“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.” Tennessee Williams

I came to Facebook rather late but I have jumped in with both feet. Now that I use the system I have become a proponent of it. However it does have its doubters. The two biggest questions I get is “fine, I made an account now what?” and “what is it for?”. I find it is useful for the basic reason of connecting with old friends seeing what they are up to and catching a glimpse of their life. Now I will say that is the obvious reason. I mean that is what it was originally for. Some people call it something slightly different, networking. I do like the connecting of friends but the question always comes up “why not just use email?”. Well for two basic reasons, I rarely email just to catch up. I usually have a question or I need to give some info out. I can throw a pun out into the Facebook universe and people can just “like it” without having to say anything. This is nice because you get to say “hey I like your thought, joke, idea…. but I have nothing to add to it.” I just well like the statement. I do have a second reason I really like Facebook. It is something called crowd sourcing. This is just a quick way of saying that I am going to ask a whole lot of people for information. Let’s say I run out of ideas for the blog or I am working on a class and I just can’t seem to pull it together, well I can ask all my friends, contacts, what I should write. Because they are all at different point in their life and have different experience I may well get a take from them that I would never think of. In a local way I can get quick information as well. Not too long ago we were hanging out at the house. I was on my computer (I know big surprise right?) and the house began to shake. There was a sound like thunder but it was a clear night. Frankly we were freaked out. It sounded like the world was about to end. So I quickly jumped on Facebook and asked did anyone else hear the noise and feel the rumble. I quickly got responses from all the people that live in my town that they saw a low flying jet go over. Quick information that I normally would have to email all the people that were local and hope they checked their email regularly. I use it for many things from events I am part of to just a quick way to acknowledge an old friend’s birthday. I hope this answers the why or at least my why. Maybe you should give it a try by jumping in with both feet.

One other thing I should mention is that there is a book I recommend for understanding the basics. It is FACEBOOK ME! By Dave Awl but don’t wait too long to get this book because sites like Facebook can change radically in 6 months.

"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence." Robert Frost

I love audio books. They are great in the car or while cooking. Many times in the wee cooking hours of the big turkey day I will listen while I cook. We have tons of audio books at the library and I have listened to most of them. We also have access to e-zone. E-Zone is an online catalog of audio books that is free for our patrons. It works well and has lots of titles. Unfortunately most are for nonipod users this is changing however. The other day I wanted to listen to Redwall by Brian Jacques on my iPod and could not find a compatible version. I could have grabbed the CD version and copied it to my computer but that takes a lot of time. So instead I tried a nice offer by a company called Audible. They are also an audio book site that is mainly for listening through iPods or iTunes. Their Thanksgiving deal is one free book of a selection of titles till Thanksgiving. Even if you only grab one title and never use it again I would say it’s worth it. Also they do not require a credit card to try the freebie. My recommendation is simple look through our online selection and if we don’t have it try Audible as a possible second but don’t think too long because it ends November 26, 2009, at 11:59 PM.

“When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.” Desiderius Erasmus

Note: Before I begin I just want to say I have not tried the service yet but I figured I would post about it and if someone else has used it they could comment on their experience.
Not too long ago we had a yard sale to reclaim some space. After we left a message on Craigslist for people to come and claim the rest of it. Finally I boxed up the detritus and carted it off for donation. As I did I noticed how many books were still in the pile. Now I must say I have tried offloading unwanted books on places like eBay, with no real luck, and instead I just do the donation thing. However in the future I may give Cash4books a try. The site pays you for your books, that is if they want them. All you do is pop over to the site type in the ISBN numbers from your books and hit enter. If they are interested it will tell you how much they will buy them for. I looked around my office for some test subjects and every book I typed in was rejected. So I walked into the library and grabbed a fairly new book off the shelf. Finally I got one. They would pay me a whopping $1.73 for a Fairly new book. Now I agree that does not seem like a great deal but we have a ton of books at home that we go through from book sales, friends castoffs or just curb pickups and this might be a deal to recoup some of the cost. Once they identify books and they give you a price you need to sign up and then agree to their terms. Finally you print out an invoice and a shipping label. They pay for all of the shipping. I liked this hassle free approach. You box them up and they pay you by either check or the service Paypal. So in future just before you donate all your books you may want to try the service at least once.

