The Frappy Report

Evening Update

2011-04-09T18:36:00.000-07:00

Pages Read: 472
Books Finished: Putting Makeup on Dead People and Looking for Alaska
Books Added: Great Expectations
Mini-Challenges Completed:5

I'll have a final update tomorrow. Good Night!

Looks Like My TBR Pile

2011-04-09T17:59:00.001-07:00

Art Project at the Library

Dickens For Dinner

2011-04-09T15:11:00.001-07:00

Afternoon Update

2011-04-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

Pages Read: 314
Books:
Midaq Alley by Naguib Mahfouz
Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
Out of the Ordinary edited by Noelle Howey and Ellen Samuels
Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jennifer Violi
Looking For Alaska by John Green (audio)

Participated in 3 Mini-Challenges

Morning Reading

2011-04-09T11:16:00.001-07:00

Dewey's Read-a-Thon Time Again!

2011-04-08T18:40:00.000-07:00

I will be participating in Dewey's Read-a-Thon again this year.

I have my books already picked: one audio, one young adult, one classic, one fluffy, and my reading group pick of the month.

And I'll be raising money for the Straight Spouse Network again. I'm pledging 5 cents for every page I read. Last year I read 501 pages. However, this year I do have to stop at 10 pm.

I need to get a good night's sleep, because I'll be reading at 8 am tomorrow!

The Great and Only Barnum

2010-09-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

"When entertaining the public, it is best to have an elephant." - P.T. Barnum

Candace Fleming has written an entertaining and award-winning children's biography of the showman, Phineas Taylor Barnum. While suitable for school projects, it's also a fascinating story for children (and even adults like me).

Fleming makes clever use of original documents to bring Barnum's story to life. The American Museum he created contained polar bears, the Feejee Mermaid, and the Siamese twins Chang and Ang. He combined real exhibits with humbugs (hoaxes) and let the public form their own opinion. His admission was so cheap (25 cents in 1842) that people from all walks of life could experience the wonders for themselves. Barnum is a man known mostly for his work with the circus, but that part of his career didn't even start until the last decade of his life.

Fleming does not shy away from discussing Barnum's flaws. He struggled with alcohol and he was distant from his family. He cared what people thought of him, so much so that he asked to have his obituary printed early so he could read it. He may have been larger than life, but he was also human as well.

Visitors to the American Museum expected to see this at the Feejee Mermaid exhibit.

But saw something similar to this instead.

A habit to be thankful for

2010-06-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

One of the earliest memories of my grandfather involves him sitting at the breakfast table, reading the newspaper. He read it from cover to cover; a good sports day required a back to front reading. He was a devoted Cubs fan, so those days were rare.

Therefore, it was no surprise that I would mimic the man I so admired and started reading the newspaper at about 5. At first, it was just the comics, but gradually I read the whole paper. I felt like such a grown-up, eating my cereal and getting ink on my fingers.

The Chicago Sun-Times gave me quite an education. I grew up in a fascinating city filled with history and intrigue, happiness and despair. I read political columns by Mike Royko and learned about film from Roger Ebert. I discovered that Billie Jean King was a lesbian and a serial killer was my neighbor.

The paper left me with a thirst for knowledge, outrage at injustice, and a desire to see the world. I even worked at a Florida newspaper for almost ten years. It seems like yesterday that I sat at that kitchen table with my grandfather, sharing the newspaper. I wish I could thank him for helping chart my course.

Everyone's Loss

2010-06-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

I just read Delia Lloyd's column about The Death of the Library. I hope it's a premature obituary because libraries are my livelihood.

I've heard the argument before: Google will render the librarian useless. But in this age of constant information, the need for someone to help you sift through the junk is even more apparent.

I'll never forget my first day at a very busy reference desk in a Pacific Northwest public library. An elderly woman handed me a slip of paper withURLs scrawled across it. Her doctor had rattled off these sites for her, to help her make a decision. She didn't even know how to use a computer, let alone pull up the information she needed. What decision did she have to make that very next week? Whether or not she should have a kidney transplant! The importance of my job really hit home that day.

For me libraries are the Great Equalizer. All are welcome: from homeless to millionaire, toddler to retiree. Your local library provides programs for all of these people, with shrinking budgets, hours and staff. If we lose our libraries, it's really a loss for us all.

My Love Letter

2010-06-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

I remember the day I became a Floridian like it was yesterday.

