Cuil

Around April Fool's Day this year, I discovered Cuil.com from some random website. I played around with it for a few days and eventually stopped using it because of the stupid-looking, that-has-nothing-to-do-with-my-search search results.

Then I came back to it two weeks later and found that this had been, strangely, fixed. I started to like it more and more, and I even downloaded Opera 10.51 just so I could add it as my default engine. If you tried it when it first came out two-something years ago, come back to it and you'll probably like it a lot more. Cuil has gotten that much better. 

When you search for something like "Venice", it gives you a timeline for Venice, in a little box right next to the results. Or if you search for something really general, like "Apple", it gives you a list of more specific terms in tabs at the top, like "Apple fruit", or "Apple iPhone", etc. Another nifty feature is that I think it searches places like Twitter and Facebook for what people are saying ABOUT your search term. Little clippings of the actual conversations are shown in a box next to a meter that shows, say, 40% hotness.

You can go back and forth through the pages of search results with the right and left arrow keys, and they're even building a Wikipedia-type thing called Cpedia. You search like you would with Cuil, except it gives you an article instead of a list of links. 

Kill Google at http:/www.cuil.com.

I want to learn a musical instrument other than the piano.

"My heart will be blessed with the sound of music!" The question is, is that music coming from me, squeaking away on recorders and clarinets, or some Bach-level musical prodigy? Not sure, considering that I've only mastered a few songs, including "Hot Cross Buns" on a recorder and "Hand-Bells" on a piano. Big whoop.

I started playing piano at about two, and continued with my sister Josie until seven. That was when I quit. I'm not sure why, but I know I didn't like it. When I quit, I had no desire to learn another instrument. Ever. But my third-grade music teachers changed that when they taught the Grade 3's recorder.

Recorders, as is probably a well-known fact, are a very finicky instrument. You're sure you're doing everything right, when suddenly they decide to perform a stunning metamorphosis into a mouse. SQUEAK. Then you're all embarassed, hoping the teacher won't say your name for being a squeaker, and then your anxieties are wiped away because the teacher doesn't want to say names, but then the nerdy little girl sitting next to you who apparently plays two other instruments says in her nerdy little way, "I heard a lot of squeaking, and it was coming from you." Meanwhile, you're thinking, "Bells will ring once I get out of this." But recorders do have a good side. They're a very simple introduction to the woodwind family, so if you start out playing recorder, then a flute or a clarinet or a bassoon or an oboe is just a bigger, fancier, more complicated recorder. After I got out of school for the summer, I wanted to learn another instrument.

I don't like percussion instruments, except for the keyboards. Cymbals? You clap 'em together. They make a sound. You're done. Drums? You hit 'em with a stick or your hands. They make a loud noise. You're over with it. I have no intention whatsoever to learn a percussion instrument. I like woodwind instruments, apart from the squeaking. They make such a nice, soothing sound... except recorders. String instruments are nice n' pretty and all, but brass instruments are my favourites. Why exactly, I can't put my finger on. But I love them. At the moment, my two instruments of choice are trumpet and flute. Although it's true, trumpets do require an entire bathtub, special oil, and two garden hoses to be cleaned.

But what really daunts me is learning how to read music. Any tips?

To get to know me better....

Wow, you might be thinking. Shouldn't I have written this post as my FIRST post? Well, keep in mind that I've really only STARTED with this blog, so now would also be a good time to write it.

MY BIGGEST WISHES

- A brother. From reading my "About Me" section, you've probably noticed that I only have sisters. I remember that I got really excited when Mom had her last baby, thinking it'd be a boy, but it turned out to be a girl.

- A pet frog. Yes, a pet frog. I love frogs, and I wish I had my own.


- A move to Ireland. I love Ireland. I've heard so many good things about it that it's starting to encaptivate me with its mysterious magic.

- A pen pal in a foreign country. I'm fascinated by other cultures, so what better way to learn more than to write letters to someone who LIVES that culture every day?

- To one day have six children. In one of my favourite series, the main character has five other siblings.

- To do something marvellous for children in poor countries. I watch World Vision commercials and think, "Wow. How can that be?"

- A trip to Europe. Athens, London, Vienna, Paris, Moscow, Lisbon....


