Getting any sort of official statistics on actual broadband speeds seems to be almost impossible since advertised rates are never the case when you're actually at home ready to read the new issue of iG.
Since digizines are so fundamentally different from a website the file sizes of each individual page are way larger than that of a website, text isn't rendered using HTML, its all image based. Pictures can be upto A3 size and at 150 dpi making for very large files, even without flash integration.

On iGizmo we try and keep each page under 1MB in size, and this is four times of what is actually recommend by Ceros. Anything over 1MB will slow down you browser massively and may even cause it to crash. The larger the file, obviously the longer it takes to load the longer it takes to load the more chance that people will bugger off rather than continue.

Broadband needs to improve, and quickly if digizines are going to be around for the future, the low bandwidth is one of the most limiting things in terms of design, with increased speeds we can drastically start doing more impressive and innovative things with the platform.

The second reason advertisers love Ceros is because of the instant feedback. This is also one of the things that sets Ceros apart from (and in my opinion better than) other downloadble services such as Zinio. Ceros has a pretty good back end that consists of statistics for every button pushed, every video watched and more importantly for Mr Advertiser how many people have seen, interacted with, watched or click through from their advert.

This feedback has proved a massive selling point for ad teams and most of the time the feedback has been really good and in some cases exceptional. If an advertiser can see how effective their expenditure has been they are much more likely to invest at the start and continue as the product develops.

A is for Attitude.
Technology magazines and websites have a tendency to be dull boring works of crap. Colours are always grey or beige, fonts are normally a dull rip off of Helvetica and the pictures are normally the sort of thing that could push you into comma. With iGizmo I wanted to the opposite to a lot this, I wanted to give it a bit of attitude, or as I would often say "put some hair on its balls". So my colour system is all based on RGB and utilises stupidly bright colours, all boxes have rounded corners to try and make it a bit softer, more approachable, headhsots of staff members are un directed so what you see is an accurate representation of the person. The fonts (Stainless by the way) is not the sort of thing you normally get in a tech mag, its way more lifestyle and easy going but makes a good companion against the harsh Glypha. The pictures we use and often bright and bubly, lots of reds that jump off page, lots of bright yellowy greens that slap you round the chops a bit and the throwing in of random silly things like a Batman came in a video, a stupid picture of a Terminator holding a mobile phone or a video review that gives Apple a load of shot for poor treatment of its customers.

All of these little things add up to the magazines, voice, its personality and its attitude and all are vitally important to they way its received by the public and by sceptics of the online platform.

Broadway score music A-Z
音楽 楽譜 楽器 music 無料 無料楽譜 ダウンロード classical baroc strings violin piano quartet music sheets chords songbooks

went to holiday chalet at Kukup, Malaysia
~ took many photos with girlfriend's DSLR a.k.a Da Shan Lao Ren (大山老人)

here's some of them:

we had NDP-look-a-like fire works sia, haha !

this is where we stayed. . .

& this is our chalet !

sun rise ~ like angel coming like that right . .

this is the don't know what plant with the "breathing roots" i learned in school

Yes-Sha !!!

" i'll crush you like a cockroach ! "

arrange wrongly liao lah !
~ i arrange one. . .

our breakfast: nasi lemak with only egg and ikan bilis

very beach feeling huh
~ okay, minus the kettles. . .

we went to a fish farm which had only 2 interesting fishes (-__- ''' )
~ this is my sis & the horse-shoe crab

this is unknown & the mini shark

& this is the pufferfish carcass
~ what a boring fish farm sia . . .

eh so overall, nice experience lah, but like NS huh, one time enough liao lah . . .

more of ” Alphabet Weekends Anyday ” under the tab ” Mr A-Z “

Lots of good short films on at the E.I.F.F. I've thought for years that they should have a short on with every feature (unless it's a three-hour arse marathon or something), and this year still only a few of the features do have shorts in front. Let's face it, shorts are helpful to people rushing from one screening to another and arriving late, they bring in extra punters because often the short filmmakers and their families are in attendance, and they provide ADDED VALUE to a screening of a feature which may be on general release in a month's time anyway, and is now screening at a vastly inflated rate. Moviegoers deserve something extra.

My newly-graduated student Jamie Stone has TWO films showing. One of his Three Minute Wonder animations (SPACE TRAVEL ACCORDING TO JOHN), co-directed with Anders Jedenfors, shows in the first McLaren Animation programme, where the other stand-out is Will Becher's THE WEATHERMAN. I wasn't sure whether to add or deduct points for Becher's use of Ennio Morricone's magnificently silly theme from MY NAME IS NOBODY. In the same programme, Sally Arthur's A-Z was a visual and aural treat of surpassing charm.

Jamie's live-action short FLIGHTS, which plays chicken with the boring social realist misery genre, before flipping into something utterly joyful and upbeat, screens with the feature TIME TO DIE.

