I plan to be doing some traveling soon where I will not have internet connectivity and will want to post a lot of information to my blog. So I need something that will let me post and edit, then get connected to upload. I have a list of must have features:

• Performance: It does not matter what cool features the off line blog editor has. It must be reliable. I do not want it to freeze, loose posts, post duplicates, etc. It does not matter so much what it does, as long as it does it well.
• No Files: I don’t want to have to save every post as a file. They need to be stored in the application.
• Automatic posting: I should be able to write, write, write offline. Then when I get to an internet connection, I need to press upload, and viola! everything is on the server.
• Needs to support categories
• WWYSIWYG editing
• Be able to add pictures offline, and have them uploaded.
• Support WordPress
• Support Windows
• Spell Checker

I also have a list of Highly Desired features:

• Hindi support for posting – I’m trying to learn Hindi, so some of my posts will have Hindi in them.
• Download entire blog – useful for backups
• IMage conversion – take BMPs, and GIFS and convert them to jpgs for instance
• Thumbnail creation – I have a 6 megapixel camera, and I plan to get a 10 mega pixel camera today. So, I need something that can easily take those pictures and convert them to something smaller.
• Templates – Some blog postings should use a template, say for movie or book reviews

Nice to have features:

• Trying to learn Japanese and German for upcoming trips. This is a temporary thing, so not as important as the Hindi support above.
• Download comments from a blog, allow for them to be deleted/approved offline
• Amazon search to put products in the blog with my Amazon affiliate code.

I’m sure as I review several offline blog editors, I will find additional features that I will need.

Crossing Boarders Group: www.crossingbordersgroup.com/

located in Woodlands Texas offeres a vast range of services.  They also have a Children/teens’ after School program: www.crossingbordersgroup.com/new-horizons.php

 

We visited the Katy, Texas Raildroad Park, and learned how Katy, Texas got started:

The MKT Depot

The Missouri – Kansas – Texas Railroad Company, the “Katy Railroad”, was the driving force for many settlers coming to Texas.  The MKT was operating through Katy by 1894, serving as water stop for steam engines of the era.  the Depot was constructed in 1898 and passenger service continued until 1957.  The Depot was a Katy landmark in its original locaiton until 1979 when it was moved to Katy City park.  The Katy Heritage Society was formed that year to preserve and operate the building.  The City of Katy moved the Depot and Caboose to its current location in 2005.

 

I will be going to Japan the first week of April.  This gives me 30 days to learn Japanese, about the culture, things to see, and do anything that would make the trip more meaningful.  So, that may be a major topic for the next few posts.  If you have any pointers or ideas about what I can learn or what I should see, please leave it in the comments below.  Thanks.

I went to lunch with some Muslim friends of mine.  Afterwards, they were going to the Mosque for prayers, and I decided to join along.  I had seen the Mosque several times from the road, but had never visited or seen it up close.  My first surprise was to see how narrow the building was.  I mentioned this to my friend and he explained that eventually it will be 7 times bigger.  The current structure was just part of an eventual complete circle.

The place was crowded.  The entire parking lot was filled with cars and people of all ages were coming.  Friday is a very special day for Muslims.  My friend explained to me the story of how the Mosque got built.  Originally the Muslims at my workplace met in a conference room, but it was not big enough.  So, they had planned to buy a plot of land to start a mosque.  I do not remember the amount that he said, but it was less than $20k.  That feel through.  Then they found this plot of land that was I think 14 acres.  The people wanted to sell it for $90+ thousand which was more than they had.  So, they had fund raisers, people maxed out their credit cards, people took out loans on their houses, they negotiated to reduce the price, and even with all that, they were $14k short.  They had one day left to raise the money, so a group of them met at the site to pray.  While they are praying, a man with a big cowboy hat and big truck comes up and asks if they owned the land.  They said, “yes”.  And he said he would give them $14k exactly, no more and no less, for the trees.  So, they were able to buy the place.

They started out with a trailer home, which he showed me they still had behind the building.  It was painted many colors.  Then the prayers started.  We hurriedly put our shoes and socks up.  Then he explained that they was the face, behind the ears, the head, arms, and the neck three times.  Plus they wash the feet.  We did this as well.  Then we entered the hall.  There were rows and rows of men standing just a few feet between the rows.  There was the place for exactly two people on the back.

There was a man talking on the speaker in Arabic.   Everyone stood there with head bowed.  Then after a while, the man said something and everyone leaned forward with hands on knees.  Then he said something else everyone stood up write.  Then something else and everyone got on the grown and bowed forward.  There were several repetitions of this.  Then everyone looked to their left and looked to their right.  Then they held their hands in front of them like to hold water in the hands.  And then they put the hands on their heads then it was over.  The entire ceremony only took 10-15 minutes.
Then we found  our shoes and began to get ready to go.  My friend asked me if I recognized the last part, the looking left and the right.  He said that they believe there is an angel on each of our shoulders, one recording the good deed and the other bad.  When doomsday come, they will make an accounting of our lives and we will either be worth to go to heaven or will be condemned to hell.

Before long, my friend was greeted by half a dozen people in succession.  He made introductions, but I am bad with names and do not remember a single name.  Then I talked at length to a fellow that said there are many misconceptions about Muslims and Islam.  I completely agreed with him.  He noted that the media would not be interested in covering such things.  The media is only interested in covering the bad.  I think to a large extent this is true, but I believe that true understanding will have to come through personal connections anyway.  He agreed.

I really enjoyed the experience.  My friend had given me a copy of the Koran a while back.  I read the first few pages.  But now I might be interested in learning a little more.

The entire community was very friendly and welcoming.  It was an experience I hope to repeat.

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