KellysWorld

Free Information - Using Any Phone

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-06-15T10:05:39-05:00

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)

Father's Day - 2008

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-06-14T21:58:27-05:00

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!

Javier's 21st Birthday

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-06-01T11:49:28-05:00

Tracy’s youngest son celebrated his 21st birthday yesterday. For 21 years he has done everything in his power to make his mom go as crazy as possible, but then that’s the job of a son. Of course now he is married and doing everthing in his power to drive his wife, Leslie, crazy. On both counts I can relate, as a son and a husband I’ve done both. Last night we all got together with Javier and his closest friends for some dinner and fun at Kelly’s East Side, a restaraunt owned and operated by Javier’s best friend’s family. A restaraunt Javier knows well since he helped to decorate it many years ago. We all had a great time, but unfortunetly the family and I had to leave early to insure that Courtney go t a good night’s sleep so she could get up for work today. Before we left though we got a chance to see Javier’s big 21st birthday present, a racing harness. Javier is not only into fixing cars, but also racing them; legally of course. I could tell that no other present would have been as well recieved as this one. He was smiling the same way I would be if someone gave me a shiny new lens for my camera. Happy Birtday Javier! Check out the Photos - Javier’s 21st Birthday or Just link to them form the Gallery.

Racing at Target?

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-06-01T11:13:39-05:00

Apparently yesterday there was more fun going on in Target than I had suspected. Not only were the ladies doing some “secret shopping” but they were also holding miniture trycle races. Unfortunetly for Courtney, Kristie seems to have been just a little faster on three wheels. I’m sure Courtney would just say she was destracted by all the pictures. Go Kristie!!! What I want to know is how they didn’t get kicked out of Target!?! More Photos In the Gallery.

Home Depot Family Fun

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-05-31T19:13:06-05:00

Today the whole family made a fun filled adventure up to Home Depot here in Wylie. It was some amazing and wild fun. Okay, I may be getting a bit sarcastic, just a bit. After the ladies all returned from a morning of pedicures and maincures they asked me if I wanted to go with them to Home Depot. The girls wanted to start the process of picking out paint colors for their repsective rooms. I eagerly said yes and bounced out the door with them. (Okay, so that too might be a “bit” of exageration.) Anyway, the four of us headed off to the land of lumber, lights and lawn mowers. I’m happy to recount that while the girls did find the paint they liked, and the ceiling fans, and the light fixtures and the carpeting; we did leave emptied handed. While we did leave with no items in our bags, we did leave learning one thing about Kristie; she isn’t as shy as one might think. While we were sitting enjoying what I suspect may be our future out door furniture, it was added to the mental lists, Kristie began saying hello to just about every person walking by. She was quite openly friendly. Courtney couldn’t dig herself deeper into her chair, not that she too isn’t one of the more friendly people on the planet. It was actually all great fun and was followed up with a trip to Target and then to Best Buy; an afternoon filled of browsing and apparently a bit of shopping. Not sure what they all got, apparently it was top secret. Hmmmmm.....

New RapidWeaver - New Site?

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-05-29T21:37:35-05:00

Well, today a new version of Rapidweaver was released. For those of you that don’t know, RapidWeaver is what I use to build my websites. It is the program that really got me to think long and hard about moving back to Macintosh. RapidWeaver makes creating a website, stupid easy. So does Apple’s iWeb, but the difference between them is that you can grow with RapidWeaver. Anyway, today version 4.0 was released. While they haven’t added any major new features, they have rebuilt the entire interface and it’s gorgeous. It also seems easier to use. I really can’t pass final judgement as the Gold released was only today, but I was using the beta for the past few weeks. In the past with each new version of RapidWeaver I have made some big to major changes on my website. The current version of the webside debuted a few weeks after 3.6; the last major upgrade. I believe that this current version of the site would be KellysWorld V3, or as software developers have begun to do --- KellysWorld ’06. So, does this mean it is time for a KellysWorld ’08. Not sure. I have to say that when I do a new version I have a tendancy to update the site more for awhile; but eventually that comes to a hault. I’ve stopped storing photos on my website and have started using different sites in the past several months. Most recently posting my photos to my . Mac gallery. It’s the photos folks come to see anyway. I don’t know. The fun is in the designing of the site, the graphics, layout and any new tools I can throw at the site. Of course after a month or two I go back to a minimilst approach as you see with KellysWorld in its current state. Well, I’m sure wild horses couldn’t keep me from making at least some changes; and heck, why not. Change doesn’t always have to serve a high and powerful service, sometimes change can just be about trying on a new outfit; or a new layout.

Christmas 2007 Photos Are UP!!!

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-05-18T12:57:57-05:00

Don't laugh! I know it only took 5 months, but yes the Christmas photos from 2007 are finally posted. The problem with taking several hundred photos at a time is that the process of culling through them becomes daunting and well, I fell down on the job. Never-the-less they are up now, as well as Easter 2008 and Mother's Day 2008. Plus some other photos as well.

More Photos

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-05-17T16:04:20-05:00

Today I added links to both Tracy's . Mac Web Gallery and my . Mac Web Gallery. They are very simple to use and look extreamly pretty. Why . Mac, well, Tracy was already using and as it is part of our whole Apple experience; why not? It plays very friendly with all modern web browsers, works with the iPhone and the Apple TV. I still have my Flickr and Smugmug sites and only time will tell if I make the total switch; but for now it is really easy for me to publish from Aperture and it's just as easy for Tracy to publish from iPhoto. Mac isn't state of the art or super fancy, but it fits the need. You can download individual photos or entire albums if you like. There is also the option of adding your own photos to the albums if the feature is turned on for that album. I've not played with that feature much yet. .................... Tracy's Gallery............................................. Kelly's Gallery

Scarborough Renaissance Festival

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-05-06T20:41:48-05:00

Tomorrow I will be chaperoning a small gaggle of teenagers on a high school outing to the Scarborough Renaissance Festival here in the Dallas area. It's a pretty standard renaissance festival with jousting, dancing, games, sword fights and of course TURKEY LEGS! While I have been to renaissance festivals in other states I've never been to the one here in Dallas. I've meant to go for years, but never got around to it. Last month my daughter asked if I would like to be a chaperon for the school field trip to Scarborough, and I just had to said yes. Now admittedly I may be regretting my decision if the gaggle of teenagers drives me a bit insane, but I should be okay handling 6 or 8 teenagers. How much trouble can they get in to with sword fights, jousting and mead around. OH NO!!! I'm taking my camera and looking forward to all the possibly great photos I might be able to get. That is assuming I have the opportunity and that mother nature doesn't decide to offer Dallas another day of rain, rain and more rain. Shouldn't matter though, in the end I'm sure I will have a great time!

More Photos Available

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-05-04T21:01:42-05:00

I've posted more photos to Flickr. They are not recent photos, most are from last year. I've been very bad about doing anything with the photos I take. I get them into Aperture, but fail to do anything with them after that. That has been a bone of contention with my wife as this means she has no access to the photos I take. Since I don't use iPhoto she can pear into my computer and see the photos I have and because of the mass amounts of photos that I do have there isn't an easy way to make them available to her. So I'm exporting the photos and both uploading them to Flickr as well as moving them to her computer. One of the tricky thing about both Music and Photos is how to share them between members of the same house. iPhoto, for those that use it, does offer a sharing method; but while I love iPhoto, I don't like the destructive way in which it edits photos. If they would move iPhoto to a similar non-destructive format as Aperture and Lightroom i might move back to it. Never-the-less, you are interested in seeing photos and not my personal workflow. So check out the link below. Next weekend I will work on uploading more photos from 2007 and 2006. Flickr Photos UPDATE 5/6/08 - I've added more photos and will continue to do so over the next several weeks.

Storms They Are a Coming - Again & Again & Again

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-04-23T21:08:08-05:00

I love rain and thunder; but man Dallas has just been getting more than it's fair share of bad weather of late. From harsh rain and high winds, to flash floods and huge hail. For about a month now Dallas has been living up to the phrase, "Spring Storms." During the last storm there was so much hail in some areas it looked as though it had snowed. The time before that the weather was so bad that the whole family, dogs and all, turned our stairwell closet into a 6th bedroom; at 4:00 am in the morning. Anyway, tonight we are going for yet another round. Not sure how bad we will get hit, there were tornadoes apparently near Fort Worth earlier; but that's not terribly unusual. So far we have been very lucky and had no real problems, either at our hours or anywhere in Wylie. I don't want to jinx us, but it shouldn't be a bad thing to acknowledge ongoing luck when it comes to bad weather in Texas. So here we go again, and I sure we will again and again for another month or so.

Modifying SmugMug

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-04-19T16:16:05-05:00

Putting photos on my site is not exactly the easiest thing in the world and since I want to store my favorites on-line anyway I might as well use existing tools. I've tried this in various forms over the past few years and I feel the best way to achieve this is to go back to using SmugMug again. The trick of using SmugMug with my website is getting it to "brand" the same or at least similar to my current website. Because of the tools I use to build my website branding SmugMug the same way has turned out to be a serious challenge. I have gotten the menu on SmugMug to mimic the functionality of the menu on KellysWorld and maybe in time I will be able to get SmugMug to the point that the only difference between KellysWorld and SmugMug will be the URL. That could be a very large MAYBE.

I Promise To Do Better - Really, I Do!

