A Few More Mac Keystrokes for Ya

Here’s a list of some keystroke options, as a follow-up to the post from the book The Mac Is Not a Typewriter.

Option [    “

Shift Option [    ”

Option ]    ‘

Shift Option ]    ’

Option 8  •

Shift Option 8  °

Option g  ©

Option 2  ™

Option r  ®

Option $/4  ¢

Option 1 ¡

Option Shift ?   ¿

To accent an e:

Key Option e

Then e

é

To add the tilde:

Key Option n

Then n

ñ

To add the schwa:

Key Option i

Then letter

â

I’ve been looking for some of these occasionally needed tools, so I was glad to have found this short list. I know I can search online and find the answers, but since I came across the book, I chose to do a bit of blogging about it before I moved it off my shelf and out the door.

The Mac Is Not a Typewriter, Robin Williams, Rules 1, 2, 3, and 4

These notes are from the little book The Mac Is Not a Typewriter.

Rule 1
One space between sentences. APA style still argues this, and some professors don’t get it. It’s not just a silly rule that those computer geeks have set up to annoy us. It has to do with proportional spacing v monospacing. Using two spaces creates a disturbing gap.

Examples:   '   "   versus  ‘ ’ and   “  ”  
In Times:
Examples:   '   "   versus  ‘ ’ and   “  ”

Rule 2
How to use quotation marks. When I write in this blog window, it produces these: options:  '  and  "

for opening quotation marks: "opening

for closing quotations marks: closing"

for single opening quotation marks: 'single opening

for single closing quotation marks: single closing'

Working with documents, my computer is set for smart quotes, but I never knew how to get around it on the blog, until today.

Use Option [    for opening quotation marks: “opening
In Times:
“opening

Use Option Shift [     for closing quotations marks: closing”
In Times:
closing”

Use Option ]     for single opening quotation marks: ‘single opening
In Times: 
‘single opening

Use Option Shift ]     for single closing quotation marks: single closing’
In Times:
single closing’



Rule 3
Now you should have no excuse (at least on a Mac) for using the opening single quote for the apostrophe. Usually it is seen like this: Rock ‘n’ Roll (in Times: Rock ‘n’ Roll), because the computer doesn’t know you mean to use two apostrophes. But you can, like this: Rock ’n’ Roll, although most people might just write Rock n Roll. But it’s just an example.

Our church used to use a theme of: Reach ’em and teach ’em, then teach ’em to reach ’em.
In Times:
Reach ’em and teach ’em, then teach ’em to reach ’em.

I used to think this could be corrected only by first typing this pair:  ‘’ and then deleting the first one. Now I am happy to know that the closing bracket used with Option or Option Shift creates the correct one for single quotes and apostrophes, and the opening bracket used with Option or Option Shift creates the “smart quotes” for the regular quotation marks.

Rule 4
Hyphens are not equal to dashes. And there en dashes and em dashes. I used an em dash in the first paragraph. I thought I had tried this previously on the blogger and that it had failed. You can look up rules about en dashes and em dashes, but I will list a few examples.

The hyphen is that Hyphen key on the top right of the keyboard, and looks like this: -

The en dash is made using Option Hyphen, and looks like this: –

The em dash is made using Option Shift Hyphen, and looks like this: —

Hyphen usage

high-class restaurant

blue-green

En Dash usage

pp. 16–23

2:00–4:00

Romans 12:1–3

Em Dash usage

Most importantly—in my opinion—it is used for interruptions in a sentence--where most people use 2 hyphens, as I just did.

The book warns that fonts that are name for cities—Geneva, New York for example—sometimes have the key patterns switched.

Fun stuff!

Chris Tomlin, Glory in the Highest

The final Christmas album for review is Glory in the Highest, by Chris Tomlin. I bought this album yesterday because it was on sale for $5. Chris Tomlin is a popular writer of worship songs, so I thought, Sure, this should be a good album.

