el rinconcito

Since the first time I got online many years ago, chat is still my favorite thing.

I had two chat windows open this afternoon. One was a friend in Iran, another was in Russia. At the same moment, an e-mail rolls in from Cuba. It was all coincidence, but my partner walks by, sees the screen, chuckles and says, "why don't you add Libya and North Korea while you're at it." I said, "if I could, I would!"

It's all what I like about the net.

Yeah, my job is sometimes an almost intolerable hell, and I think the office staff, in general, has a brutish attitude towards those of us who do the travelling, or "work in the field" as they say, but the main positive thing about this job is that I get a week off every now and then, with pay! If they have work during my week off, and I choose to work it, I can make out really well (make double) and skip the week off, but the weeks off are there for a reason. The weeks I do work are sometimes 60 hours, sometimes more, plus I'm away from home, so the week off is needed to get things done at the house and hang out with family and friends. I'm taking this week off starting right freakin' now!

I'm going to have way too much free time to hang out on my opera. Also, I very much like net chat, always have. On my about page, you'll see that I have ICQ and Jabber for IM'ing. I also have AIM and Yahoo, but I don't publish those on webpages, only through private messages. I don't mind sending out my ID's at all, just tell me you're looking for me and I'll send it. Did you know that if you have a Google account and use Googletalk that it will connect to my Jabber messenger no problem. I can show you how. It's easy. You just add a buddy using a specific format of the ID.

Also, my good friend on my opera, Noah, showed me meebo recently. This is a good one because you don't even need to register with them, and you can plug in a microphone and chat, full duplex, just like a telephone. The part I like best, no registration, lol.

I'm also checking into another one called jubii. They promise some interesting services, but most of their interfaces don't work with Opera, and only half work with Firefox. I tried their "telephony" service last night and it actually works. You can make free phone calls to Denmark, Germany, France, the UK, Italy, Canada, the Netherlands, Spain, Austria and the USA. You just type in the "to" and "from" phone numbers and click "call". Jubii calls you both and you can start talkin'. There's no special software or equipment, and it works with landlines and mobiles. I does cut you off after 5 minutes though. Just call back.

Anyway, I'm rambling again. I just like exploring things that connect people. My favorite people are here on my Opera. Stop by and say hello. You won't be bothering me. If I'm in "available" mode, I'm available.

I enjoy messages and comments very much on my opera. Jabber and Googletalk are also a pleasure. Any of the others I mentioned are also no problem. I have an entire week to goof off and need stuff to do.