- To learn Greek. Greece fascinates me, and someday I want to go there.

MY FAVOURITE BOOKS

- "Baptists At Our Barbecue", by Robert Farrell Smith


- "The Dancing Cats of Applesap", by Janet Taylor Lisle


- "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane", by Kate DiCamillo


- "Because of Winn - Dixie", by Kate DiCamillo


- "Freckle Juice", by Judy Blume


- The Book of Mormon Sleuth series, by C. B. Andersen


- "L'Oiseau Des Sables" ("Sand Bird"), by Dominique Demers


- "Piping Down The Valleys Wild", a collection of poems


- "Le Prince des Marais" ("The Prince Of Marshes"), by Robert Soulieres

MY BIGGEST FEARS

- Vampires. Yes, vampires. I know, I know, they're not real. But it's still possible to be scared of something that's not real. And the thought of something that feeds off human blood... (shudder).

- Drowning. I had a very bad experience with water when I was very, very young. And since then, I've been petrified of jumping straight into water and putting my face into water.

- Killer bees. They are invading North America. And they didn't get their name for nothin'. They will kill you if you get too close to them. They're also very aggressive, and they choke out hives of honeybees, the very bees that give life to so many of our crops.

MY FAVOURITE FOODS

- Poutine. From reading my only food post, you'd know that I love poutine. And, for the person who left me a comment saying they didn't know what poutine was, it's french fries, cheese curds, and gravy. Beaucoup delicieux.


- Raspberries. So fruity and tangy at the same time...



- Strawberry cheesecake. No other way to describe it except pure heaven.



- Chocolate. Sweet and ... well ... chocolatey!


- Pie. Again, you can tell from my post. I LOVE PIE!!!


LITTLE RANDOM FAVOURITES

- My favourite movie is "The Sound Of Music"


- My favourite English word is "effulgent"


- My favourite French word (as you might have noticed, I speak French as a second language) is "epoustouflant"


- My favourite colour is green



- My favourite animals are frogs



- My favourite letters are "v", "i", and "e"


So, there you have it. A post chock full of info about me, Benjamin Loewen.

New L.A. seismic event?

Friday, May 29. An earthquake hits Los Angeles.

It was 5.8 on the Richter scale. A witness in Newport Beach said it was stronger. It was centred near the Chino Hills.

All the rides at Disneyland were closed, and at a Greek restaurant in Long Beach, "there were tremors, and cups were shaking!" One witness at the base of the Hollywood Hills said it was the biggest earthquake he'd ever felt. The effects were particularly bad in the Inglewood - La Brea area, so I've heard. The quake itself happened at 2:45. Another witness in Temple City said they thought a semi had hit their house, and their CATS were doing SOMERSAULTS!!! Phone lines were tied up for quite a while. The L.A. Times site was down for a while, and now Gawker is saying the blog world will be the first to respond. Interesting, eh? ;D. Also according to Gawker, the earthquake interrupted a filming of "Judge Judy"!!

And now maybe there'll be more quakes.

Who knows? Maybe the coast really is toast.

When the Irish Go Marching In!

IRELAND. What do you think when I say that? If you think only shamrocks and leprechauns, think again. I am going to take you on a magical journey to the end of the rainbow.

First off, I'd better tell you about the Irish fairies. Never call them "fairies" out loud. You shouldn't really even WRITE it, in my opinion. They hate that name. They are very easily offended. And when they are offended, the results can be catastrophic. I'm sure you've heard of leprechauns and banshees, so I'll only include the lesser-known ones. The Pooka is sort of Ireland's version of the Bogeyman, except he's not evil. He just has a BAAAD sense of humour. Irish parents would often frighten their children into behaving with tales of the Pooka, who was said to take naughty children for horrifying rides into the countryside, across desolate boglands and silent farmland. That would have scared me into smartening up! Next off, the Merrow are the Irish mermaids. There's a profound difference between male and female Merrow. The males are twisted and ugly, and capture the souls of dead sailors in cages at the bottom of the sea. Females are beautiful, and often lure sailors into their worlds wih their enchanting song. Now I've saved the best (or, in this case, scariest) for last. The Dullahan probably haunts an Irish valley resembling Sleepy Hollow nightly. IT'S THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN!! He prowls Ireland's countryside, looking for victims. He hates being witnessed in action, so if you run into him, he might remove your eyes with a whip.


