What can you do with 10 dollars? Hmmm buy a shirt, buy 2 footlong subs at subway, buy a couple gallons of gas, 2 cups of Grande coffee at starbucks, or save a life. Yup it’s true for just 10 dollars you can save a life. Malaria infects nearly 500 million people each year and kills more than one million of those who become infected. Last year State Chairwomen Sue Warmuskerken introduced us to the JCI Nothing But Nets program and with yours along with all the members of JCI efforts we have made an impact on this disease. It use to be every 30 seconds a kid was dying from Malaria. Since our participation in JCI Nothing but Nets, it is down to a kid dying every 45 seconds. Now that’s a impact, but I think we can increase that impact this year. Now if you’re not familiar with this program let give you a quick overview. The program is run by the UN and JCI our international organization is a partner in helping the fight. But of course their not along tons of major sports teams, fortune 500 companies and other non for profit groups are helping too. The way it works is for every 10 dollars donated a bed net is manufactured and given to person in need within Africa. Malaria carrying mosquitoes generally bite between 10:00 p.m. and 4:00 a.m. A bed net is typically hung above the center of a bed or sleeping space so that it completely covers the sleeping person. One bed net can safely last a family for about three years, thanks to a long-lasting insecticide woven into the net fabric. This year our goal is to STEP UP double the funds raised across the state in 2010 and to provide 300 nets. Visit the Illinois Jaycees 2011 team’s website to get involved http://www.globalproblems-globalsolutions.org/goto/2011iljaycees.

This year I’ll be serving as the Illinois Jaycees 2011 National Programs / Government Involvement State Chairmen or NPGI State Chair for short also I’ll be serving as the North Region Treasurer oh and also the Website Program Manager for the US Jaycees once again. The goal this year is promote the programs The US Jaycees and JCI have established to all of our chapters across the state. The Jaycees have a have long history of bring fourth change throughout the nation with programs like Get Out to Vote and other Government Involvement programs, Outstanding Young Farmers, Support Our Troops, Distinguish Service Award which became the Ten Outstanding Young Americans, Relay for life and just added in 2009 Riley’s Toys. These programs really bring home our last line of our creed “service to humanity is the best work of life”.

Each year members of the Illinois Jaycees support Camp New Hope through various community drives and as part of our annual fund raising campaign. Camp New Hope Respite building started construction 10 years ago, but due to the loss of State and Federal funding and the despair of our current economy, the construction remains unfinished. This building is used for the year round respite program which gives reprive to those families with members with special needs. Vote to give this idea 25K: Finish Camp New Hope Respite Building for the developmentally disabled http://pep.si/fZ5MDa and you can learn more about and support them through their website at http://www.myfavoritecamp.org

I come from a different world in my company, I’m not IT though I have formal training, I speak the lingo, and wear the uniform of Jeans, t-shirt, glasses and ton’s of geekieness in my swagger. I’m what they call Business Intelligence or better known as Shadow IT.  Though i’m up front about what we do and the impact it has. In my company I’m the middle person between what the business thinks it wants and what it really needs long term. Most of time what they really want is a short term solution. You know something quick and dirty to fix the bleeding of money and correct behavior.

When the Mount Prospect Jaycees needed a update to their aging website which i first built back in 2008. I worked with the chapter executive board to bring a fresh new look to their website. For this site it required moving over all the current chapter contain as well as introducing some new features. I choose WordPress as the platform to host their site because two of their board members were familiar with it and training the rest of the board wouldn’t be a problem. Also sent just about two hour training the sites webmaster and off she was running making updates and changes on her own. The Mount Prospect Jaycees is a leadership development and networking group for adults between the age of 18 and 40 in Mount Prospect, Illinois. Check out the groups website at http://www.MountProspectjaycees.org

So only my old AIM friends would get that title. But just last week grooveshark.com went through a full revamp of their website, switching from a flash based website to the new internet language of html5. Which seems to quickly becoming the standard. I’m excited about the switch for two reasons. First technically you can you use the site now on your iPad and iPhone in the near future. I’ve tried it on my iPad the other night and i got a notice saying my computer was not running flash and asked if i want to continue. Second you memory footprint used by the site will be significantly smaller. Check out the new site layout below in the picture and try it for yourself.