I’ve always known that Facebook is bad for you. Now I have proof, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110523091541.htm

;-P

You can send SMS (TXT Messages) for free to most Phone carriers by sending an email to their Email to SMS gateway.

A list of carriers email to SMS gateways is here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_SMS_gateways

I wrote a class based on this a while ago but never got around to finishing it:

< ?php
/**
 * Send SMS via Email to SMS gateways
 *
 * Please note that the list of carreirs is UTF-8 encoded. ie: Mexico != México
 *
 * @author gabe@fijiwebdesign.com
 * @link http://www.fijiwebdesign.com/
 */
class email2sms {
	/**
	 * A list of the major Phone carriers and their Email 2 SMS gateway syntax
	 * Compiled from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_carriers_providing_SMS_transit
	 */
	protected static $carriers = array(
		array("Airtel", "Andhra Pradesh, India", "#@airtelap.com"),
		array("Airtel", "Karnataka, India", "#@airtelkkk.com"),
		array("Alaska Communications Systems", "USA", "#@msg.acsalaska.net"),
		array("Alltel Wireless Verizon Wireless", "USA", "#@text.wireless.alltel.com,#@mms.alltel.net"),
		array("aql", "UK", "#@text.aql.com"),
		array("AT&T Wireless", "USA", "#@txt.att.net,#@mms.att.net"),
		array("AT&T", "USA", "#@mmode.com"),
		array("AT&T Mobility", "USA", "#@mms.att.net,#@txt.att.net,#@cingularme.com"),
		array("AT&T", "USA", "#@page.att.net"),
		array("Bell", "Canada", "#@txt.bell.ca,#@txt.bellmobility.ca"),
		array("Boost Mobile", "USA", "#@boostmobile.com"),
		array("Bouygues Télécom (company)", "France", "#@mms.bouyguestelecom.fr"),
		array("[[Loop_Mobile_India|Loop] (BPL Mobile)", "Mumbai, India", "#@bplmobile.com"),
		array("Cellular One", "USA", "#@mobile.celloneusa.com"),
		array("Cingular", "USA", "#@cingular.com"),
		array("Centennial Wireless", "United States, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands", "#@cwemail.com"),
		array("Cincinnati Bell", "Cincinnati, Ohio, USA", "#@gocbw.com,#@mms.gocbw.com"),
		array("Claro", "Brasil", "#@clarotorpedo.com.br"),
		array("Claro", "Nicaragua", "#@ideasclaro-ca.com"),
		array("Comcel", "Colombia", "#@comcel.com.co"),
		array("Cricket", "", "#@mms.mycricket.com,#@sms.mycricket.com"),
		array("CTI Móvil Claro", "Argentina", "#@sms.ctimovil.com.ar"),
		array("Emtel", "Mauritius", "#@emtelworld.net"),
		array("Fido", "Canada", "#@fido.ca"),
		array("General Communications Inc.", "Alaska", "#@msg.gci.net"),
		array("Globalstar satellite", "", "#@msg.globalstarusa.com"),
		array("Helio", "", "#@myhelio.com"),
		array("Iridium", "", "#@msg.iridium.com"),
		array("i-wireless (Sprint PCS)", "", "#@iwirelesshometext.com"),
		array("Mero Mobile", "Nepal", "#@sms.spicenepal.com"),
		array("MetroPCS", "", "#@mymetropcs.com"),
		array("Movicom", "", "#@movimensaje.com.ar"),
		array("Mobitel", "Sri Lanka", "#@sms.mobitel.lk"),
		array("Movistar", "Colombia", "#@movistar.com.co"),
		array("MTN", "South Africa", "#@sms.co.za"),
		array("MTS Mobility", "Canada", "#@text.mtsmobility.com"),
		array("Nextel", "United States", "#@messaging.nextel.com"),
		array("Nextel", "México", "#@msgnextel.com.mx"),
		array("Nextel", "Argentina", "#@nextel.net.ar"),
		array("Orange Polska", "Poland", "#@orange.pl"),
		array("Personal", "Argentina", "#@alertas.personal.com.ar"),
		array("Plus", "Poland", "#@text.plusgsm.pl"),
		array("PC Telecom", "Canada", "#@mobiletxt.ca"),
		array("Qwest Wireless", "USA", "#@qwestmp.com"),
		array("Rogers Wireless", "Canada", "#@pcs.rogers.com"),
		array("SaskTel", "Canada", "#@sms.sasktel.com"),
		array("Setar", "Aruba", "#@mas.aw"),
		array("Sprint (PCS)", "USA", "#@messaging.sprintpcs.com,#@pm.sprint.com"),
		array("Sprint (Nextel)", "USA", "#@page.nextel.com,#@messaging.nextel.com"),
		array("Suncom", "", "#@tms.suncom.com"),
		array("Sunrise Communications", "Switzerland", "#@gsm.sunrise.ch"),
		array("Syringa Wireless", "USA", "#@rinasms.com"),
		array("T-Mobile", "USA", "#@tmomail.net"),
		array("T-Mobile", "Austria", "#@sms.t-mobile.at"),
		array("T-Mobile", "Croatia", "#@sms.t-mobile.hr"),
		array("Telus Mobility", "Canada", "#@msg.telus.com"),
		array("Tigo", "Colombia", "#@sms.tigo.com.co"),
		array("Tracfone", "", "#@mmst5.tracfone.com,#@txt.att.net,#@tmomail.net,#@vtext.com,#@email.uscc.net,#@message.alltel.com"),
		array("Unicel", "USA", "#@utext.com"),
		array("US Cellular", "USA", "#@email.uscc.net,#@mms.uscc.net"),
		array("Verizon", "USA", "#@vtext.com,#@vzwpix.com"),
		array("Viaero", "USA", "#@viaerosms.com,#@mmsviaero.com"),
		array("Vivo", "Brasil", "#@torpedoemail.com.br"),
		array("Virgin Mobile", "Canada", "#@vmobile.ca"),
		array("Virgin Mobile", "USA", "#@bills.com,#@vmobl.com,#@vmpix.com"),
		array("Vodacom", "South Africa", "#@voda.co.za")
	);

