Let’s just say that Google Voice revolutionized the way I do voice mail, texts, etc.

I can give one number out to people, and when they call me, I can either:

• Pick up and have a nice chat with the person
• Not pick up and be e-mailed a transcript of the person’s voicemail
• Look like I didn’t pick up and listen in on someone leaving a voicemail (I’ve only done this with telemarketers.  Most of the time, I can’t hear my phone – haha)
• Record the conversation for future reference (with the other party’s permission, of course)

Very nice features!

But, with all good things come…hilarious things…such as the sometimes questionable transcripts of voice mails.

After receiving one too many hilarious transcripts (e.g. my husband calling to “see if I love you!”), we decided to start a new website to compile the hilarity (and awkwardness) for generations to come:

www.lametranscripts.com

Go visit, share some of your own, and spread the smiles!

Looks a lot more like Word, which will make more people comfortable with it, I think.

Live Writer has been one of the easiest ways I have found to manage my personal blog as well as different websites run off of WordPress.

By using Live Writer in conjunction with WordPress’ “Pages”, it’s relatively easy to run a “website” off of a blog engine like WordPress.  And…Live Writer makes it easier to publish posts and pages from the comfort of one’s desktop.

What’s your favorite desktop client for publishing to your blog?  Or do you prefer to write in-browser?  I’m always looking for new things!

When I started teaching, I approached my responsibilities in the same way.  Grades are stored in multiple (secure) places.  PowerPoint presentations are on my laptop and on a flash drive (just in case I need to transfer to the classroom desktop mid-lecture.  Yes, my laptop has died mid-lecture, but that was before my amazing Lenovo).  I used LiveMesh before switching to Dropbox and Evernote (I’m paranoid).  Always have a plan B…

…and then there was today.

For some reason, I truly thought I had placed my power cord in my messenger bag.

Apparently, I hadn’t.  And it was speech-day today; one of the most power-draining “I really need my laptop for this” moments of the semester.

I got through the first class just fine and shut down my laptop to conserve power.

Halfway through the second class’ speeches, the power alert icon popped up.

“3% remaining.  Switch to power or lose your work.”

It should have read more along the lines of, “3% remaining.  Why aren’t you switching to power?  What kind of person allows their laptop to drain to 3%?  Huh?  HUH?!?!”

At least, that’s what it felt like at that moment.

And for one of the few times in my entire teaching career – I panicked.

I had no plan B or even C.  I didn’t have the grading sheets printed out (I like to save paper), I didn’t have a second device to plug the flash drive into (I used to have a Dell Mini9), and while I generally remember 80% of speeches during the 2-3 days from which they are given, I didn’t want to just sit there, listen, and grade later.

And then the solution came to me.

• Dropbox + iPad = instant transfer of grading sheets to a device that has 8 hours of power.  Bingo.

I generally use Quickoffice HD (Quickoffice Connect) for all my document editing needs, but I discovered an interesting fact:  You can’t edit .xlsx files.

Panic again.

Then, I remembered I still had DocsToGo installed, a program that had given me much grief when trying to pull up and edit Word and Google Docs documents.  It was worth a shot.

It worked.

I could now grade the speeches from the comfort of my iPad and rest assured that they were syncing with my Dropbox account, to be accessed and printed at a later date from either my work desktop or my laptop (once it had power again).

So, in summary:

• Dropbox + iPad + DocsToGo = class goes on…

…and that is how the iPad (and other tech tools) saved me in class today.

I’m still happy with my phone;  I’m not sure if Mike is still happy with his phone.  I think he still likes it, but you’ll have to ask him.

I was planning on blogging about my love affair with my iPad, but most everyone’s already done that.  Plus, I’ll do that post after I’ve taught with it this coming semester (!).

Things I Love About My iPhone 4:

• The Camera – I had been failing miserably at my 365 Project.  Only 60 pictures, and we’re already in August.  #epicfail.  But now that I have my new iPhone with its fun, easy-to-use camera, I tend to snap pictures like crazy.  The front-facing camera is pretty fun, too, but the “real” camera is where it’s at.  Plus, I now have a world of apps at my command to edit my pictures before uploading.  Fun!  Apps I recommend and have had fun with:

  • Plastic Bullet – can’t remember what this does, but I remember it being awesome

  • Camera + – more camera options

  • CameraBag – fun “lens” options

  • PictureShow – again, can’t remember what it does, but it was awesome enough to make this list!

