Thing # 11- LibraryThing!

Task 11 is complete! I have signed up at LibraryThing, added my titles and even tagged some. I really like this service and always sort of wanted to keep track of everything I've read over the years. The only thing is, I tend to be old fasioned and would like nothing more than a nifty new journal to handwrite everything in :-)

Here's the link for proof: http://www.librarything.com/catalog/OceanTide947

Thing # 10- Techno Blog! Woooohoooo!

Sooooo, to blog about something technology related eh?? I am a photography buff and got a new digital camera last year. It was like pulling teeth to get me to switch over from my trusty film camera to this device that was like a computer and camera all in one. I bought a Canon Rebel Xti which is just amazing and have more lenses for it than one human being should ever own in a lifetime. I normally just put my camera together and go, but this time that was not the case. This camera had SOOO many buttons, features, and options that I actually had to read the manual that came with it! (Can you imagine??) I never read the directions, EVER, but this was a must in order to learn how to operate my new toy successfully. It is still a love hate relationship, but we're learning to work with one another. There is something about digital photography that takes the art out of "photography" itself. Why even bother taking the photo if all you are going to do is edit the daylights out of it and lose what you were originally trying to capture? Anyone can take a picture and photoshop it. But not everyone can catch something at just the right time, in just the right light, and have a brilliant photo of someone or something in it's rawest form.

Here are some photo's taken using both of my cameras.

Things #8 and #9

Prior to the OCL Web Challenge, I had never heard of RSS feeds. I rarely have the time to check out "what's new" in any area so really could have cared less about these feeds...was reluctant to start this exercise. However, with A LOT of help from my "special buddy" (:-) I was able to create a bloglines account and subscribe to ten feeds and three additional ones from the list given for Exercise 8, and then find my favorite websites and subscribe to their feeds for Exercise 9. I found it easiest to go to the RSS portion of the site and use the "Add" feature on bloglines to subscribe. When I tried to do it another way, it would indeed allow me to subscribe to the feeds, but it was via Internet Explorer, not bloglines. Glad to be clued in on something I knew nothing about.

Thing # 7- Scanner Fun ...woooohoooooo!!!

Just so I can keep track, here's my scan :-)

This isn't my dog, but one I work with at the shelter.

Thing #6: More Photo Fun...

Ok, this wasn't so bad. I took the photo of a painting in the branch, downloaded it onto the computer with the help of one of my faaaaavorite co-workers (thanks!) and successfully uploaded it to Flickr with the OCLwebthings tag. Much more fun than the last exercise! Now onto scanning :-)

PS...does it not look like the white horse behind the little girl is about to take a chunk out of her arm? :-P

Thing # 5- Flickr (or NOT SO FUN!!! Photo)

Everything is going quite well with Flickr except for the very small fact that I cannot get it to merge nicely with my blog! Some sort of stinking google error keeps coming up, but you know what? I'm going to treat this problem as a challenge (ok I'm almost making myself gag haha) and work around it...cheers!

Anywhooo, here goes nothing. Here is a picture (or a link, whatever I can get to work) of 9 friends displaying their fierce Australian Spirit by spelling out their country with burning sticks and their own movement. I chose this photo because I am in love with Australia and it's people and am planning a trip for 2010 (yes, I need that much time to save!)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnwhite/367901857/

....I will find a way to combine flickr and my blog by the time this is over!

Should be 8 and 1/2 habits...

...because they missed one! An open mind is essential to lifelong learning. Remind me to go out and buy myself a toolbox when I'm done blogging so I can whip out my "kit" whenever I need it.

Lifelong learning is a beautiful thing and one of the most valuable things one can ever commit themselves to.

The easiest of the steps for me is that last little half step-Play!! Far too many people forget to have a little fun every now and then, with the end result being a bunch of over worked, stressed out individuals running around. Yep, these are also the same folks who also forget to stop and BREATHE.

None of the steps seemed really difficult as they all prove vaild, but I suppose a more challenging one would be the first step: Begin with the end in mind. I love to have goals, but sometimes the pressure of having them will send me in the opposite direction-farther and farther away from where I want myself to be. This is sort of indirect and subconscious of course, but that's what usually ends up happening to me if I look at the "big" picture when I'm starting something out.

This post rolled out a little easier than expected considering I'm blog-phobic!