The Amanda Project/Invisible i

I'm not going to lie. I'm a little bit technologically challenged and totally stunted in the social networking sphere, but I have been a librarian for a while and a reader since, well, since I could read. So, believe me when I tell you that The Amanda Project may be one of the coolest things I have ever seen in both the literary world and cyberspace. But, wait. I'm so excited that I'm getting ahead of myself. (But trust me, you NEED to check this out.)

The Amanda Project is a web site dedicated to solving the mystery of Amanda Valentino's disappearance from her school and town in Orion, Maryland. The web site was started by her three "guides" Callie, Hal, and Nia with the help of Hal's younger sister, Cornelia. Now, before anyone loses their heads, Amanda Valentino is a fictional character (or is she?!). She is unique and elusive and completely enigmatic. The beginning of her story and the search to find her can be found in the first book of an eight-book series, Invisible i by Stella Lennon and Melissa Kantor. (Stella Lennon is an invented name to encompass all of the authors who will be writing the series). The web site is a maze of wonder as far as I'm concerned. Readers can sign up for a free account, create their own character/avatar and contribute to the story. Some contributors' posts will even end up published in the books. In addition, new clues can be uploaded to the site with pictures and each week additions to the story are posted by Callie, Hal, Nia and Cornelia. Participants can respond to these stories as well. There's even a Zine that's been started to which participants can submit Amanda/non-Amanda artwork and literature. You can view copies of playlists from the main characters and authors, and you can visit the store and purchase Amanda-related products. My suggestion would be to start by reading the book, Invisible i and to download the Welcome packet from the web site. From there, the web site will make a lot more sense and you can sign up and create your own avatar to participate. Read the Stories left by Callie, Hal and Nia and jump in! This is fan fiction brought to an amazing new level. You will love Amanda's world and be as desperate to find her as the rest of us. So, what are you waiting for? Need more incentive to get started? Check out this video:

Podcast: Women in Science

"Girls are talking.  You should listen." 

That's the tagline for a cool podcast I've just discovered called GirlTalk.  If you're not familiar with the term podcast, Wikipedia defines it as "a series of digital media files (either audio or video) that are released episodically and downloaded through web syndication."   It's the same concept as a syndicated show you watch on TV, but instead this is on your computer.  And because there's little expense in terms of equipment and software (many computers these days come with basic recording and editing programs pre-installed) often podcasts can be created by just about anybody. 

Here's what GirlTalk is all about:

GirlTalk is a mentoring initiative that encourages girls to explore science, math, engineering and technology - in their own words. GirlTalk Radio consists of a series of interviews with women scientists, conducted by girls ages 11 – 16, making their debuts as Pittsburgh radio hosts!

Teen "GirlTalk Radio" hosts get the inside scoop from women who are in the field and know their stuff.  Some of the podcast interviews include:

• a marine biologist and exhibit developer for the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
  
• an expert in clandestine photography and identity transformation who used to be a CIA intelligence officer 
• an orthopedist at the UPMC Center for Sports Medicine and team physician for the Pittsburgh Steelers and other amateur and professional sports teams in Pittsburgh 
• a Google Maps software engineer

Click here to access the podcasts and discover something interesting!

Cell Phone App- Type and Walk

So I came across this advertisement for an app that lets you walk and type at the same time.  Being the self-proclaimed s..l...o...w...e...s...t texter in town and owning one of the most ancient cell phones known to man, I thought this app seemed a little frivolous and unnessary... as well as slightly unsafe in that it lures you into a false sense of security thinking that you've got it all under control to be able to do two things at once.  But then I thought that I might be the wrong audience for this type of thing.  So I put the question out to you, blog readers, do you think this app is cool or not?

Today is a Palindrome!

Hey, I just found out that today is a palindrome!  What's that you say?  A palindrome is something (a word or string of numbers) that can be read forward and backward in the same way.  Today is January 2nd 2010... 01022010!!!!  Go celebrate... don't ask me how, just do it!  You only have twenty more minutes though, so do it quick!  The next calendar palindrome will be November 2nd 2011.  We should all plan ahead for that one! 

Winter Reading Club

Hello and Happy New Year to all! After reading about all these good books that have been blogged about, I thought I'd give a plug to our Winter Reading Club at the library! It's so easy...just come in to sign up and you'll get either a free book or a small prize just for signing up! Then, every time you read a book, come in to tell us about it and your name will be entered in a raffle to win a prize! We'll pick 2 winners, one at the end of January and again at the end of February. With the weather we've been having lately....there really is "Snow Better Time to Read!" Make it your New Year's Resoulution! Hope to see you soon!

Pictorial Guide to Avoiding Camera Loss

Have you ever lost something very important and wished you could get it back?   Was is ever an expensive item such as a camera?  Well, whether you have or haven't, the idea I'm about to share with you is something we should all consider.  You may not want to go all out with the idea like this guy Andrew McDonald did, but a simple variation on the idea might be a wise idea.  Andrew (who lives in Australia) has created this wonderful series of photos that he always keeps on his camera at all times.  No matter what, these photos remain on his memory card so he can communicate with the person who may find his lost camera in the future.   He calls it: A Pictorial Guide to Avoiding Camera Loss.  It's the technological equivalent of writing your name in permenant marker on the tag of your underwear before going to camp... which is also a very good idea!

Make a Handbag from an Old Book

I read tons and tons of blogs in my spare time.  I really mean tons!  I have one of those Google Reader accounts that manage my blog subcriptions- letting me read the new blog entries and archive any good ideas with tags and a star-rating system.  I've been so busy with the holidays that I haven't logged into my Google Reader in a few weeks- to my surprise I was greeted with over 1,000 new entries to puruse!   I guess that's what I get for having thirty-two (and counting) blog subscriptions that I follow!  

Anyway, when I read some of these blogs, I'm always amazed at how many creative ideas there are out there in the world.  Some of my favorite blogs are the ones that combine craft ideas with recycling ideas.  Check out the example below from a great blog called Crafting a Greener World.  It shows you how to create a handbag from the shell of a hardcover book.  If you've ever had a book that got damaged on the inside (but not on the outside) or if you love to buy cheap books from garage sales, thrift stores or book sales, then this craft may be for you.  The guy who hosts these crafting video segments is a talented and funny guy.  My favorite line from this segment is when he points out that "Now, clearly I'm a dude and don't have an immediate use for a tiny, little handbag no matter how sweet it is..."  He goes on to say that you can still make this project and give it to someone in your life who would appreciate it.   So, guys and girls alike, here's how you make a handbag from an old book: