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Sunday, October 30, 2005

2005 Hurricane Season Seen From Space

Video in the News: 2005 Hurricane Season Seen From Space:

Video in the News: 2005 Hurricane Season Seen From Space
October 20, 2005—With 21 tropical storms named so far and five weeks left to go, the 2005 hurricane season is tied with 1933's as the most active storm season on record. New NASA satellite animation shows the entire season as seen from space, recording storms as they develop, move, and dissipate over color-coded seas. Orange and red regions represent areas with ocean surface temperatures of 82�F (28�C) or higher, the temperature required for hurricanes to form.



Thursday, October 27, 2005

Fred Wesley's concert, without Fred Wesley (or, apology of the NJP)

NJP: Nancy Jazz Pulsation.
a week ago (Friday, October 21st), we (remi and me) had a nice evening at the NJP "funk explosion" night... too bad Fred Wesley didn't make it, it would have been perfect.

Fred Wesley is a star, for me anyway. i bought my ticket thinking i will have a "funky good time", listenning to its funny voice and its trombone solos. I didn't see that they did, but the festival announced at the last minute that he will not come (as a guest of the "groove collective" as it was planed). I saw some posters after the concert, not at the entrance. And nobody was able to inform me of what had happened. Seems to me that nodody cares of this.
i was thinking it wasn't very honnest from the festival and it appears later than i wasn't wrong.
well, ok, i've seen fred already (concert in geneva, july 2003). it's no big deal.

it's just that after the concert in the maggic mirror (with the crazy band from normay, called..... called Ralph Myerz & The Jack Herren Band (pretty impressive band) and the amazing DJ MiSSiLL who was on fire....really, really good intro!), we met Fabio Morgera. Fabio is the talented trompetist who played with the groove collective. he was not announced by the NJP. (and still isn't on the NJP website... as the cancelation of fred wesley by the way).

Fabio was going back to its hotel and we were going back home. we easily had a chat with him and as he asked us where his hotel was, we had a walk until there. (from the place stanislas to the train station).

It was of course really cool to talk with a famous musician who has played with Norah Jones, Stephano di battista, among others (that i didn't know...). we bought his last album for 10 euros. i'm thinking about putting the song with Norah in my radio.blog (see in the sidebar). there is a Rahzel sample. maybe more than a sample... actually i'm not sure it's rahzel. my friend remi made me listen to some stuff from him recently and we recognize one tune. i'll put that too in my radio.blog... a live recording of the master of the human beat boxing. (looks like he is!)

The thing is, Fabio told us Fred Wesley coming as a guest was an old idea and that the festival shouldn't have made the announce. it wasn't really clear but i inderstood that he was not here to replace fred wesley although it could have look like he was. he would have liked to play with him but it hadn't been possible. and it wasn't a last minute thing. that's why i'm angry at the festival. it wasn't honnest from them.
I think they didn't want to announce another change: they already had to replace Saian Supa Crew. (that also made me not happy but at least i knew before buying the ticket). instead, there was Shaolin temple defenders, a band from bordeaux. (that played again the next day to replace another band!).

but what do i know?

What are you complaining about?

Class/life:
- they could give us a better view of our future: at least give us a provisional agenda.
- they should tell us when a class is canceled.
- they could tell us how much time we have to prepare our project (we had 16 hours that week, none this week, 4 next week...). how are we supposed to plan?
- they should put a clock in our classroom
- they should prepare the class connection to montpellier. we don't know anything about there.
- they should help us to find housing in montpellier.
- they could introduce nancy.

Computers:
- i can't get an internet connection in my room.
- i can't connect my computer to the Internet connection of the school (why do i have a computer?).
- the computer configuration sucks: the internet explorer is not updated (IE 5.5: we can't see a google map... hopefully, i could manage to install (illegally) FF. i do have to start it everytime like it was the first time....).
- i'd like to use skype and be discret. they could open 2 computer rooms in self-service, it'd be easier.

Monday, October 17, 2005

That's me in Google Maps Mania

Google Maps Mania: "French blogger's experience with Google Maps China - Philippe tried his hand at navigating MapABC, the base mapping technology under Google Maps China. Check out his experience with it as he tries to locate Yunnan.." (that's me)



"Google Maps Mania is looking for a China correspondent! - I am actively looking for someone that wishes to join Google Maps Mania as a China correspondent! With Google Bendi now launched, there are sure to be developments with this mapping service and perhaps new mashups coming from China. I am looking for someone who can describe these developments for English readers of Google Maps Mania. The only requirements are that you have an active interest in Google Maps and maintain your own blog with some focus on mapping. If you are interested, please comment on this post, or email me."

Friday, October 14, 2005

Mp3 in China

I had been really interested in reading John's post (sinosplice.com) on Mp3 search on Baidu... that was august 8th (2005).
Funny to learn that Baidu is attacked on this matter: google news about that.

just saw that tonight when reading:
Courrier international - 16 sept. 2005
"THE STANDARD - Baidu poursuivi à cause de la musique en ligne
Les principales entreprises de musique mondiales intentent un procès à Baidu, un moteur de recherche chinois qui a attiré l'attention des investisseurs de Wall Street. Les "majors" attaquent Baidu pour violation des droits d'auteur et demandent qu'il ferme sa fonction de recherche de fichiers MP3. Or, c'est justement la possibilité de trouver puis de télécharger ces fichiers musicaux qui rend Baidu si populaire auprès des internautes chinois."

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

MapABC, Google maps for china

I was curious about this website where you could get a "googlemaps-like system" displaying some cities in china.
But as it is in chinese (and my chinese is limited) and that i couldn't find anything more about it than "you can get 100 something city map"... i got to play with it and find by myslef.
Yes, i knew how to write KunMing in chinese character. but i had to put another character for the business. i just did, with a character i didn't even know, and it worked.

I was happy to see that the maps were quite nice. i could "visit" Kunming, a city i know. I even found some english names for some coffee that doesn't have a chinese name.

Here is my zoom process: (click on the pictures to see the details)


You can see all china!





This is Yunnan view....





kunming


I zoomed around the green lake park, near the yunnan university.
There is a place called Teresa, a restaurant where i've been once.