With Martin Radich's gross-out tragedy CRACK WILLOW, I saw a short from Australia called HEARTBREAK MOTEL, memorable for great lighting and sweatily intense performances, and a spectacle as grotesque as anything in the main feature: a tall man dressed as Little Lord Fauntleroy, an idiot grin plastered across his strange features, his eyes seemingly taped up into a faux-oriental squint, capering nimbly before a horrified "john". "This isn't quite what I had in mind," the customer whimpers, queasily.

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Right! Ello! 

I bought the new Jason Mraz album a while ago (entitled "We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things."), It is amazing! I would say to you, this is an amazing bargain! BUY! BUY! BUY! If you get this album on itunes, you altogether with bonus tracks get 25 songs for £11! It is such a good deal! Every song is a little piece of heaven!

"Make It Mine" is a really good motivational introduction to this fantastic album, with trumpets (a first for mr. mraz) and a full orchestra score, this is a new side of Jason we haven't seen before.

"I'm Yours" has probably been one of his most popular songs to date (excluding "The Remedy" - the song that made him famous). The first and only version up until this album that us hard-core Jason fans got in 2004-05 was a medium quality recording of him and a guitar which leaked through the internet, but this is the proper, mastered, full band version, it is a great song.

"Lucky" is a collaboration with Colbie Caillat. It is a nice song and Colbie and Jason are a nice partnership, this is a song about falling deeply in love with a friend.

"Butterfly" shows a horny jason! It is a good song, but with lyrics like "You be the dancer, i'll be your pole and all your wearing are your shoes" This again shows a different side to Jason!

"Live High" is pretty much the title! A motivational song about living life to the full, and enjoying everything you do, pretty much Jason's whole attitude to life!

"Love For A Child" is one of my favourite songs on the album, it has an incredible melody and slide guitar which adds to the inbetween lyrics of the verse and the motivational happy inspiring chorus lyrics. Listening to the lyrics I have interpreted that they are all about his broken childhood.

"Details In The Fabric (feat. James Morrison)" is another gem on this fantastic record, really interesting tune and really deep lyrics, and with yet another fantastic musician, James Morrison and Jason Mraz are a pair not to be messed with. They are a dynamic duo and sound fantastic together. I would love to hear more from this brilliant partnership.

"Coyotes" is by far THE best song on the album, I don't quite know how to explain it! The melody, the deep electric piano, and the incredible vocals on the chorus, the only thing I can say is, LISTEN TO IT THE WHOLE WAY THROUGH!!!

"Only Human" has an interesting tune and really different, interesting lyrics. The lyrics are kind of disregarding any god complexes or arrogance that people have, saying that everyone is only human, even the Queen or the Sultan Of Brumei are only human. 

"The Dynamo of Volition" is a fantastic example of Jason's ability to rap as well as sing incredibly. He sings so fast its unbelievable! And the chorus if really catchy and happy, a real booster to listen to.

"If It Kills Me" is another great song on the record, the intro is a funny phone call made to Jason, it is an automated phone call and since Jason's last name is different to how it is spelt the speaker says "merrz" which made me laugh. It has an uplifting chorus which fits the whole tone of the record. Great song.

"Beautiful Mess" is a fantastic finale to the record, the song is very beautiful, slow paced and with a lovely orchestra backing, I cannot think of another track great enough for the finale of the album. 

That is my review track-by-track and if you dont buy this album you are an idiot, and if you don't like his music then you cannot call yourself a music fan.

-a-

One Of THE Best Singer-Songwriters Of Our Time. He Is Going To Be HUGE!

B -  Bullshit. I'm tired of hearing it. Those who say one thing yet mean another - grow some brain cells before I whack you with the stupid stick. Its not a metaphor. Ill find a stick, and I will whack you with it.

C - Citing. For all the Harvard and Legal referencing I absolutely HAD to use on all assignments this semester and yet did not understand until half way through (and therefore losing marks for poor citing)... crawl up Jan's (repulsively huge) ass and die.
[Oh, and a side note for my newest member of the family, my mouse "Capsicum" because shes a sneaky fucker]

D - D for DEPLORABLE.  You dumb fuck retards who insist on blaming the entire population of P plate drivers when you people who think its A-Okay to merge without using an indicator, to drive 75 up my ass in a 60 zone or to speed in front of me when I'm half way around a round about... Don't make me go all kindergarten cop on your ass. GO BACK AND LEARN HOW TO DRIVE.

E - Exams, which no one informed me I didn't need to pass as long as I have an overall pass mark. I blame you for my subsequent early death from heart disease.

F - Foundations of Policing which made me subject to Jan's horrific 4 sizes too small shirts, and Tech-mans antics... I don't hate you (although I probably should for killing my sex drive) I thank you, for the endless Jan and Tech-man jokes at your expense.