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-04-14T17:24:10-05:00

Looks like I have failed again in updating my blog. I'm not sure why it's so hard to load a program, write a few sentences and then upload a page or two; but it seems to be bloody difficult. I'm not making excuses. I'm not saying I'm going to stop blog posting all together. I'm just saying I'm pretty lousy at regular updates. I'm not the only one out there, but then there are many who are much better than myself as well. It's not like I'm the quiet one either or that I am without opinions. I'm sure anyone that knows me would say, "Kelly, I'm sure you can think of something annoying to say about something; you always do when I'm around." I'm sure they would say it in the most loving of ways too. Right? Well, I again will make a promise to try harder, work longer, think broader and lots of other "ers," to make this a better blog and website. The whole site needs regular updates to be honest. I've got to find a way to get photos on-line easier too so that grandmas and grandpas as well as far flung family can more easily see the events that make up the lives of the Wylie Spores. Again, I PROMISE!

Best Phone Ever - iPhone

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-02-23T19:10:10-06:00

People seem to either think it a wonderful device that at the very least changes the face of mobile telephony for ever or that it's just a phone that while pretty is missing key features. While detractors are correct in that some features other phones have the iPhone is missing; they miss the simple fact that the iPhone has the features most people want and does them very well. ...Until someone has actually used the IPhone it's very hard to describe how different the experience is from other so called "Smart" phones, or any mobile phone. I can say this after using both Blackberries and Windows Mobile devices as well as many other phones. Most phones have lots of features, yet do few of them well and most poorly. These features seem added by the marketing department first and then rushed through the engineering department to meet a long decided release date. In stark contrast, the features of the iPhone seem to have been thoroughly thought out by both marketers and engineers then compromises made with the end user in mind. Some features were seemingly left out, while others were added with missing components; both of which Apple new could be added later and since the phones release Apple has done 3 updates, two bringing feature enhancements. ...In fact, the minimalist design of the phone seems to have been an outgrowth of a decision to put nearly all controls in the OS instead of on the physical phone. The phone's unique touchscreen gives Apple an amazing edge offering end users a phone that can remain feature rich. If not for this paradigm shift, the iPhone would be just another Smart Phone with lots of buttons and buried menus. That "edge" will be immediately visible to anyone that picks up the iPhone to make a call, all they do is touch the phone icon and the screen immediately changes to a list of contacts. ... If not, you just press the "keypad" icon and you get a full screen phone keypad. Dial the number and the screen immediately changes again to a list of in-call features; including the ability to easily go back to your home screen or even pull up other contacts and call them. In fact you can add more than 5 people to a current call all as simple as pressing the contact button, choosing the person you want to call and once their phone is ringing you touch "merge" and everyone is chatting. ...As you move from one to another the screen totally changes, getting out of the way when you don't want it and offering you all the choices you want when you need them. The phones touch screen means that one application doesn't have to fight for screen real estate or buttons on the phone with another application. Not only that, each application can undergo a total redesign if Apple feels the controls just don't work as intended, and while unlikely minor adjustments can be made just as easily with little worry of impacting other applications. With the announced SDK (Software Development Kit), software companies will be able to take full advantage of the configurable screen and create unique applications for the iPhone, that take full advantage of its strengths but again have no impact on other great applications. In the end it simply means that the end user doesn't have to make compromises between loved applications as is typically on most phone today. ...Web browsing on the iPhone isn't like web browsing on your computer; but it does give you the ability to view the same web page on the iPhone. ... It's not a problem, just pull up the site, find the story you want to read and tap twice on the column. ... Just flick your finger up or down to scroll, and tap on any link to view a related story or photo. ... These apps take the cost of your meal, the number of dinners and determines what each person should pay and what the TIP should be based upon the level of service. All done with quick taps on the iPhone's screen, no digging in menus. ...It's easy and movies can be watched in widescreen, with or without headphones; something new for iPods. The screen again changes and once you are watching your movie, all visible traces of the menus and buttons disappear until you need them. ... Using the now famous "tap" and "pinch" finger movements, you can zoom in and out as well as pan up, right, left and down. Because apps talk to each other, if you see a photo your mother would just love; pull up the photo options and chose E-Mail. A few seconds later you are on your phone telling your mom to check her e-mail to see a great new photo of her grandson. You can just as easily set that photo as your iPhone's wallpaper or send that very same photo to a web photo gallery. ...With only 8 and now 16 gigs of space, constant rotating of content is needed. iTunes is designed to handle this task easily, but that bring up another detractor for some; iTunes is required. The good news is that this phone works just as well with PCs as it does with Macs. ... That said, it's no more expensive than my last several "Smart Phones" and they were all discounted with a 2 year agreement. While the iPhone requires a contract, there is no discount; but your data plan is about $10 to $20 cheaper than similar plans for other phones. ... While I've been using them for a while with no serious problems, others have had less pleasant experiences. It also means that if you are with Sprint, Verizon or another carrier the cost of switching could be much more than $400. ...Actually, I would recommend this phone to any individual willing to put down the cash to use it and willing to connect the phone to their computer using iTunes at least every few days. ... If you want to use this phone for business, check with your IT Dept. ... I currently use both, and while my BlackBerry 8830 serves me well and I'm happy to use it; the iPhone is a joy to use and I use it simply for the joy.

The Coffee Maker Is Dead

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-02-18T20:23:01-06:00

On Friday morning Tracy and I began our day in the usual way, great reluctance to actually get out of bed. Typically Tracy is the first one up during the week. She gets up, lets out the dogs and makes her first cup of "joe." On Friday though, she slowly retuned to our room with head hung low and tears nearly in her eyes speaking softly, "it's dead." I didn't understand what she was trying to tell me. "I think the coffee maker is broken," she said to me with sullen eyes. I then understood the situation, and if you know Tracy well at all you know how serious a situation this could be for her. Coffee is Tracy's life force in the morning; without it, she moves more slowly. I immediately went into the kitchen and entered, "Husband Fix-It" mode, where I immediately repeat every step I'm sure my wife has taken, but I'm taking again just to say I did. I'm lifting the levers, pressing buttons, unplugging it and even turning it nearly upside down. ... Well, because that's what a husband does in a critical situation like the one I found myself. I quickly came to the same conclusion Tracy came to, during the night our coffee maker passed. The heating lamp comes on, but nobody is home. Our fancy-smancy coffee maker, a wedding gift from friends had moved on to a better place; leaving me with a wife that wanted coffee and none was to be had. Now, I have to stop here to explain that this was no ordinary coffee maker. ... Basically a cup-at-a-time coffee maker that has all kinds of pods available for it from various different vendors. It's actually a joy to use and makes a pretty darn good cup of coffee; when it works. We loved it so much, we gave a few away as gifts. Now though, we were faced with a decision. Try and fix the one we have, or replace it with new one. It wasn't a decision we could make then and we both decided to think on it. That night I messed with the coffee maker some more, but alas, no luck. Not much on the net either on how I might be able to fix it. On the bottom it had those classic words, "No User Serviceable Parts, Contact a Repair Center." Translation --- When it Breaks, Buy a New One. Saturday morning came and Tracy wanted her coffee. Unfortunately we had no milk, so our Espresso machine was of no use. It cost a small fortune, but requires a great deal more effort to make a cup of coffee and for lattes it needs milk. This left me, the man of the house, with only one option. ... 10 bucks later I was thinking that replacing our dead coffee maker with a new one, would make financial sense. By that afternoon I was doing my research deciding if we got the same one, or one of the newer models. We had the entry level model that made only one size of coffee. Tracy wanted the ability to make a bigger cup of coffee, so the B60 was the one for us. The B40, the dead coffee maker, had fit the bill for nearly two years; but we were moving on up and the B60 was for us. I was going to order on Amazon, my favorite shopping site; but at the last minute realized I could order from Best Buy for less and even pick-up the same day. Instant gratification for a device aimed at instant coffee gratification. I loved it and I saved a few bucks; or so i thought. This morning I was on Amazon and noticed the coffee maker appeared on my recent searches so I clicked on it. Low and behold the price had dropped by $20! All I could think of right then was, "I sure could use a cup of coffee.

