"Darn! That's the end!"

At long last... the last item of "23 Things!

... trumpets sound... drums roll...

What a long trip it's been. I won't say "strange" as it's been rather enjoyable - except for the parts that were rather boring and pointless.

I would do it all again. I did learn a lot and I did find some items that I can use in helping people get information (or just fun stuff) on the web.

And I even found some things that I could use in my own life.

As I wind up this blog, I'm pretty impressed with the amount of things I've learned and the amount of work I've done. I feel proud of myself for accomplishing this much.

But now? I'm going to take a long break from the computer. I never thought I'd live to see the day where the thought of being on the computer could make my head hurt.

So long, fellow "23 Things"-ers. See you next year.

Or, at least until I blog again!

Project Gutenberg does audio!

Okay, so I knew about this place BEFORE "23 Things", but this was the first time I'd listened to one of the audio books. I started at "a" with Aesop, and listened to a reading of the Introduction by G.K. Chesterton. It was very learned and opinionated. (smile)

Okay, I'm not a fan of audio books, but I'm glad to know that this service is available. Maybe one day on an exceptionally long and boring car ride, I'll plug in one of these free audio books and lull myself to sleep with Thucydides' "History of the Pelopennesian Wars".

It might even be a lot easier than actually READING it.

Podcasts!

This is possibly the most fun you can have on the web after YouTube.

Seriously... where else can you find stimulating conversation on a variety of subjects from physics to dating, from music programs to music discussions, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?

And the best part? Most of it - 90% - is as free as the air.

That's right; installing special equipment (for the most part). You plug in your headphones (or not) and start listening.

And if you're feeling really creative, you can create your own podcast.

(I wasn't feeling too creative, so here's my favorite podcasts so far - Intellectual Icebergs -http://podcasts.yahoo.com/series?c=e&s=1c42803686415ef2e925fe8e0ac3ec01&es=1&rs=1)

RSS redux!

Well, okay, I finally signed up a blog for my Bloglines account...

This blog.

Pathetic, isn't it? But all the other blogs I read don't have RSS. So I'm still wondering - what's the point of having RSS?

Edited to add: And I'm particularly wondering because it doesn't give you the latest stuff from TODAY. You have to wait until TOMORROW to find I what I'm typing today. So it STILL makes no sense to me.

Edited again to add: It turns out that I have to add 10 feeds to my RSS. Sigh. So I did. Here's the list:

- The Shifted Librarian
- Accidental Hedonist
- Eat Feed
- Bloglines News
- Cocktail Party Physics
- Eyebream ReBlog
- NYT Arts
- Vegan Lunch Box
- Vive Le Vegan!

Lulu!

I think this site is great. Self-publishing may seem like an act of desperation, but sometimes it's the only way to go when traditional publishers just won't accept your work.

I had a romance novel rejected TWICE, and I got these vague rejections - "your work is just not what we're looking for at this time." WTFBBQ??? What is THAT supposed to mean? Just freaking tell me if you liked it or not!

After looking at Lulu, I'm really thinking about dusting off that novel and self-publishing it. Even if only a couple of people buy it, it's better than wasting a year writing it and having it sit in my desk drawer.

And who knows? Maybe it'll be the next "Eragon" and get picked up by a traditional publisher after the fact and make a million bucks.

Google Docs!

Okay, so I can make documents online...

...and exactly why would I want to do this? I mean, since I have a computer at home, and can easily use that instead?

Unless I just have some burning desire to share my rough drafts with the universe?

Sandbox Wiki!

For those of us who enjoy making lists of things, here's a place where you can write them down and update them when the mood strikes.

Oh, and you can have everyone else be witness to your fickleness too!

http://marylandlibrariessandbox.pbwiki.com/gvillageidiot%27s-favorite-authors