101 Things in 1001 Days: End of Year Edition

I really wish that there was some way I was going to be able to finish this whole list by next summer...but I'm not. At least I'll have things to put on the next list...

1. Take boxes of books to Half Price (Done 10/19/07)
2. Donate hair to Locks of Love (Done 1/3/08)
3. Summer Break 2008- see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5)(Done 9/1/2008)
4. Build new house (Done 10/11/2008)
5. Get mutual funds transferred (Done 4/1/08)
6. Donate $1000 to Higher Ground (Done 12/8/07)
7. Watch Season 2 of 'Digging for the Truth' (Done 7/19/2008)
8. Choose 2 kids from church's Jesse Tree @ Christmas and buy them presents (Done 12/6/08)
9. Replant plant on towel shelf (Done 6/6/08)
10. Listen to Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
(Completely Done 3/20/08)
11. Edit a Wikipedia article (Done 9/4/2008: did the Winsted, Minnesota article)
12. Type out Goodwill donation tax slip (Done 3/4/08)
13. Get eyes checked (done 8/26/2008)
14. Make a 20 item anti-procrastination list (done 7/15/08)
15. Do all 20 anti-procrastination list items within the month (done 8/15/2008)
16. Do Advent readings and wreath (Completed: 1/7/09; Advent lasts through Epiphany)
17. Over Christmas Break 2007 see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5, done 1/7/08)
18. Clean up computer document files (Done: 12/30/08)
19. Read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (done 8/19/2008)
20. Catalog 25 books on LibraryThing (done 7/14/08)
21. Walk to work 30 times (30/30: Done 9/12/2008)
22. Send my mother in law flowers just because (done 8/5/2008)
23. Read all the Josephine Tey books (Done 12/23/08)
24. Read entire Inspector Rebus series (3/18)
25. Graduate with MLIS degree (target date: May 2010)
26. Watch 101 movies in theater or at home (43/101)
27. Complete 23 More Things
28. Read 20 of 100 All Time Classics (Modern Library) that I haven't read already (4/20)
29. Visit 5 art galleries in Minnesota (3/5)
30. Watch 10 documentaries (6/10)
31. Upload all my CD's to my iTunes
32. Update FLYControl Journal (waiting for life insurance information)
33. Write 3 letters complimenting good service (2/3)
34. Write 3 letters pointing out bad service (2/3)
35. Complete a crossword puzzle book
36. Visit 10 other libraries in my system I haven't been to yet
37. Write wills
38. Have new family picture taken
39. Send Christmas Cards with family photograph
40. Design library webpage & link to system and city
41. Beat PSX2 game Galaga
42. Watch all the seasons of '24'
43. Go to a Latin Mass
44. Plant 5 trees in yard (2/5)
45. Clothing 1
46. Learn how to play Cribbage
47. Bike around the lake
48. Get important documents in fire proof box
49. Fly first class as a family
50. Go see 5 Minnesota Tourist attractions
51. Get new glasses (or contacts)
52. Host big family Christmas (Done 26 December 2010)
53. Frame tree picture
54. Watch a Cowboys/Vikings game in Dallas
55. Watch Cowboys/Vikings game in Minnesota
56. Read 5 Biographies
57. Frame black & white pictures of the ocean and hang up
58. Learn the Rosary prayers
59. Walk everyday for 30 minutes for 1 week.
60. Host a Summer Croquet tournament
61. Link library webpage to librarysites
62. Health 1
63. Health 2
64. Health 3
65. Health 4
66. Watch all Seasons of MI-5
67. Read Twilight Series (3/4)
68. Read 5 Non-fiction books (2/5)
69. Read Inspector Lynley Series
70. Pay off and close Chase Visa. (APR adjustment, indeed)
71. Draw a master landscaping plan for yard
72. Get a chair for my library
73. Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice on FreeRice (12,590/1,000,000)
74. Donate 5 trees from answer4earth (5/5) (Done 16 July 2009)
75. Up Emergency Fund to 3 months salary
76. Get rockers/outdoor furniture for front porch
77. Make a 10 item anti-procrastination list (Done 5/23/09)
78. Do all 10 anti-procrastination list items within the month
79. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2004 (0/5)
80. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2005 (0/4)
81. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2006 (3/15)
82. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2007 (1/13)
83. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2008 (0/14)
84. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2009 (3/22)
85. Get curtains hung in last 2 bedrooms
86. Get a new desk/shelving unit for home library
87. Finish Kid’s room
88. Hang up 5 pictures
89. Donate to the Food Shelf 7 times ($25 or equivalent) (1/7)
90. Do the Locks of Love one more time
91. Leave a 100% tip 3 times (2/3)
92. Donate 50 of my books to the library (without reading them 1st) (50/50) (done 15 August 2009)
93. Put a $50 bill in the second collection basket (Done 14 November 2009)
94. Read the “A Series of Unfortunate Events” series by Lemony Snicket (4/13)
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101. Finish writing this list--Again

Winter Break 2009

I just had to overhaul my blog. Sometime between 18 November and the first part of December, something went all wonky with my layout and formatting. I'm guessing the Universe was just telling me it was time to change it up a bit. So I did.

I just got done with one of the worst school terms since I started school the Fall of 2003. Seriously. Maybe it was because I took 4 graduate level classes, or maybe it was the whole distance learning thing. Either way, I was constantly doing homework. Did I have a life outside of school? Yes, but it was hard to notice. Luckily for me, I decided to do a bigger version of my normal calendar:



This setup worked really well for keeping all my assignment due dates straight. Too bad I didn't think of it until this last term, because it sure would've come in handy for other semesters. The good news is that I only have a couple more classes left.

For JTerm (or Winter IM term, or whatever the heck UW-M calls it), I'm taking 2 classes: The History of African American Literature for Children, taught by the professor from whom I took Multicultural Literature Fall 2009; and something about Current Issues: Freedom of Speech. Each are for 1 month, and are worth 1 credit each. Apparently, according to some UW-M classmates, taking 2 JTerm classes is tantamount to signing up for a month of hell. Well, considering I just finished 4 months of hell, I'm pretty sure I'll do just fine. If not, well, I can take comfort in the fact that it'll be done by 25 January.

For Spring term, I'm taking another 1 credit class, GLBTQ Literature for YA from the same professor I had for YA Lit this Fall 2009 term. I'm also taking the last of the stupid UW-M core classes, the 511 one. The one where I got transfer credit for the 711 upper division class, but not the lower one (511) which is a prereq for the higher one. I know. Don't ask. It's very aggravating. The good (?) news is that UW-M put all St Kate's expats in the same class, and the professor will come meet with us, and then design a special class just for us. Yay. My first reaction was, "Well, that's just great. Now we won't have to cover the same stuff" but now I'm thinking that easy is sometimes good too.

Yes, I know. "But didn't you just have 2 more classes to take? Why in the world are you taking 4 then?" I really wanted to take the GLBTQ lit class, and thought the History of African American lit would be interesting--so I had to throw in that other 1 credit one to make up the difference. I could have taken geneaology, but I didn't.

I'm also taking the competency test this spring. Then I can graduate in May. Finally. I'm sort of grateful to have gotten to take interesting classes this year, but I'm more frustrated that I've had to take 3 out of 4 of the UW-M core classes too.

I just have to remember that it's almost over FOR REAL this time, and soon I will be free. (Free at last, free at last. Good God Almighty, free at last...)

"I ain't finished playin' jest yet"

I love the show "Survivor". I've watched it since the first season, and never tire of watching how people interact. When I started back to college in the fall of 2003, I was drawn to the parallels between it and my academic life. Those people, every dang time, would start the game fresh, clean, full of hope, and full of energy; that's how I started each term. As the season went on, they became tired, run-down, dirtier, and cynical; that was pretty much me in the middle of the term (the house was dirtier, not me). By the end, they were just doing everything they could to make it through another day; by the end of the term, that's how I am--what's due next is the only thing that I can focus on. The season finale always coincided with the start of my finals weeks, and it seemed poetic, almost, how the journeys, trials, and travails were ending at roughly the same time. I can't explain how Survivor has sometimes been my inspiration as I've gone through a particularly rough term. It's not like I was stranded out in the middle of nowhere, having to do the gross food challenges. But sometimes, in the middle of a particularly long assignment, I do feel like I'm stranded.

This season, Russell may well be one of the best villains to ever play the game. But I like his style. And this is one of the tribal councils that I will try and remember. No matter what the odds, no matter how bad it's looking for the home team, there's always a way. And sometimes the best part is finding it within myself to stand up and say, "I ain't finished playin' jes yet."

I'd like to be done now, please

You know, I've been in school (again) since Fall Term 2003, with only a few breaks. And I'm tired. Tired of staying up late trying to finish an assignment, tired of having to make sure I get everything done, tired of sitting in front of this computer screen typing endless papers...just plain tired. At this point, though, I've come too far to stop, so onward I go.

This term is particularly bad because I'm taking 4 classes. I know, right? 4 graduate level classes. At the same time. 2 is considered 'normal', 3 a full load. And I'm taking 4. The good news is that I'll only need 2 more after this term. The bad news is I probably won't get to graduate until December 2010 anyhow, 'cause that's just how UW-M rolls.