Social Networking

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-02-10T21:18:12-06:00

If you've been following my website for a while, you know that near the end of last year I added a Twitter box to the navigation side of my website. Since getting my iPhone I've begun Twittering and following Twittering more closely. I don't have a wide network of friends, mostly it is folks that are into technology (mostly Macs) and whose opinions I care about. I've met, virtually of course, a few others that I follow. I have to say that Twittering is fun and during the day makes me feel a little more connected to the world at large. It's strange how a service that allows folks to connect virtually with no human contact, makes me feel more connected. After getting more involved in Twitter, I heard folks talking about Facebook. So I decided to see what all the fuss was about. I created a Facebook account a last week and it's pretty interesting. I even found an old friend from college. i found another, but he hasn't yet responded. I even found my daughter on Facebook; but she hasn't responded either. Hmmm, could it be a pattern? Anyway below are the links to my Twitter page and my Facebook page. Check them out and Join the Digital Social Revolution! Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kspore Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Kelly_Spore/1032206172

Yeah, Yeah... Been Gone Again

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2008-02-10T20:21:47-06:00

Yeah, I know... Yet another long period of time has passed since my last entry. I've been involved in many different events and activities since Dec. 9. There was a little holiday called Christmas, then New Year's and of course working towards adopting a child. Lots of paperwork, classes and other necessary work that has to be done before we can even begin the process of adopting. More on that in a future entry. I've also had my time consumed by a little device called the iPhone. Yes, for Christmas my wife got me that one gift I just had to have but wasn't going to buy for myself. Apple Inc.'s well known iPhone. You've seen the ads. You've heard the hype. You've seen the news and maybe read a review or two. I'm here to tell you.... BELIEVE EVERY POSITIVE WORD. It isn't a perfect phone, but it is far more perfect than any mobile phone I've ever used or owned. It's actually better than any phone I've every used before. More on the iPhone to come later as well. I've been busy, VERY BUSY, at work. I arrive each day around 8:00 and leave each day around 6:00 or 6:30. Long days that go at an incredibly fast pace. My company operates in 33 markets now, crossing every time zone in the country. Since most of our major clients are either medical or financial, our clients are fast paced operations as well. Since I am the Manager of Customer Service as well as one of the chief operation managers, I stay busy answering questions, researching problems and approving actions. I love every minute, even if I'm often exhausted by days end. I don't blog much about work, and I don't see that changing. Work is work, all that needs to really be known is that I enjoy my job and the responsibilities that come with my position. This post is short and a bit "all over the place," but I promise to try and make at least one entry a week. That's not much is it, one post a week?

Pet Lovers Beware: This May Make You Cry

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-12-09T09:35:19-06:00

I came across this link from Don McAlister who posted it on Twitter. His note was "I know there are worse things going on in the world, but this made me sad." It made me sad too. I can't easily explain it, so you will have to read it. If you have a pet, especially a pet of many years though, I promise you will have a lump in your throat by the time you are done. I should be so lucky to have an Obiturary written about me that sounds so wonderful. Mr. Murray Is Dead

Christmas List 2007

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-12-08T11:53:31-06:00

Below are links to Christmas Lists on Amazon. If any of my family wants to send me links to their Christmas lists on Amazon, or some other shopping service, please do and I will update. ▪ Tracy's Wish List ▪ Kelly's Wish List ▪ Courtney Wish List

The Next Starbucks

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-12-08T10:49:36-06:00

On The Apple Blog I read an interesting article comparing the Apple Stores to Starbucks. I think the article does a good job of explaining the reason why I enjoy going to the Apple Store and why I tell people going Mac is more than just about the computer and the operating system; it's about community. The Apple Store - The Next Starbucks

iPhone - Time Invention of the Year

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-11-04T17:26:38-06:00

I know what you are thinking.... Time has drunk the Apple iPhone kook-aid. Read the article before you make your decision. I think Time makes some very good points and while I don't know if it should be the invention of the year, only because I don't follow enough of the invention tech news to say, I do believe it has to be at the very least one of the inventions of the year. If you just want to talk about inventions with presense, then yep the iPhone wins hands down. Read the article, and decide! Time: iPhone Invention of the Year

Great Timing = Great Photos

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-11-04T11:00:20-06:00

Check out the link below. The blogger talks about how a great photo sometimes from great timing. That timing could be something that was strived for, or could have been related to good luck. Think, right place at the right time. Some of the photos catch man in the middle of bad decisions and others nature at her most interesting. 25 Photos Taken At The Exact Right Time

Very Funny Video -

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-11-04T09:57:40-06:00

Leopard's Safari has a great new clipping feature that allows you to grab any website element and turn it into a widget that appears in Dashboard (Mac Users know what I am talking about). To demonstrate I chose YouTube and their "Videos Being Watched Right Now." The clipping appeared on the Dashboard and I then clicked on one of the videos to demonstrate. I got more than I bargained for, a huge laugh. No, Tracy wasn't laughing at me; but a pretty talented blogger Kevin Jumba. He describes high school and the various cliques, showing you what they look like and how they act. I've never heard of him before or seen his YouTube videos, but this one made us both laugh. It's amazing what you can find just cruising the information super highway; sometimes it's a good laugh. If you want to see more Kevin Juma check out his YouTube Website. If you don't see a video above, your company or ISP may block YouTube.

The Future of Entertainment???

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-10-31T21:38:40-05:00

The future of entertainment is on-line; at least many of us who use the internet believe this to be true. Now, whether that is downloading the video and then watching on your computer or iPod, or if it is streaming the video to your computer via a website or a program like Joost; seems to be a matter of debate. Apple has been leading the charge for the past few years, enjoying a great deal of success with music and to a lesser extent with video. Over the past 12 months you may have heard that the music publishers and the major studios have started to experiment with options other than iTunes. It seems the over riding reasons have been less to do with meeting customer needs and demands, and more with keeping control of their products through the entire life cycle. To date no one has really been very successful in going up against the iTunes store; except maybe Amazon, but they already know on-line retailing. Earlier this week NBC Universal released a beta of their new service Hulu. It is designed to be an iTunes killer. I can't tell you much about it as I am still waiting to get an invite so that I can log on and take a tour. MacRumors was able to get an invite and showed off an interesting aspect of Hulu, the ability to embed video in a blog or web-page. You-tube and other services allow this, but this should be the very first time a major company offered such a service for copy righted materials. Below is a full length episode of The Office. Check it out, pretty interesting. For TV episodes I'm not sure how useful this is; but apparently you can edit down to clips as well. One thing I know, you can't do this with iTunes.

Best Buy $59 OS X Install (Geek Squad)

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-10-28T08:32:10-05:00

This just doesn't make any sense to me, none at all. Maybe because I am Mac Head, or maybe because technology comes to me as easy as swimming comes to a fish; but why on Earth would anyone pay $59 (regularly $129) to have someone else install OS X? Not only that, the $59 price is only with the purchase of a new Mac. I realize that Leopard won't be pre-installed on Best Buy Macs yet, but upgrading from Tiger to Leopard on a brand new Mac should be one of the easiest things a new Mac owners does on their shiny new Mac. I know that Windows installs are cryptic and upgrades even more so, but Apple has made upgrading pretty damn easy. I tell folks to do a fresh install (which is a pretty damn easy), but an upgrade on a Mac is nothing like an upgrade on a PC. For fresh installs or moving from an old Mac to a new Mac users have Migration Assistant which is simple and I'm told has been made even easier. To me this looks like Best Buy and Geek Squad milking the uninformed for $59 or worse, $129. NOTE TO NEW MAC PURCHASERS --- If you live in a town or near a town with an Apple Store, they will not only install the New OS, but they will also help you migrate all of your documents from your old computer. They will even migrate you from a PC! I love Best Buy and think their deal with Apple is beyond fantastic; hey it puts an Apple Store near my house in Wylie, but this to me is just ridiculous.

Leopard Release News & Reviews

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-10-28T07:35:18-05:00

The reviews are in, and they are pretty good. Not as much news coverage as I expected, but from what I am reading the major news outlets, but general and industry specific seem to think that Apple has released a solid product that offers most users enough reason to at least consider purchasing the upgrade. This is in stark contrast to Windows Vista reviews, both upon original release and even today. Time Machine is what most reviews are discussing, along with the visual tweaks. Spaces also gets some coverage; but what everyone mentions is the price $129, and most compare that to the Vista price; which for all the bells and whistles is significantly more and comes in a multitude of flavors with upgrade & full installs for each. If anything, Apple is about keeping it simple. ▪ ABC News ▪ MSNBC ▪ Macworld ▪ PCWorld ▪ The Guardian ▪ The New York Times ▪ The Wall Street Journal ▪ USA Today ▪ PC Magazine (Initial Review, Full Review Coming) ▪ ars technica (Really Long and Very Detailed Review) ▪ CNET (Includes Video First Look) Update: Added ars technica review and CNET links

