By the way, if any of you are on Facebook, here’s my profile url:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=508787747

Or search for “gmichael@yahoo-inc.com” and you’ll find me pretty quick.

See you there.

LJ Archive | No Comments »

Yeah, I broke down and decided to get certified in something. I’ve been working in NOCs for forever (8 years next April), and I think I’ve hit the ceiling on the pay scale for NOC work right now. Networking seems like the next logical step in training and I do enjoy network design and maintenance a great deal. I’m just hoping I’m not wasting my time, because getting the CCNA means I want to make a career out of this, when I didn’t want to.. really. It’s like admitting this is what I want to do with the rest of my life, and it’s really not. But writing can’t pay as well as this industry does, so… here I go…

Not to sound like I don’t have a lot of enthusiasm for it, but I guess it’s just the admission to myself that I’m going to be doing this type of work. Maybe it’s better to write as a hobby, because I tend to hate the hobbies that become an occupation.

LJ Archive | 1 Comment »

Every year in July, the San Francisco AIDS Foundation raises money through the AIDS Walk. Last year, my wife, and one of my best friends, , participated and raised about $1500+ between them for AIDS research. I thought this was a great cause and I have long donated money to AIDS research, personally. I think everyone can agree that raising money for such a cause is a good thing.

A week ago, I was chatting with a friend and he asked me when I was going to start running my own anime convention. Interestingly enough, he was the millionth person to ask me because I seem to be getting that question A LOT. I figured, hey, if people want me to run one, it seems like people want to go to it if I do. I think somehow there’s a guaranteed audience right there, but I didn’t really want to do for profit, yanno? If we were going to raise some money, I wanted the proceeds to go somewhere that needed it and so I’ve chosen to combine the idea of running an anime-related event and a donation to the AIDS Walk.

So, here is my plan:

• Hold an anime marathon in San Francisco, at the Red Vic Movie House
• Find 20 people to donate $100 each ($2000 total) in seed money to cover the venue.
• Sell the remaining 127 seats at $35 each for a 12 hour show.
• $35 times 127 people is $4,445 which would go straight to the AIDS Walk for my wife’s team.
• We’re calling it “Big Mike’s Anime Festival” on the advice of others.

The event would be held two weeks before Anime Expo on a Saturday, to help ease the cost. Plus, I think people can do $35 for charity given enough notice, and they get: 12 hours of anime with good friends, a special badge (which I’ll create), and a ‘program guide’. If we do this every year, I think we can start helping to make a difference.

Who’s with me on this?

LJ Archive | 7 Comments »