallen dried leaf of the palm tree shows an empty nest still attached to it.
This is the rooftop garden of course.

:-D

Back to Life

2010-06-07T09:10:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

And the dead rocky parking lot now has grass and moss growing on it.

Just like that. A few showers and the Earth comes back to life.

:-p

The Big Brother Sun

2010-06-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

:-(

From Photo-a-day-2010

Is he there, he is always there. Looming large and raging over us all since eternity.

:-)

Bleak Clouds, Dreary City

2010-06-05T07:50:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

Inverted imagery, upright truth.

:-(

Cityscape again

2010-06-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

:-D

From Photo-a-day-2010

View of the lake and roadway and buildings from the roof in the setting sun.

:-p

Eco-friendly drainage?

2010-06-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Yeah, plants and waste in perfect ecosystem.

LOL

:-D

The caged view

2010-06-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

:-(

From Photo-a-day-2010

Glorious day, glorious Sun
Let me be the one
Eternal ray, eternal run
Let me rest in Zion

:-p

Inside looking up

:-)

A building with a view

2010-06-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Inside looking out

:-)

Cityscape

2010-05-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

:-D

From Photo-a-day-2010

The view from the top of the building from the roof garden.

:-p

Nourishment

2010-05-30T08:24:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

Yay! Tea, coffee and biscuits; with sugar.

:-D

Home Appliance Shopping

2010-05-29T08:20:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Okay now do they do all the work or do I still have to do it.

:-p

The Foetus

2010-05-28T07:45:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

This is a work in progress. Click Image to enlarge.

Need time and patience to finish this.

I call it "The Foetus".

Symbolic and minimalistic.

:-)

Art essentials

2010-05-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

Just starting now.

Barebone accessories.

:-D

Sergeant Bert Dalton

2010-05-26T07:36:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

For the contest to draw Sergeant Bert Dalton, featured twice in Freedom Fiction Journal.

Check it out: http://freedomfiction.com/

Click Image to enlarge.

:-)

The bench again

2010-05-25T07:28:00.000-07:00

:-D

From Photo-a-day-2010

They changed the location of the bench on the roof garden.

First seen here in Feb 2010.

:-)

Strange buds

2010-05-24T07:04:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Very strange looking buds; what will the flower look like?

:-D

Happy Shrek Meal

2010-05-23T06:59:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Continuing on the Shrek feast & fiesta, I finally managed to grab the lady love of Shrek.

:-)

The guys at McDonalds are kind enough to indulge me despite the rush there.

Totally Awesome!!!

In the presence of greatness

2010-05-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

I had the most good fortune to be at a function where the Chief Guest was PadmaShree Dr. Tatyarao Lahane.

He is a man whose life and work would inspire any man to awe, action and undying faith in humanity.

Born in a rural area, he had no benefit of infrastructure, nor basic amenities. He worked in the farm even as a child, assisting his parents in their occupation. On Government of India's scheme of "Earn while you Learn", he got the opportunity to educate himself. His parents were supportive but expected him to work the farm first and the schooling being second.

He is today not just the most noted opthamologist, but also the Dean of JJ Group Hospitals which is the largest group of hospitals in Asia and second largest in the world.

He has performed surgeries in the most remote parts of Maharashtra, in villages where they don't know who is Amitabh Bachchan or who is the Prime Minister of India - but those villagers know Dr. Lahane and his great work for the masses. The poor here won't know 15th August as Independence Day but will know that Dr. Lahane will come on Dec 8 for the Medical Camp at Anandvan.

With the blessings of renowkned social worker Baba Amte, the humble man from the village has now brought the gift of light and life to those blinded through various diseases including defects, accidents, cataracts, and the dreaded leprosy.

Poverty in these remote villages is so abject that you would feel that beggars in Mumbai are a blessed lot.

Dr. Lahane has not just championed the cause of medical relief, he has inspired an entire medical team who work with him for hours on end without overtime pay in the villages where no one knows what electricity is nor know how anyone could possible get back their eyesight.

