CKG'S BLOG

Enter Sandman

2011-11-01T09:56:00.000-07:00

Lyrics | Metallica lyrics - Enter Sandman lyrics

The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg with an introduction by Lemony Snicket

2011-10-27T12:42:00.000-07:00

The Killer Is Dying by James Sallis

2011-10-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Three males converge:

Christian, Vietnam veteran, goes by the nickname he received while serving in Vietnam. A hired hit man with a terminal disease, Christian has a contract on John Rankin but someone else attempts to murder Rankin before Christian can shoot him. Already living longer than expected, Christian wants to understand the meaning of his life as a contract killer. “How many dead and dying men had he stood above or beside? And death, finally, wasn’t all that interesting. What was interesting, what never failed to surprise and amaze him, is the way life always holds on, whatever the circumstances, how it just won’t let go.”

Jimmie, abandoned by his parents, lives on the toys he buys and sells on the Internet, living a life he never expected to last. “At first he had waited, living off what was left, canned food, cereal, expecting someone to show up at the door, a neighbor school officials, police. But no one did. So then, still expecting to be exposed any day, he’d gone on to work with what he had. Now he found it difficult to imagine another life, another way of living.” Jimmie learns while living on his own that, “Your day needs structure.” He has built a life for himself by volunteering at the local retirement home and Mrs. Flores, his neighbor can be counted on in an emergency.

Detective Graves and Sayles are investigating the shooting of John Rankin. Sayles’ wife, Josie is dying and has gone into hospice care. Sayles says “Strength was not about overcoming things. Strength was about accepting them.”

Sayles is unknowingly looking for Christian, while Jimmie dreams about Christian’s memories.

James Sallis: Drive, currently in theaters and The Killer is Dying, his latest book, has a website: http://www.jamessallis.com/

Defensive Wounds by Lisa Black

2011-10-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

Theresa Maclean, forensic investigator, is called to the murder of the criminal defense attorney, Marie Corrigan, by a text from her daughter who has a summer job at the front desk of the famed hotel. The Ritz-Carlton in Cleveland is hosting a convention for lawyers when Corrigan is found in the presidential suite by housekeeping.
Not well liked, Marie Corrigan was not exactly mourned by the police community who nevertheless must investigate her murder while believing that her unethical behavior in the courtroom caused her death. Corrigan’s murder has many suspects as this police procedural looks for a killer amongst her personal and professional relationships.
Theresa, while pulling samples from the presidential suite where Corrigan was found tries to limit her daughter Rachel’s exposure to the grim aspects of the murder investigation when a second murder occurs. In this fourth book in the mystery series, Theresa and the homicide detectives, Kelly and Powell, try to figure out how the murder occurs in this new twist in the case of the locked room when there is no record of an electronic key issued.
Lisa Black has a website: http://www.lisa-black.com/

Married 32 Years!

2011-08-01T12:20:00.000-07:00

Ship them ASAP to Northern MN.

2011-08-01T12:17:00.000-07:00

Luke and Ethan

2011-07-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

Luke and Ethan give exuberant hugs!

Hotwire by Alex Kava, 2011

2011-07-25T12:19:00.001-07:00

Special Agent for the FBI, Maggie O’Dell, is sent to Nebraska to check out cattle mutilations on her way to teach at a law enforcement seminar. The x-file style of cattle mutilations becomes less important when high school students partying out in the woods, see a mysterious light show ending in the death of two students and injuries of others. Maggie with local state patrol investigator, Donald Fergusson, conduct interviews where the victims stories are hallucinogenic in nature. Were students attacked and electrocuted by governmental experiments or UFOS or something more sinister?
Army Colonel Ben Platt is investigating an outbreak of suspected food poisoning at a local school in Washington D.C. Platt, new- found friend of Maggie’s is just as stumped with the origin of the poisoning as Roger Bix, both experts on infectious diseases.
The two stories run parallel until the last few pages when suddenly the investigations shockingly merge. Hotwire is ninth in the Maggie O’Dell series. Alex Kava has a website: http://www.alexkava.com/

The Ranger by Ace Atkins

2011-05-25T13:54:00.000-07:00

http://www.aceatkins.com/

Red on Red by Edward Conlon

2011-02-17T14:01:00.000-08:00

Meehan and Esposito are NYPD detectives. Unlikely partners, Detective Garelick explains it best when he says that nobody got along with Esposito and no one really got along with Meehan, but the two of them – one Irish and one Italian worked well together and solved cases.
Meehan, introspective and distant, separated from his wife and living with his father not far from the job, has little to do outside of work. Esposito, flamboyant and brash, has a wife and children, and a life away from the city, but lives for the job.
Follow the detectives through their days of homicides, suicides, notifying families of death, gang violence and retaliation and sexual assaults. Solving the crime and making the results fit into tidy packages tied up for the prosecution was not always legally possible. Internal Affairs investigates, but Esposito and Meehan skate a fine line between legal and illegal arrests. At times both tragic and comic, this police procedural is recommended for its realism.
Edward Conlon, author of the memoir, Blue Blood writes his first fiction novel; many cops will recognize as a page from their life.
Thanks LibraryThing for giving me the opportunity to review this excellant book.