Chris and companions recorded this performance with an audience—a smaller one it seems, a congregation, perhaps. You hear Chris as the lead on most songs, with others singing along in the background. Audrey Assad, Christy Nockels, and Matt Redman are featured on three other songs. Chris’s four original songs are what give the album something different. He is talented. His “Glory in the Highest” is the most outstanding track, but I would have preferred to hear Chris in a studio without the background voices. It’s not just that it’s background voices; it’s the whole mood that is presented. Maybe the idea was to be warm and cozy, but I found it more of a sleepy, singalong, even save-us-some-money feeling.

Lessons learned: Don’t count on the name. A bargain isn’t always a bargain. I have other albums I would listen to repeatedly.  This isn’t one. Because I would choose to listen to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra album before this one, I have to rate it 3, a notch above Plus One’s album.

9 Bryan Duncan—Christmas Is Jesus
6 Michael W. Smith—Christmas
1 Michael W. Smith—It’s a Wonderful Christmas
4 Trans-Siberian Orchestra—Christmas Eve and Other Stories
7 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas Live
8 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas
2 Plus One—Christmas
3 Relient K— Let It Snow Baby . . . Let It Reindeer
8 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas in the Aire
8 Mannheim Steamroller—A Fresh Aire Christmas
3 Chris Tomlin—Glory in the Highest

Mannheim Steamfoller, A Fresh Aire Christmas

A Fresh Aire Christmas is a 1988 album by Mannheim Steamroller. The opening with trumpet heralding leads to “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” which is the song that first introduced me to Mannheim Steamroller. “Veni Veni (O Come O Come Emmanuel)” begins in Latin in the style of a Gregorian chant. A keyboard and flute lay a foundation for higher voices and a more familiar choral sound, and the track exits with the Gregorian style. Nice. Next is “The Holly and the Ivy,” with flute, guitar, and strings. “Traditions of Christmas” is beautiful.

The best on the album and one of the best of all Christmas melodies is “Still, Still, Still.” For me, it is one of those close-your-eyes-and-enjoy-the beauty songs. And other equally beautiful versions can be found on YouTube. Sometimes I click through to enjoy several versions, in the same way that I enjoy “In the Bleak Midwinter.”

Less pleasing to my ear are these tracks:

The synthesized-to-acoustic “The Little Drummer Boy” confirms my preference for a more traditional version. A horn version of “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” simply doesn’t work for me.“In Dulci Jubilo,” from their Renaissance styling, reappears on this album, and I liked it better in its place with the Renaissance Christmas feast on their Christmas Live album.“Greensleeves” starts out with flute and guitar and swells to harpsichord (or some similar instrument) and strings to play through the entire melody. The string portion is the most lovely. Though I do I like harpsichord, here it sounds harsh against the strings.“Carol of the Bells,” says MS’s Chip Davis, has only about twenty seconds of music to work with, so he brings in variations of bells and styling—which is doesn’t work for me.“Cantique do Noël” seems drawn out and, by now, repetitive in style.

Two things have occurred to me during this exploration of a few Christmas albums: I should develop a playlist or at least a written list of the songs I enjoy the most. And most certainly I should create a folder or list in iTunes. Those in the first paragraph might be included; those in the second paragraph, probably not.

9 Bryan Duncan—Christmas Is Jesus
6 Michael W. Smith—Christmas
1 Michael W. Smith—It’s a Wonderful Christmas
4 Trans-Siberian Orchestra—Christmas Eve and Other Stories
7 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas Live
8 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas
2 Plus One—Christmas
3 Relient K— Let It Snow Baby . . . Let It Reindeer
8 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas in the Aire
8 Mannheim Steamroller—A Fresh Aire Christmas

Relient K, Let It Snow . . . Let It Reindeer

Surprise! Surprise because I’m not the right audience for Relient K’s Let It Snow Baby . . . Let It Reindeer. I borrowed it from my daughter, and I’ve listened to it several times in the past couple of days. The insert identifies band member Matthew Thiessen as the composer of the songs that aren’t familiar to us.

From the top . . .

“Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is a great version of the song. Influences of the Beach Boys are heard. Right from the start, I appreciate the talent. I played this song over and over. The performance of “Sleigh Ride” makes me think of Michael Bublé. Compared to Plus One, the performances by these boys are bold and confident. “Silent Night/Away in a Manger” = pretty.

