Predaceous Diving Beetles

Every couple of days I find one or a few of these in my pool and the other day a big one so time to Google and find out what they are. My neighbors think all unfamiliar bugs are or could be dangerous and I've always scooped them out before they get here. Turns out they are all over the US, Canada and Mexico plus the rest of the world. I assume they live in all these rain water ponds around here and are attracted by my security lights near the pool.

Habitat and conservation:  These beetles prefer quiet water at the edges of ponds and streams, floating gently among weeds. Before diving, they trap air between their wings and body, prolonging their time under water. Because predaceous diving beetles are strong fliers, they can fly away to new water if the pond they are in dries up, or if electric lights lure them away from “home.” This is why water beetles are sometimes found in birdbaths and swimming pools.

There are many, many different species of beetles, including hundreds of different predaceous diving beetles. If you are having trouble identifying them, congratulate yourself if you can say for certain that it's "some kind of a beetle"!

The movie shows three mating attempts including the two species Acilius sulcatus and Acilius canaliculatus, where the first two attempts are followed by matings, while in the third the female escapes.

Knock, Knock

I fell asleep rather early last night watching Pirates of the Caribbean which is really a terrible movie but I'm sure it made billions and I had to (try to) watch it once. I awoke about 11 with the Blue Screen of Death on my TV which happens when rain clouds are rolling in. Shortly after the rain began I hear someone yelling out side my gate, no idea what he was saying but he came over to my open kitchen window and asked if I had ordered pizza. Of course I hadn't and off he went into the downpour and thunder  to continue his search. I should have said if you don't find your house I'll buy it but I was half asleep. From the level of my pool and others observations I'd say it totaled close to 3+ inches rain.

A Blog Movie with Class

Julie and Julia (2009)

I don't know how many Blog movies there are, maybe a few more, but Julie & Julia is a good one and a real story. What a deal to have your Blog project first turn into a book and then a movie.

Seems Julie is a bored government worker and a wanna be writer. She somehow comes upon Blogging as a project to express herself and stay busy. She can't Blog her daily life for fear of being discovered and loosing her job. Instead she decides to cook every recipe in Julia Child's book "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and Blog it. That's 500 and some recipes in 365 day.

At this point the movie jumps back in time documenting Julia Child's entry into an all men's French cooking school in Paris. Julia goes from cooking school just to keep occupied to the notice that her famous book is being published and everything inbetween.

Julie's success starts with her Blog being mentioned in a New York Times article and goes from there. Two women that start at the beginning and end up with huge success. Cool movie and very well done.

Danzón - a chick flick?

I guess so with a female director and leading role but still one of my favorite Mexican movies.

It's about a couple of phone operators in Mexico City that live for the weekends and the Danzón. Julia (Maria Rojo) finds her perfect dance partner, finds a little romance and he suddenly disappears. The rest of the movie is Julia's search adventure for her dance partner in Veracruz. Lots of dancing, good music and low key adventure.



I used to sit for hours watching Danzon on the weekends on the Cuernavaca plaza. No live music, always recorded and often more dressed up than the folks below.

Made in Mexico movie fan

I'm a fan of Made in Mexico movies and there are many great ones. I have DVD's of many from various sources. Recently I watched two because they were made in the Costalegre area. "Cabo Blanco" was filmed in Barra de Navidad and "I Still Know What You Did Last Summer" was partially filmed in the old Hotel Tecuan up the coast.

Cabo Blanco was definately the better of the two with Charles Bronson but both were filmed at least half at night making anything other than the interior of hotels impossible. The 'other one' was god-awful with unknown actors and almost totally shot at night - as horror movies will do.

My advise is to avoid them unless you just have to say you've seen them. BTW, one of the original Hollywood Robinson Crusoe movies (Bunuel)(color) was shot in Cuyutlan in Colima in the '50's

Cabo Blanco

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer

Baja California 1952

Just too cool not to post this. The earliest I was there was '62 and no further than Rosarita. This is back when you really had to work to 'do Baja'. it even comes with almost surfing music but neither surf muisc or rock-n-roll had been invented then

This is a short movie made by my grandfather "Ray Haller" in 1952. He and his friends made a trek down from California to Baja California to fish, hunt and explore this region.