Dana Stabenow Alaskan Mystery series

2011-02-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

Kate Shugak, a native Alaskan ex-DA investigator, who lives on a 160-acre homestead in a generic national Park in Alaska with her half-wolf, half-husky dog named Mutt.
www.stabenow.com

A Cold Day for Murder (1992)

A Fatal Thaw (1993)

Dead in the Water (1993)

A Cold-Blooded Business (1994)

Play with Fire (1995)

Blood Will Tell (1996)

Breakup (1998)

Killing Grounds (1998)

Hunter’s Moon (1999)
Midnight Come Again (2000)

The Singing of the Dead (2001)

A Fine and Bitter Snow (2002)

A Grave Denied (2003)

A Taint in the Blood (2004)

A Deeper Sleep (2007)

Whisper to the Blood (2009)

A Night too Dark (2010)

Though Not Dead (2011)

Best mystery series about Alaska.

The anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor

2011-02-01T11:58:00.000-08:00

John Holdsworth, in the beginning of 1785, was a successful bookseller. Then in a series of unfortunate events, his world spirals downward into despair with the drowning death of his young son, Georgie. Then his poor wife, Maria, who can no longer bear the loss of her son, drowns herself. With the melancholy upon him, John Holdsworth loses his business and his home.
When a proposition to catalog a deceased gentleman’s library is presented, he regards the position with some distrust. Why hire him, when there are others equally qualified? Lady Anne Oldershaw does indeed have an ulterior motive in hiring him. Her son, Frank, while away at college, has seen the ghost of Mrs. Whichcote, which has completely unhinged his mind. John Holdsworth has written a smallish book, “The Anatomy of Ghosts” pointing out that there is no scientific evidence of ghosts. Lady Anne wants Holdsworth to save her only son, Frank and return him to her fully restored to his old self. John Holdsworth, to save Frank, soon realizes that he must find out what really happened to Mrs. Whichcote. Was her death suicide, an accident or was she murdered?
Andrew Taylor has a website: http://www.lydmouth.co.uk/

LibraryThing

2011-02-01T11:55:00.000-08:00

Go to www.librarything.com and check out the Early Reviewer Book program. I have read several books and reviewed them on the Library Thing Website.

More 4 Wheeling

2010-06-11T16:52:00.001-07:00

4 Wheeling: New sport for me

2010-06-11T16:35:00.000-07:00

Spring!

2010-04-10T05:53:00.000-07:00

Spring is here! Time to get out those bikes and golf clubs.

Mesabi Bike Trail: http://www.mesabitrail.com/

Tune up your bike: http://www.bicycletutor.com/

Golf in Minnesota: http://www.golfminnesota.com/

Golf Instruction: www.golf.com/golf/instruction

Foot in the Door 4 Entry

2010-02-18T18:05:00.000-08:00

Lake Superior in February

2010-02-18T17:58:00.001-08:00

New Art Quilts

2010-02-18T17:46:00.000-08:00

Best Mystery Reads of 2009

2010-01-13T09:47:00.000-08:00

Airth, Rennie, The Blood Dimmed Tide, 2009
Benn, James R., Evil for Evil, 2009
Bradley, Alan, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, 2009
Fowler, Christopher, Bryant and May on the Loose, 2009
Gruley, Robert, Starvation Lake, 2009
Lutz, Lisa, Revenge of the Spelllmans, 2009
MacBride, Stuart, Blind Eye, 2009
Penny, Louise, The Brutal Telling, 2009
Todd, Charles, A Duty to the Dead, 2009
Winspear, Jacqueline, Among the Mad, 2009

Hailey and Natalie: Big Sisters!

2010-01-13T07:06:00.000-08:00

Colin and Bethany, Proud Parents.

2010-01-13T07:05:00.000-08:00

New Additions to our Family. Ethan and Luke were born on September 21.

2010-01-13T07:03:00.000-08:00

Snow Angels by James Thompson

2010-01-13T06:51:00.000-08:00

I received this book to review by LibraryThing.
Inspector Vaara investigates the murder of a Somali film star in northern Finland on the edge of the Arctic Circle during winter. Finland, the land of the midnight sun in summer, depresses everyone in December, where daylight is a memory and the temperatures are well below zero.
Sufia Elmi, mutilated and murdered, causes much consternation with Inspector Vaara when he finds out his former wife lives with their main suspect, Seppo Niemi. Gritty and dark, the weather and the lack of sunlight adversely affect the people living there. Heavy drinking, suicide and family violence are frequent. Some Finnish phrases and the description of the Sauna are very familiar to my own background with great – grandparents who came over during the early 1900s.
Snow Angels is the first in a series by James Thompson, an American, who has lived in Finland for the last 10 years. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Sherlock Holmes, watch the trailer, go see the movie.

2010-01-13T06:45:00.001-08:00

Consumer Electronics Show

2010-01-12T12:39:00.000-08:00

http://ces.cnet.com/8300-31045_1-269-0.html?tag=mncol

For the owner of an Ipod Touch, the Itype was a wonder.

Sometimes you might need a YoGen.