My original goal (jokingly, I might add), was to finish my own academic career before the Kid started her PSEO classes. But, no. I'll be finishing as she's starting. In some ways, I feel bad because I've been going to school since she was in the 4th grade (she's a 10th grader now).

So, that's what I've been doing since August. And that's why I probably won't get my 101 Things in 1001 Days list even close to finished before time runs out in June. Ah, but the journey has been life-changing too, so there's that.

The End of Summer, or Our Stalwart Heroine Once Again Starts Her Last Year of LIS School

Yes, once again, it's time to put aside all the fun stuff and head on back to the salt mines. Not literally...in this case, salt mines=school. Why, yes, I was supposed to be all done with my MLIS degree by now, and probably even have that freshly printed diploma stuck in my bookshelf between some books, just like my other 2 are. Yes, I can see how you might be a tad confused as to why exactly I am not done yet, considering how joyful I was last spring when I finished what I (mistakenly) thought was my LAST. PAPER. EVER.

So, allow me to explain why in the world I am subjecting myself, my family, my friends, and everyone who reads this to yet another YEAR of this.

When I originally transferred to what was The College of St Catherine (St Kate's) after my sophomore year of college, I did so with a purpose. It wasn't because it was an all-women's Catholic college. Actually, those were strikes against them. No, it was because they had a MLIS program-the only one remotely close to me in the state of Minnesota. My thought was that if I transferred once, I wouldn't have to do it again after I'd finished my baccalaureate degree, and would be able to seamlessly go into the MLIS program.

Well, it almost went as planned.

I did, in fact, transfer to St Kate's and finished my last 2 years of undergraduate college. With mostly A's (I had 1 B+. I was 13 points-THIRTEEN POINTS-away from an A in my Statistics Math class. Let that be a lesson to ALWAYS do all extra credit offered), it was challenging enough that I earned the honors I graduated with. And, because I was done with all but one of my classes I needed for my history degree, I applied, and was accepted for early entry into the MLIS program. This meant that I could take 2 MLIS classes my last term of my undergrad senior year. So I did. Yes, I was nuts. (2 graduate classes is considered full time. Well, I was taking those 2, plus my last 2 undergrad classes, so that would make me nuts x 2).

ANYHOW. I was formally accepted into the program with a start date of Fall term 2007. I would've been completely done in December of 2008, but we were building a house during the summer of 2008, and both the builder and my dear husband thought that perhaps I should drop a class so everything could get finished. So I did. And in the end, it's what saved me. Or condemned me to this next year, whichever.

For you see, the entire time I'd been working on my MLIS, St Kate's had been trying to get accreditation from the American Library Association (ALA). And in January, 2009, the decision was made by the ALA to not grant St Kate's the needed accreditation, but instead, to keep the program in candidacy status for another go-round. (This is obviously a very brief explanation, I realize, but for our purposes, it works). If I'dve graduated in December 2008 as planned, my degree would've been fairly worthless, for all intents and purposes. But, knowing that St Kate's was going to appeal to the ALA's better nature, I registered and took that last class, the YA lit one that I blogged about Spring 2009.

When it became apparent that the ALA would not reverse its decision in time for me (and others in my same situtation) to get a 'real' MLIS degree, St Kate's worked out a deal with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for us. We could transfer, finish our program there, and graduate with an ALA accredited degree. As far as I know, 41 of us transferred over to UW-M. The problem was that UW-M wants us to have 18 resident credits from them, which is not altogether unreasonable. However, since I had finished the needed 36 credits for St Kate's, it meant I'd be losing 18 credits. Luckily, St Kate's is paying the tuition for those 18 credits that I will be re-taking (approximately 6 classes), so all I have to buy are my books and materials.

UW-M is having us take at least 2 of their core classes, which aren't exactly what I want to take, but I will. There's one other core class that UW-M wants me to take, but since I took the equivalent to it at St Kate's, I'll be appealing their request. (UW-M wants me to take their lower level cataloging class. But I already took a cataloging class, and I don't want to take another. Thing is, UW-M is giving me credit for their upper level cataloging class instead. One of the prereqs for the upper level class is the lower level class. The mind boggles.)

So, this term, I'll be taking 4 classes. Yes, I know that I'm nuts. I believe we already established that above. But I am highly motivated to get done. My kid was in the 4th grade when I went back to school. My goal was to be done before she started her PSEO (post secondary) classes in her junior year. I might just make it.

And, I want to be done because I'm tired. Worn out. I've been out out of 'give a craps' since last Winter term. Getting everything ready, I feel like I'm going off to war, which I guess isn't too far off the mark. Or, to bring in the Greek mythology, I totally get the whole Persephone myth about her having to stay in the underworld for 1/3 of the year (I'm in school for 2/3rds of the year)...or even Sisyphus and his rock-rolling. They all seem like apt metaphors right now.

It's gonna be a fun ride, right?

Here's what I'm taking:

Information Access and Retrieval (LIS 571)--This is 1 of the core classes UW-M is having us take.

Introduction to Research Methods (LIS 591)--The other core class. It's gonna be a real good time. Uh-huh.

Library Materials for Young Adults (LIS 646)--Like what I took last Winter term...but better. It's my 'for fun' class this term. Let's hope it is fun.

Multicultural Children’s Literature (LIS 691)--just what it sounds like.

The fun starts 2 September 2009.

Are you all ready for this?

101 Things in 1001 Days: August 2009 Roundup

Yep, I know. I forgot to update in July. But, trust me...there wasn't much change.

So, without further ado, I give to you the August update:

1. Take boxes of books to Half Price (Done 10/19/07)
2. Donate hair to Locks of Love (Done 1/3/08)
3. Summer Break 2008- see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5)(Done 9/1/2008)
4. Build new house (Done 10/11/2008)
5. Get mutual funds transferred (Done 4/1/08)
6. Donate $1000 to Higher Ground (Done 12/8/07)
7. Watch Season 2 of 'Digging for the Truth' (Done 7/19/2008)
8. Choose 2 kids from church's Jesse Tree @ Christmas and buy them presents (Done 12/6/08)
9. Replant plant on towel shelf (Done 6/6/08)
10. Listen to Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
(Completely Done 3/20/08)
11. Edit a Wikipedia article (Done 9/4/2008: did the Winsted, Minnesota article)
12. Type out Goodwill donation tax slip (Done 3/4/08)
13. Get eyes checked (done 8/26/2008)
14. Make a 20 item anti-procrastination list (done 7/15/08)
15. Do all 20 anti-procrastination list items within the month (done 8/15/2008)
16. Do Advent readings and wreath (Completed: 1/7/09; Advent lasts through Epiphany)
17. Over Christmas Break 2007 see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5, done 1/7/08)
18. Clean up computer document files (Done: 12/30/08)
19. Read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (done 8/19/2008)
20. Catalog 25 books on LibraryThing (done 7/14/08)
21. Walk to work 30 times (30/30: Done 9/12/2008)
22. Send my mother in law flowers just because (done 8/5/2008)
23. Read all the Josephine Tey books (Done 12/23/08)
24. Read entire Inspector Rebus series (3/18)
25. Graduate with MLIS degree (target date: not sure now...)
26. Watch 101 movies in theater or at home (42/101)
27. Complete 23 More Things
28. Read 20 of 100 All Time Classics (Modern Library) that I haven't read already (4/20)
29. Visit 5 art galleries in Minnesota (3/5)
30. Watch 10 documentaries (5/10)
31. Upload all my CD's to my iTunes
32. Update FLYControl Journal (waiting for life insurance information)
33. Write 3 letters complimenting good service (2/3)
34. Write 3 letters pointing out bad service (2/3)
35. Complete a crossword puzzle book
36. Visit 10 other libraries in my system I haven't been to yet
37. Write wills
38. Have new family picture taken
39. Send Christmas Cards with family photograph
40. Design library webpage & link to system and city
41. Beat PSX2 game Galaga
42. Watch all the seasons of '24'
43. Go to a Latin Mass
44. Plant 5 trees in yard (0/5)
45. Clothing 1
46. Learn how to play Cribbage
47. Bike around the lake
48. Get important documents in fire proof box
49. Fly first class as a family
50. Go see 5 Minnesota Tourist attractions
51. Get new glasses (or contacts)
52. Host big family Christmas
53. Frame tree picture
54. Watch a Cowboys/Vikings game in Dallas
55. Watch Cowboys/Vikings game in Minnesota
56. Read 5 Biographies
57. Frame black & white pictures of the ocean and hang up
58. Learn the Rosary prayers
59. Walk everyday for 30 minutes for 1 week.
60. Host a Summer Croquet tournament
61. Link library webpage to librarysites
62. Health 1
63. Health 2
64. Health 3
65. Health 4
66. Watch all Seasons of MI-5
67. Read Twilight Series (3/4)
68. Read 5 Non-fiction books (2/5)
69. Read Inspector Lynley Series
70. Pay off and close Chase Visa. (APR adjustment, indeed)
71. Draw a master landscaping plan for yard
72. Get a chair for my library
73. Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice on FreeRice (2580/1,000,000)
74. Donate 5 trees from answer4earth (5/5) (Done 16 July 2009)
75. Up Emergency Fund to 3 months salary
76. Get rockers/outdoor furniture for front porch
77. Make a 10 item anti-procrastination list (Done 7 July 2009)
78. Do all 10 anti-procrastination list items within the month (Done 7 August 2009)
79. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2004(0/5)
80. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2005 (0/4)
81. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2006 (2/15)
82. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2007 (1/13)
83. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2008 (0/14)
84. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2009 (1/22)
85. Get curtains hung in last 2 bedrooms
86. Get a new desk/shelving unit for home library
87. Finish Kid’s room
88. Hang up 5 pictures
89. Donate to the Food Shelf 7 times ($25 or equivalent) (0/7)
90. Adopt a family for Christmas 2009
91. Leave a 100% tip 3 times (0/3)
92. Donate 50 of my books to the library (without reading them 1st) (50/50) (done 15 August 2009)
93. Put a $50 bill in the second collection basket
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101. Finish writing this list--Again