  • PS Mobile – photoshop mobile

  • Diptic – fun splicing pictures with effects!

  • Flickr (obviously!)

• The Apps – I had a T-Mobile MyTouch 3G (beware – music if you click) before having an iPhone (it is my personal goal to try out every smartphone OS before I die – I’ve done Windows Mobile & Android), and I thought its Marketplace was “teh bomb”.  How wrong was I.  Granted, most of the apps worth anything for the iPhone cost a dollar or more, but you know what?  I’m okay with that.  I’ve come to realize that there are people out there who have spent their time and potentially their money to develop the app I want.  Who am I to think that they’re worth less than a dollar?  Free stuff is great and all, but some developer out there made that stuff, and he/she needs to eat, too.

  • That said, I love most of my apps.

  • I also love (very much) that the apps I bought for my iPad transfer seamlessly to my iPhone.  And by seamlessly, I mean I love not having to pay for them again.

• On-Phone Banking – Sweet mother of all pine trees, have you tried Chase Bank’s mobile app???  Not only can you:

  • Check your balances

  • Pay bills

  • Pay credit cards

  • Transfer money between accounts…

YOU CAN DEPOSIT CHECKS WITH IT!!! o_O

I will never have to go to a bank again.  Well, unless I need cash.  Chase, the day you can make an app that prints cash from my iPhone, I will bake you a cake of your choice (assuming I am still alive and capable of baking said cake).

• Yelp – Okay, Yelp isn’t technically iPhone-only (I think), but I was only introduced to the amazingness that is Yelp because of my iPhone.  And my husband.  But the iPhone 4 really made Yelp come alive for me.  I can check restaurant reviews and more importantly, for the competitive person in me, check in.  Foursquare and I dated for awhile, but Yelp won out due to actually-helpful reviews.
• Organization Tools – My life is on my phone.  Before I had a smartphone, my Google account and computer were my life keepers as was the spiral-bound day planner my college gave me as a present, but that’s beside the point.  Without my phone, I am at a loss.  My contacts, appointments, to-do lists (if I have any…haha), weather, etc. are on my phone.  It is the personal assistant that fits nicely in my purse/pouch.  Hackers – forget it.  Anything worthwhile isn’t on there, unless you really, really want to attend that one webinar on education and cloud computing for me.  If so, be my guest and leave your name, address, birth date, and SSN in the comments section.

Things I Like About My iPhone 4:

• The Case – I bought a Speck case the day I got my phone to protect it not only from the elements but from the potential typhoon of destruction known as yours truly.  I like my case a lot.  In fact, I’ve modded it with a piece of velcro, so I can snap it to my dashboard while driving.  Hey, it was $6 of velcro versus $30+ for a car adapter.  The reason I say I like my case is that I’d prefer not to have to use it.  The phone is a beautiful piece of hardware, but with my case on, it becomes a clunky-looking, less-beautiful piece of hardware.  And Apple’s bumpers are a rip-off.  Good thing they’re shipping those out for free now.
• The Games – The games get placed under “like” solely on principle.  I actually love them, but I’m an educator.  I’m not supposed to be addicted to games.  (Just kidding about the not-supposed-to-like-games part and educators.  We can have fun, too!)

Things I Do Not Like About My iPhone 4:

• The Death Grip – While I have not personally experienced the phenomenon commonly known as the “death grip” because I am too chicken to take my beautiful phone out of its hard core case, I have seen its effects first-hand.  It does indeed affect your signal in a rather dissatisfying manner.  At first, I consoled myself that it was only if you managed to put your finger over the tiny antenna area, but I’ve seen the signal plummet unmercifully when the entire side was covered.  I watched in sympathy as my husband would balance his un-cased iPhone 4 on his lap to try to get signal back.  That is an experience no one should have to go through…at least, not often.  Having a case/bumper does solve the problem, but it’s still sad.
• Fear of Breakage  – The iPhone 4 is beautiful but is also hard glass on both sides.  I am more paranoid than your average human being, but I would still like to have the assurance that a little tumble will not send my life spiraling out of control as I cry in a shamed heap over the particles that used to be my iPhone.
• Google Maps – I debated putting this in the “like” section, but after replaying memories of the wonderful thing that was Google Navigation on my Android, I had to put this in the “do not like” section.  What good is a map that I can barely see to me, especially as I’m trying to navigate traffic in Downtown LA?  Okay, I shouldn’t be navigating traffic in Downtown LA while relying on Google Maps, you say, but isn’t that part of the point of having Google Maps in the first place?  To un-lose yourself when you get lost?  I’m hoping Google will release Navigation for the iPhone, but I’m not holding my breath. 

