
A few days ago, Fox's interview with President Bill Clinton began circling the internet. If you have not seen it, it's worth seeing: [Part 1](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAnuqicla4I), [Part 2](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErrdLvWjm8o). I can't recall ever feeling as much respect for Clinton as I felt after watching those two videos. His adulterous lie seems so tiny and harmless after the previous six years of Oval Office deceit.

After you've seen those, watch this:

Before seeing that video, I had no idea that this Olbermann fellow existed. It's refreshing to hear a real journalist speak the truth and challenge the unchallenged leader.


Clinton, Fox, and Olbermann


My database was corrupted. On a side note, I almost had the Triple-B phrase all to myself. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-27-blog-be-unbusted/536201026_f24a4d6b14_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="bbb">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-27-blog-be-unbusted/536201026_88a7816fae.jpg" alt="bbb"/>
</a>

Not bad, huh?


Blog Be Unbusted


Last week, we went to a medieval festival in Laredo centered on some historic event of King Carlos V landing in Laredo in 1556. We went to the actual reenactment and sat on some bleachers on the beach. It was extremely boring! I'm glad we went, so that we don't have to go in future years. I took some videos of the slightly interesting bits among the monotony. If you only view one, check out the last one.

revver(66895) A white knight.

revver(66898) A red knight.

revver(66903) Typical jousting practice.

revver(66902) Ribbon Jousting. Each horseman had to skewer a dangling ribbon as he rode through them.

The following night, we went back to Laredo to see the medieval market and fireworks display.

revver(67400) A paper mache cow rolling down the street.

revver(67401) I call this video "Fish Killers".


Disembarkation of Carlos V


I've dug up some of my old favorites from years gone by. Due to their age, the quality is pretty poor. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-19-oldies-but-goodies/247594700_2c81f1f9c3_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Blue Tiles">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-19-oldies-but-goodies/247594700_2c81f1f9c3.jpg" alt="Blue Tiles"/>
</a>

**Blue Tiles** - A fountain in Helsingborg, Sweden. (August 1999)

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-19-oldies-but-goodies/247569794_1409e21d2a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Haggis!">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-19-oldies-but-goodies/247569794_1409e21d2a.jpg" alt="Haggis!"/>
</a>

**Haggis!** - A scary Scotsman we saw in Edinburgh. (August 2002)

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-19-oldies-but-goodies/247580778_09a4202c04_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="24 Years of Hunger">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-19-oldies-but-goodies/247580778_09a4202c04.jpg" alt="24 Years of Hunger"/>
</a>

**24 Years of Hunger** - This picture was taken while preparing for my twenty-fourth birthday party. (October 2002)


Oldies But Goodies


These two videos are worth watching. Can you pick out the intelligent speaker? 

How could they allow a female without her mouth or hair covered on Al Jazeera? And speaking, no less! Disgusting! What is the world coming to?

This next video is a drinking game. Every time G.W. or Matt says "protect your family", "protect the American people" or "within the law", you have to take a drink. Pour a big glass. Ready...go!

Is it just me, or has Georgie gotten a lot more articulate over the past six years?1 Good for him. It only took six years, billions of dollars, hundreds of lies, and thousands of innocent lives.

What I wouldn't give to visit the alternate universe where Gore won in 2000...and actually got to be president.

1More articulate than you if you played the drinking game, that's for sure.


Bush vs. Arabs


My grandmother, Joyce, has spent this past week in Grand Marais, Minnesota, visiting her son, Neil, and daughter-in-law, Barb. They have asked me to post some pictures and writings about them on my blog. Most of the pictures are double-captioned, by both Barb and Joyce. All the words that follow are theirs. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-17-joyce-goes-to-minnesota/536309033_1950442954_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Neil's Cabin">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-17-joyce-goes-to-minnesota/536309033_d17a41d409.jpg" alt="Neil's Cabin"/>
</a>

**Joyce:** We were at Neil and Barbara's cabin in the woods three days and two nights. You can see Neil's good paint job on the cabin. There is a wood shed/storage shed beside the house with solar panels on the roof. There is also a generator at the rear that runs a microwave oven, a gas stove for other cooking, a wood stove for heating, and water on tap which they transport themselves - all the comforts of home. Those are the dogs' harnesses hanging on the cabin wall, and the cooler sitting by the side wall. The bench makes a picnic table.

**Barb:** The cabin sits on about 45 acres of land. The area is very remote with very few permanent residents. While we were here we saw no one else for the entire time, although we did hear planes and a distant neighbor's truck. The vegetation is a mixture of conifers and birch trees, with lots of alders and brush. The wooded areas are impassable due to deadfalls. One tool that we use constantly is a pair of loppers to cut back the alders and raspberry plants. Joyce got into this activity and we cleared about a half-acre.

We had great fall weather with clear skies and a nice south breeze. At dawn we had temps about 35 F and during the day we had hot 70's.

All of our activity stirred up the neighbors - the ravens, whisky jacks, and squirrels.

