I had my doubts. I didn't know if it would work. They sucked in pre-season. Kobe's still out. Yet the Lakers beat the Mavericks. Both of my rules for a winning Lakers game held true tonight. I don't know what the stats are, but I have hypothesized that if the Lakers win the tipoff AND are the first to 100 points, they will win the game. Tonight, they did both.

In a very even game, the Lakers dispatched an ugly looking Dallas team in their new jerseys. Payton had 21, Fisher 16, Malone 15, George 16, O'Neal 16. Malone and Payton both had 4 more assists than the big man. Malone out-rebounded Shaq. This team is amazing - very well balanced now - even without Kobe, they put on a showing tonight. I really don't think there's anyone out there that can stop them. I know it's not going out on a limb, but you heard it here first (or for the hundredth time) - 2004 NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers.

URL: THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS

For the second day in a row, tomorrow, there will be no school at UCSD. I've got mixed feelings since I had a midterm tomorrow. On one hand, I have a little more time to study (ok, a lot more time, but I procrastinate, so it's really more time to procrastinate), but on the other, I'd just like to get it over with.

But my prayers go out to those who lost property or who have been affected by the fire. Just watching the news and one guy who lost his house summed it up best, "As long as my family and friends are allright, it's ok. We can rebuild."

URL: University of California, San Diego

I bought my camera almost a year ago, anticipating a trip to Boston. I ditched my old, trusty, and portable Canon Elph and upgraded to a Minolta DiMage7i - a camera I love. It's a bit big, but it's got settings so I can do whatever I want. It's just a shame I'm not allowed to do everything I'd like with it...stuff like this - what a great picture:


(c) 2003 Eduardo Contreras / Union-Tribune

What a mess it is here in San Diego. When I woke up this morning, I knew there was a new fire, but I never knew it would be so devastating. Over 115,000 acres have burned within the last 24 hours including a couple hundred homes and there are at least 10 fatalities. And to make it all worse, they think these fires have been intentionally started. What a shame.

As I left for work this morning, there was an eerie grey cloud over southern San Diego and as I travelled North, it cleared up quite nicely. Images 9-11 were taken from Carlsbad, all others taken near my apartment here in San Diego (Clairmont area). As I headed back from work (travelling South, luckily - as the Northbound lanes were packed solid), I once again re-entered the smoke cloud. I took a couple detours and found my way closer to the fire using side streets and freeways that were closed to the general public (kind of - the 805 South was closed at the 5/805 split, but open if you used side-streets). I saw a couple flare ups, but nothing major, though I could see the main fire not far away on the other side of a hill.

It's just been a crazy day here in San Diego - the worst fires I've ever known of - and according to television, the worst in 30+ years. Such a sad day ... lost homes, lost lives, lost pets, lost memories ...

URL: Image gallery

It's an ominous sight to wake up in the morning, look outside, and where there is usually fog, a bit of sunlight, and some grey skies, see nothing but ash, and an eerily red sky, accompanied by an aroma that reminds you of an all-too familiar time about 10 years ago as you watched a fire advance on your own house, only to be stopped a quarter mile away.

URL: SignOnSanDiego.com > News > Metro -- Brush fires burning across county