Sunday 29 March 2015

Blog Giveaway



Yes, you read it right... I am giving away stuff... not the stuff in the previous blog. Oh no! This is brand new, just not recently, items which I have collected from around the world. It could be anything from a postcard, to a notebook, to something very unique!

IF you would like me to send YOU something, let me know. Reply twice to this blog. Once with a comment about where YOU would like to go on a dream vacation (NO! I am not giving away a trip!). 

This comment will be published.

Your second comment will not be published because you will be providing me an address for mailing. Snail mail. With stamps and everything. Foreign address are good too.

All addresses will be kept confidential.

Stuff will be chosen at random from a giant bag of geedunk I have collected.

This post has no expiration date, so if you read this a year from now, go ahead and comment, I will still have stuff.




Coding and Breaking the Code



As I was watching the morning news/chat show, Zach Sims,the CEO of Codecademy was a guest. The subject was preparing todays students for the jobs of tomorrow. Too many organizations have jobs which cannot be filled with qualified applicants, and conversely, too many students graduate without the necessary skills to qualify for higher paying positions. Consequently, graduates today seek out jobs rather than career positions with futures.

Zach (may I be so bold as to call him by his first name?) spoke about his Codeacademy, an online coding training site. Starting at the beginning, this site takes the beginner with no knowledge of HTML through a series of exercises, or courses, and introduces them to the fundamentals of building a website, then onwards.

I have started the "Build A Website" course, and will be reporting on my progress here. As a 50+ non-programmer, I want to see how far I can get before I get totally frustrated with a strictly online tutorial.

I had a chat with my now 12 year old grandson about what to think about taking in school when he has a chance to choose classes, starting next year. My advice was, shortened for this blog, to find something that breaks and learn how to fix it. Be it bridges (Structural Engineering), plumbing, computers, etc., people pay to have others fix their problems. This includes medicine, law and landscapers.

As I progress (or give up) through this Codecademy, I will be considering whether it is a good site for him to learn also. As signing up is free, I will also learn at what point a fee is involved, if ever. 

More on this as I progress...

future CodeMonkey in training...

Tiggr


image by Pixabay


Monday 23 March 2015



I Have Stuff!

And like everyone with stuff, I have too much stuff. The problem is how to get rid of stuff. The answer?? Find someplace local which will take it off my hands, and use it for good. This week I am delivering stuff to two places in town.
The first:

The Reuseum
  • 108 W 33rd St
  • Garden City, ID 83714
  • (208) 375-7507
  • Hours: Mon-Sat 10-6,
    Sun 12-5
I recorded a podcast about this place when it first opened at it's original Chinden Blvd location in Garden City, Idaho, but it has moved to a larger property and it is still a fantastic place.

For my purposes, they recycle old electronics and use parts for classes in robot building and other fun activities. One class scheduled for this month is "Bristlebots with Cub Scouts".

Although this is not open to the public, it is a great example of what is offered:
From their website:
Bristlebots with Cub Scouts
ReEd is very pleased to be partnering with Cub Scouts to build Bristlebots!
This workshop is part deconstruction lab and part robot build. Students will learn about extending the useful life of a product, how to safely deconstruct old technology & how to use tools, how to identify key parts and more. The robot build leverages those key parts and a few gems to become the first working robot many of our students have ever built.
This build includes recycling, sustainability, ingenuity, education and fun.
This is a closed event, and is not open to the public. If you are interested in a workshop for your organization, please contact us at info@reuseum.com!

So far I have donated two loads of monitors, keyboards, cables etc.

The next organization I am delivering to this week is:
The Boise Senior Center
Address: 690 Robbins Rd, Boise, ID 83702
I don't want to admit that I am eligible for membership here, so I wont!
The Boise Senior Center provides free and low cost activities for local seniors including a lunch program, free billards, yoga for seniors and a lending library and TV room.
They also have a Thrift Shop and Craft shop, one using donations of household items, clothing, DVD's, videos and CD's. The Craft shop is full of handmade items and craft supplies, made by the seniors themselves.
Today, I am taking over several dozen books and audio books, and next week will be shoes and DVD's. Then I will start on my extra kitchenware!

Please see what organizations you have near you, and help them out by clearing out your extras.

**Photo was taken at the Georgia Historical Center, Atlanta, Georgia**




Out and About in Boise


Looking at the date of my last blog, I can see it's been over two years since I posted. Can this really be true??? I humbly apologize.

It's not like I've been confined to my bed for the last 3 years. No, I've been to new places, Paris, Puerto Rico, New York City, and the Dominican Republic. I've been to some places I have already been to, Washington, D.C., Honolulu, DisneyWorld and Atlanta, Georgia. So, to make it up to anyone who followed this blog in the past, here I go:

This past weekend I did a little geocaching around Boise. While I was finding a few caches, I came across this mini library in a neighborhood just a few blocks away. Now... I'm not saying there is a geocache involved here... oh, no... I wouldn't be so obvious as that, but...

This is a free, honor library which asks that you may "take a book, leave a book". Good thing I had a spare paperback in the trunk of my car, eh?? Inside is a shelf with adult books on it, with childrens books lower, below the shelf.

What a great idea!!


Have a great day exploring your town!