 In general, I like the songs written Thiessen—perhaps more so the sentiments of his songs. “I Hate Christmas Parties” is pretty song about a break-up. “Boxing Day” tells about the end of the Christmas season. “Merry Christmas, Here’s to Many More” is a well written, well thought out, well done song. Like!  “I Celebrate the Day” and “In Like a Lion (Always Winter),” are not as appealing to me, but knowing that “Lion” was inspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe makes it more interesting.

It quite amuses me that I choose to even listen to this “hip” album. The speedy and unusual versions of familiar Christmas songs are no surprise if you have heard other Relient K albums. Yes, I have. Favorites of mine on any of their albums are those that have a more traditional sound. However, since my son first shared Relient K with me six or seven years ago, I have come to appreciate even their “pop punk” or “alternative rock” sound. Their version of “12 Days of Christmas” is befitting for Relient K—with a variety of sounds, including soprano voices, a bit of screaming, and good harmonies.

I am more likely to bring out Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s Christmas Eve and Other Stories (so I can hear “Ornament” again) than I would be to listen again to this album, which means it has to rate below TSO’s album. I would choose to download just two favorite tracks from RK’s album: “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “Sleigh Ride.”

9 Bryan Duncan—Christmas Is Jesus
6 Michael W. Smith—Christmas
1 Michael W. Smith—It’s a Wonderful Christmas
4 Trans-Siberian Orchestra—Christmas Eve and Other Stories
7 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas Live
8 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas
2 Plus One—Christmas
8 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas in the Aire
3 Relient K— Let It Snow Baby . . . Let It Reindeer

Merry Christmas!

 

Merry Christmas to you all!

I hope you know the Jesus of Christmas.

  

Jesus of Christmas
 

Mannheim Steamroller, Christmas in the Aire

Another Mannheim Steamroller for today: Christmas in the Aire. This one starts out with an identifiable MS-type production of “Joy to the World.” Using my criterion of “pretty,” it is not. Interesting. Okay, yes. But it is followed by  a “pretty,” with “Joseph Dear Oh Joseph Mine.” Why have I heard this melody but never known the title? Google finds that an alternate title is “Song of the Crib.” Pretty? Yes.

Skipping “Rudolph.”

“Herbei, Oh Ihr Glaubigen” is “O Come All Ye Faithful,” sung by a children’s choir, with the addition of bells. The choir, in case you want to Google, it is the Bielefelder Kinderchor. “Pat a Pan” is always a winner. For “O’ Little Town of Bethlehem,” Chip Davis explains that he harmonized the song as his father, an arranger and composer, would have done it. This is indeed a unique rendition of the song. Very—yes—pretty!

Next up: “Angels We Have Heard on High” is the studio version of a song included on Christmas Live. This comes across to me as an experimental version. “Gagliarda,” lovely as usual, and played by what Chip calls the Renaissance Ensemble Le Doo Dah Band. Next, one I do not tire of, “Los Peces en el Rio.” Even today, I went YouTubing to enjoy some versions with voice. “Christmas Lullaby” comes around again on this album, a pretty song!

“Kling, Glockchen,” sung by a boys choir is “Ring, Little Bell.” The album ends with a slowed and unusual—and pretty—version of “Jingle Bells” that fits Chip’s cozy-around-the fire-with-snowflakes-in the aire mood.

I am tempted to rate this a 9, but it is not as pleasing to me as Bryan Duncan’s Christmas Is Jesus.

9 Bryan Duncan—Christmas Is Jesus

6 Michael W. Smith—Christmas

1 Michael W. Smith—It’s a Wonderful Christmas

4 Trans-Siberian Orchestra—Christmas Eve and Other Stories

7 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas Live

8 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas
2 Plus One—Christmas

8 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas in the Aire

Forty Years Later

For forty years, my husband and I have been using the cups from the reception for our bathroom cups. (Yes, there were more than just two.) We took all the leftovers and have been using them all these years. The handle of my last one broke several years ago. My husband’s is still unbroken. My cup will be replaced with a new one before the end of 2012.