Dr. Lahane's speech yesterday was preceded by an equally inspiring and motivating speech by Dr. Ragini Parekh who has assisted him in all these hundreds of thousands of surgeries.

Dr. Lahane was awarded the PadmaShree by the President of India for his tireless services. He suffers from a kidney problem and yet devotes his life in service to less privileged, remembering his own childhood hardships and making city doctors come out of their comfort-zone to uphold the oath all doctors had taken once.

Dr. Lahane is also the only Government Hospital Doctor in India till now to have won a PadmaShree and he is of course still employed fulltime in his great efforts.

To support this cause of light and life, contact JJ Hospitals, Mumbai.

Department of Ophthalmology

Hospital webpage

What is a PadmaShree Award?

Most eye operations record.

:-)

Signed First Editions: part fifteen

2010-05-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

:-)

I have 7 novels of Kevin J Anderson - all Signed First Editions.

This one is "The Last Days of Krypton" referring to the epic start of Superman's adventure. It shows how Krypton was destroyed.

From Photo-a-day-2010

:-)

Signed First Editions: part fourteen

2010-05-20T22:14:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

Kevin J Anderson is an author who has written the most incredible range of novels. He has authored too many to mention.

After writing 10 of his own novels, he was noticed by LucasFilms and he has penned Star Wars novels for them. He has written novels on X-Files, on Superman, Batman, and most prominently seen - the continued series of Frank Herbert's Dune series of novels.

Extract from About the Author
Along the way he also collected over 750 rejection slips, and a trophy as "The Writer With No Future" because he could produce more rejection slips by weight than any other writer at an entire conference. When asked for advice about how to be a successful writer, he answers quickly: PERSISTENCE!

"Enemies & Allies" brings together 2 of the biggest, most popular and most widely-known superheroes together - Superman & Batman.

Pretty impressive, and such a great performance too.

:-)

Signed First Editions: part thirteen

2010-05-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

:-)

Quite an extensive series of novels, this is a 87th Precinct Novel from Ed McBain.

Ed McBain is the pen-name of Evan Hunter, an author of many many novels, and also screenplays and much more. See complete bibilography for Evan Hunter.

As Ed McBain, his 87th Precinct crime fiction series is easily the most well-known and prominent.

This one "Fat Ollie's Book" is a unique one among this series of novels.

From Photo-a-day-2010

Signed First Editions: part twelve

2010-05-18T21:42:00.000-07:00

:-p

AWESOMENESS

From Photo-a-day-2010

Dimiter by William Peter Blatty
Signed 1st Edition

William Peter Blatty returns with his first major novel in over 25 years!

"A beautifully written, haunting tale of vengeance, spiritual searching, loss, and love."

In 1973 Albania, Colonel Vlora (aka the Interrogator), the head of a team of torturers, questions the Prisoner, who the reader later learns is Paul Dimiter, an American clandestine agent referred to in some quarters of the world as 'legendary,' while in others as 'the agent from hell.'

Dimiter escapes to Jerusalem, where he encounters a number of engaging characters, including a doctor of neurology, a sharp-tongued nurse, and a grief-stricken Israeli policeman. The complicated plot confounds until the isolated pieces of the psychological puzzle that's Dimiter match up and fall into place, revealing surprising truths.

Source

Extract on About the Author:
Later Blatty resumed novel writing. Allegedly retiring to a remote and rented chalet in woodland off Lake Tahoe, Blatty wrote The Exorcist, a story about a twelve-year-old girl being possessed by a powerful demon that remained on the New York Times bestseller list for 57 straight weeks and at the Number One spot for 17 of them. It would eventually be translated by himself and director William Friedkin into one of the most famous and controversial mainstream horror movies of all time.

According to Blatty, Friedkin edited the film in a New York Fifth Avenue office building with the number 666, and Blatty would go on to win an Academy Award for his "Exorcist" screenplay, as well as Golden Globes for Best Picture (he produced the film) and Best Writing.

