Lost Photos Found

Above, The Beast at Los Banos KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For months my SD card was rattling around inside of my phone. Somehow, without me knowing it, it popped out of its slot.

The only thing I noticed was that I lost a lot of storage capacity.

Two days ago, I went with Jes when she went to get a new phone. While there, I opened the back of my phone to see whereabouts my SD card goes. As soon as I opened the phone there it was just sitting there.

I took a look to see where it was supposed to go and found it. After sliding it into its slot, almost immediately many photo files popped back up. I thought those photo files were gone due from accidentally deleting them.

Here's some of the "long-lost" photos:

Above, The Beast at Reseda Automotive. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Amoeba Music in Hollywood. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the Museum of Death in Hollywood. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, inside Amoeba Music in Hollywood. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, yours truly speaking on Godzilla locations in San Francisco. 

Above, The Beast at the Avenal-Coalinga Rest Area. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Superman at Santa Monica's 3rd Street Promenade. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Tokyo Skytree at dawn. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Dodger Stadium. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

What?! A Year Already?

Above, the storefront of the Dearly Departed Tour. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A "memory" notification was posted on my Facebook page of an event that took place a year ago today. It asked if I wanted to share it. I did.

I was a little stunned by this as it doesn't seem like a year had passed. It was when my daughter Amber got us on the "Dearly Departed Hollywood, A Tragical History Tour" around Hollywood and Los Angeles as a Father's Day gift.

Above, the tour at the apartment where Bela Lugosi died in 1956. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The tour took us to places where Hollywood celebrities met their deaths and where others also met their untimely ends. We also visited the graves of several celebrities.

Above,some items for sale at the Dearly Departed store. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I knew it had been a few months since we took the tour, but it seems so fresh that I find it incredible that it was a year ago. It is amazing how fast a year had flown by!

Above, the doorway where actress Rebecca Schaeffer was gunned down. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We did another death-related activity in January. We visited the Museum of Death in Hollywood (and Amoeba Music across the street). I may have the two confused or "blended together" in my memory banks. Yes, my daughter takes after me in liking weird or offbeat things to do.

Here is the first of several write-ups on the tour.

Museum of Death and Amoeba Music

An interesting, yet enjoyable, day was spent today with my daugher Amber and her boyfriend Neil at the Hollywood Museum of Death and at Amoeba Music.

Museum of Death

Above, the front of the Hollywood Museum of Death. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I've heard of the Museum of Death, but never visited it. Until today.

The museum has an interesting collection of death-related items from many sources.

According to their website:

The Museum of Death houses the world's largest collection of serial murderer artwork, photos of the Charles Manson crime scenes, the guillotined severed head of the Blue Beard of Paris (Henri Landru), original crime scene and morgue photos from the grisly Black Dahlia murder, a body bag and coffin collection, replicas of full size execution devices, mortician and autopsy instruments, pet death taxidermy, and so much more! 

Also on display are videos of autopsies and serial killers, the Heaven's Gate Cult recruiting video, and the infamous Traces (not Faces) of Death video, all real (not re-enacted) death footage.

Along with the aforementioned, there is a large collection of traffic accidents showing the poor souls who were killed and a section on cults.

They don't allow photography or videography in the museum and they are planning to produce a book (or booklet) of the museum.

The museum is not for everyone, especially those who are sensitive, as many of the items are gruesome.

For more information on the Museum of Death, go here.

*****

Amoeba Music

Above, the front of Amoeba Music. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Following our visit to the Museum of Death, we then headed over to Amoeba Music on Sunset Blvd. I've always wanted to stop in at Amoeba Music (my former roommate Jessica and I have often talked about doing so), but never got around to it).

Amoeba Music is a big store of new and used vinyl LPs, CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, books and audios equipment.

Above, a view of the inside of Amoeba Music. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The store has something for everybody, although I was disappointed that they did not have (admittedly rare) some music albums I have been searching for.

Above, another view of the inside of Amoeba Music. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Still, Amoeba Music will most likely have what you want and their staff is eager and willing to help you find it.

If you find yourself in Hollywood, both the Museum of Death and Amoeba Music are places that you should visit.