Dear Sister, what is it about Bugs Bunny you seek?

I have long been looking for a particular piece of information about the two dogs who hung out together - one was big, the other small and yappy. Those of you who are familiar with my other life may understand why...

It was only today that Brother John found what I had been seeking for many years - check it out here.

Dear Sister. Sounds like you need a new TV?

Well, according to my last post it seems that I do. Isn't the world complicated. In the early days of TV the only availability was the trusty old black & white tube. Today presents a maze of options and confusion. Plasma or LCD? HD or SD? Digital or not? Flat screen or big bottomed? How huge should it be? And what on earth is a digital set-top box?

So, plasma or LCD? According to this review plasma may be the way to go.

HD or SD? This post at the Panasonic site suggests HD is the way to go (Note: Sister does not endorse any products except those by His Holiness the Pope Inc).

Digital television? According to this post digital might be good for the Sister. Seems this way that she won't need one of those set-top box thingies.

What size? While Sister is partial to the occasional big one, something that fits what she's got should be considered. Measuring up and leaving some room around the screen, it seems a 66cm is the one for this sister.

Oh, and a flat screen goes without saying.

Wish me luck!

Dear Sister, Kath & Kim or Australian Idol?

Ohh, that's a tough one. After many weeks of travelling, Sister was glad to be home to catch up with her favourite shows.

Australian Idol has long been fertile ground for recruiting choir boys, especially given the number of bright-eyed virgins that grace its' stage.

The unexplored crannies of the lovely Kath and Kim, those foxy ladies of Fountainlakes, remind Sister of much of her local congregation. Sister especially appreciates wointime, which is reminiscent of many a pleasant Sunday afternoon with Father O'Flaherty and several gallons of altar wine.

The result? Both are loved, so, unfortunately as both are on at the same time (Sunday nites) and as Sister does not have e remote control, going up and down on the couch with the good Father is a Sunday nite special (and a good way to work off all that Sunday bread).

So, I've got one word to say to you – new TV.

Dear Sister, we miss you. Where are you?

Why, I'm shopping for shoes in Verona of course!

Dear Sister, what is nirvana?

Well, I'm not sure but I think it smells like teen spirit and has something to do with the venerable Holy Ghost.

During the month of August Sister Concepta will be off seeking the mythical state of nirvana somewhere in Europe, while Father O'Flaherty tours with Black Sabbath and Brother Paulus attends AA.

This means, dear readers, a paucity of posts over the next little while. Praise the Lord I hear you cry?!

Dear Sister, did you have a menu dilemma?

Well, yes I did as a matter-of-fact. It's hard feeding hungry choir boys, but praise the Lord that Brother Bill was here to help. Check out his menu suggestions here.

Dear Sister, have you ever "blogged" a conference?

No I have not, although I have attended many a memorable conference (and many not so, or was it that I can't remember...).

However, a dear and holy colleague of mine pushed through the barriers of pain, soldiered on amidst adversity and managed a first ever blog of a certain conference she attended this year - read her grumbles here. A true stoic she is!

I have been privileged to receive the following information and tips on conference blogging from another colleague of mine which come via the Guardian's digital digest blog.

STORY STARTS
The art of conference blogging

A subject close to my heart: the art of conference blogging. Ethan Zuckerman explains that he learnt to score baseball games when he was small using some kind of sports shorthand, but carrying this "anti-social and obsessive" behaviour into his adult conference-going life has had its problems. Some people find his posts too detailed, whereas others revel in that.

Zuckerman says blogging makes sure he pays attention at blogs (rather than drinking tea with friends in the corridor - imagine that!). Posting in detail means he can use his posts as a record to refer to later, and the number of links he gets for conference coverage helps boost his Google rank.

His tips, in short:

- Preparation: Line up the names of speakers, links to their sites and the names of session in advance.

- Writing: Write your posts offline in a text editor - Zuckerman uses BBEdit and I use Ecto. Both have functions like easy hyperlinking (select the text, press Apple + U and enter the address, rather than having to fiddle with code) and give you a backup of your text, should you lose your web connection.

- Keeping up: Zuckerman always posts within 15 minutes after the end of a conference session. (No pressure!) He says it is better to post an incomplete set of notes that to miss another speaker. I'm different - I'll pick the best speakers, and type up their sessions in a more rounded way during the next dull session, rather than type what every speaker says verbatim. You need some time to interpret speakers, even if it's just a short break, and learning what and where to edit is part of the whole experience. My system messes up when every session is good though. Zuckerman recommends using those fluffy conference moments to finish posts, like when they show the comedy video clips.

- Hard talks: Really good speakers develop a narrative and follow it. If you are having trouble keeping up, note the key starting point of each theme and the anecdotes from that theme.

- Use your commenters: You'll be forgiven for making mistakes, but use and acknowledge their information.

- Collaborate: He cites the blogger Hash, who used the Swahili word Harambee to describe everyone pitching in to cover one of the TED conferences. One does photos, some did interviews and others wrote summaries. Zuckerman says the idea is not to be the sole, authoritative voice at conferences - it's more fun to collaborate.

- Digest: Record ideas at the conference, but digest them later when you have time.

- Have fun: It doesn't suit everyone - some people find it stressful or distracting. Especially if the blogger next to them is hammering away on a laptop... (My Heart's in Accra)
STORY ENDS

Also found this useful link
How to blog a conference.

Perhaps my stoic colleague may find some comfort after all ...