DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #817: NOT UP TO THE TASK, DR. BILL?

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drbill

The Lorax for the Kelp Forest
Scuba Legend
Rest in Peace
Messages
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Location
Santa Catalina Island, CA
# of dives
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DIVE DRY WITH DR. BILL #817: NOT UP TO THE TASK, DR. BILL?

Way back in 2013 I made a three week trip to the Philippines to dive (what else?) and finally meet a number of dive friends who lived there. On the second leg of my flight to Manila from Taipei, I met up with Erik Goossens from Switzerland with whom I'd be rooming at my first dive destination. We were driven to Club Ocellaris in Anilao and settled in awaiting the arrival of another friend, Evie Go, from Manila. Later I went on solo to Sabang (Puerto Galera) to dive with Action Divers for a week before returning to Manila to meet up with more friends.

Although I only dove a little more than two weeks, my dive total was 60 with all but one of them about an hour or more. That's a lot of time spent underwater and equals a lot of video footage shot. In fact, when I returned from the trip and did the initial edit of the footage at home, I ended up with almost 300 GB of compressed video (an estimated 25 hours). After the initial edit, I decided to take a break... which has lasted six years. Editing down that footage into a BluRay of the trip just seemed too daunting a task!

Now given my battle with the cancers, I need projects to focus on and keep my mind on something other than my impending demise. I wrote a 136-page autobiography for my granddaughters (along with two additional sections totaling 73 pages). Then I tackled a bucket list item, a novel covering my first year on Catalina (1969-70) which is nearly 300 pages long. Still seeking projects, I assembled my 800+ "Dive Dry with Dr. Bill" newspaper columns into a 23-volume set.

I kept procrastinating on the final edit of the Philippines footage since it was such a daunting task. Recently I decided to look at it once more. When I realized I had more than four hours of footage of just the cnidarians (coral, soft coral, anemones, etc.), I retreated to my safe space. After all, I'm a left winger on most issues.

After doing some mental gymnastics (almost as tough as physical ones these days), I decided that maybe I could just focus on the vertebrates I filmed like the fish and turtles. After all, there were "only" 130 GB of these subjects which is about the size of my other BluRay projects from the Bahamas, ABC Islands, Palau and the Egyptian Red Sea. I can do it... can't I?

So, I'm slowly psyching up to deal with this project. There were so many subjects I filmed and even some halfway decent footage... and maybe a little "indecent" video as well. After all, I've been called the fish pornographer by some. Nothing like a good mating sequence to titillate my viewers (and readers). I still have to identify about 80 of my fine finned friends, but I can simply leave out the ones I can't!

Speaking of species identification, I really would like to do a companion BluRay about the marine invertebrates of the Philippines after I'm through with the fish. If I just cover the stingers (Cnidarians) superficially, that would mean only editing another 100 GB and there is some cool footage in that collection. Unfortunately many of the invertebrates in this region of the world have not been described scientifically and given a name so that makes the task more difficult.

Hopefully I'll live long enough to complete both. I just switched from infusion-based chemo to Xeloda, a pill-based version of the 5FU drug. Instead of 2 1/2 days with a chemo pump, I take 112 pills over a two-week period. If I can tackle that challenge, I can do anything! Maybe even fall in love again. Nah, that's asking way too much of any woman.

© 2019 Dr. Bill Bushing. For the entire archived set of over 800 "Dive Dry" columns, visit my website Star Thrower Educational Multimedia (S.T.E.M.) Home Page

Image caption: Male ribbon eel and ornate ghost pipefish; warty frogfish and blue-spotted ray.

DDDB 817 Philippines footage sm.jpg
 
When you finish the Bluray, let us know!
 
Don't feel bad Bill, I've got Bonaire footage waiting to be edited - from 2003. I don't even have the camera anymore and will have to pick up a used one to do the captures (Hi-8)
 
@Dr bill

"….I wrote a 136-page autobiography for my granddaughters (along with two additional sections totaling 73 pages). Then I tackled a bucket list item, a novel covering my first year on Catalina (1969-70) which is nearly 300 pages long. Still seeking projects, I assembled my 800+ "Dive Dry with Dr. Bill" newspaper columns into a 23-volume set....'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bill
You are a great well educated established knowledgeable marine biologist who has a unique gift of identifying marine life phographing it and describing its unique habits in a fashion all can appreciate and understand
We certainly appreciate your enormous contributions to the identification and appreciation California marine life- you are the modern version of Mc Gininty and Mc Ginity and Doc Ricketts all combined in one package

It is my considered opinion that your efforts will long out last you or me and this board .