We took breaks from lopping with walks to Little Tom Lake and a climb to an overlook with a panoramic view of two counties, Tom Lake, Lake Superior and the Devil Fish fire tower. Neil pointed out all the moose-clipped brush along a very old trail.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-17-joyce-goes-to-minnesota/536309039_8ef7c0b2fb_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Neil and dogs">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-17-joyce-goes-to-minnesota/536309039_1950442954.jpg" alt="Neil and dogs"/>
</a>

**Joyce:** In the picture Neil is watering and feeding his twelve sled dogs. They are quite friendly, and they let me pet them. There are two lines of six dogs each on either side of the clearing. This way, when he is going to run the dogs, he lays the line between them with one end attached to the four-wheeler and the other to a tree while he puts on their harnesses and attaches them. Then off they go.

**Barb:** There is quite a din right before the bowls arrive to each tethered dog. Eating is a favorite activity. Once done, you can hear an occasional burp, especially from Lars. Neil has to carefully adjust the amounts fed to each dog. When they are exercised regularly they lose weight rapidly. In this photo the dogs are on straw. It really smells good and the dogs like to make nests.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-17-joyce-goes-to-minnesota/536309041_4552b07009_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Barb and Joyce in Cabin">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-17-joyce-goes-to-minnesota/536309041_4aa0857a7f.jpg" alt="Barb and Joyce in Cabin"/>
</a>

**Joyce:** This is one corner of the cabin. You can see Neil's banjo, dog harnesses, dog sled posters, Neil's short-wave radio, a shelf with necessities such as the racers' forehead lights which we each had, to make our way to the outhouse. (Incidentally, it has a soft, plushy seat.)

Barb and I are seated on a combination couch-trundle bed, which Neil designed and built. We are seated on one bed, mattress, and sleeping bag while the platform for the second bed is clamped to the wall with its mattress on it-very comfortable. The platform can also slide under the first bed on its supports, if you wish. When assembled as a second bed, the armrests are lifted up, placed on the floor, and become the legs for that bed. I was much impressed!**Barb:** We slept very soundly on our beds. Neil was up in the loft in his favorite spot. At night the temperatures dropped to the mid-thirties and we both appreciated Neil's starting a wood stove fire way before dawn. Joyce and I both made nightly visits to the outhouse behind the cabin. This does require unzipping the warm sleeping bag, putting on a headlamp, shoes and venturing out into the night. The headlamp light reflects off the dog's eyes - the blue eyes reflect yellow. It is startling to see 24 dots of light in the middle of the night.

The cabin is small but very welcoming - a nice warm, dry room in a vast woods.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-17-joyce-goes-to-minnesota/536309055_ce9df00160_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Joyce on 4x4 (part 2)">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-17-joyce-goes-to-minnesota/536309055_65ed2c1159.jpg" alt="Joyce on 4x4 (part 2)"/>
</a>

**Joyce:** After Neil finished running his dogs Wednesday morning, he took me for a ride on his four-wheeler. You can see it was a cool morning with me dressed up in Neil's heavy jacket and cap. We went down to Tom Lake, which we had seen from way up on the rocks on our hike the day before. There is a very large clearing for a heli-pad, which is used to put out forest fires, picking up water from Tom Lake. The whole clearing is surrounded with sprinklers to protect the firefighters. We saw one grouse but were too late to get a picture. The woods are beautiful with red maples starting to turn color, contrasted with the birch trees and the evergreens.

**Barb:** Joyce did not hesitate at all when Neil invited her to ride the Honda. She had earlier told me that she had been adventuresome as a girl. She still is. The two milk cartons on the front end are used to water the dogs. Neil stops at creeks and deep puddles to collect water that he presents to each dog. I think she looks terrific on the machine. What a nice smile! I am confident that she could handle a 12-dog team with no problem.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-17-joyce-goes-to-minnesota/536309047_9dcec49a78_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Joyce on 4x4 (part 1)">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-17-joyce-goes-to-minnesota/536309047_333a011b10.jpg" alt="Joyce on 4x4 (part 1)"/>
</a>

**Joyce:** This picture shows you again how beautiful the woods is with the changing colors. As you can see, it was a cool morning. I'm wearing one of Neil's heavy coats and hats. I have to admit that I really didn't drive this 4 wheeler. I just wanted you to wonder for a while. I'm having a great time!

**Barb:** The fall colors are at their peak now. Grouse hunting opens on Saturday. That means the woods will have more travelers searching for birds. With the leaf cover the grouse can still easily disappear into the brush. Joyce has a radiant smile and fits beautifully into the woods.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-17-joyce-goes-to-minnesota/536309045_f4fd386c26_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Neil training dogs">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-17-joyce-goes-to-minnesota/536309045_b0b158362f.jpg" alt="Neil training dogs"/>
</a>

**Joyce:** I was up when Neil watered and fed the dogs this morning and watched him put on the harnesses. Then I walked to a second entrance to their place so I could take a picture of Neil and all the dogs turning out of their place. It was six o'clock so I used the flash and thought I was ready. They came pretty fast, but I did manage to catch the rear of two of the twelve dogs plus Neil on the four-wheeler. My flash also caught his headlights, but we thought the picture would give you an idea of what its like. I think Neil said that he has the four-wheeler in third gear when they pull so they have to work.