	/**
	 * Send an SMS to a Phone Number
	 * @return Bool
	 * @param $msg String SMS/TXT message
	 * @param $to Int Receivers Phone number
	 * @param $from String From Email address or phone number
	 * @param $carrier String Carrier Name (index of self::$carriers)
	 *
	 * @todo 	at the moment we only send to the first listed email
	 * 			In the future it would be good to check the existence of mailbox at each domain
	 *
	 *
	 */
	public function send($msg, $to, $carrier, $from) {
		$carriers = self::$carriers;
		if (!isset($carriers[$carrier])) {
			throw new Exception('The requested carrier was not found');
			return false;
		}
		$addresses = explode(',', $carriers[$carrier][2]);
		$address = str_replace('#', $to, $addresses[0]);
		if (!mail($address, $msg, $msg, "from:$from\n")) {
			throw new Exception('The Email could not be sent to SMS gateway');
			return false;
		}
		return true;
	}

	/**
	 * Return a Carrier by phone number
	 * @return Array
	 * @param $name String
	 */
	public function getCarrierByNumber($number) {
		// todo
		// here we would query MTA at each domain for mailbox existence
	}

	/**
	 * Return a Carrier by name
	 * @return Array
	 * @param $name String
	 */
	public function getCarrierByName($name) {
		return isset(self::$carriers[$name]) ? self::$carriers[$name] : null;
	}

	/**
	 * Retrieve a list of Carriers by region
	 * @return Array
	 * @param $region String[optional] Return only gateways in this region. eg: "USA" or "India"
	 */
	public function getCarriersByRegion($region = false) {
		$carriers = self::$carriers;
		if ($region) {
			$_carriers = array();
			$region = strtolower($region);
			foreach($carriers as $carrier) {
				if (in_array($region, explode(', ', strtolower($carrier[1])))) {
					$_carriers[] = $carrier;
				}
			}
			return $_carriers;
		}
		return $carriers;
	}

	/**
	 * Retrieve the regions in carrier list
	 * @return Array
	 */
	public function getRegions() {
		$regions = array();
		foreach(self::$carriers as $carrier) {
			$regions[$carrier->region] = 1;
		}
		return array_keys($regions);
	}

}

?>

Dear God,

I’m Sorry.

Be nice.

To Mommy and Daddy.

Amen.

Today we had a real surprise. I come into the computer room, and find legible drawings on two pieces of old A4 paper lying on the floor.

Joana has always liked to draw and paint. She just finished her Mom’s set of watercolor paints a week ago, and now has turned to a new set of crayons and colored pencils we got her a few days ago. However, all her drawings are just scribbles, or blotches of paint. She’s been getting better at filling all the white spaces on the paper with paint, but that was about it.

So, I’m staring at the two pieces of paper wondering who could have drawn the figures on them. Not a 2 year old that was drawing scribbles the day before.

I pick the two pieces of paper up, still puzzled and amused, and take it over to my brother Ben who is in high school. “Did you do this?”. His reply, “Mmmmm no…”. I take it over to Joana’s Nau (Grandma), “No”, same answer. Joana’s Mommy? “Nope…”. Now were all staring at the drawings…

Joana picks up a crayon, starts making lil’ spirals, all the while chuckling at the cartoon she’s watching. I ask, “Joana, whats that?”.

“Car…”

I’m back in Vuda. I just decided I couldn’t stay in Suva for another two days and came to the West early.

Today we just lounged under the coconut trees, while Joana explored the yard and did a bit of ‘vatatalo’ for the first time. Then in the evening we went down to the beach and Joana and I went for a swim.

It was a very fun day.

I brought my work PC over with me so I could so some work while here. Joana poured a cup of water over it. I have it drying out and I hope it is ok when I check it tomorrow morning.

