Monday, 29 July 2013

Resting at Battery Park. Statue of Liberty in the background. Beautiful sunset.

"Afrobats" or, as they said: "Black Guys Flipping" in Central Park.

Heading to the Mall in Central Park.

The fountain in central park.

Ahh, cool shade by the bridge. Central Park. New York City.

Looking for some shade in central park by the pond

The Photographer at Columbus Circle

Times Square? No problem.

Wha? Times Square is sure overwhelming, eh?

Bridge by the pond in Central Park, NYC

Central Park, NYC

Dinner at Ruby Tuesdays. Salad bar is great!

Sunday, 28 July 2013

Shopping at Jersey Garden Outlet makes my girl very, very happy. (And cute)

She likes the second bedroom

Loving the living room. Three TVs and two bathrooms make one family of five happy while visiting New York City.

Cupboard is stocked. Cute bowls and glasses! And you can ask them to go pick up groceries for your full-size fridge.

In the Kitchen of our 2-bedroom suite ao the Residence Inn, Newark.

Lunch / Dinner at Jersey Outlet Mall. Note the lack of Veges...

Tired of waiting for the hotel shuttle after flying in from Toronto. Hungry too. Bumpy way down before landing makes the stomach queasy.

Waiting for the hotel shuttle after arriving in Newark, New Jersey for our trip to New York City

Sunday, 12 May 2013

Need Microsoft Detox? Get Apache OpenOffice



Apache Open Office has everything you need to get off of Microsoft for good.  It is open-source software that not only competes with Microsoft, but seems to betters it in many ways by adding features that are not available in Microsoft products.  

It is a full suite of Microsoft-Office-like products including a word-processor, applications for spreadsheets, presentations, drawing and databases.   One of the most important features is that all documents can be saved in formats that are Microsoft-Office compatible.  So, for those who want to work from their home computer, but share with the world, there will be no problem. 

Download for free, virus free, from the Source Forge


Wednesday, 1 May 2013

10 words - try to write a poem...

I read in my new poetry magazine (Contemporary Verse 2) that they just finished a poetry contest.  They had people sign up before the contest and then, when the contest started, they emailed them all 10 words and gave them two days to make a poem.  Winners got money, free stuff, published, etc.  So, I figured out the words from reading the winning poems.  Then I wrote a poem last night.  So, it has been one day.  

Here are the words:

1. Coalesce
2. Tickle
3. Salient
4. Garrulous
5. Pan
6. Wend
7. Scoop
8. Harbour
9. Abrade
10. Entrance

Here is my poem:

Titanic Survivors Arrive at St. John's Harbour

At the entrance to the harbour we wait. 
The garrulous gulls screeching tickles, then abrades my jagged senses. 
What are we waiting for?
My sister bends, scoops water into a pan.
We have lost all.
Grateful for everything. 
We drink. 
Ice and sky coalesce as we gaze, sun-blind, to try to see what causes this delay.
No clues. 
No salient details emerge. 
It is not for us to know. 
The ship rumbles. 
We board again. 
No answer is given. 
Broken, we accept this.
We wend our way home -
Limp back to port. 
The story to tell again and again. 
The waiting nothing to what went before. 

Tuesday, 26 February 2013

Instructions for Life - by the Dalai Lama

Instructions for Life by The Dalai Lama

  1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
  2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
  3. Follow the three R's: 
    -  Respect for self, 
    -  Respect for others and 
    -  Responsibility for all your actions.
  4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
  5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
  6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great relationship.
  7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
  8. Spend some time alone every day.
  9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
  10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
  11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and 
    think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
  12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
  13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
  14. Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.
  15. Be gentle with the earth.
  16. Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
  17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
  18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
  19. If you want others to be happy, practice compassion.
  20. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.