**Barb:** Neil is never happier than when he is training his dogs. He has the machine tethered to a tree trunk while he hooks up-to keep the team from running without a pilot. Sometimes he has trouble releasing the ropes and just about loses the 4-wheeler-but he always manages to hold on. It was fun to watch Joyce with the dogs. She has a lot of confidence. They all came to accept her as part of the team.


Joyce Goes To Minnesota


I recently posed the following question to some family and friends via email...

> I was just having a discussion with one of the other guys in my company, formerly known as "Mage", about how people mispronounced the company's name so that it rhymed with "badge".
> 
> Our theory is that for every four-letter word in American English that is in the form "?a?e", the "a" is long (pronounced "ay"). For instance: cage, maze, fate, tame, lake, ...
> 
> Can you think of a counter-example? Think about it during your idle brain cycles today. My closest attempt was "pí¢té", but that got disqualified for being French. Hard to believe there's an English pronunciation rule without an exception.

I'm proud to announce that we have a winner. [Paul Nystrom](http://www.iminjapan.com/) has spent the past several years teaching English to Japanese high school students in Japan. If anyone knows the subtleties of proper pronunciation, it's someone teaching the language to foreigners.

Paul says that words like "hare" and its rhyming siblings ("bare", "care", "dare", etc.) are not pronounced with a long A. In pronunciation syntax, "sane" is "sÄn" (long A), but "care" is "cí¢r". There is a [pronunciation guide proving his correctness here](http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/pronunciation_key).

Good job, Paul. Too bad there wasn't any prize.

Although I got a correct answer to the question that I posed, my question, like many, was flawed. I was reasoning under the false assumption that a vowel is either long or short, without considering other í¢ whatchamathingies. The original hypothesis that there is no precedent for people to people mispronouncing "mage" so that it rhymes with "badge" (short A) is still not disproven. What the question should have been is:

> Can you come up with any words in the (American) English language in the form "?a?e" where the A is _short_?

Any suggestions? Paul?


Long and Short A's


The weather the past few days has been miserable. Cold (long pants cold!) and wet. Luckily, when the doldrums get too unbearable, nature will sometimes throw you a gem to look at. Last night, we had a spectacular double [rainbow](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rainbow). <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-alexanders-band/536304247_a67f7ee724_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Rainbow Panorama">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-alexanders-band/536304247_6d3ea447de.jpg" alt="Rainbow Panorama"/>
</a>

It was so large and close that I had to make a panorama.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-alexanders-band/536304201_14605a68fd_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Rainbow Panorama (adjusted)">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-alexanders-band/536304201_a74aa843d2.jpg" alt="Rainbow Panorama (adjusted)"/>
</a>

By digitally adjusting the color levels, you can clearly see the second rainbow. This effect is known as [Alexander's Band](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander%27s_band).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-alexanders-band/536294445_6388bb14f5_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2446.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-alexanders-band/536294445_c630e4eed7.jpg" alt="CIMG2446.JPG"/>
</a>

A close-up of the double rainbow.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-alexanders-band/536295727_dc8f16ebd3_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2448.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-alexanders-band/536295727_4520a1614f.jpg" alt="CIMG2448.JPG"/>
</a>

I couldn't convince Marga to go out into the cold rain to look for the pot of gold. Myths that aren't part of your culture sound stupid.


Alexander's Band


Nothing like a free, anonymous, online photo-sharing site to bring all the creepy folks out of the woodwork. Nine days ago, I posted the following picture to Flickr.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-bizarre-flickr-people/235831395_475cc21d1a_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Green and Gray">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-bizarre-flickr-people/235831395_475cc21d1a.jpg" alt="Green and Gray"/>
</a>

I love this picture because of how clearly the colors of her scarf and hat can be seen in her eyes.

This is a girl that went in our group of seven to Stockholm in February, 2005. I didn't really know her then, and I still don't. She's a friend of a friend.

In the world of Flickr, you can leave comments on other people's photos, and you can mark photos as your "favorites", etc. One day after posting this photo, someone named m\_s\_l marked it as their favorite. I just noticed today. So I clicked on her to go see [m\_s\_l's pictures](http://www.flickr.com/photos/77708149@N00/), and this is what I find:

![1](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-bizarre-flickr-people/206408646_5d51f7e4fa_t.jpg)![2](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-bizarre-flickr-people/204793170_727d5824a8_t.jpg)![3](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-bizarre-flickr-people/203774595_b40ace0d90_t.jpg)![4](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-bizarre-flickr-people/203774488_6094e6e8d8_t.jpg)![5](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-bizarre-flickr-people/210748591_0a30a94466_t.jpg)

Looks like she's a wannabe Muslim or something. And as if that's not strange enough, there's this guy, called ferrari\_nice, that's been leaving comments like these on m\_s\_l's photos:

> WOw sooooooo nice your outfit, scarf all wrapped.......fits soo nice on you.....Please do the same w/ me......

