my last blog posting...sigh!!!

Wow!! I cannot believe I have done 12 of these blog postings already and have pretty much had something to say each time. I am not sure if you, my captivated audience  thought I did, but I enjoyed it! Daily I am reminded of just how fortunate I am to be alive during this time. The ease with which we enjoy life because of man's advances in the world of technology makes me smile. Everyday I partake of the luxury of hot water and clean clothes, every morning at work I brew coffee in less than five minutes and drink it from a cup designed to keep the liquid warm. Every afternoon at lunch I throw my frozen meal in the microwave and cook it in less than three minutes. Every evening when I drive home in my car and raise my garage door with a remote control, I truly realize just how fortunate and blessed I am. Not only those things come to mind, but so many more. My cell phone - what did I do without it? My dishwasher, a little piece of Heaven on earth and my whirlpool tub, well there are not words enough to describe my love of that tub. What a luxury! Man is brillant!!! We have come so far in the last 50 years and that begs the question where will the next 50 take us? I, personally, am excited and thrilled to see what we can creatures can create next and just how far we can go. This class has been stressful for me, but I am glad I am here. It made me stop and learn new things and it also made me think about different things. The last couple of months have definitly been a journey on the technology train. My stop in sight! Even though the rides been good, I am ready to get off.

Technology at work again

So I realized this past week at work that I am getting ripped off and have been getting ripped off for some time now. At work those of us who are not as " important" as others, were given dummy computers ( they look straight out the 80's, they are enormous) and we have capio harddrives. Which may not mean anything to you out there in vicland as Mary Alice likes to say. Regardless of that I was under the impression they were not too bad. Yeah they are slower than other computers at work and you are pretty limited in what you can and cannot do on them, but I still thought they were okay. Well this week wrought a lot of changes at my place of employment. Those of us who work in medical records got cubicles, while they were constructing them I had to work at another station. This station was an actual PC. It had a flat screen monitor, a silent keyboard and moved speedily through each task I assigned it. I was in Heaven, I mean I really thought I had hit the big time. Today though it was back to life, back to reality and back to my computer. I was severely disappointed that I could not take the other with me. But good news for those of you who are worried, I will be getting a PC and shortly it seems. I am very excited about that and cannot wait to have one full time.

Technology and learning new things

I have learned so much this semester about technology. It has been scary for me, very scary for me. I do not like to be stretched, I mean really who does. But you know what it has been the best thing that could have happened to me. I needed a class like this, not one that just challenged me academically, but one that forced me to learn new things about something I had a comfortable familiarity with. I thought coming into this class that I was up on technology, I was good. Boy was I mistaken!! There is a huge difference between knowing how to check your email and knowing how to imbed a code or a widget. I had never even heard those terms before this class! I now realize that these things are everywhere. I did not realize that when I paste a new background on my my space account that I am copying a code. That actually calmed me when I realized that. It was one of those, " Hey you have done something similar before, so just calm down." Fellow classmates have helped eased my anxieties and frustrations as well and you do not know how much that meant to me. It is comforting to hear somebody else say that they also struggled or were not completely sure of one aspect or another. For a while I really thought I had gotten in over my head. I have not and I am so glad that I pushed through my self doubts. I really needed to do this! I know that sounds a bit strange, but now that I am getting to the otherside of this class things seem so much more clear. I would not say that technology and I are best friends, but I definitly understand it more now.

Technologyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!

So...I feel as if you are all going to get bored hearing about me and technology!!! I really am trying to keep it light and fun and still fulfill the requirements of the assignment. I realize that I talked about our new television in my last blog, but I am entirely impressed with it. Listen it is super nice! We only got the 720 p, the P standing for pixels and that refers to what the television stations broadcast there shows in. The 720 P is soooo much more affordable than the 1080 P! The 1080 P price is double the price of the same model in the 720 P. Plus the fact that most of the television shows do not even broadcast in 1080 P yet, so at this point it is a waste of money. The t.v. is high def, though we did not get any high def channels on the Dish, because that makes things cost more money. Even though we sound like spendthrifts, we are trying to conserve. So no high def stations for us. However, for those of you who are not aware the local channels broadcast a feed that is high def. Not only do you have channels 15, 21, & 33 - you have 15-1, 21-1, 33-1, those are the high def stations. So what you do is go to radio shack and buy yourself some cheap rabbit ears to pull in the local channels, then you can watch those in high def for free. That is super nice!! You can especially see the difference when you go from not being in high def to high def or vice versa! We watched American Idol last week in high def, I seriously felt like I was in the audience. It was amazing, I think I saw all of Paula's blemishes! Anyways all this say to I love technologyyyyyyyyyyy!!! I love watching my new t.v.!

Technology - making my life cushier!

