Tripod: Messages from the Staff

<body bgcolor="#CCFFFF" link="#FF0000" vlink="#990000" text="#000000" background="../../../tripod/letters/img/www_subdomain/bg.gif"> <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td valign="TOP" align="CENTER" width="178">  <table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="170"> <tr> <td align="LEFT" valign="TOP" width="100%"> <a href="../../../www_subdomain/adm/imagemap/logo-map.html"><img src="../../../img/nav/www_subdomain/logo.gif" alt="Tripod Map" border="0" height="58" width="170" ismap></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" valign="TOP" width="100%"> <a href="../../../www_subdomain/adm/imagemap/universal2-map.html"><img src="../../../img/nav/www_subdomain/universal2.gif" alt="Member Services Map" width="170" height="59" border="0" ismap></a></td> </tr><tr><td align="LEFT" valign="TOP" width="170" bgcolor="#999966"> <img src="../../../img/www_subdomain/tripod_zones.gif" alt="tripod zones" width="81" height="17" border="0"></td> </tr><tr> <form action="http://www.tripod.com/bin/redirect" method="POST"> <td align="LEFT" valign="TOP" width="170" bgcolor="#999966"> <select name="URL"> <option value="/">Choose one:</option> <option value="/cars_trucks/">Cars&Trucks;</option> <option value="/computers_internet/">Computers/</option> <option value="/computers_internet/">       Internet</option> <option value="/entertainment/">Entertainment</option> <option value="/fun_games/">Fun&Games;</option> <option value="/health_fitness/">Health/Fitness</option> <option value="/home_family/">Home/Family</option> <option value="/jobs_career/">Jobs/Career</option> <option value="/money_business/">Money/Business</option> <option value="/shopping/">Shopping</option> <option value="/society_culture/">Society/Culture</option> <option value="/sports/">Sports</option> <option value="/teens/">Teens</option> <option value="/travel/">Travel</option> <option value="/women/">Women</option> </select><input type="IMAGE" src="../../../img/www_subdomain/go.gif" width="24" height="20" border="0" align="ABSMIDDLE"> <img src="../../../img/www_subdomain/trans.gif" width="1" height="3" border="0"><br><img src="../../../img/www_subdomain/p_member_comm.gif" alt="pod member communities" width="146" height="11" border="0"><br> <a href="../../../www_subdomain/adm/imagemap/pods-map.html"><img src="../../../img/nav/www_subdomain/pods.gif" alt="Pod Map" width="170" height="18" border="0" align="top" ismap></a></td> </form> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" width="170">  <tr><td></td></tr> <tr><td align="CENTER"> <center> <a href="#"></a> </center> </td></tr> <tr><td align="CENTER"> <center> <a href="#"></a> </center> </td></tr> </table>  </td> <td valign="TOP"><base target="_top"> <table cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%"> <tr> <td valign="TOP" width="170"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="170"> <tr> <td align="LEFT" valign="TOP" width="100%"> <a href="../../../www_subdomain/adm/imagemap/logo-map.html"><img src="../../../img/nav/www_subdomain/logo.gif" alt="Tripod Map" border="0" height="58" width="170" ismap></a></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="LEFT" valign="TOP" width="100%"> <a href="../../../www_subdomain/adm/imagemap/universal2-map.html"><img src="../../../img/nav/www_subdomain/universal2.gif" alt="Member Services Map" width="170" height="59" border="0" ismap></a></td> </tr><tr><td align="LEFT" valign="TOP" width="170" bgcolor="#999966"> <img src="../../../img/www_subdomain/tripod_zones.gif" alt="tripod zones" width="81" height="17" border="0"></td> </tr><tr> <form action="http://www.tripod.com/bin/redirect" method="POST"> <td align="LEFT" valign="TOP" width="170" bgcolor="#999966"> <select name="URL"> <option value="/">Choose one:</option> <option value="/cars_trucks/">Cars&Trucks;</option> <option value="/computers_internet/">Computers/</option> <option value="/computers_internet/">       Internet</option> <option value="/entertainment/">Entertainment</option> <option value="/fun_games/">Fun&Games;</option> <option value="/health_fitness/">Health/Fitness</option> <option value="/home_family/">Home/Family</option> <option value="/jobs_career/">Jobs/Career</option> <option value="/money_business/">Money/Business</option> <option value="/shopping/">Shopping</option> <option value="/society_culture/">Society/Culture</option> <option value="/sports/">Sports</option> <option value="/teens/">Teens</option> <option value="/travel/">Travel</option> <option value="/women/">Women</option> </select><input type="IMAGE" src="../../../img/www_subdomain/go.gif" width="24" height="20" border="0" align="ABSMIDDLE"> <img src="../../../img/www_subdomain/trans.gif" width="1" height="3" border="0"><br><img src="../../../img/www_subdomain/p_member_comm.gif" alt="pod member communities" width="146" height="11" border="0"><br> <a href="../../../www_subdomain/adm/imagemap/pods-map.html"><img src="../../../img/nav/www_subdomain/pods.gif" alt="Pod Map" width="170" height="18" border="0" align="top" ismap></a></td> </form> </tr> </table> <table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="1" width="170">  <tr><td></td></tr> <tr><td align="CENTER"> <center> <a href="#"></a> </center> </td></tr> <tr><td align="CENTER"> <center> <a href="#"></a> </center> </td></tr> </table> <center><form name="ebay"> <table border="0" width="120" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr valign="TOP"> <td align="center" valign="TOP" bgcolor="#ffffff" width="120"> </td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"><td valign="TOP" nowrap bgcolor="#ffffff" width="120"> <select name="ebay" onchange="self.parent.location.href = "http://www.tripod.com/bin/accipiter/tripod_adclick?CID=000024360000033200000000&overrideURL=http://komodo.