W O N D E R L A N D

I fell through the rabbit hole into the virtual wonderland of web 2.0, and as it happened I did need the push. I want to thank the web 2.0 team for their guidance and the push!

My Favorite discoveries/exercises was one of the initial 20; creating a blog. I didn't think I wanted to and didn't think I had anything to say. More then anything else I enjoyed the expressions and creativity of other Sno-Isle blogsters. Diverse and thoughtful, sometimes raw and always entertaining, such smart cookies. Thanks for sharing!

I seem to favor the more entertaining tasks of streaming music and video and appreciate the pressure drop of finally using overdrive.

Remember that expression (was it a George Carlin?) "Life is just one big continuation school"? That is how I feel about how this has affected my lifelong learning goal within and without Sno-Isle. I can approach some subjects that were vague before with a modicum of experience and I can continue to expand my knowledge with the jump start these classes have allowed me.

I have been surprized by how much I have missed when using the internet and by how often I didn't challenge myself with "what does that mean"? I often saw references to RSS, podcast, wiki, apps, etc. but I paid them no mind. I have noticed an increase in my awareness level when visiting a site. The unexpected outcome is mentioned in my first paragraph; all the talented, mysterious, curious, colorful, enchanting others along the way.

Overall I thought the presentation, layout/format, support, expectations and time allowance was tangible and generous. I began with a slight case of intimidation and apprehension and yes, I would participate in another discovery program if offered. This one I will definitely file under Jamie's school of ALRIGHT!

fun and games and games and games and Ken Jennings

I tried the five minute word games. They went longer then five minutes.
There is an insane amount of free and downloadable games for every taste and talent.
I always liked boxed games. Password was my favorite, Go to the head of the class we knew every answer to eventually, Yahtzee was King, Jane West was Queen, I wasn't crazy for the game of Life and monoply always seemed to bring the bad sport out of me.
Same kind of games out there online.
go play.

Duh!

I forgot to blog about apps.
I like the integration aspects.
I tried to create a slide show presentation but failed.
I was using clowns as my subject. I believe they influenced my mojo.
I will come back to this at some other point in time.
It is already after the fact.
But good to know about all these things on the web

Earthling

When I was small I took apart a transistor radio to see just what was inside that made Barry McGuire sing Eve of Destruction to me. It was such a cute little radio and I was never able to put it back together exactly so or figure out how all those teeny tiny little pieces worked to make sound. I have always been baffled and astounded by the world of electromagnetic spectrum and I know I could find out exactly how they work by reading (what a concept). I still think there is an element of magic and always will be to emanations of electrical waves. And so I was equally electrified by the google earth site and just kept thinking, "how do they do it"!? It is wondrous, spectactular and an amazing tool all at once, like a time machine, a magic carpet, or a transistor radio!
There on the monitor my own address that I navigated to with the joystick and yes, even google earth knows I live in the woods as all one can see as far as the eye can see is green. I am a google earthling. I am navigatable, I am verified, I am documented, I belong.
It lends itself to many uses and users and is an easy enough device with no pilot license required.

Virtually yours

Virtual faux feathers in hat (animal rights advocate),virtual size 7.5 feet (I wear size 10 and I never wear pink except in a virtual world or a Susan Komen ribbon), definitely virtual waistline, virtual strategic freckles (mine are random acts of nutmeg), virtual red hair (mine is more on the loaded with silver highlights side (or as one of my lovely and generous coworkers said "salt and red pepper"), I do wear glasses but they look better on a cartoon....oh and virtual google eyes...no other size was available. It's funny but virtual internet worlds do not interest me in the least. I don't like to "play" on the internet with the exception of a few things like the free rice game that crazed bunny blog mentioned. I like word games. Rockin' n' Ridin' blog said it best "I don't need a second life". I am trying to be as present as possible in this life. I don't want a back-up life to disappear into. Okay ,okay virtual lady we get the picture already.

I found my thing

Book reviews are the podcasts I can live with. I used the NY Times but there are a zillion others. Me happy now.

GOOG IS GOOD

So I went to google web search help center and typed in a question in the text box next to What can we help you with? Is manzanita safe for cockatiels? which lead me to a web search and the first hit answered my question completely. The site had a safe and toxic plants list for birds. So now my bird boys, Kirby and Charlie Byrd will have some very fine manzanita branches to do their bird walking and talking and whistling and singing on.