The Leopard Is Released

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-10-27T08:30:53-05:00

It's finally here, Mac OS 10.5; also known as Mac OS X Leopard. For those of you that are not Mac heads, THIS IS A REALLY BIG EVENT. ... Not everyone can buy a new computer, but for only $129 (cheaper if they shop around) they can purchase new features and enable their beautiful computer to wonderful new things. Some they will experience as soon as the upgrade is done, others as developers take advantage of the new features. If you are not big into Macs and Apple you will have a hard time truly understanding the significance of this OS release. ... Yes Vista has been in development for more than 5 years and yes it has lots of pretty new options, but current computer owners weren't clamoring to upgrade from Windows XP. An OS that with all of its flaws, was mature and worked very well for 99.99% of the user community. Vista, like Windows 2000 and even XP, came out of the gate with a host of problems and nearly a year after Vista's release; it still has problems. ...While yes Tiger, the previous release (Leopard is the current), is an extremely stable and capable OS users are clamoring to get their hands on the new version. Part of that clamoring is related to the Cult de Mac that eventually infects most Mac owners, part of that clamoring is that Mac owners know that with a new OS release new functionality is both here today and is coming tomorrow. 300 new features, many of those are building blocks for Apple and 3rd party developers to do amazing things with the applications that will be released in the coming months. The applications that make you go "WOW" I didn't know my computer could do that! With Windows, there isn't often an application that is released that blows your mind away, at least not one that costs under $100. ...For a most Mac users the computer is an extension of their personal selves. ... Mac users believe it is as much about form as it is function; and reliable, has to be reliable. OS X is an extension of that belief, and the applications than run on OS X play right into the hands of that belief and foster that belief. ...World wide Leopard was being released at 6:00 pm local time, that's Apple's new marketing tool. ... I got the mall around 5:15 and took a look at the line, it was 150 people deep. I wasn't interested in standing in line as I wasn't buying the OS (gotta wait till Christmas), but I still wanted to say i was there and see what happened; oh and get a free t-shirt. ...All of the store employees lined up, free t-shirts in hand, and as the 6:00 hour approached the energy around the store rose. ... As 10 seconds approach he began to yell "10, 9, 8..." then the whole store irrupted in unison, "...7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!" By now the line was getting itchy and the very first person in line was escorted into the store. Less you think this "first person" was some prickly faced teen, a goth clad rage against the man type, or an IT Guru ready for the thrills of fresh OS X install; you may be surprised to learn that it was an older dimunitive woman probably in her 60's. She casually walked in, got her free t-shrit and presumably purchased a copy of OS 10.5. As I reviewed the line, I can honestly say that it looked like a pretty ordinary line. It could have been a book signing; in fact folks walking by seemed to think that was it. The word of Leopard's release had gone far and wide, but many folks passing by apparently had neither been far or wide. I stood outside the line watching these happy folks, many carrying iPhone (no surprise), walking into the store, getting their t-shirts and some amazingly walking out with their signature Apple sack only minutes later. ... I chatted with a fellow Mac Head for a while and then he and I both decided that we would entertain our selves in some other fashion while the line dwindled. ...Eventually i did get into line, although it was about 15 people deep and I casually strolled into the store, it was about 6:50. ... Without much fuss or knee cramps I got my t-shirt and was still one of the first to see Leopard, live and in action. I didn't go to the launch of Vista, and I do know that around the world geeks were lined up; but I don't think you saw the diversity that I saw last night. While Leopard is great and its new features are amazing, the new Mac lovers are just as amazing. I saw old ladies, old men, moms, dads, kids, obvious geeks, businessmen and every other stereotype you can think of walk into the store with genuine interest and purpose of mission. They do all seem to have one thing in common, the desire to have an computing experience that isn't just easy, but has style. It was as much about having the latest and greatest, as a belief they were getting the best. When I left the store around 8:00, after seeing all the cool new features in person, I strolled down the mall with my t-shirt in hand and no copy of Leopard (remember, not till Christmas) thinking that when i finally do install Leopard I will be pretty happy. ... That's a pretty cool feeling, especially when you realize I'm talking about a operating system and computing environment. If you have an Apple Store in your town, go check out Leopard and the latest Macs. Don't let your Windows side tell you the Mac can't do anything, just see for yourself how much fun using a computer can be and all that you can do while you are having fun. That's what owning a Mac is really all about, that's what owning a computer is really all about.

CNN Article - Dallas Takes Big-City Fun Downtown

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-10-04T06:20:34-05:00

I was reading CNN.com this morning, and came across this front page story about Dallas. Below is a link to the story, as well as the story itself. ...With its mix of sweeping ranches and high-end shopping, it's sort of a "country meets culture" destination. And you don't have to drive all over the metroplex (as the locals call the Dallas-Fort Worth area) to have a good time. All the food, fun and fanciness can be found in the 1.5-mile radius of downtown. ...Drive down any downtown street and it's clear that food is definitely a big part of Big D. "Dallas has more restaurants per capita than New York City," says John Crawford, president and CEO of DowntownDallas, a private organization that serves as downtown Dallas' leading advocate. He says that in the downtown area alone, there are 250 places to dine, ranging from the elegant French Room (1321 Commerce St.) in the grand Adolphus hotel to family-friendly pizza joint Campisi's (1520 Elm St. ...The fare is versatile, too: Sure, Dallas does Tex-Mex well, but the town also boasts plenty of places that offer twists on the basic burrito. ... , Suite 100), a hip eatery that opened in 2006, serves up dishes like brisket pot stickers in a style they refer to as "TexAsian." The only thing that rivals the restaurant scene in downtown Dallas is the arts scene. ... "We've got the largest urban arts district in the country," says Crawford. ...Visitors often overlook the Crow Collection of Asian Art (2010 Flora St.), and it's free. For music there's the Meyerson Symphony Center (2301 Flora St.), and theater buffs can see plays, musicals and big-name comedy acts like Jay Leno at the Majestic (1925 Elm St.). ...While the core of downtown Dallas has always been a thriving business district, it only recently began to attract visitors after 5 p.m. ... In fact, as recently as 1996, only 200 people called the central business district home, according to Crawford. Now he estimates that in the next 18 months, there will be more than 7,000 residents just in the core of downtown. Crawford and his colleagues believe people are migrating downtown partly because of revitalization efforts and partly because of environmental concerns related to long commutes. Whatever the reason, visitors to downtown Dallas are certainly benefiting from all of this migration. "As you get more residential, you get a number of supporting services, and that's probably the reason for the number of restaurants that we have and the level of activity that's occurring," Crawford says. ...First, there's downtown's flagship store, Neiman Marcus (1618 Main St.), which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. The Dallas-born department store paved the way for other retailers to set up shop downtown, including national chains like high-end men's clothing store Jos. ... Bank (1508 Commerce St.) and smaller, stylish boutiques like edgy and sophisticated Crimson in the City (1514 Commerce St.). After a day of downtown shopping, you'll probably be inclined to check out the Dallas nightlife. ... Again, there's no need to leave the downtown area: You could hit the historic West End, where the preserved 19th-century buildings now house 21st-century attractions like restaurants and bars. It's got its share of obvious places like TGI Friday's, but also unusual eateries like Y.O. ...For the opposite take on the city, go to the opposite side of downtown. On the east end, you'll find funky Deep Ellum, where the vibe is young, artsy and eclectic. The area is known for its live music scene with bars like Club Dada (2720 Elm St.) featuring up-and-coming and even well-known acts. Even dinner can be offbeat if you check out Monica's Aca Y Alla (2914 Main St.). Folks come for the unique Mexican dishes as well as to sneak a peek at Monica, the restaurant's transgender owner. ...The highlight of this area is the posh W Hotel (2440 Victory Park Lane) which boasts the trendy Ghostbar on its 33rd floor. ... And just when Victory Park starts to feel like a mini-Vegas, you'll spot the colossal American Airlines Center (2500 Victory Ave.), home to the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Stars (just another reminder that even among all of this Victory Park privilege, you're still in sports-loving Texas). ...Don't forget the kids; there's plenty for them downtown, too. ... Griffin St.) offers marine life from around the globe in its 85,000 gallons of water. Plus, the rainforest section of the venue has non-sea creatures from South America like monkeys and toucans. For some history, families can visit The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (411 Elm St.) in the West End. ... The permanent exhibit focuses on the days leading up to the tragedy as well as the impact it had on the world. ...And since there are more than 200 events every year, there's sure to be some sort of festival or parade going on, no matter when you visit. So pack your shopping shoes, your love of art and your appetite and head to Big D (cowboy hat optional)

Heck Of A Week

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-09-29T21:50:48-05:00

This week was just way too long. Each day I left the house around 6:00 am and returned home around 9 p.m.. My team and I are working on a huge project that requires intensive manual data entry and review. Needless to say, it made for an extremely long week. An extremely exhausting week. Not a bad week necessarily, just a week I don't want to repeat week after week either. Next week will probably be long as well, but i am not expecting it to be anywhere near as hectic. When there is a project that needs to be done, it needs to be done. I expect over the next 6 months or so to see more projects, but maybe not as stressful ones. At times it is exhausting, at times it is exciting; but luckily it is always interesting. For now I am just enjoying a quiet weekend.

iPod Frankenstien - Letter to David Pogue

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-09-16T16:58:09-05:00

I recently wrote a letter to David Pogue, technology columnist for the New York Times, in which I asked in my own unique way to please look a little deeper at the new iPods from Apple. My cheif concern being that in order to watch video on your TV you apparently have to purchase a special cable from Apple. If you are a new iPod user that's not a horrible thing, but if you are a current user your current set-up has to be trashed and replaced with a new one. Personally I think the MPAA is at the heart of this situation. I bet if we dig deep we will find this cable will inhibit copying or some such other nonsense. Mr. Pogue, I just read your article, Making Over the iPod, Again; and while I enjoyed the article and agreed with your points, but you glossed over the $50 cable debacle; not stopping to inform your readers that apparently deep in the labs of Castle Apple Corp scientists designed a way to teather the new iPods to Apple cables, only. Typically you aren't hesitant to go "THREE STOOGES" on Apple when they do something boneheaded; what happened? Now it could be that you were as blind-sided as the rest of us and didn't realize it until after your story went to print. I mean you wouldn't take part in a conspiracy to chain the People's Video, would you? I'm hoping that there is more to this decision than Apple Corp's misguided greed. Maybe it was part of the deal with the studios to get more TV and movies in the iTunes Store. Maybe it's a secret government operation to see what we watch on our iPods (I'm kidding, I think...). Maybe it's "to insure the viewing experience is to Apple's high standards." That would, of course, infer they didn't have standards before the new iPods. I must return to MPAA argument, as any other argument just makes my blood boil more. Not that I get a warm & fuzzy from the MPAA flexing the brains of their legal swat team in support of this unholy creation. In the end though, it doesn't matter. The evil has been unleashed on an unsuspecting public and it isn't going to be pretty. You Mr. Pogue may be the only one that can douse the flames of anger and mistrust. This is a delicate situation requiring your tact, your diplomacy, your unique ability to cut right to the heart of the story. Or, you could just go for broke and ask them "WHY?" I always enjoy your commentary, but now my fellow iPod owners and I feel that Apple hasn't "Made Over" the iPod as much as created a monster. So, while we wait for you and other intrepid investigative reporters to unearth the truth; we'll be heating the oil, sharpening the pitch forks and preparing the torches for the inevitable storming of Castle Apple Corp. Our holy mission, to capture and kill Frankenstein's iPod. We know Dr. Frankenstein (a.k.a. Steve Jobs) only wants to make the world a better place for video, but I dare say, this just isn't the way. Maybe I have missed something, maybe I've gone totally mad, or maybe something has gone horribly wrong in the labs of Cupertino. Think of it, somewhere a little girl is about to plug her beautiful new red iPod Nano into a TV only to have her innocence crushed by the deafeningly horrific static of incompatibility. Her life of video ended prematurely; killed by Frankenstein's iPod.