He has made the claim that in its first weeks of publication, "The Exorcist" novel, despite excellent reviews ad much advertising by the publisher, Harper and Row, was deemed a failure and was being returned by bookstores by "the carload" until what he calls "an extraordinary intervention by Fate" which he refuses to describe.

That's inspiring and very impressive.

Chuck Palahniuk signed personalized

2010-05-17T21:22:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

This is supposedly his first bestseller even though it came out after Fightclub.

:-)

Chuck Palahniuk signed personalized

2010-05-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

Yes, the very latest novel from Chuck Palahniuk - signed and personalized for me. Personalized with "To human-un-kind" in each of the 6 signed editions.

Plus he wrote what inspired him in his handwriting in addition to all that.

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/

:-)

Chuck Palahniuk signed personalized

2010-05-15T11:46:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/

:-D

Chuck Palahniuk signed personalized

2010-05-14T11:56:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

More more more

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/

:-p

Chuck Palahniuk signed personalized

2010-05-13T11:38:00.000-07:00

From Photo-a-day-2010

:-)

Still more, yay

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/

:-p

Chuck Palahniuk signed personalized

2010-05-12T11:34:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

Yay, still more

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/

:-)

Chuck Palahniuk signed personalized

2010-05-11T11:14:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

Yes, that's for me. Personalized with "To human-un-kind" in each of the 6 signed editions.

Plus he wrote what inspired him in his handwriting in addition to all that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Palahniuk

http://chuckpalahniuk.net/

:-)

Death and decay

2010-05-10T09:27:00.001-07:00

:-(

From Photo-a-day-2010

Finality? Not yet. Both struggle on and upwards, just as man should.

Here we see a tree dying in the heat of Bombay summer with an abandoned construction of a building in the background.

:-p

The stuff cometh

2010-05-09T09:24:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

My pile of furniture stuff arrives on Saturday (mentioned here earlier).
They won't set it up. It will be done by someone else from the store on Sunday.

:-p

Second Class

2010-05-08T09:22:00.000-07:00

:-D

From Photo-a-day-2010

The crowd of people at 10 PM awaiting to board local trains from Victoria Terminus.

:-(

First Class

2010-05-07T09:20:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Travelling first class in the local trains.

:-)

The Sidewalk

2010-05-06T09:16:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

A quadruple fire hydrant on the sidewalk. No dogs here though.

:-)

Shady Siesta

2010-05-05T09:14:00.000-07:00

:-D

From Photo-a-day-2010

A driver naps in the hot afternoon in his boss' car.

A good driver since he decided against napping completely inside with the air conditioner on. LOL.

:-)

Four strangers on an elevator

2010-05-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Yet all our shoes point at each other as if we were having a conference. That's because all of us were checking our mobile phones and I guess no one wants anyone to peek at their mobile content.

I clicked one instead of checking my mobile stuff. LOL.

:-p

Elevated reflection

2010-05-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Reflection of me on the ceiling of an elevator.

LOL.

:-D

Another Shrek Meal

2010-05-02T09:05:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

So after Saturday's Shrek toy, of course I had to collect his companion lady friend.

But on Sunday the lady friend was not available as toy of the day.

So got the donkey instead. It makes a few short noises when you twist its head left or right.

My Silly Cow posing again with the Shrek star cast. LOL.

:-)

Shrek Meal

2010-05-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Got a free Shrek toy with a Shrek Meal at McDonalds.

A Shrek Meal is a Happy Meal + extra stuff.
Though the vanilla ice-cream was made ghastly by the taste of the green stuff they poured on it, Yuck.

But I loved this toy which makes Shrek's noises when you poke it anywhere. It says "Hey" a few times and if you still poke it, then it says "I am warning you" and then finally says "Alright cut it out" in Shrek's voice.

Yay.

:-)

Strange flower and bud

2010-04-30T08:52:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Will check if it flowers.

