Rec'd this from a private trade; this is a "rhyton of rock-crystal from the sanctuary of the Palace of Zakros (155/1450 BC)." Beautiful!
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Canada Map 1
Map of Canada from my postcard pal Tam. She sent this and the next, Canada Map 2, and pointed out how the second map, Canada 2, was printed before the Nunavut providence came into existance. See the Northwest Territories here? Earlier, it encompassed Nunavut, too.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
Flickr & Blogger & TooMuchTrouble, OH MY!
I have to say that, in this day and age, I am surprised at the clumsiness of photoblogging solutions.
Ever since I switched to using Flickr to store my photos, my cards have been cut-off at the right. Flickr's "BLOG THIS" ability is nice, but it only offers two templates: 500px, which means my photos are too big and are cut off, or 240px, which means my photos show up too small here on Blogger...you can barely see them. So this explains why many of my previous photos are cut off.
I have found a solution, but it creates yet ANOTHER problem.
A wise soul on the Flickr help pages showed how to change the width of each photo blogged to 400px. That's great! It works for horizontal images. Now they fit nicely, and you can see the detail. But what about VERTICAL images? I was afraid that code would force Blogger to STRETCH the vertical images out to 400px in width. Thankfully, it doesn't do that. But what it does is super ENLARGE the image to retain the correct proportions! So now, what you will see on my blog in the future, are vertical images that are SUPER LARGE but normal-sized horizontal images. The next two blog posts you see as you scroll will show you what I mean.
Does that suck or what???
The lesser of two evils, I suppose....
The more I struggle with photoblogging, the more I want to find some smart programmers who want to go into business with me to create a photoblogging solution that WORKS. When you run into problems with Flickr or Blogger, you're basically at their mercy. And for some reason, they refuse to tackle and/or even acknowledge even basic issues that would make very many people happy. (This is not just me!)
For instance, why does Flickr not allow you to easily show photos AND descriptions in a slide-show format? So many people want this option...it would be easy to integrate, according to the Web heads out there talking about it....yet Flickr people won't even engage in the conversation to tell us that they hear us and WHY they won't do something about it.
Despite my frustration I continue. I know that some day the right solution will come along and then...I'm outta here!
Back to our regularly scheduled postcards.....
Thanks for listening! :)
Ever since I switched to using Flickr to store my photos, my cards have been cut-off at the right. Flickr's "BLOG THIS" ability is nice, but it only offers two templates: 500px, which means my photos are too big and are cut off, or 240px, which means my photos show up too small here on Blogger...you can barely see them. So this explains why many of my previous photos are cut off.
I have found a solution, but it creates yet ANOTHER problem.
A wise soul on the Flickr help pages showed how to change the width of each photo blogged to 400px. That's great! It works for horizontal images. Now they fit nicely, and you can see the detail. But what about VERTICAL images? I was afraid that code would force Blogger to STRETCH the vertical images out to 400px in width. Thankfully, it doesn't do that. But what it does is super ENLARGE the image to retain the correct proportions! So now, what you will see on my blog in the future, are vertical images that are SUPER LARGE but normal-sized horizontal images. The next two blog posts you see as you scroll will show you what I mean.
Does that suck or what???
The lesser of two evils, I suppose....
The more I struggle with photoblogging, the more I want to find some smart programmers who want to go into business with me to create a photoblogging solution that WORKS. When you run into problems with Flickr or Blogger, you're basically at their mercy. And for some reason, they refuse to tackle and/or even acknowledge even basic issues that would make very many people happy. (This is not just me!)
For instance, why does Flickr not allow you to easily show photos AND descriptions in a slide-show format? So many people want this option...it would be easy to integrate, according to the Web heads out there talking about it....yet Flickr people won't even engage in the conversation to tell us that they hear us and WHY they won't do something about it.
Despite my frustration I continue. I know that some day the right solution will come along and then...I'm outta here!
Back to our regularly scheduled postcards.....
Thanks for listening! :)
Horiztonal image at 400 px -- JUST RIGHT!
Horizontal images now blog fine....but the verticals, as you will see, are way too big!
Vertical image at 400 px -- TOO BIG!
