23 Fin

Well, the fat lady has sung on this program, and while it is gratifying to finish (an MP3 player would be even more gratifying), I will miss this guide to discovering new useful websites that populate the ever-expanding expanse of cyberspace.

However, it has inspired me to be more proactive in searching out new sites on my own. Also, it has absolutely convinced me that I need to get high-speed Internet at home, because my snail-slow dial-up connection just doesn’t jive with some of the more exciting applications out there (like YouTube and Pandora.com).

I have grown up on computers. My dad got me my first Vic 20 (left) when I was 5. It had a whole 5 kilobytes of RAM. Then we got a Commodore 64 (64KB of RAM!), which also came with it’s own tape drive. Not a big ol’ floppy disk, and this wasn’t one of those more-ancient reel-to-reel magnetic tape recorders. You could just use an audiotape (like you would get your Blondie album on, only blank) and record some bleeps and hchckchkchcckhkhs (which you could play on a regular tape player... it sounded so much cooler than the Blondie album, but I was still a kid) that actually translated to a bunch of ones and zeroes, which actually meant something to the computer. This amazed me.

And how you have things like YouTube. This also amazed me. If something interesting in the world was recorded on video, odds are you can find it there. I haven’t searched for myself, yet. I’m kind of afraid of what I may find. (Were there camcorders at those college parties? Uh, not that there was anything I would ever be ashamed of going on. I just don’t want people to see how low my, um, Scrabble score was… Yeah, that’s it.)
I can only imagine how mysterious these technologies are to others not as familiar with technology as me. I think that one of the more rewarding parts of 23 Things is seeing some of my co-workers discover (and hopefully become more comfortable with) all the cool things there are out there. Even more rewarding would be an MP3 player. Then I’ll have to get high-speed Internet for sure!

Pandora Rocks

Whilst perusing the Web 2.0 award winners, I came across an awesome website, pandora.com. When I saw the site’s subtitle (“The Music Genome Project”), I knew I was onto something.

You can create a streaming music channel straight to your computer. Just select an artist you enjoy, and it will begin playing songs by bands with a similar style. You can give each song a thumb up or down, and the site will continually refine its selections based on your musical tastes.


You can also combine these different “artist” channels. For example, I mixed my channels for Sly & the Family Stone (right), The Beatles and Taj Majal. Then Pandora will randomly jump between these stations so you can get a nice mix of old funk, British rock and blues.

If that’s not you cup of musical tea, then you need better taste. I kid. That’s what’s great about this site. It will cater to your specific tastes. So what’re you waiting for? Go now!

2 Point Oh Yeah!

When thinking about Library 2.0, my thoughts centered on the presentation given by the architect who is working on the Sand Creek renovation and the new Falcon Branch. He showed many pictures of libraries that have been built or revamped recently, and I was very impressed by their use of their public space, and the way they built/adapted their buildings into their neighborhoods and their technology into the public space. It seems to me these integrations are important as libraries move forward to keep pace with our cities and ever-evolving technologies.

Advancements in tools such as WiFi and RFID are revolutionizing the way libraries distribute and track information. Also, keeping pace technologically is important in making to library relevant to a younger generation of patrons. With that in mind, we must still ensure the library is a place where older patrons feel comfortable and balance our acquisitions of entertainment media with educational materials (for example, DVDs of Hollywood hits vs. history books).

I just hope that the increase in technology doesn’t take away the human aspect of libraries. I believe it is very important to maintain a library’s status as a place for people to assemble and exchange ideas. This is crucial not just for libraries’ survival, but for the health of our country’s democracy as well.


All that said, it would be pretty cool if the next hire in one of departments bridged the gap between the old and new; someone who would be comfortable with advancing technologies, but with a personal, almost maternal, demeanor. The perfect choice? Rosie the Robot, of course (shown here performing a musical number in Funky Fairy Tales).

It's rant time

Although I can see the benefit to social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook and Ning, I am wary of the effect this type of socializing will have on people, particularly youth who haven’t learned to communicate effectively face-to-face.

Instead, they are communicating in a more artificial environment with people who may or may not be who they say. Even if their “friends” gave their correct name, gender and age, they can still alter their profile to seem like anyone they want. They may not be purposefully deceitful, but they create only personality sketches, mere shells of their actual selves.

And while it can connect people who never would have met before, it doesn’t have the energy and warmth of personal contact. There’s a reason it’s, “Eyes are windows to the soul,” and not “Boot up Windows, get online and find your soul mate.”

Additionally, limiting your contact to only those with similar interests, worldviews will continue to narrow. It seems that more and more that is a huge problem in society.

On the plus side, I love being able to hear music from obscure bands around the world. On MySpace, you can find myriad musical acts offering a free preview of their work. It is nice to be able to hear several songs of an artist (online, or of course from the library) before you dish out cash hoping more than one or two songs are worth a darn.

OK, I’m done venting. I almost sounded like a grumpy old man there for a minute. (“Those dang kids with their M-Pods and their IP3s, playing their X-Stations and PS-Boxes! Their nothing but a bunch of punks! Text-messaging punks!”)

I'm Glad It's Not Frowning

This has nothing to do with 23 Things. I just thought it was cool.

Here's a picture I stole from my brother's blog that he writes as the outdoors reporter for the Bradenton (Fla.) Herald. Not bad work for just a few sea gulls...

Thanks a lot, Things 10-12!

For Things 10-12, we were asked to visit three different websites.

Here are my thoughts on each:

LinkedIn.com: This is a networking site that enables you to connect with former classmates, but it has a distinct pro-college bias, as you could not search by high school. You could only search for colleges and universities. Like I need to feel worse about my lack of formal education. Looking at my paycheck this week was enough. Thanks a lot, LinkedIn! (Oh, sorry. Obviously I’m not bitter.)

LibraryThing.com: Through this site you can post your own recommendations on books. You can also find out what others with similar tastes are reading. It seems there’s not many people that listed both “The Anarchists’ Cookbook” and “Walter the Farting Dog.” In fact no one else shares my exact taste in books. Like I need to feel worse about by lack of like-minded peers. Looking at my empty e-mail inbox was enough. Thanks a lot, LibraryThing! (Still not bitter.)

Rollyo.com: When I was younger, “Roll your own” meant something completely different. While my lawyer advises me to not mention what it used to signify, it now means narrowing your Internet searches to a smaller list of trusted websites. Like I need to feel further distanced from my carefree youth. Looking at my crow’s feet in the mirror this morning was enough. Yo, Rollyo! Thanks a lot! (OK, maybe I’m just a little bitter....)

Oh, and my lawyer would also like me to mention that my recommended reading for LibraryThing, particularly the "cookbook," were made up in hopes of a cheap laugh. (I can't afford an expensive laugh.) I actually suggest “Confederacy of Dunces,” “What is the What” and “Lies My Teacher Told Me.”

Bring on Lucky Thing 13! Surely it won’t be as depressing as Things 10-12…

Number Nine.... Number Nine... Number Nine....

Number nine...

Number nine...

Number nine...

Number nine...

Oh, it seems Thing 9 doesn't have anything to do with "Revolution No. 9" from The Beatles' White Album. (Only 9/23rds of the way there!)

It is great that there are free services such as Bloglines. Many of these free sites are plastered with advertisements.

I don't recall seeing any ads on Bloglines, and am in fact going through commercialization withdrawals. I need quick fix….

Ahhh, that’s better.