More Things on a Stick: Thing 47 Evaluation

Yeah, I know I'm late in finishing. But it was bugging me that I'd only gotten through some of the Things, so I decided to finish up on my own. This round was so-so for me. Some of the Things had been covered in the 1st round, others I'd figured out on my own. There were some new Things, which makes it (mostly) worthwhile. I loved Thing 35: Books 2.0, like I need to find more to read... :D
I also liked bits and parts of various other Things. Twitter, or Thing 27 and Thing 31 is already something I use frequently, so it was interesting to see how other participants reacted to it. Some 'got it', some didn't, some stuck with it and loved it, which seems to be pretty par for the course with regards to any social media application.

Overall, every bit of 2.0 learning I do helps in some fashion, even if it's just something that I can pass on to a patron somewhere down the line. So, thank you to all the volunteers who research the different Things, and put this program together. Your work is much appreciated.

More Things on a Stick: Thing 46 WJMN

What did you find most useful on WJMN?
I admit, I signed up for WebJunction during the 1st round of 23 Things, but haven't used it much since. What I do like about it is that there's information for all kinds of libraries, especially rural ones. It doesn't seem as if there's much actual discussion going on, but the resources and such can be helpful.

The general WebJunction is great, but having things specific to Minnesota is also good. I like the class offerings, but since I'm already in a MLIS program, they'd just be extra work. For someone who isn't doing that, I think they'd be useful, and since it can be done at home, instead of traveling somewhere, that's a good thing.

What kind of Minnesota-specific resources would you like to see on WJMN?
Hmm. Haven't really thought about it. When I use WebJunction, I tend to look at the general site, not the Minnesota part, so I just don't know.

More Things on a Stick: Thing 45 Cloud Computing

What do you see as the advantages of joining “the cloud” by using a Web OS? Disadvantages?
Advantages:

• My bookmarks and documents can be accessed from any computer, anywhere.


• I can collaborate with people to get a project done, without being in the same location.


• If my system is down, or just freaking ssslooooowww, I can do my work from a faster/better system.

Disadvantages:

• My accessing my information is dependent on the site where I have it stored. If that site is down, for whatever reason, I probably can't get to my stuff.


• I think my information would also be more at risk, especially if the site I'm using to store it gets compromised.


• iTunes is tied to a specific system, so I couldn't store that in the cloud. I know I could use the different Internet radio sites, but I like my iTunes too.

There are other advantages/disadvantages, but those are what I came up with right off the top of my head.

Do you currently do any computing in “the cloud” (i.e. GoogleDocs, Zoho, etc)? What do you think? Has it helped your productivity?
Actually, yes, I do. This past year in school, I used things like GoogleDocs and other tools for group projects for which it was just not feasible to meet out of class. In fact, one group project involved building an entire website, and the only time we met was once a month in class. Another class, we built a Ning, completed a paper, and put together our entire presentation online. It was awesome, and was exactly what was needed to complete the assignments.
I don't know that they help my productivity in everyday life because I tend to only use them for schools. I've been migrating select bookmarks to my library Delicious account so I can access them while at work, though.

What other cloud applications are you using or planning to investigate?
When I was looking at the Mashable site (which I have really liked ever since I started using Twitter last fall), I saw the GTD NINJA: 50+ Websites For the Kickass Control Freak page, so I'm going to take a closer look at that. I'm a fan of GTD (well, a modified version, anyway), have been since I started school. I'm not sure I'dve made it through sane if I wasn't.

More Things on a Stick: Thing 44 The Economy

Find anything use in any of these sites?
Many of these sites were useful, some more than others. Most of it is common sense. We do most of our banking & bill pay online, so that's nothing new. Some of the sites are targeted more toward urban/suburban areas, and not so much rural/out-state places, so that had to be taken into account as well.

What was your favorite(s) site(s) and why?
Out of the ones listed, U of M Extension Gardening Information was one of my favorites. We're landscaping the front yard, and it's a great resource for me to figure out what the native plants are, and how to grow them. Another promising site is Mint.com, a site that lets a user see all his/her accounts in one place, although I'm not sure I'm really keen on the 'recommending savings' feature.

Did you find any new sites that you'd like to share?
Some of the sites that I use that would fit nicely into some of these categories are:

• Currentcodes.com: It has savings codes for many online retailers.


• Financial Calculators: Calculators for almost any financial need.


• Living Like No One Else: A free site that follows the precepts of Dave Ramsey.


• The Dollar Stretcher: Just a good all-around site.

What are your favorite money management/money saving/shopping tips?
Uh...subscribe to the 'ant' philosophy instead of the 'grasshopper' one?
I'm not sure I'm in any position to give advice, considering I still have some debt to pay off. :)

More Things on a Stick: Thing 43 Online TV and Video

1. Did you discover something that interested you enough to watch? What was it and how did you feel about it?
I tried Hulu because it seems the most straightforward. It wasn't a question about if I found something that interested me enough to watch...it was more "Wowie kazowie, there's a bunch of programs on here I'd like to watch."
I watched parts of a couple documentaries, and part of a movie. It seemed odd, watching them on my computer screen, while sitting at my desk, though.


2. Do you feel that having free on-demand access to TV shows and full-length feature movies will change your viewing behavior?
Not really. I've been in school the last 6 years (and have 1 more to go), so mostly I don't watch a whole bunch of TV because I have homework to do. Even during the summer, when I'm not taking classes, I mostly read for fun more. We only have 1 TV, and I don't seem to get the remote very often.

3. What do you think the impact of free Internet video entertainment will be on broadcast or cable TV?
We're already seeing the impact on broadcast or cable TV shows. Since I don't watch much TV on a regular basis, when I do, I notice the increase of product placement in the shows themselves. Maybe that's to do with impatience with commercial breaks (if the commercials are even watched at all, thanks to TiVo and the like), or maybe it's just another source of revenue for the stations. Either way, there's definitely been a sea-change over the years.
Some of my friends have looked at getting rid of their cable because most of the shows they watch are on Hulu, or can be watched elsewhere. I think that a person's home system/laptop would have to be able to stream well, otherwise it gets just too frustrating to watch anything.

4. What do you think the impact of free Internet video entertainment will have on your family?
Eh, not much of a change, I think. It'd be me who would use it most, probably, and like I said, I'm not much of a television viewer. The ability to see some of the shows that maybe I didn't have the VCR timer correctly set for is great--there've been a few times that I've missed the beginning or end of 'Survivor' (the only show I watch on a regular basis) and have gone online to watch. For that, though, I usually go to YouTube first. I'll have to see if Hulu does anything like that when the new fall season starts.

All in all-this is very cool. I can see how this really could take the place of regular broadcast/cable TV, especially for sporadic viewers such as myself.

More Things on a Stick: Thing 42 Music 2.0

Have you used any of these services previously? What do you think? Will Internet radio replace broadcast?
I had not used any of these services previously; I use my iTunes or just go to a specific radio station online and listen to it there. Any of these options would be good, but I decided to test-drive Songza because I'd not heard of it before. Even as I'm doing this post, I'm listening to the 'One-hit wonders' playlist. As for whether Internet radio will replace broadcast...who knows? Maybe, maybe not. Depends on how technically savvy the user is, I guess. There are plenty of people who don't equate 'radio' with 'Internet',and there will always be the Luddites who will wish for the "Good Old Days."

Can you recommend any radio stations that you found?
I don't listen to many online radio stations because I do have my iTunes.

Any problems with any of this--technical difficulties, finding a station difficulties?
Nope, no problems. It's always nice to have new avenues opened up, though.

More Things on a Stick: Thing 41 Mashup Your Life

Do you think these services make life easier? Are they productivity boosters?
Maybe and maybe. I think services like this can make things more streamlined. Instead of going to each individual site, all the content can get funneled to one central location, which might make it easier to keep up with everything. On the one hand, they could be considered productivity boosters because of that, but for the most part, I'm leaning toward "No."

