New Toy

1. Flypaper

I've been wanting to learn flash for a while, but in the class I took six years ago, by the end of the course, all I could manage was making cirlces and squares move around the page. BUT! I stumbled upon this tool this week. It's free to download on flypaper.net. I toyed with it for a while and discovered that it's very user friendly. I didn't have to watch a tutorial or read a manual. I just slapped this together in a couple hours:

http://community.flypaper.net/s/JLeigh/Stories/riff_front/item_preview_page.aspx?id=3797

Now, if I were to make a Riff page, and maybe at some point I would, it wouldn't look like this. It's a little busy and not terribly pleasing to the eye, but this was more of a test to see if I can actually do it. I hope the link works. I know there's a way to post it on the blog, so maybe I'll try that next.

Problems with the software? Yes, there are some. One is that if you have Vista, you have to run as administrator, which is a pain in the butt. Also, it did crash on me once, but it hasn't lately. And finally, I had a terrible time trying to upload and had to email them because it kept freezing on me. I still don't know what's wrong. Their reasons were things like "maybe you're on a proxy server" "maybe your Windows isn't updated" "maybe your firewall is blocking it" "maybe your computer clock is off by more than five minutes." I kid you not. The clock?!


2. Events

Lots of things happening here on campus.

-Sones de Mexico is an ensemble that I am heading up for CAB. They're a Mexican folk group.
-English Club professors vs. students volleyball potluck readings and such
-Byron Hurt lecture. Just saw his documentary today. I was really good. I'm excited for the lecture.
-Speak! I'm taking over Eng Club's open mic night this year.
-Undergraduate Research Convention. Considering submitting to this because it's in LaX, but it depends on if I get my grant. This isn't until April though.


3. Work. Ehck.

-homework -- well, that's normal
-studying for GREs. I just got my practice test CD today. Yippee. Was that supposed to sound excited?
-more grant stuff -- need to refine the abstract and make lots and lots of copies
-CAB stuff -- again, need to make copies of things, make phone call, make program
-Eng Club stuff -- making the club brochure, scheduling cellar for Speak!
-Eng website -- contacting new staff members to get bios and pics