Twitter - Twit - Twit

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-09-13T19:45:51-05:00

You might have noticed on the Kellysworld.net home page there is now a small grey box that has some personal message from me. That message is provided by Twitter, an interesting mixture of instant messaging, blogging and SMS. As other's can explain this cool service better than I, please see below for the Twitter description as provided by one of my favorite web sites, Wikipedia: "Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows users to send "updates" (text-based posts, up to 140 characters long) via SMS, instant messaging, email, to the Twitter website, or an application such as Twitterrific. Twitter was founded in March 2006 by San Francisco start-up company Obvious Corp. Updates are displayed on the user's profile page and also instantly delivered to other users who have signed up to receive them. The sender can restrict delivery to those in his or her circle of friends (delivery to everyone is the default). Users can receive updates via the Twitter website, instant messaging, SMS, RSS, email or through an application. For SMS, currently three gateway numbers are available: short codes for the USA and Canada and a UK number for international use. Several third parties offer posting and receiving updates via email. Due to Twitter's success, a large number of sites imitating its concept have sprung up around the world, offering country-specific services (e.g. frazr) or combining the micro-blogging facilities with other ideas, such as filesharing(e.g. Pownce). In May, 2007, one source counted as many as 111 such "Twitter-lookalikes" internationally." SEE THE REST OF THE TWITTER STORY... Check Out My Twitter Page

Gary Fong Whale Tail

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-09-10T21:26:14-05:00

If you see me taking pictures, you might notice a big white thingy (highly technical term) on top of my camera. You might think it is some jimmy rigged contraption to keep my flash from falling off. In fact it is designed to help improve flash photography by diffusing and shaping the light of a high powered flash, like my Canon 430EX. I received it a few weeks as a birthday gift from Tracy and I love it! Now, that being said i am still figuring out how this "thingy" works and how to get the very best results. I'm getting better and have learned a few things so far, like setting the camera on 100% manual and slowing the shutter speed down to 1/30", which is incredibly slow and works incredibly well. You can see a sample photo I took a few blog posts below, a photo of my dad. It's not perfect, but better than i could get without the Whale Tail. Gary Fong, inventor of the Whale Tail, has created a very cool accessory for any high powered flash. Being universal, it will work across the Canon, Nikon and other camera company's flashes. Considering the cost of a flash, the price of the Whale Tail is pretty reasonable. That's not to say cheap, but it is also something that a photography can use for years.

Apple Sells 1,000,000 iPhones

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-09-10T21:05:04-05:00

Amazing... in 74 days Apple has taken the mobile phone world by storm... and they are only selling them in the United States and only to AT&T (formally Cingular) customers. As the quick press release states below, it took Apple nearly two years to sell one million iPods. Again, I say, simply amazing and a testament to not only the coolness and functionality of the iPhone; but the wizards of Apple marketing. Just makes you want to go out and help them reach 1.5 million phones, doesn't it? Apple Sells One Millionth iPhone --- Yesterday, just 74 days after its introduction on June 29, Apple sold the one millionth iPhone. “One million iPhones in 74 days—it took almost two years to achieve this milestone with iPod,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We can’t wait to get this revolutionary product into the hands of even more customers this holiday season.” [Sep 10, 2007]

Looking for Album Art???

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-09-10T20:48:13-05:00

Came across a cool website while reading Digg, Josh's iTunes Album Art. What is it? Well, it is a webisite that had figured out a way to dig into the heart of the iTunes Music Store and pull out the album art it holds. Why is this cool? Well, if you don't buy your albums on iTunes you may not have the album art and don't want to scan it yourself. If that is the case, then you can use this website to try and grab a high-res version of your new album's cover. Now, if you are using iTunes then you may already know that Apple gives anyone the ability to download their digital album art; even if you didn't buy the album from iTunes Music Store. It's really easy and works on both Macs and PCs. Josh's iTunes Album Art website is great if you don't have this or don't use iTunes. In any event, it's pretty cool to use. Of course, Apple could shut him down anything they want, and may do so. One never knows with Apple.

Working Weekend

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-09-09T14:10:48-05:00

This weekend Tracy and I both had a mountain of work to do. We both enjoy our jobs a great deal, but when you have to not only bring your work home during the week, but also on the weekend it does become a bit much. All things being equal though it could be a much tougher life for us both; and as I mentioned we do enjoy our jobs and know that if we don't do the things we have to do, others in our company will pay the price. For me, it's insuring that the company isn't spending more or doing less to keep everyone of our clients happy and content with our services. For Tracy, annual reviews of all her employees; some 170 of them. While Tracy has had management roles in the past, this is the first time I have had a management role. While I only have a small team that reports directly to me, my team and myself are indirectly responsible for keeping an eye on our operations and our clients insuring that everyone is doing what they are tasked to do. At times it is a large and seemingly impossible task; but it is not. More importantly it has to be done. I still have a great deal to learn and have a lot of growing to do in my managerial role; but I do feel I am getting the hang of it, although maybe a little slower than I would like. I have a great team and work for a great company; and I have fun doing it. That's what really counts when all is said and done.

Cheap iPods - Get'em While They're HOT!

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-09-08T16:55:13-05:00

By now you have probably heard that Apple is releasing a 6th generation iPod called the "iPod Classic" and an iPod based on the iPhone design. That means that stores have to sell off the current stock of 5.5 generation iPods, as well as 2nd generation Nanos; as the Nano got a major redesign as well. To that end I saw on The Apple Blog that Costco is in the process of liquidating their iPod stock at all of their stores. There are probably none left, but one never knows. ▪ 2GB Nano: $49.97 ▪ 4GB Nano: $99.97 ▪ 8GB Nano: 149.97 ▪ 80GB iPod 5.5 Gen: 229.97 (normally $349) Check out this LINK. It's worth noting that other chains may be doing the same thing, although I was in Wal-Mart last night and their iPod were priced the same as they have been since released.

Could Apple Be Planning Movie Rentals???

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-09-08T08:45:07-05:00

I was reading an article on MacRumors I saw a posting that showed this image of an iTunes support page dropdown that included the following (click on image): ▪ DidNotReceiveMovie-RentalMovie ▪ AccidentalPurchase-RentalMovie ▪ ContentQuality-RentalMovie ▪ DuplicatePurchase-RentalMovie ▪ WrongVErsion-RentalMovie ▪ BadMetadata-RentalMovie ▪ Other-RentalMovie There have been rumors that movie rentals were coming to iTunes. While Steve Jobs seems dead set against a subscription model for music (I agree with this stance), a rental plan for movies makes sense. The rumor is that you could rent the movie for 30 days for $2.99 and be able to move it to one other device (i.e., iPod, AppleTV, iPhone, etc...). Read the MacRumors article HERE

Dad & Nancy Come to Town

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-09-08T08:30:28-05:00

Last weekend for the holiday Dad and Nancy drove down from Tulsa for a few days to visit. We hadn't seen them since our wedding last November. Tracy and I have been trying to get up to Tulsa, but obviously not trying hard enough since we haven't made it. They came down on Friday and left on Sunday morning. Tracy and I both stayed home on Friday and did our best to keep the hounds of business from trampling down our door. Tracy succeeded far better than I, but eventually I was able to put all my troubles to bed until after the holiday. While I worked on closing out a few work issues, Tracy gave Dad and Nancy the 5 cent tour of our new house. Then once they were settled in, we all headed to Ballard Street Cafe for an eagerly awaited lunch. Saturday morning Dad and I headed off to Dallas to find him his favorite Irish Whisky, Red Breast, that he discovered during our wedding at Trinity Hall in Dallas. We then headed back towards my neck of the woods, with a leisurely stop at a new cigar shop in Garland. There I treated Dad to a good cigar in the store's cigar lounge. Very enjoyable. The rest of the weekend was really just spent relaxing, eating and chatting. It was a very enjoyable time, although too short.

