$2.74 per Gallon

$2.74 per Gallon
Originally uploaded by shainelee

Gasoline price is $2.74 per gallon. This is the least expensive I've seen today. This is a convenience store just North of Alton, Texas. Elsewhere, it is $2.82 per gallon.

RGV New Media Group

I am organizing the RGV New Media Group for all podcasters, videocasters, and bloggers in the Rio Grande Valley. If you got skillz and the willingness to share and learn, please join us at Moonbeans on July 21st. Sign up on the Upcoming page; bring friends.

To help get us started, I have also created a Ning group for the RGV New Media Group.

If you are seasoned or new blogger or podcaster, you are welcome to join the RGV New Media group.

For more information, you may visit my home page at Shaine to read the details.

If you have any questions, you can contact me at 432-4322.

Governor Perry Signs SB 11 at Hidalgo County Sherrif's Dept.

Scratch That. Starting a New Media Group

In my previous post, I wrote about starting a new Podcaster or Blogger group for the Rio Grande Valley. I had a couple of suggestions in the comments, which totally make sense. I'll work on starting a New Media Group for the RGV.

Starting a Podcaster or Blogger Meetup Group in the RGV

An Idea

I am doing some preliminary planning to start a Podcaster and/or Blogger Meetup group in the Rio Grande Valley. I know that there is interest in some kind of Internet or technology group in the area. Thus far, nobody has moved to organize a group. I have really enjoyed the friendship and information sharing that I experienced briefly with the San Antonio Podcasters. I would like to bring that to the Rio Grande Valley.

Precautions

Instinctually, I am against putting money into a meetup group without first knowing if people will show up. However, it's a Catch 22. If I don't pay up, how will others know? So, before I do that, I need to contact potential members and ask them about their level of interest in such a group. As in business, you should find the customers before you commit resources. That is not to say that the group would be a money-making venture. Simply, I should know how popular the idea is before spending my hard-earned money.

Benefits of an RGV Meetup

One thing I have asked myself is, why would I undertake such a project? Why would anybody care? Well, there are some obvious benefits that I have seen with my friends in San Antonio.

• Friendship and Community. It is always great to know people who share your interests. If you play a sport, it's fun to hang out with other players. If you collect stamps, it's good to hang out with other stamp collectors. Similarly, if you are a blogger or podcaster, it makes sense to hang out with other bloggers and podcasters. That's what I want, to hang out with other bloggers and podcasters locally.


• Recognition. As an individual podcaster, you have to work pretty damn hard to get recognition from the online community or even locally. As a part of a Rio Grande Valley Podcaster/Blogger Group, it sounds really official and professional. You get some frakin' respect.


• Knowledge and skill trading. This is perhaps the best benefit of all. Members of a Podcasting or Blogging group can trade knowledge and teach each other skills to help each other improve.


• Networking. You never know if one of the other Podcasters/Bloggers in the group might be a great connection for you in the job market. You're in the group because you have skills or want to get skills. Who better than a fellow podcaster or blogger to recognize your skills and recommend you for a project of job?


• Link trading. This is vital to get your podcast or blog off the ground. You are more likely to link to people you know than somebody you don't. As a group, you can easily spread link love to give each others sites more exposure.

I am sure that there are more compelling reasons to organize a group; but this is all I could think of at this time.

Looking Ahead

I am slighlty apprehensive at the undertaking because I don't know how it will turn out. I have a rough idea, but no detailed plan. All I can do is what Jack Welch said about strategy, "pick a general direction and implement like hell."

Back Home on June 1st

I was trying out my digital video camera and decided to do a little "day in the life" and some talking about home here in the Rio Grande Valley. I did some driving around Edinburg in the end to fill time.

Take this video with a grain of salt as it's merely an effort to learn all the aspects of putting video for the Internet together.

Possible Future for RGV Life

Tonight, I purchased a domain for this website. The address is rgv-life.com (rgvlife.com was taken). I decided to get the domain just in case I have ideas for this blog when I return to the RGV at the end of May. I have stopped blogging to Session 80 and opened up, as mentioned in the prior post, shainemata.net instead. I look forward to returning home soon so that I can continue to share my experience of living in the Rio Grande Valley.