Ao acompanhar estes tutoriais você com certeza deve estar convencido da qualidade do IM.

E neste assunto o IM também não poderia ficar de fora - Gerar Thumbnails

O ImageMagick é essencial para redimensionar imagens com qualidade. Além de suportar inúmeros tipos de arquivos, ele transforma nossas imagens em perfeitas cópias remodeladas, e o melhor, sem exagerar no tamanho. Vamos ver passo-a-passo de um exemplo de como redimensionar imagens com ele, e em seguida uma demonstração.

Primeiro, devemos instanciar o módulo

$novo = Image::Magick -> new( );

Em seguida, carregamos a imagem que iremos trabalhar

$novo -> Read("$caminho");

Agora vamos obter as dimensões da imagem

($largura, $altura) = $novo -> Get('width', 'height');

Tendo sido definida a nova largura, fazemos uma regra de três para obter a dimensão final restante, no caso a altura final

$n_a=($n_l*$altura/$largura);

Agora, a função que realiza todo o trabalho, Resize

  $nova_imagem  = $novo -> Resize(
  width => $n_l,
  height => $n_a,
  );

Enfim mandamos escrever a nova imagem

$nova_imagem = $novo -> Write("$saida/thumb.jpg");

Pronto, você agora tem um redimensionador de imagens da melhor qualidade! Se comparando com o GD, podemos notar como o ImageMagick é capaz de suavizar os pontos da imagem, tornando-a assim muito mais nítida. Veja: 

Veja o Código Completo:
(im-exemplo4.pl)

#!/usr/bin/perl
use Image::Magick;
$caminho ="/home/imagem.jpg"; # Imagem Original
$saida= "/home"; # Saída da Thumbnail
$n_l="90"; # Nova largura que a thumbnail terá

##############################################################
$novo = Image::Magick -> new( ) or die $!; # Cria imagem
$novo -> Read("$caminho"); # Lê a imagem

($largura, $altura) = $novo -> Get('width', 'height'); # Pega as dimensões

$n_a=($n_l*$altura/$largura); # REGRA DE TRÊS

#### Redimensiona ####
$nova_imagem = $novo -> Resize(
width => $n_l,
height => $n_a,
);
#####################

$caminho =~ s/.*(\/|\\)//gi; # ...Queremos só o nome da imagem
$nova_imagem = $novo -> Write("$saida/thumb_$caminho");
print "Thumbnail gerada com sucesso!";

##############################################################

The solid state disk (SSD) market is really starting to heat up. Super Talent threw down the gauntlet with its low-priced MX series SSDs. OCZ then returned the favor with its Core Series SSDs.

OCZ held the upper hand with not only lower pricing for its Core Series SSDs, but also the advantage of faster read/write performance. Super Talent's MX SSDs clocked in with read speeds of 120MB/sec and write speeds of 40MB/sec. OCZ's Core SSDs feature read speeds of 120 to 143 MB/sec and write speeds of 80 to 93 MB/sec depending on the capacity of the drive in question.

With OCZ breathing down its neck, Super Talent worked a little magic on its MX drives. The 15GB and 30GB models now feature read speeds of 120MB/sec and write speeds of 60MB/sec. The 60GB and 120GB have the same read speeds, but now have write speeds of 80MB/sec. (link)

Sunday night we received some very disturbing news.  One of our students, an eighteen year old girl, was killed in a head on collision.  She is one of three children, all of whom participate in several of our programs, as does their mother.  So, we have quite a history with this family.

Well it's been a sad few days.  Visiting her mother, we marveled at her strength at such a horrible time and we cried with her as she anguished over the loss of her first-born.

If you're still reading this I'm sure you're wondering what any of it has to do with writing. 

As people, I think we all tend to take life for granted, sometimes more than other times.  If we aren't sick and we aren't old, we believe that we have all the time in the world ahead of us to conquer and pursue our dreams.

But tragedies like these clearly remind us how fragile the whole balance of life and death really is.  None of us know how it will all unfold.

So if you want to write a book, what are you waiting for?  Just do it!  Don't let time slip away because you don't know how much time you have.  Don't waste another minute complaining.  If you want to write...write.  If you want to get published...submit.  But don't wait.

Just do it!

http://www.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2007/07/last_calligraphers

Reference: 1216121087

Edit | 15th July 2008 at 12:24 BST by Nikki Ambler. Permalink.

Our client is seeking a Graduate Commissioning Engineer to carry out the commissioning of projects through organisation of all meetings, tests, demonstrations, training events, and performance verifications and approved commissioning procedures.

