i love gmail! it's so easy to keep my inbox clear and everything all
organised!!!!!
as i read messages, i label them with as many things as i want, then i
answer it or put a star if i need to answer it later or follow up,
then i click archive... just so! it almost makes me feel like an
organised person...and as a reward when my inbox is clear, i get a
link to google news... i've actually started reading the news!!! dude!
and all i have to do when i have time is go to my starred box, answer
the mails, remove stars and ta-da! they disappear into the right
places.
Like I said in my links, if you want a gmail account, drop me a
comment and I'll send you an invite....
Tuesday, September 28, 2004
Monday, September 27, 2004
Useful links
I thought I'd gather together all the links that I keep finding myself
giving out over the past few weeks and post them in one place. So if I
tell you to check my Blog for the link, it's here.
Serving at the BWC
https://bahai.bwc.org/service/
This page has the service needs, a little about the recruitment
process, and online forms to apply. Also the contact e-mail for the
office of personnel if you have any more questions.
Insight Website
www.InsightTheBand.net
That's us. I miss these guys, but I'm really glad we did the cd. Buy
it. Please?! Don't mistake our site for insighttheband.com.... that's
someone else. I like their site though and they look cool....
Paypal
www.paypal.com
Dude. Money. Online. Need I say more? Maybe so.... People can send you
money straight from their credit or debit card. You can send money to
anyone with an e-mail address. To receive the money you set it up to
credit your bank account or your credit card. It's so simple! - and
cheap makes wire transfers and Western Union seem like major
ripoffs....
Online translator
http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr
Babelfish provides pretty rudimentary translation to and from a lot of
languages. I find it works best if you keep it simple. Like if you
have a long sentence with a lot of verbs in complicated tenses, break
it up into shorter, simpler sentences. You're still likely ot get some
weird results, but come on, it's a free online translator. It's also
good for translating web pages. If you're bored, try putting in a
short paragraph, translate it to another language, translate the
translation back to english, and to and fro, until you get something
constant. It's hilarious!
Here's what that paragraph ended up as to and from Spanish:
1st iteration:
Babelfish provides the pretty rudimentary translation to and from many
of languages. The encounter work more better possible if you maintain
it simple. As if you have a long oration with many of verbs in
complicated times, rómpalos for above in shorter orations, simpler. Ot
probable of You're still obtains some strange results, but it goes
ahead, it's a translator in line frees. It's also good to translate
Web pages. If you're bored, it tries to put in a short paragraph,
tradúzcalo to another language, it translates the translation to
English again, and forwards and back, until you obtain something
constant. Laughing It's!
(as I said, it's not perfect - keep it simple!)
4th or 5th time:
Babelfish provides the pretty rudimentary translation to and from many
of languages. Possible the best one of the work of the encounter if
you maintain it simple. As if you have a long oration with many of
verbs in the complicated hours, the rómpalos for aforesaid in shorter
orations, simpler. The probable one of Ot de You're still obtains some
strange results, but it goes more ahead, it's than a translator in
line sends. It's also good for translating the pages of the Web if
you're bored, he tries to put in a short paragraph, tradúzcalo to
another language, it translates the translation to the English again,
and it sends and the movements around the other way, until you obtain
something constant. It's that laughs!
It's pretty reassuring for my friends who are translators, the
knowledge that it will be a long long time before you are replaced by
a machine! :o)
Online Spanish Lessons
http://www.studyspanish.com
Go here and click on "Free Stuff", get the free membership for your
online report card and grade book, and then get going! Speak out loud
as you do the lessons, and use the audio helpers to work on your
pronounciation. It's the best free thing I've found in a long time!!!!
Summer School Pictures.
Here's my pics from summer school. Shutterfly sucks though. I'm not
sending any more people to put pictures there. I love that you can do
the cards and stuff, but there's so many times that I've tried to look
at pics and it wasn't working.... the disadvantages outweigh the
benefits.
G-Mail
www.gmail.com
Google's e-mail rocks. Nothing but praise from me. Vi mentioned the
important problem that it doesn't save draft e-mails, but other than
that, I have no complaints. 1 gig of memory, easy organisation, filing
under multiple headings, and a Google search of your e-mail!!!! It
rocks! It's free and is driven by ads that are displayed when you
check your e-mail, they are down the side of the screen and are
generated from keywords in your e-mail. Pretty cool, David was talking
to me about his new guitar that he's getting and I got ads for guitar
stores.... Even the ads are fun! You can only join by invite though,
so put a comment on this blog if you want an invite and I'll send you
one.