It wasn't the day I moved here. It wasn't the first Christmas I went swimming. It wasn't my four long high school years when I wished I lived anywhere cooler or the years I spent in college. It was in my 20's when I lived in Miami. I was driving back to St. Pete for the umpteenth time over Alligator Alley and I looked out the window. I saw the Everglades and finally saw Beauty. I felt this ache in my heart and this need to protect Her.

I am so sorry I let you down. I became complacent. I let others do my fighting. I became cynical and thought that your days were numbered, so why should I bother? I left you behind, like a jilted lover. I came back and kept my distance.

I hope it's not too late to protect you. I hope it's not too late to say I Love You.

I just wish you could answer back and tell me what to do.

Obsession or Single-Minded Determination?

2010-06-02T20:41:00.000-07:00

I flip through the pages of the paper and catch a glimpse at Obsession.

There's the boy who created 20,000 flash cards to prepare for the National Spelling Bee. I'm not sure I even know 20,000 words, let alone how to spell them. I was a finalist in the grammar school spelling bee, but my nerves caused me to flub such an easy word that I know I would crack under pressure way before I got to Laodicean.*

I read about Celine Dion and her crusade to have babies with her geriatric husband. That woman has devoted her life to bad music and Rene. I guess I should have seen it coming when she had her wedding veil stitched to her scalp. Nothing was going to stop her beautiful day or her beautiful life. Not a bleeding scalp or nature.

But part of me is jealous. I don't know if I've ever felt that passionate about anything. Is it obsession or single-minded determination? Is there even a difference? Perhaps if I collected 20,000 sentences I would have the book I'm supposed to be writing. Perhaps if I believed in myself as much as Celine believes in her destiny as a Mother I would be published.

It's easy to mock from the sidelines. But maybe, just for today, I'll relish in their resolution.

* 2009 Spelling Bee Winning Word

I Believe

2010-05-01T11:47:00.000-07:00

I believe that the Glass is Half Full.
I believe in a good cup of coffee and cheese.
I believe in G-d but not that I have to be in a Church to Pray.
I believe in the Long Ball and a Low ERA.
I believe in Love at First Sight and I believe in Heartache. Love makes you stronger, but heartache makes you a Warrior.
I believe in a good beat that's easy to dance to.
I believe that hard work is the key to almost anything.
I believe in Laughter.
I believe in my Integrity and speaking my Truth.
I believe in the Golden Rule.
I believe I have some good left to do in this World.
I believe you need to fight for others when they have no Voice.
I believe in My Voice.

Dewey's Read-a-Thon Wrap-Up

2010-04-11T15:31:00.000-07:00

I had a great time participating in this year's Read-a-Thon. Thanks to everyone who organized the event, held mini-challenges, cheered and donated prizes!

I had hoped to get more reading done, but I have fun blogging, cheering and doing the challenges. That made me feel like I was part of an event and not so isolated.

1. Which hour was most daunting for you? Definitely 3 am hour... I didn't make it, but I did come back for the last hour!

2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year? The Lightning Thief was great and the Chelsea Handler book was good for the late hours.

3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? No, everyone did a great job!

4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon? I loved the hourly updates

5. How many books did you read? Didn't finish any books, but read from 5

6. What were the names of the books you read?
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver (audio)
A Family Man by Elinor Lipman (audio)

7. Which book did you enjoy most? To Kill A Mockingbird

8. Which did you enjoy least? Switch...it's a good book, but I waited too long for a non-fiction book

9. If you were a Cheerleader, do you have any advice for next year’s Cheerleaders?
I loved this year's HQ page - definitely keep that

10. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time? I'll be here next time as a reader and a cheerleader!

Total Books: 5 (none finished)
Total Pages: 501
Total Mini-Challenges: 10
Total Hours Reading: 13
Total Hours Spent Cheerleading: 1
Total Hours Blogging and Doing Challenges: 5
Total Hours Breaking: 5 (3 1/2 hours of sleep - I had to work today!)
Total $$ Raised for the Straight Spouse Network: $100

Until next time!

I Made It To Hour 20

2010-04-11T00:14:00.000-07:00

But now I must get some sleep. I would try to power on, but I do have to work all day tomorrow. I've had a great time and I will wake up for the finish in a few hours!

Since last post I switched to back to audio and "read" for 2 hours and 60 pages.