G - For Gee Dee. (That is, God Damn) My first effort to Swear Less. If none of you have heard me use it, thats because, I'm failing at this. Ill try harder.

H - the $150 I spent on hair extensions after cutting my hair off the raise money for cancer. A poor effort on my behalf. I shamelessly get bored of things way too easy.

I - IO meaning (taking a stab in the dark) Moderately impaired - Basically the Special Education kid that remembered my name. "Hi Sarah. Its Sarah." Gee Dee sorry for being so simple, and happy that I was remembered by a kid who sees countless teachers each day and remembered me after seeing me once.

J -  Jesi... because Ive known you since 1993, and absolutely nothing, not even our stubbornness, bluntness or anything else could stop us from calling each other ugly and fat. I sang for you, and I meant it. (Serz.)

K - Katie... ever noticed your name comes after Jesi's! (H,I,J,K) That's unbelievably weird. PBC. Your enthusiasm brightens my drab drabbbb days and we totally have the same job now. (Serz.)

L - Liars, Ive been there. Ive done it. Ive lied alot, and I'm tired of it. But I'm mostly tired of the liars around me. I'm trying a new thing where I don't bitch and moan about people who I call friends, if you read this and think "Errrrr is that a go at me"... No its not (But guilty conscience is a damning thing isnt it.)

M - months, how long its been since I laid back, and actually relaxed, without something like Uni or whatever else on my mind. M also for the Month until I get that.

N - No one knows who this is. But I do. N for the random letter Id put you under, coz I cant put you into words... A few people might take some random stabs at who this could possibly be (but they would be so so wrong.) Thank you. (ps - I could have put you under any letter because you are that fucking random.)

O - O for 0, the number not the letter. That is, the amount of kids I have, so stop asking me if I am 23 with kids.

P - For lack of proper English or punctuation (not to mention Grammar.) Point is I'm rambling, so deal with it. I'll finish this A-Z tomorrow.

WHO memberikan arahan mengenai hal-hal yang dapat dilakukan oleh semua orang dalam membantu mengurangi dampak negatif perubahan iklim dari A sampai Z. Let's do it !

A ct now !

Bertindaklah dari sekarang.

B uy energy efficient appliances

Belilah perlengkapan rumah tangga yang pemakaian energinya efisien. Lakukan pilihan berdasarkan informasi yang tersedia. Jika Anda membeli mesin cuci, lemari es, alat pencuci piring atau oven, belilah model yang paling efisien konsumsi energinya, yang tentunya juga sesuai dengan kemampuan Anda.

C alculate your personal carbon footprint and cut your greenhouse gas emissions

Hitung jejak karbon pribadi Anda dan kurangi emisi gas rumah kaca akibat aktivitas Anda sehari-hari.

D ebate, discuss, and distribute leaflets, brochures and posters on climate change and environmental health issues

Lakukan debat, diskusi dan penyebaran lembar informasi, brosur dan poster tentang perubahan iklim dan isu kesehatan lingkungan.

E njoy the sun!

Nikmatilah matahari. Pasanglah panel surya di atas atap rumah Anda. Mari jadikan rumah dan kantor Anda menjadi stasiun energi bersih.

F ridge

Lemari es : Jangan biarkan lemari es terbuka lebih lama dari yang diperlukan. Biarkan makanan menjadi dingin benar sebelum dimasukkan ke dalam lemari es atau freezer.

G o green!

Terapkan falsafah hijau. Apabila akan membeli sebuah mobil, belilah yang konsumsi bahan bakarnya efisien dan ramah lingkungan. Ini akan menghemat uang Anda dan membantu lingkungan.

H alf your emissions

Kurangi emisi Anda hingga separuh dengan cara menaikkan suhu AC sebanyak 5 derajat Celcius.

I nvolve your family, friends, children and neighbours

Libatkan keluarga, teman, anak-anak, dan tetangga Anda.

J oin an environmental group

Bergabunglah dengan suatu kelompok lingkungan. Cari tahu aksi apa saja yang dilakukan oleh kelompok lingkungan sekitar Anda atau bentuklah kelompok baru.

L amps

Lampu : Ganti bola lampu yang sering Anda gunakan dengan bola lampu neon hemat energi. Walaupun harganya lebih mahal dari lampu biasa tetapi apada akhirnya Anda berhemat karena menggunakan seperempat dari listrik yang digunakan oleh lampu biasa.

M inimaize the use of toxic chemicals

Kurangi penggunaan bahan kimia beracun. Gunakan cat, pembersih atau pengusir hama yang tidak beracun, dapat dihancurkan (biodegradable) dan berbasis air atau tanaman.

N etwork

Jalin jejaring dengan lembaga khusus, organisasi nirlaba dan libatkan pula masyarakat.

O ff!