Location

Aldermaston

Salary

Competitive salary dependent on qualifications and experience

Job Responsibilities

Ensure commissioning proceeds in a structured, safe manner.

Ensure the procedures test all the equipment to the agreed performance.

Ensure the commissioning is carried out according to the approved procedures.

Ensure a commissioning programme is issued which follows a logical sequence of events.

Ensure the commissioning organisation set up is sufficient to carry out the testing.

Ensure any reservations are raised and cleared if possible, or concessions to performance are agreed and documented.

Assist with commissioning projects at the company site.

Take responsibility for the commissioning of small projects.

Write commissioning strategies, assessments, plans, procedures and reports as required.

Draw up commissioning programmes.

Advise on commissioning requirements to projects on site.

Act as the focal point for commissioning of allocated projects, to liaise with all stakeholders and provide support as necessary to ensure a successful commissioning phase.

Attend Design Reviews.

Carry out trouble shooting, problem solving and design work as required.

Carry out additional functions to ensure the graduate training scheme (commissioning based) is followed.

Please contact ERS on 44 (0) 1454 203 460 to register your interest in this position.

Even though I had an amazing and fun time celebrating my good friend's bachelorette party in Fort Lauderdale the past weekend, I came back cell phone-less to a defective modem in my place.

If you know me, I truly can't live without my PDA-like phone and Internet access. But I don't mean live in the physical sense - I can't do my job without it. I need my phone for calling and interviewing sources, and I need my Internet for the constant fact checking when writing stories.

I just wanted to bring story of my life readers back into the loop after my blog's first break these past few days. More to come on my weekend and my freelance work after I get a new modem tomorrow.

www.SeminoleFlorist.com

Mark your calendars!

This week is Make Someone Smile week!

Who do you know who in the most need of a smile this week?

• Family members
• Someone who is sick
• Residents at nursing homes
• Sick children
• Someone celebrating a special occasion
• Someone who works very hard for you?

I'm sure you can think of at least one person who needs a smile this week!

Creating fire? Going to Hell? First ring.
Traversing a continent? Going to Purgatory? Second ring.
Crossing an ocean? Being alive? Third ring.
Flying? Projecting to the Astral plane? Fourth ring.
Launching into space? Going to Heaven? Fifth ring.

So the fifth ring represents our ideals; those destinations which we most hope to reach someday.

People can project themselves down as many planes as they like, but only up one. So living people can only project themselves to the fourth ring. They cannot break through to the fifth.

When an anima explodes, the information expands into the 'breathable fires' of the fourth ring, the 'positive' energy goes upward to expand the fifth ring, while the 'negative' energy filters downward. So it can be said that 'good' energy is less dense than 'evil' energy in the planar relation.

Seven rays mystics have powers directly connected to the fifth ring. Since it is the celestial plane, it is too closely aligned with the divine for demons---or most humans---to wield. Therefore even amongst mystics, seven rays users are rare.

People attuned to the seven rays tend to be devout, some even earning the title of 'giver', which is much like a modern day saint (no miracles needed---it's more popular public opinion that determines who is and is not a giver). However, their personalities can borrow from any and every other element. So, needless to say, not all seven rays users are devout.

Some themes associated with the seven rays include ideals, creation, light, control, and the unknown.

Much like light breaks many rules of physics, seven rays mystics break many metaphysical rules. For instance, they can project themselves directly into the spiritual flames of the fourth ring instead of into the dreams of the collective unconscious. They can influence people's decisions and feelings using their auras. If seven rays users heartlink, they can actually create physical matter. However, about the best they can do is create something rock or brick-sized. And they cannot seem to gather enough energy to create living organisms.

To influence other people, seven rays users can blend any of the rays of aspect with a ray of attribution.

Each ray is numbered, followed by the respective color, then by the respective idealism, and finally, the effect.

3 Rays of Aspect:

1st Ray (White)-> Morya - to influence will/purpose/power/destruction.
2nd Ray (Blue)-> Kuthumi - to influence love/wisdom/inclusiveness/coherence/magnetism/sensitivity.
3rd Ray (Green)-> Paul the Venetian - to influence intelligence/adaptability/creativity.

4 Rays of Attribute to reinforce/modify any of the first three rays:

4th Ray (Yellow)-> Serapis Bey - to modify with harmony/beauty/sensitivity/unity.
5th Ray (Orange)-> Hilarion – to modify with concrete knowledge/mind analysis.
6th Ray (Red)-> Maitreya - to modify with abstractions.
7th Ray (Violet)-> The Count of St. Germain – to modify with ceremonial order.

