Ann Merry's Blog: January 2008

"Essential Japan" A slide show that I created with Google and Picasa

Look! at these beautiful pictures I took in Japan. I call this slide show "essential Japan" because it highlights images that are often considered "symbolic" or "typical" of Japanese culture.

If you click here, you can see an even better slide show that fills your entire computer screen. This is especially effective (and aesthetically pleasing) if you type the "f11" key on your computer keyboard in advance.

I have created this slide show because I am beginning the process of transporting all of the images that I have uploaded on my Flickr site over the years to a new site that I have just joined: Google/Picasa Web Albums. I am doing this, in turn, because I have become completely disappointed with Flickr's tactics for forcing its customers to renew (and pay some $25 each year) by holding their pictures hostage.

I would love to elaborate on this frustration, but for now, suffice to say that I am going to start trying out Google's Picasa web album site for storing and sharing my pictures with friends, family, and "the public". This web site offers 1GB of storage free of charge, and if customers want to buy more space, they can do so honestly and fairly without their pictures being taken away from them as a way of ensuring their business. So far I am impressed with the sites options - including making these awesome little slide shows that I just embedded here in my BLOG.

This is an explanation for my Dad and his friend Stansfield

Los Angeles

Another way to take things offered on the web that are "open source" (that is "gadgets" or images" offered to the public for open use - and free of charge) is the way that I tried to describe to you in my last email...
There are many sites that have created HTML code that you simply copy and paste into your own blog.

For example, on the following web page
http://www.worldtimeserver.com/clocks/wtsclock001.aspx
users are given the option to use a clock that that website has created as "open source". It gives good instructions on how to do this... and, frankly, I think those instructions are better than any I could try to type here, so I won't try to elaborate.

But, as you can see, if you click on their link that says something like "get html code" - you will arrive at a new page that gives you two options. TO be honest, I'm not sure what the difference between the two options are - but I would just try to copy the first first, since that seems to be the most common choice.
---
OKay, I just paused for a minute to try it out myself, and yes, the first option is the better choice for "blogger," this host site that I use....
All I did to post this clock was to cut and paste the entire HTML code from that page into the box on my blog site where I'd normally type and upload the texts for a new post.

As you can see by this example, you can add text directly next to these embedded free source gadgets... And then voila, What you see is What you get (WYSIWYG)...

Hope this works for you guys!

They just keep sucking me in.

Now, I have a myspace account.
Let's add that to my Flickr account, my picasa account, my youtube account, my opera blog, my facebook account, my weblog, and... OMG, if told you the others I 'd have to kill you. I finally signed up for the myspace account because there was too much information on that site that I wanted access to. Seems I couldn't view any of the pages created by some of my friends, colleagues and new associates, unless I joined.
I'm sick of joining these things though. THE Internet and all it's networking sites just keep on sucking me in. (I think the only network I 've still managed to stay off of is "linked In") Enough is enough already...

Make $25 for free - Open an account with ING Direct

As part of our new year's resolution to save up more money, my significant other and I just opened a short-term emergency savings account with ING Direct. I did a lot of research and decided that ING was the bank for us based on its very high APY interest rates and its great customer reviews. There are other banks that offer better APY rates, but none seem to even begin to compare in terms of reputation for great security and customer service. In addition - and like many other on-line savings account - ING Direct is federally insured (member FDIC) and has no minimum balance fees or hidden charges. (FYI: ING Direct savings accounts currently offer 4.10% Annual Percentage Yield)

One of the bonuses of deciding to go with ING Direct was that we got $25 just for signing up. (How about that? We earned an interest rate of 10% interest in just one day!) In doing my research on different banks, I found out that ING Direct is offering a promotion that gives $25 to any new customer opening an account with $250 or more. The new customer simply has to be referred by another, current customer, like me, now!

If you would like to join and earn this great bonus, and start a new savings account for the new year, just click on the following link, and I will be your referee.

Open a new account with ING Direct.
(Incidentally, bonuses start earning interest upon account opening, but are unavailable for withdrawal for 30 days. This offer is valid through 2/4/2008.)

By the way, if I happen to sound like a walking Mouthpiece for ING Direct, I suppose I have turned into one (the horror). So far I am very happy with my account, as I have earned my $25 already, just for knocking off a new year's resolution that I would have done anyway - even without the bonus.

My Dad's New Blog

In anticipation of another globe-trotting extravaganza with my mom, my athletic and literary father (aka "Bernie the Bard") has been busy lately learning how to blog. He has even posted an impressive number of poems (31) so far - all uploaded within the last 3 days apparently. Congratulations Dad, your blog looks great! I especially like this entry about me and Scott! And I like your poem about "an old couple" too.

Here is a sample of one of my dad's new poems... Evidence that he might have to forsake his old name for a new one, to the tune of something like "Bernie the Blogger."