:-D

On the way

2010-04-29T09:28:00.001-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

Stopped by to click one while on the way home. Need to drink all that water in the heat.

You can see me in both the rear-view mirrors in this photo.

Click image to enlarge.

:-D

Bachelor Pad Cometh

2010-04-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Bought a lot of stuff at the huge gigantic store called Hometown for my new bachelor pad. Small fortune for my unique style and personality. Minimalistic look and very much different from what you will see at anyone's home - but that was a given.

:-)

Holy Tree

2010-04-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

A holy tree outside a small temple outside a crematorium.

:-(

From faraway friend

2010-04-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

A Swiss Cow from a French friend for my Silly Cow.

Click image to enlarge

:-p

The mangroves

2010-04-25T01:30:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

The view from the penthouse of the mangroves spreading across the vast area.

:-)

View from the top

2010-04-24T01:27:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

View from the penthouse window

:-p

Newly acquired

2010-04-23T01:24:00.001-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

I am acquiring a taste for non-fiction.
Not too keen, but here some really good ones I grabbed.

I try and read non-fiction books as if they were a pile of individual articles. That way I don't have to try and finish the whole book at a time. I read a chapter and come back to the next as if reading another related article.

The strategy works for me.

:-D

Plant meter

2010-04-22T01:22:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

The electronic meters strangely hidden among the trees and bushes.

LOL

:-p

Garden stairs

2010-04-21T01:20:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Pretty stairs in a pretty garden

:-)

That crowded Sunday

2010-04-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Yup, there were whole lotta tourists.

Yet I managed to click many photos where not a single human is visible - just the sculptures.

From Photo-a-day-2010

:-)

Traffic bumper cars

2010-04-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

:-(

From Photo-a-day-2010

This is from Sunday as well.

A stupid Toyota driver bumps into my rented Suzuki car while exiting the traffic after dropping off a friend from the trip on Sunday late afternoon.

No damage done to the new Suzuki, but I take the pictures since I am too tired to beat the idiot who bumped my rental.

From Photo-a-day-2010

:-(

Elephanta Caves

2010-04-18T11:27:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

A few of the 197 photos clicked in 10 hours.

Visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Elephanta Caves in Elephanta Island.

Click images to enlarge

From Photo-a-day-2010

:-p

Bicycle angles

2010-04-17T11:24:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Does anyone speak Chinese? How about reading Chinese?
Does those symbols look authentic?

From Photo-a-day-2010

:-D

Bicycle men

2010-04-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

The private courier guy and the Chinese takeaway guy arrive at the same time.

Click image to enlarge

:-p

Gag gift? Framed Mischief!

2010-04-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

A Fumetti of various random quotes by friends.

Framed Mischief ready to be shipped off.

This was too easy. Maybe I need to look into various concepts and theories in Fumetti.

Hmmm....back to my evil lab. Follow me Igor.

:-D

The postman doesn't ring

2010-04-14T03:16:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Cause he is too tired and the honking horns drown the ringing of his bicycle bell anyways. LOL.

This is how the average postman in the city and nation delivers the mail, if he has a bicycle, otherwise he walks.

There are post offices all over the city in an expansive network, so they don't have to commute too far hopefully.

Here, he has gone into the magnificent building to deliver the mails and left his huge pile of pending mails on his bicycle. This on a hot afternoon, seems like plenty of work to be done by the end of the day.

:-/

Bag and Box of goodies

2010-04-13T07:11:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

Yay, my lovely stuff from USA arrived.

Click the images to enlarge

Don't ya love USPS? They have sealed and packed it so well and saved me heartache of inefficiency of deliveries (interpret it how you like it). So anyways, everything is here and safe and WITH ME ME ME!!!

LOL. Rewarded the postman his cab fare for the worthy effort in hauling it to my home. Postmen here walk or use a bicycle so I can sympathise with the effort under this burning sun.

