Up in the Clouds again

Heart From Cloud,
originally uploaded by zik " Tây ".

What a glorious image! Found it on Flickr and blogged it straight across from Flickr. How cool is that?

I have been looking at Zoho and Google Docs. Online word processors without the cost. Feel very happy to have come across these before we brought the new computer and forked out several hundred dollars for Microsoft Office.

For our needs at home, Zoho has got everything from word processing, forms and even web design application. Will have a look at downloading a free template for a website and processing it in Zoho. I'm having trouble publishing an item on Zoho on this blog. Don't know why. Something about User Names and Passwords and I'm very confused. So, I'll plod on and leave that for another day. May need to log out of Zoho and let it reformat as I have only just confirmed membership. How time flies when you're lost in cyberspace.

I've cut and pasted instead :

Here is a blog published from Zoho. It's doing the funny double spaced thing at the moment but that's okay. I'll figure it out. This is just incredible. Free word processing. I guess I do have concerns that all this is saved in the public domain and if I wrote anything controversial, it may be accessed by 'Big Brother' but I suppose it is unlikely that anything I said could produce much cause for concern!

Because I'm having trouble with Zoho, I've cooled a bit. But will check it out. Had a look at Word Cat. Seems enormous and still in development stages.

Feel sad to be reaching the end of CCL Learn. I have enjoyed it and I've learnt enormous amounts. I'm a little bit bewildered by so much information that has come to me. I need time to absorb it and play around a bit more. There are features such as the blog, Skype, Zoho, Flickr and some of the image editing sites that I will use regularly. I think the Blog is a great tool for recording what I've learnt because I can refer back to it.

A big thanks to CCC for giving me the opportunity to test these things out and the time during work to sit infront of a computer and concentrate. I don't think I'd have been able to get half as far on my own at home. The course notes are great. LAMS is a bit annoying in that you can't go back over things, but all in all it's a great way of learning. I like that it is self motivated and the articles are clear, easy to follow and topical.

I shall keep going!

Winter Blogging

Today I'm catching up with my blog and have added a blog list of favourite blogs. I have started the assignment on wikis - more to follow.

Mid winter - just past the shortest day. Today it's cold but the sun is out.

Went to the 'Key to Managing Stress' workshop at Outside the Square yesterday. Heartily recommend it to everyone. The speaker, Derek Roger, presents his philosophy clearly and concisely. He offers suggestions that can help in all areas of life.

To sum up, the way to handle stress is to wake up, pay attention, become detatched and let go. He uses the analogy of a house with a stream of thoughts up to the windows. If you ignore them, they'll break in. If you indulge them, you'll drown. So you open the doors and let the current run through while you sit up above in the attic and watch them go by.

Thoughts always occur but there is no need to entertain them constantly. We have choice and can chose how to spend our waking time - either in waking sleep or wide awake. Derek made us pay attention to our senses. Just listening to what is going on around us, helps us gain perspective and stay in touch with the world. We can only make a difference in the moment, now. Everything else is a dream.

Very powerful stuff.

Up in the Cloud for Free!

Tried to log on to http://www.splashup.com/ but can't remember my Yahoo log-in. Have left my book in the car so will have another go next week. Great opportunity to edit photos. There is also a free film editing site! How cool is that? http://www.jaycut.com

Or how about slide show presentations at http://www.slideshare.net/
I was worried about getting a new computer because my old version of Photoshop would be lost but, lo and behold, it is all there and free!

Important Stuff

There are so many things I find important regarding the public PC environment that CCL offers, it's hard to know where to start.

However, I do consider the opportunity for people from all walks of life to have free access to computers one of the most important features. Computer hardware is beyond the financial range of many people in the community, especially those on benefits, the elderly and families with children. Software is expensive too with new and improved versions of operating systems coming onto the market constantly. Computers in libraries enable everyone to have up-to-date access to these invaluable resources.

Technology is developing at breakneck speed and it's almost impossible now to imagine a world without it. Schools use computers constantly and assignments are almost all required to be written then 'published' using Word. Families and friends are keeping in touch through email and social networking sites and people who are separated geographically can stay in contact using programmes such as Skype. Companies are using conference calls and group networks to improve staff relations and communications. Most jobs now require computer skills and up-to-date knowledge about the internet and on-line services.

Free computers in the libraries recognise the need for everyone to have the opportunity to use computers and keep up-to-date with the latest developments in technology. I feel very happy to be part of an organisation that is making this happen for people in a safe, comfortable, easily accessible environment.

Autumn Leaves

autumn leaves,
originally uploaded by Tazliz.

