In case you haven't heard, Google recently announced that it was launching a new service called "gmail," which would apparently be the free-email-service-to-beat-all-free-email-services. First, users get a full gig of email storage. Second, it's supposed to have ridiculously good spam blocking, and third, it's got a whole bunch of cool email sorting features.
Google started by setting up all their employees with beta accounts, and then they started giving them to journalists. Then select gmail users got to invite a number of friends. Then, certain Blogger users got to sign up. Pretty soon, everyone who was anyone had a gmail account... Why wait to several months for the general launch when you can be one of the lucky few.
How I wanted to be one of the lucky few! I coveted a gmail address so badly. I dreamed about it. But, alas, it eluded my grasp.
Until a very nice guy with a few invitations to pass out gave me one.
"Arise! You shall now be barkin@gmail.com!"
JP Garofalo: I don't know him...
But I wish I did.
A few months ago, I wrote a post entitled "Who's the hottest Garofalo?" In it, I compared four different people -- Mark, Dr. J.P., Shanel Christiana, and Janeane -- who all have the last name Garofalo. I provided a short bio of each, and asked readers to vote for their favorite one. Shanel Christiana Garofalo, who plays softball at Virginia Tech, was the hands-down winner.
A couple of days ago, I got an e-mail with the subject "could you settle a bet?" from someone from the domain vancouver.wsu.edu. Turns out it was from the esteemed Dr. J.P. Garofolo. It read:
A couple of friends e-mailed me to inform me of the "who's the hottest Garofalo?" webpage. Everyone is getting a good laugh, myself included. By the way, I wouldn't vote for me either. Interestingly, the consensus is that either you are a former student of mine or that we might know each other. I'm pretty sure that neither is the case. Would you either confirm that we do or do not know each other? Anyway, thanks for the good laugh.sincerely,
JP Garofalo
Well, Dr. G, I think you won the bet. I've never been a student of yours, and I'm pretty sure I don't know you (or, to be more specific, I've never met you).
That being said, your faculty bio page says that your research interests include evaluation of neurocognitive and psychological sequelae of cancer therapies and identification of personality antecedents of neurotoxicity. And that's the crazy thing...
Those are my research interests, too! I spend all my free time evaluating the neurocognitive and psychological sequelae of cancer therapies. Just yesterday, I identified some personality antecedents of neurotoxicity during the commercial breaks while I was watching Weekend At Bernie's II on the USA Network.
But I digress.
Actually, in all seriousness, doc, I know about as much about evaluation of neurocognitive and psychological sequelae of cancer therapies as I do about Australian insects, the national bird of Switzerland, or Swahili grammer. That is to say that I know, well, nothing about evaluation of neurocognitive and psychological sequelae of cancer therapies. It is clear to me, however, that you do important work. So...
Despite the fact that you lost the vote, this is my blog, so I get to rig the election. I hereby name you Hottest Garofalo! I also name you Smartest Garofalo, Awesomest Garofalo, Best Educated Garofalo, Tallest Garofalo, Garofalo Most Likely To Succeed in the World of Neurocognitive and Psychological Sequelae of Cancer Therapies, Sexiest Garofalo, Craziest Garofalo, and WORLD'S BEST Garofalo.
