Thursday, May 31, 2007

Web 2.0


Have ya'll heard of this yet? I hadn't until I had. Web 2.0 is the next generation of internet communication and refers to an update in the systems/programs that allow for online interaction and conversation. It is not a complete updated internet, like the name suggests.

As a member of a generation where I knew how to use a computer before I did a microwave this update didn't strike me as odd. Who doesn't know how to IM or blog? Who doesn't know Facebook, MySpace, or Live Journal? Even simpler, who doesn't e-mail? But then a broader area of my mind took over, thank the maker, and I realized that we are in a very interesting stage. We have four distinct computer generations with us. We have Generation One (G1) which has no idea what a computer is, how is works, and doesn't want to know either. We have G2 which didn't grow up with a computer but because the demand in work place and home life is so great they have forced themselves to become Tect. savvy, or not, and rely on G3 to help them. G3 is my generation. We grew up with computers at home and in school but we still learns penmanship and had to write papers in pen during class. Finally is G4. G4 has never been without a computer and can press and button and make everything better when the world is crashing down (computer style) and everything is okay.

So, generation established I think our societal direction along with these generations and Web 2.0 is interesting. G1 will eventually be gone. It will be a task to find someone who doesn't know the workings of a computer. An update of internet communication with this "advanced" (used loosly) society is a step in the direction of efficiency. Stamp prices did go up when e-mail is free and quicker.

Honestly, I am disappointed that handwritten communication is going by the wayside. I enjoy pen and paper. I still write all first drafts in that form. I enjoy walking out to my mailbox and seeing a letter in there with my name on it and I enjoy loosing my eye sight to badly formed letters that even a computer couldn't read.

Web 2.0 a quest for efficiency but assisting in a lost history.

So despite all our trying to be different, the kid and I are quite similar. Picture one: her close to the camera. Picture two: me close to the camera, at different times of course. Picture three: Goofy us. Picture four is another attack. This time I tied her to a cat carrier. Ah, we always have so much fun. And trust me, we were laughing the entire time because she said I okay when I told her to lay on the floor and put her head in the carrier and then let me tie her us. She is in fact a lot stronger than I am.

Friday, May 25, 2007

Scrambled Chickens


Mk, so I had a very interesting revolation yesterday morning during a lovely breakfast with my dad. I enquired as to how they-- I always find the use of the word they to symbolize an unknown group interesting as well-- came up with the idea/the product of scrambled eggs. I like eggs. I do prefer mine scrambled. I eat them with salt, cheese, and hot sauce. Yay eggs. Okay, so how did we get scrambled eggs.

My theory:

There were two farmers standing outside the chicken coop and one farmer said I wonder what would happen if we shook a chicken. Would that scramble the eggs? The other farmer laughed and said no. Farmer one picked up a chicken and shook it anyway. When the chicken laid eggs farmer two had been correct, the eggs were not scrambled so farmer one tried a new way and he just scrambled the eggs' insides. Hence, scrambled eggs.

Disclaimer: as a result of reading this please do not go shake chickens. It is not fun for you or the chicken and any injury that might come from chicken shaking I am not responsible for.

So scrambled eggs, mmm. I had toast this morning with homemade (by my grandma) strawberry jelly. When I get my own place I will make jellys. I like to cook. One of the first things I did when I got home was make brownies, from scratch mind you. That is melting chocolate/shorting, mixing in everything else and baking. And I made dinner. So good.

Have a great week.
Pictures: What are they saying?
Number One: "Ah, home at last."
Number Two: "Hi, I'm Gretchen!"
Number Three: "I'm too good to look at you."
Number Four: "Help!" (which she was actually screaming after I tied her to a deck chair using her own sweatshirt sleeves. Yay sisters!

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Nyumbani ya Samantha Kiswahili


Hamjumbo,

Mimi ni mwanafunzi wa chou cho Ohio Wesleyan Univeristy. Mimi ninasoma Kiswahili wa OWU na mimi ninaandika blog wa OWU Kiswahili.

Kiswahili ni lugha inasema barra la Afrika na nchi ya England. Mimi siishi barra la Afrika ou nchi ya England. Mimi ninaishi jimbo la Ohio. Mimi ninaishi mji wa Delaware kwasababu mimi ninasoma chou cho OWU. Mimi ninajifunza Kiswahili na English. Pia, mimi ninaandika hadithia. Hadithi ni muhimu kwasababu inafundisha manna ya myisha na disturia na kabila wa watu. Mimi ninaandika kuhusu myisha ya watu. Mimi ninapenda hadithi.

Mimi nina rafiki jina lake Katie. Katie anasoma chou cho Colby jimbo la Maine. Katie anazuru nyumbani karibu. Baada ya nyumbani, Katie anazuru Cape Cod kwasababu yeye anaishi Cape Cod majiri ya joto. Mimi ninataka kuzuru Katie lakini mimi sinina fedha. Mimi ninapenda ndege na sizuri mimi sizuru Katie.

Mimi ninataka kuandika blog Kiswahili kwasababu mimi sina la kufanya na anaandika Kiswahili ni burudani. Na anaandika Kiswahili anaonyesha lugha walimu wa chou cho OWU ni wazuru.

Kwa herini!

PS. The pictures have absolutely nothing to do with what the blog is about. Thought that disclaimer might be better served in English.
Have a great week.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Home


I am going home today, yes I am, yes I am, and I am so excited that my fingers keep spelling words wrong so the time it is taking me to write this blog in insane. Now, that just put that to the music in my head and you've found my morning mood. This year has been fantastic but I am ready for a break. I want to see the family and play with the kitties and work (the always important work) and I am so very excited about doing some hardcore writing this summer.

