Thing 23

Je suis finis!

Did the survey. Actually I thought it would be a longer survey! Hey guys, next time go for it and rack our brains! More details are sometimes the best!
I really enjoyed this project because it made my computer world suddenly revolve around the library, which I had never really thought of before. Now I can look at something and think to myself, can I use this for the Library?
I am appreciative because my world has suddenly discovered RSS and podcasts. I really enjoyed the book based social networks. I loved helping my coworkers and racing along with them to finish. :) I think us talking about the certain things also really expanded on the things themselves.
I can't believe I finished on time! Rah rah! I was flabbergasted by Thing 17 that opened my eyes about ELM. Databases rule! I couldn't believe that suddenly I could be organized by what seemed like a billion Online organizers! And map out my school projects and library projects!
My only complaint would be on the instructions of the different Things. Sometimes I wouldn't read thoroughly enough to start correctly or understand, but most of the time i felt like I was wading through a bog of misdirection (often times it was because the 23 website didn't seemed to be proofed or edited) by half a sentence or missed words.
I don't know if I would use Google blogger next time. It seemed slow and burdensome most of the time.
It was just that if this program was for beginners, it really needs to be set up for beginners. If I, who had more experience than any of my coworkers had trouble, I found that often times my fellow staff members gave up because it was too complicated (or rather, it really was that complicated, but seemed to be).
I would do this again if offered for sure!

23 things is to me:

1 month of taxpayers money: $345.00
23 hours of inspired worktime: lots of patron's raised eyebrows
Learning Library 2.0 programs online: free
The knowledge of 23 things: priceless

Thing 22

I have jitters in my stomuch! I can't believe I'm almost done with my 23 things!
I think I'll miss it alot...I do like learning very much.
But the idea of this thing was to make a resolution about continuing onward with Library 2.o.

Resolutions
or what we call good intentions

1. I will continue on with my blog. I think i will orient it around the library. Many possible things to blog about:
a. My soon-to-be webmaster title. I am a bit nervous about setting up two social networks
and keeping them updated, fun, family safe, and of course, instructional.
b. Library issues, humor, perhaps my ventures into DeviantArt? Youtube? and other things.
c. Podcasting? Shelfari...
2. To look at others blogs, maybe help those on the final stretch, troubleshooting (i do this alot at my library), and enjoy the general idea.
3. Help my coworkers with their blogs.
4. Write at least once a week.

Oh my word. One more and I am finished! How exhilirating!

Thing 21

Social Networks.
I perused a ton of the links on Thing 21 instructions. I didn't know there were so many out there! As per se my last blog, you can tell they aren't exactly my cup of tea. But...
Joined 23 Things Ning. Made a comment, looked at posts. What a neat idea. And it was fun to see all of us 23 thing people joining together to talk!!
I am a part of Shefari. My shelf is at the bottom of this page. I am constantly reading new things, so it is hard to update books when computers are slow and then readjust my updated widget for my blog. :)
I can see some of these networks would be good links for those wanting to discuss books or other library oriented things. So if my library were to get a webpage I might include some links to these sites.

Thing 20 Myspace and Facebook

Here we come to an impasse. I refuse, refuse to get a Facebook account. I am in the generation that accepts this as a normal social thing. One gets invited to weddings if one facebooks. One can see if another has broken up because of Facebook. Get poked! Write on someone's wall! Join a group! Have so many friends that suddenly it really doesn't matter anymore that friends aren't really friends. Hideous. So what can I do? I have been invited so many times to join, so that my friends can have me in their sights, but I am a ninja. I am elusive. I slip through fingers and cracks. AND I REFUSE. I do know about Facebook though. My younger brothers all have accts. I sometimes for fun peruse their pages, that tell me more than they will tell to my face. Gah.
I want to complete my 23 things, but really...please...I know Facebook. I will be my library's Facebook webmaster if we get a page. Actually it's more like when my library gets a Facebook Page. That will be fun! I will have alot of fun doing it!
But aha! I do use Myspace. It is less secure than Facebook and so it allows more anonyminity (sp?). This, yes, does allow not so good things to happen. But at the same time, I believe that if you don't go looking for those things, then you are safe. I use it merely for social means. Only my true friends are connected to the page and I use it as a means to keep in contact with my friends in the Phillipines. :) I am a strange bird.
On Myspace one can set up pictures, movies, blog about things, write emails, get posts, send out general posts, add friends, look up old friends, get birthday reminders!, and generally can be used socially. It even has IM, which I have used to IM my friends still in high school.

minutes later...