Flower Girls Years Apart

When I got married in 1972, 

my niece was my flower girl.

Somewhere over the years, I kidded her that

one day when she got married, my little girl could carry the same basket and be her flower girl.

Turns out that’s exactly what happened.

Forty Years

This still goes on after forty years.

(Picture taken by our daughter, who was sitting in the back seat, September 2011.)

Forty years ago . . .

December 23, 1972

and this is what I was wearing. 

Plus One, Christmas

Plus One was a Christian band that had its run from about 1999–2004. One member Nathan Walters, had been in our homeschool group. When an early concert was held in Lakeland, Florida, we were there. Nathan and Gabe Combs now function as Multitone Musik.

Christmas is an album they released in 2002, and I’ve listened to it twice this week. The band fits the description “Christian pop.” This album basically fits my “pretty” requirement, but the performances sound somewhat affected to my ear, even though the songs are well produced.

I’ll comment on just one song:  “A Prayer for Every Year” is the best cut of the album. Stronger voices, well done! Others have performed this song as “My Grown-up Christmas Wish.” You can hear Bryan Duncan’s version on his Christmas Is Jesus album, which I reviewed here.

I’m the wrong audience for this one. I rate it 2.

Learn more about the current Nathan Walters here.  See him on YouTube here.

9 Bryan Duncan—Christmas Is Jesus
6 Michael W. Smith—Christmas
1 Michael W. Smith—It’s a Wonderful Christmas
4 Trans-Siberian Orchestra—Christmas Eve and Other Stories
7 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas Live
8 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas
2 Plus One—Christmas

Mannheim Steamroller, Christmas Live

Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas Live (1997) was a new, on-sale purchase for me this year, and a good one it was!

The comparison of Trans-Siberian Orchestra to Mannheim Steamroller is probably quite clear to many of you, but not so clear to me. Just because I’m leaving a few thoughts about some Christmas albums doesn’t mean I can delineate the difference. My daughter points out that TSO is more “metal.” I would say more “electric.” MS has an entirely different kind of creativity. Both are willing to tell a story. TSO’s Christmas Eve and Other Stories does it well. While the MS album may not be the narrative that the TSO album is, the group carries you away on this live album.

The insert explains that this live show was a multimedia concert. About halfway through the concert, a Renaissance Christmas feast is presented, which at the live concert would be featured as a multimedia recreation. Starting with “Gagliarda,” the songs are styled appropriately for the Renaissance theme, and all are enjoyable to me. “In Dulci Jublio,” which is “Good Christian Men, Rejoice!” is right on target with the theme. “Wassail, Wassail,” “Carol of the Birds,” and “I Saw Three Ships” sound the part with harpsichord, stringed instruments, violins, oboe, and flutes or recorders, as well as other instruments that help you picture a Renaissance scene. Nicely done!

The melodies for “Match in a gas tank, boom boom!” and a musical phrase from the “William Tell Overture” are tucked into the first of two presentations of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.”

My favorite songs are the lovely “Christmas Lullaby,” “Pat A Pan,” and my very favorite, “Los Peces en el Río.” Okay, so I just listened to all three of these in a row. They are all so pretty. But what of “Los Peces en el Río”? So I went Googling to find out.

Among the most popular Spanish carols is Los Peces en el Río, which draws a contrast between between the fishes in the river, who are excited about the birth of the baby Jesus, and the Virgin Mary, who goes about doing the chores of daily life. You‘ll find the song in most written and recorded collections of Spanish-language Christmas tunes.

I played some versions with voice and it makes me want to learn the song. Well, after all I’ve just finished a semester of Spanish, and . . . I could pull out my guitar and learn this song. Go ahead and visit YouTube to see how it sounds by MS and then with voice.

I’ll rate it at 7 out of 10 and add it to my list.

