Making a Video: An Overview

Here is one I played with.

Making a Video: An Overview

I had played with Windows MovieMaker earlier this year just to see how it worked. It was easy to use with a little practice. I used some pictures I took at the Bayou City Art Festival to make a short video on Animoto. It is hard to tell how many you can use before it starts to cut them off. I do like having the music right there. It is interesting, but basic.

Consumer's How To: How to & make

Catahedron Costume - More cool how to projects


WikkiHow has a lot of stuff, but under my interest, beading, it could do with more pictures. Looking at some other stuff, some looks like fun.

HowStuff Works is fun for learning how stuff works, but I don't see it so much for how to fix stuff.

Instructables has good instructions and most seem to have good pictures. A couple of beading sites were good with good pictures. I love the Catahedron project, very patient cat.


Looking at the subjects, Expert Village seems to have a lot of good videos, but they keep freezing on my and I just don't have the time. I would rather look a page with instructions and occassionally go to a video if I need clarification.




So different sites have different kinds of help or information. I like knowing about some of the sites that are new to me.

Blog Action Day 2008 - Poverty

There are so many ways to help people. In our area there is a food bank. Since Hurricane Ike, they are in need of help. I keep meaning to donate, but haven't yet. Many places have ways of helping to feed peope and there are always people who need help, locally and around the world.
It would be nice if there was a way for all the money going into golden parachutes and executives, sports people, musicians, ect. making millions of dollars to share with people who have nothing. The way wealth is spread around the world has nothing to do with need. Our nation has so much and other nations are without even the basics of food and water. People die every day from hunger. Money gets spent on pork-barrel projects that could be used to help people start businesses, get training and help themselves, to feed children, give everyone health care so that people don't have to make a choice between food and medicine or the doctor. Wonder if anyone in government is reading these blogs and getting any ideas on ways to help?
Looking at some of the blogs that have been posted, it is amazing to see the other ideas out there. If even some help comes out of the Blog Action Day, it will be worth it.

Hurricane Ike

Everything has been on hold because of Ike. We were closed September 11 thru the 15, then didn't have power until September 22 and internet on Sept. 23. We are gradually getting back to normal.

Consumer's How To: Buying & Selling Online

I've never really felt like buying from Ebay, though I look at some things occassionally. I know some friends that sell online and seem to enjoy it. I'm enjoying looking at Etsy, the jewelry is great. I don't know if I would buy, but I would be more inclined to buy from it than Ebay, I think.
For me, Craigslist is probably not something I would use.
I did use PayPal once to pay for an item. It makes me feel better that you don't have to give your credit info to every Tom, Dick or Harry when you want to buy something online. I haven't used it since, but would use it if I needed to.

Wellness: Staying Well

The sympton checker is interesting, but seems to give a lot of options. It might at least get you started and give some treatment ideas for minor conditions.
The MedLine Go Local is very helpful. I was checking on pain as a sympton and I found a number of massage therapists in my area. A good back rub does wonders.
I also did the family tree from My Family Health Portrait and it would show how diseases or conditions travel in a family.

Wellness: Going Green - Part 2

I've already been trying to do many of the gas mileage tips suggested on the Consumer Reports Mileage Tips page. Driving up and down FM 1960 makes it hard sometimes. I don't use drive thru windows because of having to spend so much time idling. It's usually quicker to go in anyway.

I've gotten some fluorescent bulbs and have been changing out my regular bulbs. I need to finish doing that.

Sometime before long I need to replace my fridge. It's over 20 years old and starting to have some problems. So I can get a more energy efficient model and I have always prefered one with the freezer on top.

I like the information on care2 make a difference on how to make different cleaners. However, I'm lazy and try to buy some eco-friendly stuff.

It would be nice to recycle, but there is no place near to go. I would spend more on gas than I would save by recycling. Neither Harris county or the garbage company my subdivision uses makes it easy to recycle. I just did a search for recycling in the area, and there is a place in Kingwood at the park and ride. Keep Kingwood Green has info on what they take and when. So, I may be able to do some recycling after all.