Ipod Touch APPS: Games

2009-10-29T13:39:00.000-07:00

Nick Chase, a hard-boiled Private Investigator, is in need of a job. Lucky for him, one arrives from a man known only as The Collector. Solve a variety of puzzles and find hidden clues to uncover the mystery behind the missing manuscript penned by Leonardo Di Vinci. Explore gorgeous hand drawn scenes with a gritty film noir style in this one of a kind Adventure game where everyone is a suspect! Reads like a graphic novel.
On Itunes and created by Big Fish Games.
First game I have tried on ipod. Currently .99

More Pictures from Hazeltine

2009-08-26T05:22:00.001-07:00

Pictures from the PGA at Hazeltine

2009-08-26T05:06:00.001-07:00

Minnesota Quilters: Great lake Great Quilts

2009-06-14T18:57:00.000-07:00

Close ups of all the quilts give a better idea of the quilting.

Great Lake Great Quilts and more

2009-06-14T18:48:00.000-07:00

Minnesota Quilters: Great lake Great Quilts

2009-06-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorites from the quilt show.

My Dock Pict.

2009-06-14T18:16:00.001-07:00

Everyone has a summertime dock pict and here is mine.

More Art Quilts

2009-06-07T18:18:00.001-07:00

Art Quilts

2009-06-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

This quilt was on display last year at Ironworld.

New Directions for CKG'S Blog

2009-06-07T06:03:00.000-07:00

I started blogging for 23 Things on a Stick and More Things on a Stick. Things is a Minnesota program for librarians to learn Web 2.0 tools. Now that the programs are finished, I will be blogging about things I do. First up is art quilts I had on display at the Lyric for May's fishing opener: Open Water.

Art Quilts on Display at the Lyric

2009-06-07T05:52:00.000-07:00

Art Quilts

2009-06-07T05:48:00.001-07:00

Art quilts I had on display for the exhibit in May.

Joanna Connor will be at Ironworld Jun 13

2009-05-14T11:36:00.000-07:00

I watch the MN Twins

2009-05-02T16:44:00.001-07:00

Thing 47 At Last!

2009-04-21T09:16:00.000-07:00

And now we are down to the last thing, the evaluation.
I enjoyed working through all the things – some more than others, of course.
Highlights: anything to do with Twitter was interesting, I enjoyed working with Flickr and trying out the different sites to manipulate the pictures such as changing a few pictures with BigHugeLabs into a Warhol style picture. Any new sites about books were a hit. I liked adding apps to Igoogle – always more to choose from. I am not interested in social sites, but I will remain on Facebook. I have been on Twitter since 23 Things and that is my favorite. I really have no reason to view all social sites from one app like FriendFeed, but they probably work for many people.
Lowlights: Not really any one category. If I couldn’t figure out a website in the first few minutes, I moved on since there were so many to choose from. In some instances, I may not have given the app or website a fair chance. But, others I got caught up in and then realized that they would still take too long to figure or I couldn’t see myself using them again. One site – maybe Jing? – downloaded software that started up each time I turned on the computer and then I would have to turn it off – so I got rid of that. Screentoaster worked much better with no downloads.
I will be able to use what I have learned at Hibbing Public Library and in my personal life. I have thoroughly enjoyed working through 23 Things and More Things on a Stick. Thanks to everyone one who made Things possible.

Thing 46 WebJunction

2009-04-20T15:46:00.000-07:00

The most useful thing about Web Junction is the classes. I have taken Webinars in the past but never formally signed up. Being able to take free 1 hour sessions without leaving the building as well as all day sessions over at Arrowhead Library System has many advantages - especially in these days of dwindling staff and budgets.
I recently attended the class on Reference in the Electronic Age at ALS and enjoyed the class and the presenter.
The next class I am taking is Taking the Fear out of Business, an hour session by Webinar.

I will continue to take the classes, now that I have signed up and will receive newsletters.

Thing 44 Economy

2009-04-19T18:26:00.000-07:00

1. Most people don't realize that you must always spend less money than you make. With this in mind, mint.com and whatbills.com are two ways to manage finances. Online banking and using software like Quicken make money management so much easier. Checking is updated very quickly - no longer is it necessary to wait a month to balance your checkbook or even use checks anymore.
2. Two of my favorite sites are Mashable and Lifehacker because they are so good for many ways to improve you life.
3. Dumblittleman.com can be used to improve your life in general, but the site also has the following articles to improve your finances: 20+ ways to get rid of your debt for good and How to use the bad economy to get in shape.
4. Use online banking, coupons, shop sales, and look at websites like unclutterer.com to control your spending and buy what is necessary by not shopping to excess and cluttering your life with excessive things.
We may have no control over the economy, but there are many things we can do to fix the finances in our personal lives and survive the recession.

thing 45 In the Clouds

2009-04-05T15:22:00.000-07:00

Go to any computer anywhere and check your email, your calender, your stock portfolio, your maps, your reader and your social networks. If necessary, you could work on a spreadsheet, presentation or document. No longer are you limited to your computer at work, at home or even bringing your materials on a flashdrive.
What is not to love? In times of disaster you can retrieve your files from a external hard drive or a "hard drive" in the clouds.
I can go onto Igoogle and check eveything from email to my calender to Twitter. I keep a list of my books on LibraryThing and I can keep my favorite websites bookmarked. I can catch up with my friends on Facebook and upload my pictures to Flickr.
Most of us are using more and more cloud applications and really liking it!