What did you like or dislike about these services?
I liked the idea of having everything come to a central locale, but not the actual practice. It was a bit overwhelming to see the different sectors of my social media life all coming together like that. I know people who love things like FriendFeed, and others who hate it. I guess I fall into the middle of the two. Each site has something to offer, and it could be just that I'm so not ready for them. Some of it, too, stems from me not wanting to know Every. Single. Detail. of what my friends are doing. :)

More Things on a Stick: Thing 40 Mashup the Web

Which mashups did you explore? Were they useful?
I looked at Walk Score, and was pleasantly surprised that my hometown of Winsted scores a 77/100 (even if the nice people spelled Winsted wrong...). I also looked at a Walk Score for Paris, France to see what the comparison would be, considering Paris is, oh, a gazillion times bigger than Winsted. It scored a 94/100, and is a "walkers' paradise". Huh. Good to know.

I also liked the "Let Me Google That For You" link. Ah, the fun that could be had with that...but I will resist using my super librarian powers for evil. This time.

And I love love LOVE Interestingness by Flickr! I love looking at photos, especially if they're well done. *click* Favorites.

I went to the link for the Last.fm + YouTube, but it isn't working anymore.:(

Can you think of any uses for mashups at the library or at home?
There are always uses for mashups. There's probably a mashup for about everything, so, yes.

Which of the make a mashup tools did you use? How were they to use?
None...I'm good. Really.

Did you find other mashups we should know about?
It's not so much a mashup as it is a site that I like: Mashable: The Social Media Guide.

More Things on a Stick: Thing 39 Digital Storytelling

Can you see a use for this in your library? At home?
I don't scrapbook in real life--I'm happy enough that I remember to upload the pictures off the camera. I spent more time with this than I thought I would, just trying to get the highlights of the season. I can see this would be really neat in the library, maybe for StoryTime or Summer Reading. I can also see where this would be a major time suck at home. ;)

Which of the services did you use? Did it work smoothly?
I used Smilebox because it didn't have a ton of extraneous stuff on the site. Oh, and it was free, which is always good. I liked the easiness of use-one step lead to the next, and once I figured out how to get pictures uploaded, I was cooking with gas.


So, here's the finished product, and yes, she really did break her thumb at Nationals, during the semi-final game. To turn the page, look for the little arrow in the lower right hand corner (the only thing I didn't like about this layout)

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

101 Things in 1001 Days: June 2009

It's just been one of those months. Noticeable progress? Not so much. But, there's been progress nonetheless.

1. Take boxes of books to Half Price (Done 10/19/07)
2. Donate hair to Locks of Love (Done 1/3/08)
3. Summer Break 2008- see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5)(Done 9/1/2008)
4. Build new house (Done 10/11/2008)
5. Get mutual funds transferred (Done 4/1/08)
6. Donate $1000 to Higher Ground (Done 12/8/07)
7. Watch Season 2 of 'Digging for the Truth' (Done 7/19/2008)
8. Choose 2 kids from church's Jesse Tree @ Christmas and buy them presents (Done 12/6/08)
9. Replant plant on towel shelf (Done 6/6/08)
10. Listen to Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
(Completely Done 3/20/08)
11. Edit a Wikipedia article (Done 9/4/2008: did the Winsted, Minnesota article)
12. Type out Goodwill donation tax slip (Done 3/4/08)
13. Get eyes checked (done 8/26/2008)
14. Make a 20 item anti-procrastination list (done 7/15/08)
15. Do all 20 anti-procrastination list items within the month (done 8/15/2008)
16. Do Advent readings and wreath (Completed: 1/7/09; Advent lasts through Epiphany)
17. Over Christmas Break 2007 see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5, done 1/7/08)
18. Clean up computer document files (Done: 12/30/08)
19. Read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (done 8/19/2008)
20. Catalog 25 books on LibraryThing (done 7/14/08)
21. Walk to work 30 times (30/30: Done 9/12/2008)
22. Send my mother in law flowers just because (done 8/5/2008)
23. Read all the Josephine Tey books (Done 12/23/08)
24. Read entire Inspector Rebus series (1/18)
25. Graduate with MLIS degree (target date: not sure now...)
26. Watch 101 movies in theater or at home (37/101)
27. Complete 23 More Things
28. Read 20 of 100 All Time Classics (Modern Library) that I haven't read already (4/20)
29. Visit 5 art galleries in Minnesota (3/5)
30. Watch 10 documentaries (4/10)
31. Upload all my CD's to my iTunes
32. Update FLYControl Journal (waiting for life insurance information)
33. Write 3 letters complimenting good service (2/3)
34. Write 3 letters pointing out bad service (2/3)
35. Complete a crossword puzzle book
36. Visit 10 other libraries in my system I haven't been to yet
37. Write wills
38. Have new family picture taken
39. Send Christmas Cards with family photograph
40. Design library webpage & link to system and city
41. Beat PSX2 game Galaga
42. Watch all the seasons of '24'
43. Go to a Latin Mass
44. Plant trees in yard
45. Clothing 1
46. Learn how to play Cribbage
47. Bike around the lake
48. Get important documents in fire proof box
49. Fly first class as a family
50. Go see 5 Minnesota Tourist attractions
51. Get new glasses (or contacts)
52. Host big family Christmas
53. Frame tree picture
54. Watch a Cowboys/Vikings game in Dallas
55. Watch Cowboys/Vikings game in Minnesota
56. Read 5 Biographies
57. Frame black & white pictures of the ocean and hang up
58. Learn the Rosary prayers
59. Walk everyday for 30 minutes for 1 week.
60. Host a Summer Croquet tournament
61. Link library webpage to librarysites
62. Health 1
63. Health 2
64. Health 3
65. Health 4
66. Watch all Seasons of MI-5
67. Read Twilight Series (3/4)
68. Read 5 Non-fiction books
69. Read Inspector Lynley Series
70. Read Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee series (Hillerman)
71. Draw a master landscaping plan for yard
72. Get a chair for my library
73. Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice on FreeRice
74. Donate 5 trees from answer4earth (3/5)
75. Up Emergency Fund to 3 months salary
76. Get rockers/outdoor furniture for front porch
77. Make a 10 item anti-procrastination list
78. Do all 10 anti-procrastination list items within the month
79. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2004 (0/5)
80. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2005 (0/4)
81. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2006 (0/15)
82. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2007 (1/13)
83. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2008 (0/14)
84. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2009 (2/22)
85. Get curtains hung in last 2 bedrooms
86. Get a new desk/shelving unit for home library
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101. Finish writing this list--Again

More Things on a Stick: Thing 38-Screencasting

Which of the services did you explore? What made you choose the one you used?
I'll be honest...I didn't create my own screencast because I didn't want to download any of the programs to my home computer, and I can't on the library computer. But I did go through the different tutorials, FAQ's, etc. If I had to choose just one to use, I think I'd go with either Skitch or Jing just because they're fairly easy to use.

How easy was it to use? Intuitive? Too hard??

I think Skitch would be easier to use, but Jing might be more useful for a group kind of project. They're somewhere between intuitive and hard...but nothing that I can't figure out. I'm of the "What happens if I click this" style of doing things, so I'm not afraid to click on something just to see what it does. I'm not sure someone with limited computer skills would be looking to do something like this, but for someone who is comfortable in the digital world, these are excellent tools.

Can you see using this for your library? Personally??

For the library: Oh heck yes! Tutorials on how to use the catalog, fill out a library card application, finding books--the possibilities are endless.

For personal use? Eh, maybe. I can most definitely see how useful these would've been during the group projects for school. There was one that we all were working remotely, and I remember the frustration at not being able to point to my screen and say, "This is what I'm seeing...*this* is what I'm having problems with." Ah, live and learn. Live and learn.

This is definitely a most useful Thing.

More Things on a Stick: Thing 37-Photo Tales

Which of the services did you use? Did it work smoothly?
I have used a few of these tools before (Picnik, Flickr, Flickr Mosaics), so I decided to try the ones I haven't. I liked the Image Mosaic Generator, but on some level, it's kinda creepy...if zoomed in on, there's lots of rather odd images going on. I uploaded a few different pictures to see what it could do, and thought that the results were pretty cool. It reminds me of paintings by Georges Seurat (or as my kid called him, "The Dot Guy")in that the minute details are interesting in and of themselves.

Here's the original:







And here's the mosaic:














I also made this on Collagr:



Can you see a use for this in your library? At home?
Yes, there are soooo many uses for these kinds of tools for both the library and home. The trick is to not lose oneself in tweaking the finer details of the photos. Not that I'm speaking from personal experience...well, yes, actually I am. :)

More Things on a Stick: Thing 36-Comic Relief-Generate Some Fun

Which of the generators seems most useful to you?

I've actually used a couple of them before, for various school projects. The Word to .pdf converter is good, and came in very handy. I used a citation generator for a class last fall, but sadly, it's idea of correct APA and my idea of correct APA weren't completely compatible (a few minor tweaks and all was well). I've also used various button generators when taking an Internet Fundamentals class for school.

Many of these are good generators, but I can see how many hours could be whiled away using them. "Just one last tweak...or, hey wait-what happens if I [fill in the blank]?"

I haven't done anything else with the comic generating sites (I've used them, but not recently). I think they'd be kind of neat to use at the library, in say, a newsletter or something. They could be used to teach, inform, whatever. The possibilities are endless.