> OMG Im in love w/ this gorgeous hot pic girls I loveee your scarf wrapped around all over your face....

> Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm everything is soo gorgeous..... you looks adorable..so pretty I love the colors, all wrapped.........

And [ferrari\_nice](http://www.flickr.com/photos/82263173@N00/) isn't the least creepy guy I've ever seen either.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-bizarre-flickr-people/146774203_fa62d6c1c3_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="ferrari_nice">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-15-bizarre-flickr-people/146774203_fa62d6c1c3_m.jpg" alt="ferrari_nice"/>
</a>

So there you have it. I posted a random, extemporaneous photo that I took of someone that I hardly know, and I ended up looking at pictures of a Nascar-loving Floridian1 with a serious scarf fetish.

Ain't the internet great?!?

1Don't you love the tragic irony of a guy in the warmest continental state with a scarf fetish?


Bizarre Flickr People


ATTENTION: I now recommend that you use the [Javascript Flickr Badge](/wordpress-plugins/javascript-flickr-badge/) widget instead.

I love the [Flickr Flash Badges](http://www.flickr.com/badge_new.gne), but the content of the iframe that you have to put on your page is not valid XHTML. That just won't do. So I decided to take matters into my own hands... While I was investigating the parameters that Flickr's flash file takes, and figured out how to change the numbers of rows and columns, as well as the size of the images in the badge.

With a little PHP tinkering, a plug-in was born!

[flickr-flash-badge-widget.1.5.zip](http://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/flickr-flash-badge-widget.1.5.zip)

### Features

- Simple widget interface
- Easily set up to use whatever Flickr account you wish
- Easily change the size of the thumbnails
- Easily define the number of rows and columns
- Easily limit your pictures by Flickr tags
- Choose between two transitions:
    - Big Then Small
    - Fade

### Requirements

- A [Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/) Account
- A [WordPress](http://wordpress.com/) Blog
- This is a "Sidebar Widget", so you must have the [Automattic Widget Plugin](http://automattic.com/code/widgets/) installed.

### Installation

1. Download the plugin here: [flickr-flash-badge-widget.1.1.zip](http://downloads.wordpress.org/plugin/flickr-flash-badge-widget.1.1.zip)
2. Unzip the plugin into your /wp-content/plugins directory.
3. Activate the plugin in your WordPress admin.
4. Enter your Flickr account details into the widget settings on the Sidebar Widgets page in your WordPress admin (see screenshot).
5. Drag the widget onto the sidebar where you want it on the Sidebar Widgets page in your WordPress admin.

### Screenshots

![Widget Settings Screenshot](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-14-flash-flickr-badge-widget-for-wordpress/536286651_8b887216b1_o.jpg "The widget settings screen")

The plugin can be seen in action on the sidebar on the left side of this page.

### How can I find my @N00 Flickr ID?

One easy way is to use [Big Huge Lab's Flickr DNA page](http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/dna.php). Simply enter your username into the box and hit 'Apply'.

### Why was this hard?

Flickr has a magic variable called "magisterLudi" (which seems to be a [literary reference](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magister_Ludi)) that changes every 24 hours. When you use their default method with the iframe, the content of the iframe contains the current value of the magisterLudi. This prevents you from just pasting the <object> tag to run the flash file on their server and bypassing their iframe. (It will work, but not for more than 24 hours.)

To solve this problem, this plugin goes to fetch the contents of the iframe from Flickr, parses it to get the current magisterLudi value, and uses that to display the flash object directly on your page, thereby avoiding the iframe and bypassing their mechanism intended to force use of their iframe.

A caching mechanism is in place to reduce these server-side calls to Flickr. By default, it will only update the magisterLudi value from Flickr every two minutes. Therefore, for two minutes (after Flickr changes the value) every day the plugin will fail. You may change this value in flickr-badge-widget.php if you wish.

### Questions and Comments

You may leave questions and comments on this blog, or email them directly to me at erikwordpressplugins -at- gmail.


Flash Flickr Badge Widget for WordPress


I spend many hours each day in front of a computer screen. I have used many computer programs with graphical user interfaces (GUIs) over the years. It seems that there is still no common consensus on a very common user interface strategy. Which way should the arrows point on a sorted column? Let's look at a few examples to see what I'm talking about...

![Firefox Bookmarks Manager](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-13-column-sorting-arrows/536279849_8ef96a2160_o.jpg)

The Bookmarks Manager in [Firefox](http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/) has the arrow pointing down when the items are listed from smallest to largest.

![Apple Mail.app descending](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-13-column-sorting-arrows/536279859_d1dce6a7a0_o.jpg)![Apple Mail.app ascending](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-13-column-sorting-arrows/536279863_ca637f2208_o.jpg)

Apple's [Mail.app](http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/mail/) has the arrow pointing down when the items are listed from largest to smallest, and up when the items are listed from smallest to largest.