I'm posting a photo from my Flickr photostream. It is handy to do this because I can now put all my photos onto Flickr and move them across onto the blog when required rather than having to have them all on disc. I am having trouble uploading images from my disc. Will try again. Maybe they're a bit too large or something. Maybe it's just network overload.

Images etc.

Today I'm looking at Images. It is one of those things I could spend days doing. All the various options for editing photos in Flickr and Picnik are bewildering. Here is an image I messed around with. It's kind of OTT but was lots of fun to create.

I really like Flickr Color Picker. There are wonderful colours out there and it is wonderful to see so many images all in my favourite colours. Flickr too has some interesting ways to view images. You can select themes, colours, follow their favourite sets. Makes me feel creative and I'd really love to get a decent digital camera so I can add images to my blog. http://www.krazydad.com/colrpickr/index.php?group=crayonbox

fd's flickr toys is also pretty astounding. It sets up colour charts from a photo - very useful for painting I think. You can also make pop art posters, cards - all sorts of stuff. I could spend days experimenting with these. The address it http://bighugelabs.com/



This is a Wordle at wordle.com. Kind of fun. Have seen these images about and now know how people create them.

Fun and Games

Time to have a bit of fun with my blog again. I've been working hard and getting through the modules. Today I am here on a Thursday because we're going away to Lake Clearwater for Queen's Birthday tonight. Four nights without power and no cellphone coverage. Sounds great. No internet either or any opportunity to use a computer.

I'm in a Matisse mood. Look at the colours! Aren't they superb? His rich reds and juxtaposition of warm and cool passages are divine. Love the chair too. It is a celebration of colour. All about sensual colour and the joy of living.

It seems I can't add more than one image to my blog:( I found three I loved but this one will suffice. Have sussed it now. You can add as many images as you like!

My blog was looking so staid and formal with all that writing. I've hit a bit of an impass. I didn't bring a pen drive with images on for the images module or a cd. My pass-it-on segment will require me to find someone to teach. Dare I try to teach Lyn and Rod to use Skype? Would it even be possible? It would certainly be a challenge and they would get a lot out of Skyping Josh and Lucy and the folk down in Oamaru. Maybe I could try it? Will contemplate things and see how it goes.


Will set up my Skype address and have a quick look at Images - see if there is something I can get on with.

The grandparents are as excited as the children about going away for
a few days. In fact, I think they're even worse because they don't have
to go to school, etc. They of course are all packed and rearing to go
whereas Jeremy and I are still at work and the house is in a shambles.
I haven't even got to the grocery shops yet. I need to buy bacon and
eggs, moisturiser, coffee and apples. I shall leave here on the dot of 2pm
and get the show on the road.

At this stage I'm looking forward to sitting down with a good book and going to sleep for a couple of days!

CCLlearn 2.0

The University of Canterbury uses RSS leads to Library News and Journals and to some library databases such as Science Direct or Scopus. The University Library is present on Facebook. They also run 'AskLive' which is a live online chat facility.

Television New Zealand uses RSS links to group articles according to subject - news, entertainment, sport, business, etc. It has a facility to share articles seen on the TVNZ site to friends on Facebook, Bebo and Twitter. The site has newsreaders and podcasts for news and entertainment programmes such as Shortland Street.

World Vision New Zealand has a newsreader link to Utube. St Johns Ambulance New Zealand is a more straightforward site with links to relevant information sites. The City Mission has presence on Facebook.

GLAMS (Galleries, Libraries, Archives and Museums)

Museums NZ

Diffusion: has a Widget available that they would like people to embed in their websites/blogs to reach a wider audience. This widget displays a new random image from the Museums image catalogue each time the site is opened. There is also a museum blog open for comment from viewers, links to news items in newspapers and links to associated blogs.

Concentration: The site encourages viewers to search the collections, objects, events and provides a museums directory to collate information about museums around New Zealand.

Digital NZ

Diffusion: It is possible to follow Digital NZ on Twitter, communicate with Windows Live, there is an RSS link to recent articles and a blog.

Concentration: Digital NZ is a hub for Government online services organised by the National Library of New Zealand. The site collates information about NZ culture and heritage, broadcasting, education and government sectors, local community services and individuals.

KRIS

Diffusion: The site has RSS links to recent articles.

Concentration: Kiwi Research Information Service brings together open access research documents from New Zealand Universities, Polytechs, and other research institutions.

NZLive

Diffusion: The site has an RSS facility to link to in order to get most recent events, it has an event finder on Twitter and presence on Facebook. It has a community you can join to share your comments and meet other people. There is also the opportunity to list your event.

Concentration: NZ Events collates information about Events in New Zealand ranging from concerts, festivals, performing arts, sports and outdoor activities.