Other generators:
Warning Label Generator, because who *doesn't* need a good warning label sometimes?

CSS Rounded Box Generator, because trying to hand-code these for a class about drove me nuts.

More Things on a Stick: Thing 35-Books 2.0

What are you observing in your library about books and reading?

It's cyclical. That's what I see. In the summer, the adults don't read as much as they do during the winter, but kids and teens read more (for fun). It's the opposite during the school year. Our library is more of a fiction-based library, not so much a non-fiction one, so that also might contribute to the trends.

We've noticed an increase in library usage since the economy has faltered, which is a mixed blessing. The increased library usage is great, the reason for it, not so much.

Do you think these Book 2.0 tools hamper or enhance one's reading experience?

Depends. The Book 2.0 tools are really useful, but only if they're being used. I use them for various things, such as reader's advisory, or trying to figure out how series go. I'm not sure how many of our patrons use the tools on a regular basis, if at all. I know of the 3 of us that work at the library, I'm the most likely to utilize Book 2.0 tools, and most of the time, I forget about them.

As far as reading experience goes, I'd say it depends on what a patron is comfortable with. Many like the physical feel of the weight of a book in their hands. Others travel for business, and are beginning to explore e-books. Still others have a long commute, so they rely on audiobooks for their for-fun reading.

Which of the sites/tools did you visit? What are they appealing features? Any features seem unnecessary or just there "because"?

I glanced through them all. Some I already knew about but hadn't used for awhile. Some were interesting but not anything to write home about (because of their non-intuitive, non-userfriendly sites). Others I've bookmarked to go take another look at. Even if they're not something that I would use, one of our patrons might, so it's worth the time to at least be conversant with what's out there.

Do you know of other tools around books and reading we should know about? You can add them in the Comments below and blog about them.

The Literary Award Database and Wiki

Fantastic Fiction

KidsReads and TeenReads

Looking For a Mystery?"

The Reader's Robot (a readers advisory tool)

More Things on a Stick: Thing 34-Is this Our Competition? Online Answer Sites

What is the appeal of an online answer site?

The appeal of an online answer site is different for everyone. There's the anonymity factor-sometimes it's easier to ask questions about sensitive matters if the other person doesn't know who the asker is. There's also a time factor-if the person's doing a paper that's due the next day, s/he probably doesn't have the time to wait for the library to open (the procrastination is a completely different issue here :) ). There's also the collective wisdom factor-out of everyone a person knows, *someone* will know the answer, or at least where to look to find it; multiply that by all the people on the Internet at any given time, and an answer can be found.

What kind of questions did you see at the sites you looked at?

I think the better question is: What kinds of questions *didn't* I see? I went to all of the sites listed, and read through some of the questions. There were some asking opinions, & some asking for knowledge. All sorts of questions, all sorts of answers.

Are these the kinds of questions that can--or even should--be directed to a library? Why/why not?

Haven't been to my library, have you? Seems like pretty much any of the questions I saw on the answer sites are ones I could be asked. We don't have a dedicated ref desk, and we do get asked all variety of questions. That was one thing my boss really emphasized when I started working there-she told me people will tell me all sorts of things, and just to expect it. Yep. They do, almost like in a confessional. When I've trained new people, I make sure I stress that aspect of our job, and remind them that although we may know these people, so long as we're behind the desk and on the clock, we have no official opinion about anything, and that we're just the conduit for the information. It's a good, safe attitude, I think. :)

Do people use these sites because they don't know of other resources--like their library?

Maybe, maybe not. Some don't think of the library as a viable resource. Maybe they've had a bad experience with a librarian, or when they have asked a librarian, the answer was useless (it happens).

Of course, the converse is also true. People come into our library and ask us questions that could easily be answered by a fast Google search. So, just because the tool is there, doesn't mean it'll be used.

What do you think of the Slam the Boards events? Did you participate?

Everything I saw was dated 2007. Nope, I didn't participate.

Did you answer any of the questions on a site? Which site? What type of question?

Nope, didn't answer any, but I could've. With ease.

My first semester in the MLIS program, I took LIS 703-Reference. I know where to find lots of things, both in print and on the internet. I had a teacher who was more old school. I think her biggest pet peeve was Google, followed closely by Wikipedia. (I'm not saying Wikipedia is necessarily a great source, but it is a good starting point.) She was big on using PRINT sources, not so much electronic/Internet sources. It seemed a bit shortsighted to me. True, not everything is on the Internet. And even if it is, sometimes it's hard to find. I do not think that only Librarians (with or without a MLIS) are capable of finding an answer for a reference question. Somedays all I get asked is, "Where's the bathroom?", and that's OK too. I think the library world needs to learn from different models, and see what works and what doesn't. There's no need for an "us" v. "them" mentality.

More Things on a Stick: Thing 33-Travel 2.0

Would any of these sites be useful to your library?

I'm going to have to go with, "Not really." But, as a resource 'just in case', some of these were better than others. People who come into the library seem to fall into 2 broad camps: 1)not really computer-literate to begin with, and view the computers as a necessary evil. Oftentimes these people are just struggling to find a job, so I'm not thinking they have much disposable income to go traveling much. 2)People who are better off, but already go south for the winter (usually to the same spots), and like their established routine. It's not that the sites are terrible, it's just that they're more for people who are even moderately tech-savvy.

What was your favorite(s) site(s) and why?

Eh, I didn't really have a favorite out of any of them. I liked parts of some more than others. I'm more about the links..."Oooh, where does *this* go?"

Did you find any new sites that you'd like to share?

There's a couple that I like to browse:

Everything Everywhere is done by a guy (Gary) who is currently traveling around the world. He takes the *most* incredible photos! I think I first stumbled across him on Twitter, and I am a fan of his on Facebook as well.

Indie Travel Podcast is more than just podcasts; the articles and videos are also great. They are on Twitter as well.

Here are others I like, in no particular order:

Have you watched the show GlobeTrekkers? I love the exuberance of the presenters.

I just like Let's Go. It's practical and doesn't have a ton of ads, which I can appreciate.

When I studied abroad in Scotland, one of the best things I took with me was my Lonely Planet Guide. The Lonely Planet site is just as good.

My undergrad degree is in History. My concentration was Medieval England. I can't time travel back, but I can visit via sites such as English Heritage, Colchester Museums, Visit Britain (also on Twitter) and Untold London.


I like to see new places, but haven't had much travel experience outside the United States. So, until I can get to the actual places, I can do a whole bunch of armchair traveling.

101 Things in 1001 Days: May 2009 Roundup

1. Take boxes of books to Half Price (Done 10/19/07)
2. Donate hair to Locks of Love (Done 1/3/08)
3. Summer Break 2008- see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5)(Done 9/1/2008)
4. Build new house (Done 10/11/2008)
5. Get mutual funds transferred (Done 4/1/08)
6. Donate $1000 to Higher Ground (Done 12/8/07)
7. Watch Season 2 of 'Digging for the Truth' (Done 7/19/2008)
8. Choose 2 kids from church's Jesse Tree @ Christmas and buy them presents (Done 12/6/08)
9. Replant plant on towel shelf (Done 6/6/08)
10. Listen to Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
(Completely Done 3/20/08)
11. Edit a Wikipedia article (Done 9/4/2008: did the Winsted, Minnesota article)
12. Type out Goodwill donation tax slip (Done 3/4/08)
13. Get eyes checked (done 8/26/2008)
14. Make a 20 item anti-procrastination list (done 7/15/08)
15. Do all 20 anti-procrastination list items within the month (done 8/15/2008)
16. Do Advent readings and wreath (Completed: 1/7/09; Advent lasts through Epiphany)
17. Over Christmas Break 2007 see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5, done 1/7/08)
18. Clean up computer document files (Done: 12/30/08)
19. Read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (done 8/19/2008)
20. Catalog 25 books on LibraryThing (done 7/14/08)
21. Walk to work 30 times (30/30: Done 9/12/2008)
22. Send my mother in law flowers just because (done 8/5/2008)
23. Read all the Josephine Tey books (Done 12/23/08)
24. Read entire Inspector Rebus series (1/18)
25. Graduate with MLIS degree (target date: not sure now...)
26. Watch 101 movies in theater or at home (36/101)
27. Complete 23 More Things
28. Read 20 of 100 All Time Classics (Modern Library) that I haven't read already (4/20)
29. Visit 5 art galleries in Minnesota (3/5)
30. Watch 10 documentaries (4/10)
31. Upload all my CD's to my iTunes
32. Update FLYControl Journal (waiting for life insurance information)
33. Write 3 letters complimenting good service (2/3)
34. Write 3 letters pointing out bad service (2/3)
35. Complete a crossword puzzle book
36. Visit 10 other libraries in my system I haven't been to yet
37. Write wills
38. Have new family picture taken
39. Send Christmas Cards with family photograph
40. Design library webpage & link to system and city
41. Beat PSX2 game Galaga
42. Watch all the seasons of '24'
43. Go to a Latin Mass
44. Plant trees in yard
45. Clothing 1
46. Learn how to play Cribbage
47. Bike around the lake
48. Get important documents in fire proof box
49. Fly first class as a family
50. Go see 5 Minnesota Tourist attractions
51. Get new glasses (or contacts)
52. Host big family Christmas
53. Frame tree picture
54. Watch a Cowboys/Vikings game in Dallas
55. Watch Cowboys/Vikings game in Minnesota
56. Read 5 Biographies
57. Frame black & white pictures of the ocean and hang up
58. Learn the Rosary prayers
59. Walk everyday for 30 minutes for 1 week.
60. Host a Summer Croquet tournament
61. Link library webpage to librarysites
62. Health 1
63. Health 2
64. Health 3
65. Health 4
66. Watch all Seasons of MI-5
67. Read Twilight Series
68. Read 5 Non-fiction books
69. Read Inspector Lynley Series
70. Read Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee series (Hillerman)
71. Draw a master landscaping plan for yard
72. Get a chair for my library
73. Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice on FreeRice
74. Donate 5 trees from answer4earth (3/5)
75. Up Emergency Fund to 3 months salary
76. Get rockers/outdoor furniture for front porch
77. Make a 10 item anti-procrastination list (Done 5/23/09)
78. Do all 10 anti-procrastination list items within the month
79. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2004 (0/5)
80. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2005 (0/4)
81. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2006 (0/15)
82. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2007 (1/13)
83. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2008 (0/14)
84. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2009 (1/22)
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101. Finish writing this list--Again

