Providence Public Library Computer Classes

"Words are also actions, and actions are a kind of words". Ralph Waldo Emerson

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:21:00 +0000

Have you ever wished you could program some websites to alert you when certain things happen? As an example I want a text message if my username on Twitter gets used but how do I go about it? First head over to if this then that (ifttt) and sign up. Yes it’s for free. Now you have two choices start with a premade recipe or create your own. I would recommend for the first couple of times to use the premade recipes till you fully understand it. In the recipes you will see both triggers and actions. The recipe I setup last night was very simple. IF the local temperature drops below 40 degrees THEN text me to bring in the plants before they freeze. All I have to do is choose the recipe and change any of the details like how I get informed (text, phone, email) and what details trigger it like the exact temperature. You can create your own using channels. This is the name they have given to websites or services. I could create a recipe that saves me time. As an example, when I post something on Twitter I want the same thing to be written on my Facebook wall. Again I choose the channels, twitter, and Facebook, then what actions to happen. It is so easy and elegant that I would recommend just heading over to the site to play around. Finally someone has taken all the wonderful services and allowed them to speak to each other.

“Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.” Gertrude Stein

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 13:04:00 +0000

I know I've written of Facebook scams before and the simple method of Googling some unusual link a friend posted before clicking on it. But I believe you should be a little proactive with your Facebook scam knowledge. Recently I came across a FB page called FaceCrooks that’s main purpose is to keep you up to date of the current badness going on in the FB universe. To join FaceCrooks, do what you do with any page that’s cool or interesting, hit the “like” button. Now when they post you’ll see it in your feed. By you being more aware you can warn your friends and in turn you will see less spam.

“A box without hinges, key, or lid, yet golden treasure inside is hid.” J.R.R. Tolkien

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:02:00 +0000

So you’ve misplaced your thumbdrive for the billionth time and you don’t have time to wait for a CD to burn but you need to transport some files. You could attach them to an email but some inboxes have a size limit and they’re not the easiest way to handle files. Enter Dropbox, a free site storage option. All you do is head over to Dropbox.com and signup. From there you have many options. Add files through their website, which is easy, or download and install their software. The neat part about the software is that when it becomes part of your system it looks just like the folders you are already used to. You can drag and drop directly into a folder and as soon as you do it’s now available everywhere like home. Plus many smart phones have an app so you can take advantage of your files on the go. You could also use it as a quick backup but I would'nt depend on it that greatly (not yet). Also if you don't own a computer this is a great way of having all your files with you at any one time. One last part that makes this service so useful is the ability to put a file in your folders and it will get a web address that you can send to anyone, making sharing quite an easy feat. To put it simply if you’re tired of a pocketful of junk used to move your files around then give this a try.

"Between truth and the search for it, I choose the second." Bernard Berenson

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 13:56:00 +0000

Google just got way better! Many times I do a search and see a result and give it a click. I then find I am on some page that is essentially an advertisement and not information. I return back to the results page only to find that most of the links are to that same website. UGH! Finally I can do something about it. When you return unsatisfied from a result you will see the lovely words block all results from example.com. This means when I do a search I can finally weed out some of the complete junk sites that always come up. If you do it by accident there are a couple of things to do. The moment you block a site it says undo. Also when you do the same search in the future it will have, at the bottom, a manage blocked sites button. You can use this to return them to the search or just to peruse the sites. I have the feeling today is I am going to go on a blocking spree. Give it a try,

“You know an odd feeling? Sitting on the toilet eating a chocolate candy bar” George Carlin

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 14:21:00 +0000

When was the last time you ate a sandwich in a bathroom or more specifically on the toilet? I haven’t either (fine one time but I was hungry) but I bet you eat at the computer. Is that a yes? Well it would be better to eat off of the toilet. It seems our keyboards are far grosser than imagined. They contain a whole myriad of bacteria and viruses, yum. An English company, called Which did a study for Geek.Com, found that keyboards are five times dirtier than the toilets. They have bacteria like Staph which can cause skin infection and food poisoning. Alright so you are sufficiently grossed out and you’re looking at the keyboard like it’s a horrible monster so what now? Well several things actually. First ThinkGeek carries a product called Cyber Clean, which is putty specifically designed to clean your keyboard and mouse. It seems to do a great job cleaning and states that it kills 99.99% of bacteria plus it can get into the crevices. There are also plenty of websites with instruction as well. DO NOT USE WATER! It seems obvious but people will do strange things. Lysol, The company known for cleaning bacteria, makes wipes that do a nice job. No matter what you choose unplug the keyboard before starting. I always like to start with the simple flipping the keyboard over and tapping it from the back. You’ll be amazed at the amount of crumbs and other neat things that fall out. So before you reach into the bag of chips at your computer think twice.
Don't forget the mouse! YICK!