The DIY Life website looks interesting with a lot of info. I'll have to check on it some more.

Also, I've tried to remove myself from some of the mailing lists.

Wellness: Going Green - Part 1

As far as carbon dioxide, I produce more of a footprint than I thought, though my driving is a part of it. And of course, the heat down here jacks up my electricity usage, even when you don't run the a/c except when I'm home. Also, there is not recycling where I am. In fact it's almost impossible to recycle in Harris County unless you are near a center. The National Wildlife Federation and US EPA sites are more accurate than the Yahoo site. The first two were very close with their answers. Yahoo is too general with what it measures.

The Eating Green Calculator is strange. I'm vegetarian, so most of my answers are zero and there's not much of a way that I can reduce my consumption of dairy products. It's weighted to people who eat meat products.

The pesticides list from FoodNews, is kind of scary. And while it doesn't get everything off, I wash what I eat, usually with soap. Even bananas, because when you peel them, you end up handling the banana with whatever is on your hands.

There are no farmer's markets that I know of in Humble. The ones in Houston are too far away. I also have trouble eating everything on my own. Need to have a food buddy.

Wellness: Fitness

I'm not real good with the 'E' word. I know about the benefits of exercising, I just don't seem to be able to find the time to do it. The desk exercises look good, but not something that can be done while on the floor. SparkPeople is even having some articles on exercise. I do like the Exercise while stuck at your desk article.

My BMI puts me in the healthy range. The calorie calculator gives me a few more calories than SparkPeople.

The Health age questionnaire was interesting. I could do better, but at least I have a pretty high life expectancy.

Wellness: Nutrition

I've looked at NutritionData.com and SparkRecipes and like them both. I signed up for the SparkPeople site to try to eat healthier. I like that you can find the nutritional data along with other info on the NutritionData site. I've added their nutrition widget to my blog for grins. Though I'm not sure where their info comes from. They don't have Oreo cookies listed. Bummer, will have to put it in myself. You can also add info to both sites. I'm trying to remember a recipe to try the rest of this assignment. Will get back to this part of assignment later.

Games & Gaming: Console Gaming

I didn't remember most of the console games mentioned in the game console history site. It's amazing how many different types came out. Those games were not anything that ever really interested me.
Now, I think it would be fun to try some of the console games. The biggest drawback to them is the price for the basic console and then you have all the extras to buy. The Nintendo Wii seems like it might be the most fun since you can actually "play" the games. Some libraries actually check out games, but I would like to know what their loss/damage rate is.
Other library systems have started game nights or had groups come in with their pcs to have group gaming. In many cases the teens are surprised to find this at the library and will come back to see what else is there, including reading books. They might also read or work on homework while waiting their turn. Gaming could be a draw for some teens and children that might not come to the library at all. If nothing else, it gets them it the library and they might come back.
I still like to play Pacman and some of the older games on ArcadeRetro, though I still have to practice to get any good at them. Some of these games I never heard of, but they are still fun to try out.

Role Playing Games: pt 2

I'm still working on the RuneScape tutorial. I do have a picture of my character to add.

So far, I've made it to the sword play instruction. Will continue as I can.

Games & Gaming: Get Your Game on @ the Library

I've read Jenny's The Shifted Librarian blog for several years now and she has frequently talked about gaming in the library and has told how they used gaming at different libraries her former place of work in Illinois. They have had game nights where teens bring in their own pcs to network and play together. The teens have responded well to the addition of games in the library and even use the library more. I think that a library would need to have a separate room for gaming to keep from disturbing other patrons.
The games do require skills in remembering how things work, especially in other realities, what instructions are needed to play the game. Many have backgrounds that need to be read to understand how to play the game. Some require players to work together to accomplish tasks. The skills needed to play many games are more than just mindless staring at the screen.
I believe larger libraries would be able to handle gaming much better than small libraries. They tend to have computer rooms and techies that would be able to set up gaming pcs. That said, it might be something that could be taken on the road to let other libraries try it out.
So far I haven't been able to get my pc to play the Carnegie Mellon games, so I'll have to report later on that.

