Mi amiga Picasa

While chatting with S., a colleague who is also dabbling in a amateur photography (my definition of "dabbling in a amateur photography" is to buy a really expensive DSLR and not know how to use it), we started talking about Picasa, Google's photo filing, fixing, and sharing software. He said it was user-friendly and had very useful fixes.

And it's free. So of course I tried it out.

And you should too, if you have hundreds of pictures on your computer and don't really know how (or can't be bothered) to file (that would be me). Picasa essentially puts ALL of the pictures in your computer into one "place" and allows you to search, file and manipulate them very easily -- everything you'd think Google would do for it's photo software. You can fix pictures with ease too. No need to learn how to Photoshop or zoom in real close to fix certain spots. Picasa does everything for you with a click of a button.

Picasa "salvages" those awful test shots I take when I'm figuring out what setting to use for the shot. You see, I had no idea how to use an SLR before I bought one. Until this day I don't even know what "SLR" stands for. I just know it means those "professional" looking cameras. I used to take dozens of pictures and have only one or two "money shots". With Picasa, I have increased my "great shot to just awful" photo ratio.

You can also make your pictures look like something that has come out of a graphic designer's hands. Like my picture of the Forbidden City in yesterday's post.

But since we're talking about pictures, I think this simple demonstration will explain.

This is a picture I took with no manipulation on a hazy day in Beijing.



This is the same picture after "fixing" it with Picasa.



I rest my case.

Hmmmm.... what to blog about first...

This



or this



or this

(which would be about my discovery of Picasa, and yeah, the trip)



or this

(which would be about leaning Pagodas in Xian -- no the picture is not crooked)



I'd post more teaser pics, but am getting sleepy (that's code for lazy).

Unfortunately he didn't inherit my dancing

Here's a clip of P dancing with the snowmen sometime last year.

Before he was gorgeous...

He was adorable.

The Best of Various Artists

Madonna -- Live to Tell 

Michael Jackson -- Human Nature

Cyndi Lauper -- True Colors

Everything But The Girl -- I Didn't Know I Was Looking For Love

George Michael -- I Can't Make You Love Me

Mariah Carrey -- You'll Always Be My Baby

Gary Valenciano -- Look In Her Eyes

Whitney Houston -- My Love Is Your Love

A.k.a "Jona's Diet"

For the last couple of weeks or so, I've been obsessed with whitening my teeth. In the course of the last month I have used a box of Crest Whitestrips and Aquafresh White Trays. I now have "visibly whiter teeth", but since I human and cut from the same cloth as Gordon Gekko, I want more.

Last weekend, having an hour to kill before I need to see my masseuse, I mean, physical therapist, I walked into one of these "quasi dental" clinics that offer teeth whitening procedures.

I sat through one of their 10 minute free consultation sessions and I was diagnosed with teeth that are two shades away from Ryan Seacrest's.

The woman said that their treatments last from 6 months to a year, depending on your diet. Some kinds of food should be avoided, she said, since they are notorious for their teeth staining qualities. Food like coffee, red wine, soy sauce and curry.

You know, the four food groups of my diet.

The case for wine bottles with a twist off cap

I used to stay away from wine bottles with twist off caps the same way I would avoid wine in boxes. But not anymore.

I am now a convert to twist off cap wine bottles. Not only is it easier to open, it keeps. The wine keeps for a day and a half, sometimes two days. No need for those fancy sealers.

And yeah... the wine's not bad. Just don't buy the cheapest one in the lot.

Next time you're shopping for wine, don't discount the humble twist off bottle.

Spoke to soon

The weather has not turned in HK.

It's still warm and dry and generally icky.

Thankfully I will be traveling to cooler climates soon.

I'm reading a story book!

I stopped reading story books (i.e., plot driven books) ages ago. I found them to be very entertaining, but somehow lacking in substance. Sort of like what Reader's Digest is in the magazine writing world.

Also, I thought these books did not challenge me intellectually. There were no mental push-ups nor was there a need for emotional introspection. Guy jumps out of plane, unto a moving train; a girl climbs a tree, swims in a lake. Everything was laid out in front of you. There was nothing for you to figure out yourself.

But somehow, I've found myself reading the story books of story books (i.e., it's a plot driven book about a plot-driven book). It's called The Shadow of the Wind by this author named Carlos Zafon (translated from the original Spanish by Lucia Graves).

The writing is surprisingly very good and the story is developed quickly but not hurriedly. This guy Zafon knows his stuff.

This book is a terrific read. Old fashioned story telling at its best; no mental acrobatics required.

Happy Birthday, A in Phonm Pen!

Maligayang kaarawan, Annie.

H+K from HK