![Windows Explorer](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-13-column-sorting-arrows/536279843_2b1e209797_o.jpg)

[Windows Explorer](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Explorer) also has the arrow pointing down when the items are listed from largest to smallest.

From the three applications shown here, only Firefox is the odd one out. It's important to note that the other two, Apple and Microsoft, are pretty consistent in maintaining their user interface regulations across their operating systems and products. However, I have still seen it many, many applications that do it the way Firefox does it.

I will now explain how I think it should be, and why.

I think that Apple and Microsoft do it correctly. When the list is from smallest to largest, the arrow should point _up_, thereby properly representing the smallest part of the arrow (or triangle) at the top, and the largest at the bottom, just like the data is. And the same goes for sorting in the reverse. When the list is from largest to smallest, the arrow should point _down_.1

In elementary school, I was taught how to remember which is "less than" (< ) and which is "greater than" (>) by thinking that the symbol was a hungry, greedy crocodile, and he always had his mouth open to the biggest number. This is the same thing.

I could _maaaaybe_ see the logic of doing it the other way if you think of the icons as actual arrows pointing in the direction that the items are listed, rather than a triangle graphically representing the sizes of the values. So when you have it smallest to largest, the arrow would point _down_ because you are "listing the items downwards", and when it's largest to smallest, the arrow would point _up_ because the items are "listed upwards".

However, I still conclude that the way that Apple and Microsoft do it is best, and should be made standard across all applications.

What are your thoughts? Do you care? Did you even know those arrows/triangles meant anything?

1[This fellow here](http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?p=2430408&sid=8d9932bbcc8b9b95f52cf192177afb0a) makes the argument using the terms "ascending" and "descending" in his complaint to the Firefox developers.


Column Sorting Arrows


Last Sunday, Marga's folks and grandfather came to visit just for the day. We went to the nearby town of Santoña to see a bullfight. We had no tickets and were planning to buy them at the gate. Santoña is just a medium-sized town, not a big city like León, Santander, or Bilbao, where the other bullfights I've seen took place, so the bullring is quite small. Plus, it wasn't even a real bullfight, just a "novillada", which is like a novice bullfight, with trainee matadors and smaller animals. So you can imagine our surprise to hear at the ticket booth that the tickets cost 20% more (30€ instead of 25€) than the ones in Bilbao with real bulls and matadors a few weeks ago. We even got a peek in the gates and saw that the bullring was almost completely devoid of spectators. We told the guy in the ticket booth, "Look, we'll give you 100€ for the five of us to enter." His response was that he didn't set the price and there was nothing in it for him personally to sell seats at a lower price that would go unsold. We asked that he tell his superiors that they lost our business because of outrageous prices, and he said he would.

I'm kind of glad that we didn't go in, because when we walked away, we got to see a little bit of what goes on "backstage" at a bullfight, namely what happens with the bovine carcasses. We watched as one was unhooked from the horses that drag it out of the ring, picked up in a bulldozer (what an apt name in this instance), and loaded into the back of a truck.<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536122948_c75abe4315_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2422.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536122948_d946e28481.jpg" alt="CIMG2422.JPG"/>
</a>

In goes the bulldozer to find the "dozing" bull.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536242069_14b0a77a9b.jpg" alt="CIMG2423.JPG"/>
</a>

Got him, his hooves still covered in bullring sand.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536244231_e9acfabd07_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2424.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536244231_971c9c616e.jpg" alt="CIMG2424.JPG"/>
</a>

In he goes. Notice the meat hooks? That's a slaughterhouse truck.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536129200_0037e98b3c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2425.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536129200_67ac072bba.jpg" alt="CIMG2425.JPG"/>
</a>

Set him down easy, boys.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536248075_1820199b28_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2427.JPG">
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An armored horse rump.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536250107_eacf938005_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2428.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536250107_c5eecc6883.jpg" alt="CIMG2428.JPG"/>
</a>

They slide him all the way to the back.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536134712_3189186795.jpg" alt="CIMG2431.JPG"/>
</a>

They gotta fit six of them in there, you know.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536253569_f91a9bde71.jpg" alt="CIMG2432.JPG"/>
</a>

They hose down the bloody area inside the gate.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536255071_faa32f4113.jpg" alt="CIMG2433.JPG"/>
</a>

Bloody brooms.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536256221_630045545f.jpg" alt="CIMG2435.JPG"/>
</a>

A group with matching t-shirts watches from the top of the bullring wall.

Also in Santoña that same day, there was a rowing race.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536140442_f591959b99_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2436.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536140442_18d95c2dc6.jpg" alt="CIMG2436.JPG"/>
</a>

Row, row, row your boat...

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536258867_75aaf66f22_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2438.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536258867_2ad09113d6.jpg" alt="CIMG2438.JPG"/>
</a>

...gently down the stream...

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536142942_9b49559954.jpg" alt="CIMG2439.JPG"/>
</a>

People lined the water's edge for a long way. Some children were jumping into and out of the water.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-12-santona-sunday/536144720_0df324c08b.jpg" alt="CIMG2440.JPG"/>
</a>

I couldn't figure out if the race was over or people were waiting for it to start, but the boats were facing in many different directions. We watched for a few minutes, but left when nothing interesting happened.