Matikan. Putus aliran listrik, video, stereo dan komputer saat tidak digunakan dan jangan membiarkannya dalam kondisi stand by. 10-60% energi listrik masih terkonsumsi pleh peralatan listrik yang dimatikan dalam kondisi stand by.

P lant trees

Tanam pohon. Perorangan, kelompok, masyarakat, perusahaan bisnis dan industri, organisasi masyarakat dan pemerintah dihimbau untuk menuliskan ikrar penanaman pohon dengan target untuk dapat menanam satu milyar pohon di seluruh dunia.

Q uit plastic bags

Berhenti menggunakan kantong plastik. Bawalah kantong/tas Anda sendiri bila berbelanja.

R ecycle, repair and reuse materials

Daur ulang, perbaiki dan pakai ulang bahan.

S ave paper

Hemat kertas. Cetak bolak balik dokumen Anda. Baca/cek dokumen pada layar sebelum dicetak.

T ravel smart, Reduce air travel

Bepergianlah dengan bijak. Kurangi perjalanan udara. Bepergian dengan pesawat udara berkontribusi secara signifikan pada emisi karbon dioksida yang berpengaruh pada perubahan iklim.

U se less energy, and conserve more of it

Gunakan lebih sedikit energi dan berhematlah lebih banyak. Jangan menghamburkan air. Tutup keran apabila menggosok gigi atau menyabuni pakaian, badan atau piring.

V alue waste

Hargai sampai. Jangan buang sampah rumah tangga sembarangan dan terapkan manajemen sampah yang benar.

W rite letters about the health impact of climate change to local mass media

Tulislah surat tentang dampak perubahan iklim kepada media massa lokal

X -press your concern on environmental health issues and solutions and stay informed

Ekspresikan perhatian Anda terhadap isu kesehatan lingkungan dan solusinya serta tetaplah mengakses informasi yang berkaitan.

Y our president, prime minister, parliamentarian or local leader needs to know about the impacts of climate change on health

Presiden, perdana menteri, parlemen, dan pemimpin lokal Anda perlu tahu tentang dampak perubahan lingkungan pada kesehatan.

Z oom in reducing emissions. It is the best way forward

Pengurangan emisi merupakan langkah terdepan. Himbau pemerintah untuk dapat memberikan potongan pajak jika kita menggunakan panel surya atau tenaga angin di rumah kita.***

I had my first sale on Etsy!!!!!

I sold a Tilly Tangfish puppet.

And it is no coincidence that she looks like Dory! LOL

I have another one of these so will have to relist her.

I learned some new html and can now link direct to a part of my page and not just the top of the page and have to tell you to "scroll down".

Now I need to learn to make the scrolling banner like the one on the left.

I have set up a brand new blog and was able to transfer all the posts and comments over. I think I can do that every time I get a new comment or make a new post. I need to check that bit out.

I need to customise it now and add links to my site. I plan to use it more in conjunction with my site and hopefully increase my sales.

However, whether I get any of this done today is another matter. The sun is out, the sky is blue and I might just go out on the bike with the camera and find another letter for my A-Z photo journal of Chatteris.

Rain Poncho 

a-z signature piece: the poncho. It's fresh and light for spring, practical, and stylish black poncho with a waterproof finish. The draw cords at either side of the base and through hood to keep that cold wind at bay. It has a button henley neckline with a deep chest zipper pocket. $345 

a-z collection Parachute Jacket

This black nylon jacket with four roomy front pockets and a loop/button placket that covers the contrasting white zipper tape.  It has a drawstring hood, waist and hem with leather detail.  $372

Jello: Big Daddy and I are eatting low carbs and the only sweets we can have is sugar free jello- but it's not that sugary!! :)

 Jesus: DUH!! Should have thought of that first.. I have been trying to think of another J... duh!!

The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2 (Paperback)

Book Description

Scott Kelby, author of the groundbreaking bestseller “The Digital Photography Book, Vol. 1” is back with an entirely new book that picks up right where Vol. 1 left off. It’s more of that “Ah ha—so that’s how they do it,” straight-to-the-point, skip the techno jargon; packed with stuff you can really use today, that made Vol. 1 the world’s bestselling book on digital photography.

In Volume 2, Scott adds entirely new chapters packed with Plain English tips on using flash, shooting close up photography, travel photography, shooting people, and even how to build a studio from scratch, where he demystifies the process so anyone can start taking pro-quality portraits today! Plus, he's got full chapters on his most requested topics, including loads of tips for landscape photographers, wedding photographers, and there's an entire chapter devoted to sharing some of the pro's secrets for making your photos look more professional, no matter what you're shooting.

