More Drink?

Its funny how two separate events can trigger a random memory.

Earlier today I read something that referenced the upcoming summer olympics. I remembered where I was for the last games. I watched all of it from my hotel room in New Jersey while working on a building out there. Hard to believe it's been that long since I was on the road.

Tonight I went to China Wok to get my General Tso fix. The lady there didn't speak the best English. They never seem to. Probably try not to, as the accent might be most of the allure.

Then I was transported.

Its a hot summer day. I'm in an unremarkable town in North Jersey doing the same work I always do, regardless of the State or weather. I love it. It's time to break for lunch so we head to the plaza closest to the job site. We always explore to find the closest mini-mall joint to the site for eats and stick to it. Now for the duration of the job we are either on-site, at the mall, relaxing at the hotel, or at the closest bar.

This sweaty day everyone else opts for the deli in the mini-mall. Its either that, the $7 extra value meal, or a chinese place. I go chinese because I'm really feeling an egg roll.

I walk in to the strangest conversation I've ever had to witness. The chef, whose native language is mandarin and has no english skills outside of the menu and a little currency, is trying desperately communicate with an arab man whose mastery over english is only slightly superior, because he works in the the convenience store trade. Theres a state law in New Jersey that all gas must be pumped by an attendant, and most of these positions are dutifully filled by these first-generation immigrant types.

There are no words to describe their accented, fragmented conversation, and their mutually rising frustration with one another for not comprehending. English is the toughest language to communicate in when neither party really "gets" it. Finally, after some textbook "if i speak slower, you'll understand me" mixed with pointing at the menu, then at picture illustrations hung on the wall, some compromise is reached. I realize I might have served well as arbiter and helped the situation, bonding "far east" and "mid-east", but thats an ethnocentric view. I'm just happy to live in America, and wonder who'll win the hundred meter dash.

Old Dog, New Tricks

For a couple years now, I've been amazed and over-joyed by all the great applications Google has been putting out there, for free.

The Firefox web browser with the Google Toolbar and Adblock Plus plugin is the safest, fastest, most spam-free way to browse.

Picasa is an incredible piece of photo organizing and editing software. And it lets you create online albums to share with friends and family.

Google Earth is .. well, if you don't know how awesome Google Earth is, how did you even find this page? Bloody savage.

So imagine my delight when one year ago I discovered that I could get PAID just for referring people to this amazing software. I'm usually pretty skeptical of any money-making schemes online, but this one was from Google, so I looked into it.

$1 dollar every time someone downloads Firefox or Picasa. Thats up to $2 a head. And trust me, Firefox IS better than Internet Explorer. Picasa IS better than any junk software that came with your digital camera. Google Earth WILL blow your mind.

So, why have I only made $25 in the last year? It's a gray area. If you know me, you trust me, and I can convince you to switch to Firefox in five minutes. I probably have you convinced already. But I didn't want to spend all my free time earning $12 (60 mins/hr x $1) an hour preaching the merits of Firefox to friends and acquaintances.

I wanted to make a bunch of money from helping strangers, fast. This is not so easy. People are very skeptical of anything you try to get them to click on, even if the click leads them to an official Google page before the download commences.

I was trying to eventually turn this post into a rant about the dumbing-down of the internet, the halt of information and thought, our disposable "just add water" society. Instead, I'm going to figure out how to get links for Firefox and Picasa on the side of this page.

Check it out!

UPDATE:

Google's "smart" advertising I love so much apparently read my blog and decided that since I made a post about a hangover, I'm an alcoholic, and you are too, and therefore all the ads on the right are about fixing that problem. And since I just used the A-word again, those ads will probably remain there a while.

I did, however find the link to the page I get paid from:
Click here for Firefox, Picasa, and the Google Pack