As you all know Steve and I moved into our new home last weekend. I love it! I love my kitchen, dining room, bathroom, and most of all my whirlpool tub. The whole place is fabulous and we are settling in nicely. Along with our new home as come some new gadgets for the two of us. Things that we have always had access to, but never owned ourselves. Just today we purchased our new 42" Samsung plasma TV to be able to watch our Dish network on and on Sunday we bought a brand new laptop. It is sort of comical about the laptop, we got it because it was a great deal, but we do not have internet yet. So our computer really does nothing at this point, because it has no features. We just sit and look at it!!!
Something we discovered about the Dish network we have is that there is interactive games on it. For a small fee you can play monopoly, mahjong tiles (yes!), yahtzee, solitaire or any number of games. It really is so nice and convenient! All you have to do is pick up the remote and voila you are playing an oldie, but a goodie. Not only that, but now that we have a big TV to play them on, we can actually see what we are doing.
Oh, I do love technology!! Before you know it, it'll be just like Star Trek - The Next Generation. All you will have to do is walk up to a computer, say beef and a large steak will appear. I fear we will all gain 150 pounds and never leave our homes. I really am just kidding. Technology has made life easier though and I know that we can all appreciate that!

Technology and my good friends!

So...I realized today that I am definitly not as without when it comes to technology as I had previously imagined. In past blogs I expressed some distress over my inadequacies when it came to the world of technology. I realized over the past week that I know somebody who is less savvy than I. Yes, you heard me correctly! Not only does this gal own a cell phone that she has had for 8 years, but she does not have a computer, and only recently acquired a DVD player. Until then she and her husband were merely subsisting on a VCR. They determined it was time to purchase a DVD player when they ventured to Hollywood video, only to find no videos , just little, round, shiny disk that do you no good in a video cassette player.
I remember that first weekend we fired up her " new fangled contraption!" She could not figure out how to get it to play, so I explained to her what to do. That was not too hard, but then it was comical watching her get frustrated about the big black lines on the top and the bottom of the screen and why they would not go away. Again I knew about widescreen versus fullscreen and filled her in on all I could.
Not only this, but her cell phone is seriously a dinosaur and I do not mean only in age. It is not only old, but enormous! I have to give her kudos though she has utilized it so infrequently that is works like it is brand new. However the day she needed to borrow my crazer phone was also a treat. She could barely keep a hold of it and when it rang she did not know you only had to flip it open to take the call.
There is more, she and her husband see no need to have a computer. She does not have email, never has and probably never will. They say it is an expense they do not need! Perhaps that is true, but seriously I am not techno savvy or rolling in dough, but I still enjoy an occasional go at the ol' Dell.
All this say I am so not the farthest behind when it comes to technology. That makes me feel better! I know I have a lot to learn and the class wiki and projects so far have already helped soooo much. I am getting there, however I do not think my friend is.

Technology and my new house!!!

Since August 9th I have been anxiously awaiting this moment, this weekend, this most exciting time, we are moving into our new house!!! On that hot day seven months ago my fiance, at the time, started cutting down trees on our newly acquired property. Technology played a large role that first day and has been participating regularly ever since. I remember going over that weekend and seeing Steve and his brother Scott standing in an extension bucket suspended high above the earth cutting down trees on our wooded lot. FIfty years ago it would not have happened that way, they would have been strapped to the tree in a very dangerous position sharing one jigsaw. I can say with absolute certainty we would not have been building our home there.
As things progressed on the house it was great to see how far we have come in the world of technology and made you wonder where we were going. I remember the day the water lines went in and we hooked up to the city sewer. Can you imagine life without indoor running water and a flushing commode? I do not even want too. Not only that, but what about our heating and cooling system. I have lived through a summer in a mobile home without an airconditioner, I do not recommend it. In some ways I am very spoiled, not everybody has these simple luxurious and I feel so blessed.
I think the one thing I am most excited about in our new house that is technologically savvy is my convection oven. It is said to cook things in half the time, something I will believe when I actually experience it.
Technology is everywhere! I see that now. It is so odd that when you are forced to think about something you see it in so many new and exciting ways. The house is technology that I am comfortable with, something I am excited about. Work is something I am familiar with, a routine, what I do everyday. This class is pushing me, is making me think, wonder, question, and it makes me squirm a little. This is not a bad thing, just something new to embrace.

Technology and me!

I have really been thinking a lot lately about technology and the part it plays in my life. If I look closer at my daily activities I realize that technology does play a larger role than I previously understood. From my daily activities at work to the task I perform on the computer when I get home, it is definitly there.
What I do not do with technology is actively pursue it. I do not try out the latest gadgets, I do not go looking for new and improved items on the internet and I am easily stymed by what I do come across. As I have sat in this class for the past month and listened to the conservations around me and the lectures, I am beginning to see that I am behind. That is a hard thing for me to admit! Here I am a graduate student in a field kept alive by the very thing that I have refused to embrace or even understand. I am sure I have missed out and side-stepped opportunities because I thought it was too much.
I have truly enjoyed the classes I have had in the program so far and I do not say that flippantly. I have done well and have watched my confidence bloom and grow with each passing assignment. Just ask my husband, I was so scared when I first began the program! I thought for sure I had made a huge mistake, not the case!
Do not get me wrong I still get frightened by an assignment every now and then, but I am more easily calmed because of the things I have done well on. All that to say I am ready to learn about technology, I need to learn about technology. It is all around me, it will be a large part of the job I one day hold and I cannot stay ignorant of it forever. I am hoping that my previous successes with other classes in the program will help me to have the confidence I need to do well now. I am excited to see what this semester holds and what new things I can discover on my journey.