My day: (today at least)
Started with a shower and has continued with mail checking, facebook looking, and now blog updating. Following these activities I will go to breakfast (mmmmm food because my belly is starting to gurgle. Yes, it does gurgle with it gets empty, not growls) and after breakfast I will print papers. My geology exam starts after that, which will go well. Geology is a great class, Dr. Martin is a great professor because he is always excited and he tries to get students involved in what their learning. I appreciate his efforts and had a great time in geology. Then, after geology, I have to turn in those papers that I previously printed, and then I am officially finished with me freshman year of college. Officially, yes, because in blog previous I was not finished finished just classes finished but after that I will be finished.

Then I will finished packing and when my parents get here load up the car and the drive home. Home makes me happy and I can't wait to spend just about four months there. And don't worry readers, the blogs will continue updates through out the summer so you can still check in with how college students spend their summers. I'd like to make a prediction . . . I sense, lots of work to make money to come back in the fall. We'll see.

Have yourselves a great week.

For your viewing pleasure: I was wandering through my pictures and I found the first one, of me just acting silly up in the guys room. Following this I found picture number two, of my lovely sibling, acting equally as silly in a our basement at home. Please note that while these two poses are not identically, they are a lot alike. Sister, great minds think alike. And these next two also have a connection. First in a picture of the crew that I am leaving, OWU buddies that I hope have great summers and I am very excited to reconnect with next year. In the picture Geoff, Megan, Ryan, and me. Following that is the crew that I am joining at home, that will make this summer unpredictable and fun. In that picture Will, Olivia, Rose, Katie, Me, and in the back is Mike.

Have a great end of school.

Ha ha, I am home. It is Wednesday afternoon and instead of typing out a whole jig, thought I'd just amend this one. I'm home. So excited.

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Zoo Without the Darkness


So, some of you will recall a December adventure where we mobbed the zoo, in the dark, with not really any animals but some magnificent holiday lights. Ah, the insanity of it, but as of yesterday a reading day--

--info insert: a reading day is a day provided by the university in which classes are canceled and students should be studying--

I have again seen the Columbus Zoo in the light and with the animals. This was my second trip there. The first was for my sibling's birthday because she is in love with manatees and the Columbus Zoo has one of the best exhibits. So on this second day light adventure we saw animals and it was great.

I attended the zoo with the zoology majors so while I spent my time talking to the moose and the bison and the bonobos and the birds, they spent their time studying them and all that other stuff that zoologists do. It was fun for me, the English major, to study them studying the animals . . . sounds a bit like sociology or medicine. Well at least I didn't try to get in their heads (psychology or philosophy). We did learn a lot and I even got to speak some Swahili.

Note: all of the subjects mentioned in the last paragraph are offered at majors at OWU with the exception of Swahili, but you can take that as you language to fill that language requirement. Its what I recommend.

Continuing on, we (Megan, Zoe, Geoff, and I) spent a total of five hours at the zoo. It was great. If you come for a visit check it out sometime.

Have an awesome weekend.

Pictures: First is Megan, Zoe, and Me and we are all very excited to be at the Zoo. Yay zoo. Second is a picture of the manatees there. As I said, very, very wonderful. Third is a picture of an albino alligator. Fourth a picture of a flamingo. Bright colors, those get another yay. Thanks to Geoff and Megan for these pictures.

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

That's It


Today, the day of today was my last day of classes for my freshmen year at Ohio Wesleyan. I realized at lunch today, as I plopped down on the couch that there were no more classes for me this year. It was an odd realization but also a very exciting one. It means I'm going on. In five days I will officially be a sophomore.

Wow.

Granted there are still exams to be taken and papers to be written so the stress levels are still up there, but I am not going to have another class as a college freshmen. I like to hold onto little moments like these. I did the same on my drive home from high school the last day, which some of you will soon be experiencing. Any closing like that is a great feeling. You've advanced past something and now it is over.

Next year is so exciting. I am rooming with Megan, Mery, and Selby. It is going to loud and goofy and so much fun. My classes are interesting and I look forward to something different. Summer I am working. I have found that it is hard core work now that I'm past high school. I held a job in high school, yes, but now it is I gotta get hours and I gotta make money. Real world, here I come.

College is good for the real world jump. Very good. It is scary but so much fun. You just got to jump, that's the easiest way. Wherever you go, just jump into it. Do temperature test it with your toe for full force into it. That's how you make college yours and that's when it becomes fun.

Have a great weekend and all that!

anyway, that is at Katie'sPictures: Okay, so I am going back into the high school phase just a bit. A gentle time line. First is Homecoming my junior year . . . senior year . . . I don't remember. Oh goodness, Katie's steps. I wore pants to my Homecoming and it was the best decision I ever made. So comfortable, even those amazing shoes. Picture number two is from prom my senior year. That is my driveway and that is Eric, my best friend house and that is me, posing on who flew out from Oregon to take me to my prom. It was a great night, so much fun. Note, I am wearing the same shoes, which is the only reason I am nearly as tall as him. Four inch heels can do wonders for height. Picture the third is of my first OWU adventure, Fresh X backpacking. Sadly I will not be a leader for the trip this coming fall, but I do still encourage all of you to sign up. The people in charge are excellent. If you go backpacking you'll get the hang out with Mery, always a good time, and it makes your transition to OWU so much easier. In this picture Mery, Julia, and Me.