Twitter. Thing 35 revisited

've recently had cause to revisit my earlier learning 2.1 posts, and back on January 5 I posted about Twitter.

What amuses me most, looking back on that post, is where I said "I'm not really sure what I would use twitter for - it seems like an online version of sms (although you can access it on your mobile phone as well). "

I went on to say that I couldn't really see the point of it and implied that I probably wouldn't use it.

Well let us fast forward to today.... do I use twitter? you bet.

I have it set up on my Flock homepage at both work and home, and regularly use it as a communication tool.

Am now thinking I need to revisit other learning 2.1 (and 2.0) tools to see what else I could/should/ be using that I didn't think I would.

So much for what's the point of twitter!

Encyclopedia Britannica has widgets

As demonstrated by the American Literature link on the right hand side of this page Encyclopedia Britannica now has widgets on a range of subjects that you can embed in your webpage.

At this stage there are 30 or so subject widgets with more being added almost daily.

EB are also offering free online access to qualifying websites (webmasters, bloggers, writers, etc.)

You can also follow EB on Twitter.

and bop when it stopped...

I am typing this on my new toy.

I was a bit concerned that the mini keys on the keyboard would cause my typing to deteriorate, but I am a cack handed typist at the best of times so the smaller keyboard was no worse and no better than the full size.

Everything on the PC eee is smaller but in proportion so maybe that's why the smaller screen, keyboard, touchpad etc. didn't faze me.

I've also found a blog for eee hacks so I may have some fun playing around.

At the moment all the software on the pc is open source although it is Windows XP compatible (prob won't bother tho')

What I wanted was something to replace my late PDA, something that I could travel with, that was sturdy, lightweight and small.

So far the eee meets all these expectations and then some.

Will see how it is after a few more days of use.

It went zzzip when it moved...

Today I ventured out to the wilds of Cheltenham, to Southland, a full 1.25 hours by bus from Chez FiFi. I had been planning this expedition for some weeks now. I'd looked up the bus timetables, found my passport, and set the alarm.

Why Southland I hear you ask?

Well in March last year I reached 25 years with CoBLS which meant I got a Westfield gift certificate to spend however I chose.

My closest Westfield is Doncaster but much of it is closed for renovation.

Fountain Gate was also a possibility, it depended on what I wanted to buy as not all stores accept the gift card.

However once I decided what to buy Southland was by far the best option as I could use the card at DJ's, Harvey Norman, and JB Hifi - all of whom stocked my marvellous toy.

I decided on DJ's as they had 10% off all notebook pcs, (and the Asus PC eee certainly fits into that category).

The next decision was what colour?

The Asus comes in black, white (actually more of a pearly white), pale pink or pale blue. I went with black (it goes with everything) and headed home with my prize.

It is so cute.

It's not much bigger than a paperback book and it took fully five minutes to get it up and running and I love it already.

Will post a proper review later...

Can it be that it was all so simple then...

Thanks to Catalog Card Generator at Blyberg.net for bringing back some awesome memories.

First job - weeding the University catalogue over the Christmas (largely student free) break, working from photocopies, pulling out cards for withdrawn books.

Second job - typing catalogue cards, running off copies on a duplicator and then typing on the additional entries, subject headings and the like.

Aaaaaaaaah the heady smell of the duplicator (ink, oil or whatever it was)

MTC: The 39 steps

Shots ring out across a crowded theatre and Richard Hannay is drawn into a murder mystery that takes him from London to Scotland and back again.

Based (hysterically) on the Hitchcock film this play is aprt slapstick, part farce, part Monty Python and completely hilarious.

A cast of four plays 139 different roles (Actually three of the cast play 138 roles as Marcus Graham only plays our hero - Richard Hannay)

I highly recommend this play - it is one of the funniest pieces of theatre I have seen in a long while. The cast is excellent (particularly Grant Piro and Tony Taylor) switching from role to role with ease.

I could very easily go and see this play again...

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High School Musical on Ice

Took my 8yr old niece to see High School Musical on ice (it was her birthday present from me).

I have not seen the films (there are 2 - imaginatively titled High School Musical and High School Musical 2)but I have it on expert 8yr old authority that they are awesome!!!

The guy playing Troy was an excellent skater (and he was the highlight as far as I was concerned).

The story (!) revolves around a group of kids at an American High School. The main characters are Troy (captain of the basketball team), and Gabriella (capain of the science club) who decide to audition for the school's winter musical. This is much to the disgust of brother and sister Ryan & Sharpey Evans who are always the leads in the school musicals.

Troy's friends want him to concentrate on basketball, gabriella's friends want her to concentrate on the science competition, and Sharpey & Ryan want Troy & Gabriella out of the musical.

After the interval we moved into the 2nd movie's storyline.

The gang get summer jobs at the Country Club 'ruled' by Sharpey. Sharpey is worried thqt she and Ryan won't win the talent contest if Troy & Gabriella are in it so she plots for Sharpey & Troy to be the stars of the show.

I won't tell you how it ends but suffice to say the Vodafone Arena was packed full of 'tweens' knowing the words to every single song.

Anyway, and most importantly, Kate loved it.

We finished off her birthday treat with dinner at the Pancake Parlour and we handed a very tired and very happy 8yr old back to her parents.

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