AN EXCITING DAY AT PODCAMP
In order to prepare for Podcamp Boston I planned to take along my business cards. I've had a bunch of cards for a year now and haven't used too many but this was the time I really wanted to be prepared. Well, I looked high and low and couldn't find them. The ironic part of that is I recently made a post about how organized I am and now I just couldn't put my hands on them! (so, I'm not perfect, just normal) As it turned out I really didn't need them because many of the people I spoke to, read my blog and watch the videos.

I also reread the e-mail I received about the event. I spent some time reading the names of more than the 1,000 registered attendees. There were a handful of people that I had met at Blogher a few years ago. Some were people that I have seen photo's of and gotten to know by reading Steve's blog.



The day finally came, I was going into Boston for Podcamp! It was the first time I attended an event at the Convention Center, what a huge building. Steve was there to meet me. The first thing we did was go to the food court for lunch and the fun started! Immediately people started introducing themselves to me, they knew me from the "I Can't Open It videoblogs," and I was worried about not having any business cards, not to worry, I didn't need them.

I attended two afternoon sessions, some terms were familiar to me and some weren't. I know what's going to happen when I ask Steve to explain them in detail to me. He's going to say, "Ma, why don't you do it?"

One term that I have never heard is," Evangelist." I looked up the word evangelism in the dictionary and the definition is, " the zealous preaching or spreading the gospel." Looks like we active bloggers are evangelists!!




I meet many new people and meet people in-person that I have know through blogging and videoblogging. I won't even attempt to name names because I could leave some people out, but I can tell you, you are great bunch of people.



Just as an aside, there were many more men there then women - what a great way for a single lady to met a guy.



The sessions were good but the best part of the whole experience was meeting and talking to people who know me through my blog and videoblog!! And now I know them!!

Labels: podcamnpboston2, podcamp, podcampboston

posted by millie garfield @ 3:16 PM | Permalink | I LOVE COMMENTS >> 7 comments

 
COMMUNICATION YESTERDAY and TODAY


YESTERDAY

In the thirties when I was a little girl growing up, the world was very small. All I knew about was what I heard from the neighborhood children or what I learned in school. When my mother sat on the stoop in front of our house she got the neighborhood news. My father heard the news when he went to work or read the local newspaper.



We did have a Zenith radio and listened to Gabriel Heater's broadcasts.

Audio: VE Day Gabriel Heater [ mp3 ]

If something of great importance happened the newspaper would publish an extra edition. I remember hearing the newspaper boy going around the neighborhood yelling, "EXTRA, EXTRA, Read All About It."



When we finally got a telephone, it was a two party line! Does anyone remember those? If you were lucky you shared the line with a reasonable person, many times it was difficult to "get the line."

As far as making a long distance call, it had to be for a very special occasion or an emergency. My mother had two brothers who lived in Chicago and I don't ever remember her calling them on the phone. She communicated with them by mail and they did the same.


Movietone News Video Clip

Then we had Movietone News at the movies - Before the picture was shown we saw news from around the world, not current, but the world was getting larger. We could see and hear what was happening.

Then came television - Funny thing about early television, all I remember is "The Milton Berle Show" and "The Ed Sullivan Show." I don't recall any news programs at that time, Cronkite and Murrow must have come later?

TODAY

I hardly listen to the radio.



I watch some daytime news programs if I'm home, watch the nightly news and still read the newspaper.

I don't think anything of making a long distance call.



Cellphones and iPhones are commonplace.

The internet has opened a whole new world to me.



I can communicate with people all over the world through e-mail and blogging.

I can read many newspapers and magazines.

Watching people on Youtube, I see all age groups, singing, dancing, acting and doing whatever makes them happy.



Next Saturday I will attend PodCamp Boston 2. It's an unconference exploring new media community tools like blogging, videoblogging, podcasting, second life, twitter, and more. I'm involved with blogging and videoblogging but know little about some of the what's new in the media today. This will give me the opportunity to learn and grow my knowledge.



On Wednesday I'll be on a panel at Video on the Net where Chris Brogan will moderate "Meet Tomorrow's Stars Today." To quote Chris, "It's going to be a conversation about the videoblogging/internet video world and hopefully enlighten folks in the audience about the life of videobloggers."

And what do you know, my son Steve is going to be on the panel with me!!