Vertical images blogged here using Flickr's BLOGTHIS with the template modified to a width of 400 px means images that are TOO BIG.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Singapore
This awesome view of Singapore comes from a round robin on postcrossing. Sender relie tells me that it shows the skyline of Singapore's central business district, where most of the big banks and multinationals are located. In the foreground is the Swiss Stanford Hotel, the tallest hotel in southeast Asia! Thanks Relie!
Southernmost point in the continental US - Key West
From this spot, it is 90 miles to Cuba. I visited here when I was a teen, but I wasn't collecting postcards at that time (I think I was collecting boys!). My parents picked this up during their travels :)
Post Office in Hell (Grand Cayman, that is)
Yes, my parents went to Hell on their cruise--luckily it was full (as you will see on another postcard from Hell)...so they were able to come back! This card shows the old Hell post office, and the post office in Hell as it exists today. Can you imagine answering the question: "Where are you from?" with "I'm from Hell!"? :)
Hell Was Full....
So I came back. From Hell, Grand Cayman Island, British West Indies. Thanks mom and dad! :)
Ocho Rios, Jamaica
From my parents' latest cruise: this shows Ocho Rios at 7 am from the Jamaica Grande Resort. Awesome!
Cayman Islands, British West Indies
This is Smith's Barcadere, in the Cayman Islands. The back of the card says that this view shows one of the few secluded beaches that are favorite bathing areas for local residents. My parents got this for me on their recent cruise!
St. Armands Circle, Sarasota, Florida
I used to work at a coffee shop on the circle--also worked at a marina nearby. Expensive place to hang!
The Pier, St. Petersburg, Florida
One of my old haunts when I lived in St. Pete. The Pier was a neat place to take the kids--there's shopping inside, an aquarium on the top floor with a huge tubular fishtank that runs through the middle of the building from the first floor up to the aquarium, and indoor and outdoor eating establishments. Not to mention fishing...I remember all the pelicans that hung around where the old men outside sold bait and rented fishing gear :)
Pippi Longstocking Paper Doll
Pippi is known as Peppi to the Finns...my penpal's daughter adores her so she must still be popular in Finland. I recall Pippi Longstocking, but it is from a long time ago in my childhood!
Hvittrask, Art Noveau style Home in Finland
I love this view....not only is the home beautiful, but look at all that snow :) My penpal in Finland sent me this. She tells me that this home was built in the early 20th century.
Helsinki Center, Finland
Notice the arrow in the upper right corner of this card? That's where one of my penpals in Helsinki used to live. Awesome! Plus, this is a really cool view of the city!
Cherry Blossoms in Taiwan
Cherry blossoms beside Tien-yuan Temple of Tamsui, sent to me by my postcard penpal Andrea in Taiwan. Beautiful color!
Monday, January 29, 2007
Village of Fishermen, Brazil
This unique card is from my postcard pal Claudia. She writes that the boats are called "jangodas" in the northeast of Brazil. This is so beautiful and peaceful and exotic to me :) Lovely!
Ferrugem, Garopaba Brazil
Another beautiful card from Claudia in Brazil; the beach looks so inviting and EMPTY! I wonder if this is typical?
Breakwater Lighthouse
From a private swap; how unusual to me to see a lighthouse with a big city as a backdrop! Very neat :)
Usina do Gasometro, Brazil
received this interesting card from a postcrossings round robin; the sender shares that this used to be used to produced energy...then it was a jail...now it is an art museum. Love it!
Usina do Gasometro, Brazil
received this interesting card from a postcrossings round robin; the sender shares that this used to be used to produced energy...then it was a jail...now it is an art museum. Love it!
Berchtesgadener Land im Winter
An official postcrossing card with such lovely, lovely views of mountains and snow! I simply love these views and would love to visit here someday.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Sydney Harbour Bridge
Thanks to Kitkat from postcrossings for this lovely, inside peek at Sydney! I love when the cards show something other than the usual tourist destinations :)
Icy
This beautiful, frosty card is an official postcrossing card from Susanna in Pori, Finland. She tells me that the snow has finally arrived up there; you know things are getting pretty bad when all of your Finnish pals tell you there just hasn't been any snow! If you ever see this...thanks, Susanna!