Matapihi

Diffusion: Not much. There are videos and 'interactives' which are articles from Museums but the site is very static and seems dated. The use of links to Facebook or Twitter would keep the site fresh with new information or comments. RSS feeds would help people keep up with new information as the site is updated.

Concentration: Matapihi describes itself as a selection of events in history from museums, libraries, archives and galleries around New Zealand.

Social Networking

This topic is infinitely more interesting than Podcasts! I joined Facebook and found my nephew, Josh, and two of my friends. I feel a bit shy about following Josh although I'm sure he wouldn't mind. After all, he has 1100 friends!

I had a look at Old Friends but I don't really want to make contact with anyone from the past I'm not already keeping in touch with. Curiosity may get the better of me however, one day. I've hardly got enough time to keep up with friends in person let alone follow some vaguely familiar people online.

Had a look a the business sites. Linkedin seems like a valuable tool for finding information in specific fields of business. Checked out Online Groups. Once again a handy tool for companies with employees in various locations, local or around the world to keep staff members in touch and communicating. Signed up to Ning - wonder what the forum will be about? Having trouble logging on to LAMS so will fill in task list next time I'm at work.

I'm starting to feel like the fella in the photo so I think I'll call it a day. It's been quite involved and I attended the CCC Fire Extinguisher course yesterday so I haven't had much of a rest. Am on my way to my father's to pick up a piece of carpet and it doesn't look like the weather has cleared much. My little glimpse of the outside shows me a bare tree waving frantically in the wind. May even snow tonight.

RSS, Podcasts and Newsreaders

I am working quickly through this section. I'm not a big news reader and hot off the press stuff doesn't appeal too much. The library RSS lead is a good one and I've subscribed to that. I understand it's necessary for libraries to keep up with the latest news - it's a great business tool and must make television and radio newsgathering easier for those involved in that industry.

I'd like to follow this blog http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/. Will read on and find out how to add it. Have done that. Add to dashboard.

Had a look at Technorati at the top 100 blogs. A lot of it is political or celebrity focussed and I'm just not interested. Syndicat8 seems well set out, but it's not very appealing to me.

Added a note to the Wiki about adding gadgets to your blog. Got a little confused about my login but all is resolved now.

Widgets and Gadgets - 'Goget' some

I looked at Digital New Zealand widget gallery. Apart from being a very ugly site (didn't like the colours at all) it was interesting and it's good to see so many widgets with New Zealand information on them.

I have been into Library Thing and set up my account. I've been wanting to have a look at Library Thing for some time as it would be a great way of keeping a record of the books I read. It's a great site. Not flash but easy to navigate through. I added a nice group of new books I've read but I can't seem to download the Widget. I would really love to add this to my blog. I am going to check with Jenny when she comes back from her break. At the moment I'm feeling quite frustrated!

As far as Widgets suitable for Library sites are concerned, a widget to search another library's catalogue could prove extremely useful. If added to a library Wiki, widgets would enable librarians to have links to frequently used sites all on one page. This would save librarians time having to search for sites on outside sources. Widgets with information about genealogy could also be useful or other favourite research sites.

Jenny has just come back from tea break and helped me download widgets for Library Thing and the weather forecast. I needed to open HTML/Javascript link, give the Widget a title, add the code to the body and, lo and behold!, I now have wonderful Widgets up and running! I'm so excited. The weather is there whenever I need it.

I've also experimented with Netvibes. I like it. It looks neat and tidy and contains more information. I've set myself up on Facebook. It's all a bit overwhelming and I'm waiting for my confirmation to happen. Netvibes seems like a good site to keep all my online activities in one basket. A little concerned how far down the birthdate list I had to go to find the year I started High School! Will have a chat to Jemima about my Facebook. She'll have plenty of tips about using it effectively I'm sure. It would be very nice to have a new computer at this stage. I think the old Global PC will gasp and keel over with all this new activity.

Music in May (hem)

Back at Central today for the next instalment of LAMs. Feeling tired due to a late night but I am enjoying learning about all this new technology. The bus ride in today was not so bad. I had the same elderly bus driver who managed the trip with ease and it was, all in all, a pleasant experience.

Last night I went with husband Jeremy, mother-in-law Lyn, and nine year old Lydie to see my eldest daughter, Jemima, perform at the McCombs Performing Arts Centre. Cashmere High have a yearly concert called aptly "Music in May". Jemima plays the tin whistle for the Irish Band and plays the clarinet for the Concestra. (For those who have never heard the word 'Concestra' before, don't panic. I hadn't either. Jemima assures me it's a invented word, made by blending 'Concert Band' and 'Orchestra' together.)

