5 posts from March 2008

I have been using  Itunes to search for and listen to podcasts.   It is like a Tivo for podcasts, many of which are video as well as audio. Once you download the software, you can then go to their store and search for Podcasts.    Best of all the podcasts and the software are free and easy to use.

Now every day I listen to the first hour of the Today Show, to some spiritual affirmations, to self-help talks, and lectures from various universities or businesses.   I am also listening to Oprah and Echkart Tolle which I have "subscribed" to through Itunes.  If I wanted to, I could burn the podcasts to disks, but I have not done that yet.  I did put all my music into the Itunes library and now play it using the Itunes player. And I will say my favorite word again. It is free!!  Works on Windows and also Mac computers.  

In the beginning, I had purchased an Ipod thinking that I would then download the podcasts to my Ipod and listen to them at work. However, I found it easier to just take my laptop to work and hook it into some portable speakers, I leave at work.

An article printed from the New York Times, published March 6, 2008, provides another example of the power of the Internet to transcend borders, and cultures in spite of all attempts to suppress the flow of information.  It states,  “In Havana, Cuba a  growing underground network of young people armed with computer memory sticks, digital cameras and clandestine Internet hookups has been mounting some challenges to the Cuban government in recent months, spreading news the official state media try to suppress. “  Link to Article

Pedro, a midlevel official with a Cuban government agency, predicted ”that the 10,000 students studying the Internet and programming at the University of Information Sciences would transform the country over time, opening up more and more avenues of information.” 

This article suggests that, if people want to communicate, short of restraining them and taking away their eyes and ears, they will communicate.  It is hoped that this mass communication and collaboration will result in a true worldview in which each person and country works cooperatively with others to transform our world into a peaceful self-sustaining community that will be a joy to live in. 

I love the Del.icio.us site at http://del.icio.us/.

I was referred to it by a book that I am reading on Wikinomics and quickly I learned how to make real butterscotch and how to refill Brita Water Pitchers filters for pennies.

I installed the little tool bar button and now any time I visit a site I enjoy I can save it by clicking the installed Del.icio.us button.  A dialogue box displays allowing me to add tags, notes and descriptions.  But best of all is that my tags are then aggregated with all others using Del.icio.us which are then grouped as a link for viewers to access. So at any time, the most popular sites are quickly visible when you visit the Del,icio.us site. 

For example, I found http://www.typepadhacks.org/2008/03/twitter-tools-t.html on the the home page of the website http://del.icio.us/.  It looked fascinating and I decided to save it and read it later. Before leaving the site, I clicked my Del.icio.us button to save it. Now when I return to the Del.icio.us site, I can access all the links I have saved for future reference. 

Another feature is that it builds communities.  It is available as a link in Vox on our blog so that people can click the Del.icio.us link and see all the favorites of the Blog author - in this case me. If you want to try it out, you can access my favorite links by clicking on my Del,icio.us link. It is right under my picture on my blog http://izzysworld.vox.com/ and has a square next to it filled with four colored squares. 

Love Free Stuff!!  Today I discovered Hulu.com. This is a site with movies and video you can view online.  I registered easily without the usual email verification.  In a minimum of keystrokes, I was able to select for viewing from many choices including TV shows and movies.  I watched an episode of The Riches and then turned to the movie choices. I am now watching Knight Rider.  I was presented with two choices, to watch the movie with commercials or watch a three-minute trailer for a movie "Leatherheads".  I chose to listen to the trailer. Now as I compose this blog entry, I am listening to the movie via my new wireless headset.

Wonderful one minute movie on Utube that offers some hope by comparing the emerging caterpillar to our emergency global community. http://youtube.com/watch?v=KzU3H7E0DO8

This is a longer movie - http://www.storyofstuff.com/  very good description of economy.  Talks about planned obsolescence, perceived obsolescence, and true cost of producing goods. Very interesting!