Total Books: 5 (none finished)
Total Pages: 461
Total Mini-Challenges: 9
Total Hours Spent Cheerleading: 1
Total Hours Reading: 12

Hour 17

2010-04-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

I'm still hanging in there, but I've been tired this past hour. I switched to a lighter book, but with lots of laughs:

Total Books: 5 (none finished)
Pages Since Last Post: 94
Hours Reading Since Last Post: 2 1/2
Mini-Challenges Completed: 8
Total Hours Reading: 10
Total Pages: 401

My Movie Wish

2010-04-10T18:22:00.000-07:00

This hour's challenge is from Lydia:

Think of your favorite book – has it been made into a movie? If not (and maybe you’ll need to go to your 2nd favorite book and so on), tell me if you’d like to see it made into a movie and pick one character from the book and give me information on which actor you’d love to see cast in the part. Make your post as fun as possible, tell me why you think the movie would be amazing and why the actor/actress you chose would be perfect in the part!

This one is so easy for me! I have been wondering ever since I read

Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts

How is this not a movie?!?!?

It reads like a great adventure. Where else do you have a Zamboni driver becoming a star hockey player becoming a bank robber? Attila is a crazy, lovable drunk that you just can't help but hope will get away with his crimes.

I can see Colin Farrell or Gerard Butler in this role.

Halfway point!

2010-04-10T16:50:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it, but I've made it through twelve hours and I'm still energized and having fun!

Besides having fun, I'm using this Read-a-Thon as an opportunity to raise money and awareness for the Straight Spouse Network. So far, I've raised $100. If you would like to make a donation please put Dewey's Read-a-Thon in the comment field.

I haven't been reading the entire time - I've been taking breaks to participate in challenges and to post on this blog. For the next hour you won't be seeing me because I will be cheering on the other readers. Before I leave, here's my midpoint breakdown:

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now? The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
2. How many books have you read so far? Currently reading 4, but haven't finished any
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang by Chelsea Handler
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day? Nope, it worked out this time.
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those? I have had interruptions, but I'm being flexible and not letting it stress me out.
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far? How easy it's been to do this!!
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year? No, things have been great!
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year? Not sure yet, I'll know better at the end.
9. Are you getting tired yet? NOPE!
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered? No, I'm learning from the veterans.

Total Books: 4 (none fininshed)
Pages Since Last Post: 93
Mini-Challenges Completed: 6
Total Hours Reading: 7 1/2
Total Pages: 307

If the Cover Fits...

2010-04-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

It's time for another mini-challenge. This time around I am being challenged to find book covers that fit the following categories:

Disturbing

Vibrant

Beautiful

Scary

Moving

Mid-Afternoon Check-In

2010-04-10T12:11:00.000-07:00

I'm in Hour 8 of the Read-a-Thon and things are going well.

I've read for 2 1/2 hours since the last check-in, the rest of the time blogging and participating in mini-challenges.

I continued with The Family Man and also listened to Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver during my drive. I started The Lightning Thief, but eventually settled with To Kill A Mockingbird. I'm 100 pages in now.

Books I'm Reading: 4
Pages Since Last Post: 99
Total Pages Read: 214
Total Hours: 5 1/2
Mini Challenges Completed: 4

Feed Me Seymour Mini-Challenge

2010-04-10T10:38:00.000-07:00

The latest mini-challenge wants to know what food I've been reading about. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Miss Maudie lets Jem and Scout eat her scuppernongs. I must admit I had no idea what a scuppernong was. Turns out it is a grape native to this South. Yum!

And the nominees are....

2010-04-10T08:51:00.000-07:00

Since I last posted, I've read for two hours. I started The Family Man by Elinor Lipman and I'm enjoying it.

I also had to shower off all the pollen from my yard work and thought about my answers to Mini Challenge #3. There are mini challenges throughout the day - you can take a break and win prizes along the way.

Here are the questions. Please list the books in which the characters reside;) I limited it to just one except for favorite book

Favorite Female Character in a book: Kate from The Perilous Gard
Favorite Male Character in a book: Louis from Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice
Favorite Side Kick in a book: Not sure if he's really a "sidekick" but Larry Underwood from The Stand by Stephen King
Favorite Couple in a Book: Elizabeth and Darcy from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Favorite Book Series: Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins
Favorite Author: Joyce Carol Oates
Favorite Book Cover: A Million Little Pieces by James Frey
Favorite Book of 2009: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Favorite Book: Night by Elie Wiesel and Autumn of the Patriarch by Garbiel Garcia Marquez

Book since last post: The Family Man by Elinor Lipman
Pages Read: 60

Total Pages: 115
Total Hours: 3
Mini Challenges Completed: 2

Until I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing.