“Shane. Shane. Come back!”, “Shane,” Brandon De Wilde as Joey Starrett

Welcome back,
The classes are done and the real research begins. To access the new worksheet for the Gaggle of Googles class click here. It went along with a one time lecture style class about all the extra parts of Google like Google Sites and Notebook. Most of the tools are underused and are quite excellent. From today I will be trying to deliver a lot more news and tech info. If anyone has any good suggestions please let me know with an email. The new calendar for January and February classes will be out very soon. I will write about it here. You can also sign up for an email alert here. If you are a library fanatic and really want to stay on top of what is going on at the library try our new Twitter feed. We also have quite a few blogs discussing all different parts of the library from Culture Matters, a blog discussing the fantastic programs that are available, to the Special Collections blog called Notes for Bibliophiles. The RIFLI Birthday Stories are amazing. They showcase ESL student writings and photographs. A blog / book discussion group exists in the form of Club de Lectura en Español de la Biblioteca Pública de Providence. It is a group discussing books in Spanish that meets the last Thursday of every month at South Providence. There are more blogs cropping up all the time so check the blog page when you get a chance. Thanks to everyone who has been checking in and reminding me to get on with more information.

Shane

P.S. Sorry about the qoute but I really could not help myself.

“Child! Do not throw this book about; refrain from the unholy pleasure of cutting all the pictures out.” Hilaire Belloc

A while back I traveled up to the Eric Carle museum to see an exhibit of art from children’s books and it was wonderful. Children’s art is one of those things that it always inspiring being sometimes realistic and surreal but mostly just awesome. Now Lookybook, a site devoted to showing off picture books will become a favorite of parents and librarians alike. First of all it is easy to use. You may need to download a plug-in but after that it is just a matter of finding the book you want to look through. Once a book is found just click on the pages and they turn back or forward. If you register you can save a lot of your searches by creating bookshelves. Also becoming a member allows you to comment on books and add your two cents. If you see a book you must have there is a buy button and it will refer you to an online store. They have the basic web 2.0 stuff like being able to show off your book picks but I like the if you like this then you will also like feature even better. I think they describe it best with a line from their site “Think of Lookybook as the test track for picture books.” Now this will not replace reading a book to a kid but it is nice to be able to preview the book first before buying it or just be able to look through some great illustrations. Give this a try.

"...apply this rule of thumb: If the statement makes you consider filing a lawsuit, I was kidding.” Dave Barry

When I was kid I never read much unless it was a book about information or facts. Finally one of my favorites is now a website as well. It is called rule of thumb. We all use them to one degree or another. You know the type, when going to an airport the rule of thumb is to give at least 1 hour to get through security and onto the plane. Oh and an extra hour for international flights. These are things we all talk about and rarely see written down. The site is just as good as the books and in some ways surpasses them. It allows for ratings and has some of the usual basics of today’s websites like a tag cloud. Also each rule seems to really inspire conversation and debate. Signup is free and easy. If you want to know the rule of thumb for taking care of cats to baking give this one a try.

“The pleasure of all reading is doubled when one lives with another who shares the same books.” Katherine Mansfield

I have heard that the Internet is stopping people from reading books. I think the people at Goodreads would disagree. Goodreads is social networking site for discussing books. Many of my friends are using this site and they are finding they read even more. The reason is simple, the members of this site love to read and discuss them. The problem is one of time. It is increasingly harder to find a time to meet and talk about books like at a traditional book club meeting. This site takes advantage of that weakness. You can discuss a certain book with friends or open it up to the whole book reading community and discuss it in depth. Yes, you are missing the person in the room with you but you are still having the same cerebral experience. They have other features as well like the ability to create a profile and show off what you have read, are going to read, and what you are reading at this moment. The only thing I would change is the email notification to once a day. When I first started using this site I felt like I was drowning in my friends choices of books. If you are reader and want to be part of a book discussion then give this a try.

“I seldom end up where I wanted to go, but almost always end up where I need to be.” Douglas Adams

Quick extra note: Today contains two important time sensitive issues.
One of my favorite writers of all time has a memorial day called Towel Day. In honor of Douglas Adams you are supposed to carry your towel with you. The reference is from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. If you have not read it, don't be hoopy! Read it today and always carry your towel.