"I prefer to distinguish ADD as attention abundance disorder. Everything is just so interesting . . . remarkably at the same time.” Frank Coppola

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:48:00 +0000

Several years ago I was diagnosed ADHD. Most of my students will not come surprised. For the most part I think I knew it before I was diagnosed. Many of my thoughts are trying to understand my brain and why I think the way I do and what I can do to mitigate the strangeness of my thoughts. The reason I bring this up is to highlight a site. Now I should take the time to say there are plenty of medical websites out there devoted to one particular problem or another but this one of course was close to my heart or is it brain? Anyway I was watching PBS and I caught the tail end of a documentary on the condition. I thought it was decent and both funny and kind of corny but I decided to follow it up and find more about it. The website that the documentary is tied to is totallyadd.com. The moment I went on the site it appealed to me. I stole their summary and listed it below:

“Check out are videos about ADHD treatment, the diagnosis, tools targeting the ADD symptoms dealing with feelings and more.”

You can watch clips from the documentary or take their virtual test. They do have an exclaimer saying that you should always check with a trained therapist for a real diagnosis. What I liked most about the test was the in depth descriptions that really allow you to understand the condition. They have links, discussions, and rants. Lastly I should say this does not excuse my behavior or others but it can help to both understand it and to deal with it. If you know someone with the condition you may want to recommend it to them. Many people say they are ADD but it could be something else. This may help to clarify the issue.
Before I let you go I wanted to say I hate calling it a condition. I find for certain jobs it can be a real strength and not a hindrance. As a teacher I am filled with lots of energy and can concentrate on many students easily. Sometimes being different is a real plus as well as being a pain in the neck.

"The printing press is either the greatest blessing or the greatest curse of modern times, sometimes one forgets which it is." E. F. Schumacher

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:43:00 +0000

I taught Microsoft Publisher the other day and a student, who uses a Mac at home, asked if there was a version out there he could use. It also had to be free he said. I guess I should take a second and mention what Publisher is for. It is a program that allows you to design and printout all sorts of paper goods like business cards, flyers, signs, brochure, etc. I did a lot of research on this topic and I did find one replacement called Scribus. But there are issues. First it seems slower than dirt. Second it is missing a lot of the templates that I go to Publisher for. It does have a few but mainly you are on your own. But what about the intricate brochures you designed in publisher a while back? Sorry, from what I read even Publisher has issues opening older documents made in an older version of Publisher. Also I read a lot of printer companies complaining about people who use Publisher because it has problems when trying to print professionally. So what are your choices? Unfortunately it looks like you will have to buy something like Adobe Indesign or QuarkXPress. But before you run out the door to buy you should know they are not cheap, upwards of $200 to $600. I had no luck with my usual places, Amazon and eBay. The only thing I can say is if you really need them you will have to pay a hefty price or have print shop take care of the project. I wish I had better news, sorry.

"Those who are not shocked when they first come across quantum mechanics cannot possibly have understood it." Niels Henrik David Bohr

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 13:42:00 +0000

I love science and fun facts. I always have and so when I discovered Scientific American’s 60 second podcasts I fell in love instantly. First they are perfectly short for my attention span and they give just right blasts of info. They cover all sorts of science from nano technology to the universe and everything in between. I have learned a great deal that I can use in my daily life plus it has given a ton to think about. You can sign up so it’s in your iTunes ready to listen to on your iPod or listen to it on the site. They also have and Earth and a mind podcast as well. So if you’re in a hurry and hungry for more information give these podcasts a whirl

"The safe way to double your money is to fold it over once and put it in your pocket." Kin Hubbard

