k.e.g. on tap: life, quotes, and random musings

In case you couldn't tell, I absolutely love books and love reading! So online cataloging is great. I've already added 70ish books to my library (and that's only the ones I can remember right now). My username on LibraryThing is kegriffin . (Creative, I know. Don't be envious...jk) I can see how beneficial it will be to have a catalog of books I have read, want to read, own, etc. all in one place that I can access from just about anywhere. I am excited to see just how many books I can come up with that I have read and am in possession of. I'm guessing it's going to be a pretty large number. Barnes & Noble is my favorite store after all. :) One thing I like about LibraryThing is the ability to categorize books as I see fit. I can have the novels I've read for fun, career guides, childhood favorites, and areas of interest. This is nice feature. I also think this will be a fun way to interact with fellow book enthusiasts (like my family, friends, e...

I must admit that at first I was somewhat dubious about social bookmarking. My opinion has since changed. I really like Delicious and the concept of social bookmarking in general. In fact, I have suggested/recommended it to a few people who I could really benefit from it. It is nice to have all my bookmarks together in one place...especially since my personal computer just died. I still have all my favorite bookmarks even though I don't have my computer. It's just dandy! (I'm rather fond of the word 'dandy.') If your interested in what are among some of my favorite/most frequented sites are, my Delicious username is griffin.kellie. Look me up!!!

I don't know about you, but I personally am a fan of bad jokes and terrible puns. I can't say that I'm the best at remembering them though. My mother and I are notorious for finding amusement in the jokes and puns that without fail receive collective groans from our family. Yet, we still take delight in them and our shared appreciation for them. There is one particular joke that sticks out to me. I think it's safe to say that it has been my favorite joke since 8th grade. In fact, I still remember where I was when I first heard it. I was sitting in the cafeteria in middle school surrounded by the other GT kids. One of the girls had a book of jokes and this happened to be one of them. This is the joke. "Where does King Arthur keep his armies?" "In his sleevies." I realize that this probably isn't that funny for the general public, but for whatever reason, I love it. Every time I think of it, I can't help but chuckle. It always puts a smil...

I picked this particular video because it involves 2 favorites of mine--the song "Build Me Up Buttercup" and Jason Mraz, an entertaining musician and performer. I'm not really sure why I like this song so much, but I do. In fact, it's my ringtone on my cell phone. In any case, I haven't had much experience using YouTube for any academic endeavors. I don't have any experience using in a teaching capacity since I just completed my undergraduate work here at Coe in Philosophy and Religion. I think though YouTube could be beneficial once I get to assist in the Service Learning 101 courses this fall. It seems that students today respond well to videos and other forms of media in the classroom. My professor for Buddhist Thought occasionally showed us YouTube videos related to whatever our current topic within Buddhism was. It was beneficial to see some of the complex issues we were discussing in a visual form rather than simply reading about it. ...

In recent days I have had several conversations regarding the new "wireless reading devices" such as the Kindle and the Nook versus a traditional book. While I think that there could be some advantages to having one of these electronic "books," I would tend to say that I am old-fashioned and don't want one. I would much prefer to sit down with a newly released hard covered book from one of my favorite authors rather than yet another electronic device. No one (at least that I know) really says on a cool rainy day, "Oh I would love nothing more than curling up on the couch with a cup of tea/coffee/hot cocoa and my 'wireless reading device.'" I would much prefer to do so with a real book. Now you may wonder why a member of the Millennial Generation (aka Generation Y) prefers an actual book to an electronic device. My answer...because of the comforting scent of books! What's that you say? "Books have a scent? I've never noticed....

Well today was a first. I've never "tweeted" before. I have friends who enjoy using Twitter, but I hadn't jumped on the bandwagon until today. If you care to follow my tweets, you can find them @kegontap. (As a side note, the idea of "k.e.g. on tap" came from a series of suggestions from a friend and my brother. It is a play on my initials. I thought it was unique and entertaining since my father is a minister. Most people see me as the stereotypical, well-behaving PK...aka pastor's kid.) Back to the point, today was my first experience "tweeting." I think it could be interesting. I am following AmeriCorps, AmeriCorps VISTA, Coe, the city of Cedar Rapids, and (my personal favorite) This I Believe. I think that I will mostly use Twitter to keep up with the latest articles put up by This I Believe. That might change as I get more experience with Twitter. Who knows? I'm not certain (as of now) what the educational applications for my T...

Quotes of inspiration on a day when I need a lift... "I am because we are. We are because I am." --Unknown "Diversity is not about how we differ. Diversity is about embracing one another's uniqueness." --Ola Joseph My top favorites for the day... "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is out light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. A...