MaryG Simpson--2 D? or not 2 D?

Lovely isn't she? The Simpson image generator worked from a real life Maryblog picture and magically created a likeness! Oh boy, another voice inside Maryblog's head...

Try it out at http://simpsonizeme.com .

I checked out the other links available through this discovery task #13 and was taken in by Letter James' free trial--the photo album generator. I put together 13 photos from the day of the Harry Potter 7th release party at the Palisade Branch. Unfortunately "free" didn't go far for me. I uploaded, arranged and captioned, but to retain my free trial efforts, I had to pay. I did not pay and I lost.

So I tried a little Flash (animation). I managed to get a simple slide show finished, but didn't learn anything I could not already do more easily in FinalCut Pro (video editing). It's more clear than ever to me that Flash is deep. I'll have to plan for the serious dive.

I'm not sure how the Simpsonizer can work for MCPLD, but my daughter has asked me to make a family portrait that she can hang in her apartment. I'm a little worried however, that its going to generate the same image for my son & I. Can I risk damaging his youth? Yeahhh.

RSS, Delicious, Online Learning with a little Harry Potter on top...

There, I did it. Yes I went to see The Order of the Phoenix. When Chamber of Secrets came out, I was such a HP fan, but I couldn't get past Dementor in the 3rd book. My nose is back into Prisoner of Azkaban now--just in the nick of time--with the Harry Potter party coming up this weekend at Palisade. Hopefully I won't lose my stride again.

When planning the Murder Mystery party (or I should say "adult program") a couple of weeks ago (amazing cast of actors, but we were shy on audience) the party packet told me how to prepare. I have to dig a little deeper to find HP party (er... program) ideas. My digging has proven one thing, however, there are a lot of folks partying about HP out there.

I have tried to apply my current internet travels towards the discovery tasks for which I am creating this blog (#7, #8, #9, #10, #11 & #12). I actually haven't crashed into this learning, but for the last couple of weeks have been trying to use these resources so that I would have something meaningful to report. My new subscription to Mugglenet, shows that I really mean it about this Harry Potter business.

Certainly my providential stumbling across RSS Word of the Day shall also prove to be fructous (for me anyway). And as I get to know my way around in this new town, I become more comfortable and realize as I navigate the learning curve, I discover shortcuts on the way. For example, that MCPLD Webolution feed is pretty handy.

I also put Delicious into my toolbox where I promptly embedded the Webolution sites I now frequent--but that's all for now. No time to include the rest yet. A little organizing forethought might be prudent.

Finally, WebJunction has generously accepted my enrollment for their FREE Online Learning Course, beginning September 13th. I also discovered Eve Tallman's (library director candidate) website (www.moablibrary.org) and an NPR interview with her (www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10471139). I enjoyed both.

I added a few new pics to Flickr--mainly to try and figure out how to include them into my profile on this blog. That's for another day.

TTFN

FlickrBlog

Palisade's Murder Mystery Party is this Saturday, June 30th. Along with learning Flickr (a photographers dream tool) I've been learning how to direct a script through the school of hard knocks. I am very lucky to be working with the people in this cast.

We have a group ranging from non-actors to actors with experience. The largest ingredient for success that I've found is lots of laughter. For me, however, I realized I needed to research this director's role and see what I'm supposed to do.

I keep trying to slip into the role of adoring audience member when actors are looking at me like, okay what do I do now? I still have a chance to redeem this at our next dress rehearsal--and my plan--to read the script a couple hundred times (yea right). Then I'll put it into graphic descriptions that I (a very visual learner) can retain. Then I'll make notes and think of pneumonic strategies to remember when to cue the boom box, and where to plant the knife.

So please knock on my Flickr-door and see the cast and their descriptions. You'll find some rather despicable yet lovable characters there--what a lovely paradox!

www.flickr.com/photos/maryblog

Firstblog

Learning 2.0 looks like a valuable process. Setting goals for me isn't always so thoughtful--I just put one foot in front of the other. That gets me by, but I've found that putting goals in writing is like magic. I don't know how it works, it just does.

Then there's the contract that makes me promise I'll follow through--oh man. That's what put me into the Army at 18. I said I was going to do it, so by golly I did it. I was brave and bright for only 3 weeks, though. The US Army sent me back home--my eyes wiggle back and forth--a condition called nye stagmus. I didn't get to learn to shoot their guns, but I learned some other stuff, allright.

It just goes to show you--whether lost or not--learning happens. I want to end up where I choose to go, and it's not Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Maybe a road map is a good idea.