Technology is not cheap!

My husband, Steve, is currently building our home. A few things that we hope to purchase when we move into the house is a new computer and television. The price of a new computer is not what I am concerned about, however the cost of a new t.v. is a little disconcerting. Steve has had the same t.v. since he was ten years old. Folks that makes his t.v. almost 20 years old which is okay, but it is a mere 19 inches. I can see us now sitting on the couch with our binoculars because we cannot adequately see the picture! Perhaps that is a little dramatic, but have you seen the new television sets that are out there. It used to be that going to the movies was a treat, a chance to get out of the house. Now for a mere $3000 you can go to the movies at home. After you spend that cash, you won't have any money to go the movies. Oh and the things you have to know before deciding upon the one you want. Do you want to spend the money on the plasma? How many hours will the plasma last? How many p's are the tv? Is it at least 1080? Because if its not you are wasting your money? And once you decide on a high definition, plasma, 1080p tv you have to call your local cable company and sign up for the high def channels. No sense having a high def t.v. and no channels to enjoy it on. It is really confusing and it gets expensive. I want a nice t.v., but I refuse to go broke getting one. Perhaps that 19 inch will work, with the price tag of technology I think I can make it work.

Technology is everywhere!!!!

The company I work for recently acquired another company here in town, along with that company comes their way of doing things. Their operations involve new technology that our company has never seen before. It is called Data Imaging and it involves two computer screens controlled by one mouse and one keyboard. Perhaps this is nothing new to some of you, but for me it sounds a bit confusing, a smidge, "what", and a little bit exciting. You see I have been laboring away on the same peice of antiquated machinery for 3 1/2 years now, something different on the horizon seems like I have a vacation coming up. For one, I will actually have a PC and not as we call it " a dummy computer!" I will have access to the internet and things will be faxed directly to my computer, which in itself seems absolutely amazing to me! The fax will not be going to a machine in another room, but to me at my desk. Who would have thought it!
Apparently, all of this new technology is supposed to make me and the company I work for more efficient and faster. I can honestly say that this peice of technology excites me. I am thankful for the opportunity to be a more productive, useful employee. Frankly, this makes my job and a lot of what I do easier. I hope that does not make me sound lax or lazy. My excitement comes from the fact that this will make me faster and more useful to my department.
Apparently technology does not always scare me or leave me feeling inadequate. I think that is a good thing!

Thoughts on technology cont...

So, we had our first official class meeting this evening and my first blog on technology fit it perfectly, I feel! As we are all aware the first portion of the class was spent working out the " kinks" of VIC. Dr. Ball was very proactive, calling this person and that one to correct the problems. Apparently she has been down that road a time or two! This was typical of technology for me. Tonight was no exception and is probably indicative of a few more bumps in the road. But once we got there it was like we were never apart. The class rolled along smoothly from that point on and we were able to complete our necessary tasks. That is how technology always seems to work for me and that is why I have never learned anything new about it. I will be working away under the impression that all is well and then something other worldly occurs, I cannot figure out what that is and I stop. I suppose a lot of my experience has been missteps, sidesteps and eventually none at all, because I call it quits before I really even began. That is my own fault.

I think it is great to really be pushed, prodded, encouraged, drug into going that extra mile, to really figure out what is going on and why there is an issue. I think that I will have some of those, " I want to quit what I am doing moments," by the tasks set forth in this class and that is okay. This time I have no recourse, I must forge on and figure out what to do and how to resolve the issue I am having.

My first blog continued

I realize from reviewing my last blog it seems incomplete. What I meant to finish with is this, librarians today must be aware of the latest technologies to be a reliable source of information. Even though I am not "technologically savvy" I'd better become so. Patrons will expect it of me and so will my boss. =)

My very first blog on technology

Technology...when it works it is great! And when I can figure it out, it is even better. I am a smart person when it comes to many things, however I am not a technologically savvy person. I do not have the latest gadgets or gizmos, I do not care a great deal about the IPOD, IPHONE or whatever the newest, most hip item is. I get on the computer to check my email, to stay connected with old friends and to do my school work. The computer I work on has a dial-up connection, so most days I do what I have to do and get off because it is moving so slow I would like to hurt it.
The further I move through the SLIS program the more I realize what a large part technology plays in the librarians world today. It is no longer about searching periodicals or working the circulation desk, it is about " working" the internet. To be a viable source of assistance in todays library you have to know how and where to look. There is a plethura of information out there and not all of it is accurate, so not only to have to be aware of where it is at, but if it is reliable.
So I guess what I am saying is, it is very overwhelming and I have no great desire to know it all. But I realize more and more that in this profession you must be.