Games and Gaming: Online Role Playing Games, pt 1

I've been aware of online role playing games for some time, but they have never really interested me. They seem very time consuming. It's very annoying that it logs you out if you haven't done anything in a couple of minutes. It's hard to do stuff on the desk. I've been going through the tutorial and that's taking quite a long time. You would have to have hours to spend playing this kind of a game and I just don't have the time or the patience. Will keep working on the tutorial.

Off Topic - Online computer tutorials

Found a website, In Pictures, from ResearchBuzz that has free online tutorials for among other things, Office 2007 products. It has step by step screen shots on how to do things. It may prove handy for specific needs when we get our new Office. It also has OpenOffice, web layout, and some programing.

Off Topic - How to Make Salt Glitter - wikiHow

Didn't want to lose this idea. So here's a link.

How to Make Salt Glitter - wikiHow

Games and Gaming: Games in the library?

I've read a number of things on blogs about games in the library. The Shifted Librarian has blogged about this a number of times and has given presentations on games in the library. A couple of recent posts are Does Gaming Promote Reading? and More on How Gaming Promotes Reading and Library Usage. One of her presentations was even in Second Life. ALA even has a blog for gaming in libraries, News about Games and Gaming.

I had heard about FreeRice from another blog, and when I have some time, I play. You get word meanings while you donate. It is very addictive once you get started.

WordSplay is fun, though I really wonder about some of the words they come up with. It is good for learning new words and to increase typing speed. I just don't get Sudoku. Even playing the children's mode, when I think I'm following the instructions, I still can't get it right. I do OK on the spelling and some of the other kids games. These are all instructional, plus you learn to use the mouse, keyboard, and to follow instructions. Some other games I like are Bookworm, Text Twist (kind of like WordSplay except you have to rearrange the letters to form words), Bejeweled and Zuma. You either have to be good at spelling and typing or mouse control. Plus some games are just fun.

Maps: Geocoding and Geocaching

I went thru the steps to get the coordinates to Hooks Airport and look it up on Google Maps. The coordinates are N30°3.69432, W095°32.98992. While I could get a street view. I couldn't get it to go to satellite. Well it finally went to a wide view satellite, but would never go close up. It kept saying it didn't have images at this level of zoom. I also tried the library, after about 10 minutes, it came up with a satellite view and I could zoom in.

Now for the geocache...
I chose one near the library, in the Huffman Community Cemetery. The coordinates are
N 30° 00.300 W 095° 04.817
The url is http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=69bb53a1-cd5d-4d99-9629-6c0468f7c273

This has turned into a very popular sport/hobby. It is a way to have fun outside, on your own or with a group of people. As with any outdoor/hiking sport, you need to take precautions about critters, heat, not going on private land without permission, etc. There are websites and books on the subject to help you be prepared.

Maps: Relocating with Online Maps

The different apartment websites don't seem to list all apartments in an area. I'm not sure what the requirement are to be listed, but the information is limited. Doing a search on Crosby doesn't find any, but there is one behind the library. Doing another for Fort Smith, AR, finds 1 or 2, yet there are many complexes there. So, I'm not real impressed with the apartment websites. Would be better to just look thru yellow pages.

Looking thru the home location sites: HAR is of course for Houston, though it does have access to surrounding counties, the Urban Living seems to be rather exclusive and also Houston, the Google Maps has a number of listings. I liked Google the best. It has listings across the US, with pictures and you can choose satellite image to see the surrounding area. I kept looking for rural sites and I could tell if there were trees, etc. Also, when you are logged in, it will keep sites for you.

The Walk Score was fun. You could see what is in an area and get an idea of how far things are. But again, it doesn't list everything. I was looking on a site for Granbury, TX that lists a lot of shopping stores, but when I input the address on Walk Score, it doesn't find and of the shopping listed. So it may give you an idea of things, it still has its limits.