Overall, I’d rate my experience with the iPhone 4 a 3.5 stars out of 5.  Would I recommend it to others?  Sure!  Why not. 

Other operating systems I need to try before I die:

• Palm
• Blackberry
• Symbian
• MeeGo
• Linux
• Maemo (I’ve tried it vicariously through my husband’s former Nokia n900).

Now back to trying to beat people at Words with Friends (I’m rockd0ve, by the way! And I will try to pwn you!)

Alas, the closest thing to a “lake” we have here in Santa Clarita is Bridgeport which is 1) too far away from where I am, and 2) too toxic-looking at the moment to ever consider dipping one’s feet in.

But, in a few days, I shall dip my toes into the cold ocean.  I shall relish it.]

A few months ago, I discovered a rather useful tool called InstaPaper.  It’s free and ridiculously easy to use.  It also has a free, downloadable app for my Android phone which makes reading articles so much more convenient on the run.  This article is one of those I saved awhile back.

Did you see the research paper on First Monday entitled, How today’s college students use Wikipedia for course-related research?  Written by Alison J. Head and Michael B. Eisenberg of the Information School at the University of Washington, the paper focuses on how students really use Wikipedia.  I agree with how they start off their introduction – “Want to stir up a room full of college faculty and librarians?  Mention Wikipedia.”

I mentioned Wikipedia as part of my presentation at the CA-AAFCS State & Western Region conference a few weeks back, and I saw some smirks in the audience.  My point wasn’t Wikipedia itself but the wiki software; it didn’t matter for a few of the attendees.  Wikipedia was Wikipedia, bastion of misinformation that it is.

I believe Wikipedia has its good points, but many faculty members and teachers cling to their distrust of the site and its contents.  They encourage students to stay away from it during their research lest a student “quote” misinformation from it, but are students really using Wikipedia for their research?

According to Head and Eisenberg, maybe not.  “A majority of respondents frequently used Wikipedia for background information, but less often than they used other common resources, such as course readings and Google.”  Their initial findings suggest that those in the “hard sciences” tend to use Wikipedia more, and those that do use Wikipedia use it “in combination with other information resources.”

A couple of interesting points from their research (my comments in parentheses):

• More females participated than males (and yet more of the sciences traditionally ascribed as being male-dominated fields used Wikipedia the most – does this mean there are more females in those fields than people give them credit for?)
• Reasons given for using Wikipedia included:
• summaries of a topic
• finding the meaning of terms
• launch pad to get research started
• “usable interface” (research databases, do you see this?  If you were more user-friendly, maybe the students would flock to you first!)
• Students use Wikipedia even if instructors advised against it (I already knew this deep down in my heart, but as educators, I think we need to teach our students how to process and think through the information presented in sources like Wikipedia instead of merely advising them to stay away)
• “[Students] did not think that they could approach an instructor about an assignment, until they knew more about their topic”.  Thus, they’d go to Wikipedia first.  (That just broke my heart.  I hope I am the kind of professor that my students can run to first for clarification on an assignment.  That’s what I’m here for!  Maybe I can add a Wikipedia entry with my picture and contact info.  Just kidding)
• Students may have started their research projects on Wikipedia, but they don’t end with it.

So what’s Wikipedia’s true appeal?  According to the authors, “Wikipedia’s information utility is tied to four C’s it delivers – currency, coverage, comprehensibility, and convenience.”  (emphasis added)  I think we can learn from that.

I would encourage you to read the article for yourself and not be overwhelmed by the technical nature of the writing.

And check out InstaPaper.com while you’re at it.

So, today was apparently the day the XBOX Live Update Preview went, well, live.  Huzzah!

Since I was the only one in our household willing to actually click through the screens on the XBOX to find our serial number, I was able to sign up to be part of the preview.  Once I signed up, I promptly forgot about it thanks to real life and Netflix.  Oh, that and a fun mini-vacation down to San Clemente.