Also just a mention here it is the anniversary of a science fiction classic. Star Wars came out 30 years today. If you have never seen the movie then to catch you up I give you Star Wars in 30 seconds done by bunnies. Enjoy! So to be as trite as possible may the force be with you.

“Listen to them, they're dying, R2. Curse my metal body. I wasn't fast enough. It's all my fault. My poor master.” C-3PO

Have you become aware of the robots invading your life? There seem to be robots for everything from vacuuming up your floors to making cars you drive. Now I have seen a few movies were the ever so friendly robot turns mean and ugly and suddenly you are trapped alone in a spaceship listening to a way too calm voice. So the question is what does one do when the robot servants turn to robot attackers? We pick up a neat book with a simple name; How to Survive a Robot Uprising. This is a book you should read very soon. Essentially it gives you all the techniques needed to deal when the world goes haywire. The author Daniel H. Wilson knows what he is talking about as he is an expert in robots technology. I am not too sure of his experience with them attacking him but he most likely watched the same movies I did. It really is a fun read and is written from the most dead pan delivery ever. However if you cannot find the book because all the crazy robots are stealing them then you can get a sample on their site.Give it a try.

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go.” Dr. Seuss

You are going to the library and you want a book but which one to choose. There is a very helpful site to try to decide what to get. It is called the librarything and uses other peoples choices to give you recommendations. I typed in the book I recommended a little while back called MAKE and this is what it came up with. They give choices of other books depending on what others have tagged that book. They say about their service "Enter what you're reading or your whole library—it's an easy, library-quality catalog. LibraryThing also connects you with people who read the same things." Once you find a good choice use our online catalog to order a book or come in to PPL. Give it a try.

“If you want anything done well, do it yourself. This is why most people laugh at their own jokes.” Bob Edwards

I have recommended other books here but todays post involves something called a mook. Mooks a combination of magazines and books and are popular in Japan. The one that I enjoy the most is MAKE magazine. The magazine is a blend of technology do it yourself projects and computer information. The publisher is O'Reilly press and they are responsible for many computer books I like. They talk a lot about hacks (changes) or Mods (modifications) for all sorts of electronics. The magazine is a bit expensive but it is the type of publication you save. We do have a collection of the first year of issues if you want to give it a try.

“Adults are always asking little kids what they want to be when they grow up because they're looking for ideas” Paula Poundstone

About a week ago I mentioned the Whiz Kids Program here at Providence Public Library. Besides a great program for kids, computers and learning they have some great online stuff to do as well. There is a nice tutorial on how to make a website. Also there is a list of books that you and your child can read together and then use the online sheets to do a crossword about the book. Give it a try.

Review of Stephen Levy's book The Perfect Thing

Gloria Church is the head of the Whiz Kids program here at Providence Public Library. The Whiz Kids is a series of programs for kids of all ages using computers to do all sorts of fun activities. I had the pleasure of being a part of it one summer and it was a lot of fun. Check the schedule here for dates. The reason I mention this is because Gloria had suggested a book for the blog that she really enjoyed. Below is her review.

Now I'm not one to get emotional about products except food but hearing people talk about their iPod has really made me curious. A close friend at work will blurt out "I love my iPod. No, I mean I really looove my iPod" Ok, ok I believe you so I had to learn more. Stephen Levy's book The Perfect Thing covers everything about the iPod, its creation, development, coolness and shuffle features. Written by the senior editor of technology for Newsweek, the book's cover looks like an iPod and its chapters are shuffled in different order in different copies. The author takes several chapters to examine the coolness factor of the iPod. "While coolness might have been in the back of Apple's head all along, the company's real drive was for greatness." The incredible and relentless attention to every minutia of the iPod's design is what fascinated me. Other chapters include Download, Podcasts, Identity and Personal. The chapter on "shuffle" was another favorite of mine and really got my brain cells buzzing. Shuffle, of course, is the feature that takes your song playlist and mixes it up in a random fashion. Stephen Levy wonders as do many others, "is the shuffle function not really random at all?" He investigates reports from many that "the iPod, despite being the inanimate object that it was, would decide which artist it was in the mood for and then flood the listening session with that performer's works." This became comical but really fun to read about as he approached Apple programmmers and Steve Jobs himself. Check this book out;we have it at the library and its a fast read.