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?RedirectEnter&" + this.options[this.selectedIndex].value;"> <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://pages.ebay.com/aw/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">Online Auctions <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://pages.ebay.com/antiques/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">Antiques <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://pages.ebay.com/books/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">Books, <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://pages.ebay.com/books/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">-Magazines <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://pages.ebay.com/collectibles/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">Collectibles <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://coins.ebay.com/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">Coins <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://computers.ebay.com/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">Computers <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://dolls.ebay.com/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">Dolls, Figures <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://jewelry.ebay.com/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">Jewelry <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://pottery.ebay.com/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">Pottery <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://pages.ebay.com/sportsmem/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">Sports <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://pages.ebay.com/sportsmem/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">-Memorabilia <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://stamps.ebay.com/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">Stamps <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://toys.ebay.com/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">Toys <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://tradingcards.ebay.com/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">Trading <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://tradingcards.ebay.com/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">-Cards <option value="partner=TRIPOD&loc=http://pages.ebay.com/aw/%3FTRIPODSPONSOR">Misc. </select></td> </tr> <tr valign="TOP"><td align="center" valign="TOP" width="120"><font size="-1"> <center>Over 350,000 items</center> </font></td> </tr> </table> </form> </center> </td> <td valign="TOP" width="100%"> <basefont size="3">   <img src="../../../tripod/letters/img/www_subdomain/letter.top.gif" alt="from tripod..with love.." width="401" height="124" border="0"> <br> <blockquote> <b>From Federico Jordan, Illustrator:</b> <br><br> <font color="#333399" face="verdana, geneva, arial, helvetica"><b>The American Gothic Dream</b></font><br><br> Okay! Where should I start this story that changed my life? In Saltillo City? Yes, my hometown, an oasis in North Mexico.<br><br> Two years ago, I was in my illustration studio where I have my computer on a messy desk full of papers with drawings and sketches. On the wall hangs a portrait of my friend Loyda Gil, "La Princesa," and an old, faded, small postcard of Grant Wood's painting American Gothic hanging up with a piece of scotch tape. I was surfing the Web that day when I met <a href="../../../www_subdomain/tripod/staff/production-html/anchor_mags.html">Mags Gould Stewart</a>, at that time Creative Director of Tripod, Inc. Since then, I've made many "chirombolitos" (small drawings) for this site.<br><br> <a href="../../../www_subdomain/tripod/staff/design-html/anchor_federico.html"></a> She went crazy last summer about my drawings and invited me to work in the Tripod headquakers in Massachusetts. At once, my super Canadian and lawyer friend <a href="../../../www_subdomain/tripod/staff/administration-html/anchor_david.html">David Stewart</a> started the paperwork for my NAFTA work visa. As soon as all were done, I took my little postcard from my wall, I flew, I arrived, I walked like a robot directly to my work space with the American Gothic postcard in my right hand. As soon I arrive to the place where a brand new computer was awaiting me, I looked all around for essential stuff to live my idea of the American Dream: a cozy chair, a wife with lot of dough to get old together, a burger (I was hungry), fancy friends, lost coins in the floor, etc...<br><br> Suddenly I saw a young man surfing a skateboard in the building! This was our 25 year-old CEO, <a href="../../../www_subdomain/tripod/staff/business-html/anchor_bo.html">Bo "Jefe" Peabody</a>. I saw the whitest gen-X boy, called <a href="../../../www_subdomain/tripod/staff/design-html/anchor_matt.html">Matt Quann</a>, making robotic moves to another coworker (<a href="../../../www_subdomain/tripod/staff/design-html/anchor_jesse.html">Jesse Milden</a>), a Canadian doing strange sound-effects to himself, a group of persons walking close together in one direction like penguins, talking in a C++ language. A culture shock had started!<br><br> Just when I thought all was over, a funky music filled the work space and I saw a man with a Mick Jagger look, but smaller, walking and dancing at the same time towards me with a great coordination. "Yo!" he shouts to me. "What's up, dude! Word is born! So watch your back!" Following that, he presented himself, opening his arms like a priest preparing to say something solemn. "My name is <a href="/">C. Pop Johnson</a>, welcome aboard!" Then, another person that looks like Tin-tin sez to me with a crazy smirk, "Hi! My name is <a href="../../../www_subdomain/tripod/staff/design-html/anchor_cyoung.html">cyoung</a>, the Toymaker, and I have coupons for a free lunch at Subway for the rest of your life!! Ha, ha, ha!!"<br><br> I was paralyzed; I point my eyes looking through my big window with a beautiful summer view of a rural landscape in Williamstown, MA. At the same time that my thoughts about the American Dream were dissolving, I turned my head to see another new friend that talked to me at that time. "Hi, my name is Wilde  <a href="/">Dick Wilde</a>." I turned my head to the big picture window and, without noticing, my American Gothic postcard flew out my hand.<br> <ul> <a href="../../../www_subdomain/tripod/staff/design-html/anchor_federico.html">Federico</a> (4/24/98) </ul> <br> <center> <hr width="330"> <br><br> Read more "Letters from Tripod" in the <a href="../../../www_subdomain/tripod/letters/archive.html">archive</a>. </blockquote><br> </td> </tr> </table> </td> </tr> </table> </body>