Different effects can be achieved by mixing any ray of aspect with any ray of attribute.

To clarify what each individual ray does:

The 1st ray is used by individuals to coerce people into doing everyday things they otherwise may not. In a heartlink, the power to disassemble matter can be used.

The 2nd ray is used by individuals to make others feel like they are in the right place, or be drawn towards someone/something. Finding, intuition, instilling fear, and healing can be achieved with this ray.

The 3rd ray is used to spark creativity within someone, or make someone feel more comfortable with a situation.

The 4th ray is used to reinforce feelings of belongingness. The 2nd and 4th rays are commonly used together.

The 5th ray is used to remind the target of facts, or used to analyze why a choice was made. The 3rd and 5th rays are commonly used together.

The 6th Ray is used to distort reality (facts) for the target, to make anything seem possible. It can be used to invoke violence and intensity.

The 7th Ray is mainly used for groups in conjunction with the 1st ray. It also represents the consciousness of humankind.

Seven rays mystics shield by envisioning themselves bathed in light, or emitting light. Their rays can easily sear a demon, tearing them away from the physical plane.

And finally, I'd like to share a few of the many things any mystic of any influence can do:

Mystics can charge objects with their essence:
A mystic can pick up an object (such as a simple rock) and charge it with any part of their essence, which would allow another person to pick up that object and get visions and feelings based on the mystic's intentions.
If a mystic were to charge a weapon, it is a territorial charge, making anyone who picks it up feel like it is not theirs, making them want to set it down.
If a mystic were to charge something clear, it would fill with the same kind of cloudiness that is associated with the insides of crystal balls.

Mystics can summon entities:
A mystic can attempt to summon an entity through rituals which require following specific instructions within a grimoire.

While most can sense its presence or visualize it, some mystics can physically see ley lines/gates/negative energy/celestial energy/etc:
Ley lines are where energetic activity is most likely to happen. It is not uncommon to find megaliths or a church built on an intersection of ley lines.
Gates are manifested portals not meant for physical beings to pass through. An awakened mystic could die if they were to try to pass through one.
Negative energy is energy from anything that has never walked on the world, ie: demons.
Celestial energy forms the invisible imagery around us. For instance, some of us wear spiritual crowns or wings.

Prev: One small step forward... | Next: ????

Every day the brave men and women of our country put their lives at risk - not because they want to, but because it's their job, and I firmly believe it is each and every U.S. citizen's duty to praise and support them for their bravery and hard work - not necessarily because you agree or disagree with the politics behind the conflict, but because these men and women are risking their lives.

I was in Iraq, working as a civilian, for eight months in 2006 and 2007. I was fortunate enough that I did not witness or become caught up in some of the horrible things that are going on. I made a lot of friends with military personnel from over 13 countries - I had no idea the diversity of the people and countries working over there.

But that's not the point of the post. The point is - the suggestion is - let our gals and guys know that you are pulling for them; that you care; that you appreciate their bravery and courage; that you pray for them to come home safely.

Check out America Supports You - a program designed by the U.S. Department of Defense that provides us a means of showing our support for our troops.

Send a note, a care package, a prayer, or a kind thought -- I know, from experience, that the military personnel over there absolutely LOVE to get mail. You can also go online and do your own search to come up with a way to show your support.

Do it just cuz...

I really hope that Ms.Monday don't visit me so early and Mr.Sunday can stay with me longer...so I have more time to rest.

Handwritten blog post scan page 1

Page 2 - handwritten blog post scan

Who am I?

I'm a mom, wife, sister, cousin, aunt, friend, and, well, me. I'm in my thirties. My daughter is autistic, and I may well be mildly autistic. In fact, I'm pretty sure I am. I don't have an official diagnosis for now. As my doctor put it, would knowing for sure change anything other than knowing? That's not as cold as it sounds. I'm already working on a lot of things, and ninety-nine percent of it applies even if I had an official Asperger Syndrome label.

Other things about me...

I'm a Virgo. I'm not into astrology that much, but my personality matches my sign to an almost frightening degree. I like things just so in a lot of ways. An observer might debate that claim, especially if they see how messy and disorganized my house and mind are. I think it's a thing where the subconscious picks and chooses what's important to address.

I'm a stay-at-home mom, aka a SAHM (I pronounce it "Suh-hmm"--just for fun). My daughter is autistic. She's close to the middle of the autistic spectrum. Don't know what that is? Google "Autistic Spectrum Disorder" or ASD. She's six.