Sheesh...if only I read directions a little better. I see we only have to pick out one of the social networks! Yay Myspace!!!!! Ok.
So here's the deal. I am friends with the St. Paul Public Library's Myspace page and the HCL Myspace page. They both rock!
http://www.myspace.com/stpaulpubliclibrary

http://www.myspace.com/hennepincountylibrary

The wonderful thing about these two pages is that they give all the info you need, send out public announcements and everything basically links back to the Library's home page. Hem...it's in the works that we're going to get a Myspace page here at this library and I am going to be one of the webmasters! Hurray! I can't wait! Another keen thing about Myspace is that alot of authors and bands have their own pages and you can add them to be friends. Like Meg Cabot and Holly Black! I would totally use the format of linking back to the library's main page. I'd also really try to reach out to the teen faction of our library. They are on Myspace and Facebook for hours at a time (usually at the library) and it would be good to let them know about the things going on at the library and to hear what they have to say about the library.
Rock on!

Thing 19

Podcasts have been rather elusive to me before. Probably because I thought one had to have a MP3 player to listen to them and I really haven't been that big into listening to shows or things like that for awhile.
So I went to Minnesota Public Radio's Current page and checked out their podcast. I really like the radio station (it's FM 89.3 if anyone is wondering) and enjoyed listening to their podcast. My favorite though was from Mugglenet's page. They had the best podcasts all the way through the last three books of Harry Potter and they are still going strong. The webmasters of Mugglenet are so well known that they actually have interviewed JK Rowling in person and she says the website hosts a phenomenal amount of information about her world.
So here is the link to their most current podcast...
http://www.mugglenet.com/mugglecast/
I think I might be more interested in podcasts and listening to them, but as I am not often at my computer except at work and do not have a ipod or MP3 player I am sorta at a loss.
Notice my podcast RSS of MPRs fav songs of the week, all picked by listeners like you and me!

thing 18

my youtube video is embedded below. Although now that I have done this, the rest of my blog doesn't show up on my page. Why?! I have been trying to embed this video for a week, but Yahoo and Google blogger has been so slow that it is almost impossible. I am so close to the end of the 23 things but somehow it's out to thwart me!So I hope this posts and my blog will appear, I seem to not even be able to edit my past post. :( *Tears*

Common Misconceptions of the Eden Prairie Library :)

Yes. Chanhassen does have tigers. I've seen them myself. :)

Thing 17 finished completely, Thing 18 cont'd

Well... I received Thing 23's 8th email and it explained how to get the RSS Feed from Thing 17 to work, by taking out a piece of the URL I got it to feed through the google reader. :) I suspected that is what was wrong in the first place but everytime I took a chunk out it didn't work. argh.
Now we will see if I can get this video to embed into my entry.
I love Youtube. I use it to watch anime, funny movies, and of course have used it for 23 things instructions. I think it is a wonderful site. If you don't go searching for bad stuff, you usually will not find it popping up! Haha. Actually I have never seen anything profane on Youtube, but then I don't try to find it. I use it also for music videos to get my music fix.

Thing 18---You too can Youtube!

Say it five times fast.

Thing 17

Ok.
I started the first part of this thing quite well. ELM is a very cool resource. I went to the Student Infotrac page from the databases listed alphabetically and used a keyword search to look up 'youth smoking'. Then I went to the RSS feed icon, copied and pasted the URL into my blog. And for some reason, with all the new talent of RSS feeds I have acquired over this little project, it said it was invalid. Of course alot of other people are complaining of this same thing so I am not alone, it must be something with the Google blogger. But I do know how to set it up.
Part 2
I went to Academic Search Premier and set up an account and started my folder. I started my web page with the Page Composer. So "Kierstin's Corner" is now set up and I am ready to start adding any search pages that I find interesting, same with pictures and videos. I was wondering what a better webpage than my own would look like and found others to be really interesting. This could have lots of possibilities!
Part 3-Proquest
I went to Proquest from the databases on ELM, followed each step required. Searched first, then slowly set the parameters wanted. I found two really interesting articles about Facebook that fell under the 2007, full text, Washington Post parameters. I put them under my "My Research" tab and created a web page. Emailed myself and saved it to my H drive.
*Whew*!
Part 4- NetLibrary
At first was very confused. Partially because I didn't read the instructions so that I fumbled around, made my account thinking that maybe i would figure things out, and then finally read the instructions. So...I did a keyword search, viewed the eBook, made my note! And thought, ooh, this is keen! My thoughts were more on academic things such as reports, where hey, I could mark notes in books I'm using and find them easily. Very cool.