This book truly has a brilliant premise, and here’s how Scott describes it: “If you and I were out on a shoot, and you asked me, ‘When I use my flash, the background behind the person I’m shooting turns black. How do I fix that?’ I wouldn’t give you a lecture on flash ratios, or start a discussion on flash synchronization and rear curtain sync. I’d just say “Lower your shutter speed to 1/60 of a second. That should do it” Well, that’s what this book is all about: you and I out shooting where I answer questions, give you advice, and share the secrets I’ve learned just like I would with a friend—without all the technical explanations and techie photo speak.”

Each page covers a single concept on how to make your photography better. Every time you turn the page, you’ll learn another pro setting, tool, or trick to transform your work from snapshots into gallery prints. If you’re tired of taking shots that look “okay,” and if you’re tired of looking in photography magazines and thinking, “Why don’t my shots look like that?” then this is the book for you.

This isn’t a book of theory—full of confusing jargon and detailed concepts. This is a book on which button to push, which setting to use, and when to use it. With nearly another 200 of the most closely guarded photographic “tricks of the trade,” this book gets you shooting dramatically better-looking, sharper, more colorful, more professional-looking photos every time.

About the Author
Scott Kelby is President of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and Editor-in-Chief of both Photoshop User and Layers magazines. Scott serves as training director for the Adobe Photoshop Seminar Tour and is the technical chair of the largest Photoshop gathering in the industry, Photoshop World. He has written numerous best-selling creative technology books.

More Information

1. more detail about "The Digital Photography Book, Volume 2 (Paperback)"
2. More Arts & Photography cheap books.

Here follows the usual blurb about the Vistula: The largest river of Poland and of the Baltic sea drainage basin. Its branches include the Bug, Wieprz, San, Narew, Nida, Pilica, Brda, and Wierzyca rivers. It is 1,047km long and has a drainage basin of 194,500 square km. The source is found south of Bielsko-Biała on the northern slopes of the western Beskid range, in southern Poland, at an altitude of 1,106 metres. The average elevation of the Vistula basin is 590 feet above sea level; the mean river gradient is 0.10 percent, and the mean velocity is 2.6 feet per second. Climatic variations in the Vistula basin cause marked oscillations in the water level of the river, which averages 12 feet in the upper, 25 feet in the middle, and up to 33 feet in the lower reaches. Exceptionally heavy floods occurred in 1924, 1934, 1947, 1960, 1962, and 1970. Usually ice forms on the surface of the Vistula in the first half of January, breaking up toward the end of February. (not this year though) The mean annual temperature of the Vistula water is 46° F (8° C) in the upper reaches and 49° F (9° C). In winter the water temperature is 36° to 37° F (2° to 3° C); in summer it varies from 54° to 59° F (12° to 15° C). More than 40 kinds of fish exist in the Vistula. In the upper reach, turbot is the most common, with bream in the middle and lower reaches, and, in the waters of the estuary, salmon trout and vimba vimba. Despite the Vistula's potential role as a transport link between the heavy industrial centres of southern Poland and the Baltic ports, navigational hazards have restricted its traffic.

W is for WARSAW GHETTO - Clearly, this is a topic for a few hundred books and not for this post, however, I should give it a mention as it is what many people visiting the city will have on their agenda. The ghetto was huge, the image below is a very helpful map for locating parts of the ghetto, click for large size. Some of the road layouts have changed since this time but you can work it out.

I didn't know until looking at this map that what is now the Chinese Embassy is build on what used to be a brush factory (B). As far as I can tell, this factory was run by Walther Tobbens, a man who had been busy busy exploiting the plight of the Jews in Germany since 1933 and started operations here in 1941. At its height, Tobbens factories in the ghetto employed 6-8,000 people. As well a brushes, furs (Fritz Shultz company of Danzig (Gdansk)) & textiles were also produced in the ghetto. A days wages did not cover the cost of half a loaf of bread. Anyone with an eye on Chinese human rights issues will appreciate the irony of its Warsaw Embassy location.

I've actually spent a fair bit of my time in Warsaw in or very close to what was the old ghetto area. My in-laws actually live inside its boundaries, two of my offices have also been within the old ghetto area. One of the first things I did when I arrived was to try and find some remains of the ghetto. I followed the guide books carefully but was never really sure if I'd found something or not. Apparently there are remains of the old ghetto walls but I found them very hard to find.

X is for X MARKS THE SPOT - As the majority of the city was completely demolished during the war, especially the ghetto area above, this is the only way you are going to find what you're looking for - "Here stood the yadda yadda" or "Here, in 1941, blah blah". There are plaques and monuments scattered all over the city. For the Jewish history there is the "Path of Remembrance" that takes in such things as the location of the rail terminal for trains leaving to Auschwitz and many memorial stones discussing the events and heroes of the time. From a more Polish viewpoint there are memorial plaques all over the city usually commenting on who Hitler's troops killed at this place and on what date. The one pictured below is a different style and content in that it talks about the immediate post-war period (1945-1954) and the thousands of Poles imprisoned, tortured and killed in this building by the "Ministry of Public Safety", AKA communists stamping their authority on the city.