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 14:24:00 +0000

Want some free money? OK so I’m not giving away money but I will introduce you to some sites that will help. The first one that has saved me a bundle on music is Dealnews. This site has a ton of categories that you can choose from. They seem to scour the net so they can present you the very best deals. I tend to jump on the free ones. (I’m cheap) From technology to clothing, they seem to have it all. They turned me onto Amazon’s free music list which has almost 2500 free, legit, music. They’ll even give you local discount on restaurants and other deals closer to home.
The other site is Groupon. My friend Nate turned me onto this one. You sign up and they take your zip code and assign you the closest large city. In my case it was either Providence or Boston. Both are not exactly close but I’ll take what I can get. Groupon will present you with a limited time offer that will be something like buy a coupon for $15 dollars that is actually a $30 dollar coupon at a restaurant. So in effect you get double your money. You print out the coupon and bring it to the place. It works nice and easy. I do have a couple of issues with it as much as I like it. First it requires a bit of preplanning, which I am not the best at. Also because the range of locations is so large you might get a deal an hour away. I guess that’s fine but I’m lazy but I am not running out the door for that one. You can specify the types of deals you want like food and museums and not health and beauty stuff. However it doesn’t seem to listen to those preferences. I got two for liposuction. I took it personally.
Anyway I recommend trying either one at least for a bit just to see the one you like most. I should mention that Dealnews also covers coupons from Groupon as well.

“And now, your highness, we will discuss the location of your hidden rebel base...” Darth Vader (James Earl Jones)

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 15:57:00 +0000

For years I have been making handouts to go with my classes. One of the tricks I have employed to get objects like text boxes, shapes, pictures and the like to fall in line exactly where I wanted them is the ALT key. I would select the shape and move it by holding the ALT key down. I could then fit it just the way I needed it. This has worked forever, that is until I switched to Office 2007 where I have been without my trusty tool for some time. After a bit of searching I found the ALIGN button on the top right of the of the FORMAT tab. To make the change first double click any object. Anything will do as long as it brings up the FORMAT tab then click ALIGN. You should find it at the top right. After that click the last choice GRID SETTINGS. Lastly at the bottom set the SNAP OBJECTS TO GRID check box to off and then you’re all set. This is actually better than the old way of moving objects because you do not have to hold the ALT key anymore. However I should add that on some objects like photos you will still have to change the TEXT WRAPPING to tight, square, in front of text….It’s up to you to choose what you need. So if you can’t get a piece of clip art just the way you want it try the above.

Note: Finding a matching quote for this was a real pain so I settled on this. It has the word location in it...

“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.” Tennessee Williams

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 13:44:00 +0000

I came to Facebook rather late but I have jumped in with both feet. Now that I use the system I have become a proponent of it. However it does have its doubters. The two biggest questions I get is “fine, I made an account now what?” and “what is it for?”. I find it is useful for the basic reason of connecting with old friends seeing what they are up to and catching a glimpse of their life. Now I will say that is the obvious reason. I mean that is what it was originally for. Some people call it something slightly different, networking. I do like the connecting of friends but the question always comes up “why not just use email?”. Well for two basic reasons, I rarely email just to catch up. I usually have a question or I need to give some info out. I can throw a pun out into the Facebook universe and people can just “like it” without having to say anything. This is nice because you get to say “hey I like your thought, joke, idea…. but I have nothing to add to it.” I just well like the statement. I do have a second reason I really like Facebook. It is something called crowd sourcing. This is just a quick way of saying that I am going to ask a whole lot of people for information. Let’s say I run out of ideas for the blog or I am working on a class and I just can’t seem to pull it together, well I can ask all my friends, contacts, what I should write. Because they are all at different point in their life and have different experience I may well get a take from them that I would never think of. In a local way I can get quick information as well. Not too long ago we were hanging out at the house. I was on my computer (I know big surprise right?) and the house began to shake. There was a sound like thunder but it was a clear night. Frankly we were freaked out. It sounded like the world was about to end. So I quickly jumped on Facebook and asked did anyone else hear the noise and feel the rumble. I quickly got responses from all the people that live in my town that they saw a low flying jet go over. Quick information that I normally would have to email all the people that were local and hope they checked their email regularly. I use it for many things from events I am part of to just a quick way to acknowledge an old friend’s birthday. I hope this answers the why or at least my why. Maybe you should give it a try by jumping in with both feet.

One other thing I should mention is that there is a book I recommend for understanding the basics. It is FACEBOOK ME! By Dave Awl but don’t wait too long to get this book because sites like Facebook can change radically in 6 months.

“Wouldn't it be nice if our lives were like VCRS (video recorders), and we could "fast forward' through the crummy times? " Charles M. Schulz

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:28:00 +0000

Do you have a VCR or did you sell it at a yard sale? Now that the box of video tapes are sitting at the back of your closet what will you do with them? Do you even know what is on them? One of my hobbies is buying old video tapes just for sheer fun of being surprised what's on the tapes. I have watched many a wedding or family trip on these tapes and I wonder did they actually mean to sell them. Before you throw out or donate these tapes I recommend a few things below.