So as with anything, it pays to look in more than one place for information.

Maps: Current Events

I'm having fun with the different maps. The Google Maps Mashups have a lot of fun stuff along with the more useful stuff. The Find a WiFi Cafes and Hotspots didn't have us listed, but I was able to add the library in easily. The Global Incident Map is interesting and besideds showing terrorists, it also shows Amber Alerts.

Several of the mashups would be useful. If someone was looking for a hostel in the world, Youth Hostels would be the answer. Or looking for a mailbox, post office or UPS drop off, the MailboxMap would supply the information.


For kids wanting state maps, with and without capitals, or rivers or several other options, National Atlas has a great page with printable maps.

The EarthNow Landsat Image Viewer is interesting, but I do enjoy the sites that let you get closer images.

How to Make Book Earrings - wikiHow

A real cute idea from iGoogle. Will try them sometime.

How to Make Book Earrings - wikiHow

Maps - Have Map, Will Travel

I have used Google maps, Mapquest and Yahoo! Maps to find places and get directions. Live Maps is new to me, but will be another one that I try.

I have been trying some of the things in the exercises and have been having problems. I have saved some maps in my maps, but when I try to either add a picture or a link, it doesn't want to work. I have not been able to get any video tutorials to work. I've tried two different profiles on two different machines, no luck.


I have embedded a Google Map of the Crosby area with some restaurants marked. Google has a couple of them in the wrong place.


We had used the Yahoo! Trip Planner in the first go round of iHCPL. I had set up a pretend trip then. If I were going to take a long trip, this would be a good place to start.

I've also tried all of the optional activities. Some this time, some previously.

OffTopic - LibGuides pt 2

LibGuides, from Springshare, is a very interesting online system for libraries. You can list any kind of information, make different subjects, and tag items. You can post a poll to get user input. This is a link to the demo site, which has video instructions. I like this option quite a bit.
This is a quote from their site:

A Guide in this system can be any content that you create, on any topic, for any purpose. You can create as many Guides as you want. Don't be shy. Share you knowledge with others and point them to useful resources and information within your library and on the Internet.
Your Guides consist of pages, and each page is represented by a tab on your Guide.

They also have LibMarks for bookmarks and tagging. Their demo site has links and most of the links go either to blogs or webpages. I'm not sure how useful this would be.

It looks interesting, but it is a subscription site and there is no clue to the cost.

Off topic - LibGuides

Found something called LibGuides from The Shifted Librarian. Looking at demo to see how it works. I don't know if it is for the public or staff only. I'm going thru the intro now to see how it works.

Spring Cleaning Pt. 3 - Take a load off

I've been going thru and deleting stuff or saving it to my external drive. There were a lot of older files. Some of which I have deleted.

I have also been weeding our 'P' drive. There have been a number of older files there also. So far the oldest are a couple of documents from the World Trade Center followup in 2001. We have a lot of pix down there. I will have to save them either to disk or usb.

Most of the stuff is organized, there is just too much of it.

Spring Cleaning: pt 2: Email

Argh!! One of the hardest things to keep up with. I am still plowing thru my accumulation of emails. Many I'm forwarding to my gmail account. Hooray for no storage limits.

I have set up many (too many?) folders to track stuff and it still wanders off. Thank goodness for advanced searching. I've been cleaning out emails and getting rid of some of the folders. In the future I should be able to better control my emails and just forward any that are not work related.

Having other email accounts should help with cutting down on the clutter. I have been letting people know to not use my work email.

Spring Cleaning

OK, I'm not the best at this, but I have been going thru my folders and email deleting or moving stuff. Email I want to keep, I send to my gmail, since it doesn't fill up. Other things I want to keep, I'm storing on a portable hard drive.
I've been looking at some of the GTD sites and trying to figure out something to work for me. I also have the book by David Allen and I'm reading it to try to pick up some tips.
Since I already have Google accounts, I checked out their calendar. It gave me the option to import my Outlook calendar. I tried it and it worked. It also has a sync which I am also going to try. This would be an easy way to keep track of stuff and have access to it from any internet pc.
I also signed up on Remember the Milk. It says it can be used with Google calendar. I'll try that soon. This might be a way for me to keep track of all the stuff I need to do, especially the repeating stuff.
So we'll see if I can get things going.

