Online Apps and Tools PLUS Recap of Learning 2.2

As mentioned on Sharepoint, I visited Google Docs to find my documents from 2 1/2 years ago still there! I then played with ZohoWriter and did not see much of a difference. I do think that these online tools are in our futures (it would be nice to say goodbye to Microsoft Office, etc.). On the Mashable.com winners, Dustin Diaz is the most excellent Flickr photographer. Also, New York Times website (winner of best online newspaper) is filled, just like the print, with more things than I would ever have time to read. However, I did subscribe to an RSS feed of Dick Cavett's online column!

In regards to Learning 2.2, I felt I had a good review and enjoy GoodReads (my daughters have signed up too), started a delicious account, and found a great new place to get podcasts. Now I just need the time to use these great resources more!

Delicious!

Last time I did the Learning 2.0, I vaguely remember exploring Delicious. This time, I created an account and played around with the bookmarks and some tagging. I like this as a tool for getting at your bookmarks wherever you are. I have only scratched the surface of the research possibilities of the tagging, but I can see from the tutorial that such possibilities would be endless...

Podcasting Revisited

I explored LearnOutLoud.com which was amazing to find so many podcasts on so many different subjects. I greatly enjoyed Rick Steves' podcasts about travel in France and liked that you could download them and play them on your mp3 player as you travel or listen to them in streaming audio. I wasn't more adventurous with my own podcast as my girls somehow broke my 20+ year old Radio Shack model (I think it disintegrated after all these years). My kids may have a future in podcasting as they like to record themselves on the computer. My 6-year-old loves to recite funny poems she learned in Kindergarten! Maybe I'll attached one on to a future blog post!

Good Reads

Good Reads seemed easier for me to navigate than Library Thing but that might be because they automatically let you write a review and rate it. It pops right up on the screen which I don't remember with Library Thing. I did check my Library Thing account from 2 years ago and saw my books from that exercise, but it is sad to know they would be charging!

Learning 2.2 (again!)--RSS Feeds, etc.

As a late learner in this round of Learning 2.2, Bloglines is no more but I read through others' comments on RSS feeds. During this exercise, I stumbled upon Google Reader and tried to find anything with RSS feeds. Luckily, both ASU's Library Channel and Sheryl Crow still have them. I then added a NASA Watch (with a cool picture from the Space Station) RSS feed and the RSS feed from Livingston-Park County Library from Livingston, Montana (which my daughters and I frequented from 2001-2007 when we lived there).

I feel that RSS feeds don't seem as easy to find as in 2008 and perhaps with the growth of Twitter and Facebook it is not needed as a stand-alone resource.

As close as we are going to get to RAIN

Last week my daughter spotted a rainbow around 7:30PM on June 23rd. Interestingly, we hadn't received any rain, but that is not unusual for Arizona and other places in the west (Montana included). Regardless, I went outside and got some nice pictures. As beautiful as the rainbow was, I would have preferred to have a good drenching downpour, but alas, it wasn't to be.
I hope we get some decent showers once the monsoon gets going here in the Phoenix metro area. When we lived in Montana, May and June were good months for rain and sometimes even snow (10 inches of snow fell in Emigrant, Montana on June 13, 2001), but once July and August hit we most often ran in to the driest part of the year. Fires were easily ignited by dry lightning and we had the misfortune to be near two fires in our 8 1/2 year stay in Montana.
But nothing is better than a great cooling rainshower, be it in Montana or Arizona. Let's hope both states get their share of moisture this summer.

2008-2009 Top 10 Personal Phoenix Suns moments

Okay! It was one of those years for the Phoenix Suns. I was with them every step of the way--really! To quote Charles Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times." Here is my attempt at my personal Suns top 10 for season 2008-2009:

10. Steve Nash's vitamin water commercials especially this one.


9. Lou Amundson's little pink packing peanuts in Shaq's car.

8. Attending the All Star Practice on February 14, 2009 and watching Shaq get 3 free throws blind-folded. Plus, Shaq dancing with the Jabbawockeez at the All Star Game introductions.

7. Grant Hill playing all 82 games!!! Awesome!

6. Attending the opening pre-season game of the Suns versus Hawks. Even though the Suns didn't win that game, it was cool to see all the new players along with the old ones.

5. Watching the Suns-Pistons game in person on November 16 and watching Shaq get thrown out of the game! Unjustly, of course!

4. Catching the Suns-Nuggets game on December 20, 2008 where Nash saved the day with a couple clutch 3's.

3. Tom Chambers answered my question on Suns Gametime TV in early April.

2. Shaking Steve Kerr's hand and being surprised that he sat directly behind me at the Suns-Kings game April 3, 2009.

1. Sitting mega-close at above-mentioned Suns-Kings game as when you are that close the game seems faster and more intense than if you are higher up in the stands or watching home on TV.