Look through them. If you got rid of your player borrow it from a friend. I am sure you know a pack rat like me. If you have a VCR pop it in just to see if it’s something important. If not throw it in the donation pile. If it’s personal go onto step #2. Also I should say if it is something good do not over watch it. Even running it through the VCR can degrade the quality.
You have two real choices. If it is something you want never to see daylight (your 15th birthday party) you can pull out the film from the cassette and toss it but this is only so good. Instead sandwich the tape between two strong magnets for a day or so. This should erase the evidence. However if you want to keep these recorded images then do not delay and go to Google and type in “VHS to DVD services”. There will be a local one. Even some camera shops do it. They will take your tape, clean it, digitize it, and burn it to DVD. The reasons I say not to delay is that this stuff is magnetic tape. It breaks down over time. The more it is exposed to heat or moisture changes the more it degrades. If you care about it have it transferred. I did this with a tape of the last time my grandfather spoke at a family gathering. If it’s important DO NOT wait!

One other thing I should mention is that during the holiday season many people buy gifts for people that have enough junk. Instead taking an old video and making it new again can sometimes mean far more to them than any other item.

“In this world of change, nothing which comes stays, and nothing which goes is lost.” Anne Sophie Swetchine

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:11:00 +0000

The other day my wife lost her cell phone and she searched high and low looking for the thing. She didn’t have a phone to call the blasted thing so she used the site I can’t find my phone. So simple it almost doesn’t warrant a whole blog post. All you do is pop in your phone number and it will call your phone till you pick up. Unfortunately it has no ability to turn your ringer on if it is switched to vibrate but then again you can’t ask for everything. Also I should mention the service is free. So if you lose your phone give it a whirl but make sure to lose it with it set to ring.

"Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself." John Dewey

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 12:59:00 +0000

Not too long ago I did a presentation about teaching in libraries. During it I recommend staying on top of tech issues by listening to podcasts. The list below is just some of the ones I listen to on a weekly basis. Not all are 100% tech but all are information.

NYTimes Tech Podcast

This is more like tech magazine. You don’ t need to be a geek to follow along . They give great tips. Vocab and awesome interviews

Crave

A British CNET podcast discussing current tech issues. It is fun and enjoyable and sometimes a bit insane. Occasionally I mentally tune out when they are discussing Britain only issues but this is minor.

NPR Tech Podcast

This is a compilation of anything tech mentioned throughout NPR’s broadcast. This is ice because you end up with stuff from all over the spectrum. Also they explain it so eve the non techies will stay interested.

“I was street-smart- but unfortunately the street was Rodeo Drive” Carrie Fisher

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 14:57:00 +0000

Today I was on Facebook to see what friends were up to and I noticed one person said she was going on vacation. Curious, I checked her friend’s list and it was over 2000. This made me worried. She had just told 2000 people that she would be away from her home and for how long. Some of her friends” have to be at the very most casual acquaintances, essentially strangers. Now this is the strength of FB, the meeting of new people and refreshing old relationships. However this is also a weakness. As an example, I would never yell out my address and tell people that I will on vacation while riding on the bus. That is essentially what is going on all over FB. Now I am not an overly cautious or paranoid person but there is common sense to use even when online. Some basic things she could have done instead. She could have used a little white lie and said someone would be staying at the house while she is gone. This immediately takes away her apartment as an easy target. Also there is a nice feature on FB called lists. You can go through your friends and assign people to lists like close friends, casual friends, work friends and so on. I personally like to use old chum for some of my lists. Now when she wants to tell the important people she is going on vacation she clicks the little lock next to her post and chooses to customize who can see this post. Then she can choose certain people or type in the name of the list to make it easier. Friends, by the way, can be on multiple lists like a person who is both a family member and close friend. Finally the most secure thing is to put it in a private email. People can still comment and respond but you can limit this to just the most trusted people. Remember when using Facebook to use the same cautiousness you would use on the streets

“Some people walk in the rain, others just get wet.” Roger Miller

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:53:00 +0000

OH NO!!! The words uttered just before your favorite electronic device falls into a puddle of water. Now what? Turn the device off immediately. If it is off already DO NOT TURN IT ON! No not even to try it for a sec. Now what? Get a Tupperware container and fill it with rice (uncooked) and then bury your device in the middle of the rice and put the top on. Now we play the waiting game. The longer it was in the water is the longer it stays in the container. Rice is absorbent and will suck in the water from your device. I would try to wait as long as I could, about a week. If you are prone to the watering of electronics then it is time to get prepared. You know those little packets that come with things like shoes or vitamins. It is a packet of silica and is made to absorb water. Every time I get these lovely little freebies I add them to my mason jar and save them for emergencies. I will put them in with the rice to help speed up the absorption of water. So start saving now because a water balloon comes when you least expect it.

"Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one." Malcolm Forbes

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:44:00 +0000

Many Many times I look up a how to on the great and powerful YouTube. It’s useful for everything from cooking a roast to installing a disposal under the sink but how is it for a subject like math? The answer is very good indeed. Recently I caught a great interview with the founder of the Khan Academy. He started out recording a few math videos and posting them to Youtube to help his niece. She and others found them useful and now more and more people are contributing and learning from the Khan Academy. It is now a nonprofit that creates videos explaining subjects like biology, math, banking and money….Their admirable mission is to give access to knowledge to anyone. I am a big fan of this idea. I have watched a few of the videos and they work for me. They usually consist of a narrator writing on a digital blackboard. For people who might have a concentration or understanding issues, this is great because you can rewatch it as many times as you need. Plus you can download some for .99 cents to watch on your iPod or whatever. Also many people leave useful comments for these videos unlike other ones on YouTube. So if you are having trouble with a subject try this fantastic free service.

Below is the NPR interview. Quite interesting.

“Just think how happy you would be if you lost everything you have right now, and then got it back again.” Frances Rodman

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:33:00 +0000

Not too long ago I left my debit card at a restaurant in Boston. I got worried and wanted to cancel it ASAP but the numbers are written on the back of the unfortunately lost cards. Thankfully I had my iPhone to search the web and find the right numbers to call. However I pledged to correct this situation. So I added all the credit card phone numbers to my cell phone contacts. From now on if I lose my cards I will not have to scramble to find a number. Do the same to minimize the freakout factor.

I unfortunatley could not find a photo of Mr. Rodman to go with the quote so instead here are some people enjoying the beach at Coney Island.

“The Creator has not given you a longing to do that which you have no ability to do” Orison Swett Marden

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 13:18:00 +0000

Recently I did a class on a website called Zoho. Zoho is a free/paid collection of fantastic online tools. Now I could go through them all and tell you that some of them rival Google Docs in their ease of use and shareability but that’s not why I write this. Microsoft Access is a database program. This means that you can create different forms and enter in data that will allow you to get reports and understand more about your info. OK now you know all that what is the problem? Access is a pain in the neck. I am a firm believer in the theory that both hardware and software should be as easy to use as it is powerful. Access can be a powerful tool but it is difficult for no reason. In place of this I recommend Zoho Creator. It uses a drag and drop design and is a simple part of the Zoho site that allows you to create forms for people to fill in. It has most of the power of access but very few of its drawbacks. Either create a form from scratch or use one of their templates. Need a way to keep track of books you are lending out from your home library? They have one made already that is easily customizable. Now the simplicity is great but what about other features? Any forms you create can be embedded on a website or blog in two seconds. You need to know when someone fills out the form? You can have an email sent out to notify you. Once the data is filled out it will be put into a Excel like spreadsheet for easy viewing but you can always export it in multitude of ways. So if you need to keep track of some info give Zoho a try.

"Outer space is no place for a person of breeding. "Lady Violet Bonham Carter

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 12:26:00 +0000

One of the questions I often get in the lab from people using the Microsoft Word 2007 is what is up with the strange spacing. First what is the problem? In 2007 when you type you will notice everything seems to look double spaced. If you try to force single spacing on what you have typed nothing will change. For many of us we are used to the old system where single spacing was the norm and if we wanted to change it we would. The fix is easy. At the top right on the home ribbon you will see a section called styles. The issue lies in the word normal. Normal is already selected. You would think means single spacing. Instead it is the new style with the strange double spacing feel. The answer is right next to it. Choose no spacing and everything will work like....well.....um....normal. I do this the moment I begin a new word document but you can always highlight text and choose this option as well. Hope this helps.