Anyways, I am now one of the proud members of the XBOX Live community who can use Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm (what’s that?), and Zune-thing on my (ahem, “our”) XBOX.  Fun stuff so far, but I don’t think I’ll be migrating over to the XBOX completely anytime soon for the following reasons:

1. I’m just not on the XBOX as much as I used to be, and I really don’t want to leave a game just to tweet or update my status.
2. I had to dig out my keypad and re-attach it to my controller.
3. If I am on the XBOX, I’m using Netflix or playing DDR.  I dare anyone to try typing a status update from a DDR dance pad…dare…

Here’s a breakdown of my opinions on each item so far:

Facebook

Very pretty UI.  Very pretty!  Scrolling through the different options is fun and truly makes stalking…erm…keeping up with friends easier.  Plus, quickly scrolling through status updates on a large-screen TV is rather satisfying in a lazy way.  I have a feeling people will enjoy this integration.

If your friends are also on XBOX Live, I think you can share game info, compare stats, etc.  Isn’t that what logging in to xbox.com is for?  Well, I guess you can do this through Facebook now, too.

I won’t be using this one often.  I try to avoid the masses on Facebook as it is.  I am weak, however, I confess…

Twitter

Now this is the most fun addition for me.  I love Twitter!  I think it’s one of the best social networking-ish tools out there today.  And I love the UI design for the XBOX!  Look at that cute Twitter birdy! *le sigh*

As much as I love Twitter, I won’t be using it  as much on the XBOX, even though there are some things I like about the XBOX version, such as:

1. Twitter’s “Remember Me” option actually works on the XBOX.
2. Tweets are easy to read and scroll through.
3. My avatar is pretty entertaining.
4. I like the Twitter bird…and the moving clouds.

Why I wouldn’t use it:

1. I have to type with the controller or a keypad.  Why would I do that when my laptop is usually right next to me?
2. I’d have to leave a game/movie to tweet.  I might as well pick up my cell phone and tweet while playing…or utilize the aforementioned laptop.
3. I can’t click on URLs and see the cool sites, photos, videos, etc. my contacts are sharing.

So, fun stuff, but not quite enough to keep me glued to my console.  I mean, “our” console…

Last.fm

I have no idea what last.fm is, but if you use it, you can now use it on the XBOX.  Yay for you!

And finally…

Zune (Video)

Alas, I thought this was going to be a full-out Zune integration.  I have a Zune and an amazing Zune Pass subscription, and I was hoping this would usher in the marriage of my Zune Pass and my XBOX.  It was not to be.

The XBOX now integrates with Zune Video, as in…you can now purchase full movies, rent movies, etc. that can then play on your Zune HD, your computer, or your XBOX.  As fun as that is, I won’t be using this feature because of…

Netflix

Netflix integrates seamlessly with the XBOX.  I can stream movies from my Instant Queue and browse new additions at no extra cost to my monthly Netflix subscription.  So, Zune Video?  You’re not for me.  Sorry.

All in all, the additions seem pretty fun.  It’ll be interesting to see what else is rolled out.

In the meantime, I better get back to grading, studying, and longing for the release of Mass Effect 2.

P.S. – I was just enlightened as to what Last.fm is.  I’ll still be using my Zune Pass and/or Pandora.

Well, that YouTube video never came to fruition.  Life got more hectic than planned, drama happened, and the cool recording snippets I made were lost or deleted off my camera.  For someone who is so invested in technology, I sure do fail a lot at it sometimes.

On a happier note, I was able to attend my first synchronous session ever with the class through Elluminate last Tuesday, and it was pretty interesting.  So many students were logged in to participate in both listening to a lecturer and discussing different points on the side.  While I have attended webinars and board meetings via Elluminate, I have never attended a class.  Some of the students were complaining that the side chat function was too confusing.  Others were having side conversations that didn’t seem to have much to do with what was being talked about.  Others of us “lurked” and contributed every once in awhile.  I even managed to embarrass myself by cracking a joke at an inopportune time on what I was about to find out was a terribly sad topic.  *slaps self*  As I mentioned before, I really need to read more Canadian news if I am to participate effectively in this class…

Anyways, the question of the week is:

So we know that social learning matters. We know that people form communities in formal and informal environments. How far should we go, as educators, to support non-formal and informal learning? How do we deal with the fact that we are part of a formal system when we know that a heck of a lot of learning (many say, most) happens outside of our formal learning systems? Where do we fit into this? Or in summary, the key question to consider is “what is our role in non-formal learning?”