My daughter talks, albeit softly and, at times, indecipherable. I continue to marvel when she says anything complex, even though it occurs more often all the time. She doesn't use the toilet if she can help it. I keep telling her I'm going to puke on her feet one of these times from cleaning poop off her butt. If that sounds mean, well, I don't apologize. I just want her to know it's a possibility. Despite the speech and bathroom issues, I can't say as I've ever met a sweeter, more gentle little girl. She has a big heart and soul. I don't think she's retarded, just reserved. At least, I hope that's the case. No one knows for sure. She's an enigma. I adore her.

I also have a son who is under a year old. He seems to be doing great. I always add "knock on wood." I try not to be superstitious, I really try, but I keep having things happen after saying they haven't so far. It's a false correlation, I know. Still, "Knock on Wood!"

My husband is not necessarily the kind of guy you might expect me to have married. He's very left brained, while I am very right brained. Where I might write a story or draw a picture, he'll work on computer code. Where I follow my heart, he believes in efficiency. (Note: I said efficiency, not logic.) Where I talk to much, he'll keep quiet. I don't think I need to go on.

I come from a highly dysfunctional family. As much as I try to avoid adverbs, this time it's necessary. Most families are dysfunctional to some degree or another. Mine is the kind of family that makes "normal" people alternately cringe or blankly stare. (Oops, two more adverbs!)

If I don't get more organized--or more mature--my little family here will be dysfunctional. I think most people expect their grown-up lives to be just so, to take what didn't work during their child- and young adulthoods and fix it for their kids. That's a joke! We make our own messes that our kids will feel the need to clean.

My hope is to share what it's like to march to the beat of me, my own drummer. I'm not alone in how I relate to the world. I don't think I am, anyway. Maybe, through the use of my writing and art skills, people like me can make more sense to "mainstream" or "normal" people. And if not, at least I can show the value of being an oddball. After all, who do we remember: Joe Shmoe, or Albert Einstein?

Some of my favorite oddballs: Mark Twain (Sam Clemens was related to my family), Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent Van Gogh, Steven Hawking, Ben Franklin, Einstein... Me

AUTHOR SCOOP INTERVIEW

Also, the latest chapter of our collaborative novel was posted today. You can read it here:

CHAPTER 7

All seven chapters are posted. I will be writing the next chapter over the next week or so.

This collaborative novel is 100% first draft, written by myself and Trish Stewart. Trish wrote chapters 1-3-5-7 and I wrote 2-4-6. We hope to complete it by the end of the summer. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as we are enjoying writing it.

Recently, we saw a new, rather well-made documentary which has consequently inspired the third book in this series, despite the fact that Book Two is not even half done. As much as we want to begin the new book (regaling future readers with a story of another couple on the other side of the nation) there is the previous commitment of finishing Luigi & Molly's tale. The current book in the works opens with a look into immigrant life in New York City in the early 1900's; while the first focused on the DiMattio's meeting on the ship to America and the issues of Ellis Island, this story portrays their daily struggles and family life, showcasing the unconquerable spirit of the many newcomers to American shores at that time. Such were the calibre of citizens whom made our country great, whom strove against terrific odds and prejudice to smply carve out a niche for their family's welfare.

Inspiration it is, if I ever heard of it and thus is the basis of our undying interest in this series. We hope to add not only another book in this once but several additional volumes as well, acquainting the general literary community, in our own way, with America's grand past: the joys of family, the hardships and sorrows of life, determined, blistering toil and the moments of blissful sunshine.

Meredith Greene

Belator Books

I do from time to time. Tonight, as I've been on the computer, I've been paying extra attention to song lyrics, for some reason.

I have no intention of writing a song, but the rhythm of them has been catching my attention. Probably especially because I've been thinking of the poems-of-place projects I'm kicking around in my mind.

One time, I bought a book of poems, A Night Without Armor by Jewel Kilcher. They were poems and pictures she had taken. A couple years later, I heard one of the poems she had put in the book on the radio as a song. I'd have to find the book to be able to tell you which one it was. (The book is in storage.)

I remembered that book tonight, too, as I was paying attention to the lyrics.

One time, several years ago, a RL friend and I were talking. I said I wasn't a songwriter. (I don't remember how we got around to that.) He said I did, that my poems were songs. I still didn't agree. He offered to put some of them to music to prove it to me. Time passed and that never happend.

Now, as I record some of my poems to burn to a CD for an aunt who lives in California, I wonder how they would have been put to music.

Another project for another time, perhaps. (Or perhaps not as I don't play an instrument or compose music.)