The sheer number of memorials really does give you a feeling for the history, in terms of the war and afterwards, of the city and the magnitude of personal suffering endured by the people of Warsaw. It is nice to see that most of them are well cared for, cleaned, repainted and have fresh flowers, flags and ribbons.

Y is for YOOF - There are a lot of young people in Warsaw, either for studying or for working. It is, in fact, hard to find people who were actually born and raised in Warsaw. The majority of people you talk to will have parents in far flung parts of Poland who they visit at times like Easter and Christmas or in the case of men, every two weeks to get their washing done! What's nice about young people in Warsaw is that they don't appear to be at all threatening. They drink, they take drugs, they have issues, but none of this seems to make them want to stab you with a screwdriver or give you any bother at all. I feel considerably safer here than I would do at home in the UK.

Z is for Z, Ź, Ż - What can I say? Polish is a strange language and with the letter Z being so popular they decided that they needed three of them! The first is a bit like a normal Z, the last sounds a bit like the "je" in the French "je ne sais quoi", often confused in Polish with the letter combination RZ. The one in the middle is a kind of higher pitched version of the last one but has more of an "i" (as in igloo) going on at the end. Impossible for me to explain really! All you need to know is that every word, person, street or thing you are likely to encounter will have one of these letters at the beginning, a few in the middle and one at the end. Warsaw examples: I live in Żoliborz (similar sound at the beginning and end but one's a Z and the others RZ, tricky eh?), I like to visit Łazienki park (bringing in another wild card with the ZI combination!), I often drive down Żelazna street (this one actually has a normally pronounced Z in the middle). I could go on all night, but I won't.

Well, that's the end of the alphabet, I hope you enjoyed it. When I've done a little research I'll be back with "Warsaw by Numbers". Stay tuned!

Personal blog's here by the way.

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The palace today is primarily given over to the Warsaw Museum of Modern Art. We have wandered around the museum a few times and, although some of the exhibits leave me cold, it is generally a rewarding experience and gives more evidence of the artistic talent that can be found in Poland. There is a shop where you can buy things of a 'modern' verging on weird nature made by students and artists. In browsing for this article, I found this article about the new Modern Art Museum to be built next to the Pałac Kultury as part of the master plan to revitalise the centre of Warsaw. [pause while I laugh my arse off] Well, reading this article is very enlightening. Firstly in the way that it shows exactly the kind of development that is badly needed around the PK. Secondly because it gives in the last paragraphs an insight into the political nonsense that stops any development happening and is still happening - start year 2006-2007 - yeah, right! I know it is easy and popular to have a go at politicians, but Warsaw really does need to get its act together on all this stuff, and fast.

R is for RAJEWSKI, Czesław - who, as he was one of the architects, I am using as a lame excuse to talk about "Stadion Dziesieciolecia", "Tenth Anniversary Stadium" or as everyone in Warsaw knows it, "The Russian Bazaar". This was built in 1954-5 to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the end of the war, or more likely, 10 years of soviet rule. It has been little used in its lifetime, most notably perhaps being the opening ceremony of the World Festival of Youth in 1955. After that it gradually fell into disrepair until in around 1989 when it became Europe's largest open-air market. Today it remains as a marketplace, the sleaziest in town and indisputably the place to go if you're looking to pick up a second hand AK-47. It might also be a good place to buy software at surprisingly low prices, but I wouldn't know about that. You can find the stadium on the other side of the river in the Saska Kępa area.

S is for STREET MARKET- These pop up all over Warsaw but the one I'm best acquainted with is close to Hala Mirowksa on Al. Jana Pawła II, just the other side of Elektoralna. It is not a daily occurrence and I'm afraid I don't know on which days it does occur so you'll just have to go every day and hope for the best! The general idea is to spread a blanket on the pavement, or if you're a rich trader you can set up a little folding table. On this you spread your wares and wait for the punters. It is a bit like a garage or boot sale but for people who can't afford garages or boots. The range of items on sale is what you expect to find when poor people sell whatever they can find to other poor people.

T is for TYLMAN van Gameren - Another architect but this time one who was instrumental in the design of numerous, mostly Baroque and Neo-Classical, buildings, primarily palaces and churches in Warsaw and throughout Poland. As the name suggests, he was Dutch, born in Utrecht and then fell in with the Polish hoity toity of the time, mainly Prince Lubomirski. The list of his works is impressive. The ones I am most familiar with in Warsaw are St Casimir's Church in the new town square, Krasinski Palace close to the monument for the Heroes of the Uprising, which now contains antique prints and manuscripts for the National Library and the small hermitage building at Łazienki park.

