(Disclosure: I have known Jack for over 40 years- ever since I got my first driver's license.)

Four weeks ago, on Super Bowl Sunday, Jack Box, CEO of Jack in the Box, was hit by a bus. This occurred during a Jack in the Box commercial and was the kick-off of an on-going viral campaign by the restaurant chain.

The plot line has Jack currently in a coma. Of course friends, family and the company ask that "In lieu of flowers, please order anything on the menu, anytime of day."

"Phil" who claims to be the #2 person at Jack in the Box, is trying to take over. "Barbara" Jack's personal assistant is trying to keep stop Phil. The soap opera can be found at www.hangintherejack.com.

But I bet you didn't know Jack' s history with the company.


Jack at a Downey, California, restaurant in 1979, before being blown up.

This is the second time the company has tried to kill Jack. In 1980, Jack was blown up on national TV as part of a make-over of the restaurant chain.



Then in 1995, Jack, repaired and fully recovered, got his revenge by blowing up the board of directors.



So here we are 29 years later with the company again trying to get rid of Jack. Wouldn't it just be easier to give him a buyout package and say:

Hit the road Jack, and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more!
Hit the road Jack, and don't you come back no more.

More to come.

Newbury Park High School boys varsity soccer team lost Wednesday 1-0 to St. Francis in the CIF 2nd round playoffs. Yes it was a major bummer. St. Francis scored on a corner kick with four minutes left in the match.

Still, this was a very successful year for the NPHS soccer team. They had to overcome several key injuries, rebounded to win 3 of their last 4 league matches and was the only Marmonte League team to advance past the first round. I am very proud of this team.

I posted 80 images online: DotPhoto album.

Enjoy.

Monday evening was spent at poking around Camarillo Airport. Here are my favorites images.

NPHS Boys varsity soccer won 1-0 Friday at Los Alamitos in the first round of the CIF Division 1 playoffs. I had to work, so no photos. But I plan to attend Wednesday's match vs St. Francis.

While NPHS won and advanced to the 2nd round, four other Marmonte League teams have already washed out of the soccer playoffs. Fifth place Moorpark lost 5-0 in a Wild Card match on Wednesday to Cabrillo of Long Beach. Fourth place Simi Valley lost Friday 2-0 to Loyola. Second place Agoura lost 3-2 to Claremont. And the shocker was first place Westlake losing to 2-1 to West Torrance.

St. Francis finished fourth in the very tough Mission League. So on paper this looks like a very even match Wednesday. NPHS beat St. Francis 2-0 in last year's CIF playoffs.

Waiting in my in-basket one day last week was a familiar photo of Cheeta waiting to be scanned. It was a 1984 photo I shot while working at the Thousand Oaks News Chronicle. The story and photo was later picked up and moved on the Associated Press wire.

I got to scan a photo I originally sent to AP in 1984. Very small world.



Turns out Cheeta may not be as old as we all thought. It was if Santa Claus was not real. Link to Los Angeles Times story on Cheeta.

In 1982 I was hired by the News Chronicle assistant city editor/photo editor Carol Bidwell. Today was Carol Bidwell's last day at the Los Angeles Daily News.

Part of her good-by message talked about her early days at the News Chronicle in the late 60s and early 70s. "......i was in newspapers when reporters were allowed to drive chp cars 130 mph in pursuits (we caught the asshole), carry guns (my .38 went off in the office once, but didn't hit anybody), get shot at (he missed), hang out in the jail with the prisoners, hobnob with judges at lunch and all manner of exciting stuff......"

Link to Carol Bidwell's goodbye.

Carol is a great character - now she is going for character acting roles. She has started a new web site. Way to go Carol!

Its winter, it has rained, the air is clear, now go shoot that California postcard photo - snow on mountain. Here is my shot today from the Spanish Hills section of Camarillo looking north. Now 50 more people will move to California.

The next Photoshop World in is coming up fast - March 25-27th at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston, MA. Of course I would love to attend, but nope, not this time. But I mention PSW because the early $100 discount ends this friday. For more, go to www.photoshopworld.com.

The other reason I am plugging Photoshop World are three YouTube Videos I watched tonight. My kind of humor.

First the 2008 Photoshop World Keynote video with a StarTrek theme:



Next up is the 2007 Keynote video with a Motown theme:

And finally the 2006 Keynote based on CSI Las Vegas



OK Scott Kelby, top these!

Good News. Newbury Park High School Boys Varsity Soccer team won tonight, ended up in 3rd place and will advance to the CIF playoffs. After losing Tuesday night to Thousand Oaks 1-0, they had to win to ensure playing next week. They beat Royal this evening. Well here are the dotphoto albums for photos from Tuesday evening. I worked tonight and was not able to shoot the big match.

Dotphoto albums: Boys Frosh Soph Boys JV Boys Varsity

While stuck in traffic Friday night i pulled out a camera and fired away blindly. Here are the best ones.

Tuesday night the Newbury Park High School Boys soccer teams won all three matches against Simi Valley High School. The Frosh Soph won 2-0. The JV won 1-0 on a goal in the last minute of play. Best of all was the Varsity, overcoming the loss of both Varsity goalies and a couple key starters, they beat first place Simi Valley 2-1.

Tonight, the Varsity followed up Tueday's win with a 3-0 win at Calabasas. I was at work and missed tonight's match.

Tuesday Dotphoto album links:

Boys Frosh Soph Boys JV Boys Varsity

Denny's free Grand Slam national promotion today is a big hit. Lines out the door, yelling over parking, exhausted employees - all the signs of successful campaign.

I went to the Newbury Park Denny's at 10 am. The line of about 30, photos above, stretched out the door. After a 20 minute wait I had a free Grand Slam and shared my table with a stranger. Great way to make friends.

The packed restaurant was serving nothing but Grand Slams and drinks. I asked our tied waiter if he had any orders for anything else. Out of about 100 served, one person ordered an omelet and a couple others ordered side dishes.

At 11 am I checked out the Denny's in Thousand Oaks. Its a smaller restaurant and the wait for a similar crowd of 30 was about 40 minutes.

At the Thousand Oaks Dennys parking lot,, photo below, a yelling match broke out between two drivers, one trying to back out of the full lot and another trying to get in. A parking attendent appeared and began directing traffic. Customers had to sneak into office building parking a long block away.

Yes Denny's hit a Grand Slam.