So I liked my tour of this. I think its important to understand the databases that Libraries have access to, and in case patrons ask I can inform them on the basics.

Thing 16

Awesome, awesome! I think this thing is the best!
As a student I fully appreciate these two handy tools.
I checked out both the University of Minnesota Project Tool and the Research Project Calculator.
I actually paged out one of my future assignments (bonus!). I would totally encourage students to use this and found tons of resources on my assigned topic.
I think these would be really beneficial to students and libraries for their own projects. Being that I am a library assistant we don't really have overarcing projects that often that would merit being mapped out, but you never know!

Thing 15

Second Life...
It reminds me of The Otherland books by Tad Williams. A world within a world. I am so disjointed by it, that I wonder if it is just another escape for people. The classrooms and libraries are cool. But I really don't know...
I don't know if there is a role for Second Life in libraries. Unless you could use that as a virtual Library as talked about in Thing 2.
I really just don't know...

Thing 14- Library Thing

I signed up for Library Thing after taking the small tour. Thought the site was rather fascinating and made me start ruminating about what exactly I have stuffed in my bookshelves (usually double packed). What a great invention, not only could you catalog your whole book collection and catalog it, thus creating a 'library', you can share with others what you own.
For some reason the "book police" from 1984 comes to mind, I think we'd all be very easy targets. "Please don't burn my books, think of how my Library Thing rating will suffer!"
Woah. Ok, off strange trippy ideas.
So I added about 10 books to the catalog, and used both Amazon and the Library of Congress to search for them. Tip of the iceberg, I realize. Then easily enough they show up with their cataloging and also how many people have the same book. Ooh lala! I could join a group that is interested in the same book or join a bookclub to chat about the books. As they say on the main page, its 'eery' how many people may have the same interests and books!
Plus, I can set up my profile to display as much as I want to be shown and tell others about myself. I will set up my link so that all the people who read my blog can access my amazing collection of books. (Note: last sentence was very sarcastic). Anyway, I think this will stay in my mind as used thing. I like it almost better than Shelfari!
I think that's about it.
I think libraries could use this.

Thing 13

OKay!
I found these tools intriguing and very functional for any business or service that allows the employees access to computers or expects them to be on the internet. Personally, I hate start pages. I know, I know, you can make them all special with different colors or setups, have your favorite interests up on them, tell you the weather of your home town etc. etc. But as soon as I had made my igoogle, I was frantically trying to get it off my main page.
I have igoogle on my laptop.
I think the yahoo! calendar or Remember the Milk was awesome! I thought I might just like to use it, since I am a very forgetful person and really need a palm pilot or some electronic calendar device to keep me on top of everything I'm supposed to do. Apparently, and I am not quite savvy to figure it out yet, one can have their notices for meeting and whatnot sent to their phone! Woohoo! I thought that was the coolest thing ever.
The to-do lists were cool, although I am so lazy that I would procrastinate by making to-do lists instead of actually doing anything on the to-do list! I do that non-electronically all the time. :)
Anyway, for a procrastinating, forgetful, always on the run person, this "Thing" was the best and very informative.
Yes, I did try out Backpack.
Now...I will just have to make sure I don't lose my internet connection!

trading card

I just had to try the trading card, because it was one of the details in the most recent 23 things email. Although I didn't like how it came out, I couldn't find the delete button to get rid of it. I am technically on thing 13 and have tried lots of different calendars out and such things like Backpack, but haven't looked at the Blog prompts yet. So I will tell of my travails once I do so, like right about now.

A patron just told me i was typing at 80 words per minute. I told him that was impossible, the fastest I ever typed was 45 words per minute. I guess my typing just sounds fast.
And important.
I didn't have the heart to tell him i was working on a Library 2.0 blog. Wouldn't that open a can of worms!

Thing 12

I looked at all these interesting news factories. Definitely different than typical news media. I actually was prompted to read at least one or more of the articles that seemed to be most popular, just because I was intrigued by them. But the world is a nasty and scary place, so most of the articles made me just sick at heart.
I think they definitely would be worth looking at for a student who needs a paper on a controversial item or something different and deeper than the tripe that shows up on major newspaper websites or journal sites.
I think that these sites could work in ways both positive and negative. I do think though they are a very interesting and worthwhile tool.