Santoña Sunday


This morning, Marga had to give an important presentation to some very powerful clients at her work. The presentation slides are beautiful. I made them for her in [Keynote](http://www.apple.com/iwork/keynote/), which I now consider to be far better than [Powerpoint](http://www.microsoft.com/powerpoint/). The presentation was exported to a Quicktime movie that could be played on the Windows laptop at work. About an hour after Marga left the house, I got a call asking me to come help because the laptop was "locked up". So I got reasonably well dressed, burned a copy of the presentation to a CD (in case the copy she had on the USB pen drive was corrupt), grabbed my laptop for backup, and headed out the door. It's a 15 minute walk to her work. Normally she walks, but today she drove to avoid drizzle frizzle (my female readers will understand). When I got halfway there, one of her coworkers that I know honked at me, stopped his car, and told me to hop in. He had been sent to find me a.s.a.p. to bring me in, even though the presentation wasn't for another 90 minutes. When I finally got there, the problem took me all of about 45 seconds to solve. When Quicktime went to fullscreen mode, it got confused trying to be full screen on two different resolutions (the laptop screen and the huge flatscreen tv). The solution involved changing the laptop to only display on the external display. I was thanked and sent on my way. No payment of free anchovies (what am I, a cat?) like last time. So off I went.

The path back home took me by one of the half-dozen uninhabited, decaying mansions in Colindres. I glaced through the fence and saw the strangest sight. As far as I know the wall around this house is completely closed off and quite high.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-11-four-goats/536234891_c0b6ec338b_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Four Goats">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-11-four-goats/536234891_6cf36ee8e0.jpg" alt="Four Goats"/>
</a>

They stared at me for the whole 45 seconds that I watched them. I don't know if they had gotten out of where they were supposed to be and gotten into this high grass, or if their bipedal master put them there. Either way, it was not what I was expecting to see when I looked through the fence.


Four Goats


The reviewers over at [Revver](http://revver.com/) are getting more and more selective about the kind of background music you can have in your videos. They rejected my [three](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSpCxez7SDE) [sevillanas](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QXaXjYDWIY) [videos](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3ZUZHE1c2U) because the music playing the background is, presumably, copyrighted. That is why they are being hosted by the "what copyright law?" criminals over at YouTube. Marga and I have been going to [salsa dancing](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salsa_%28dance%29) lessons for several years now. We aren't spectacularly great, but we aren't that bad either. However, we have gotten to the point where we are forgetting some of the things that we used to know. Anyone who has every played an instrument for a few years will understand how frustrating it is to not recall how a song went. Dancing is similar.

We began discussing how we could remember the various sequences of steps and spins that we have learned. Dance steps are particularly hard to write down on paper, because coming up with a nomenclature for steps and arm movements and twirls is quite difficult. I suggested that we could record a video of us doing each routine, and that would help us recall it in the future. Marga agreed.

This was also about the time that I was brainstorming ideas of how to make [revver-nue](/2006/08/07/revver-nue/), trying to think of how I could make videos that many people might watch. That's when it hit me! I could start up FreeSalsaVideoLessons.com and give some basic-to-intermediate level salsa lessons online!

From a quick [google search](http://www.google.com/search?q=free+salsa+video+lessons), it looks like the majority of the competition are people giving one free video online and then suggesting that you buy their DVD. My model, of course, will be that all the videos are free, and I will collect revenue from Revver's advertising at the end of the videos.

So, now back to the introduction and the actual reason for this blog entry! It is clear that if I'm going to embark upon this project, I will need to compose my own salsa music. I have been unable to find any salsa music at any of the [free music websites](http://www.revver.com/music/) suggested by Revver. This morning, I spent an hour playing with [GarageBand](http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/), and this is what I got:

\[audio:/downloads/78/salsa.mp3\]

The drums and bass are from built in GarageBand loops, but the sax, horns, and piano are all me, played on the "keyboard keyboard" pictured below.

![GarageBand Keyboard](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-08-garageband-salsa/536109708_dab36c1622_o.jpg)

For those of you lucky enough to own both a [Mac](http://www.apple.com/hardware/) and [iLife](http://www.apple.com/ilife/), you may download my composition and open it yourself in GarageBand: [Salsa1.band.zip](/downloads/78/Salsa1.band.zip)

My first attempt isn't great, but it's clear that composing reasonably danceable music myself won't be much of a problem. I'll keep you posted on how this project goes. Don't expect it to go very quickly at first.


GarageBand Salsa


In today's class, we're going to discuss the parts of a shadow. Tonight at 8:51 PM, Spain time, there will be a slight [lunar eclipse](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_eclipse). All the information about it is here:

[![lunar eclipse](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-07-shadow-parts/LE2006Sep07-Fig4.GIF)](http://sunearth.gsfc.nasa.gov/eclipse/OH/image1/LE2006Sep07-Fig4.GIF "Click to see full size")

This got me thinking, "What the heck are Earth's umbra and penumbra?" No fear, Wikipedia to the rescue! The diagrams are very helpful.

