* regrettably sent via my old T-Mobile BlackBerry because they don't have a cool Droid option! http://goo.gl/cTYT #fail

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First of all – mad props to Vincent and the rest of the peeps atBorrowLenses.com for the radical 24mm f/1.4L Mark II USM Lens.  All I can say is WOW!! That’s one SEXY lens!

While I wasn’t able to shoot the video I wanted, I was able to get some great images.  I’m a complete n00b to the photography world and I have to say that most of the successful images below are due entirely to sheer luck (that and the subjects were naturally fabulous).

My week started with a panel discussion for Agent Reboot.  Chad from Agent Evolution grabbed a nice picture of the 4 of us.

From left to right Moderator Extraordinaire, Nicole Nicolay, Derek Overbey, Myselfand Dawn Thomas

In the halls I managed to catch Kathleen Bonham and Brad Andersohn.

After Agent Reboot I zipped across town to catch the 2nd half of REBarCamp/SanFrancisco and just in time for the Taco Truck.

Remember last years Taco Truck?  Waiting in line for my El Pastor Burrito I found the always smiling Laura Monroe.

This being the 3rd birthday of the REBarCamp movement – we all celebrated with a little cake.  Here’s Andy Kaufman having a little fun with part of the Trulia decoration.

Where did the other half of Trulia go?  Tara Christianson and Bobbi Howe took care of that.

Back at the conference down in Vendor Alley my friend An Bui (An with 1 n) was handing out little Docusign Guys.  Gorgeous!

Also down in Vendor Alley I found my friend Rich Bailey (of Wolfnet).  Rich gave me a autographed Edmonton Oilers Game Puck for my collection.  Who was it signed by?  Glen Sather that’s all!  Rich has forgotten more about hockey than I’ll ever learn!

Deb Madey always brightens up a room!  I grabbed a quick shot during the cocktail hour.

My friend Chris Drayer of FloorPlanOnline grabbed me to show some incredible 3D modeling built from their technology.  If you’ve been to their website, this is their “model” home in 3D by http://www.floorplanner.com.  This is Formula 1 Technology.  Race teams now will create cars and wings in their computers and then print in 3D to create an accurate real model that they can test in the wind tunnel.  It’s called stereolithography. You have to see the detail in this down to the piano keys!

Speaking of Chris – we had dinner that night with Becky Boomsma, Cindy Lin andDeb Madey at Ryoko Sushi (just 2 blocks away) and it was incredible!  So incredible I came back and had dinner the next night with my wife!

Food and conferences always go well together.  It’s not always dinner – sometimes there’s sweets involved.  Here’s Cupcake Supermodel Kendra Spencer with the latest in chocolate chips.  I kid of course – she’s really a Sales Coordinator for Empire Realty Associates.

Finally I’ll leave you with the last image – a group shot of the crowded Vendor Alley. Why? Not because its a great shot and not specifically because of the Vendors but because this is where all the great conversation and connections take place, in the halls and the alleys outside of the conference!

Need more? – here’s my entire set on Flickr: Inman Connect 2010

Thank you all again for a wonderful AgentReboot, REBarCamp, and Inman Connect!

Have a favorite picture from any of the events?  Please share the link!

I grown quite fond of Foursquare.  It’s not being the mayor, it’s not the badges, it’s the way I can connect with peeps on a different level.  That said, one of the cool things I like about the network is the way they catalogue your accomplishments.

As of July 3rd, 2010 I have 82 nights out, 294 checkins, and 667 friends.  I’m a relative newbie.  I have claimed my business “Custom Facebook Business Pages” and regularly add tips to the locations I visit.  I tend to hold Mayorship at 10 or so places at any given time.  That honorary title comes and goes.  What doesn’t is the badges.   Once you have unlocked a badge, it’s yours forever.  I currently have 16 badges

The following is meant more as a marker of sorts.  Here’s a run down of each of the badges I have so far.

 Newbie Congrats on your first check-in!  Unlocked by Mike M. on Fri Nov 13, 2009 at 9:20 PM @ Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill.  While waiting for my daughter at a football game I decided to kill some time, created my account, checked in and then promptly forgot about the network.

 School Night Checking-in after 3am on a school night? Well done!  Unlocked by Mike M. on Mon Mar 29, 2010 at 5:48 AM @ Oakland Tribune News – Oakland Airport in Oakland.  Once again boredom strikes.  While waiting to fly out to a speaking engagement I refind the app in my Blackberry.

 Adventurer You’ve checked into 10 different venues!  Unlocked by Mike M.on Tue Mar 30, 2010 at 5:13 PM @ House Of Big Fish & Ice Cold Beer Tweetup in Laguna Beach at one of Jim Marks favorite locations.  Phenomenal food, great people and great conversations!

 Photogenic You found 3 places with a photobooth!  Unlocked by Mike M. on Mon Apr 5, 2010 at 8:13 PM @ Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk – Neptune’s Kingdomin Santa Cruz.  If this was the 3rd, I have no idea where the other two were.

