Gus Digital
my digital realm, my digital voice
Archive for November, 2008
My Olympic Volunteer Journey Begins
Nov 28th
A couple of weeks ago I finally got my phone interview from Vancouver 2010 Olympics about my volunteer submission I had signed up. They went through the a few questions for pre-olympic events that will be happening next year that sounded interesting and I think I could attend as a volunteer. They seemed happy with my phone interview and even asked if I would be interested in a leadership role.
After my 1/2 hour interview, they invited me to attend a formal face to face interview tomorrow at the PNE grounds. My interview and orientation will be about 4 – 5 hours long and will include a security check, as well as meeting other volunteers and probably a face to face meeting.
I hope I’ll be able to report throughout the process tomorrow as well as give you some tweet updates.
Wish me luck.
My First Web Administrator Website
Nov 28th
A few weeks ago I was asked by the Steering Committee of the CPRS 2009 National Conference to help with their website. They had hired Living Blueprint to help them design a website for the conference (being held June 7 – 9, 2009) which then CPRS would update and manage the content on the website.
As most of you know by now, I have taken on the role of administrating the website. I will be the person to add menu content, create pages, change promotion items etc. At first I though this would be an easy task, I would just create pages and people would edit the content. Alas this wasn’t the case. I was stuck with both editing content that already was there as well as creating some new content.
I’m proud to say that the site is finally up! – On-The-Edge
They are using Joomla 1.5 as their website administrator tool and it has taken sometime to get use to the functionality of it. I thank all my Twitter pals for helping me through some of it as well as Paul and David from Living Blueprint for their support. I know we we have other challenges ahead as this gets rolling, but I am confident that I will do a great job.
To Be a Magpie or Not To Be
Nov 24th
Looking over Twitter today, a new player popped up on the search stream (Magpie). What is Magpie you ask? Well Magpie uses your Twitter account to allow advertisers to send out tweets based on keyword searches you create when setting up your account with Magpie. The advertiser then can send out their advertisement to all those who have signed up and match a specific keyword. As they state on their website “convert your tweets into bling-bling”
Now Twitter is there to engage your followers and not necessarily to advertise products from companies you might not care about or even know who they are. Yes you can argue what is the difference between having Google Ads on your blog or ads on your RSS Feeds with Twitter advertising through Magpie? Are you still in control as to which advertisement you can pick for Magpie? That doesn’t look like the case. I for one don’t even have Google Ads on my blog.
Some folks on Twitter have stated that if they get a Magpie related tweet from someone, they will automatically unfollow them. I’m inclined to have to agree with them. I don’t wish to have 1 Magpie tweet for every 5 of my tweets out there. Yes Magpie says I could make a hefty amount (almost 870 Euro a month), but I think that will quickly drop as some of my followers would stop following me.
What are your views on the “new bird” in town?
Theme Update – Winter
Nov 23rd
What do you do when you can’t fall back asleep? Well for me I would usually turn on the TV and try to watch something, but tonight was different. Instead I decided to update my blog site with a more “wintery” theme. I changed the font colour and changed my header image. I also cleaned my sidebar up abit, though I think I still need some cleaning up in that area. I will probably create a few more pages and have my blogroll linked there as well as try to create a Flickr page on it’s own. I haven’t figured that one out yet, but I’m sure I will
Let me know what you think of the new update so far?
Happy Birthday Mom
Nov 22nd
Today marks the day when a little girl, who would one day become my mother, Rosalina Rosina was born.
Even though I can’t be there with her today and celebrate, we did have a wonderful chat earlier today. She plans on not doing much today and I hope that someone will take her out for dinner or at least a cake today. (hint, hint).
Mom, I love you very much, and I wish you all the best on your birthday. I’ll try to make it up to you when we are in Argentina in January.
In the Vancouver 24 Hours News Today
Nov 19th
Today in the Vancouver 24 Hours newspaper (thanks to Buzz Bishop), I have a small, but yet exciting, blurb in the Technology section mentioning my blog post about “Getting Elfed“.
As this is my very first time I have been named in a newspaper of any sort (minus the time I was 7 years old and appeared on the cover a Newsweek during a Fort York exercision). I’m prould to have been mentioned and I’m happy to be apart of a great on line community here in Vancouver.
Hopefully this won’t get to my head and cause me to have blogebrity issues, but it is fun and exciting for me.
Prepared To Be Elfed Again!
Nov 17th
Last year OfficMax created a huge viral campaign called “Elf Yourself” and I had fun cutting up a few images and placing them over Elf bodies.
Today OfficeMax is launching the new Elf Yourself 2008 with new songs (Disco, Charleston, Country, Classic) and better options (allowing you to embedded the video, greater control on the face mapping, and up to 5 photos available for uploading).