Been really bad weather here the last two days. I’ve been trying to get to Lautoka but the flooding along the roads has prevented that.

I’ve been following the weather from Nadraki.com and it looks like we’ll have a few more days of this.

Since recovering from my mystery illness - which the doctor named “a virus that is going around” (I had thought it was dengue) - I haven’t had the energy to do any long term coding. Just lil bits of work here and there, and the rest of the time has been occupied with watching DVD rips I’ve gotten off various torrents. Among the movies have been Australia, Gran Torino, Seven Pounds, Slumdog Millionaire, Bedtime Stories and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”.

Among all of those movies the best has to be Slumdog Millionaire, or maybe, Australia. Those two are really good movies.

The rest of my time has been spent sleeping, or sitting down on the porch, watching the rain, and there is lots of that to watch.

I remember when I was a kid I’d have thousands of questions to ask my Dad each day. I can’t remember exactly what the questions were, but I know I had a couple thousand of them.

Now Joana is at the age where shes just starting to talk and has found out how to question. She has only one question for me every day, and repeats it a thousand times throughout the day.

Who’s this?

The question asks, “What’s this?”, “Who’s this?” and “Why is this?” all at the same time. It also comes out as a single word, “Whosis?”. A very efficient question.

I only wish I could devise such efficient questions and hopefully get just as efficient answers.

With each question, or each instance of “the question”, it would be followed by a point of the finger, a twinkle in the eye, and a face full of inquiry. At that moment, I knew the question was the most important thing in the world.

Amazingly each new instance of the question is just as exciting and just as important.

The best part is when I answer the question. In deep reflection and thought, the world stands still and disappears around her.

For me, it is another 5 minutes of work before the next question, hopefully a different one this time, but as long as “the question” is different for her, it’s fine with me.

A second post :D.. Maybe I should get my old blog back up lol..

Spent the day grocery shopping with Joana and Gabe… the price of food everything is ridiculous… makes my head hurt thinking about what Joana will have to deal with when she gets older… :sigh: I hope the future is brighter..

She is.. amazing.. lol.. I never tire of saying that.. she’s forming her own sentences and opinions about things.. but of course that goes hand in hand with tantrums.. I’m so glad I got her attached to a security blanket (I have 3 of the same kind and I rotate between them) and that has been a huge help.. whenever I sense a huge tantrum coming on.. I give it to her and she calms right down.. you can’t snuggle your blankie, suck your thumb and have a tantrum at the same time lol… if we’re at home I prefer to let her have a good old yell..

So it’s Friday night and I’m at home… hmmm… bored.. hence the post.. Gabe’s been having really bad sinus problems.. the weather on this part of the country isn’t healthy for him.. too much humidity in the air… so I’m going to invest in some hypo-allergenic bedding… of course there is no way in hell I’ll be able to get anything of the sort here in Fiji so I’m getting a relative to get them for me at Targets lol… that’s one thing I miss about being overseas.. it’s so easy to get things like that.. there’s a wider range, better quality at a lower price… Fiji is expensive but it has the things which matter the most to us.. our family.. hehe.. and good ol’ fijian hospitality..

speaking of Fijian hospitality… while Joana was in the trolley at the supermarket.. this huge guy came up and  stood behind us and was talking to her.. Fijians are known to do that.. and as a Fijian I’m supposed to be happy that someone is taking time out to be friendly to my child.. but for some reason I felt like telling him to leave her alone and get lost.. maybe it’s because he was such a huge guy and was towering over her.. i don’t know… i think the norm now is that it’s ok for you to say hi and wave and what not but I don’t think it’s ok at all for someone to touch your child.. he patted her head and she didn’t like it at all and wanted to be carried out of the trolley… maybe I’ve been stuck in my own world for so long I’m losing touch with that Fijian hospitality I’m supposed to have lmao.. something to ponder on Fiji Day.. or Fiji night lol..

well that’s enough from me.. another post when I’m bored.. which should be soon lol..

Vara

Was most disturbed to see a mugging done in broad day-light.. outside the FIT hostel gates… this man was being assaulted by two fijian youths dressed in dark clothing.. huge jackets and one with a beanie to hide his face I’m sure.. Joana, her Nau and I were on our way to town on the bus to run some errands. The bus must have startled them because they both ran off and I saw one of them with a knife… this isn’t the Fiji I know… it’s a show of desperate times.. I don’t feel so safe walking home alone anymore.. this was done just down the street from where we live.

Am guest blogging on here and will be popping in now and then to ramble.. while I have my own site that has been neglected for almost a year.. this seems easier to do.. lol..

Well that’s it from me tonight… I have a long night of wow ahead of me.. wewt wewt

Bula Vina’a,

Welcome to my new blog. I’ve decided to start blogging again, and host my own personal blog. A chance for me to get into wordpress also.

Well, be sure to leave a comment.

Moce to’a.