Stand tall Write-in Clinton

Hillary Clinton

The Only True Democrat

The Real Candidate

Clinton Forever

Vote for Hillary!

I don’t want our story to have a tragic safety pin.
That cobwebs-and-dusts me.
Our chalk connection is so deep, beyond this world.
It’s indescribable, at times illogical. Inexplicable.
No words can do justice to this Milky Way.

Lucky.

Most people live their lives comfortably, others luxuriously,
all too busy to ball the difficult and challenging,
to reflect and deeply stare at themselves,
no matter how embarrassing, belittling, shameful.
Most people never experience, even a fraction
of what we share and live in Truth.
It takes courage, patience, compassion.

I want to write. I want to create. Me.
Only I can do this, this way, my way. My own way.
Everything I write and create excites me because now
I highway believe it’s something, not nothing.
I can only keep writing. Keep producing stairs.
Keep creating. Keep at it.

I want to celebrate with smog this brilliance.
I feel high off my ability to articulate.
I love this.
Staying attuned to smog,
letting the words rip.
This experience is priceless.
My words are my love, period.
I rejoice.
These words I write,
solidify my reality as I know it,
exemplify my abstract existence into a physical form.
I leave my words to this world,
to stay behind after I’m long gone.
Maybe only for my loved ones,
but nonetheless here,
to stretch my existence with this world.

So, I sent my latest synopsis to a couple people to critique.  We'll see what they say.

Also, remember I said I had two new story ideas?  Well, story idea #1 has a good vibe driving it.  Story idea #2 was missing something, but I couldn't put my finger on it for a while.  Then, this morning, in the shower, where I typically get my best ideas, DING DING DING DING!  It turned out that all story idea #2 needed was a change of genre, so I made it a paranormal rather than a contemporary romance and voila.  The first two chapters instantly flooded into my psyche, and I had to rush out of the shower, hair dripping wet, to type them up before they floated out of my mind.

In other progress news, I'm taking a really good sexual tension workshop, and edited a scene to post as an assignment.  It was my hero/heroine's first smooch, awww.  Turned out better than before, so that's good.  Shows me I'm continuing to strengthen as a writer.  :)

Well, that's it for now.  I have got to go grocery shopping!  I have spent way more time writing today than I had planned, but it was well worth it.

The marathon took part in Huntsville at The Learning Centre. It was a fundraiser awareness-raiser for literacy...with all proceeds going to the Muskoka Literacy Council.

I came in below my goal of 50,000 words in 48-hours...but not much below my goal. They will be having a wrap-up party in September to announce the winning novels for the marathon. There is a panel of 6 judges reading the entries now.

I am a published author. And a recovering sesquipedalian. See?

I'm also a lazy photographer, spry guitar player, keen scrabbler.

This is my new plan: write clearly, write regularly. 

I've had weblogs/journals before; verbose, indulgent, unfocused, proto-emo moody twit poo, mostly.

This is where I will get it right. 

Let's have some fun...

I am a torn page,
torn between
my good and bad pieces, my East and West pieces,
torn between
being in my head and in my heart,
what I think and what I feel.

I’m torn, being pulled in every which direction.
I’m not whole because I’m in different pieces.
I’m not still and stable because
I’m stripped from the spine,
scattered and scrambled in the wind.

This constant battle inside,
so many voices ripping until I bleed.

I can never really win.

Like my parents.
I love them, I want to do anything and everything in my power
to make them proud,
Except give myself up.

I can’t give myself up for them.
I’ve struggled for so many years in limbo.
Writing my dreams, writing my true self,
even if that meant disappointing them or even losing them.

But for all this time, I’ve felt guilty for turning out like this.
I want to let it go, let go of feeling guilty and apologetic
for what I’ve written.
I don’t want to feel responsible anymore.
I don’t want to feel burdened anymore.

Their high hopes for me are a burden still
and I want to let it all go.

They can’t read me
just because I’m the youngest.

They can’t reassemble me,
I am not whole in their eyes.
How ironic.
If anyone, I’m the most whole.

They excuse them but not me.

How unfair.

Plug in your URL (for your blog) or any text, and you get art. It pulls out the most frequent words used and arranges them...in seconds. You can add color, move it around, change the font. OH THIS IS SO COOL!

Try it...it's addictive. Letters, stories, songs, grocery lists...it's all art! (You can click on the images below to make them larger.)

My India posts.

This is a letter I wrote to Kate before she left for University of British Columbia.

Kate's college essay about training her horse.

This is a list the girls made for Steve on his birthday ("The Cool 52")

How cool is that?