More Things on a Stick: Thing 32- Google Maps and Mashups

View 2009 MN Chaos U16 Games in a larger map

Describe the type of mashup you created.
I created a map that shows all the locations that my daughter's summer softball team will be playing this summer. After I get the directions to the actual locations of the fields, I can add those in and then put it on the team's website.

Did you find any mashups that interested you?
Of course. The art ones, the London ones, the old map one, the one that showed where I'd end up if I dug a hole straight through the center of the earth (I'd end up at 44°57′11″S, 085°57′55″E, which is located in the southern part of the Indian Ocean, just north of Antarctica) & others.
This would've been useful when I studied abroad in Scotland, right before my senior year at St Kate's. My method of "Gee, wonder where this road/bus/alley goes" worked OK, but considering I had limited time to go see things, I probably could've planned it better. And, with the fast food mashable map, I'dve been able to find a place that had Diet Coke WITH ICE without so much hassle. That's a whole 'nother story though, and in retrospect, it all worked out in the end.

Can you see a use for mashups at your library?
Sure-these are so versatile that the possibilities are endless. We could make one showing the different branches in the system and add the hours & phone numbers right in the description-and that's just one use right off the top of my head.

More Things on a Stick: Thing 31-More Twitter Part 2

What does your Twitter page say about you? How does it reflect your personality? Have you given people enough information about you so they have some sense of who you are as a person?
What does my Twitter page say about me? I dunno. I change the background whenever the spirit moves me. I do need to change my avatar again, though.
As for giving information about myself, well, I'm not really fond of doing that. It's just one of my quirks. My bio reads: "Minnesota Librarian, MLIS grad student, mom, wife, who's daring to disturb the universe 1 day at at time (as a member of the #hashtagmafia)", which pretty much only scratches the surface of who I am and what I do. I think it's enough to start with, though. ;)

Explain how you are using Twitter and how it fits into your social networking strategy. What kind of people have you found on Twitter?
How I use it? Asked and answered in part one, counselor. As for what kind of people have I found on Twitter? Um. Well, there are all kinds, that's for sure. I follow other librarians, authors, book publishers, other MLIS students, a cat, a dog, television channels, actors, churches, news reporters, museums, Santa Claus and other people I've met along the way. I am followed by all of the above plus some bots, some people whose mommas named them names with letters AND numbers,... let's see...stores, and dunno who/what else.

At what Twitter stage would you say you're at?
Like I said in part 1 of my answer, I'm somewhere inbetween #4 & #5. I 'get' how it's cool. I also understand that Twitter is hard to explain to someone who doesn't get it. And that's OK.

What do you think Twitter is?
Twitter really is whatever you want it to be. Regardless of what some say, there aren't any rules about how to correctly use Twitter. The only rule is that you get 140 characters at a shot.
When I first started using Twitter, I had a hard time finding people to follow that didn't already have a gazillion followers. There's something to be said for interacting with others on a more personal level. That's why I don't use the autoreply/autofollow apps. It's not a numbers game with me. As for how I find people, well, sometimes I search, sometimes I look at who others are following, sometimes someone will find and follow me so I follow them back, and sometimes we meet by coincidence. But all of the people I interact with make me laugh, they make me sigh, and they give me something to think about. And I'm so glad I gave Twitter a chance.

More Things on a Stick: Thing 31-More Twitter Part 1

1. Explore some different ways to view and post to Twitter. What works best for you and why?
Normally I just post from my normal Twitter page, but I did set up (and successfully tested) a widget on my NetVibes page too. I don't use any of the other cool ways to view and post to Twitter. I'm happy with what I have--it works for me because it is simple. I've thought about test driving some of platform apps, but for now, I'm good.

2. Have you made Twitter part of your social networking plan? Why or why not? Have you integrated Twitter into any of your other socialmedia sites? What do you use it for?
Twitter is an integral part of my life. I keep it separate from my other social media sites, though. I know people who've combined Twitter and their Facebook status updates, but I don't have much overlap between the two, and I tweet too much to have it feeding into my FB update status.

I use Twitter for lots of things. Really. As I said in my Thing 27 post, "I use my Twitter account as a combination of things: communication tool, RSS feed, micro-blog (for the stuff I don't permanently want on my blog), and as a window to the whole world. The question is more "What don't I use Twitter for?"

3. Choose several of the fun things, try them out, and use at least one of them as the basis for a blog post. Include something visual in your post as an example.
Um, some of these are very odd. My Twitter profile is worth $223? Really? Why? It's not for sale. End of story, thanks for stopping by. My Twitter Grade is 95/100, and my rank is 122,920 out of 2,245,907 (is this good? bad? indifferent?)And I know the Tweetwasters thing is wrong-it says I have 640 tweets, when my actual page says I have 1791. I don't care who follows me or why; nor do I care who un-follows me and why (it's all good, either way).

4. Add your name to the Tweeter Directory and tell us more about it in your blog.
Dunno what happened when I tried, but I couldn't. Maybe that's the Universe's way of telling me I shouldn't. Or something.

5. Use one of the the alerting or scheduling tools for Twitter. How did it work for you? Can you see how this might be useful? I don't schedule my tweets, nor do I auto-follow, etc. I don't need the alerting tools-that's what Twitter Search is about. I can see how it might be useful, yes, especially in light of the Motrin Moms uproar from a few months ago, where a company might need to know what is being said about its products in real-time. But for me, nah. Not worth the hassle.

6. Read this post from The Next Web and use it as a Blog Prompt to tell us where you are in the stages of Twitter.
I'm somewhere in the mix of #4 & #5. I converse, but I also post useful information. I remember when Twitter first came out, I couldn't for the life of me figure out why anyone would care about hearing about the minutia of my everyday life. When I had to use it for LIS768 last fall, I did so only because I had to for class. I skipped right over #3 (using it to point people to my blog posts, etc).

7. Here's a long list of what other people think Twitter is. What do you think Twitter is? Include this in your blog post about this thing. Twitter is...whatever you want to make it be. Seriously. It can be about getting a class project done. It can be about finding people with similar interests. It can be about finding authors, books, publishers, readers, librarians, whomever. It can be a news feed. It's been all those and more for me. Like I've said, it's like a cocktail party where it's perfectly acceptable to eavesdrop on others' conversations, and perhaps chime in. I just use common sense and good manners. And that has opened up my world beyond measure.

More Things on a Stick: Thing 30-More Ways to Use RSS and Delicious

How have you been using your RSS reader? Do you read it regularly?

I used my RSS reader for various school projects/classes, but I don't read it on a regular basis. Mostly I forget I have one (unless I need it for classes), and that's OK. Google News is like a RSS feed lite for me, as is Twitter, both of which I use more.

How have you organized your feeds? Does that help you keep up?

When I did use my RSS reader, I organized them by class, and then by topic or keyword. It was really easy to sort through, although I really was overwhelmed at first. Yes, I know I don't have to read EVERY article/feed/etc, but there is something daunting about logging in and seeing a large number of new items.


Which features of Delicious do you use most--beyond bookmarking?

Delicious is another of those things that I used more often for classes than for recreational use. It's interesting to go back through (while cleaning up and judiciously deleting) and see what articles/sites I found for various classes & projects. They can be repurposed, so to speak simply by editing the tags-very good.
Beyond bookmarking, I use the search box by typing in key words of what I'm currently looking for-never know what's going to come up, for good or bad. I also use the "Popular" and "Recent" tabs on the home page. It's interesting to see what others are looking at, although late in the evening (when I'm more likely to be on), the things being bookmarked are mostly in Japanese (?).

