Week 4, Thing 8: Make Life Really Simple with RSS and a News Reader

Thoughts on RSS...

You know, if I really wanted to be that informed about everything known to man that interests me, I would love RSS. However, I can't imagine wanting to look at the things I've subscribed to on a daily basis. I do love the fact that I can actually subscribe to the Fargo Forum. But really, I think at this time I'd still be more apt to just log into their website and read it that way as opposed to logging into bloglines and being distracted with all the other feeds that might catch my eye. As if there aren't enough chickens on the internet!

To be honest, I was a little frustrated with the subscription process. I got a lot of error messages that indicated there was a problem with the site and that I would have to try again later. And then when I tried again later, it said that I was already subscribed to the selections that I previously was not due to the problem with the site. This problem was not limited to myself. As I was helping a co-worker, she got the same error message. I guess I'm not special when it comes to technology hiccuping!

I think that if I continue with my bloglines account, I'll be adjusting my feeds. 10 sites (or 13 in my case as I was having a linear learning issue) is too many for me. And some of the sites which I thought might interest me I have since found to not be as interesting as their description led me to believe.

Ah well. I've learned a lot with this exercise. And at least I can say that I have #8 down and only 15 to go!

Learning more about those mash-up things...

So, here are some photos of the sweet little kitty. (Yes, at 3am when you're trying to use the people litter box, other descriptive words come to mind as she gets under your feet!) She was really good about posing for some candid shots. (And if you believe that, I have some other whoppers to tell ya!)


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Sharess

This is the little bugger that decided that she now lives with us. And as of yesterday, she has a name: Sharess.

After living in our neighborhood and frequently our back yard for a month, she decided that she lives with us after we returned from our last camping trip. We took her to the vet and she tested negative for FIV and Feline Leukemia but tested positive for kittens.

Best guess is that out little demon will be delivering her spawnlings sometime at the end of August. She is a very wonderful, sweet kitty who craves human interaction and has a fondness for catnip. Unfortunately, the kittens will have to grow up with a dead beat dad who got their mother knocked up and then buggered off.

Sharess has an extremely cute habit of trying to kill you as you walk down the stairs. Perhaps she thinks she is on our life insurance policy and therefore will collect big-time if we're out of the picture. I don't think she's thought this all the way through, as she is not considering where she will be getting her next meal if she manages to kill her people by having them break their necks falling down the stairs.

Week 3, Thing 7: Create a Blog Post About Anything Technology-Related

Thoughts on a digital camera....

You know, I was given a digital camera by my aunt (she got a newer better one) and I've used it on occasion. But I REALLY hate reading user manuals. I just want to be able to use the bloody thing. So, I know there are a lot of nifty features on the camera that I don't know how to use. And maybe someday I'll actually bite the bullet and read the manual. But really, I'm the kind of person that just wants someone who knows what they are doing (or has read the manual) to show me what to do.

My other problem is that I take pictures and never seem to get them off the camera. I know how to do it (or at least I think I remember) but I never seem to get around to doing it. So, I have photos from last Halloween still on the memory cards (it's a good thing I have several).

However, now that I have a Flickr account, I might see if I can change my photo-taking ways. Course, I'm going to have to really work on finding out how to do all the nifty things that Flickr can do... I might just have to ask my Friendly Neighborhood Librarian to show me how!

Week 3, Thing 6: Flickr Mash-ups & Third Party Sites

I think that Mappr would intrigue me if I could get it to work. I've tried putting in tags and I do get results. However, when I want to look at the results, it sits as "Loading 0%" and never actually loads. So unless I just want to look at tiny thumbnails of photos, this really doesn't impress me. So much for that exploration!

The Flickr Color Pickr was interesting... if you are desperate to find a photo in green or purple. But usually, I'm looking for a photo of a chicken... or a cat... and am not concerned as much about the color.

I'm not sure what the function of Montagr is. It tells me there are a bunch of photos under the tag of "North Dakota" but it won't load images. Or it will only load one image... and I was under the impression there would be a photo mosaic... Perhaps I just don't know what I'm doing. Isn't learning fun when the blind lead themselves?

