Photos on the web

This is Mike - finally sailing his beloved sailboat Leah with her brand new main mast. It's taken a full year to get a new sitka spruce mast built (on Cape Cod) and finally installed here in Annapolis. We had a good sail on this day in early June. The best thing was to see Mike's face looking relaxed and happy - back on the water again.

23 things wise, I registered with flickr, and posted this picture there, but haven't figured out how to connect the two. I guess you should go to flickr to see the photo.

I'll just say that registering with flickr, and uploading photos there was nice n easy! yay!

Technology: theory and reality

June 5th I had the good fortune to attend the SMRLA Tech Showcase. It was a lovely drive down from Annapolis in the sun, and the Charlotte Hall Library was easy to find. Great view out the windows, old willows waving in the breeze, and blue sky and sunshine all around. Luckily the view was somewhat muted by the solar curtains, so it seemed more like a movie background. Gale Zasada gave her fascinating talk about Libraries in Second Life. (Tempting there for a few minutes). Watched a couple of cool videos

Shift Happens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljbI-363A2Q and

Web 2.0 The machine is Us/ing us.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmP4nk0EOE

Don't know if these links will work for you. But they were pretty cool and thought provoking.

Also got excited about thumb drives with U3 technology. Thought they might be just the ticket for us at our library branch. We share computers, so don't always have access to our own stuff on a computer. I thought that this U3 thumb drive would give us the access to all our own favorites and stored files in a portable device. So, I bought one. Now, I've played around with it a little bit, but really DONT know what I am doing. That's the reality of technology in my first life!

As a lifelong learner? I need to be showed things and taught things. I don't seem to learn things on my own. (quite the disappointment). Well, it's true with technology, anyway. I seem to be able to learn new knitting stitches on my own while looking at instructions.

So, if someone would figure out this U3 thumbdrive for me, I still think it might help us out here. Then the challenge would be to share what I've learned and apply it daily.

Because the bottom line from Shift Happens seems to me to be how quickly the technology continues to change. It's all good-
until somebody pulls the plug.

Keep cool!

The pitiful beginning

Ok. So I have been thinking about this blog entry for at least a week. Finally I decide to just type something - isn't that always the way? Think think think - then just launch in and DO. Whatever will happen will happen. Que sera sera, and all that.

The 23 things - thing. I'm off to a slow start. Is anybody else?

So many other tasks at hand - weeding the library collection, preparing schedules, writing evaluations - these are important things that have deadlines. Trying to fit in the 23 things has been a challenge. First off, I need some quiet around me - it's often distracting in my work area. (Which is ok - quality chatting with co-workers is part of what makes the job so enjoyable) Secondly - I need a chunk of time, to proceed slowly through some of this new technology. Thirdly - particularly in case of the blog issue - what could I possibly write here that anyone would want to read!!
The solution? Items 1 and 2 fell (more or less) into place this morning, and the third- well Joanne this is for you!
I do read a few blogs regularly - mostly knitting blogs, particularly masondixonknitting.com, and am always amused by Kay and Ann's postings. I like their set-up - that they are writing to each other mostly and it's open to the rest of us. There seems to be a purpose there, and not just musings. (Which is what this seems to be deteriorating into).
So. Let's keep it brief, and start agonizing over what to say next time. In the meantime, will take a look at other 23-things blogs and try to keep treading water. Happy Summer!