ACIM

Sawadee Khrap

I am starting to modify the look and feel of the Blog.

There is no sense in trying to re-invent the wheel and there are several established  excellent sites for ACIM.   So my first change is to remove the old links category for ACIM daily lessons. 

Please take a look at the new ACIM sidebar.

  • Foundation of Inner Peace
  • Pathways of Light

The first offers the lessons exactly as presented in the book and also has a Audio version you can listen to.  This is almost the same as I had before –

The second is a link to Pathways of Light’s comments and suggestions on each lesson.

Both are excellent study points and really offer a better format than my ACIM category and daily readings.  And with both you can sign up and have them sent to your email address – pertty neat.

I am also preparing, for the sidebar, a yearly guide to daily lessons that was used when I was attending Pat Wescott & Dave Davis’s Miracle Center in San Mateo, California.  This study schedule is designed to allow one to completely read the entire book (3 sections) in one year – a day at a time.  I’ll add it to the sidebar soon.

Hope you like this format – appreciate your comments.

Ciao

Donations to Lak Tang Area Project

Sawadee Khrap

I have had several inquires as to how to make donations to the Lak Tang Project.  Since there is no credit card capabilities and only Thai Baht can be used – perhaps the easiest way is to send your check to me and I will give it to the Project in Baht.

Send any donation to

Make the check payable to:     Frank Nystrom

and mail to: 

Frank Nystrom

P.O. Box 237

Phrasing Post Office

Chiang Mai, Thailand  50205

And Please make an note on the check “For the Lak Tang Village Project”

I will convert to Baht and present it to the Project.  I’ll also keep everyone updated as to what has been donated.   So far we have collected 6000 Baht+, donated items, food, clothing, toys – 1/2 truck load.   There is a caravan scheduled to go to the School on Nov 4th and I will have pictures to show and update on donations received so far.

Thanks to everyone who helps.

Ciao

Expat’s Newsletter write-up Lak Tang

Thanks, Thanks, Thanks – What a great write-up in the Expats Newsletter about our presentation of the plight of the peoples of Lak Tang Village and the 1 Baht School.

Please take a look at the “CEC Meeting Notes”  page 3  Issue 17 Oct 7, 2007.  Thanks Michael LaRocca for this nice mention.  So far we have raised 6,000+ Baht and a car load of donated items, clothes, food, medicine, etc. And there is planned 2 caravan trips to the Village within the next week or so, each with a truck load of donations.  Several people have also told me that they are working with others to raise more items within the next few weeks. I am impressed.  The winter is here and these people really need help and the Expats of Chiang Mai haven’t let them down.  God Bless

The Newsletter is also running a quarter ad for out project – see bottom/right  page 5

What a great outpouring of help.

Busy, Busy, Busy

Wow, I’ve been busy this week – not any time to post, or at least I was waiting to post with some new photos – but didn’t get them processed yet.

I have started to teach some of the monks at Wat Suan Dok about web programming.  Helping them understand HTML and how to write simple code to put up their web page.  We have gotten together at Monk Chat and discussed code and planning a page.  It’s really nice showing them how to do it.

I think next week there will be a caravan of people going to see the 1 Baht school and bring their donations – this coming Saturday will be the next Expat meeting and I am going to be there to gather the donations collected for the School and area. – I hope it will be a good turn-out.  I did get my picture in the Chiang Mai Mail mag  – but it doesn’t say that I gave the talk on the school project – what the hell – at least my picture is in the article.

Well this is just a update – Things should slow down after this weekend.

Ciao

HDR Photos with Photoshop

Sawadee Khrap

I am testing how to make “High Density Range” images using PhotoShop.  In this test photo of the view from Moun-Ju-Kour-Resort in Wiang Haeng.  I posted other shots from the restrauant deck where we had breakfast — It is almost the same shot as  “Return to Kuang Jaw Shan ……” post, but check out the differences.

Copy of CRW_6648_-2_-3_tonemapped3

This is a combination range using 3 different exposures created from a single camera RAW shot by Adobe LightRoom.  The 3 images and ranges were processed through Photomatix Pro and then further tweaked in PhotoShop CS3 –    Notice the great range especially in the detail in the sky and the shadows in the rice field – remarkable  – what a range of exposure.  I also saved this image at 72 dpi and optimized for the web.

This shot would have been much more impressive if I had made 3 separate camera RAW images covering a wider exposure range than this version using a single RAW image and adjusting it’s exposure.

I am really impressed and now will try to go back and re-process some of my older shots that I have the camera RAW file to work with.   The more I get into this the better I like it – must be because I am finally starting to know how to work the program – not the program working me.  Anyway this is just a test.

Ciao

Monsoon finally here

Sawadee Khrap

Sure looks like the monsoon has finally hit here – rains from the depression from Typhon – tropical Storm are now hitting Chiang Mai.  3 PM and almost dark, heavy clouds and lots of rain — see weather map.  We are right in the path –  Hope we don’t have a lot of flooding like past years.

Ciao

What a mess – & Lak Tang 1 Baht School

Sawadee Khrap

What a mess this Burmese thing is – I’m not going to get involved in the political problems in this part of the world – I am a guest in Thailand – and want to stay that way.  My friend DeeJohn has a great article on the present problems – check it out. 

We were visiting the refugee camp in the Tak Lang Area, but due to the present problems have shifted our efforts to helping to just the local Thai village itself.  First we help the Thais then any refugees, if possible when the present problems clear or are resolved.

LakTangDonations

This is the poster I designed in Photoshop to use for the project – don’t you just love the boy’s photo. It will be at the Expats Club meetings and at Wat Suan Dok and Monk Chat

Here there are enough problems for the present.  I am going to give a presentation to our Chiang Mai Expats Club next week to see what help we can raise to help the 1 Baht School at Lak Tang.   This school (over 200 kids) was (or is, I should say – it’s only half completed right now, several classes have to be held on the playing field due to lack of covered space or rooms).   I’ve got a lot of pictures I want to post to show the school and the children there – I’ll do that in the next post as I get them ready.  I’ll also go into a little more detail about the effort and area.

We’ve also started packaging our Massage Oil – and have a first trial customer “Chakka Massage” .  Tree will have it available at his spa under his own label – Chakka Massage – Sensual Massage Oil.  This is to test the market and see if it is worth while to start a company to commercially produce ( at a profit) the product.   Check out the earlier posts on Chakka Massage.  We want to thank him for doing the trials for us.

Well, I have a lot of catching up to do – stay tuned.

Ciao