Do you have recommendations or suggestions for using either of these tools? I'm not fond of the Google Reader (what I have) because I'm more visual-I don't like the stripped down version of the stories. I like to see the pretty pictures and all that. So, test-drive whatever RSS reader you're thinking about using & see what it does. Not every new item has to be read...or even looked at. It's also OK to delete the feeds you no longer need/want/must have. Really. There aren't any RSS police out there (that I know of) that will force a person to read everything.
Delicious, on the other hand, is actually useful to me. I can bookmark things that I want to look at later from anywhere, and not have the links be tied to one single place. I also set up an account for the Winsted Library, where I've parked things that may come in useful for myself and other staff members.
My best suggestion for either tool (any tool, for that matter) is to find what works best for the job at hand and use it...explore it...and most of all, don't be afraid to stop using it if needed.

More Things on a Stick: Thing 29-Google Tools

You know, Google has a whole lot of useful apps and all...but, I don't want to put all my eggs in just one Google basket so to speak. There are occasions where Google has been down, and it sure wouldn't be pretty to not be able to access everything I use.

Search:
I actually do use Google News almost everyday. I don't have a personalized page (nor do I want one, although I do know how to make one) because I like to keep my options open. I mainly use Google News as a tool to give me an idea of what's going on. Every so often I read the stories, but I actually prefer to get my news from a couple of other sites: MSNBC or the BBC.

Productivity:
I don't use GMail for my own e-mail, but I do for a site that I built for my daughter's softball team. I used Google Sites for that, and have a Google calendar embedded in it. You can see it at: Chaos Fastpitch. Although useful, Google Sites is a huge pain. Maybe it's because I have more than a beginner's knowledge of HTML (and all that), but when I want to tweak something, it borders on impossible. But, for a basic site and for someone who doesn't know much about the magic behind it, I think it would work really well.

Overall, this is a useful Thing. Google really does have many good apps and tools, and most patrons are going to be more open to trying them, I think. For me personally, I don't rely too much on Google Tools.

More Things on a Stick: Thing 28-Customized Home Pages

Which of the services did you use? Why did you choose that one?
I had already done an iGoogle one for a class I took last year, but I don't use it because I don't like it. So, I thought I'd check out NetVibes. And I did. And I don't like it either.

It came down to either NetVibes or PageFlakes. I am familiar with both of them because of yet another class I took last year. I chose NetVibes because it looked like it would be the better choice for what I'd want it to do for me, and the layout looks easy enough.

What was your experience in setting it up? Easy? Or not?
I didn't have a problem setting the NetVibes page up. Well, for the most part, anyhow. I thought I'd set it up via the wizard just to see what would get put on the page for me. Yeah, I deleted almost everything. The hardest part was the clock widget I wanted. All I wanted was a simple, no-frills analog clock. Um, apparently I was looking for the Holy Grail. o_O So, no go on the clock.

Which gadgets/widgets/flakes did you add?
Not the *@%& clock, that's for sure. I added a calendar, a to-do list, and enabled the Twitter feed widget. I had a couple of BBC news feeds under a different tab (titled 'News'. No, really, it was), as well as a couple of other feeds under a different tab...buuuut after I'd been working on something else and came back to the NetVibes page and saw that I had 400+ new items, I deleted them all. That's right. Gone. It was then that I remembered what it was that I didn't like about iGoogle either. I have a hard enough time keeping up with what I need to, let alone want to keep up with without having that kind of "AAAAAAAUUUGGGGHHHH" moment everytime I go to that page. I tried putting on a LibraryThing widget, but it took too long to load. I'm not very patient, I'll admit. But if I click on something, as fast as my home system is, then it'd better show up pronto.

And don't EVEN get me started on how everytime I moved the mouse over a box when choosing widgets a flipping TEXT box would pop up, explaining the widget. That is one thing I canNOT stand (yes, one of many, I know).

Do you have any recommendations for gadgets/widgets/flakes you find fun or useful? I'd like a clock that worked and loaded quickly. Barring that...I really don't know. Let me think on it for a bit. I may come up with something.

101 Things in 1001 Days: More added in May

1. Take boxes of books to Half Price (Done 10/19/07)
2. Donate hair to Locks of Love (Done 1/3/08)
3. Summer Break 2008- see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5)(Done 9/1/2008)
4. Build new house (Done 10/11/2008)
5. Get mutual funds transferred (Done 4/1/08)
6. Donate $1000 to Higher Ground (Done 12/8/07)
7. Watch Season 2 of 'Digging for the Truth' (Done 7/19/2008)
8. Choose 2 kids from church's Jesse Tree @ Christmas and buy them presents (Done 12/6/08)
9. Replant plant on towel shelf (Done 6/6/08)
10. Listen to Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
(Completely Done 3/20/08)
11. Edit a Wikipedia article (Done 9/4/2008: did the Winsted, Minnesota article)
12. Type out Goodwill donation tax slip (Done 3/4/08)
13. Get eyes checked (done 8/26/2008)
14. Make a 20 item anti-procrastination list (done 7/15/08)
15. Do all 20 anti-procrastination list items within the month (done 8/15/2008)
16. Do Advent readings and wreath (Completed: 1/7/09; Advent lasts through Epiphany)
17. Over Christmas Break 2007 see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5, done 1/7/08)
18. Clean up computer document files (Done: 12/30/08)
19. Read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (done 8/19/2008)
20. Catalog 25 books on LibraryThing (done 7/14/08)
21. Walk to work 30 times (30/30: Done 9/12/2008)
22. Send my mother in law flowers just because (done 8/5/2008)
23. Read all the Josephine Tey books (Done 12/23/08)
24. Read entire Inspector Rebus series (1/18)
25. Graduate with MLIS degree (target date: not sure now...)
26. Watch 101 movies in theater or at home (27/101)
27. Complete 23 More Things
28. Read 20 of 100 All Time Classics (Modern Library) that I haven't read already (4/20)
29. Visit 5 art galleries in Minnesota (3/5)
30. Watch 10 documentaries (3/10)
31. Upload all my CD's to my iTunes
32. Update FLYControl Journal (waiting for life insurance information)
33. Write 3 letters complimenting good service (2/3)
34. Write 3 letters pointing out bad service (2/3)
35. Complete a crossword puzzle book
36. Visit 10 other libraries in my system I haven't been to yet
37. Write wills
38. Have new family picture taken
39. Send Christmas Cards with family photograph
40. Design library webpage & link to system and city
41. Beat PSX2 game Galaga
42. Watch all the seasons of '24'
43. Go to a Latin Mass
44. Plant trees in yard
45. Clothing 1
46. Learn how to play Cribbage
47. Bike around the lake
48. Get important documents in fire proof box
49. Fly first class as a family
50. Go see 5 Minnesota Tourist attractions
51. Get new glasses (or contacts)
52. Host big family Christmas
53. Frame tree picture
54. Watch a Cowboys/Vikings game in Dallas
55. Watch Cowboys/Vikings game in Minnesota
56. Read 5 Biographies
57. Frame black & white pictures of the ocean and hang up
58. Learn the Rosary prayers
59. Walk everyday for 30 minutes for 1 week.
60. Host a Summer Croquet tournament
61. Link library webpage to librarysites
62. Health 1
63. Health 2
64. Health 3
65. Health 4
66. Watch all Seasons of MI-5
67. Read Twilight Series
68. Read 5 Non-fiction books
69. Read Inspector Lynley Series
70. Read Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee series (Hillerman)
71. Draw a master landscaping plan for yard
72. Get a chair for my library
73. Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice on FreeRice
74. Donate 5 trees from answer4earth
75. Up Emergency Fund to 3 months salary
76. Get rockers/outdoor furniture for front porch
77. Make a 10 item anti-procrastination list
78. Do all 10 anti-procrastination list items within the month
79. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2004(0/5)
80. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2005 (0/4)
81. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2006 (0/15)
82. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2007 (0/13)
83. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2008 (0/14)
84. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages for 2009 (1/22)
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101. Finish writing this list--Again

101 Things in 1001 Days: May 2009

I've consolidated the list somewhat and put all the things that're done at the top, & added some more things to do. Yes, I realize that there are lots to do with reading and all that. I'm waaaay behind on my reading...school will do that to a person, as professors seem to think that their assigned readings are much more important than recreational reading. At least my professors thought so.

I still have 20 spots left to fill. I'll come up with something. I always do.