Thing 43 Hulu is as good as a DVR

2009-04-03T17:25:00.000-07:00

I have been using Hulu for a while now. I used it to catch up on episodes of Bones and Fringe that I had missed earlier. If you had to choose between paying for an Internet connection and cable or satellite T.V., Hulu makes the decision easier when you can keep up on the television shows you like. Hulu is also good for watching shows you may have missed the first time around. For instance, I was too young to watch Alfred Hitchcock presents, but now I am fascinated by Alfred's introductions to the episodes and the episodes are creepy. I also added Hulu to my Igoogle page. A high speed connection is still necessary but Hulu is as good as DVR or TIVO. No longer are you held hostage to the television schedule: watch on your own time by using Hulu.

Alfred Hitchcock presents Waxwork

2009-04-03T17:06:00.000-07:00

Thing 42 My Radio Station is all about Classic Rock!

2009-04-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

Have been using Itunes exclusively. I signed up for Last.fm and embeded on my blog. I chose Santana as one radio station and Eric, Clapton, Dire Straits and Joe Cocker were similar groups because of the era and the emphasis on guitar. I also tried Led Zeppelin and The Doors, Steppenwolf, Cream and Creedence Clearwater Revival were linked together. I think that Internet radio could replace broadcast because of the ease of use. Most people prefer to listen to more than the top 40, classical or country western music.
I started out with choosing a couple of rock and jazz bands I liked and Last.fm sticks them in a radio station.
I also signed up for Blip.fm. I first heard about it on a Net@night Podcast with Leo LaPorte and Sarah Lane. Blip.fm is set up like Twitter. Just choose a few groups and they give you followers with similar tastes.

Thing 41 Mashup My Life

2009-03-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

I can't decide if updating my sites to one page is helpful or not. I tried Perssonas and it worked fine. I don't think it's necessary if you belong to just a few groups. I use Flickr more as a place to organize my pictures to post to my blog. I enjoy Twittering for myself and the library. I use Facebook and probably check in twice a day. I have found that some people clog up my Twitter pages with too many posts and I have had to quit following them. Also on Facebook, if a friend is into too many games, etc., they can also fill up your Facebook page.
It makes me wonder how secure these sites are and if your passwords and sites can be compromised with viruses or malware.

Thing 40 Mashups: Let's Have Cake

2009-03-28T16:38:00.001-07:00

Let's Have Cake, originally uploaded by ckgs2008.

I looked at a few under each category. Most were interesting (Wheel of Food and Walkable); some were nasty (Mashface); and some were funny (Let me Google that for you). I used BigHugelabs and the Warholizer, uploaded a picture to Flickr and used the setup to upload to CKG's Blog.
We could do similar mashups to send pictures of library events to the library blog to promote the library.
I like mashable.com to find everything mashable on the web.

Thing 39 Digital Storytelling

2009-03-22T18:04:00.000-07:00

I spent the most time deciding on a theme. I uploaded pictures from our vacation on a Caribbean Cruise two winters ago to Flickr. I used Scrapblog and quickly found a theme for Caribbean Cruises. Adding the pictures was easy and very little writing was required. I am not into scrapbooking so to find a theme that fit made this thing seem easy. If you were really into scrapbooking, hours could be spent choosing every thing from backgrounds to stickers and text. Digital storytelling would be a great way to advertise programs or exhibits at the library.

Thing 39 Digital Storytelling: Cruising the Caribbean

2009-03-22T18:02:00.000-07:00

Thing 38 ScreenToaster MnLink

2009-03-20T18:01:00.001-07:00

Free online screencasting tool

Thing 38 Screencasting

2009-03-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

I used Screentoaster after reading through and downloading Jing and looking at Screenomatic. I showed how to use advanced search on MnLink and with a little bit of practice, I think I could make it smooth enough to use on the HPL library website. Screentoaster was easy to use, by just signing in and pressing alt s to start and alt s to pause, then going back to screentoaster to stop and finish up the details, this was the easiest to use. Jing required too much effort to use. A microphone is a must to explain the screens as you go and add further tips. Libraries could also use screencasting to show how to search for books and other information on their own websites.

Thing 37 Photos with Captions

2009-03-08T17:16:00.000-07:00

I thought Animoto was easy to use. I tried a couple of things in each category. I liked adding captions to pictures and put one on the side bar. The Image Mosaic Generator worked easily.
Library staff can take pictures of library events and programs; put them into a slideshow; add captions and use to make up blog posts, fliers and bookmarks. I liked using the photo apps with Flickr and with vacation pictures I had stored on my laptop.

Thing 37 Animoto 2

2009-03-08T15:35:00.001-07:00

Thing 37 Animoto

2009-03-08T15:32:00.001-07:00

Thing 36 and Here's the comic

2009-03-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

http://stripgenerator.com/strip/212605/

I liked this stripgenerator - one of the easiest I tried.