I had to take real pains to get to my stuff, it was packed that well, with seals and wraps and tags and fool-proof packaging. Did I mention - YAY!!!

Silly Cow on top of things there.

From Photo-a-day-2010

:-p

A Friend in Need...

2010-04-12T07:17:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

A friend in need of patting on its head.

This stray dog (named "Sandy") is adorable. He is obedient, alert, friendly, very loving, and he learns and recognises too.

We feed him the cheap biscuits and more, a friend does it almost daily. Me, when I am around.

His only fault is his wish to chase unknown vehicles in the area.

As you can see, he has furrowed his brow, wrinkling his forehead - this he does everytime he senses any intruder - person or vehicle.

So needs to get distracted lest he gets hurt doing his strange unrequired duty of being a watchdog.

:-)

Saturday 2 AM

2010-04-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Click to enlarge pathetic mobile phone image

A nice meeting point for most of us bikers. This huge hotel at the start of the Highway works and caters to travellers round the clock on all days of the week. Lot of vehicles and many more people here at this odd hour of the night.

It has the restaurant plus shops and the actual hotel rooms as well. All functioning all the time.

We went there for coffee. It is cool in this area since it is out of the city. Very nice night ride, pitch black, thundering Enfields, heavy vehicles and a lot of people there who were not traveling - they were there just to pass the weekend-night.

Fun for the whole family/ gang/ individuals/ everyone. Well maintained and popular.

So yeah, we crazies travel many kilometers just to have a hot tea/ coffee and then ride back. LOL.

Heavy traffic on the highway at these hours refers to heavy vehicles - the trailer-trucks, the average sized trucks, the overloaded trucks, the fast moving empty dumpster trucks, etc.

:-)

Spooky plant's fruits

2010-04-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Click image to enlarge

This plant really does give me the creeps. A closer look at the fruits and its leaves.

See previous day's photo also.

B-/

Fruits of the strange plant

2010-04-09T04:59:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Click image to enlarge

Don't know which plant this is.

It was posted in "Seance under the Sun" in Feb 2010. The fruits were green then and is red now.

This are its fruits in summer - looks like berries?!? This is from a garden on the ground. LOL.

8-o

Going up

2010-04-08T04:56:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Reaching for the skies. The rooftops in the background.

Continued from Rooftop Garden series in Feb 2010.

:-p

Wassup?

2010-04-07T04:53:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

Head over heels over the cooling landscape

:-p

Shadow takes a shower bath

2010-04-06T04:50:00.000-07:00

:-D

From Photo-a-day-2010

My shadow bathes in the rooftop garden sprinkler in summer. LOL.

:-)

Water in the rooftop

2010-04-05T04:45:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

The rooftop garden makes a comeback here. The water sprinkler system making interesting wet cool grass on the hot summer roof. Continued from in Rooftop Garden part seven in Feb 2010.

:-D

Signed First Editions: part eleven

2010-04-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Yay, the only other detective to come out of Britain to enthrall an audience worldwide (other than Sherlock Holmes that is...).

Inspector Rebus series by Ian Rankin.

This book is "Exit Music" by Ian Rankin who has maintained that it will be his last novel in Inspector Rebus series of detective novels.

The BBC channel had a very good adaptation of the Inspector Rebus character in a weekly TV show.

Ian Rankin announced the title of the final Rebus novel at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and that last book I have here - the Signed First Edition.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inspector_Rebus

http://www.ianrankin.net/

Click image to enlarge

From Photo-a-day-2010

:-)

Signed First Editions: part ten

2010-04-03T00:01:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

The ex-CIA man turned lawyer turned author of the RAIN series.

Barry Eisler has the popular series on assassin John Rain.

He is interested in Japanese culture and his character also somehow reflects his interest and merge of cultures.

This one is "Rain Storm" , the third book in the series by Barry Eisler.