2010-04-10T06:19:00.000-07:00

Hour 1 of the Read-a-Thon was spent reading To Kill A Mockingbird with a cup of coffee and an apricot bear claw. (My favorite!)

Now it's time to get some work done. I'll be working in the backyard while listening to A Family by Elinor Lipman. Playaways from your local library are a wonderful thing!

Book: To Kill A Mockingbird
Pages Read: 55
Total Time Spent Reading: 1 hour
Mini Challenge Completed: Miss Remmers' Review

Preparing For Dewey's Read-a-thon

2010-04-09T20:40:00.000-07:00

The Read-a-thon starts tomorrow morning at 8 am. I had already picked out my books:

Cathy's dewey-s-read-a-thon book montage

Cathy's favorite books »

Today I needed to focus on an important part: Snacks!

I have:

Blueberry Muffins and Apricot Bear Claws
Celery and hummus
Cheese and crackers
Pretzels and Sunchips
Strawberries and Bananas
Eggs, Nuts and Tuna for protein
Frozen Pizza
Chocolate Covered Blueberries and Easter Peeps

Now it's time for a good night's sleep!

Dewey's Read-a-Thon 2010

2010-04-02T07:30:00.000-07:00

I just signed up for this year's Dewey's Read-a-Thon.

Starting at 8 am (EST) on April 10th I will be reading for 24 hours straight. During the day there will be breaks to cheer others on and to blog. And I'll be raising money for The Straight Spouse Network.

You can help me pick out books to read. (I'll be reading one classic, but otherwise I'll be keeping it light - I do have to stay up all night!) You can also stop by on April 10th and cheer me on - I know already I'll be pretty drowsy between 4-5 (am and pm). Or you can make a donation.
Just be sure to put Dewey's Read-a-Thon in the comments field.

Caffeine will also be cheerfully accepted. :)

Dewey's Read-a-Thon

2009-10-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

I just found out about Dewey's Read-a-Thon last night.

For 24 hours, you read books, post to blogs about your reading, and visit other readers’ blogs. You also participate in mini-challenges throughout the day. It happens twice a year, in April and in October.

I thought it was such a great idea that I signed up to be a cheerleader right away.

I can't wait to participate next April!

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

2009-03-26T22:10:00.000-07:00

I read The Classics and not only under force. I read Ulysses in just eight, short months. But here is the real Truth: Give me a juicy zombie story and I'm hooked. I read World War Z like it was The Manifesto for the Zombie Apocalypse. (Just in case you are wondering, I am so prepared. When it happens, you should hang with me.)

I knew that I would be reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth once I saw this trailer:

So how could I resist Pride and Prejudice and Zombies?

Every co-worker from every job is chomping at the bit to read PaPaZ. As one of my customers pointed out, "You wouldn't think there would be that much cross-over, but there is."

It makes me wonder what other books in the public domain I could spruce up with a little monster action....

Anna Karenina and Werewolves

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Vampires

Frankenstein and oh wait, never mind

What would be your Literary Monster Mash-Up?

Frappy's Challenge - Write A Novel In A Month

2008-11-14T23:58:00.000-08:00

A few days ago some friends told me about National Novel Writing Month.
People from all over the world take the month of November to write a 50,000 word novel.

The idea intrigued me. I already had an idea for a novel, albeit a heavily autobiographical one. I already had a few characters in my head. Why not go for it? What was stopping me?

Fear. Fear of Failure. Fear of Success. I'm tired of being Afraid. I'm going for it.

So, here I am only 4,000 words into my novel when I should be half way there.
But I'm not giving up. I work best under pressure, always have.

You'll hear from me along the way, as I curse myself for ever telling anyone I was going to do this.

Gotta go - I have writing to do and none of this will go toward my word count!

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

2008-10-03T23:40:00.000-07:00

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (which was released as a major motion picture this weekend) brings together two popular young adult authors for one unforgettable night in Manhattan.*

Nick is freshly dumped and sees his ex-girlfriend in a club when he asks Norah to be his girlfriend for 5 minutes. Serious, straight edge Norah takes him up on the offer and sheds some emotional baggage in the process. Both have been hurt before, but decide to take another chance.

Think High Fidelity for Teens: Nick and Norah may be the main characters, but the music is the star. Norah realizes no matter what happens one thing is clear - they are musical soul mates. And Nick realizes that it's not about sex or a fast car, but those exciting moments of hand-holding. Here is a playlist I've put together with songs from the book. You won't notice any of these songs on the movie soundtrack, but they are at the heart of the novel.