1991 Gulf War Begins - Back to the Days of Radio

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-09-03T20:40:01-05:00

Tonight I am watching a movie I've seen several times before, but am always amazed by, Live From Bagdad. It tells the story of the news men and women that were in Iraq in the days leading up to and during the first hours of the Gulf War in 1991. The story is told from the point of view of the CNN on-location producer Robert Wiener. At the time CNN was the first and only 24 hours news network, but hadn't yet made a serious name for itself. The Gulf War changed all that in one shocking, brilliant moment as the skys lit up over Bagdad and CNN had the only secured live feed back to the west. At around 2:30 am on January 15th the bombs started dropping on Iraq and CNN went live. Bernard Shaw, Peter Arnett & John Holliman began non-stop broadcasting describing the events unfolding as best they could for an audience that could only hear the bombs and the anti-aircraft guns in the distance. The broadcast was picked-up by all the major networks of the United States and around the world. These three men from CNN had a birds eye view of bombs dropping from the sky, and had the eloquence to describe the event. Not since the radio days of World War II were American audiences so captivated by radio style news broadcasting. From 2 am to 5 am, CNN ruled the kingdom of news. It would catapult them into the stratosphere, and give them the power to stay on top of the news business for many years and create a viable business model for 24 hour news. Today, we all expect our news anytime day or night; back then it was dinner time. It is an interesting contrast to the start of the second Gulf War. With satellite phones and video phones, the press better prepared; no single network was able to take the day the way CNN was able to do in 1991. No network probably ever will have such great luck of timing and perseverance again, at least no in my lifetime. Below is first few minutes of Bernard Shaws history making broadcast:

Great Mac Applications

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-09-03T17:21:22-05:00

If you are new to the Mac or just researching buying a Mac, one big question on your mind is SOFTWARE. The story you hear is that there isn't any software for the Mac; and what software there is, just really isn't that good. Well, I'm hear to tell you that if you have hear that awful story, rest assured it is a total lie. ...While both of these questions are answered with "yes," it doesn't hold that there aren't many apps for the Mac. ...All that being said, the hardest thing about moving to a new platform is knowing what applications you just have to try. ... This list, long though it is, doesn't come close to showing the shear volume of software available. ...It is easy to use and best of all, it's included in every copy of Mac OS X. ... (Apple - FREE) - Upgrade Coming In October Mail for Mac OS X 10.5 ...It isn't perfect and has its quirks, but you can't beat the price and in reality, it does 100% of what most folks need out of a calendar application. ... (Apple - FREE) - Upgrade Coming In October Mail for Mac OS X 10. ...There are sites that don't play friendly with it; but not many. ... Best of all, it too is included with every copy of Mac OS X. It's true most browsers are free, but not every browser is built from the ground-up to work on a Mac. ...Camino is based on the exact same code base as Firefox; the major difference between the two is that Camino was developed for the Mac using that code base. There is a version of Firefox for Mac, it's even on this list, but it isn't optimized to run on the Mac like Camino. The drawback to this is simply updates to Camino don't occur as often as they do with Firefox. The upside is that Camino is more Mac compatible, not just running on a Mac, but thriving on a Mac giving Mac users all of the internal tools they expect. ... Because it uses the same code as Firefox, any sites that works with Firefox will work with Camino. ...If you used Firefox on a PC, then the Mac version is 100% identical. ... It isn't 100% Mac like, but works like a dream on a Mac and nearly 100% of all sites will display great on Firefox. ...With its simple WYSIWYG design and use of themes you can have websites up in minutes. ... If you are going to create a website on a Mac, you have a few choices, but this by far is my choice. ... ◦ Bookdog 4.3 - Here is a tool that has no counterpart that i know of on the PC. Let's say Safari is your broswer of choice, but occasionally you need to use Caminio, Firefox or even Omniweb. While you are using that browser you don't have access to your regular bookmarks. ... This program will sync your bookmarks across all of your browsers, and now does it across user profiles. ...If you haven't heard of iTunes, then you have been living under a rock for the past few years. ... If you are buying music on-line, you are probably using iTunes and probably want an iPod. ...If you have used photo catalog software on a PC, you are in for a treat. ... ◦ iVideo 3.0 - When you use this program you will think Apple thought it up; and they should have. iTunes can play videos and store them in its database, but doesn't do it increadibly well. iVideo on the other hand plays all videos and does do it very well. ...There is little this program can't do and launching programs is on the simple end. Basically, it was designed to talk to just about every database on your Mac: photos, music, videos, addresses, files, folders and so much more. ... ◦ MainMenu - While Apple computers are easy touse, they aren't "As Seen on TV" simple "Set It & Forget It" appliances. ... That being said, it isn't difficult and there are a host of free programs out there that do the jobs quite nicely. Any of them will work but this one sits in your menu and requires only that you click and choose the maintenance action you want to run: daily, weekly, monthly. ...XHead - This program serves to useful purposes. 1) keeps track of your website logons and passwords, auto entering if you prefer 2) keeps track of all kinds of other data like credit cards, bank accounts, frequent flyer numbers and just about anything else. ... ◦ YummySoup 1.5.1 - If you are looking for a great and simple way to manage your recipe collection, then this is a great way to go. Using the iLife look and feel, you can enter your recipes, pull them off of the internet and even go full screen in the kitchen to make reading the recipes easier. ...By mimicking a notebook in every way, as well as giving you the ability to index that notebook on the fly, this program becomes an indispensable note-taking tool. ...Over the past few years Apple has been upgrading it and making the suite better and better.

Tracy's Missing Child

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-09-02T12:30:52-05:00

For many years now Tracy's second child Anotonio Herrera, known as Tony, has been missing, taken by his father when he was still only a small child. Tracy has seen him a few times since, but only for short periods of time. Where Tony is today we don't know. Tracy is working on several web pages dedicated to Tony. When complete I will post that link on my website; until then I am posting photos to Flickr that I scanned for her website. Maybe, just maybe, if Tony scans the net he will run across these photos or Tracy's website. Link to Photos UPDATE 9/3/07: Tracy has completed her website dedicated to Tony. Take a look at it.

Tracy's Web Galleries

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-08-31T22:50:40-05:00

Tracy has created a couple of web galleries using . Mac and iLife '08. I have to admit, they are pretty amazing tools. The look of the galleries is simply fantastic. They may not as be as functional as Flickr, nor have the same amount of inexpensive storage; but Apple graphical and design prowess are undeniable. When viewing photos you have several different views: Grid, Mosaic, Carousel and the ubiquitous slideshow. In "Grid" and "Mosaic" you can reize all the photos on the fly, with Grid being the default mode and Mosaic probably being the mode folks will enjoy the most for finding the photos they want to see. Then there are the two modes best for just watching photos, "Carousel" and "Slideshow." Slideshow works exactly as you might expect, with play and pause. The look is fantastic. Then in Carousel you view the photos from left to right with the photos zooming into view; as if you were scanning through them on your desk. It's a view you have seen in photo programs, but not much on the web. The entire album gives you a great deal of ability to customize your view, more so than Flickr or any other photo website. So check out Tracy's photos and enjoy the exceptional "Apple Experience." Links to her web galleries are below: Photography - Architecture Photography - Nature Photography - People

Of All The Idiotic Decisions...

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-08-31T22:15:29-05:00

NBC Universal, owners of NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, USA Networks, SciFi Channel and so much more has made a milestone decision; to push Apple towards increasing the cost of TV episodes sold on Apple's iTunes Store. Currently a TV episode costs $1.99; according to news reports the cost would have gone up to $4.99, a $3.00 increase. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realize that NBC's suggested pricing is beyond stupid. While I am more than willing to plop down $2 to watch a missed TV episode that my DVR didn't record or that I might just be interested in seeing; $5 is just too high. I expected to see TV prices eventually drop a little as the service became more popular, especially when one realizes they aren't HD nor do they have 5.1 sound. Apparently though NBC didn't see it that way. I guess since they made up about 30% of the content on iTunes they could dictate terms. Apple apparently wasn't willing to listen. Not only have they ended negotiations, but even though their contract with NBC goes until December 31st, 2007 Apple has decided that they will not make any of the 2007 NBC series available on iTunes. Their decision seems like a smart one from their point of view. If they offer the 2007 shows, mid season they would have to pull them all. That would create confusion and some very bad blood for Apple. I have to say that the entertainment industry just doesn't get it. While they seem to see digital content as a means to increase their bottom line by simply increasing cost; the general public is smart enough to figure out that the distribution model for digital content is much cheaper and far more efficient. While some might think it is cheap, those who understand the demands of video, know that a great deal of storage space and bandwidth is required; but these commodities are far less expensive than stores on main-street in every town in America. The entire industry is simply mad with craziness as they attempt to not only slow the digital wave, but bottle it up in individual countries. iTunes UK is just now getting TV content after two years, but they have been able to get the content on the internet for longer than that. It isn't easy, and is thwart with personal electronic danger (viruses, trojans and bad compression) but people who want to watch the latest episode of Battlestar Galactica and don't have access to the SciFi Channel are going to get their hands on the episodes one way or another; long before the DVDs or in-country broadcast distribution rights are established. The digital world can't be bottled up and decision like the one made by NBC Universal, are simply idiotic. There is no other word to describe their decision. It hurts them, it hurts Apple and it hurts the very people they want to sell digital content too. Tell, WHO IN THE WORLD THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA!

Website for Carlos - First Year

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-08-31T22:45:45-05:00

Tracy has created a website just for Carlos Jr. It's dedicated to his first year, and his very first birthday. I might also mention that this is really Tracy's first website. Visit "About Being Born." The site has a video that I created recently in honor of his first birthday, plus many, many photos. Let Tracy know what you think of her creation by dropping line. Click here to e-mail Tracy. I'm sure we will be seeing many more web pages in the near future!