Jason Mraz
www.JasonMraz.com
Jason Mraz is one of the best performers I've ever heard. He rocks. I
can't say enough good stuff about his music. I'm glad he's doing well.
That's it for now but I'm sure I'll be adding to this.
giving out over the past few weeks and post them in one place. So if I
tell you to check my Blog for the link, it's here.
Serving at the BWC
https://bahai.bwc.org/service/
This page has the service needs, a little about the recruitment
process, and online forms to apply. Also the contact e-mail for the
office of personnel if you have any more questions.
Insight Website
www.InsightTheBand.net
That's us. I miss these guys, but I'm really glad we did the cd. Buy
it. Please?! Don't mistake our site for insighttheband.com.... that's
someone else. I like their site though and they look cool....
Paypal
www.paypal.com
Dude. Money. Online. Need I say more? Maybe so.... People can send you
money straight from their credit or debit card. You can send money to
anyone with an e-mail address. To receive the money you set it up to
credit your bank account or your credit card. It's so simple! - and
cheap makes wire transfers and Western Union seem like major
ripoffs....
Online translator
http://babelfish.altavista.com/tr
Babelfish provides pretty rudimentary translation to and from a lot of
languages. I find it works best if you keep it simple. Like if you
have a long sentence with a lot of verbs in complicated tenses, break
it up into shorter, simpler sentences. You're still likely ot get some
weird results, but come on, it's a free online translator. It's also
good for translating web pages. If you're bored, try putting in a
short paragraph, translate it to another language, translate the
translation back to english, and to and fro, until you get something
constant. It's hilarious!
Here's what that paragraph ended up as to and from Spanish:
1st iteration:
Babelfish provides the pretty rudimentary translation to and from many
of languages. The encounter work more better possible if you maintain
it simple. As if you have a long oration with many of verbs in
complicated times, rómpalos for above in shorter orations, simpler. Ot
probable of You're still obtains some strange results, but it goes
ahead, it's a translator in line frees. It's also good to translate
Web pages. If you're bored, it tries to put in a short paragraph,
tradúzcalo to another language, it translates the translation to
English again, and forwards and back, until you obtain something
constant. Laughing It's!
(as I said, it's not perfect - keep it simple!)
4th or 5th time:
Babelfish provides the pretty rudimentary translation to and from many
of languages. Possible the best one of the work of the encounter if
you maintain it simple. As if you have a long oration with many of
verbs in the complicated hours, the rómpalos for aforesaid in shorter
orations, simpler. The probable one of Ot de You're still obtains some
strange results, but it goes more ahead, it's than a translator in
line sends. It's also good for translating the pages of the Web if
you're bored, he tries to put in a short paragraph, tradúzcalo to
another language, it translates the translation to the English again,
and it sends and the movements around the other way, until you obtain
something constant. It's that laughs!
It's pretty reassuring for my friends who are translators, the
knowledge that it will be a long long time before you are replaced by
a machine! :o)
Online Spanish Lessons
http://www.studyspanish.com
Go here and click on "Free Stuff", get the free membership for your
online report card and grade book, and then get going! Speak out loud
as you do the lessons, and use the audio helpers to work on your
pronounciation. It's the best free thing I've found in a long time!!!!
Summer School Pictures.
Here's my pics from summer school. Shutterfly sucks though. I'm not
sending any more people to put pictures there. I love that you can do
the cards and stuff, but there's so many times that I've tried to look
at pics and it wasn't working.... the disadvantages outweigh the
benefits.
G-Mail
www.gmail.com
Google's e-mail rocks. Nothing but praise from me. Vi mentioned the
important problem that it doesn't save draft e-mails, but other than
that, I have no complaints. 1 gig of memory, easy organisation, filing
under multiple headings, and a Google search of your e-mail!!!! It
rocks! It's free and is driven by ads that are displayed when you
check your e-mail, they are down the side of the screen and are
generated from keywords in your e-mail. Pretty cool, David was talking
to me about his new guitar that he's getting and I got ads for guitar
stores.... Even the ads are fun! You can only join by invite though,
so put a comment on this blog if you want an invite and I'll send you
one.
Jason Mraz
www.JasonMraz.com
Jason Mraz is one of the best performers I've ever heard. He rocks. I
can't say enough good stuff about his music. I'm glad he's doing well.
That's it for now but I'm sure I'll be adding to this.