Sound - Making or listening to music together

I don't really care about sharing music or making music. I want to listen to music. That said, I checked out several of the sites.

Mog - annoying, you have to download Rhapsody to listen to the music. Other sites just let you play music without the hassle.
Project Playlist didn't interest me. I couldn't find a place to find out how to play the whole song. Their help page wasn't, and their terms of service was a blank page, and the ads were annoying.
Phling doesn't appeal to me either. Don't care to use phone minutes to listen to music.
I went to JamStudio and played a little bit. You would need patience and a lot of time to play around and make music. Just not my thing.
I like Imeem for letting me build playlists. It let's me choose specific songs. However, you are hoping someone has put the song or artist on the site. Found some light classical. I like this. Pandora is still great for finding and listening to music, but this is another choice. Somewhat limiting. It also lists what I've downloaded on my page. I'm not sure how it tagged my contacts from gmail to try to get me to add them as friends. Don't like that.

So I learned some new sites for music and not sure that I have any interest in sharing or creating music, but it's good to know there are sites out there.

Sound - downloading & burning

Several of the free sites have music that I like and will burn to cd. I also like Amazon's pay site. They have a lot of music I want and I can choose the songs and there is no DRM restrictions on their music. Most songs are about $1 and that's reasonable to me.

I finally got my cd burned. I had downloaded several songs. I figured I might as well burn something I could listen to. I only had a little trouble moving songs from my music file to the burn list. After that it was easy.

As far as sharing/downloading music online, I think the Electronic Frontier Foundation has a good idea with their white paper, A Better Way Forward: Voluntary Collective Licensing of Music File Sharing. Charge a flat monthly rate to download and make it more economical for people to pay than to steal. This would also allow small bands with no chance of signing with a big company the chance to get their music heard and get paid for it. The whole trying to find music pirates and prosecuting them would cease to be an issue. Added benefit, put a lot of lawyers out of that part of the business. They can go bother someone else.

NextGen - Sound of Music

Starting the next version of iHCPL.

I have already done some listening to music on the internet. I really like Pandora. You can have many stations with different kinds of music and the option to not like something.

I have not done any of the pay sites. On different blogs, people have really liked Rhapsody. You can listen online, download to an mp3 or burn to a disc for a reasonable price. And checking some of the obscure people I listen to, I found them listed. I just don't know if I would find enough to make it worth while to subscribe to. They do have 3 levels depending on what you want to do. Or you can just buy songs for a set price.

Yahoo Music appears to marketed to younger people, though they did have my artists listed. One nice extra was a 'Similar Artist' listing. A handy feature. Both seem to have similar payment options and both require a download of their software. Again, you can buy songs.

Napster also seems similar, but you can't get more info than is on their homepage without registering.

iTunes is proprietary and I pretty much don't care.

Amazon also looks good. It does let you use either WMP or iTunes to play. It also just has a flat price for songs, you don't have to pay a monthly subscription which is nice. And they have my artists. And another singer that it may be worth it to buy songs that I want without having to subscribe to anything. And they can be burned. Yeah!

The free site, music.download.com, has a more limited selection, which is not unexpected. They have one of the artisits I like, but just a few selections. It does list similar artists and it's FREE! and you can download. I went in and found a song I liked and downloaded it to our MP3 player. I already have a player and have downloaded music on to it in the past.

Most of the radio stations I listen to have online sites to listen to music, or to find out what has been playing. Still the main place I listen to the radio is in the car.

I am glad to find out about the password checker site. I am going to be changing passwords on some of my personal sites. I don't think I feel secure enough to put any of them on the web.

I had already starting using my gmail account for all the websites I signed up for because they don't have a size limit.