Member Pictures 3 - Special Edition

[AbsoluteAlex]

Whereas I agree with you over the fact of sand on the beaches, The entire island is made from volcanic rock. I mean the whole thing. Like the entire western side of the island has lava flows, the eastern side has more recent lava flows. Its still illegal to take a volcanic rock off the island. Theres one road called the saddle road on the big island which cuts right through a lava flow, and let me tell you it is massive. Like for miles all you see is lava rock. Its actually kind of eerie driving that road at night, with a full moon.

[phyco126]

Well, this kind of reminds me of this time we went camping, a ways back (as in, 1996 or 1997) and I found this really beautiful flower growing in the mountains. I never saw a flower like it anywhere in the area, and it was half way up a several hundred foot mountain, so I picked it for my mother. Come to find out it was the state's flower, the Colombine, and my grandpa told me that I was to never pick that flower again, or else we can get fined big time if a ranger spotted it. I didn't know that, but I do now.

Suddenly I have this urged to scour the Earth for rocks and sand.

[GhaleonOne]

Come to find out it was the state's flower, the Colombine, and my grandpa told me that I was to never pick that flower again, or else we can get fined big time if a ranger spotted it. I didn't know that, but I do now.

Texas is that way about the Blue Bonnet. Seriously, you get caught picking a Blue Bonnet, the police will haul you to jail. Not surprising that Colorado would be that way about the Colombine. As far as I know, it's fairly rare to come across even in the right altitudes.

[ilovemyguitar]

Alright, I can't believe I'm actually posting this on here, but here's a scan of my headshot. This is because I freakin love my hair, and I gotta represent for the guys with cool hair!

Yes, Mr. Guitar! Represent! You should grow it out all super wild and wear a bandana and then get a harmonica. I don't know, but somehow it would be perfect.

I do wear a bandana sometimes. But as for a harmonica, it's not really my style. As you can probably guess, I love my guitar, haha.

I took another picture with my camera phone. It's obviously of lesser quality, but here it is.

This time, I can see your picture (I don't know why, it wouldn't show for me last time.)

You look very nice. I'd date you. If I wasn't taken. Although who knows, maybe the other Eric (my boyfriend) would go for that sort of thing.

Haha thanks, I guess. The other pic really is of better quality, although it's sorta cheesy. Professional head shot and all that. Let me try posting it again and see if it comes through.

[Alunissage]

The thing with the black and green sand beaches is that once they're gone, they're gone. There's only one green sand beach in the world, and when that bit of olivine runs out that's it. The black sand beaches are also ephemeral, because once the lava stops flowing the source of the black sand is gone and it gradually washes away.

There's certainly plenty of lava outside of the park bounds. Not just the current flow and Saddle Road but the whole west coast north of Kailua... you see the most desolate and unattractive part of the island as you're fliying into the Kona airport, with everything covered in black. The one beach we got around to going to required a drive of a mile and a half over unimproved road cut through a lava flow, and yeah, no one would miss any of it. What's funny is that a lot of people who do take lava end up feeling cursed and mailing it back. I heard a couple of rangers at Volcanoes laughing over the letters that accompany those packages.

I'd say that Saddle Road at night is still less intimidating than hiking over a couple miles of lava flow at night when you can't see any light at all besides the stars, your flashlights, and the red glow in the distance... I'd rather like to try it in full moon and see if the flashlights can be left off, though. Did you see any invisible cows? My family did, but I wasn't with them.

[phyco126]

Come to find out it was the state's flower, the Colombine, and my grandpa told me that I was to never pick that flower again, or else we can get fined big time if a ranger spotted it. I didn't know that, but I do now.

Texas is that way about the Blue Bonnet. Seriously, you get caught picking a Blue Bonnet, the police will haul you to jail. Not surprising that Colorado would be that way about the Colombine. As far as I know, it's fairly rare to come across even in the right altitudes.