In the order reviewed:

9 Bryan Duncan—Christmas Is Jesus
6 Michael W. Smith—Christmas
1 Michael W. Smith—It’s a Wonderful Christmas
4 Trans-Siberian Orchestra—Christmas Eve and Other Stories
7 Mannheim Steamroller—Christmas Live

Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Christmas Eve and Other Stories

Today, Trans-Siberian Orchestra. I have not heard a lot of TSO music, and I was thinking of Mannheim Steamroller at first when I started to listen to this album. This 1996 album was given to me a few years ago. Titled Christmas Eve and Other Stories, it tells the tale of an angel sent to earth to bring back to God “the one thing that best represents everything good that has been done in the name of this day.”  A little girl helps a bartender see a way to reach out to a young woman. The satisfied wish that the angel took back to heave was the wish of a soul for the happiness of another.

Such an album would not normally appeal to me, but this worked for me. The pick-up for me comes with the children’s choir singing “A Star to Follow.” This song is followed by three instrumentals: “First Snow,” “The Silent Nutcracker,” and “A Mad Russian’s Christmas.” Okay. Unfamiliar overall, but bits of familiar carols are tucked in sufficiently to keep me listening. After this, I get somewhat bogged down as we go through other songs. “Good King Joy” is simply not my style of music. I clicked through it. Now I come to the reason I play this album. It is this song: “Ornament.” I love this melody, I love the voice. Google and YouTube searches tell me it is Tommy Farese. And I agree with the comments that his raspy voice makes the song! Totally! This is the whole reason I like this album. Go and enjoy just this song on YouTube.

And Tommy continues in the song “Old City Bar,” followed by “Promises to Keep,” with the children’s choir again. Nice. Tommy comes back for “This Christmas Day.” “An Angel Returned” is joyous finale to the story, and it is followed by what that album insert calls a post script with two pleasant instrumentals. There is no doubt that it is Tommy who makes the album for me. I can see that this would have been a great tour show to enjoy.

Listened to with less analysis, the album is much more enjoyable. Could bump it to 5.

Let’s see. I’ll list what I have rated so far. And I’ll include the first album I discussed. Four so far.

9 Bryan Duncan—Christmas Is Jesus
6 Michael W. Smith—Christmas
1 Michael W. Smith—It’s a Wonderful Christmas
4 Trans-Siberian Orchestra—Christmas Eve and Other Stories

It's a Wonderful Christmas, Michael W. Smith

I looked through my CDs to find another Christmas album that I could write about. I have a few here beside me, but I’m most interested in listening to this second one by Michael W. Smith. It’s a Wonderful Christmas was produced with David Hamilton and released in 2007. It was recorded at the Abbey Road Studios and is described as “a classic in the making.” The insert says, “Rich with cinematic orchestration and imagery of the season, let this album become the soundtrack of your Christmas!”

Even before I read the description I would have described it as movielike, which befits the concept of “cinematic orchestration.” And I can see already that it is not a style I want to listen to at Christmas. As beautifully done as it may be written and produced, it does not have the familiar songs I like to hear at Christmas.

I also can confirm today that although I have a number of MSW CDs that I very much enjoy, I can tire of Smith’s voice, especially when it is “intense.” By the time I came to the third track, “The Promise,” I was ready to click through to the next song. Passing through a second musical interlude we heard Mandisa (of American Idol fame) partnering with MSW for “Christmas Day,” which also does not fit my preferences. I had high hopes for “A Highland Carol” to be a lovely Scottish-styled carol but, though it had bagpipes, the song was too “big” for my tastes. Nor did I like the next few. When will I find one I enjoy? Listen. Listen. No, not yet.

This album is not as good as his Christmas album, which I listened to yesterday. I’ll try ratings for you. If Christmas is a 6, It’s a Wonderful Christmas is a 1.

Christmas, Michael W. Smith

Michael W. Smith produced a Christmas album in 1989 titled simply Christmas. The album came out twenty-three years ago. I have had the album for only a few years. I listened to it this season before I listened to Bryan Duncan’s album. I found that I was more ready to listen to Duncan’s album for a second time than to Smith’s. Michael W. Smith wrote some beautiful melodies for the album. Overall, his album, produced with Ronn Huff, is lovely, but I am not as ready to listen to it repeatedly.