Thing 36 Unshelved comic strip

2009-03-07T11:43:00.000-08:00

Thing 36 What works at the Library

2009-03-07T11:15:00.000-08:00

I liked Notepad Generator to organize the workday. TimeToast, graphs, charts, printable paper could be helpful in a library setting.
Still working on the comic - I had a comic and lost it before I could post it to my blog. I will try again. Just posted the Tag Cloud. Those are always fun. Most of the generators are fun but not too useful.
Image and PDF converters would be handy when you need a picture or document in another format.
The citation generators would be helpful to anyone writing up a paper and the library could send students to this site.
PDF generators have been used by the library in the past.
Comic strips in libraries is a quick way to get information across in a humorous manner.

Clouds and clouds of words

2009-03-07T11:14:00.001-08:00

created at TagCrowd.com

Thing 35 Books, Ebooks, Audiobooks, oh my!

2009-02-27T17:19:00.000-08:00

We read books like we always have, but now we can also listen to audiobooks - very popular with library users and we can download ebooks to an mp3 player or email.
Book 2.0 materials can only enhance the reading experience. Meet authors and their books through blogs, author websites and book review sites. Find more books to read with "What do I read next?" Keep track of what you are reading with sites like LibraryThing and Goodreads. Get a daily dose of literature by sending pages a day to your email site with Dailylit. Carry many books with you on vacation with a Zen, Ipod or Kindle.
You can be part of a online book community and have book discussions with people around the world.
I looked at many Book Sites. If the site didn't load quickly, I skipped it. If the site took too long to figure out how to use, I skipped it. Some sites that were interesting, loaded quickly, were easy to operate and were appealing are the following: Dailylit, Twitterlit, What should I read next, LibraryThing (already using), Book Calender(sent to an RSS Feed), Readerville(Watchmen also a movie,was one of the featured books), Book Glutton(The name interested me), and One Minute Book Critic, BookBrowser and Metacritic(also film, music, games and DVDs.
I use DorothyL for mystery reviews, Stopyourkillingme.com for mystery series, the Rapsheet Blog for everything to do with mysteries and Noir of the Week.

Thing 34 Ask me a Question and I will answer.

2009-02-26T17:14:00.000-08:00

The reference desk is not a physical entity but a concept. Reference questions can and should be answered in libraries, on websites and by experts in a particular field. Reference work is steering people to the right information whether the information is in the library or on a website.
The Internet has revolutionized the reference answer. Instead of waiting weeks for information that could not be answered by a reference book or materials in a library, now information can often be found quickly and efficiently by specialized websites, subscription databases, and library catalogs like Worldcat and MnLink. We can answer questions in person, by phone, email and answer sites. We can participate in Slam the Boards to remind people that librarians are still out there and available to answer questions.
People want convenience and speed. Many people can answer quick questions themselves but librarians are there to guide and educate people as to where they can find the best websites to find the best answers.

Websites I liked for quick questions: Snappyfingers(catchy name) and Mahalo, started by Jason Calacanis, a frequent contributor to "This Week in Tech" with Leo LaPorte.
With the time constraints we have in our work environment, I do not have time to "Slam the Boards" but if it gives publicity to libraries, I am all for reminding the public that the library is available to answer their questions.

Thing 33 Travel 2.0

2009-02-22T14:35:00.000-08:00

My favorites: Lost Girls, My Kugelhopf and Virtual Tourist. Lost Girls good pictures, candid posts and interesting places; My Kugelhopf - I like the recipes. Virtual tourist: pick a category and a city - alot of interesting information.
I would use my own blog to blog about a trip, but Mapness would be helpful when you want to interface with Google maps.
Reference questions on trip planning can be answered with many of the sites listed in Thing 33. Tripadvisor.com and gusto.com lists pricing and travelogues. Hotspotr listed plenty of WIFI locations for Duluth and Minneapolis, MN.

Google Map

2009-02-22T09:45:00.000-08:00

View Larger Map

Thing 32 MyMap

2009-02-22T09:34:00.001-08:00

I used Hibbing MN and added in a few locations of special interest and links where available:
Hibbing Public Library
Bob Dylan Family Home
Greyhound Bus Museum
Caribou Coffee
Sammy's Pizza
Zimmy's
Mesabi Bike Trail
I linked the Google Map to my blog.
Libraries can use the mymap feature on their websites to help people locate the library. Any type of historical walking tour would be a helpful link for tourists visiting your community.

Thing 31, Twitter some more

2009-02-20T17:01:00.000-08:00

Cherylkay lists my interests: golf, podcasts, mysteries in book and tv form, and art quilts. I am at the stage where I am a microblogger. I look at Twitter as a slice of life. I like to comment on the books I am reading, websites I like, things I am doing and now I learned how to post pictures. I have found all kinds of interesting people on Twitter. I am interested in everything people post. Twitter is my most favorite social networking tool.

