Thing #7: Blog About Technology

I am an avid fan of technology. When I think of the new gadgets we have now compared to just 3-5 years ago I am amazed. It just blows my mind to be able to do wireless downloads of just about anything and at such high speeds. I am totally turning into one of "those" people that wants that new book on CD, music CD, DVD, or television show right now! Automobiles can now do the most amazing things. They can even parallel park themselves. We can exchange information and ideas at an astonishing pace. The list goes on and on. To be able to be in a time and place that allows us to take advantage of the marvels of technology is truly a blessing. However, this is true for me only when the technology works. I like my technology best when it is simple. The last two years I have really made an effort to keep current in the field of technology by reading books and magazines on the subject as well as subscribing to a number of technology related Podcasts.

Thing #6: More Flickr Fun

Oh my gosh! I had so much fun exploring some of the things you can do with photos and Flickr. I mainly spent my time checking out customsportsproducts.com. I could easily spend some serious money ordering some very customized Christmas gifts. The trading cards are cute, but heck you can even order jewelry, magazine covers, bobble heads, banners, calendars, etc. (Okay, so I am easily entertained!) It makes me just want to get out my camera and start shooting photographs. With all of the beautiful Fall colors out there even I am bound to get a decent picture or two. I feel some creative juices beginning to flow...

7718 - A19 Flyover

7718 - A19 Flyover, originally uploaded by M R Fletcher.

This weeks assignment was a bit of a challenge for me. I have been really busy and finding the time to do this exercise was difficult. Anyway, I picked this beautiful picture to blog about. I really admire people who have the skills to take night photos. I know nothing about photography and would be lost trying to figure out how to do it. However, this exercise and this picture have sparked an interest in me to maybe try to get some shots of particularly interesting Chrismas scenes this winter. What have I got to lose? Maybe some kind person will even give me some tips!

The 71/2 Habits Tutorial

Well, here goes. I am most definitely NOT a blogger person, but I will give this my best shot. We were tasked this week with writing about which learning habits are easiest for us and which are the most difficult and why. The easiest for me are:

1. Begin with the end in mind. This is second nature for me. Most of my life I have been involved in competitive sports that require a great deal of goal setting, planning, and keeping my eye on the "prize." I also tackle my job in the same way by constantly setting goals for the day, week, month, & year. This has always helped keep me on track and allowed me a sense of accomplishment. No matter how small the accomplishment, it all helps contribute to keeping me motivated to reach the end goal.

2. Teach/mentor others. I have a lot of personal experience teaching/training fellow staff at work as well as working with a variety of people in my personal life. I have always enjoyed sharing what I know with others.

3. Play. I LOVE to have fun no matter what I am doing. I always try to put a positive spin on whatever I have to do. It makes life a LOT easier. Life is just too darn short NOT to have as much fun as possible.

Most difficult:

None of the 7 1/2 habits seemed difficult to me. If I HAVE to pick one, I guess it would be "Use technology to your advantage." I picked that habit only because I don't feel I know very much about technology. However, I am very excited for this opportunity to explore and even get paid to do it! Thanks so much Spokane Public Library for this opportunity!