* Note that this book is for older teens because of language and sexual situations.

Relax and Reflect

2008-07-24T16:42:00.000-07:00

I finally finished! I feel like I've learned a lot from this program and I would definitely take part in another one. I was familiar with some of the items, but a refresher is always helpful. My favorite discoveries were Overdrive, Hulu, and Google Earth. I have worked with RSS Feeds before, but after this program I realized that it's something I will use on a regular basis.

The biggest challenge for me was time. As a substitute librarian it is hard to complete an assignment once a week when you're not actually scheduled. My supervisor was very helpful and set aside time for me to catch up. I appreciated this greatly and it was refreshing to see the library take this program seriously. While I felt like the last assignments were somewhat of a blur, I know that I can take my experiences, apply them to my job and as a result, be a better librarian.

Gaming

2008-07-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

The Gaming assignment was fun. I ended up playing Scrabble and I won!
I can see why it would be useful for librarians to be involved in the gaming community. It's true that teens won't need to come to us for help, but their parents might as well as novices. In the meantime, I've found a new activity on the web that is addictive. Great.

Maps and Geotagging

2008-07-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

Google Earth is fascinating. I could spend all day exploring this site, but there's no time! I first looked at this when it was in the Beta format and I seem to remember that you could get more detail. I am actually glad that has changed, because it brought up all kinds of privacy issues. I guess that's the former news librarian in me!

Online Applications and Tools

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

I found this assignment very interesting. It is good to know that there are other options out there besides Microsoft. Will it replace Microsoft? I certainly doubt it. I also wonder about Mac compatibility, which is something I will have experiment with at home.

I am a substitute librarian and I think that Google Docs or Zoho would be a great place for me to store work documents. That way I will be able to access items no matter what computer I happen to be working from.

Avatars

2008-07-09T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt at an avatar. I'm not sure how much it looks like me, but it was fun to do. It reminds me of playing with paper dolls as a child.

I've seen Ms. Dewey before. I know that other librarians have problems with her, but I find her amusing. A few years back I become obsessed with the Subservient Chicken. It was a viral marketing campaign for Burger King and you could get the chicken to perform different actions, such as playing baseball or doing the moonwalk. However, if you tried to make the chicken do something offensive he would walk toward the screen and shake his finger in a scolding manner. Of course, I would never ask him such things.

Search Engines

2008-07-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

I admit it, Google is usually the first place I go when I need a search engine.
Is it always the best place to go? No, but it's something I'm comfortable with and I know my way around. I should try other search engines and this assignment has given me some good places to start. I've been to the UC Berkeley site before and it is very informative.

One Search Engine that I use often for personal use is GoodSearch. It is a search engine powered by Yahoo! but it allows you to earn money for a charity. Every search you make in GoodSearch generates a penny for the charity of your choice. So now I can search the web for fun AND feel like I'm contributing! :)

Image Generators

2008-07-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

I had fun with the image generators until it was time to post my results.
I could not download the image to my blog, no matter how many times I went back to try and correct my error. After awhile, it took away all the fun. :(
Trust me when I say that I came up with some very witty signs.

Overdrive

2008-07-09T10:53:00.000-07:00

I found the process of checking out and downloading a book quite easy. I was pleased with the selection and I like that you can burn the books to CD. I have a long commute and often listen to books on CD. I am pleased with this service and hope that our patrons take advantage of it!

Tagging

2008-07-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

This is my first experience with del.icio.us and I could instantly see its usefulness. I will have to spend more time with it, but this is definitely something I will be using. As a substitute librarian who works in many different branches, I want to make my favorites portable. I also enjoy the social aspect of it and I think I can learn from others that have tagged before me.

Instant Messaging

2008-07-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

I have dabbled with instant messaging, but I must admit I have resisted it and will continue to do so. Part of the problem is that I am a substitute librarian and I don't want to download an instant messaging program onto some one's computer. I don't have an instant messaging program on my computer at home because I just can't take another form of instant communication. I have voicemail, text messaging and seven different e-mail addresses. I feel like instant messaging will take me over the edge!

I have used instant messaging in a library setting. I used to do virtual reference and chatting was our mode of communication. It is a valuable tool and one that I would not resist in a work setting. But I am steering clear of it in my personal life. I need some time away from technology.