[umbra](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umbra) - the darkest part of the shadow, where light is completely blocked by the object causing the shadow.

[penumbra](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penumbra) - the part of the shadow where the light source is only partially blocked.

But wait! There's one more!

[antumbra](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antumbra) - the part, darker than the penumbra, where some of the light source is visible around the edges of the blocking object due to the blocking object not being big enough to completely block the light source.

There you go! Now you've learned something today.

As you can see from the eclipse map, it will not be at all visible from North America. Too bad for you guys.


Shadow Parts


As usual, my father has written up his vacation for others to enjoy. All 39 pages of it. [![Vacation in Spain 2006 PDF](https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-06-vacation-in-spain-2006/536105084_cb280317b7_o.jpg)](/downloads/76/spain.pdf "Click to download 3.5 MiB PDF")

My blog entries, which contain more pictures, but fewer words, for the trip can be found here:

- [Parents Have Arrived](/2006/08/25/parents-have-arrived/)
- [The In-Laws Go To Bilbao](/2006/08/28/the-in-laws-go-to-bilbao/)
- [Laredo and Santoña](/2006/08/28/laredo-and-santona/)
- [Octopus and Mountains](/2006/08/30/octopus-and-mountains/)
- [Invading France](/2006/08/31/invading-france/)
- [Market, Pizza, and Santander](/2006/09/01/market-pizza-and-santander/)
- [An Afternoon In Madrid](/2006/09/03/an-afternoon-in-madrid/)


Vacation In Spain - 2006


On Saturday morning we drove five hours to Madrid, checked my folks into a reserved hotel (4 star!), and went out for lunch. We then met up with a friend of ours from England, Consuelo, and her friend, Paco. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533881329_6e37b06422_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG0635">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533881329_230372b03a.jpg" alt="CIMG0635"/>
</a>

The first order of business upon arrival was lunch!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533881939_52912f7dd2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG0636">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533881939_0ad34cbd40.jpg" alt="CIMG0636"/>
</a>

My father and I shared a huge paella.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533781532_edfd63463d_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG0638">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533781532_bb741a2f45.jpg" alt="CIMG0638"/>
</a>

Then we walked around town.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533787524_d570d6d6fe_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2368.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533787524_30eab457e6.jpg" alt="CIMG2368.JPG"/>
</a>

[La Puerta de Alcalá](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerta_de_Alcal%C3%A1)

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533677604_791aa732ec_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2369.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533677604_3521f6d6ed.jpg" alt="CIMG2369.JPG"/>
</a>

Some pigeons, some flowers, and a fountain.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533781453_b46440324e.jpg" alt="CIMG2370.JPG"/>
</a>

My mother had to stop to put a band-aid on her foot.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533681330_22ba31b1e1.jpg" alt="CIMG2371.JPG"/>
</a>

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533783187_de85417d99.jpg" alt="CIMG2373.JPG"/>
</a>

[Metropolis Building](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropolis_building)

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/243905591_b531760395_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="Charge!">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/243905591_b531760395.jpg" alt="Charge!"/>
</a>

An ad for the movie [Alatriste](http://imdb.com/title/tt0395119/), that was debuting this weekend in Madrid.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533883655_5ca04bde18_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG0639">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533883655_987db8f1bf.jpg" alt="CIMG0639"/>
</a>

It was pretty hot!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533685350_246fd7d6d2_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2375.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533685350_5a2b7f0ca0.jpg" alt="CIMG2375.JPG"/>
</a>

Marga calls Consuelo to tell her we are in the [Plaza Mayor](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plaza_Mayor_of_Madrid).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533783426_6858d1b938_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG0642">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533783426_caa999cc41.jpg" alt="CIMG0642"/>
</a>

Eventually Consuelo and Paco find us and we walk around some more.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533785544_ed359c0806_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG0644">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533785544_9e89c5c49c.jpg" alt="CIMG0644"/>
</a>

Don Quixote and his sidekick, Sancho Panza.

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533688164_a1644e5aa0.jpg" alt="CIMG2376.JPG"/>
</a>

A nice hedge maze in a garden of the [Royal Palace](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Palace_of_Madrid).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533791021_332bcd1dde_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2377.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533791021_d5c48f2e2d.jpg" alt="CIMG2377.JPG"/>
</a>

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  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533693328_e6e8d1ca88.jpg" alt="CIMG2378.JPG"/>
</a>

Marga told us a great anecdote about how the royal family doesn't live here anymore because the palace was too big and the distance from the kitchen to the dining room was too long, so the food was always cold by the time it was served. They actually reside in the [Zarzuela Palace](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palacio_de_la_Zarzuela).

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533696064_d573758fbf_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2379.JPG">
  <img src="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533696064_d7dcbf5f75.jpg" alt="CIMG2379.JPG"/>
</a>

Consuelo's beautiful boxer, Calá, wanted to get a drink from the fountain without getting wet.

