Change of Address

.....Just to say that I have recently moved Virtual Voyage over to WordPress. Look forward to seeing you there if you'd like to call in!

Virtual Voyage has Moved Address

If I haven't had chance to catch up with you on the blogs, just to say that I've moved VIRTUAL VOYAGE over to WordPress - the address is virtualvoyage1.wordpress.com

Look forward to seeing you if you'd like to call in!

Razzler in Damascus

Razzler over at Random Musings is currently running a set of posts based on her photos of Damascus. Razzler lived there for a year in 2005 while she studied languages at the University. If you'd like to call in for a quick look and a taster of local Syrian culture and history, she'd be pleased to see you. This is one of the arches on the 'Street Called Straight' which was near where she was staying.

Post to blog straight from Word 07

For anyone new to the Web who hasn't picked this up and might be interested, Word 07 does exactly that. I've strayed across a number of positive reviews from those who like to write drafts in Word and post direct. Seems its quick and easy; though comments on the link below do refer to the niggling question of how to turn off word formatting when posting.
(Plus there's no reference to uploading text with photos, and so far I haven't found a working demo to check).

Must admit I avoid posting drafts - or copying text - from the older version of Word as I find it tends to mess up line spacing and type size and generally slows things down. Maybe I'm missing something here, but sounds like this could be a more versatile option than using Blogger draft. Here's the link to a Skatter Tech review from early '07; be pleased to have feedback from those who already use this option.

Virtual Tour of The Lake District & Blog Milestone.

High Wire Act, Troutbeck, Cumbria. I have never seen so many birds of prey - buzzards or pairs of eagles; sometimes as many as half a dozen circling in one area over the mountains. The reason is because it is the lambing season - thousands of ewes on the fell slopes and in dry-stone walled enclosures with vulnerable black or white lambs, often twinned. (Don't ask me how I managed to get that shot!)

Evening view around 8pm, from the hotel window in Troutbeck. Formerly a highway Inn built of local quarried stone - and originally frequented by farmers who came to auction nearby.
The delicate pink-purple light on the low cloud hovering over the snow was almost surreal. In the morning there was a heavy frost with so little cloud cover to retain any ground heat

Troutbeck is at the top of the map between Keswick and Penrith - at the road junction down to Aira Force waterfall and Ullswater. The whole area has its own micro-climates because of the range of high peaks and fells, and spring flowers were noticeably behind their southern counterparts. Out of the Easter holidays accommodation was freely available without booking.
A pass between the fells on the way down to Cumbria. Notice the drystone walls running everywhere. If you enlarge the photo you will be able to see the scale of the slopes relative to the tiny cars in the distance. Dramatic scenery; and yes, that is the road winding up on the right to a slate quarry.

As we were touring for much of the time, I took a lot of photos from the moving car. This is the view driving down onto Ullswater; and half a minute of video footage to give an idea of its size. (Click the bottom arrow).





These sets of posts of a Virtual Tour of the Lakes are a marker point for me on Virtual Voyage as they represent the 200 post mark on this blog, and around six months blogging. Thanks to everyone who's called in during this time - have appreciated all the feedback and friendship over the months!

Autoblogger.com is in the Pipeline

Remember my Autoblogger.con spoof of a few weeks ago? Seems like the joke might be on me given current technological advances and the development of appropriate programs.

Check this link out to a post about books which have been written by, rather than simply on, a computer. A guy called Philip Parker has written 2ooK books and published on Amazon (including many medical reports) - with some of the material generated and compiled by computer - at computer speed. While these rate as books, they are really more like generic written reports; but the programme has already produced rudimentary poetry. Has interesting implications for the future.

I arrived at this link through Brad's Reader which has a number of other interesting links on 18/4 post I have yet to pursue; includes one on omnitasking (rather than multitasking) using latest technology.

Yours Sincerely,
Ann Droid....

Downing Street Twitter and Brit Art at Yale

A quick link to Gordon Brown on Twitter for updated PM tweets;
My thanks to Bill at Greenwich Gossip for a great link to the Yale Center (Centre?) for British Art .... see last comments on previous post.

I am rather tired after bombing around the Lake District last week on the back end of a chest cold, but am slowly getting going again. Weather was good - the surprise was the dusting of snow on the high peaks, which will hang around until May. Shot above taken near Troutbeck (the local grilled trout with almonds is excellent) which is at a road junction leading to Keswick /Ullswater.

The Truth according to Wikipedia & Gordon Brown on Twitter

Came back from regions just beyond the reach of broadband up the Kirkstone Pass in Cumbria last night (tho' there is a cyber cafe in nearby Glenridding) and am having a fast browse around on return.
I came across the video below in passing - The Truth according to Wikipedia - 48 minutes.
Very interesting contrasting views on Wiki P (and Web 2.0)

Also noticed that Gordon Brown has been taking the plunge on Twitter.... (this is not a spoof?)
"Back to a grey UK and straight back in the office. I did manage to get better food than muffins (eventually) - thanks for following the trip...." See Twitter in Plain English one of many basic links on how to use this micro-blog medium of under 140 letters per tweet.

A Unified Field Theory of Creativity

Our break was put back for a couple of days due to the weather. While post-browsing during the weekend,
I came across David Galensons book 'Old Masters and Young Geniuses - the two life cycles of Artistic Creativity.' (P.U.P 2006) Amazon link

Though having broader applications than the field of art, Galensons basic theory is that there are two essential kinds of creative genius - the conceptual innovator, and the experimental innovator. One type tends to produce their major work early in their career; the other late on in life.

Here is a link to an extended article on Wired - What Kind of Genius are You? if you'd like to pursue it, and a further link to a brief quiz to apply the theory to your own creativity.

D.W. Galenson also wrote 'Painting outside the Lines - Patterns of Creativity in Modern Art' (2001)

I've put in a request for this for my birthday.
(If you like music see Pachelbel's Rant on Virtual Nexus).
Check out Visualizing Viruses on Wired for images of Trojan Worms etc.

See you all in a few days when we get back.

Indiana Jones

Link to Film Trailer for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal er whatever it was.....

Must see - includes game level.....LEGO INDIANA JONES

Also video of the Lego game:-