It was a cool, dark evening and I was tired. The organisation involved in getting children from school to two different swimming pools and then one to gym and geting dinner cooked and the washing in and the beds made and fire lit and the dog fed had almost got the best of me. But I worked miracles. At 6:20pm I thought I had it all sussed. We had eaten, changed into concert going gear, and I was pulling down the damper on the logburner when Jemima let up a wail. I ran to her room half expecting to see her being abducted by aliens, to find something even worse had happened. Jemima was holding up pieces of her tin whistle. The plastic mouthpiece had snapped in half.

"What the ..?" I said, in an understanding tone.

"It's broken," she wailed.

"No kidding," I said. "Quick, get your old one."

"I haven't seen it for years," she said, and started rummaging in overflowing desk drawers.

I looked around her room. There were clothes strewn all over the floor, books spilling out of the bookcase, two sports bags oozing their contents like animals shot at point blank range ... it didn't take a genius to realise finding a tin whistle in a juvenille junkstack in under two hours was a lost cause.

"You'll just have to tell your teacher it's broken," I started.

Jemima's jaw quivered, "But I'll be the only one .." (Such a thought is a teenager's worst nightmare.)

Then, voila! Jeremy arrived like Superman to the scene of a planet threatening event with a roll of cellotape and proceeded to tape the whistle back together. I tell you, he can fix anything!

We were off and got her to the PAC with a minute to spare.

The concert was great. The Orchestra was incredibly good and the inspiration the conductor, Grant Bartley, imparts on his pupils was a joy to watch. The kids responded to his every gesture with the baton. The Stage Band, the Choirs and the piece by the Senior Music Students were excellent. It was wonderful to see kids enjoying music. The Concestra was not up to the standard of the Orchestra because the kids in it are either new to Cashmere or learning as part of the music programme, but they performed 'Bohemian Rhapsody' with courage and vigour and the experience will encourage them to move forward with their music. I couldn't identify Jemima's tin whistle sounding odd in the Irish Band and she appeared to be playing up a storm so it must have held together just fine.

So, inspite of the busy day and the moments of pre-concert panic, it was a brilliant night and I'm glad I went. A gold coin donation is a small price to pay for quality entertainment and, if I'm tired today, it was worth every hazy moment. One further positive note - a tin whistle only costs $16.50 for a brand new one. Thank goodness it wasn't the clarinet that was damaged!

Autumn @ the library

It's raining today. Not the measly drizzle we've been having till now, but good solid rain. There is snow on the Canterbury ski fields and the leaves are tumbling off the trees. It is time to get the camera out and take photos of my favourite time of year.

The leaves on the trees outside the library are beautiful. The colours sing against the grey sky and the plants that have been overshadowed by their showy summer neighbours are taking centre stage again. I love plants with red stems, the limbs of trees peeking out from underneath petticoats of leaves, puddle mirrors reflecting the lights of cars and houses. I would like to use my blog to show images of autumn and publish some poems. Anything topical on the day.

Intro to Blogging

Today I am taking part in the Christchurch City Libraries Learn programme. I've been looking forward to this. I want to know more about blogging especially and this is such a good opportunity to learn.

I was superorganised this morning. Woke at 5.45am, stared into darkness until 6:30. What luxury! Listening to the sounds of the morning and the hollowness around the objects in the room. At 7:00am I started my Morning Pages a la Julia Cameron - three pages of thoughts every morning. I've been doing this for more than a month now and I am finding it brilliant. It does take a while though. At least half an hour a day but it does sort out my head and help me organise myself. Settling down the 'gremlin of the mind'.

After that I had a shower, did my hair, woke the girls, made them breakfast, sorted out their lunches, packed their bags, fed the dog, patted the cat, hung out the washing, put another load of teatowels on, and headed up the hill with Lydie in tow to the bus stop. The 8:34am bus was on time but the ride into town was terrifying. The poor bus driver. He was an elderly man and kept muttering under his breath about running late.

That is a ridiculous time to get to town - 30 minutes down Christchurch's busiest road at rush hour. The route needs at least another 5 minutes tacked on for variables. I felt quite scared at one stage when the driver beetled down the bus lane at 70kmph. Heaven knows what would have happened if someone had stepped off the curb. If the bus left the Sign of the Takahe at 8:24 rather than 8:34, things would run much more smoothly especially until the bus lanes are in place properly. I'm going to email the Council and tell them of my concerns. Also, the old 8:17am service was always full to bursting with passengers. This 8:34am bus was only a quarter full and I'm sure it's because people can't guarantee getting to work on time. The driver got our bus to Ballantynes on time 9:55am, but he was stressed and people on the bus were too!

Still, I made it on time. Got into the lift with other people in my course. It's a nice small group and I think I'm going to enjoy blogging.