I'll tell you all about it in my next post. That's communication!!

posted by millie garfield @ 5:38 PM | Permalink | I LOVE COMMENTS >> 17 comments

 
Happy Birthday, Olive

flickr photo by robokow

Happy 108th Birthday Olive!

via [ Ronni ]

posted by millie garfield @ 7:04 AM | Permalink | I LOVE COMMENTS >> 3 comments

 
NEAT STORIES


A few weeks ago Ronni at Time Goes By had a great idea, she started a section called "Where Elders Blog." Bloggers have been sending in photos of where they "do their thing." I love seeing how they are set up and what the environment is around them.



This got me thinking about how I manage my space. I can't work with lots of stuff around me. Fortunately I have a desk with lots of drawers so that helps keep the top of my desk neat.

I realize I was always this way. For example when I worked in an office as a bookeeper, in the days before computers, all records were done by hand. I had many sets of books that I was responsible for and as I worked on each phase I would go to the safe, take out that ledger and when I was through I would put it back in the safe.


flickr phot by hugovk

A while after I left that job I came in to visit the people in the office and was introduced to the girl who took my place. Well, you should have seen her desk - she had EVERY ledger and checkbook out on her desk whether she was working on it or not! That was her style.

Then there was the time I needed a lawyer. I asked my accountant for a referral and trusting his judgement I set up an appointment with him.


flickr photo by polanri

As soon as I walked into his office, I saw a mess! The floor around his desk was cluttered with folders, my thought was if I give him my paperwork how will he ever find it. I wanted to walk out but I was anxious to get the necessary work done and after all, my accountant had recommended him. He did the required work but I never used him again.

My philosophy is "A Place for Everything and Everything in it's Place."

My bedroom draws are well organized. I use plastic ice cube trays for my earrings and cutlery containers for necklaces and pins and plastic shoe boxes for socks and knee-hi's.


flickr photo by sparkrography

I keep my shoes in a cardboard container that has individual cubby-holes. All that works out well!

After reading all this you might think I am a perfectionist and well organized but you should see my closets! It's not that I don't have enough closets, it's just that they are a mess and I have yet to figure out how to keep them in order.

I know one thing that I should do - that's to throw out things that I have not worn in a year, I read that all the time.
What else can I do to maintain my supposed neat reputation?

posted by millie garfield @ 5:13 PM | Permalink | I LOVE COMMENTS >> 18 comments

 
THE TEN DOLLAR GIFT CERTIFICATE
A few years before my husband retired we started going to Florida for a winter vacation with a group that offered a great all inclusive package. They took care of all the details, large and small. That first winter we went for two weeks, then three weeks and finally we started going for four weeks.


flickr photo by Olivander

We stayed at a lovely hotel in Miami Beach where there was always something doing, if the weather was good we could walk down to the pool or go to the beach which was a stones throw from the hotel. There were dancing classes, exercise classes, lectures and you name it, they had it.

As I'm typing this I remember one time they had a guest artist who would create a "work of art" with toilet paper!!

But I digress --

One day we decided to take a walk and discover what else the area had to offer. It didn't take to long before a very pretty young lady approached us and spoke directly to my husband. She explained that she was working for a Time Share Real Estate Company and the more people she got to listen to their pitch, the more commission she would make.

As an incentive she gave us a $10.00 gift certificate that we could use at a shopping mall right across the street. We had a free afternoon, didn't know anything about time sharing and agreed to go listern to the salesman's presentation. MISTAKE!!


flickr photo by ItsJerryTime!

The salesman showed us around the complex and then gave us his sales pitch. We told him up-front that we were not interested in this property but he won't let go, he was desperate to make the sale. What we finally had to do was just walk out on him!

Ok, we got out of there alive, now we had a gift certificate to spend. What we found at this shopping mall was a bank, a podiatrist's office, a beauty shop, a dress shop and a drug store. We went into the dress shop and what do you know, there was nothing in the shop for under $100.00. Forget that, but I was bound to use that certificate.

Next stop, the drug store, I really didn't need anything there but I keep looking. Finally I found something that I could spend the $10.00 certificate on!


Better Homes and Gardens "New Cook Book." Bantam Revised Edition 1982

The only trouble with that was the book cost $14.50 plus Florida tax. The good thing was, I have enjoyed that cook book all these years. ;-)

posted by millie garfield @ 3:52 PM | Permalink | I LOVE COMMENTS >> 21 comments