Twitpic Lake Superior

2009-02-18T18:51:00.001-08:00

Thing 31 Twitter, Twitter and more BeTwittered

2009-02-18T18:23:00.000-08:00

I have spent a couple of hours and barely made a dent in the Twitter Apps.
I use BeTwittered in my Igoogle pages. By looking at Tweet Effect, I have loyal followers.
I looked at Tweetscan and Twitter packs and will look at again when I feel like adding more followers. I currently have 196 followers and am following 246. Many of the people I follow add links, so I will try to add more links to items that interest me and may be of interest to others. I try to twitter at least once a day. With adding links in mind, I added a couple of pictures I took the last time we went up the north shore of Lake Superior and used Twitpic to post pictures. I will definitely use Twitpic again. I also added Twittergadget to my Gmail account. I am following people with similar interests and hobbies. I post from the computers at home and at work, so haven't posted from email or cell phones yet. Twitter is my favorite social networking site because it is fast and I find posting with 140 characters a challenge.
Signed up for Just Tweet it Directory:
cherylkay
Twitter URL: http://twitter.com/cherylkay
Drink caribou coffee, chai and black tea; golf, read alot of mysteries and thrillers, construct art quilts, casual biking, watch old Thin Man and Sherlock Holmes movies, listen to T.W.I.T podcasts, and love the TV series: The Closer and True Blood.

More to follow.

Thing 30 RSS and Delicious

2009-02-17T16:55:00.000-08:00

I have RSS feeds going to: Google Reader, Internet Explorer Favorites and my Outlook Email account. Some of the RSS feeds include: Twit Tv, Dumb Little Man, Weather, Life Hacker, Unclutterer, Librarianinblack and others. I look at them regularly and read headlines. No organization required! Also follow several blogs and read my email daily.
Delicious: just the bookmarking, looked at the other possibilities but no need for them at this time.
I would use Delicious if I was doing research as a way to gather and organize articles and websites.
I use Igoogle for my Bookmarks, blogs, some of the RSS feeds.
Library: Use Rss feeds and Delicious to keep up on materials related to Library profession. Blogs are also good for keeping up to date on library topics; Dewey Blog for catalogers -ddc.typepad.com.

Thing 29 More googling with tools

2009-02-16T14:54:00.000-08:00

Google alerts: Bob Dylan was the first I tried. We have an exhibit at Hibbing Public Library. Google alerts also work well for companies you invest in, hobbies and sports or anything that may interest you.
Google news: Have been using this tool for years.
Gmail: I have used regulartly since 23 things.
SearchWiki: I don't really have an interest in using feature or can see where it would be useful without being somewhat redundant with other tools I am already using.
Web History: Helpful when answering reference questions but can be as much as a problem as putting your name out on social networks. You may as well become resigned to the fact that there is no privacy on the internet, so do not put anything out there that you would not want your mother to read.
The Calendar would be useful for group projects in any type of work situation or event planning.

Thing 28 Igoogle

2009-02-13T12:41:00.000-08:00

I have set up Igoogle to do the following:
Homepage: top news stories of the day with CNN, Fox News, USA today, Wikipedia search engine, my gmail account, weather, movies, Utube, phases of the moon, How stuff works; Links to Blogger, calendar, maps, finance, etc.
Next page: Business with the current stock values for the stock club I belong to, top business stories of the day and a news scroller.
Next Page: Cooking with links to several cooking websites and search engines for recipes.
Last page is the Google reader where I have links to Twitter, Librarything, bookmarks for favorite websites, new book releases, sticky notes where I can write notes to self, Places to visit, Lifehacks search box, links to a couple of blogs like Zen Habits and 43 Folders, maps and a link to the Hibbing Public Library website.
Igoogle would be useful to link to websites for ready reference and other information you would use often.
Overall, I find Igoogle very convenient to use with any computer and many of the gadgets listed above work well with few glitches.

Other Things

2009-02-13T07:51:00.000-08:00

In the past week, I have tried and removed gadgets. Some didn't work well (Stock Ticker) and some were not well presented. I did go back and add Odiogo. Changed some pictures and put gadgets in different places. I will continue to add and subtract Gadgets that seem redundant or do not work well.

Thing 27 Twitter

2009-02-13T07:38:00.001-08:00

I have been using twitter since 23 Things.
User Name: Cherylkay
I started by following golf, art quilters and mixed media artists and people associated with Leo LaPorte and This Week in Tech: Veronica Belmont, Kevin Rose, Jason Calacanis, John C. Dvorak and Cali Lewis. I am now following 242 and being followed by 190. I seem to have ended up with alot of marketing people lately. I really like the microblogging - doesn't take alot of time and I am interested in what others post. Not many friends or family or fellow workers on Twitter so I follow things that interest me. Alot of information is available by just clicking on the links - usually made available with Tinyurl.
I looked at the additional features for Twitter and now have a new background and added Twitter to CKG's Blog.
I will be taking over the Hibbing Library Twitter account in March.

Badges

2009-02-08T17:51:00.001-08:00

Thing 26, NING

2009-02-08T17:36:00.001-08:00

I joined Ning: 23 Things on a Stick during the first round. I updated my profile, added some pictures and added a blog post, replied to discussion, "Are you on Twitter" and the discussion where do you find the time to work on Things. I added the badge to CKG's Blog. I joined NCLC Connections but do not have time to join other groups on Ning right now but joining groups with common interests: personal or work would have value.