Thing 11. Tags. Deliciously.

Ok!
Well...I know tagging through the blogs I write. And I do like tags. I also use them alot when I am on my fav authors blogs and they tag something. I can easily look up things they have written by using their tags.
A recent example of a "tagging":
Livejournal also has tags that can represent your interests and site. These are potential social introductions, as one of my good friends found out when an editor of her favorite magazine saw her tag about publishing, writing and his horror magazine and friended her.
I am not interested in del.icio.us. I did however watch said tutorial and browsed the page through 23 Things membership.
I could see this have potential for research, but would take a good webmaster and supervision so that erroneous information would not surface and that it would not take a plethora of searching to find the right tag.
I think its ugly looking personally. Yuck.
And although I do have favorite sites, I'd rather link them in my page or whatever, than have to access them through a site. Sorry del.icio.us.

If we ever do get a del.icio.us site, it would be fun, but alot of work. Useful? I'm not sure. I suppose it would depend on what it was used for.

Although I just checked out Furl. They totally have good advertising! I would maybe take the option of saving pages that might be deleted in the future! Awesome! So that perfect site that described how to make Queen Amidala's headdress, or maybe a favorite friends blog that might be cancelled later would be saved forever. Rock on! Furling sounds fun!

Setting into Clouds

Setting into Clouds, originally uploaded by Wonder Sighter.

Flickr beauty....n'est-ce pas?

Thing 10- Veni, Vidi, Wiki!

Just a bit of Latin humour. Hehe.
I watched the commoncraft video. Needless to say, if I could understand it without any sound, it is a pretty awesome video that easily explained this concept. Took a look at the different wikis. They were interesting, and to my slight annoyance, one would think that a book lover's wiki would edit their spelling. Hum. (aren't I a snot!) I hit up the 23 things on a stick wiki, and left my message on the motherwiki. (Beam me up Scotty!)

Wiki's are cool. I appreciate Wikipedia alot. Of course, everyone's heard of it. It is one of the blessed information sites that are out there on basically everything. Although being an academic, I know that you really have to make sure that the information is sited and is really accurate! Everyone who posts must give a bibliography of places where they collected their information! It is not intended as an academic resource! Teachers, please. Let your kids collect their own information, from somewhere scholarly (LIBRARY!)

(Not like anyone cares, but in Classical Latin, all 'v's are pronounced as 'w'. Only in Medieval times did this change. Interestingly enough, English is one of the only romance based language to keep this influence with the word "wine". In French it is "vin" and in Spanish "vino". )

Thing 9

Have requested access to the document to be allowed to edit it. Not sure how they are going to let me know if I'm allowed. hmm...

I received an email with link to edit the docutment through Google Doc Editor. It was a very interesting thing to do. Although I felt it distasteful to mess around with a historical document (I was a history major once), I did leave a little edit. Unfortunately it will be taken as yelling. Although I think that is fine since TJ was threatening Britain. I'm sure back then England just laughed at our little angst ridden tirade. We are such a teenager compared to those adult european states.
As for Zoho Writer, it looked slightly more professional than Google's editing, but because I couldn't get permission to rewrite I didn't really get a first hand on experience with it. Although Zoho and Google both had really good instructions to learn how to use their programs. I really didn't like how Google's editor looked as one edited. I thought it was slightly messy and hard to understand what was being edited and how it looked. And since there were so many people playing with it, it was even more confusing what had been changed and what was original. (This could be scary if one was to think it was the orginal. Hopefully this won't be the copy that archeologists find in the future!)

Thomas Jefferson's probably rolling in his grave.

Thing 8

Wow! What a whole new world, to quote one of my favorite Disney movies!



I checked out about every tool. Including the list of 50 different tools to create many things. I really was amazed about the presentation and profile tools. I looked at so many I will have to go back to the "23 things" website and look them up again.
Well, to start I could see how the presentation and public files would be really beneficial if one was giving or wanted people to have access to the presentation or information they wanted to pass out. It could be used multiple places and by multiple people and then reviewed later if needed! So as long as people could find it and use it, i think these tools would have excellent uses for the library. As for photo displays, I think these have less of a business use and more of a personal use, but are still really nifty ideas.
I looked through the MN set up tool (replace with name later), and found that conveniently they had a prereq to see how computer savvy you were before you took a virtual tour of the site and how to set it up. It was 13 minutes long but very accurate and detailed. I enjoyed looking at the site very much and might use it in the future. If ever I needed a website to promote myself (resume, work, projects etc.) Since I am in school still and not quite out hunting for a career job, I don't think I will use it yet. :)
My interests lie in art, and inside those 50 tools were many different programs to make webcomics! So i definitely might be using those soon!