 Explorer You’ve checked into 25 different venues!  Unlocked by Mike M. on Tue Apr 6, 2010 at 11:35 AM @ Zen Trading in Santa Cruz.  Spring Break Vacation.

 Super User That’s 30 checkins in a month for you!   Unlocked by Mike M. on Tue Apr 6, 2010 at 11:42 AM @ Billabong in Santa Cruz.  Still on vacation, lots of time to relax and better discover what the application can do.

 Superstar You’ve checked into 50 different venues!  Unlocked by Mike M. on Sat Apr 10, 2010 at 10:31 AM @ Millie’s Kitchen in Lafayette.  Flying back in from REBarcamp in Phoenix it was a relaxing stop in one of our favorite breakfast places.

 Bender That’s 4+ nights in a row for you!  Unlocked by Mike M. on Sat Apr 10, 2010 at 10:19 PM @ Panda Express in Pleasant Hill.  Might have been 4 nights in a row but I’ll bet there wasn’t much in the way of drinking.

 Local You’ve been at the same place 3x in one week!  Unlocked by Mike M.on Sat Apr 17, 2010 at 10:39 AM @ Costco in Concord.  Sometimes I swear I’m at Costco on a daily basis.  No surprise.  Do they have a Super Local?  I should have that one too!

 Swarm 50+ people are also checked-in here – it’s a foursquare flashmob!  Unlocked by Mike M. on Thu Apr 22, 2010 at 7:54 PM @ HP Pavilion at San Jose in San Jose.  This was Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  Proud to be one of the swarm.

 Crunked That’s 4+ stops in one night for you!  Unlocked by Mike M. on Thu Apr 22, 2010 at 11:00 PM @ McDonald’s in Fremont.  This one sounds like there was copious amounts of alcohol involved.  Not this time, we were on the way home from the Sharks Game and stopped for a soda.

 Super Mayor A special shoutout for holding down 10 mayorships at once!  Unlocked by Mike M. on Mon May 17, 2010 at 2:28 PM @ Costco in Concord.  Coscto strikes again!

 Bravo Newbie Congratulations! You’ve taken your first step into the BRAVO world. (It’s not as scary as it sounds!)  Unlocked by Mike M. on Tue Jun 8, 2010 at 12:42 PM @ L Wine Lounge & Urban Kitchen in Sacramento.  REBarCamp in Sacramento was held in a wine bar.  I believe they were part of the Bravo Network – hence this badge.  The next one?  I have no idea!

 Real Housewife Way to drink, eat, shop, and spa like a Real Housewife!  Unlocked by Mike M. on Tue Jun 8, 2010 at 12:42 PM @ L Wine Lounge & Urban Kitchen in Sacramento.  Same place.  Same event.  I can honestly say I have never watch a single episode of Real Housewives of Anything.  I’ll up that by one and say I’ve never watched anything that starts with the word Real.  Does that mean they are taking my badge away?

 I’m on a boat! ? This ain’t Seaworld, this is as real as it gets / I’m on a boat, MF’er, don’t you ever forget! ?  Unlocked by Mike M. on Fri Jun 25, 2010 at 7:18 PM @ Sausalito Ferry Landing in Sausalito.  Our Anniversary Dinner – Ferry from San Francisco to Sausalito to a great restaurant.  Beautiful night and way to remember it with a badge!

 Overshare 10+ checkins in 12 hours! Next up: tweeting that you unlocked this Overshare badge?  Unlocked by Mike M. on Sat Jul 3, 2010 at 9:18 PM @Century Theatres in Walnut Creek.  Time off seems to equal more checkins.  Didn’t realize I checked in this much today but they did.

So that’s the badges I hold.  They are public record, out in the open for all to see.  out of the bunch I have to say Real Housewife has to be the strangest.

What’s the strangest one you have earned?

68 Double Cab with a rack!

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I recently pitched in to create a tab to collect donations for Seleena.  This little girl was attacked by a dog, required almost 900 stitches and now as you might guess, needs extensive reconstructive surgery.

http://www.facebook.com/PrayersForSaleena

I’d love for you to LIKE the page, suggest to your friends and of course, pitch in.

A funny thing happened, I refreshed the page and there was a new box telling me Facebook had commandeered the page.  They said…

“Community Pages represent causes, topics and ideas (as opposed to official entities such as businesses, bands and public figures).”

The interesting thing is that this page was started NOT as a “community page”. Facebook somehow decided along the way that the page was a “cause”.  They’re right – it is.  Luckily unlike other community pages, they didn’t delete the owners content or the custom tabs like they’ve done with other pages.

Looks like we have the right to appeal.  That link takes you to the following dialogue box

You can find it here: http://www.facebook.com/help/contact.php?show_form=page_category_change

I’ve never seen this page before but it looks like you can ask to change the category of your page here even if they didn’t “Community Page” you.  That said, I still like the Website category the best.

Have you seen a page taken over by Facebook?  One of the largest pages on Facebook

– I Heart SLEEP has over  5 million fans  http://www.facebook.com/pages/I-SLEEP/73330003836 once a silly page perhaps started by a teenager now a “community page”.