I think you will be robbing future generations if you do not create documents of your fine work-- recall
the monumental work of Dr Bruce Halstead " Poisonous and venomous Marine Animals of the world"
(LCCC 65-60000) a three volume book set published in 1965

Volume 1 is 994 Pages, Volume 11 consists of 1070 pages and volume 111 consists of 1006 pages for total of 3007 well illustrated pages jammed packed with valuable information. Each 8 -1/2 X 11 page is lavishly illustrated with drawings and underwater and topside photographs of the animals .

So How about a Dr. Bill book of California Marine life volume 1 . 2 or whatever it takes
And please place my order for the first book hot off the press lavishly inscribed to me

So hombre get [popping

Sam Miller.III
 
@Dr bill
just incase you were taking your after noon nap......

"….I wrote a 136-page autobiography for my granddaughters (along with two additional sections totaling 73 pages). Then I tackled a bucket list item, a novel covering my first year on Catalina (1969-70) which is nearly 300 pages long. Still seeking projects, I assembled my 800+ "Dive Dry with Dr. Bill" newspaper columns into a 23-volume set....'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Bill
You are a great well educated established knowledgeable marine biologist who has a unique gift of identifying marine life phographing it and describing its unique habits in a fashion all can appreciate and understand
We certainly appreciate your enormous contributions to the identification and appreciation California marine life- you are the modern version of Mc Gininty and Mc Ginity and Doc Ricketts all combined in one package

It is my considered opinion that your efforts will long out last you or me and this board .

I think you will be robbing future generations if you do not create documents of your fine work-- recall
the monumental work of Dr Bruce Halstead " Poisonous and venomous Marine Animals of the world"
(LCCC 65-60000) a three volume book set published in 1965

Volume 1 is 994 Pages, Volume 11 consists of 1070 pages and volume 111 consists of 1006 pages for total of 3007 well illustrated pages jammed packed with valuable information. Each 8 -1/2 X 11 page is lavishly illustrated with drawings and underwater and topside photographs of the animals .

So How about a Dr. Bill book of California Marine life volume 1 . 2 or whatever it takes
And please place my order for the first book hot off the press lavishly inscribed to me

So hombre get [popping

Sam Miller.III

DD
 
@happy-diver
Posted :
New to ScubaBoard and xenForo? Here's The Chairman's user guide...

here you go Sam Miller. lll a message from your president
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I appreciate you kind assistance …….
Especially from a representative of the late Ted Eldredge & Wally Gibbons.....

However, It is a very public message to a long term associate who I hold in the very highest esteem as one of a kind who has opened so many eyes to the wonder and amazement of underwater marine biology

I am always reminded of that book and movie of long ago about the American Civil war, Gone with the Wind and the last line of the book and movie

"Frankly my dear I don't give a damn"

Sam Miller, 111

@Dr bill

@Marie13
 
You can do it Dr. Bill. Anything left on the "cutting room floor" could be a video or 10 on their own just for the pure pleasure of watching.
 
Bill,
I will once again repeat my plea..



"Bill
You are a great well educated established knowledgeable marine biologist who has a unique gift of identifying marine life phographing it and describing its unique habits in a fashion all can appreciate and understand
We certainly appreciate your enormous contributions to the identification and appreciation California marine life- you are the modern version of Mc Gininty and Mc Gininty and Doc Ricketts all combined in one package

It is my considered opinion that your efforts will long out last you or me and this board .


It is my considered opinion you will be robbing future generations if you do not create documents of your fine work--
recall
The monumental work of Dr Bruce Halstead " Poisonous and venomous Marine Animals of the world"
(LCCC 65-60000) a three volume book set published in 1965

Volume 1 is 994 Pages, Volume 11 consists of 1070 pages and volume 111 consists of 1006 pages for total of 3007 well illustrated pages jammed packed with valuable information. Each 8 -1/2 X 11 page is lavishly illustrated with drawings and underwater and topside photographs of the animals .

So How about a Dr. Bill book of California Marine life volume 1 . 2 or whatever it takes
And please place my order for the first book hot off the press lavishly inscribed to me

So hombre get [popping

Sam Miller. III "
 
Sam... I plan to have the 23 volumes (or fewer if I make each volume larger) available as digital "books" on Amazon, hopefully by the end of summer (along with my novel about my first year on Catalina as a marine biology teacher). So many projects... and hopefully enough time thanks to my oncologist and the pill-based chemo I'm taking.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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