Thing 7--Tools of Library 2.0

Well...to tell the truth. Ho hum...
I belong to the generation that really started picking up these many tools as everyday things. I love email. I have 8 email addresses (no kidding). Email is very productive for libraries, for businesses, for everyday life. What would we be without it? It seems unfathomable. When a web server goes down and I can't access my email I feel like my connection to the world has been yanked away.
I have Im'd forever. It is used more for the younger generations that love to talk and talk for a long time and too as many friends as they can at once. And yes, I have seen it used for business many a time. My friend actually does her work on the computer logged onto three different IMs and emails, and through IMing her coworkers does her work after hours. It could be very well used for libraries also.
Web conferencing is very ingenious also and saves time for travel and also allows everyone to be more free about time and money. So all really good things.
Just not that novel to me.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
Although I am going to have alot of fun showing IM to my co-workers!

Thing 6

I suppose this could be a fun thing to add to a library website or perhaps for an event or program.

Thing 5: colrpickr--YELLOW

YELLOW, originally uploaded by hexion.

Makes you think of Spring doesn't it!

More Flickr

Lost in Translation, originally uploaded by CiaoChessa.

And yes, it would worry me to have everyone accessing my photos. But I do think it is the fastest way to share. I am not a big photographer and really suck at taking pics. So for me, I am without an comparison with what is better, Flickr or another site. Anyway, i don't know if I will ever used this. Maybe, if I ever get a camera. :)

More Flickr Pics

rb2, originally uploaded by nico*2006.

Thing 4 Flickr

Rose Macro, originally uploaded by Milwen.

I set up my flickr account very easily, because when I prompted it, it offered me to sign in through my Yahoo! account. Adding my blog was easy also. I don't know quite what that means, if people can access my blog through their pictures, but I guess after a little more research I could find out.

If you click on the blue link Rose Macro above it will take you to the original Flckr page, where the blue link Milwen's page is, since he is the orginal photographer.

It was rather tough to navigate through the very vague tags and groups, unless one already knew a group or photographer. I am going to search around for more pics to upload. I think this would be a good display to show people certain events or places, but only if they know the tag to access them. For instance, if I knew my library had a group like Chaska Library, I would be all set, but if not then I might be looking for awhile.

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Thing 3 RSS feed

Well, my RSS feeds are all going, and I love the fact that I can access them on my Google account page along with my blog. I am very frustrated with the fact I still cannot seem to be able to attact them into my blog. I learn about sharing and tabs and things that somehow don't show up on my RSS page. I really enjoy it alot and want to have it on my blog, it almost seems better than a link, sorta reducing the fact of clicking on the link and following it.
After some messing around and struggle I have finally figured out how to put two of my favorite author's journal's RSS feeds onto this blog. It is also very convenient to see on my RSS feed my co-worker's updates on their blogs.
I think RSS would be very convenient in the case of if there were blogs, journals and news that libraries or companies kept up, to keep track of what is going on. I have already 'friended' the HCL and St Paul Public library on Myspace, and the Myspace feeds and journal posting keep me on top of those two libraries news and events. So I think this would totally be to libraries' advantage.
I soon got used to looking for the orange RSS feed pic and usually websites had their URL to paste into my blogger's site. Very cool. Very neat. Now onto Thing 4.

Thing 3 started

RSS is very interesting and practical. I started up accounts on both recommended RSS programs, but have yet to transfer anything to my blog.

Thing 2

Library 2.o. Important and innovative.

After reading blogs, watching videos and getting a grand overview. I am very intrigued, but wary.

I find everyone's grand goal of changing the libraries basic culture very important and novel. But rather than overhauling the whole premise of a library and its meaning that has acculumated over decades, I would rather see small changes at first. For instance, the changing generations that were mentioned each have their unique qualities, but each generation has come to expect the same thing from the library. Even the younger children know what a library is and what it is used for.

Even if every library doesn't get a Wii.

Or has gaming night for the Teens.

