Great Program!

Leme tell you about a really really good photo application/site - it's by Google and it's called Picasa. I tried it some time ago and thought it was OK but now (version 2) I think it's great. It does a fabulous job retouching your photos, makes it super easy to upload them to their site, then you can so slide shows, web albums, order prints and so on. All these things have been done before but not this easy and effectively. Check it out HERE

Here is a slide show I just did to make my point. These are pictures from the Houston Art Car parade. We have it once a year in the spring and it's the largest in the country. There are 126 pictures in this album. I went through each on in Picasa made little adjustments in color and exposure if they needed it and uploaded them to the web site. Then I copied the URL into this post and what you see below is the result and this whole activity (including uploading 126 pictures) took less than 15 minutes. I have a couple of orchestra web albums out there as will if you are interested.

If it goes to fast, just click on it and you can pause, go back or manually step through the pictures.



Google is a great thing. (this blog is part of google)

Last concert of the year

Another HS orchestra season draws to a close with the traditional Centrum concert. This was KF's largest orchestra yet - 206 students.

I borrowed a friend's (Stu) Canon D30 digital SLR camera. It was great! I got some pictures I would have never gotten with my little camera like the one to the left. It reminds me of the "Where's Waldo" pictures.

Michelle Christy is named director of MIT Office of Sponsored Programs

What do you do when Princeton University just isn't that challenging anymore? Why, you move to MIT !

Michelle was always the smart one in our family, she's been a big shot for some time now but she just kicked it up a notch - BAM ! - she is running the department that handles the research grants for all the eggheads and academic types at perhaps the most prestigious institute for higher learning in the country.

Her and Margret will be livin large in Cambridge (just across the Charles River from Bahston) while they sell their house in Princeton, after that, who knows? Maybe they will buy a place close to Havad Yad.

Here is the MIT press release where they brag about getting my little sister to join them. http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2007/osp-christy.html

By the way, yesterday (May 10th) was her birthday! She turned 29. OK, maybe not, but she did get the job, that's a real MIT site listed above. Way to go Shelby.

She was just 17 - you know what I mean

That's right, our little KatieBird turns the big one seven today. As illustrated by the photo to the right, Katie wasn't always the quiet sophisticated Bass player she is today. No - she was a high steppin, leg kickin, sequin wearing Polka Dot!

But those halcyon days of youth are behind her now. Next year she is one of the ancient ones - a HS senior.

Her greatest ambitions in life are to play the perfect Bass concerto, world peace and to see the next Will Ferrel movie.

Here's to you kid.

The Prez

Violins were frightened, Violas persuaded , Cellos coerced and Basses buffaloed, but when it was all said and done, Katie Christy emerged senior officer, PRESIDENT of the Klein Forest HS Orchestra. The crowd went wild. Shown here with the outgoing president (Anthony) just after the torch passing ceremony.

Following in her mothers footsteps who was President of the Orchestra Parents Association this year, Katie has stepped up to the plate so to speak. She will be taking on much work and responsibility in her new position.

Congratulations KatieBird!