Thursday, September 23, 2004
Going for walks
I've started walking around this beautiful place that I'm in. The day before yesterday, I went around this area. It's called Artxanda (Basque spelling of what sounds like Artchanda) and it's a small community on top of one of the many mountains surrounding the city of Bilbao. Basically it's just crowning this hill. It's not a very big town/village or whatever you want to call it. There are a lot of parks, some houses, a high school and a primary school, a small private medical centre, and a bunch of restaurants. Oh yeah there's a culinary school here too. I guess there's other stuff but that's what I've seen. When I was walking 2 days ago I went to the adjoining hilltop, where there is an old unused monastary. Apparently it's a landmark around here. There is a lot of parkland here. There are also a lot of restaurants - because of the view, this is where there are a lot of terrace restaurants, overlookng the city. People like to get married in the parks and have their receptions at these restaurants.
So I took an hour long walk around Artxanda. I walked to the monastary, which has a great view of the hills on the eastern side, and the valley where the airport is. I then walked towards the main park, and around to the other side of the hill, the western part where the valley where the city of Bilbao is. I crossed the street to a
lookout point. I watched the city turn on lights as sunset approached and the sun dropped behind the mountains on the far side of the city. It was gorgeous.
The most obvious landmark here is the Guggenheim Museum (http://www.virtourist.com/europe/bilbao/Bilbao_Photos.htm), which completely takes my breath away every time I see it. It's a huge structure covered with titanium, and it never ceases to amaze me how something so obviously man-made and not living can look so beautiful and organic. Next to it is there are 2 huge cubes, which, under any
other circumstances would be ugly and ruin the beauty of the museum, however these cubes are an exhibit, they are pearly looking and coated with some kind of prismatic refractive coating, which basically means that at any time of the day and in any light, you can see beautiful colours ranging from vivid fuschia and purple and violet and red in bright sunlight, to gentle muted pastels in subdued cloudy light,
bright flashes of rainbows when there is sunlighted reflected onto certain spots.... anything. It's so beautiful. When I go there, I don't know what I like most, the cubes or the museum! Inside the cubes there are 2 displays as well. I won't tell you about them, I'll save it for when you come and visit :o)
Along the edge of downtown Bilbao, which is a pretty small, and well organised city, there is a river. It runs in a semicircular shape, describing half of the imaginary wheel thatis the city. Actually I think it's more of a canal, since the walls of it are very obviously man made. There are beautifully designed bridges crossing it at
intervals, and park and walking paths all along both sides of it. On the "inside" of the circle you see the city, all low buildings except for two 20-storey buildings, on the outside of the circle there are some towns. My favourite is "Casco Viejo" the "Old City" which is best identified by the 2 church steeples, and the small close buildings.
The buildings lining the river are all very dignified looking. Some with the old style architecture typical of European cities, others more modern, but all very nice. Of course, the Guggenheim is one of the modern ones and is really what draws your eye when you look.
After looking at the city and the mountains behind it and the clouds playing with the peaks of the mountains, I walked back home, happy.
Last night, I decided to take a different route. I got my subway/train/bus pass and headed for the funicular, which is about 5 minutes away, in the park. The funicular (or Funi as they call it), is basically just like the Carmelit, but with only the stops at the top and bottom, and is above ground. It runs every 15 minutes and the ride is about 1.5 to 2 minutes. Basically it means that although in a car it takes about 15 minutes to get down the mountain and get downtown, and the bus takes about 20 to 25, if I leave home walking at 6 minutes to either the hour, quarter past, quarter to or the half hour, anytime between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., I can be in Bilbao less than 10 minutes later. I can cross one of the bridges and be in the centre of downtown within 5 minutes of that, or I can head along the river and be in the old city in 10 minutes. For a 50 cent ride! :o))))
So yesterday, I grabbed my pass and took the 7:15 funi down. I first walked across the bridge and alongside the river towards and past the old city, then turned and came back the same way, which took half an hour. Then I walked along and past the Guggenheim, still along the river, got there just in time to see the steamy fog that is periodically created over the reflecting pool in front of the museum (on purpose), and then along the river down towards the docks and the maritime museum. There was a beautiful pedestrian walkway all along the way, with a separate bike path and literally hundreds maybe even a thousand or so people walking, jogging, cycling, rollerblading, walking in couples, walking with families, dogs, grandparents with grandchildren, everyone. And everyone was so happy to be outside in
the fresh air and enjoying the city. It was wonderful. What I'm calling a footpath was actually more like a pedestrian brick road, about 5 or 6 metres wide, so although there were a lot of people, it never felt crowded. Every now and then there was the tinkling bell of the streetcar going by, but other than that and the bicycles, there was no sign of any other traffic. The roads are elsewhere. I got to a
bridge and crossed, about half an hour after my first bridge, and walked back along the other side of the river. This was just as pretty, more residential, but the walking path had a park down the middle of it. In some places the park was broken by a basketball court, a skate park, complete with ramps and stairs and rails and
everything, and the typical skaters and bladers, a playground.... totally a family place. Again, people exercising, walking their dogs, out with family, or just hanging out on the benches watching the setting sun reflecting on the Guggenheim cubes. It was soooooo nice.
