First off, a bit of old business: I have switched back to iPhone from Blackberry, so if you've tried to send me a Blackberry Messenger IM in the last couple weeks, I didn't get it. So, please don't think I was being rude by not responding.

A bit of new business: For those in San Antonio or Austin (I don't think there is anyone here, but I'll say it anyway), I will be having a show this coming First Friday in Southtown. It will be a sneak preview of my upcoming photo series on Non-Western faith practices striving in a Western Christian society. Some of the photos have been posted here, but others have not, so if you're in the area, come by Casa Chiapas on S. Alamo sometime in September to check out the show. I've made some nice prints on metallic paper, and matted and framed them myself (as usual), and I have to say they look really nice. Nicer than any of my previous show pieces.

Now watching: Monty Python on BBC America

And now a PSA: COVER YOUR BATTERIES! I nearly lost a finger yesterday when I reached into my Newswear vest to retrieve a lens. There were two 9V batteries lying naked in the pocket (I use them to power the 35mm lens adapter when I shoot cine), and inadvertently bumped them so the contacts fell into each other. I didn't realize this at first, so you can imaging my surprise when I was met with a loud bang.

I didn't know what it was, and I jumped back in surprise, frozen in inquisitive terror (I had no idea where the noise came from). And then... POW! An even louder report. I thought I was under attack. Then I looked into the vest and realized what had happened. One of the batteries had EXPLODED. It was shrapnelled out and everything.

So... ALWAYS keep your batteries covered or isolated in some way, especially the types that have both contacts on one side, including your camera batteries. If a conductor makes contact across the terminals, you could be in for quite a shock.

Pun completely intended...

I don't think there's anything else to report, except that I'm waiting to hear from a friend about the possibility of traveling to Zimbabwe to document the building of schools and hospitals by missionaries. That would be a fantastic assignment.

I should probably get my passport in order, just in case. Thanks to the current regime, now it takes about six months to get a new one.