The Temple of Abu-Sembel
This awesome card comes from my long-lost pal, Hanan :) I was glad to hear from her again after so long! This image is fabulous...look how LARGE those sculptures are! I would love to see this in person some day.
Salmon Glacier, British Columbia
Can you believe....I never really knew what a glacier was until I saw this postcard?!? I feel like a dunce :) But now I know...a glacier is a flowing river of ice! From the card: "The ice actually flows similar to a river with water. It is solid ice that is continually on the move." Awesome! Thanks to my postcard pal Saph!
Princeton University
This card comes from a private trade; I used to live in New Jersey, although south of Princeton--in Cinnaminson. A nice addition to my university collection.
The Appalachian Trail
This view is really nothing special--I've seen hundreds of cards with better ones :) But what I like about this is that it's one snapshot taken along the 2,000+ mile trail that runs from Georgia to Maine. I'm getting kinda old now so I doubt I could do it....but just imagine...hiking that trail!!! I may start a new collection of postcards from along the trail. If you have any, please let me know!
Common Sense
"A Federal Budget to Rebuild Our Communities." The text on this card says that we need to, basically, give up all the military spending and put our dollars into our communities. I don't know what I think of all that -- I'm really ignorant about issues like this. But I do know that I hate how many people are poor, suffering and struggling in this country--and all over the world. But honestly, the ideals themselves did not attract me to this card. The colorful artwork did :) Artwork by Karen Kerney, 1992.
African Proverb
"It takes a whole village to raise a child." Not only do I believe this as a mother of three kids with no support system whatsoever around me (except for hubby, that is!), but I also believe this because I believe in the idea of "community" and "family." Love this colorful art card--a very pleasing addition to my collection. Art by Bonnie Acker, cut paper, 1994.
Des Moines Botanical Center
Another card that clues me in on the fact that I really do enjoy art. See that colorful sculpture that looks like dinosaur bones? I love it! :) That's the reason I selected this card for a private trade :)
Walker's Point
Kennebunkport, Maine....President Bush's Estate. When I selected this card for a private trade, I had no idea it was the President's Estate. I just liked it because it was a nice Maine view and I have few to no Maine cards :) So this is an added surprise :)
Sculpture in Downtown Charlottesville VA
I never really thought of myself as one who enjoys--or even appreciates--art. But that must be changing, as I really enjoy postcards like this! Downtown Asheville has similar sculptures; I want to make a postcard of them someday :)
San Fernando Valley
I have always heard of the "San Fernando Valley," but I had no idea what it truly represented. Now I know this isn't much...but at least it's something! :) From a private trade.
Silent Street, Ipswich, UK
From my postcard pal Kerstin; I love this shot! She says she walks by this mailbox (that red thing is a mailbox!) everyday--and that the bookstore you see there is her favorite. What a neat postcard...and such a quaint, historic street!
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Chartres
From Marie in Anet, France; Chartres is one place I would love to see in person someday--awe-inspiring!
French Greetings
Greetings in French from my penpal Marie in Anet, France. Marie surprised me with a lovely box that included a CD of children's songs in French (wth a beautiful sing-a-long book!), postcards, a recipe book and more! This card was among the treasures :)
Ad postcard for a travel book about Africa!
I love this card! I read the book, Stalking the Wild Dik-Dik by Marie Javins (www.mariejavins.com) and loved it so much that I started to read Marie's blog. There she mentioned that she had a postcard for the book. I asked; she sent! Marvelous! Highly recommended reading...get the book!
Village in the Pyrenees
Lovely card from France; this is actually one my husband received! But his cards go into my collection so it's really for me :)
Aerial view of Oulu, Finland
I really enjoy this card showing Oulu, which is in North Finland. The sender, Anitta, wrote to tell me how even in Northern Finland they are suffering for a lack of snow! She said she feels for the people in Southern Finland because it is so dark and dreary...and without the snow to brighten things up, people feel really depressed. She is making lifestyle changes in her home to do something about the climate change--conserving energy and all. Maybe if we all work together...if we all do just a little...we can make a difference after all.
Bantay Church, The Philippines
Received this card from Aislinn for an organized group swap; love the architecture of this church.
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