I got back to the funi after walking for an hour and a half, and was home in 10 minutes. It was such a perfect evening! I've resolved to walk every night, and I'm really looking forward to tonight's walk. I want to start a little later though, because at 9 p.m. in the reflecting pool at the Guggenheim, there are these flames of fire that shoot up every 5 minutes - really impressive, and at 10 the laser show
starts on the cubes, which is even cooler than seeing the sunlight on them during the day! I also want to explore the city more, so I want to choose a different road each evening and go into the city and come back out, and walk along the river (where it is brightly lit and full of people) as it gets darker.
So I took an hour long walk around Artxanda. I walked to the monastary, which has a great view of the hills on the eastern side, and the valley where the airport is. I then walked towards the main park, and around to the other side of the hill, the western part where the valley where the city of Bilbao is. I crossed the street to a
lookout point. I watched the city turn on lights as sunset approached and the sun dropped behind the mountains on the far side of the city. It was gorgeous.
The most obvious landmark here is the Guggenheim Museum (http://www.virtourist.com/europe/bilbao/Bilbao_Photos.htm), which completely takes my breath away every time I see it. It's a huge structure covered with titanium, and it never ceases to amaze me how something so obviously man-made and not living can look so beautiful and organic. Next to it is there are 2 huge cubes, which, under any
other circumstances would be ugly and ruin the beauty of the museum, however these cubes are an exhibit, they are pearly looking and coated with some kind of prismatic refractive coating, which basically means that at any time of the day and in any light, you can see beautiful colours ranging from vivid fuschia and purple and violet and red in bright sunlight, to gentle muted pastels in subdued cloudy light,
bright flashes of rainbows when there is sunlighted reflected onto certain spots.... anything. It's so beautiful. When I go there, I don't know what I like most, the cubes or the museum! Inside the cubes there are 2 displays as well. I won't tell you about them, I'll save it for when you come and visit :o)
Along the edge of downtown Bilbao, which is a pretty small, and well organised city, there is a river. It runs in a semicircular shape, describing half of the imaginary wheel thatis the city. Actually I think it's more of a canal, since the walls of it are very obviously man made. There are beautifully designed bridges crossing it at
intervals, and park and walking paths all along both sides of it. On the "inside" of the circle you see the city, all low buildings except for two 20-storey buildings, on the outside of the circle there are some towns. My favourite is "Casco Viejo" the "Old City" which is best identified by the 2 church steeples, and the small close buildings.
The buildings lining the river are all very dignified looking. Some with the old style architecture typical of European cities, others more modern, but all very nice. Of course, the Guggenheim is one of the modern ones and is really what draws your eye when you look.
After looking at the city and the mountains behind it and the clouds playing with the peaks of the mountains, I walked back home, happy.