Testing Picasa Embeded Slideshow

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-08-21T23:20:08-05:00

This is a cool feature that Picasa offers. I can embed a slideshow of photos right into this blog or any other web page I want. You can see the results below. Another cool feature of Picasa is a visual link to the photo album. As seen below.

Carlos Jr. - Favorites

Flickr Vs. Picasa

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-08-21T23:04:27-05:00

I'm testing out two different photo sharing services. I've used both and recently started using Flickr again; but thought I would take a look at Picasa Web again and have been pleasently suprised. The sites do the exact same thing, but no surprise Google has done a great job with Picasa; although as with all Google sites it does lack a certain "splash" quality; but the same is true of Flickr. I have the same sets of photos on both sites. Take a look at the public galleries of Carlos jr and tell me what you think. You can e-mail me at my primary address. Picasa - Carlos Jr. Flickr - Carlos Jr. I look forward to hearing your thoughts, and if you would suggest some other service. One of the main reasons for looking at either one of these sites is that there are plugins for Aperture 1.5 that allow me to post directly to their sites without the use of a secondary program or doing web-uploads.

Photos of Carlos

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-08-21T22:28:20-05:00

As I continue to play around with Flickr, I've added photos of Carlos Jr. from 2006 and 2007. I basically pulled my favorite photos and uploaded them to Flickr. A link to the photos is available below. I will also find a way to add a link to the photos Gallery page. Remember, if you like one or more of the photos you can either download the photo or order prints. You have to be a Flickr member, but that's pretty easy and if you use Yahoo already, you are basically a member of Flickr. Photos of Carlos Jr.

Uploaded Da Vinci House Photos

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-08-21T21:50:48-05:00

While I don't have photos of every part of the house, these photos should give you a good idea of what our new home looks like. The photos are not in full color for two reasons: 1) I like the look, 2) the color versions had a red tint to them that I couldn't remove. I've also tried something new, I'm linking to Flickr direclty. So if you click on the photos you will be taken to Flickr; from there you will be able to see a slide show of the photos are select the ones you like. Flickr also allows you to order photos. You will find these photos a few different ways. One, click on the photo to the left, click on the text in the left column that states "New Photos of Da Vinci House in Wylie" or click on the link below. Photos of Da Vinci House

Jessica & Chris - Wedding Shower

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-08-18T23:42:46-05:00

This evening Tracy and I attended the Couple Wedding Shower for Jessica and Chris. Their wedding is in a few short weeks, that's right my best friend and my brother are getting married only weeks apart; and a few thousand miles. The theme of the wedding shower was "Beach Party" and Chris' parents really did a great job. The food was great, the games fun and the atmosphere just like it should be; warm and friendly. I brought my camera along and just felt compelled to take photos. I love photography and just don't take enough photos, although Tracy would probably disagree with that statement. Tonight I got a few good shots, of course I took nearly 300 pictures. I'v haven't culled through them yet, but did quickly choose about 30 or so that I liked and put them up on Flickr. The link is below, if you are interested in seeing them. Photos of Wedding Shower

Bro Getting Hitched - Stop & Smell the Roses

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-08-16T21:29:18-05:00

Well, you should have heard, but if not... my little brother is getting married. Yes, yes, he isn't that little anymore; nor all that young. Sorry Bro, but you are over 30! Anyway, in just over a week he gets hitched to a wonderful young lady that everyone in the family looks forward to calling "family." I mean, she puts up with Brion so she must be an angel and therefore must be worthy of our family. Due to work commitments and the commitment of our new home neither Tracy nor I will be able to attend the festivities. Courtney though will be attending along with Jim and Sharon. We are sad that we won't be able to be there in person, and I was looking forward to taking some photos. Just couldn't make it happen for all three of us and there could be no better ambassador for our family than Courtney. I think she would walk there anyway if I didn't put her on a plane. She was there less than two months ago and can't wait to go back. Jim and Sharon are looking forward to having her come with them as well. So, Brion and Rachel, while we can't be there in person; we will be there in spirit. On that special day we will be thinking of you often and know that you day will be special beyond all belief. Take from two that recently got hitched, enjoy the moment and don't forget to stop and smell the roses. The day will go by quick, very quick. So wake-up early, and stay-up late. Say "hello" to every guest and smile all day long. You are starting a new life together, but there will only be ONE FIRST DAY, ONE WEDDING DAY. We love you both!

Eternal Magic - Magical Issues

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-08-16T21:21:48-05:00

If you happen to visit EternalMagic.net you might notice that the contact page and the gallery are missing. That's for two separate reasons. The contact page was removed because I have begun getting a great deal of junk e-mail from that page. Apparently EternalMagic has been struck by the bane of the internet, web crawlers that use forms like my contact page to sell the wares and ideas of some moron hiding behind the anonymity of the internet. May they swim in the swill they create. The other problem is an outgrowth of that problem, combined with the simple fact that I will have to resource the photos in my web authoring software. My software ties directly into iPhoto, but I don't use iPhoto anymore; a change that took place only in the past few months. On KellysWorld I've been working on moving my photos into a more archival friendly and web friendly format. While the contact form probably won't return, the galleries will. I have no plan to remove the website anytime soon; although I don't see any updates to it of any major degree. It's a part of our wedding, a part of our history.

Moving, Moving, Moving....

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-06-21T19:52:57-05:00

Tomorrow is the big day. Tomorrow we all move into our new house. It will be a crazy, mixed-up day; but then so was today. The moving company sent over the packers today, and when I left about 7:45 this morning, they were well into creating boxes and boxes of our stuff. They were here for five hours packing away. I wish I could say I was here supervising them, but alas I had to go to work and the job of supervisor was left to Tracy. The packers did their jobs, and did them well; when I got home around 6:00 I found the house filled with boxes and displaced furniture. Actually, the movers packed pretty much everything, including items we really didn't want them to pack. Oh well, they did their jobs. So much was packed up that sleeping in this house tonight would be less than comfortable, so it is off to the new house. Javier is bringing over a couple of air mattresses for us to sleep on tonight. We are actualy looking forward to it. We had originally planned on staying the night there, but the packers packed away our nice air mattress. Like i said, they packed everything. Tracy is very happy and will enjoy spending her first night at the new house, even if it isn't in the comfort she is accustomed to. Honestly, I am as well. I have photos of the packing, and will post them when I get a chance. Soon I am signing off the this network for the last time and sometime tomorrow afternoon I will be able to sign onto the new network. I've not built it yet, but I will. Until then, we are all moving, moving, moving!

Complaints, Irritation, Annoyance

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-06-19T20:54:55-05:00

Okay, I have heard through the grapevine that some of our regular visitors (we have regular visitors????) have complained that the photos Tracy and I keep telling people are on KellysWorld are not easily accessible. For all of you, please know that I have learned the error of my ways. I have made finding the photos of 427 Da Vinci Lane so easy, Gracy (that's my dog) could do it. Wait, you wonder how easy is it? What have I changed? Well, if you are reading this article shortly after publication then all you need to do is look directly to the left of this text (and a little up) and you should see a simple link that will take you directly to the photos. But wait, there's more! For those that need it really, really easy, I MEAN REALLY EASY. CLICK HERE (If you are currently looking for the "HERE" button, please turn off your computer and throw it away.) Here at KellysWorld we strive to offer our visitors the very best in customer service and satisfaction. After all, you, our readers pay the bills. Wait, no you don't..... Okay, so why am I making this easy?!? Oh yeah, my wife threatened to raise my voice two octaves if I didn't. See honey, I do as you ask me.

It's My Closing, I'll Cry If I Want To

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-06-18T08:48:44-05:00

Today is the day. The day that my current house stops being "my" house and becomes someone else's house. Yes it is only a structure of wood and bricks, but it was the first house I ever bought. A house I bought on my own. I worked with the builder, made all the selections and signed all the paperwork. It was a great deal of fun, and not much stress. Of course back then I wasn't trying to sell a house to move into a house. So, today at 10:00 this morning I will again be signing documents; only this time I will be saying good-bye to my home since January of 2003. It's hard to imagine how much has changed in my life since then. When I moved in, I was single and working for Fujitsu. By the time my first payment was due I was unemployed and looking for a new job, hoping I wouldn't lose the home I had just moved into. Here I am 4 1/2 years later, I'm married, have a step-daughter living with us, in my second job since buying the house; in short my life is radically different. Moving into a different house does seem to be the ulitmate end to all of the change I've experienced. The change has been good to me though. I love my life. I will miss this house, but I've met the new couple moving in and I believe they will be good to her. It doesn't mean I won't shed a tear or two, and well, it's my house and I can cry if I want to. They will be more tears of joy and sweet memories, than anything else. Joy for the years I've spent here, single and married. Joy for the years yet to come, shared in a newer, larger home. A home that Tracy and I chose together. So tears I may shed, but a smile will still be on my face.

New Video Available

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-06-17T00:11:11-05:00

If you check out the Gallery you will find that I have added a new video. I created this video last weekend for Carlos Jr. first birthday party. The video is a three part photo montage of Carlo's first year of life. It wasn't too difficult to create, especially using the tools on my Mac; in fact it was a lot of fun. I started working on it the night before and had the DVD burned before we left 12:30 the next day. It really is way to easy to do this, all you need is an idea and the willingness to put in a little time. So, check out my lastest video masterpiece and let me know what you think. As a side note, when you click on the video it may not start right away; the video downloads first. After a little waiting click on the video and it should start. If not, wait a little longer. You can also right click on the link and download the video to your computer. I've also included an actual video I did last year on the video page, and will include some other videos I've created over the past year or so. All but one are actually photo slideshows set to various types of music. Go HERE to find the videos.