Only Robinson Crusoe had everything done by Friday. Anonymous

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:45:00 +0000

Alright fine it’s Friday and you’ve finished all your work on the agenda. So you decide it’s time for a much needed break. Then it is time for a trip over to Reddit. I have written of similar sites on the net. Ones that use peer submission to post interesting bits and have other users review and rate them like the well known Digg. . Although I like Digg I find that is a lot of rehashed info plus it tends to be even too geeky for what I want. Reddit on the other hand has many ways that allow you to customize your experience. If you stay just on the front page you will get what is the most popular or hot right now. I recommend signing up for an account and using their category selector to find just the stuff of interest for you. For me I love reading about politics on both sides, so I select both Democrat and Republican pages. However I also just enjoy strange news stories as well and lo and behold there is a category for that too. You essentially build your own information playground. I should take the time to address the word information when I use info it could mean an article, video, photo, comments or anything on the net. Also I should say that Reddit is not always work safe but they do warn you what links may be a bad idea and you can customize your page for that as well. One of the main reasons I like this site is that it tends to be a cross section of not just what is going on with the net but what’s happening on the planet. More and more I turn to this page for my news than others. The downsides are that occasionally the site can be slow to load and some items I thought would be down voted seem to inexplicable sky rocket but even so when Friday hits I recommended giving this a try.

“How full of trifles everything is! It is only one's thoughts that fill a room with something more than furniture.” Wallace Stevens

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:08:00 +0000

I have been Craigslist for a very long time. When it began it was a small apartment finding website in the early days of the Internet. Since then it has grown to become the world’s classifieds section. However, for good or bad, they have very rarely if ever updated the site to reflect current trends in website design. It pretty much looks like a website from 1998. Recently I felt I couldn’t find what I knew was there so I turned to the website CraigLook. They call themselves the RSS browser of the classifieds. This means they grab the data from Craigslist and overlay it with newer web choices. For instance their distance viewer is fantastic. You move the slider as far as you are willing to look outside of your area, up to two hundred miles. Also their thumbnail photos on the left of every listing speed up my searches hugely. Plus the look of the site is a pleasure to use. I love Craigslist but I do wish they would update the interface. In conclusion, if you are looking for a more efficient and overall more appealing experience when using Craigslist then give CraigLook a try.

"Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence." Robert Frost

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:41:00 +0000

I love audio books. They are great in the car or while cooking. Many times in the wee cooking hours of the big turkey day I will listen while I cook. We have tons of audio books at the library and I have listened to most of them. We also have access to e-zone. E-Zone is an online catalog of audio books that is free for our patrons. It works well and has lots of titles. Unfortunately most are for nonipod users this is changing however. The other day I wanted to listen to Redwall by Brian Jacques on my iPod and could not find a compatible version. I could have grabbed the CD version and copied it to my computer but that takes a lot of time. So instead I tried a nice offer by a company called Audible. They are also an audio book site that is mainly for listening through iPods or iTunes. Their Thanksgiving deal is one free book of a selection of titles till Thanksgiving. Even if you only grab one title and never use it again I would say it’s worth it. Also they do not require a credit card to try the freebie. My recommendation is simple look through our online selection and if we don’t have it try Audible as a possible second but don’t think too long because it ends November 26, 2009, at 11:59 PM.

“Strangers are exciting, their mystery never ends. But, there's nothing like looking at your own history in the faces of your friends.” Ani Difranco

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:59:00 +0000

Don’t talk to strangers. I have heard it all my life but what if you want to talk to strangers? How do you go about it? Not too long ago my niece was chatting with someone online. I asked who are you talking to and she replied “I don’t know.” OK now my interest was peaked. “What do you mean?” I asked. She told me she was on a service called Omegle, a site that connects complete strangers in a chat window. The people could be young or old, from here or there or anywhere. Now I know the concerns about chatting with strangers but Omegle does not reveal any info at all. I guess you could put your real name and address in but most kids are more net savvy than their parents. I think of this as the same as a party. You mingle and will talk to some that are interesting and some that are a waste of time. However speaking to a complete stranger can be useful because you may discuss things you would never normally have known to ask. So go out and speak to someone you don’t know.

“Steve Jobs has always had a bit of Buzz Lightyear in him: comically self-confident, ingenuously overbearing and over endowed with charisma.” Katie Ha

noreply@blogger.com (Shane Sher) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:08:00 +0000

Recently I have been working on a presentation about teaching to give at the RILA conference. I came across a great episode of a podcast from the Real Deal talking about Steve Jobs and his presentation style. Jobs is one of the creators of Apple and gives a really excellent and polished presentation. The episode features Carmine Gallo who wrote the Book Presentation Secrets of Steve Jobs. He breaks down the style and mystique of Jobs as a presenter. Whenever I have taught PowerPoint I always mention Jobs as a good person to study. They also mention Presentation Zen in the podcast which is a favorite of mine as well. I plan on using some of the discussed techniques in both my presentation and my lessons. Check it out and see if it inspires a better speech.