The last gasp

The last exercises, listening to podcasts etc, were one of the most difficult for me, largely because the ones I chose to begin with weren't working and I didn't realise and thought I was doing something wrong or had to download something extra.

It was only when I started trying to listen to things chosen at random that I realised that some worked and some didn't. It may have something to do with blocks on the PCs at the workplace. (No, I hadn't been visiting pornographic sites). Anyway, I finally got to listen to some interesting podcasts.

As for the whole training exercise, I thought it was wonderful. It has opened my eyes and ears to things that are in the general atmosphere but that you sometimes don't really notice until you have been sensitised to them. For example I heard Ramona Koval while I was in the car yesterday on a short trip, discussing Library Thing with its founder. I don't know what I would have made of it a couple of months ago if I'd turned it on in the middle of the program as I did yesterday.

Anyway, thank you to all concerned. It has been a great experience!

Youtube etc

I enjoyed this week's exercises especially Youtube, though I was amazed at some of the junk people put on there too.

Web 2.0 awards

This was an interesting week. I had never heard of Zoho before and, although I don't think I've got an immediate use for it, I'm glad to know it's there.

When I played around with Internet 2.0 awards, the best thing was Googlemaps. I had looked at it in the past but had never taken the time to just play, and consequently hadn't discovered some of the fantastic things you can do with it. I'll certainly be using it in planning my overseas trip next year.

Wikis

This was a really interesting week and the possibilities that wikis open seem wonderful. However, I haven't been able to register my blog. I can't work out whether the fault is mine or in the site. Whatever it is, I have spent far too much time on it and have to stop.

Del.icio.us

I have slipped so far behind for various reasons that I couldn't see any value in del.icio.us when I first read the background information. I was trying to go too fast to catch up. It didn't seem to have any relevance for me. However, I thought I'd better go back and have another look and suddenly, I got it. It's not immediately useful but I can think of ways that it could be.

LibraryThing

These are the books I've entered on LibraryThing so far, some of my favourites.

All the Way Home
Bookey Peek
2007

The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca
Tahir Shah
2006

Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood
Alexandra Fuller
2003

Heading Uptown: A Nina Fischman Mystery
Marissa Piesman
1994

The Last King of Scotland
Giles Foden
1999

The Master
Colm Toibin
2004

George Saunders
2001

Peking Picnic (Mass Market Paperback)
Ann Bridge
date?

Queen Lucia
Edward Frederic Benson
2006

The Shape of Water (Inspector Maltalbano Mysteries)
Andrea Camilleri
2005

Slow Boat to China
Young
1984


The Yacoubian Building: A Novel
Alaa Al Aswany
2006

A Ball, a Dog, and a Monkey
Today is the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik, the first ever artifical satellite to be put into orbit around the Earth. Russians marked the event today by erecting a monument of the satellite near Moscow and laying flowers at the grave of Sergei Korolyov, Sputnik's creator.
The anniversary of the Space Race's beginning is marked in the publishing world with the realease of A Ball, a Dog, and a Monkey: 1957 - The Space Race Begins by Michael D'Antonio. D'Antonio tells the story of America's reaction to Sputnik and to Sputnik II, launched the following month with a little dog named Laika on board. D'Antonio narrates America's harried attempts to follow quickly on the heals of the Soviets by sending a squirrel monkey into orbit. Pulitzer prize-winning journalist D'Antonio delivers an entertaining historical account full of pictures and the firsthand accounts from ordinary people.

This is a photo I took in Swaziland earlier this year. After exploring Flick'r, I found that lots of other people have seen these same girls and have taken almost identical pictures of them. One of the wonders of modern technology, I guess

Will this be on the blog page if I type it here?