Wikis

2008-07-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

I remember first hearing about wikis and the fear it sparked in librarians. Anyone can change content! Students will use wikipedia and all of their research will be wrong! I attended a lecture that Jimmy Wales gave at my local library in Florida (he lives in St. Petersburg). He assured the librarians in the crowd that he didn't want students using wikipedia as a "source" for papers. As he pointed out, students (especially in college) shouldn't be citing an encyclopedia as a source anyway.

There was an attempt to start a wiki at the newspaper I worked at in Florida. The idea was for the whole newsroom to contribute to it. There was hesitance from the old-timers and it seemed like only a few people devoted an enormous amount of time to it. Perhaps the time wasn't right. I see the usefulness of wikis and feel that libraries will continue to use them in the future.

YouTube, Hulu and Fancast — streaming video

2008-07-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

I am quite familiar with YouTube. I was able to find both informational library entries and entertaining ones. I think it's a great place to put various talks from conferences. I also viewed a government informational video on librarians from 1946 and a music video that featured librarians who killed a patron by crushing him in between the sliding shelves.

Before this assignment I was not familiar with Hulu and Fancast. I had no idea that there were so many television programs available to watch for free. The next time I have a desire to watch Fantasy Island I'll head right over to Hulu.

Social Networking Sites

2008-07-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

I have to admit that I've been on MySpace for quite awhile now and it takes up way too much of my time. I intend to just quickly log on to check messages and an hour later I'm looking at a a profile for someone in Australia. On the plus side, it is a good way to keep in touch with friends and to find new (and old) music.

I'm not that thrilled with Facebook. I don't like the layout as much and I don't like that it tells you EVERYTHING that every friend is doing. Do I care that Dick and Jane just had a conversation? Do I care that Stacy just downloaded and application? And don't get me started on those applications! There are hundreds of them and they are very annoying.

My new favorite addiction is GoodReads. It's the MySpace for book lovers. I love to see what my friends are reading and I like to have a place where I can keep track of what I've read and what I want to read in the future. I come across so many interesting books during the course of a day and it's nice to have a place to compile a list.

I checked out LibraryThing and I didn't really like the interface. I was also turned off by the fee. It looks like you can only enter 200 books before they start charging a fee. GoodReads is free and I'll be sticking with that site.

Flickr

2008-06-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

Flickr is a great site to host images, view photos that your friends and family have taken or to just peruse random things. I'm not that familiar with it because most of my family and friends use Kodak Gallery or Snapfish. But this assignment gave me a great excuse to look at the photos of my friend's son. We went to graduate school together, but now live on opposite ends of the country. I especially like this photo of him as the Little Mermaid. :)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/rayvigg/2190935900/in/set-72157603704323488/

Podcasts

2008-06-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

Before I moved to Seattle I worked for a newspaper in Florida. One of my jobs was co-host of a podcast called Stuck in the '80s. My two co-hosts and I chatted about all things '80s about once a week. It was great fun, but it was hard to know if we had an audience out there. It turned out through listener mail and calls that we did and the audience was all over the world. We had Igor from the Ukraine and Six in New York and a radio show in New Zealand broadcast our podcast as well.

One of the highlights was meeting and interviewing Rick Springfield:

http://www.sptimes.com/INCLUDE/specials/80s-podcast/index.shtml

Streaming Music

2008-05-31T14:37:00.000-07:00

I went ahead and created an account with last.fm because it was a familiar site. It's a cool site with tons of music and I especially like the social aspect of the site.

One site that I've gone to for years that wasn't mentioned is Live365.com - it has internet radio stations from all over the world. You want an Americana station? Music from Slovakia? Texas Polka? They've got it. It's free if you listen to some advertising or you can pay for VIP status. You can even start your own internet radio station.

RSS Feeds

2008-05-31T14:15:00.000-07:00

I've just learned about RSS Feeds and I signed up for Bloglines. I like Bloglines a lot - it's very easy to use. I've subscribed to some feeds and I can definitely see the usefulness. I can go to one place for my feeds and updates. The down side? I guess it can be an upside as well. It's the Bloglines 1000. I could spend all day looking at the 1000. There are so many new websites to puruse. I'm not sure if I just saved myself time or created more work for myself!

The Frappy Report

2008-05-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

I had to create a blog for Web 2.0. I wanted to do this ages ago, but it seemed like such a hassle and I never had the time. This time around it was Easy. Anyone can start a blog in 5 minutes. You know what the hardest part was? Figuring out a Name. But then I remembered how a friend of mine was always clamoring for the latest "Frappy Report." My nickname is Frappy and I try to deliver the latest news in a humorous and succint way. Let's hope I don't let her down.