Really? I wouldn't have thought that Texas would care, I was always under the impression the flower is very abundent in the state.

The thing with the black and green sand beaches is that once they're gone, they're gone. There's only one green sand beach in the world, and when that bit of olivine runs out that's it. The black sand beaches are also ephemeral, because once the lava stops flowing the source of the black sand is gone and it gradually washes away.

Not quite. See, that's why I think removing the green sand from the beach and replacing it with regular sand would be ideal. They can put it in a special glass container and set all of it on display in several promenant muesums. That way, the sand will forever be protected and not likely to disappear for centuries, provided we don't wipe ourselves off the face of the planet first.

As for the black sand, I'm fairly certain there is more than enough to go around. Hawaii is certainly not the only chain of islands with black sands. There are plenty of islands in the ring of fire with black sand, and since volcanoes will certainly not dissapear, ever, then it's safe to say there will always be black sand somewhere.

[AbsoluteAlex]

Nope, no invisible cows, but i did shut off my flashlight for the hike back over the lava fields. It was pretty cool, the moon threw up enough light to make out shapes. I actually liked the barren look around Kona. It was definately something different, something you dont see everyday. Like my favorite part was like where the lava flows stop and the grass and bushes start. It was kind of cool to see the spots which almost got covered, but are right there. But how about Kona Airport though? It was like a tarmack then some tiki huts, and thats it.

[GhaleonOne]

Really? I wouldn't have thought that Texas would care, I was always under the impression the flower is very abundent in the state.

Nope. At least, not around Dallas/Ft. Worth where we lived when I was little. My mom picked a few and brought them home and my dad got onto her about it, because you get can fined pretty bad for it. This was up to 20 years ago though, so I don't know what the laws are now. Probably still pretty illegal though.

[Sonic#]

Not quite. See, that's why I think removing the green sand from the beach and replacing it with regular sand would be ideal. They can put it in a special glass container and set all of it on display in several promenant muesums. That way, the sand will forever be protected and not likely to disappear for centuries, provided we don't wipe ourselves off the face of the planet first.

As for the black sand, I'm fairly certain there is more than enough to go around. Hawaii is certainly not the only chain of islands with black sands. There are plenty of islands in the ring of fire with black sand, and since volcanoes will certainly not dissapear, ever, then it's safe to say there will always be black sand somewhere.

Alright, let's say that every person wants to take away one handful of sand. Over a day, a month, a year, this isn't much of a problem. But compound that by ten, by a hundred... and there will be so many handfuls of sand distributed around everywhere that the beach will probably not be nearly as impressive. And what if someone takes advantage of this? I could go and live there, bottle up sand and mail it to stores, and make a sizeable profit. But when the lava flow moves, when I've exceeded the rate at which black sand is made (what IS the rate?), then I've taken away something rather rare, even if it isn't as unique as green sand.

It reminds me of the signs on beaches I've been to in Florida... warning that if you pick grass, you might receive a $500 fine. I think it's due to beach erosion.

As for putting the green sand in a bottle... no. Not nearly as impressive. I'd prefer the visual, of being able to watch it, to touch it, to see a line of green going along the shore.

Another reason to keep it in Hawaii is because then people have to come there to see it.

[phyco126]

If I may ask, what is a "invisible cow?"

As for the sand, I still believe there is plenty of black sand to go around. The Pacific Rim is... large to say the least. It's not that I don't understand why you can't, a very good insight into the consequences of massive sand errosion is the gulf coast. Barrier islands litterally wiped off the face of the earth, beach fronts gone, errosion around resorts that are located directly on the beach. All that, just from a single hurricane. Over time, it can cause issues, even I realize that.

However, that's a hurrican. Now human intervention, can also be bad, but I don't believe that removing a few bottles of black sand will be a total loss. There are plenty of islands in the pacific rim under military control, which means the islands are basically 100% off limits and protected from pirates or sand poachers. So I dunno, I guess for me the subject is pretty shaky.