If our library did, I would be so jazzed. I love Wii's. Check out Nintendo's site and watch all generations play this easy video game set-up. (It is also a good work out!)

http://www.nintendo.com/wii/

But overall, a library is for study and for resources. Not everyone, even younger generations want to have to download something everytime they need a resource.

I think Library 2.0 is a great idea, it is a different way at looking at things, and how libraries work together as a whole, especially inter-library. But I think before we barge into dramatic changes, to slowly follow in technologies footsteps. Because by the time one thing is new and innovative, the previous one has gone out the door. Like beanie babies and Tickle-Me-Elmos.

The Truth about Library Computers, and Virtual Libraries are cool, but not for me.

One of my only jobs is one that I rarely perform, but when I do, I am always in awe of what I find and clean. So I thought this was humorous, because it is so true.


I wouldn't like virtual libraries. Libraries are my retreats that I actually physically go to. I do too much online already and need an escape. It would be like having a virtual coffee shop. NO FUN! I love libraries for their existence as a physical entity. I love the people I interact with, the people that go. The way i get lost in the stacks, the CDs, and DVDs. Yes, it is a bit like flea store shopping, all that rough and tumble, I want it first kind of feel. I even love the smell of the library. I love how there is a coffee shop always next to them and how they don't prohibit food and drink. To me, I stare at a screen too much already. Give me flesh and blood books and people to help me in person, not on a chat, not somewhere in the vastness of cyberspace.

Thing 2 before I do Thing 2

As the world becomes more dependent upon technology and electronical sources of information, the library should in fact respond to this change by intergrating and incorporating these technological developments into the way libraries work.

This was said better when I first responded to Susan's quick notes when I asked her just 'what was Library 2.0.?' (she has outstripped me on things.)
Her thoughts were:
constant change
reaction to this change
people's response to the libraries would increase

And before I delve into this whole 'thing', I can foresee that yes, libraries should keep on track with technological developments and try to implement them into their systems, but at the same time, do this without compromising what a library is first and foremost meant for. Not everyone has a computer or knows technology well, due to some circumstance whether economic or age for example. Then in this case we must not fail our public by outstripping them in this field also.
Or we must provide alternative help or resources to those who do not understand this technology.

On a happier and less philosophical note. My co-workers have really cool avatars.
Check out my links on the side.

Otherwise, I have a school project that is proving just how fast Clicnet's interlibrary loan process is. I hope everything is in tomorrow!

Thing 1 cont'd

Aha, the fine type catches me again. I have finally added the final touches of Thing 1. I have added my avatar. After a thorough investigation of Yahoo Avatars page http://avatars.yahoo.com/ I have completed my export of my avatar. My personal instructions to the whole Avatar thing is to
1) Create one at the Yahoo page. I am not certain if this means one has to have a Yahoo account to create an Avatar. Have fun! Dress it up, make it crazy. I think it's hard to make one that looks like oneself.
2) To "export" ones Avatar to this blogger, there is an "Export" link in blue on the right side of the Avatar Home page. It is in the green grey box with a bunch of links, under Yahoo!Avatars in orange.
3) This will take you to the export page. Copy the html code which is displayed in the main box (it is the weird computer language code), or cut if you so desire.
4) Now. Log into your blog. Go to customize on your blog. On your customizing page of your blogger will be a dashed box saying Add A Page Element. Pick the HTML/ Javascript Link. Paste your previously copied HTML script.
5) Save and voila! An Avatar.

No folks, it doesn't blink, or make faces like it does on your Yahoo! account.
Thats about all.
Thanks to my coworker who helped get through the mass of information to the right direction!

Difficult Blogs

How hard is hard? Truly, this blog system is the worse. To navigate this system is like swimming through a piranha-infested Amazon jungle river. A strange new world and unfortunately my conquistador armor is filled with flesh eating fish.
I guess I'm not the only one. My co-worker, who had an interest in blogging started enthuistatically and then all plummetted downward. She said that 23 things on a stick made it seem easy and to her horror, the editing and blogging system google sets up was so discouraging that she completely deleted her blog. (I am trying to persuade her to continue to blog through a different system, xanga, myspace, livejournal, so that she can continue on her 23 things.)
So onward. Now I only have to figure out what Thing 2 is and then complete it. Hmm...
I'll go comment on my expert "blogging-23 things-crazy" co-worker's blog.

Thing 1

Mission complete.

It was the most difficult navigation of a blog page I have ever encountered. But since I have survived the ordeal...here it is.