Things 25

2009-02-08T12:27:00.001-08:00

This thing could take weeks. I have already spent several hours and looked at the following photo websites: Picassa, resizeimage.org, pixenate, and Flickr. Also looked at Gvisit (put a map on my blog) and Voxme(just listened to voice but didn't add anything in this catagory.
I finally uploaded some pictures of Lake Superior to Flickr. Any picts that I had put on my blog also show up on Picassa. I used resizeimage.org as I stated previously and tried a few picts on pixenate just to see how it works.
Signed up for Ask500people because I liked the look and the example on the home page.
Sign up for Apture and added a Pict and a video about Lake Superior to my blog which goes with the theme of picts I put on Flickr.
Looked at the social and comment tools but not interested in adding or participating since Facebook and Twitter already have my attention.
If the home page of a site looked too wordy, text small - it didn't look appealing enough to read further. So many choices were offered that I went with the cleanest sites. Google's influence has rubbed off on me.
To Recap, I have added the following to my blog: new picts., new avatar, Apture, Flickr, 5 top movies, stock ticker with stocks from my investment club, news reel, subscribe to feature and Mapping the visitors with Gvisit.

Mapping the Visitors

2009-02-08T11:17:00.001-08:00

http://www.gvisit.com/map.php?sid=628926fb74322a40558ce1eddf375b88

Thing 24 Cont.

2009-02-07T18:53:00.000-08:00

I changed the template of my blog, changed my avatar to show that I am standing on a fairway with a new laptop. I added a few new pictures and new gadgets. I also skipped ahead to resizeimage.org and used it to narrow the background behind the title: CKG'S blog.

Thing 24

2009-02-07T07:57:00.001-08:00

I have managed to blog about mysteries I have reviewed for LibraryThing over the past few months. I enjoy telling people about interesting websites I have looked at and books I have read and liked. I found a few other blogs to read and put on Igoogle so they are easy to find and read: Be... Dream... Play...
Euro Crime
Fiber Art Calls for Entry
Jeanne Williamson
LOL: The Life of Leo
PaMdora's Box
Quilting Arts Blog
studio 78 notes...
The Diva Dishes
The Naked Truth about Liter...
The Rap Sheet
Travels with Children
I sometimes comment on other blogs and really enjoy reading what other people post.

Twitter

2008-12-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

Do you use Twitter?
Check out 15 Twittery Things For Your Holiday Enjoyment by Jimmy Rogers.
http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/15-twittery-things-for-your-holiday-enjoyment/

Snoop: what your stuff says about you

2008-12-27T11:50:00.000-08:00

Sam Gosling writes a fascinating book about a research project he started while a graduate student at UC Berkeley and continued while teaching at the University of Texas. By snooping through a person's stuff, Gosling and his students look for clues that reveal personalities and quirks of individuals by the things they collect.

Articles from Dumb Little Man

2008-11-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

Dumb Little Man has interesting articles.

Can you trust what you read online?
http://www.dumblittleman.com/2008/10/can-you-trust-what-you-read-online-five.html

And check out:
Eight ways to increase your energy:
http://www.dumblittleman.com/2008/10/eight-ways-to-increase-your-energy.html

The Victoria Vanishes, continued

2008-10-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

I am embarrassed to say that I incorrectly listed the Victoria Vanishes as the fifth book in the Bryant and May series - it is really the sixth - and I should know, I have read every one of them. I am also honored to be corrected by the author himself - I just wish he would write the books faster.

The Victoria Vanishes by Christopher Fowler

2008-10-16T09:35:00.000-07:00

Another book from LibraryThing Early Reviewer Program.

I am currently reading the sixth book, The Victoria Vanishes, in the Bryant and May series. I enjoy reading about London's Peculiar Crimes Unit and all the eccentric characters that work in such an obscure branch of the Home Office.

The story begins with the murder of a woman in a bar then moves on to Arthur Bryant giving the eulogy for Oswald Finch, chief coroner, who was set to retire but instead died under his own examination table. Bryant promptly loses Finch’s urn and another woman dies in a pub, thereby setting the PCU on their next case.

The Peculiar Crime Unit Series is one of my favorite series. I love the characters, the descriptions of people and places in London, and the ingenuity of Bryant, May and colleagues in solving crimes. I hope to read many more books in the PCU series.

To see more books by Christopher Fowler, check out his website:
www.christopherfowler.co.uk

Goodreads.com

2008-10-14T07:59:00.001-07:00

School 2.0

2008-10-04T11:52:00.000-07:00

Some of the interesting web applications to check out from webinar School 2.0:
www.gliffy.com will do flow chart and floor plans.
www.toondoo.com: Make up comics by selecting layout, backgrounds, people and write the captions.
www.animoto.com : Put in your images and sound and the program analyzes pictures and edits the music for you.