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</a>

That's enough, get out of there!

revver(55795)

The temperatures were in the upper 90's F. One bar found a clever way of allowing their clientele to continue to use the tables on the street. The fans blow a fine mist over the paying customers as they eat. It reminds me of [this video of ceiling fans that I took in Stockholm](http://revver.com/video/44111/20700).

After our brief tour of the city, we left my folks in their hotel room and went to Consuelo's house. She has a one bedroom flat in the very center of Madrid. Her living room also doubles as a dining room and kitchen.<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533701544_6cff53cab9_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2381.JPG">
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</a>

The kitchen is cleverly hidden behind some folding doors.

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</a>

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</a>

When you aren't cooking, you close them and the kitchen disappears!

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</a>

Then we took the subway back to the Plaza Mayor.

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</a>

Paco suggested that we get a picture of Paul riding the subway with an authentic Spaniard.

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</a>

Paul, Betsy, Paco, Consuelo, and Marga, seated at the Mesón de la Tortilla, an underground restaurant that specializes in [Spanish tortillas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortilla_de_patatas). They were some of the best we've ever had. We also had lots of [sangria](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sangria)!

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533816847_7b3acecc02_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2388.JPG">
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</a>

A charismatic accordian player stopped by to serenade us.

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</a>

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</a>

Paco is a pretty funny guy. Consuelo has a wonderful laugh.

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</a>

Waiting for another order of tortillas.

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</a>

The walls in our little section of the cave were painted with Flintstones scenes.

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</a>

The sangria was served in these clay pitchers.

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</a>

No comment.

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</a>

Paco offers Paul some [jamón](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jam%C3%B3n_serrano) and cheese.

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</a>

Stuffed and a little tipsy.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533731492_4dbe3ad660_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2396.JPG">
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</a>

Dios mio! No more sangria!

After dinner we went to a bar that specializes in [Flamenco](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flamenco) dancing where a friend of Consuelo's, Juan Carlos, dances. He used to be a professional Flamenco dancer, but now just does it for fun. The actual type of dancing that took place was a subset of Flamenco from Seville called [Sevillanas](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sevillanas).

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</a>

Marga, although claiming to know very little about Sevillanas, danced very well with him on several songs. You may recall that she [got some lessons](http://revver.com/video/44112/20700) from our friend, Maria, two years ago.

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-03-an-afternoon-in-madrid/533837045_9737f6142c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG2401.JPG">
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</a>

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</a>

She was enjoying herself.

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</a>

She gleefully thanks him for the dance.

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</a>

Paco, Betsy, Marga, and Paul watch Juan Carlos dance with some other women.

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</a>

That's him in the green. He was very graceful.

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</a>

He danced several with that blond.

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</a>

Mid-spin.

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It's a very sexy dance, with almost no contact between the partners.

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</a>

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</a>

We could look down to the bottom floor where more people were dancing Sevillanas.

The following morning, Sunday, we took my parents to the airport and sent them on their way. I'm sure they will cherish their memories of bullfighting, sandy beaches, red wine, exotic food, numerous bars, sangria, tortillas, siestas, and flamenco.


An Afternoon In Madrid


On Friday, we went to the local weekly market in Colindres. <a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-01-market-pizza-and-santander/533755366_6751b24934_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG0601">
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</a>

My father sits reading a book by his favorite author, Dick Francis.

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</a>

What lovely chairs we have.

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</a>

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</a>

The kitchen.

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</a>

At the market, my mother bought a shirt from the hottest, most fashionable brand in Spain right now, [Guru](http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://www.elmundo.es/elmundomotor/2005/11/10/ocio/1131616984.html&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=1&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dguru%2Bmargarita%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26rls%3DGGGL,GGGL:2006-26,GGGL:en%26sa%3DG).

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</a>

Me with my favorite olive vendor.

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</a>

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</a>

The chef gets to work chopping and frying the toppings...

<a href="https://d1js6qm6cshi0v.cloudfront.net/oldblog/2006-09-01-market-pizza-and-santander/533763676_9971ed9d3c_o_d.jpg" target="_blank" class="flickr-image" title="CIMG0612">
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</a>

...and kneading the dough...

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</a>

While we let the dough rise, we head out for some drinks! My mother tries on her new shirt.

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The pizza is ready!

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</a>

Mmmmm!!

After lunch (and a siesta) we headed to Santander.

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We pose in front of the Nina, the Pinta, and the Santa Maria. (replicas)

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</a>

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</a>

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The Palace of the Magdalena.

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A lighthouse.

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My father spots a chair that reminds him of being a lifeguard forty years ago.

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"Hey you! I said no horseplay on the beach!"

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Marga indulges her princess fantasies.

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After the palace, we went into the center of the city to find a place to eat.

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We ordered two plates, an assortment of fried things and an assortment of cheese.

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No more cheese, please! I'm gonna burst!

We got home early to prepare to leave for Madrid the following morning.


18 posts from September, 2006