Web 2.0: Menschenseele in Maschine

Earlier today, my fellow group members and I did this week's OCLS Learn 2.0 together. Fanya, Rita and I watched the Web 2.0 video, and I couldn't help noting the websites that were briefly featured, as they were websites dealing with anthropology. I've just completed my studies for a Bachelor's in Anthropology at Rollins College, so I was curious about the concept of a "digital ethnography" of YouTube, and fascinated with the possibilities of how humanity is creating a new international culture that is internet-based.

Culture 2.0, if you will.

I could continue to muse, theorise and get all po-mo, but instead, I'll talk about the presence of OCLS on MySpace and YouTube. I had known that the Library has been putting up videos and using a MySpace profile, but I hadn't gone online to see the work that's been done to reach out to the online community. I'm pretty impressed, especially at the 171 MySpace friends the Library has. Our group read some of the comments, and it's really intriguing to see the very positive comments the Library's gotten on MySpace from teens.

The other part of the exercise entailed going on to SEOmoz's website and exploring a few websites that gained their Web 2.0 awards. I was already familiar with Pandora, and it truly deserves accolades and more. It's a great way to find out about new music you might like, but not think to look for. We also looked at the website for PEERtrainer, which is a nice way to find like-minded individuals who are trying to live healthier lives, like the one who started the group 20 somethings who need to put down the martini and pick up the weights. Although I personally am normally at the other end of the spectrum, being a purveyor of baked goods, I think a website like this would really help those who need a little bit of motivation to be more active and to eat better. Our group also took a gander at Farecast.com, which is going to definitely get used when I take a trip this year to Seattle. It's another way to find cheap airfare online for domestic flights. They predict the fares and allow you to book online, and they provide refunds if the fares they predict are over the ticket price. The website also tells you when you should wait to buy tickets, and when you should buy now. Here's an example of low airfares coming out of Orlando just to give you an idea.

I also wanted to mention a website that was on the list of SEOmoz's: Etsy. I shop online through Etsy all the time, and I love the idea of supporting crafters and artists who work from home or a small studio, making unique clothes and items that really stand out. Some of my favourite Etsy shops include RunzwithScissors, the little stitch, Katrina Kaye, Kitty Empire, AhPeele and Run Amok. The shops are located all over; recently I ordered a few gifts on Etsy from an online shop all the way in Shanghai.

Okay, I got this through my feed from Fark.com from their "sappy" section: Students raise money for beloved elderly janitor's dream. I confess to getting a little misty after reading this story.

-doreen

Wednesday's cookies

So I made cookies last night, which are the ones pictured here, from a recipe gotten from my RSS feed from All Recipies. The recipe was derived from one called Jumbo Raisin Spice Cookies, but the version I made were vegan and omitted the salted peanuts, using instead dried apples and cranberries from an organic fruit snack mix bought in the Greenwise section of Publix. As the empty plastic container next to me proves, these cookies met with the approval of at least some members of the Special Services department, namely one in particular who asked me for my version of the recipe. Since I was experimenting last night, this recipe might not be accurate, but I'll post it anyway, just in case someone else feels line fooling around in the kitchen.

Vegan Fruit & Spice Cookies
makes 24 cookies, more or less

Ingredients
3 cups oat flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup unsalted vegan butter (or use regular unsalted butter if recipe doesn't need to be vegan)
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup sweetened applesauce
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 package of dried cranberries & apples (I used Good Sense's brand)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter until soft. Mix in the vanilla and sugar. Add the applesauce and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger cinnamon and nutmeg. Gradually stir into the butter mixture. Stir in raisins, dried apples and cranberries. Take tablespoon-sized pieces of dough and drop them onto the cookie sheets, pushing the dough to make a round or semi-round shape.
3. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Let cool on wire racks.

Again, this recipe is still in beta mode, so I will still be working on it to make it even better. I'll release a 2.0 version if I decide to modify this any.

-doreen

cooking with bling

I was listening to NPR online, and apparently a couple of people have released a new cookbook called Joy of Liberace: Retro Recipes from America's Kitschiest Kitchen. It's a collection of recipes the King of the Candelabra had himself, and one of them, the "Angel Bling Cake Pie," is featured on the NPR website, and here it is in my little work bloggie, too:

Recipe: Angel Bling Cake Pie

2 egg whites
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 cup chopped nuts
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 275 degrees (F). Beat the egg whites with salt until almost stiff. Beat in the sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Add cream of tartar and nuts. Spoon into a greased nine-inch pie plate and bake about an hour. Cool. Whip the cream, add vanilla, and spread over the pie. Chill.

Serves six people

I'm curious to see what other recipes are included, as the photo for this bling cake pie looks impressive, and the ingredients seem rather simple.