Behind the Screen
The opinions, views, and insights stated within this Monologue are my own. The facts, fallacies, and errors, however, belong to someone else (see disclaimer).
Sunday, May 23, 2004
I attended the Broadripple Art Fair with a few friends this weekend. It was a good time. I also had drinks at The Rathskellar, rode a mechanical bull, drank margaritias at La Jolla, watched the Pacer's game with a date, and enjoyed a BBQ at Al and Clara's.
It was a good weekend. Next weekend: the Indianapolis 500!
How much is an invitation to open a coveted Gmail account worth? The answer is $76.
Since April 22, I have been one of the fortunate few who have had access to Google's new e-mail service called Gmail. Announced April 1, 2004, Google said Gmail would offer 1 gigabyte of e-mail storage for free.
Google further stated that only a handful of people will test the service before making it available to the rest of the public in the coming months. I became a lucky tester because I have been using Blogger for years, which is owned by Google.
A few weeks ago, I noticed within my Gmail account that I could invite two others to try out this exclusive service. After offering an account to my brother, I read this story from Wired: "My Left Arm for a Gmail Account."
Curious to see just how much a Gmail account is worth, I posted my invitation up for sale on eBay. My offer sold right away for $76. Pretty cool.
Thursday, May 20, 2004
More Peace Corps irony.
Twice this week I received requests from Peace Corps volunteers asking for help in building Peace Corps related websites (either for volunteers or the communities they are serving).
Though I'm flattered, it seems people are forgetting that I got kicked out of the Peace Corps for building websites (e.g. this very site you are reading right now).
But will I help? Most likely, I will. These sites will either assist a local community or provide greater support to Peace Corps volunteers.
After all, I joined the Peace Corps to help others with Information Technology. Sadly, I'm confined to help remotely from the comfort of my air-conditioned home instead of doing so in Guyana under the confines of a bug net.
I know that sounds like a backward thing to say, but that's how the Peace Corps runs things in Guyana.
Sunday, May 16, 2004
Today was no fun at all. I woke, came downstairs, and was greeted by a standing pool of water. Not just any water, but sewage water.
I spent most of the day trying to mop up water at a pace that was faster than it would appear. Finally, the city fixed a stopped-up sewage line and things began to drain.
Though most of the damage is confined to the downstairs guest bathroom, it's still going to be a mess getting everything back to normal. Some of the walls have stains at their base, the floorboard appear to show some warping, and the carpet is still soaked.
Not fun. Not fun at all.
Monday, May 10, 2004
My conference in Chicago this weekend went well. Called CFEA, the College Fraternity Editors Association is really for editors of fraternal publications. I used to be editor of Lambda Chi Alpha's publication the Cross and Crescent, but now focus solely on web content. Regardless, I wanted to go and had a great time.
In addition to having a great time, I added a few more things to my plate. I'm going to chair CFEA's Information Technology Committee this year, which means I'm in charge of cfea.org, a site I designed nearly three years ago. I was also re-elected to the board. I've always enjoyed this organization, so serving a fourth year on the board will be a pleasure.
My brother was also in Chicago this weekend, but we were unable to connect. Between his crazy schedule on set for a Nicholas Cage movie and my conference schedule, it just wasn't likely that we'd have the time. Plus, my brother kept calling my old cell phone number; so I didn't get his messages until I returned to Indianapolis.
Friday, May 07, 2004
This is my first mblog (mobile-blog) posted from my Treo 600. I'm using AvantBlog for this post. This is only a test.
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
It's great moving to a city where you already know folks. Today I had a chance to catch up with two friends. Clark Crowell, one of the best volleyball setters I've ever had the good fortune to play with, stopped by my office just to say hi. And Brian Durand, a former Lambda Chi staffer met me out for dinner. Good times, great oldies.
Monday, May 03, 2004
My first week back at Lambda Chi Alpha went well. Much of my time was spent ridding my office of the large pile of outdated machines and software. There is still more to go. I've also spent my time learning about the network, servers, and client configurations. Even brought one laptop back to life.
I have my old office back. Well, kind of. My old office was huge. It had a desk, two dresser-sized filing cabinets, a couch, two chairs, and a small coffee table. This space has now been divided in two. One third is the new server room. The remaining two-thirds is my office.
My immediate project will be to redesign Lambda Chi's web site. I've called up my friends at Sigma Chi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon to learn more about the improvements they've made to their sites in the past four years. It's always been great sharing interfraternal knowledge. Thanks to both.
I got a new phone this week. I decided to go for another hybrid: the Treo 600. In 1998, I tried out one of the first Palm/Cell Phone hybrids: the Qualcomm Q Phone. Though cutting edge, it was a brick. The Treo 600, however, can actually fit in my pocket; just not as comfortably as my previous clam phone. Overall, it is smaller an lighter than carrying a Palm Pilot and cell phone.
And lastly, I think I updated everyone on my new contact information via Plaxo. If you didn't get the mass e-mail, you can always find my information here.