To be quite honest, if you were not paying even a bit of attention during the amazing lecture or if you were not there at all, the above questions may make no sense.  I was moderately paying attention, and I’m still a bit confused.  I think I may ignore the side conversations next time…

To break it down:

How far should we go, as educators, to support non-formal and informal learning?

• Non-formal learning was defined to happened in a “prescribed but unfettered learning environment” where the “learner” is in “control” and “personal intentions outweigh externally defined intentions”.  I think it was described as the middle ground between formal and informal learning.
• Informal learning is…well…I think as informal as it gets.
• How far should we go to support both? I would say that depends on the students you are dealing with. There are pros and cons to all three learning environments.

How do we deal with the fact that we are part of a formal system when we know that a heck of a lot of learning (many say, most) happens outside of our formal learning systems?

• Well, I think we should better ourselves as teachers so a heck of a lot of learning happens in the formal environment as well!  Whether that be utilizing the tech tools out there or ensuring we pursue some sort of personal development, I think we owe it to the students to be the best teachers we can be in any environment.

“What is our role in non-formal learning?”

• There was a saying on one of the slides that read, “Engagement matters more than interaction”.  Maybe that’s it – to engage.  Not to watch from the sidelines, not to put down, and not to become a fanatic, but to engage others and be a teacher/participant that fosters that engagement.  Wrestle with new ideas.  Try new means of communication.  Learn to be discerning.  Work on trust.

It is interesting to me to be considering what my role is in non-formal learning considering I’m a “not-for-credit” student in this open course, and I got a sense that some of the for-credit students resented our presence in the class.  I do tend to be a bystander because I have no binding responsibility to the course.  I can watch, I can listen, I can process, but I am not required to complete assignments, participate, etc. I have to motivate myself to move beyond the bystander role and into one of engagement.

But, I’ll admit, that seems hard when nothing tangible is at stake (unlike my grad school classes or the classes I teach).

Well, next week again.  We’ll see how it goes…

Suggested Readings from the class wiki:

• Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age (by George Siemens, the next guest presenter)
• (on teenagers who are) Living and Learning with Social Media (video by danah boyd)

Non-Credit students got to meet with the class for the first time this evening, and since I’m a dork (and generally lazy to boot) and apparently cannot convert Saskatchewan Time into California Time (even though the prof gave us a handy-dandy converter), I missed the Elluminate session.  (Dang it!)  Thankfully, the materials are available for viewing/contemplation through the class’ wiki.

One of the optional (“but highly recommended”) assignments is to create an introductory video of oneself and post it to YouTube. It’s not that long – only 2-3 minutes (shorter than what I require my Spoken COM students to complete with their podcasts), and I have all the tools needed to make the video.  Still, I hesitate…

…and I ask myself why…

…and I realized why it was.

• It’s not that I’m shy (heavens, no!).  I’m a proven extrovert by nature. (Albeit, I have become a bit more withdrawn over time)
• It’s not that I don’t have the “skillz” to make such a video.
• It’s not that I lack the tools to make said video.
• It’s that I have never viewed myself as a contributor to any online community in this way.

I’m a online consumer by nature.  I read others’ posts on Twitter, Facebook, etc. that I find interesting.  I subscribe to blogs that educate or entertain me.  I subscribe to newsfeeds, cooking blogs, tech reports, photo blogs, and so much more, but the common feature they have is generally a one-way communication.  I read them, and they never know who I am (unless I actually talk/tweet/post back).

I take, I read, and I rarely give back.

I think that is why this class is challenging for me.  Not only are the different tools of the Internet discussed; we are encouraged to use them to contribute something to the Internet that is actually meaningful.

Now that is a true challenge, and I will attempt to meet the task…

I now have a YouTube account.  Oh, dear.  I can promise you I won’t be posting videos of me dancing in tights or drooling as someone shaves my eyebrows off.  Hopefully, I’ll be posting something more substantial.