Last year a Japanese movie adaptation of Eisler's first novel in the series ("Rain Fall") was made by Sony Pictures, with Gary Oldman as the nemesis of John Rain. http://www.barryeisler.com/

Click Image to enlarge

From Photo-a-day-2010

:-)

Signed First Editions: part nine

2010-04-02T00:01:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

All hail the King!!!

Indiana Jones here in a novelization of the movie that brought back Harrison Ford in the title role for a fourth time.

James Rollins is an awesome adventure story writer and has rightfully done the novel version of Indiana Jones and the "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull".

Just look at it - AWESOME SIGNED FIRST EDITION

Yeah! Love the way he personalized this book with more than just the signature.

Click Image to enlarge

From Photo-a-day-2010

:-D

Signed First Editions: part eight

2010-04-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

:-D

From Photo-a-day-2010

Pretty awesome lady!

Ursula K LeGuin continues writing spectacular fiction. The original lady who wrote about schools of magic.

This one is from her series on "Annals of the Western Shore". This third installment in the series is a book called "Powers" which won the Nebula Award for 2007. Very nicely signed too. She also welcomes fans offering signed bookplates at her official website. http://www.ursulakleguin.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_K._LeGuin

Click Image to enlarge

From Photo-a-day-2010

:-)

Signed First Editions: part seven

2010-03-31T00:01:00.000-07:00

:-D

From Photo-a-day-2010

Aha! The wonderful first published novel by American author Will Christopher Baer titled "Kiss Me, Judas".

And what a debut. Phineas Poe - an ex-cop an addict and a mental patient chases a woman and wakes up without a kidney. He falls in love with the woman who stole his kidney and left him to die with a broken heart. LOL. This one also with me since last year.

Awesomeness. http://www.willchristopherbaer.com/

Click Image to enlarge

From Photo-a-day-2010

Check it out today.

;-p

Signed First Editions: part six

2010-03-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Who doesn't love Michael Chabon?

Awesome stuff from him and so early in his career and so well done and well rewarded too. Perfect writer's life it seems.

This book is "Gentlemen of the Road" by Michael Chabon which was serialized in The New York Times magazine before being turned into this hardcover.

Signed on the title page too. I acquired this early last year.

Click Image to enlarge

From Photo-a-day-2010

:-)

City Lights: Chase the dream

2010-03-29T03:12:00.000-07:00

:-D

From Photo-a-day-2010

Chase the dream!!!

:-)

2010-03-28T09:02:00.000-07:00

City Lights: Highway Apparition

2010-03-28T03:09:00.000-07:00

;-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

See you in Hell!!!

;-p

City Lights: Moving ahead of the pack

2010-03-27T03:03:00.000-07:00

:-D

From Photo-a-day-2010

More streets, more highways.

:-)

City Lights: Under the Flyover, Over the Highway

2010-03-26T02:37:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

Ride ride ride,
past the sun,
into the dusk,
towards the twilight,
beyond the signs,
across the land,
over all obstacles,

Live our life,
as we please,
no more voices no more stops,
me and the machine,
ride as one,
steed and stride
bad and strong.

:-)

Signed First Editions: part five

2010-03-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

:-p

From Photo-a-day-2010

Anne Rice - yes she doesn't write about vampires anymore.

This one is the first from her new Angel series. She has also written previously about Jesus when he was young.

Anne Rice will now be writing her wonderful fiction dedicated to God and her new series on Angels star angels! So vampires are fictional evil but Angels are real and that's the series prime characters.

From Photo-a-day-2010

Enjoy!!!

Signed First Editions: part four

2010-03-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

:-)

From Photo-a-day-2010

This author is another giant. The man who wrote novels about stuff that criminals tried to duplicate in real life. He was at a point worried over his fiction, since terrorists were starting to take serious inspiration to duplicate such fictional attacks.

Presenting Frederick Forsyth's - The Afghan
If anyone has his "Fist of God", please get it to me pronto.

This one is beautifully signed...

Click image to enlarge

From Photo-a-day-2010

Amen!!!