If you think there's no such thing as Irish food, then this next paragraph will probably change your life. The Irish have many traditional recipes. Irish people do love tea, and while they may not be as famous for tea as the English, they should be. Irish tea is served with clotted cream, scones and jams, and an interesting facet of Irish tea parties is that the host or hostess, who serves the food, is dubbed "mother". Anyone can be mother, yes, even boys. Another delicious Irish recipe is Irish stew. It usually includes lamb, gravy, potatoes, carrots, etc. There are many different variations of this stew. Recipes vary from county to county, but the overall structure stays the same. I'd definitely recommend most Irish recipes as some of the best comfort food in the world. I've never had this next recipe, but I'm sure it's as good as it sounds. Irish soda bread is cooked in bakeries across Ireland. It can be baked white, or with oats, or brown. Unfortunately, I can't give you the exact recipes for any of the food I'll talk about in this paragraph, but for actual RECIPES, go to the website I'll recommend at the end of this post. Irish coffee is also quite unique. But Irish desserts are probably the best food those wonderful Irish have ever concocted from a kid's point of view. Ireland is heaven for fruit like apples, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and strawberries, so the Irish take advantage of all their fruit in their desserts. Irish Apple Cake is probably quite good, although, again, I've never tried it :( The Irish also have many Christmas recipes, but I know this paragraph is getting long, so I'll have to save the Christmas food for the other website...


The Irish are very superstitious. They have superstitions about medicine, fairies, unbaptized children, weddings, and more. I can't remember a lot of the superstitions, so I'll save those for the website, too, which is coming up...


For funnier, better, and MORE information about the topics I covered in this L-O-N-G post, visit www.theirishpath.com.


Your love of Ireland will start there.

The joys of living by the Atlantic. Hmph.

For me, the Maritimes are sacred. They're quaint, they're (mostly) undiscovered by tourism's ugly head, they have rich European heritage. I know they don't have many jobs, but how important is that to a nine-year-old? Zip.

But I love the Atlantic region mostly because it is surrounded by WATER. You're never very far from the sea. It's just a beautiful part of Canada. The whitewashed lighthouses, the dreamy clapboard cottages, the wide sandy beaches... heaven.

And lobster. The caught-fresh-this-morning Atlantic lobster you can't get here in Central Alberta. And the sugar maple trees. The B-I-G maple trees that we don't have in Alberta. Think of it. In a little seaside village, everyone probably knows everyone else. No need to lock your doors at night. You could just walk out the front door and into the sea when you feel like it. And no crowds! Atlantic Canada is a world away from the crowds of Miami, Nantucket, and Long Island farther south.

Bottom line: Atlantic Canada ROCKS!!

Canada's 11th Province?

I am Canadian. I am richly endowed with hospitality. Therefore, I welcome Vermont with open arms!

Earlier I was reading stuff that Vermonters had written. Apparently, people there want Vermont to be annexed into Canada. Whoopee doo for Canadians! It's partly because health care here isn't half as expensive as in the U.S., the United States quit the Kyoto Protocol but Canada's stuck at it, and we refused to send troops for the invasion of Iraq. The Canadian infant mortality rate is also 25% lower than the American rate, and if I lived in Vermont, I'd want to come up here because we've voted to ban incandescent lightbulbs by 2012, along with Australia. I also heard that Maine wants to be a province, and all of NEW ENGLAND!!!!! Imagine how big Canada would be! Think of it. Canadians could go on a great vacation without a passport. First stop, Acadia National Park, Maine. Second stop, Washington DC. Third stop, Philadelphia. Fourth stop, the Liberty Bell. Fifth stop, Baltimore. Sixth stop, Delaware. Seventh stop, New York City. Eighth stop, Cape Cod. Ninth stop.... I could go on for a LONG time.

And names? I was thinking Maine and Vermont could become "Warwick" (for the Earl of Warwick), and the rest of New England would become "Atlantic Vineyard". (Cross between "Martha's Vineyard" and the Atlantic? ;D) The new provinces would have to become a lot more Canadian and a lot less American.

A website to visit for more information is www.vermontcanada.org.

O Canada, thy territories are endless!