Tomorrow begins MacWorld. The annual pilgrimage of all the major, minor and wanna-be Apple product developers, modders, designers and professionals along with the Apple faithful, which includes bloggers a plenty and even a few member of the press. There will be non-Apple faithful press members as well, they will be the ones that don’t oooh and ahhh during the keynote tomorrow.

There may be less oohing and ahhing this year during the MacWorld Keynote as Steve Jobs won’t be giving it. We learned a few weeks ago that tomorrow will mark the final keynote presented by Apple. Since Steve Jobs has given every keynote address at MacWorld for over 10 years, that’s a big deal. Click Here to Read More...

Tags: Apple, MacWorld

Over the weekend Tracy and I decided to turn in our BMW’s, they were near the end of the lease, and get two new cars that we would own this time around. We leased our BMW’s which meant we were slaves to milage and other various restrictions. Nothing like owning a car, but not really owning a car. We decided we REALLY wanted to own our cars now. The question was, what to get?

Tracy had one major demand, whatever cars we got had to be able to fit a plastic lawn chair. She bought one last year and had no easy way to get it home in her 325i. We looked around and decided to check out what Saturn had to offer.When all was said and done, we ended up both getting the same model car. Both of us purchased 2008 Saturn Vue’s. If you aren’t familiar with the Vue it is the Saturn version of the Enclave and is a crossover vehicle. That means it has an SUV body built on a car frame. The idea is that while smaller, you get the benefits of the SUV and the benefits of a car. I’ll let you know how that goes in a few months, but already I have been able to bring home a desk for Tracy and Tracy was able to bring home a headboard and frame for Kristie’s bedroom.

We haven’t taken any photos yet of the cars, but these photos I found on the web give a pretty good idea of what ours look like. The photo of the backseat is what the interior of my car looks like and the front seat photo is what Tracy’s interior looks like. For exterior, mine is Techno Grey and Tracy’s is Black Onyx (pictured below). They are great look cars and we are both very happy with our decision. They drive incredibly well too, very much like a car. The best part of all of this... I don’t have to buy another car for at least 5 years, maybe even longer.

Tags: Cars

Yes, it’s the time of year when minds around the world turn their thoughts to how they can improve their life and the lives of those around them. While losing weight and stopping smoking are typically favorite New Year’s resolutions, I don’t smoke (well I do smoke about 1 cigar every 3 months) and I don’t need to lose any more weight. That being said, I do have resolutions:

• Keep better track of bills and finances
• Eat healthier
• Spend more time with the family
• Spend less time in my media room
• Start back up Family Game Night
• Become more efficient and effective at work
• Stay more in touch with my friends & family
• Update my website with greater frequency
• Stay on-top of my every growing photo collection
• Read more non-fiction books (actually listen, I use Audible)
• Work with Kristie on her homework and school
• Reduce my overall stress levels
• Take better care of my car

It’s a simple list, but it’s what’s important to me in 2009. I’ve posted it for the world to see; so now I have to make it all come true. How well will I do, I’m a little scared to find out!

Tags: Resolutions

Most of you probably know that one of my all time favorite films is the Lord of the Ring Trilogy. Just none better. When the movies were being released I heard talk of The Hobbit being made, but that it was tied up on rights, litigation and so much other paperwork it seemed unlikely The Hobbit would be made with any great haste.

Since it is 2008 and the original trilogy was released in 2001, 2002 and 2003 to say it’s happening quickly would be a serious exaggeration. That being said, The Hobbit will apparently see the dark of theaters around the world! I hadn’t checked in over a year, but tonight while Tracy and I were looking up some facts on another movie we tripped over the fact that The Hobbit 1 and The Hobbit 2 are to be released sometime around 2012. Click Here to Read More...

Tags: Theater

You may have noticed if you clicked through my DVDs & More link that the list for my DVD library was AWOL. That link has been broken for some time, but as of tonight it is working again. That being said the list of DVDs is a bit out of date. How out of date? Not really sure, that’s what I have to figure out next. The currently list is 283 DVDs long and I’m pretty sure I’ve not updated the list since last year at least. So, I may have a bit of work ahead of me in cataloguing the DVDs and now Blue-Ray disks I’ve purchased or received as gifts since then. Might be a good thing so that anyone looking to buy me a gift, has a place to look to see what I already have, one would think.

Tags: DVD, Movies, KellysWorld

As with most years, there was no lacking in gift giving at the Spore household; however the gift giving didn’t take nearly as long as it has in the past. My first Christmas with Tracy it took over 4 hours to open all the presents. This year was simple by comparison, but never-the-less gifts were in abundance. Tracy, Courtney, Kristie and I all had a wonderful time and there were more than a few smiles to go around; as the photos certainly prove.

Hope your Christmas was as fun and as blessed as ours. Happy New Year!

Christmas 2008

Tags: Christmas

This year was a quiet Christmas at the Spore household, but a very enjoyable one none-the-less. Most of our family couldn’t join us this year to celebrate; so Tracy made a video for everyone to enjoy. She used video from her new mini camcorder and photos I took to create a quick movie. It’s just under 10 minutes long.

The movie is hosted on MobileMe, but a link is provided below. Just click on that link and it will take you right to the video. It should start playing immediately. If you have a slow connection there are three versions requiring less and less bandwidth.