Mr. White's Confession by Robert Clark

2008-09-26T12:04:00.000-07:00

I missed this book the first time around. Mr. White's Confession has been reissued by Picador and my name was chosen from the Early Reviewers Program on LibraryThing.
Here is the review:
Detectives Wesley and O’Connor investigate the murder of a young dance hall girl in 1939, St. Paul, Minnesota. Mr. White comes into their list of suspects while taking pictures of another dance hall girl, Ruby. Unfortunately for Herbert White, his memory is somewhat impaired and the only way he can remember what he did in the recent past is to keep a scrapbook of current events along with a journal of what he does on a daily basis.
The detectives are amazed when he openly admits that he can’t remembering killing the girl and doesn’t think he is capable of killing someone. The detectives regard him with suspicion but don’t have enough evidence to arrest him. Mr. White’s Confession received an Edgar award for best novel in 1999.

Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland

2008-09-20T12:41:00.001-07:00

Second book I have received through the early reviewers program from LibraryThing.

Elizabeth Phoenix, ex-cop and psychic, arrives too late to save her foster mother Ruthie. With her dying breath, Ruthie tells Elizabeth “When I’m gone, it’s up to you. The final battle begins now.” With that last statement, Elizabeth, along with chief suspect and ex- lover, Jimmy Sanducci, start a race to defeat evil in the form of werewolves and other supernatural beings. First in the Phoenix Chronicles, look for the second in the series in May 2009. For more on other books by Lori Handeland: www.lorihandeland.com

SwitchAbit

2008-09-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Trying out switchAbit:

switchAbit, a free social syndication tool, offers the tools to create multiple “switches” for all your cool tools. So you can, say, upload a photo on Flickr, then have a link or thumbnail of it show up on your Blogger, Twitter, and your Facebook page. You can leave the syndicating switches always on, or head over to switchAbit to manually turn them on and off.

Library Thing

2008-08-08T08:50:00.000-07:00

I received my first FREE advance copy from their early reviewers program.
Here is the review:

White Nights
By Ann Cleeves
Exotic location, art and murder: White Nights by Ann Cleeves shows the Shetland Islands to advantage with a murder mystery where the summer sun never sets.
Inspector Jimmy Perez, first introduced in Raven Black, is a thoughtful perceptive man who questions Biddista residents and teases out information while slowly building a picture of the stranger who was killed shortly after leaving a Herring House art exhibition featuring Bella Sinclair famous local artist and Fran , immerging artist and Inspector Perez’ new girlfriend.
For more on Ann Cleeves see her website: www.anncleeves.com

Twitter

2008-08-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

I have met many new and interesting people since joining Twitter while working through"23 Things on a Stick." I follow 81 people and 54 people follow me. Art, wine, tech, golf - many golf people twitter and even friends and family follow me and are followed by me. If you haven't joined, it's time to take a look: www.twitter.com

DorothyL

2008-07-03T14:53:00.000-07:00

I have been a member of DorothyL for many years. If you like to read mysteries - all mysteries, any mystery, this is the site for you. Sign up for the newsletter and have it sent to your email.

Dumb Little Man

2008-06-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

Eye catching name, check out: http://www.dumblittleman.com/
I use a RSS feed, the website "provides a handful of tips that will save you money, increase your productivity, or simply keep you sane." Recent articles were about: 18 most valuable parts to success and 7 websites you must check out before going on vacation.

New Look

2008-05-29T11:29:00.001-07:00

I chose a new template and banner. I think I like these.
Sign up for Twitter and follow me.

Mystery Writers Talk

2008-05-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

Just heard the following mystery writers talk at the Arrowhead Library System dinner: Carl Brookins, William Kent Krueger, and Ellen Hart.
Their website is www.minnesotacrimewave.org where you can sign up for a newsletter and see upcoming events as well as a list of the books they have written.
Resort to Murder is a list of short mystery stories centered around resorts in Minnesota in which the Minnesota Crime Wave and some of the friends contributed stories.

Webinar

2008-05-06T13:38:00.000-07:00

Keeping up with "23 things on a stick" by taking the Webinar: Teaching old services new tricks: Integrating Web 2.0 Trend. Podcasting would be beneficial for library services by incorporating tours and information about doing research at the library.

Webware 100 winners for cool web 2.0 apps.

2008-05-03T07:46:00.000-07:00

http://www.webware.com/html/ww/100/2008/winners.html

Zenhabits

2008-04-25T12:57:00.000-07:00

While looking through the blog: Librarianinblack, I came across a new website for me.
http://zenhabits.net/ which has good articles on many things. To name a few:
12 Ways to Decompress after High Stress
The Three Secrets to Happiness
Are Your Days Crazy? Take Control
Edit Your Life Part 1: Commitments
Edit Your Life Part 2: Your Rooms
Develop Clean House Habits One at a Time
How NOT To Multi-task: Work Simpler and Saner
Slow Down to Enjoy Life
Zen Mind: How to Declutter
Check them out.

Podcasts continued.

2008-04-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

http://discussions.mnhs.org/collections/?cat=1

Check out the podcasts at the Minnesota Historical Society.

What else did I learn today?

2008-04-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

From the same Velvet and Iron event, a professional organizer gave this advice:
Keep what you love
Keep what you need.
Get rid of the rest by donating to people and organizations who really need it.