U is for UJAZDOWSKIE - This whole area is a good one to take a walk around. The street itself is home to numerous government buildings, embassies & palaces. There is also Ujazdowskie park on this street which is my second favourite after Łazienki (which is accessible from further down the street). There is a very nice walk to be had from Łazienki park, past Ujazdowskie Palace and then winding your way around the back of the Sejm (Parliament) and then further, behind the Sheraton Hotel all the way to Aleja 3ego Maja from where you can cut up to Nowy Swiat and continue along to the old and new town squares. One of, if not the, nicest walks in Warsaw. Probably about an hour one way.

Imagination: Wild Child has the biggest imagination... she likes to pretend that she is puppy dog, a mommy, a teacher, a baby, Swiper the Fox, Ruby, anything she can come up with! She's a trip!!!

Ignorance: is bliss!

M is for MARIENSZTAT - a rather strange part of Warsaw that always has a sort of 'deserted' feel about it. It lies at the northern end of the 'Powiśle' district, which is the low-level area that lies between the Wisła-Strada highway (next to the river) and the higher ground where you will find the old town and indeed the rest of Warsaw. Mariensztat is bounded by "Most Śląsko-Dąbrowski" to the north, the river to the east, Krakowskie Przedmieście up the hill to the west and either Bednarska or Karowa streets to the south. The street Ulica Mariensztat runs right through the middle and was originally formed as a route from the Cistercian (or Bernardine) monastery on Krakowskie Przedmieście to Ulica Dobra. The area dates back to the 18th century and is named after Maria Kątstka as her husband got the land as part of her dowry. The rather German "sztat" was added to please the Saxon king. Rumour has it that this area was notorious for bordellos and bare-knuckle boxing matches. To be honest, I think that's what it needs right now because it's pretty boring as it is! It has a small square from the mid 19th century when it was the main market square of Powiśle, but it's not used for anything today as far as I have seen. There are a few pubs looking onto the square that do decent enough drink and grub but sitting by the exit/entrance ramps for the bridge don't help the outdoor ambiance. The area was completely demolished in the war but rebuilt immediately afterwards in the original 18th century style and was, in 1948, the very first housing complex to be built post-war and held up as a shining example of socialism at work. It features in a film "Przygoda Na Mariensztacie". Very close to this area you can find a good hospital in which to have a baby, a good school, a strange new building supposedly very secret and something to do with security of the nation (at the bottom of the 100+ year old viaduct of Stanisław Markiewicz) and a little further down Ul. Dobra, the new Warsaw University library. Most famous of all, of course, is my sister-in-law's accountancy office! However, if you find yourself stranded in this area, the best thing you can do is walk up the steep and cobbled street Bednarska, which has a few interesting shops and restaurants, and get yourself back to civilisation!

N is for NEVSKY - the Nevsky Cathedral is my most amazing find in terms of architectural mysteries of Warsaw. Built between 1894 and 1912 by the Imperial Russian authorities, slap bang in the middle of Saski Place, now Plac Piłsudskiego. Talk about going out of your way to piss another nation off! When it was completed, it was 70m high and the tallest building in Warsaw. Shortly after Poland gained independence as a result of the end of WWI, the Nevsky was demolished. It had stood there for less than 15 years! I know its demolition was sort if inevitable, but I think it's a shame it happened. As far as I can work out, when Pope JPII did his thing in Plac Piłsudskiego in 1979, he was right above the foundations of Nevsky.

O is for OLD TOWN - I can't take Warsaw's old town seriously I'm afraid. To me, an "old town" needs to be "old" and Warsaw's was built in the 1950s. Fair enough, it's nobody's fault but the Germans who razed the place and the Russians who stood and watched while they did it but nevertheless, it's not old. On the plus side, it was built precisely according to the original plans and so it does look like it once looked but the current state of repair suggests that the materials available in the 50s were clearly not up to the same standard as those used when it was first established in the 13th century. Remember that Warsaw Old Town is really two places - the old old town and the new old town. The new old town is not quite as old as the old old town, it was built in the 15th century, but in my opinion it is a nicer area to walk around. If you wander enough around the new town area, you'll be sure to bump into the church where I got married and also my in-law's apartment. In fact, we got married in the new old town and had the reception in the old old town! You get to the new old town by walking through the Barbican gate and along Ulica Freta. Watch out for the morons dressed up and pretending to want to chop your head off on the way. They are a pain in the pupa but have been there for a few years now and show no signs of going away. Must be good business. Just behind where they hang out is the restaurant I mentioned as being good for herrings and stuff. Click the picture for a gallery of old town (old and new) shots.