I think the bottom line is that any of these things might intrigue me, if I could get them to function.

Week 3, Thing 5: Explore Flickr

Bird of Prey - oops, I mean Chicken.....
Originally uploaded by zoogrammy

So... here we go. I have found one of the culprits! With that many chickens running amuck on the internet, it's no wonder I get distracted! I really like this chicken.... nice feet!

Yep... that's 5 down. 18 to go. =)

Week 2, Thing 4: Register Your Blog and Track Your Progress

So, I filled out the "Blog Registration - 23 Things - Third 100 Participants" form online on Friday, July 13th. Don't know if anyone got that or not. I did, after all, send it in on Friday the 13th. We'll see!

Very happy that someone else in the office remembered the email that was sent saying that we didn't have to do the paper "23 things tracking log." I kinda felt it was redundant since we have to blog about everything that we have done. I didn't remember the email so I dutifully followed the instructions, printed out the form and started filling it in. I'm the kind of person that definitely needs to have everything in one place. There are way too many chickens for me to remember an email that came out when I was out of the office. (Tho I think it's one of the ones that I printed out with the intention of remembering what it said.) Ah well. So here's my public thank you to the Token Boy Librarian.

4 done... 19 more to go...

Week 2, Thing 3: Set up your own blog & add your first post

Well... I did that... do I really need to blog something under this title in order for someone to know that I accomplished Thing 3? I guess I better cover my bases. See look! Thing 3! Done! =) 20 more to go!

Week 1, Thing 2: Pointers from Lifelong Learners

Let's see.... easiest... I would have to go with #7 1/2. Playing is not something that will be a problem for me. I like to play. I like to think of work as play. Cuz thinking of work as work would suck. Maybe some day when I grow up I'll think of work as work... but since I'm not planning on growing up anytime soon (Thank you Peter Pan) I don't think I'll have a problem with that.

Hardest... Hmmm... I don't really see any of the 7 1/2 habits as hard. But I guess if I have to pick one I'll go with #3. Sometimes, depending on mood, I view problems as just problems. And sometimes those problems can become self-defeating. But there are times when you really need to just accept problems and nothing more than problems, especially if you are up to your neck in problems. Otherwise, you would be over-challenged. And at that time, I think it's either accept problems for what they are, or give up. =)

So, there... now I've done the blogging about thing 2. That leaves 21 things left about which to blog.

Week 1, Thing 1: About This Program

"Did you hear me say play?" (as per the podcast) Actually, no I didn't... there was an intercom page for someone to come to the workroom when that was said. I'm finding it difficult to focus on this while it's busy at the branch. "...adapted this program so that all of Maryland libraries can use it." Yeah.. if the bandwidth can hold together! =) I really don't know what else to say about the introduction. Yay! listened to and read the introduction (twice) and Yay! One thing done, 22 more to go!

What does it mean "to chicken"

So, I feel like I might have to explain something here about why I named my blog the way I did... and what it means "to chicken." Well, once upon a time my mommy told me this little story. See, she had gone to the doctor and her doctor told her that she had ADD. She didn't agree with his assessment and so she thought she would go and get a... OH LOOK!!! A CHICKEN!

You know you do it. You have something in your hand. You are going to bring it to someone. And then someone else asks you a question. You set the thing in your hand down and walk away to help them. After you are done, you remember that you were going to go do something, but can't for the life of you remember what it was. So, you go off and do something else. Meanwhile, the person what was waiting for the item you used to have in your hand is wondering what the heck is taking you so long. And later they ask you about the item. AH HA! A CHICKEN!!!

So that's what "to chicken" means... Feel better now?

First post

OK... so, hopefully I will be able to stay on track with this and not have too many chickens running amuck to cause me to crash and burn. I've already discovered that I'm going to have to re-do thing 2 so that I can "Use one of your test posts to create an entry about the habits among the 7 and 1/2 lifelong learning habits that is easiest and hardest for you & why." I listened to that one so long ago and was silly and didn't take notes that now I can't remember.

Dang Chickens...