Michael writes on the insert: “I’ve dreamed of doing this for as long as I can remember. Extra special thanks for always being as excited about Christmas as I am! You four are the heart of my dreams and my songs.” And it sounds like that’s exactly what it is—an effort to make a dream come true. While I do appreciate his talent and his way of bringing a new approach to familiar carol, I might describe the album as somewhat self-serving. I can see that it is a result of work, of effort, as if the project was attempting to be something very great in the style of the greats. Some of the compositions seem labored. It was if he came to a point in his career where he said, “I want to do this and I have the resources, so I shall proceed.” I wonder how it was received when it was released.

“Anthem for Christmas” has a long formal introduction, moving slowly to the voice, backed by strings. And I can see why it needs to build, but it has a formality that makes it “less singable.” On “Christ the Messiah,” for me, an affectedness comes through. It is as if the songs were written with a goal of fitting a style, of making it happen. Some portions seem a bit forced.

Smith’s piano composition “First Snowfall” is delightful. I can see that I would enjoy a Michael W. Smith piano-only album. His instrumental trilogy is his presentation of “Look, I can arrange music in the style of the great composers.” What is it in me that makes this a challenge to my enjoyment of the album? Still, the beauty of two of the songs makes glad I have the album in my collection.

“No Eye Had Seen,” sung with Amy Grant, is a beautiful song—a lovely melody with lovely lyrics. I will definitely look for a lead sheet for this one or learn to play it by ear. I want play it (on piano) this Christmas season at church. Very pretty. Heart-touching.

“All Is Well” is another one that makes me close my eyes in reverie to enjoy its beauty. The boy soprano is backed by The American Boychoir School.

With my very limited musical skill, his arrangements make me want to play around with restyling familiar songs. I recall some piano lessons where a theme was learned in the style of various composers. It was fun to learn about those different styles.

Earphones Paperclip Hook

I didn’t like the looks of the earphone wire/cord strewn about on my desk. I found I was winding it up after each use. Clips, twist ties, or rubber bands didn’t work well. 

I figured out this little idea for keeping my earphones tidy at the office. It is a paperclip. Bend the top part for a snug grip. Extend the bottom part and reshape it a bit. Does the job!

I’ll look for some sort of S clip, a magnetic cup hook, or some other kind of fastener at Walmart, or a hardware or farm supply store. Maybe there’s something else out there. The paperclip works well because you don’t need to attach a clip or hook somewhere else on your computer.

Daddy

Today, my father would have been 97 years old. Daddy passed from earth to heaven in April 2010.
This picture was taken in the summer of 2008.

When my daughter and I traveled to Indiana to see him two years ago, over Christmas break, four months before he completed his earthly journey, she captured this image of our hands together.

I am thankful for my strong, Christian heritage.

Black Tie Mousse Cake, Olive Garden

Our team enjoyed a meal at Olive Garden in celebration of Christmas. We were directed to order dinner portions and plan to take some home. It’s a good thing; the meal was a lot of calories just eating half of it. This is the Black Tie Mousse Cake, just in case you wondered about it. It was excellent, as was the Lasagna Clasico I enjoyed. 

Half of my meal came home with me so my husband could enjoy it for lunch tomorrow.

Christmas Is Jesus, Bryan Duncan

One of my favorite Christmas albums is Bryan Duncan’s Christmas Is Jesus. I had never heard of Bryan Duncan until I attended his promotional tour for this album, which was probably in about 1995, the date on this album. His high, clear tenor voice is so nice on this album. Each year I bring out this album, and each year I still enjoy it. It is one Christmas album that I listen to at other times during the year, not just at Christmas.

These are my favorites from the album:

“I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”

I like the back story of this song, and I very much like Duncan’s version of this, especially where he takes his tenor voice high on the line “God is not dead nor doth He sleep.” Beautifully emphatic!

“Angels We have Heard on High”

I particularly like how he starts this song, with attention-getting “Aaaaaaangels!”

“Christmas Is Jesus”

This is just a pretty song, done well by Duncan.

“Away in a Manger”

Duncan incorporates two melodies for this song . . . and a choir. Lovely.

“The Form of Man”

I like the melody and the lyrics and the meaning. “He wrapped His love in flesh and blood and He took the form of man.”