Charleston Gus & Junior – Elf
Send your own ElfYourself eCards
Elf Yourself is powered by JibJab which offers other fun and entertaining ways to create eCards. 
World Diabetes Day
Nov 14th
Today is World Diabetes Day which was created by the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to bring awareness to the rising numbers in diabetes throughout the world.
These past couple of years the theme is bringing awareness to children and adolescents diabetes. Based on their website;
Type 1 diabetes is growing by 3% per year in children and adolescents, and at an alarming 5% per year among pre-school children. It is estimated that 70,000 children under 15 develop type 1 diabetes each year (almost 200 children a day). Currently, an estimated 440,000 children live with type 1 diabetes globally. Type 2 diabetes was once seen as a disease of adults but today, it is growing at alarming rates in children and adolescents.
I don’t have diabetes, but I have been affected. My mother currently has type 1 diabetes and my Uncle recently passed away to the disease this past year. My sister’s mother-in-law also passed away a few years ago from diabetes. I am at risk of developing the disease myself and I get tested regularly to make sure I am fine.
Local radio personality Buzz Bishop has a special day planned today to bring awareness to the disease. He and the 95Crave crew will be auctioning a few items off on Ebay throughout the day. Looks like there will be some great items if you are the highest bidder.
Furthermore both Buzz and Tanya (Netchick) herself will be participating in Team Diabetes Run that takes place at Disney World in January. If you haven’t donated to their cause, you can do so for Buzz here and for Tanya here.
Reiki – What is it?
Nov 12th
This past weekend I was helping Theresa with some ideas for using Wordpress to set up a webpage for her new business. She’s looking at starting a Reiki business and possibly teaching Reiki. As I haven’t really heard of Reiki before she educated me on a few aspects of Reiki.
The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words – Rei which means “God’s Wisdom or the Higher Power” and Ki which is “life force energy”. Reiki was developed in 1922 by Mikao Usui, whom after days of fasting and meditation was given the ability to heal without energy depletion.
Based on the Canadian Reiki Association (CRA) website;
Reiki is a Japanese holistic, light-touch, energy-based modality. Working as a support mechanism to the body, Reiki re-establishes a normal energy flow of ki (life force energy) throughout the system, which in turn can enhance and accelerate the body’s innate healing ability. Through a series of hand positions either directly on or just above the body, the energy worker allows for the flow of energy through their body. The client’s body then draws off the amount of energy that is required. The simplicity of a Reiki session may raise some skepticism, however, after experiencing it, many clients keep coming back for more of those relaxing feelings.
Reiki is simple and produces measurable results. It is power, light and love. Reiki transcends the man-made divisions of religion, economics, location, gender, and race.
The process also involves calling of the spiritual guides from the participant, the giver and the surrounding environment.
I can see, how the use of Reiki, can help those through meditation focus their energies. This might be something to try out one day.
Vancouver Civic Elections
Nov 11th
The Vancouver Civic Elections take place on Saturday November 15th and we will not only be voting for our a Mayor, but also 10 Councillors, 7 Park Commissioners and 9 School Trustees. Usually civic elections don’t bring out many voters, but this is your time to vote for the people that will run this fair city and make sure that your voice is heard.
I for one am having a hard time deciding who to vote for.
The front runners for Mayor are Peter Ladner and Gregor Robertson. I’m finding it very hard to vote for either one of them at this point. They both have different visions of Vancouver, and even though they both have points that I agree with, I can’t agree with everything they are saying at this point. Both have had some issues during this campaign; Gregor Robertson refusal to pay a TransitLink Fine and Peter Ladner’s close door discussions on the $100 million bailout of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Village.
I have to admit I haven’t heard Peter Ladner speak, but the times I have heard Gregor Robertson speak I have to ask myself if this guy is for real. During a tech event I attended a few months back, he stated that he would put forward a new tax to help start up tech companies. While I’m all for helping start up tech companies, I think any increase in taxes during this time is not appropriate. I’ve also seen Gregor in the news more often, and usually it seems that he is appearing at any place he can to be in the news. This sorta reminded me of the days when Jack Layton was a Toronto City Councillor and he thrived on media attention and would say anything controversial to make that happen.
Granted we could also vote for who I think is the WORST Mayor Candidate out there – Bur Maxwell who believes that there should be no Pride Parade, no legalized prostitution, no major stores open on Sunday and no illegal drugs in Vancouver, to name a few. I’m sorry Bur, but you are not getting my vote (nothing personal)!
Other links of Interest for the Election:
Mayor Candidates
Councillor Candidates
Parks Commissioners
School Trustees
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