1. Take boxes of books to Half Price (Done 10/19/07)
2. Donate hair to Locks of Love (Done 1/3/08)
3. Summer Break 2008- see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5)(Done 9/1/2008)
4. Build new house (Done 10/11/2008)
5. Get mutual funds transferred (Done 4/1/08)
6. Donate $1000 to Higher Ground (Done 12/8/07)
7. Watch Season 2 of 'Digging for the Truth' (Done 7/19/2008)
8. Choose 2 kids from church's Jesse Tree @ Christmas and buy them presents (Done 12/6/08)
9. Replant plant on towel shelf (Done 6/6/08)
10. Listen to Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud
(Completely Done 3/20/08)
11. Edit a Wikipedia article (Done 9/4/2008: did the Winsted, Minnesota article)
12. Type out Goodwill donation tax slip (Done 3/4/08)
13. Get eyes checked (done 8/26/2008)
14. Make a 20 item anti-procrastination list (done 7/15/08)
15. Do all 20 anti-procrastination list items within the month (done 8/15/2008)
16. Do Advent readings and wreath (Completed: 1/7/09; Advent lasts through Epiphany)
17. Over Christmas Break 2007 see 5 first run movies in theater (5/5, done 1/7/08)
18. Clean up computer document files (Done: 12/30/08)
19. Read "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (done 8/19/2008)
20. Catalog 25 books on LibraryThing (done 7/14/08)
21. Walk to work 30 times (30/30: Done 9/12/2008)
22. Send my mother in law flowers just because (done 8/5/2008)
23. Read all the Josephine Tey books (Done 12/23/08)
24. Read entire Inspector Rebus series (1/18)
25. Graduate with MLIS degree (target date: not sure now...)
26. Watch 101 movies in theater or at home (27/101)
27. Read all books on saved page a day calendar pages (through 2007)
28. Read 20 of 100 All Time Classics (Modern Library) that I haven't read already (4/20)
29. Visit 5 art galleries in Minnesota (3/5)
30. Watch 10 documentaries (3/10)
31. Upload all my CD's to my iTunes
32. Update FLYControl Journal (waiting for life insurance information)
33. Write 3 letters complimenting good service (2/3)
34. Write 3 letters pointing out bad service (2/3)
35. Complete a crossword puzzle book
36. Visit 10 other libraries in my system I haven't been to yet
37. Write wills
38. Have new family picture taken
39. Send Christmas Cards with family photograph
40. Design library webpage & link to system and city
41. Beat PSX2 game Galaga
42. Watch all the seasons of '24'
43. Go to a Latin Mass
44. Plant trees in yard
45. Clothing 1
46. Learn how to play Cribbage
47. Bike around the lake
48. Get important documents in fire proof box
49. Fly first class as a family
50. Go see 5 Minnesota Tourist attractions
51. Get new glasses (or contacts)
52. Host big family Christmas
53. Frame tree picture
54. Watch a Cowboys/Vikings game in Dallas
55. Watch Cowboys/Vikings game in Minnesota
56. Read 5 Biographies
57. Frame black & white pictures of the ocean and hang up
58. Learn the Rosary prayers
59. Walk everyday for 30 minutes for 1 week.
60. Host a Summer Croquet tournament
61. Link library webpage to librarysites
62. Health 1
63. Health 2
64. Health 3
65. Health 4
66. Watch all Seasons of MI-5
67. Read Twilight Series
68. Read 5 Non-fiction books
69. Read Inspector Lynley Series
70. Read Joe Leaphorn/Jim Chee series (Hillerman)
71. Draw a master landscaping plan for yard
72. Get a chair for my library
73. Donate 1,000,000 grains of rice on FreeRice
74. Donate 5 trees from answer4earth
75. Up Emergency Fund to 3 months salary
76. Get rockers/outdoor furniture for front porch
77. Make a 10 item anti-procrastination list
78. Do all 10 anti-procrastination list items within the month
79. Complete 23 More Things
80.
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
101. Finish writing this list--Again

LIS 722: Down to the end

I just turned in my final reflection paper. For my last class. Ever. I'm almost free again...

LIS 722: Week 14

Awwww, yeah...I can see the end from here. Nice.

Week 14: How-to Guides
Books: The Social Climber's Guide to High School by Robyn Schneider & Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life by Linda Sivertsen & Tosh Sivertsen

The best thing I can say about these books is that I'm done with them. Really. I seriously dare you to read The Social Climber's Guide to High School and come out the other side with 1) all your IQ points intact, and 2) without hurling it across the room. Can't be done, I'm telling you.

The Social Climber's Guide to High School is billed as "Tongue in Chic" on the cover. Unfortunately, it's shelved in the 646's, alongside real how-to books. It's all about how to become an "A-lister" in high school. Well, isn't that special? I think if it must be in a library, it should be over in the 828's (humor/satire)...it's much like the 1980's The Preppy Handbook. I'm more alarmed with the thought that someone might take the book seriously. A better target audience would be people who are already done with high school, and who might better recognize the humor. I know when I was picking it up at the library, my kid was carrying my pile of books, and when I tossed this on the top, she refused to carry it, "Someone might think I'm reading it." So, if you really really really just must read The Social Climber's Guide to High School, knock yourself out. Just don't say I didn't warn you.

As for Generation Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Living an Eco-Friendly Life, I was hoping for more of a practical how-to guide than this was; it wasn't really a beginner guide, but more of a 'here's how to take it further'. It was kind of depressing, actually...kind of, "Dude, we're all so screwed anyway, but here's some things you should be doing anyway." We have to start somewhere, doing something, this is true. There's a Generation Green companion website, but it pretty much rehashes the book from what I can tell.

I'm just not convinced these are good "How-to" books, unless they're more of a "how-to-make-your-head-asplode-while-reading" how-to books, in which case, Mission Accomplished.

LIS 722: Week 13

Week 13: Contemporary Realistic Fiction
Books: A Step from Heaven by An Na & Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

These were two of the better books this term, I have to say. The topics covered were definitely not happy ones, but I appreciated the way each of the books unflinchingly presented them.

A Step from Heaven is about a Korean girl (Young Ju Park) and her family, and their immigration to the United States when she was a young girl, and subsequent struggle to make a go of it in their new world. Well, it's about more than that, yes, but that's the starting point.

While still in Korea, Young Ju thought that the United States was like Heaven, but was told it was more like a "Step from Heaven", hence the title. Young Ju is the narrator of this story, and while An Na's writing is deliberately spare, what is said gives the reader a good sense of the difficulties experienced by the Park family.

The family struggles to maintain a delicate balance between holding on to their Korean culture and attempting to assimilate into their new culture. Young Ju's father, unable to cope, descends into alcoholism, and becomes increasingly violent towards his wife. Young Ju has figured out that doing well in school will help her get to college and out of reach of her father. Ashamed and afraid, she hides her home and family from even her closest friends, preferring to keep the different parts of her life separate. The book ends with Young Ju calling the police to report her father as he's severely beating her mother; he gets arrested, and the mother is angry at Young Ju. The father returns to Korea, but Young Ju, her mother, and her brother stay in the United States. The reader is left with a sense that the remaining family members will be OK, and will eventually piece their lives back together.

I think these issues transcend culture and place. There are many families who present an "all is well" front to the rest of the world, while hiding alcoholism and domestic violence behind closed doors. Also, the book uses Korean words from the very beginning, but doesn't have a glossary or any explanations of what the words mean. In some ways, it was frustrating...much like what Young Ju experiences when she encounters English. Gradually, it sorts itself out for both the reader and Young Ju, leaving the reader with a sense of understanding.


Dreamland is a story about a girl (Caitlin) whose sister, Cass, basically walks away from their family on Caitlin's birthday...and the resulting family trauma, which ends in Caitlin being abused by her boyfriend. That's the long story shortened.

When Cass leaves (telling her family via a note), the remaining family goes into a tailspin. Well, the mom, anyhow. She's a real piece of work...my guess is that much of her own identity was somehow linked with Cass's, and how Cass did reflected on the mom as well. Caitlin, unaccustomed to being the focus of attention, reacts by trying to do something that Cass (the perfect daughter) hadn't--she tries out for and makes the cheerleading squad. (Of course her mom is ecstatic, but is still missing Cass)

As a cheerleader, Caitlin (of course) starts going to parties and hanging out with a different crowd. It's at one of these parties that she hooks up with Rogerson Biscoe, who is a Bad Boy (of course he is, and of course she does). He deals drugs on the side, and on the night she meets him, she goes along for some of his deliveries.

Her life begins to take a downward turn; she starts taking drugs herself, and skipping classes & cheerleading practices, while lying to her parents about where she is and what she's doing (or not doing, as the case may be). It gets worse one night when she doesn't meet Rogerson as planned, and he ends up hitting her in the face. The violence escalates, and soon Caitlin is withdrawing from her friends, family, and normal life, while starting to wear long sleeves (even though the weather is warmer) and increasing her drug use. Caitlin rationalizes his behavior by saying that she loves him, and he loves her. In the end, her mother witnesses Rogerson beating on Caitlin and calls the Police...Caitlin goes to rehab, and when she comes home, the reader is left hopeful that all will be well in Caitlin's world.

The book is one that may or may not make sense to the teens who read it. They may think, "Well, for God's sake, Caitlin should've known better, and should have left him the very first time he hit her." Well, 'should have' is really easy to say when you aren't the one in the position, I think. I know. I was, when I was in my early 20's. This could've been my story, except I didn't take the drugs, and I didn't live at home. Before it happened, I totally subscribed to the "If a guy hits me, I'm gone" school of thought. While it was happening, I remember being very confused and not quite understanding what in the heck was going on. Luckily for me, I didn't end up dead...but it was literally 2 seconds away one night, when he was hopped up on who-knows-what. That was 20 years ago this year, and sometimes I still wonder if I'll ever be fully healed from it all. It all comes down to this: in the book, Caitlin's family and friends say they should've seen the signs, should've intervened sooner, should've done something to save her; in truth, she had to want to be helped, saved, whatever. The end is hopeful, yes, but it's only the beginning of a really long haul back to herself.