Like that intro video.  Now to get to work…

Microsoft had this to say about Encarta’s demise:

Encarta has been a popular product around the world for many years. However, the category of traditional encyclopedias and reference material has changed. People today seek and consume information in considerably different ways than in years past. As part of Microsoft’s goal to deliver the most effective and engaging resources for today’s consumer, it has made the decision to exit the Encarta business.

Indeed, we do “seek and consume information in considerably different ways”.  Take Wikipedia, for example.  Even The Wall Street Journal announced Encarta’s demise with the headline, “Microsoft to Shut Encarta as Free Sites Alter Market”.  That’s one of the draws of Wikipedia – it is free, and it has tons of articles on topics ranging from extremely academic to mind-blowingly unimportant (but are important to some, of course).  Encarta, as far as I could tell, was like the traditional encyclopedia.  I would not be able to find higher math help in it, nor…on a completely different plane, the latest news on Flight of the Conchords.

But, is access to so much information really that great?  I think so, but I also think that critical thinking and discernment are needed when filtering through the oodles of information presented.  Christopher Dawson of ZDNet apparently agrees, as seen from this quote from The Wired Campus:

The demise of the encyclopedia, he argues, should simply galvanize educators into teaching the research skills students need to wade through “brutally powerful knowledge sources” like Wikipedia and Google. “The encyclopedia is dead,” Mr. Dawson writes. “Long live critical thinking.”

Long live critical thinking, indeed.  If any of my students read this, now you know why I assign you those research projects and try to get you to articulate your thoughts in class.

Articles of Interest on this topic and/or critical thinking:

• Microsoft’s Encarta, Rendered Obsolete by Wikipedia, Will Shut Down
• Victim of Wikipedia: Microsoft to shut down Encarta
• What to Do with Wikipedia
• Rethinking Thinking (from 2003)
• The Death of Print and What it Means for Christians

1. Google Apps for Domains
2. Ease of use
3. Google Labs

If you have ever e-mailed me, you know my address is through my domain (cgthomas.com).  Their Apps for Domains allows me to add new accounts, manage accounts, great groups, set and customize start pages, run a calendar, use Google Docs, etc. – basically everything a normal Gmail user can do except on my own domain.  It’s beautiful…and convenient.

It is also amazingly easy to use.  You could go into Google Apps and figure out what’s going on pretty quickly.  I’ve seen my (un)fair share of control panels and user interfaces over the years, and Google has given me something I actually don’t mind staring at for hours on end if I have to.  As amazing as their Apps are and as easy as they are to use, I would still say that Google Labs has revolutionized my e-mail world.  When I discovered them, I think I actually cried…just a little bit…but there were tears of happiness somewhere in there.

Google Labs is sort of like a toy box where you can pick as many fun toys as you want (or deem useful).  If you use Gmail, there’s a little green beaker-looking icon in the top, right-hand corner.  Click it and be ready to have your world made just a little bit brighter.

Some Lab features I have seriously appreciated:

• Pictures in Chat – yes, this may seem a bit silly to you, but I like being able to see the picture of the person I am chatting with.  Granted, that sometimes means chatting with Tacky the Penguin or the Anonymous Green Person icon, but at least I can see a visual representation of the person on the other end.
• Custom Label Colors– I love color.  I am a visual person.  Colors=good.  And now, Gmail gives me a lot of fun colors to choose from to make my labels absolutely stunning!
• Multiple Inboxes – Oh, my, word.  If you do not use Gmail, get someone to give you an account just so you can use this amazing feature.  Imagine this – your main inbox on one side…and a bunch of other inboxes within your inbox on the other!  And you select them!  It has really helped me keep track of e-mails from grad school, professional organizations, and other business endeavors I’m involved in.
• Undo Send – I can think of several academic institutions who wished they had this tool on their e-mail.  I wished I had this tool a couple years ago to save me from situations others have had.  Well, I have the tool now.  What it basically does is hold an e-mail message you just “sent” for 5 seconds before sending it on to your intended recipient, allowing you to decide within those 5 seconds whether or not that e-mail should really be on its way.  While, like this author, I wish I had more like 5-10 minutes to think about an e-mail I just “sent”…or maybe a double confirmation button…this is still a good feature to pause e-mails that might not have the attachment you thought you put there (Gmail has a lab feature for that, too!) or add another thought, etc.

Yes, I like Google.  No, I do not think they are the devil.  We can discuss that at a later time because right now, I’m going to go check my e-mail…