If you want, you can download a copy for your computer, iPod or iPhone very easily. Just click the “Download” button above the movie.

Happy New Year everyone! We are thinking of all of you throughout the holiday.

Spore Family Christmas 2008

Tags: Video, Christmas

Well, it’s October 19th so it must be the very special time of year again... The Holidays. You know Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. In the past I used to joke that Christmas decorations would eventually go up before Halloween decorations. This year I appear to be right. Yep, while we were at Willow Bend Mall visiting the Shrine of Apple (read, Apple Store) I noticed that the light fixtures and trees were already adorned with partial christmas decorations and it seems the Santa Village is already built; but still under black tarps. Yesterday I was in Wal-Mart and the seasonal section has Christmas decorations mixed with Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations. I love Christmas as much as the next person, but at this rate the Christmas decorations are going to go on sale one year as part of the Labor Day Sales Spectacular!

On the home front we too are preparing for the holidays. No, we aren’t putting up the Christmas Tree up (yet); but Tracy is getting going to be build her famous Christmas Village this year. So yesterday we took up 4 moving boxes of village stuff and she began sorting through it. In the past she normally wouldn’t start this until November, but she decided that she would “take it easy” this year and start early.

For those of you that will be in town for the holidays, once complete I urge you to give us a ring and stop by to see it. I have no doubt that it will be a site to behold. Tracy loves putting her village together and for her, it just isn’t Christmas without her village. For 3 years now she has had to hold off on doing her 16 year tradition. So this year the game room on the second floor will become the Spore Christmas Village.

So even our house has become a mix of Holidays, because while Tracy was putting up the Village, Kritsie and I were putting the final touches on our modest Halloween decorations outside. A big blow-up skeleton head. So, yes, while I make fun of Wal-Mart mixing-up holidays, the Spores are doing the same.

The Holidays have truly arrived!

Tags: Holidays

David Pogue, NY Times Technology Columnist, posted a story recently about using various information services over your cell phone (or your home phone). One of these services is a 411 service and all of them are free to use (text messaging costs may apply).

Those services are:

1. Goog411 - 411 Service
2. ChaCah - Over the Phone Search Service
3. Jott - Personal Notes Service

The killer service is Goog411. Your home phone provider and your mobile phone provider typically charge to use their 411 service, as much as two bucks per search. Some charge extra to send you a text message or to connect you to the phone number that your searching for. Goog411 is free to search with, free to connect with and free to get a text message. I’ve tried it and it works great. I’m going to save it into my phone for easy use when I need it. On their website there is a video that shows you how to use the service. You can search by name or by category, all you need is a city and state. You can even get a map! All you have to do is say “Map It!” You will get a link to a map (if you phone has internet service) as well as the address and phone number. If you only have text messaging, just say “Details!” It’s that easy! Really, I it is. (You can watch the YouTube video on YouTube --->Click Here)

If you happen to have an iPhone or BlackBerry, Goog411 is really rocking!

Below are links to Mr. Pogue’s video netcast and NY Times article.

Fee Voice-Activated Phone Services (Video)
Cell Services Keep It Easy, and Free (Article)

Tags: Google, Web Services, David Pogue, NY Times, YouTube

Tomorrow is Father’s Day. This will only be my 2nd official father’s day; but I am already a dad many times over and a grand father once and soon to be twice. Considering my 38th birthday is still 2 months away; I guess I’m doing okay in the “growing the family” department. Mom, Dad, you said you wanted grandkids; I don’t like to waste time once I get started on a project. I may take a while to get started, but once i start....

So, tomorrow will be a day for me to celebrate Fatherhood. I have much to celebrate too. Courtney and the rest of my step-children really are wonderful and the past few years I’ve spent helping to rear Courtney I wouldn’t trade for all the MacBook Pros in the world. For me, that’s saying something. Tomorrow I also get to celebrate Father’s Day with Kristie. She hasn’t even been placed with us officially, so I don’t want to get ahead of myself; but by Father’s Day next year we will have an official holiday together.

We don’t have big plans for tomorrow, but most of the local family will be here. Tracy and I love having everyone over, it’s one of the reasons we bough the size of house we did. One day we will have more of a back patio; but for now we do have the wonderful front porch. If not for the horrible Texas heat we could probably make use of it on Father’s day. I may sit on the porch though in the morning while I enjoy my coffee and watch the sun come up.

While I am drinking my coffee I’m sure Brian will still be in dreamland, but this year he will celebrate his first Father’s Day. I would say he “only has the baby,” but to say “only” and “baby” is to make it sound SO SIMPLE. While their hands are completely fully yet, they will be by Father’s Day 2009. I remember with my grandson, year one he just laid there and smiled... year two he was doing his best to get some serious attention. So Brion, enjoy this Father’s Day because the next one may not be as relaxing.

The photo above wasn’t taken on FAther’s Day, it dates from just after Father’s Day 1975 though. It is a photo of Dad, Brion (the one in the diaper) and me. Dad was enjoying being a father for the second time, this year will be sort of that way for me. Only Courtney lives at home, but Kristie is joining us making her simillar to a second child for me. When it comes to children my life has become slightly complicated; but I LOVE IT!

Tags: Holidays