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Showing posts from 2011

Second Life, Second Day, not the essay I turned in

Starlog Day 2, 4 hours Second Day, Second Life, “Charlie’s” First Lesbian Experience?             I decided to learn more about the Second Life culture, and see if I couldn’t better equip myself to maneuver this foreign world.   I searched and watched a few Youtube videos so I could learn more about the basics.   My goal for this next attempt, I needed to learn how to communicate.             For whatever reason, when I logged into Second Life, there were plenty of people walking around and several were helpful.   I was excited, I was communicating with people in Second Life!!   I asked for help.   I changed my shape (apparently, to do some of these things you need to upgrade to “advanced” mode, which does NOT cost anything!).   I had a Miss Sweetwater ask why I was so short.   I changed the view to see the front of me.   I had morphed into some half woman, half quad-dog form, really short, with spindly limbs and a deformed foot.   Half bald, half of my head had a few, brown wisps of

Second Life Experience

For my COM 399 class, I have to use Second Life and write about the eperience.  Although this is not my final paper, I am sharing my first draft, of my first experience in Second Life.  You can stay tuned for the final paper!! Second Life of Frustration Why I don’t play video games How to be reduced to feeling like an idiot             First let me start by saying I don’t play video games.   I did not grow up playing them, and when I do play them, I am quickly reduced to feeling like an idiot.   And since I feel I am a fairly intelligent person, I don’t enjoy feeling like an idiot.   Which I do, every time my software is updated or I get a new computer.   I have long since learned not to do things that make me feel like an idiot.             That said, I started this assignment with no prior knowledge of Second Life.   I decided I would watch the first tutorial listed on our assignment.   It was a man who was showing off his cool office in Second Life.   The murals on his walls wer

Horizons Report COM 399

Kim Taylor Future Horizon Reports COM 399             One of the technologies I found the most surprising was "Mobiles."   And I know it is part of my own bias on cell phones, and the real necessity for mobile devices.   When you have a computer at work, and you have one at home, I just don't see the need to have internet on my phone.   Since I am taking classes at Bradley, I have bought a netbook that I have brought in for a few of the classes where we were in a computer lab and there wasn't enough computers for the whole class (I know I digress, but that just doesn't make sense to me.   I pay for the "computer lab", but then I bring my own netbook because there aren't enough computers in the class...or wait, I can go check one out down the hall....)   However, after reading the Horizon Reports, I have a totally different perspective on this technology group.   Personally, I don't know if I will eventually get the internet on my phone, but I do

"Victory Dance" (Not a COM 399 Assignment)

My Victory Dance I was talking with my friend, Francois, about some of the lethargy I was feeling dealing with two recent surgeries and facing the possibility of radioactive iodine treatments for cancer cells in my body.   We talked about maybe having something I can focus on, like maybe something to do once I am to the point where my scan comes back “cancer free”.   Whether it is in the next week or so, or whether it will be months down the road… I needed a “Victory Lap” or “Victory Dance”. You know, that “Victory Lap” the winning racecar drives around the track slowly, after he’s won the race.   Or when the football player has successfully outmaneuvered the opposing team to run across that white line for a touchdown, and then performs his own, unique “Victory Dance.” I decided this was a good idea, and I spent a couple of days mulling over possibilities.   I could do something daring, like jump out of an airplane, or take a hot air balloon ride, climbing a mountain…or run a 5K…or pe

Username Anxiety

I am normally a very decisive person.   But when it comes to creating a username, I get “username anxiety”.   I don’t know why.   For some reason it is extremely difficult for me to come up with what I think is the perfect, creative, sensible username that I not only want to use from here to eternity, but that other people will think is clever, and not lame.   For example, a couple of years ago when I signed up for Twitter, I spent a lot of time anxiety-ridden over my Twitter account.   I kept trying different combinations…should I try and make it professional?   Creative?   Memorable?   Finally, frustrated, I tried just “Kim” which, of course, didn’t work.   That’s how my Twitter name became “Kimitis”.   It is short for “Okay fine, Kim it is!!”   It isn’t really a disease called “kimitis”.   However, I do think I have discovered a psychological condition. Username anxiety that should be called “kimitis”.   Maybe I should patent it? Several years ago I made an email address and used a

Internet in the decade of the 1990s

The Advanced Research Projects Agency Network, ARPANET , discontinued operations and merges into the Internet in 1990.   The ARPANET network was funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency of the United States Department of Defense for use by its projects at universities and research laboratories in the US.   It was developed by graduate students at the University of California – Los Angeles.   This merged into the internet. Tim Berners-Lee writes The First Web Page November 13, 1990.   The first web page address was http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html, which centered on information regarding the WWW project. Visitors could learn more about hypertext, technical details for creating their own webpage, and even an explanation on how to search the Web for information. This very first web page explained what the world wide web was and how to use it.   During the Christmas holiday in December, 1990, Tim Berners-Lee writes the software tools necessary for a working

Learning Twitter

I have had a Twitter account for a long time...but, I haven't used it much lately.  My current class at Bradley is "forcing" me to research Twitter and how to use it.  Very interesting, but still, very confusing.  I am curious what other people think are good "tweets"--What do you like to see??

Personal Profile

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Kindergarten, where I learned to comb my own hair!! My name is Kim Taylor, and my email address is kltaylor@bradley.edu  My mother named me “Kim” because she knew someone with a daughter named Kim and she liked it.  I grew up in St. Charles, Michigan.      I am married with two kids.  Both of my parents passed away.  My father at age 33 from pneumonia, and my mother at age 45 from leukemia.  My mother was half Sicilian, her father was born in Sicily.  My grandfather saw my great grandfather shot by "The Family" when he was five.  Our family was always very close, I used to know all of my cousins.  I tried to instill that importance of family to my kids.     My niece recently described me as the kindest, strongest, and happiest person she knows.  I think those are pretty good J   My three most favorite social recreational activities are going to the movies with family or friends, attending band events where my kids are playing, and just hanging out with friends.  The riskie