Now, I suggested that they remove the green beach, because what's the point in protecting something that no one can enjoy once it's gone? Slowly the beach will be washed out to sea, and there will be no more green sand. So why not act and either remove the sand so it will forever be in the eyes of the public and protected, or set up a series of barriers, meant to cut down the strength of the waves that hit the beach?

[Pisces]

Alright, I can't believe I'm actually posting this on here, but here's a scan of my headshot. This is because I freakin love my hair, and I gotta represent for the guys with cool hair!

Yes, Mr. Guitar! Represent! You should grow it out all super wild and wear a bandana and then get a harmonica. I don't know, but somehow it would be perfect.

I do wear a bandana sometimes. But as for a harmonica, it's not really my style. As you can probably guess, I love my guitar, haha.

I took another picture with my camera phone. It's obviously of lesser quality, but here it is.

This time, I can see your picture (I don't know why, it wouldn't show for me last time.)

You look very nice. I'd date you. If I wasn't taken. Although who knows, maybe the other Eric (my boyfriend) would go for that sort of thing.

Haha thanks, I guess. The other pic really is of better quality, although it's sorta cheesy. Professional head shot and all that. Let me try posting it again and see if it comes through.

I can see the picture this time, yay! It's very nice. You're right, your hair rocks. I like it. My hair just looks unkempt when it's long. And not the cool kind of unkempt, it looks awkward. So I keep it shorter.


...EDIT: You know what, I checked this again on my work computer later...it's my work computer that's not allowing me to see it. But I can see it on my home computer.

[Adol]

[GhaleonOne]

...EDIT: You know what, I checked this again on my work computer later...it's my work computer that's not allowing me to see it. But I can see it on my home computer.

Likely blocked by a firewall.

[LuNaRtIc]

A senior picture teaser for you all. This is a proof, I'm waiting for my good ones to come back from editing. :3



More to come later!

[phyco126]

Senior pictures? Isn't it a bit early in the school year for those yet? O_o. Anyway, that picture makes you look like your in your mid-20s easily. Not a bad thing either, so yeah, no need to pelt me with rocks .

[Kizyr]

A senior picture teaser for you all. This is a proof, I'm waiting for my good ones to come back from editing. :3

Certainly doesn't look like it needs any editing to me... KF

[Sonic#]

Too early, phyco? Many times they do them over the summer or even in the spring of junior year. I forget when ours were... I just remember that we also took graduation photos then, so they had a mock-up of the gown shoulder-up to wear.

I also remember the photographer saying I had good broad shoulders. I guess it was to make me smile.

But Lunartic... that looks great! Did they take the photos on location?

And Adol... I'm still trying to figure out the third picture. Were you just playing around and making a mirror image of yourself?

Now pictures... the first one is from over a year and a half ago that I only saw recently. Elvis and I in Nashville.

The last two are from the zoozoozizou a couple of weeks back! The last one doesn't look like it, but that's because it's an exhibit for kids.

[GhaleonOne]

More to come later!

Can't wait! It's a great picture (except maybe the lighting is a little dark). Though I like how the sun shines off your hair.

[Agawa]

A senior picture teaser for you all. This is a proof, I'm waiting for my good ones to come back from editing. :3

Looks nice! Are you a senior in high school as well? If so, we'll be graduating together this year!
I'll be getting some photos done for senior year. I've already had my normal school ones taken and they turned out horribly, so I'll be going to a photo place to get some. Or asking my friend, she's in school for photography.

[phyco126]

Too early, phyco? Many times they do them over the summer or even in the spring of junior year. I forget when ours were... I just remember that we also took graduation photos then, so they had a mock-up of the gown shoulder-up to wear.

Huh, how about that. We don't have our pictures that early, usually closer towards spring. Now school pictures on the other hand, yeah, we do them in the fall. Though we didn't have any mock-graduation photos, at least, not that I am aware on (who knows, maybe I just wasn't told?)