“You think you’ve got problems, what are you supposed to do if you’re a manically depressed robot? " Marvin the robot Hithikers Guid to the Galaxy

Many years ago I read the Red Mars books by Kim Stanley Robinson. The initial book is set only about 15 years into the future and I was fascinated by their armband computers. They would talk to their computer and give it tasks like researching all newspapers to find a particular article. There was no wasting of time sifting through hundreds of useless web pages. When the answer was found it was reported by the computer, but not in a dry uncaring voice but one with personality. Searchbots is a research project that I have been using for a while. It is not perfect and is still being tested, but it is fun and useful. Essentially you design a searchbot and then you fill it with your personal information. Telling it what you know and what your interests are. Once this is done you can ask it questions. For some questions it will send you an email periodically when it finds items of interest. You then go through some of the sites rating them for relevance. This helps you in the future so that it can understand your needs. There are many ways of getting info. Someone in the searchbot universe asked how to cook corn and because my bot knows I know something about cooking it asked me. I answered it and the message was sent back to the original bot and then onto the person asking it. Without going on forever, it is a lot of fun with some decent results. For a more complete understanding take the tour to learn more. Give it a try and get yourself a personal searchbot.

“A man of knowledge lives by acting, not by thinking about acting.” Carlos Castaneda

A follow up to yesterday's post: I thought that reading a Shakespeare play was good but it might be helpful to also be able to hear it or see it acted. So I give you William Shakespeare's plays and poems from Wired for books. This site provides interviews with some of the English language's best authors, along with performances of their works by skilled readers. You can get much of the stuff here on MP3 that will play on any media player like Windows media Player or iTunes . But for some you will need to use Realplayer which is available on their site. However, when trying to download Realplayer go for the basic download. Give it a try.

“I thought I'd begin by reading a sonnet by Shakespeare, but then I thought, why should I? He never reads any of mine.” Spike Milligan

Now I am not a Shakespearian fanatic like some I know, but I do enjoy a dramatic soliloquy. Many times there is an argument about a specific line in a certain play. I use Shakespeare Online to solve these arguments quickly. This site doesn't have a lot of flashy interactive stuff to do but it delivers the plays and that is what I am looking for. Use the search box to find the line you are looking for or read some essays about the Bard. If none of the texts answers your questions, try asking it using the form or post it on their forum for discussion. Give it a try!

This is as close to a Valentine post as you are going to get.

The Grilled Cheese Madonna and 99 Other of the Weirdest, Wackiest, Most Famous eBay Auctions Ever

Sorry no site today but how about a book pick instead? If you have ever been on eBay or heard of wild or strange auction than this book is for you. The Grilled Cheese Madonna and 99 Other of the Weirdest, Wackiest, Most Famous eBay Auctions Ever book is a fun read. It lists all the bizarre and major auctions that have made headlines throughout eBay's history. PPL does have it in the system, so check it out and give it a try!

How to Cheat in Photoshop

As a computer teacher I am always interested in reading books on a new subject, especially if the book is set up in an interesting and easy way. A book I use all the time as a learning tool and as a great reference is How to Cheat in Photoshop. It is written from the designer’s standpoint with real world examples. It comes with a CD full of the samples used in the book so anything that is used as an example, you can try as well. Give it a try!

Steal the book 3

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For those of those that have taken my classes you know I very rarely ever recommend books, but this one is a favorite. It is called Steal this Computer Book 3. There is a 4th version out but the library owns a copy of this one. Now why do I like this one? Well this gives a decent primer about the internet and the computer world in general. It mainly talks about the gray area that most books skip. It gives a real world perspective on things like rootkits, spyware, web bugs, identity theft, hacktivism, wireless hacking (wardriving), biometrics, and firewalls. However while giving info it does not do it in an alarming fashion like a news channel that actively tries to scare you. It gives real info and examples but it is not overly technical. Find it here33. Give it a try.