P is for PAWIAK - a famous prison in Warsaw built by the tsarist authorities between 1829 and 1835. It was operational until 1939. During the January Uprising it was used as a transfer camp for Poles sentenced to forced resettlement to Siberia. After Poland regained independence in 1918 it became the main prison for male criminals in Warsaw. After the German invasion of Poland in 1939 it was turned into a German Gestapo prison and then part of the Warsaw concentration camp. Approximately 100 000 men and 20 000 women passed through the prison, mostly members of the Armia Krajowa, political prisoners and civilians taken as hostages in łapankas. Approximately 37 000 of them were shot while further 60 000 were sent to German death and concentration camps. The final transport of prisoners took place shortly before the Warsaw Uprising, on July 30, 1944. 2 000 men and the remaining 400 women were sent to Gross-Rosen and Ravensbrück. After the area was secured during the Warsaw Uprising and subsequently again lost to German forces, on August 21 an unknown number of remaining prisoners was shot and the buildings burnt and blown up. The exact number of victims is unknown since the archives were never found. The building was not rebuilt after the war. Today it is a museum and you can find it at the junction of Jana Pawła II and Dzielna. For various reasons, the power of the Jewish lobby amongst them, most visitors to Warsaw will be aware of the Jewish ghetto and go in search of it. This place is an example of the non-Jewish suffering that was just as terrible although far less publicised.

This tree "of remembrance" is an exact replica of the original one that stood in the same spot but became too weak to maintain.

H is for HERRING - the almighty śledź! These are definitely an acquired taste. Before coming to Poland I wouldn't touch them with a very long bargepole but now I love them to death. They are served as cold fillets that have been soaked in oil and with a variety of "sauces" ranging from simple oil & onions to creamy yoghurt sauces. They are not usually rolled, as in the Scandinavian roll-mops. Common as an appetiser in many restaurants, particularly those with a Polish or Germanic twist but they also nearly always make an appearance on the table at home. Watch out though, if anyone suggests you try a pastry with a śledź inside, politely decline. They are disgusting! A good place to get a plate full of herring is the Kompania Piwna restaurant near the old town. Our daughter is bestest friends with the owner's daughter, not that this has resulted in any discounts yet, but it is a good place to eat especially if you're hungry as the portions are immense!

I is for Island 1 - Polandian's very own 'Island' lives in Kraków. So for most people from Warsaw he would be a "jerk" who can't get over the fact that Ziggy moved the capital from Kraków to Warsaw and keeps banging on about his university and town square and stuff. Fact is that Warsaw is where it's at, unless you're a tourist, or part of a British stag party. ;)

J is for JULY - July is the beginning of "holiday season" which lasts until September. People in Warsaw take their holiday season seriously. The hardest part of it is working out how you can keep your kids occupied and in the great outdoors for three months while you both still have to go to work. Yes, in the same way the children of Britain were evacuated during the war, the kids of Warsaw do this every year for three months. They are packed off to stay with little known relatives who live in the woods and then moved around the country's ozone rich places until September comes and they can come back home and go to school. All very healthy stuff, you know. When I first arrived here, Warsaw would be a ghost town on any weekend during holiday season. I mean you had the place to yourself. Nowadays the pressure of the evolving rat-race means that it is a lot busier than back then, but it is still considerably quieter than other times. The weather is usually glorious with plenty of sunshine and temperatures up in the 20's (often 30's) for weeks on end. As the sun beats down relentlessly the housing blocks warm up and everyone goes in search of an electric fan and wonders why they haven't installed A/C yet. J is also for JAZZ. Poles like jazz and are very good at playing it too. July & August is the regular time for the Warsaw open air jazz festival. Well worth a visit.

K is for KRZYŻY - famous for the completely unpronounceable Plac Trzech Krzyży (or Three Crosses Square) in Warsaw. British mouths were simply not made to say such words. It is a square I have found myself walking or driving across thousands of times as it is at the junction of so many places or directions I need to head in. Lots to do around here. If you enjoy skateboarding there's a regular gang that hangs around outside the Sheraton. I even took a picture of them once (click for larger), I messed around with it in Photoshop.

More Warsaw stuff can be found at 20 east.

Home: Where my heart is.... I love my home, not my house but my home... being my family, my husband, my children... the home that Big Daddy and I have created and are building on.  I love thinking about our kids someday saying 'I am going home'... knowing that is with me and Big Daddy.

Happy: Angel Boy is always happy.... unless he is in his car seat! But he is a happy, smiley boy... I love him.

Kahn - O guarda-redes alemão tinha saído do Mundial da Coreia-Japão como o melhor do mundo; não tendo comprometido nesta passagem por Portugal, acabaria por fazer parte integrante de uma triste campanha alemã, saindo pela "porta baixa".

Karagounis - O melhor jogador grego, por cujos pés passa todo o jogo da Grécia, que pauta qual maestro. Foi ele que foi transportando a Grécia para "a frente", quando era hora de procurar algum risco. O segundo cartão amarelo, no jogo contra a R. Checa afastá-lo-ia da Final. Fiel ao seu "estilo de jogo", a Grécia acabaria por não "notar a sua falta".