Last night, I decided to take a different route. I got my subway/train/bus pass and headed for the funicular, which is about 5 minutes away, in the park. The funicular (or Funi as they call it), is basically just like the Carmelit, but with only the stops at the top and bottom, and is above ground. It runs every 15 minutes and the ride is about 1.5 to 2 minutes. Basically it means that although in a car it takes about 15 minutes to get down the mountain and get downtown, and the bus takes about 20 to 25, if I leave home walking at 6 minutes to either the hour, quarter past, quarter to or the half hour, anytime between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., I can be in Bilbao less than 10 minutes later. I can cross one of the bridges and be in the centre of downtown within 5 minutes of that, or I can head along the river and be in the old city in 10 minutes. For a 50 cent ride! :o))))
So yesterday, I grabbed my pass and took the 7:15 funi down. I first walked across the bridge and alongside the river towards and past the old city, then turned and came back the same way, which took half an hour. Then I walked along and past the Guggenheim, still along the river, got there just in time to see the steamy fog that is periodically created over the reflecting pool in front of the museum (on purpose), and then along the river down towards the docks and the maritime museum. There was a beautiful pedestrian walkway all along the way, with a separate bike path and literally hundreds maybe even a thousand or so people walking, jogging, cycling, rollerblading, walking in couples, walking with families, dogs, grandparents with grandchildren, everyone. And everyone was so happy to be outside in
the fresh air and enjoying the city. It was wonderful. What I'm calling a footpath was actually more like a pedestrian brick road, about 5 or 6 metres wide, so although there were a lot of people, it never felt crowded. Every now and then there was the tinkling bell of the streetcar going by, but other than that and the bicycles, there was no sign of any other traffic. The roads are elsewhere. I got to a
bridge and crossed, about half an hour after my first bridge, and walked back along the other side of the river. This was just as pretty, more residential, but the walking path had a park down the middle of it. In some places the park was broken by a basketball court, a skate park, complete with ramps and stairs and rails and
everything, and the typical skaters and bladers, a playground.... totally a family place. Again, people exercising, walking their dogs, out with family, or just hanging out on the benches watching the setting sun reflecting on the Guggenheim cubes. It was soooooo nice.
I got back to the funi after walking for an hour and a half, and was home in 10 minutes. It was such a perfect evening! I've resolved to walk every night, and I'm really looking forward to tonight's walk. I want to start a little later though, because at 9 p.m. in the reflecting pool at the Guggenheim, there are these flames of fire that shoot up every 5 minutes - really impressive, and at 10 the laser show
starts on the cubes, which is even cooler than seeing the sunlight on them during the day! I also want to explore the city more, so I want to choose a different road each evening and go into the city and come back out, and walk along the river (where it is brightly lit and full of people) as it gets darker.
Wednesday, September 22, 2004
Untitled
When you name something "Untitled" isn't that giving it a name? It's like using the word generic or no-name as a name brand....
I've been writing songs lately. I was sitting at Feast a couple of weeks ago, and it was cool following the devotional portion in Spanish, but when it came to the consultation I started to lose my concentration and zone out. Oops. Well as I was sitting there thinking about nothing in particular, a song came into my head... so I wrote it down. Unbelievably, it flowed and rhymed and everything from the first writing of it, I haven't needed to revise anything. I've been working on the guitar and vocals but I suck at that. I really miss McKinney. I can't believe how easy it was to write songs with him. We were chatting yesterday and were talking about sharing songwriting again. He's been writing lots of guitar parts and melodies but no words, I've been writing a bunch of lyrics and can't put them to music....
I started learning the guitar so that I wouldn't have this problem anymore, so that the songs in my head could come out. With my typical impatience, I'm getting really frustrated about not being able to play it well enough yet. I've been playing daily, the hard nubs at the tips of my left fingers are proof of that. It's weird. They peeled and now you can't see them, but my fingertips feel like they used to when I used to put white glue on them and wait for it to dry....
There's a strange smell in my room. It's somewhere near the wall at the head of the bed. So for the past few nights I have slept the other way, with my head at the foot of the bed. I haven't been able to sleep. It's okay though, because there's always siesta to make up for the missed hours at night! :o)
I've been writing songs lately. I was sitting at Feast a couple of weeks ago, and it was cool following the devotional portion in Spanish, but when it came to the consultation I started to lose my concentration and zone out. Oops. Well as I was sitting there thinking about nothing in particular, a song came into my head... so I wrote it down. Unbelievably, it flowed and rhymed and everything from the first writing of it, I haven't needed to revise anything. I've been working on the guitar and vocals but I suck at that. I really miss McKinney. I can't believe how easy it was to write songs with him. We were chatting yesterday and were talking about sharing songwriting again. He's been writing lots of guitar parts and melodies but no words, I've been writing a bunch of lyrics and can't put them to music....
I started learning the guitar so that I wouldn't have this problem anymore, so that the songs in my head could come out. With my typical impatience, I'm getting really frustrated about not being able to play it well enough yet. I've been playing daily, the hard nubs at the tips of my left fingers are proof of that. It's weird. They peeled and now you can't see them, but my fingertips feel like they used to when I used to put white glue on them and wait for it to dry....
There's a strange smell in my room. It's somewhere near the wall at the head of the bed. So for the past few nights I have slept the other way, with my head at the foot of the bed. I haven't been able to sleep. It's okay though, because there's always siesta to make up for the missed hours at night! :o)
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