Resident?

Could this be my new place of work? The virtual library on Second Life. Reminds me of the Matrix. You can see the appeal, but I'd rather spend my time with flesh and blood things that breath and absorb sunlight. When I need to escape, I like to climb between the pages of a book, or put a movie in the player. Perhaps these are similar things. That's something to ponder. But no, I don't have a "Second Life" that I know of, and at this juncture I really don't want one.

Microsoft's librarian, Ms Dewy is a trip! I like the concept and the way it works, but was it really necessary to make her such a sex pistol?

Google Docs Rock

So far I do feel like we can trust Google, as far as electronic things can be "trusted". It's amazing what is available, FREE. Who would believe documents too? After taking the "quick tour", I did "try it out". OK, I succeeded in sending myself a document by email. Oddly enough it arrived in my mailbox marked; [SPAM - Blacklist]. What's up with that? But it was nice to send it without any of the making an attachment business. It's also nice to think perhaps I can get by without Microsoft Word when a new computer comes to live at our house.

BONUS: While completing this assignment, I also figured out what Google Reader was, and added a few sites.

The Invisible Web

Who could believe there are "spiders" crawling around the web consolidating information? Better there, than the usual places they show up and surprise me. So many search engines, what's a girl (url?) to do? I've loved the ease of Google and also that they fly in the face of Microsoft. Granted they aren't the little guys anymore, but they've retained some of the spirit.

Surprises with the alternates? I liked that Dogpile used "go fetch" rather than the standard "search" and also that they included a "Joke of the Day!" What really surprises me is my returning again and again to Del.icio.us and Flikr to search. I've been looking to buy a hammock for my daughter who is employed by a rafting company in Utah. It's been quite interesting to see what the various search engines have came up with. I even found directions on how to make my own, complete with step-by-step illustrations.

"You Belong Anywhere a Good Book Is"

Stephanie Meyer says a person belongs anywhere a good book is. She finds the lines between adult, teen and juvenile to be "irritating, a good book is a good book". I couldn't agree more, and it was fun to see her video image telling me so in an Amazon interview. OK, it wasn't a podcast, but it's still in the spirit of technology promoting books and the love of reading. And if there is any doubt about her teen appeal, check out the line waiting to buy her book.

Sno-isle Libraries was the site I chose for podcasts. What a surprise to find I could listen to Nancy Pearl recommendations! Of course, I had to put a title on hold. And she reviewed a couple of children's books. I didn't even know she did that. What a delight to listen to peers read a variety of picture books. Anne Jones, Marilyn LeBlond, Debbie LaGasse and Bryan Stratton, "you go". Bryan, you made me laugh out loud with your rendition of "Cowboy Baby". What a hoot!