Updated "About KellysWorld"

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-06-14T12:22:26-05:00

If you check out the About section of the website, you will see that on the 3rd change I added an update to reflect a few of the changes that have taken place over the past few days. Nothing major, but worth noting.

Closing on the 18th of June

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-06-14T07:24:36-05:00

We finally have official notice that we will close on June 18th, on both houses. We have no idea of what time yet, but most likely we will close on our current house in the early morning and on the new house in the afternoon. It will make for a crazy, hectic and quite possibly stressful day; but when it is all over we will own a different house. Of course that only sets objects in motion, and a few days later we will move into that new house. In the past I have hired movers, but done my own packing. This time around I decided it made more sense to hire someone to do the packing. Tracy and I are way too busy to spend every night for a few weeks packing up everything we own. The company I hired should be able to do it all in half a day. The day after they pack, we move. I've used them before and have been very satisfied with the results. If you ever need a moving company in the Dallas area, checkout Major-League Moving. Thursday, June 21st will be my last full day in the house I built in 2003. The house we are moving too is bigger and nicer, but it won't ever be my first house. Of course, the new one is going to be the first house that Tracy and I purchased together. That in itself is very special. UPDATE: We actually have a time for the closing now. Everything is now set in motion. A week from now I will be going home to a house full of boxes, and just a sunrise away from the actual move.

Old Look, New Look

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-06-13T23:03:19-05:00

Recently the software I used for KellysWorld was updated, bringing new features and abilities. The changes are really on the back-end, but they do allow for eaiser customization and building of the site. One of the downsides of the updated software is that my previous set-up wasn't working as well as I would have liked. Even after getting most everything working, I still wasn't thrilled with the results. The final option was to do a slight redesign of the site, making use of some of the new back-end features. That change precipitated a change in header graphic, the one I had originally used I couldn't find; at least not the original photoshop document. You won't see anything incredibly different as you tour the site, just a change in color scheme and the blog has some changes. You will notice that not only are their categories, but also tags. Basically, two different ways for me to index the blog, and allow the reader to find what they might be looking to see. So while we have a new look, it is still the old look. Tell me what you think.

More Waiting

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-06-06T22:17:24-05:00

For those that haven't purchased a house, or who haven't done so in a long time... THE PROCESS SEEMS TO TAKE FOR EVER. Thank the stars above that I have a large amount of patience, but unfortunetly my wife does not. She isn't enjoy the waiting, followed by the hurrying, followed by prolonged waiting. It just doesn't sit well with her at all. Now we are waiting becuase the agents came up for a solution to the "problems" the buyers were having with the price and the closing costs. My agent presented to me, and I can't say I was pleased with the solution. Basically, without going into detail, the solution involves Tracy and I lowering our price so that the house will appraise and the owners can buy the house with 100% financing. We countered with a few things that we wanted originally, but were denied and are just waiting to see if they stick this time around. It is nearly 10:30 so I doubt we will hear back tonight, and because of that Tracy probably won't sleep. Remember, she doesn't take well to waiting for answers. The answers will come, and probably the answers she wants; just not in the timeframe she expects or desires. Alas, we are at the whim of the buyers and unfortuntely for us, at the same time we are equally at the whim of the seller's of the house we are buying. So to us, it looks like we are in a lose/lose situation; but then we are going to buy a wonderful house with pretty much everything we wanted. That has to count for something, right?

Problems Arise

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-06-05T06:57:27-05:00

Yesterday I received an e-mail informing me that we have experienced a pretty significant hiccup in the sale of our home. The appraiser informed the buyer's agent that he didn't feel he needed to do the appraisal as the comps for the area don't justify the price we are selling the house to the buyers. The item to note is that the buyers are wrapping their closing costs into the deal, raising the price they are paying for the house. Had they not done that, the appraisal probably would have been fine. Our agent is working the problem and has a few ideas. We aren't dead in the water, this type of problem isn't unusual. Appraising is all based on opinion, not fact. As someone told me, a house is worth what someone is willing to pay for it; yet to the bank it is worth what they can sell it for should the owner default. It's just another reason to really not enjoy the moving process.

The iPhone Baby - June 29th

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-06-03T22:35:29-05:00

If you haven't heard about the iPhone yet, then you may have been visiting Siberia or maybe even the Amazon. Apple says that the iPhone will re-invent the mobile phone industry. Cingular is betting that hundreds of thousands of people will want one in the early days of the release, and that with their multi-year exclusive agreement Apple fans will become Cingular fans; or at least Cingular customers. To be honest, in the Apple or more specifically Macintosh community, the iPhone has got to be the hottest topic around; hotter even than Mac OS X 10.5 which was apparently delayed by Apple in favor of throwing more resources at the iPhone. Check Out The iPhone Ads Why is it such a hot item? Well, for starters it is a phone based strongly on the hottest selling handheld music & video device ever, the iPod. Apple has sold over 30 million iPods and re-invigorated the music industry, while also creating a huge iPod accessory industry to boot. Just stop and think how many consumer electronic devices have specifically named attachments for most major car companies higher end cars; just one Apple. If, for the moment, you forget the fact that this phone has its routes in the iPod then the other reason folks are so excited about the iPhone is that it was fully designed by the minds of Apple, Inc. To Mac fans around the world that means one thing, style meets function. For those that have used all the cool phones on the market, you know one thing, even the best of them are far from great. Hopes are high that the creators of the Mac and the creators of the iPod can be the ones that make using a mobile phone not only easy and fun, but REALLY COOL. The power that Apple says they will put in the hands of iPhone users is pretty awesome. Never before has a phone had a really easy to use and standard web browser. Never before has a user had random access voice mail. Never before have mobile phone users had e-mail that worked the same way it works on their computer. Never before have folks seen the specs that the iPhone is being presented as having on board in spades. Does this mean the iPhone will be a killer app? NOPE! Apple has had failures and if they do this wrong or Cingular messes something up, this could be one of the most spectacular failures in recent memory. Worse, if the reception to the iPhone is lack luster and doesn't seem to trend upward, even at a slow pace (as was seen with the iPod) then no matter how good the phone is, it will be seen as a loss for Apple and that while users complain about their phones, they aren't willing to put their money where their mouth is and by an iPhone. Will I buy one? In the end, if it is only half as good as they say; I think you will see me in a second generation phone. Right now they are saying the phone will cost $499 and $599. That's the most expensive iPod on the market and one of the most expensive PDA phones on the market. Granted, it may be the best of both worlds; but $500 is still $500. Prices will come down and I didn't even get an iPod until the 4th generation and my second one I only got early this year. So no I won't rush out and get one, but I will be keeping an eye on the June 29th release and what all those new iPhone users have to say. Check Out The iPhone Ads

Moving Day - Not Far Off

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-06-03T22:18:52-05:00

We don't know what day we will be moving, but we do know it will be prior to June 23rd. That's right, we have only a few short weeks left in my first house. I started construction on this house back in October of 2002 and moved in on January 3rd of 2003. This was my first house and while not a complicated project for me personally, was still a major milestone in my life. While I will move on to other houses, other homes, this 1600 sq. foot structure will always hold a special place in my life. Not just because it was my first house, it was also the first house that Tracy, Courtney and I shared together; and together we are moving on to our next house, our next home. I don't know for how long I will wax nostalgic about this house, and I am not the only one. All three of us do love this house; we have just outgrown what it can provide. The next house is bigger and yes, even a little nicer. There is a little work that we need to do and it won't be the same no matter what we do. As always, life is fully about change. One could say that this is just the final result of my new life with Tracy, and one might be right. That isn't to say that I don't fully enjoy each and every change that I've experience since meeting Tracy, in point of fact, I have fully enjoyed them all. So while I say good bye to this house and the few years I lived here, I say hello to a new one and all the new experiences that come with that home. I also know that a new couple will become the caretaker of the home I had built. I believe they will take good care of her and she will in turn take good care of them.

More Changes to Web Site

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-06-02T23:47:07-05:00

You have undoubtedly noticed that KellysWorld has an unfamiliar look. You haven't landed at the wrong site, I've just been working on several issues related to a recent upgrade I made to my web authoring software. The theme that I have used for well over a year doesn't seem to play all too friendly with the updates software. So in the mean time I am using this theme which does seem to work, well, mostly work anyway. I am also making some additional changes to the interface of the site, nothing too major; but I do want to be able to fit into the schemas of some of the web themes I have seen and liked. Many of these themes require fewer major menu groups than I previously had on my site. The plan right now is to concentrate on what folks who visit the site want to see. I believe that primarily to be this "blog" and the "Gallery." So, I'm going to work to make sure those two sections look and work as best I can manage. UPDATE: This isn't what I want the site to look like, but this is a look that works for the time being. If you come back tomorrow, it might look different; hell, it could look different in an hour. One just never knows with me.

The Deals Are Done

kspore@kellysworld.net — 2007-06-02T22:26:46-05:00

We put our house on the market back in March, and since then have been looking and waiting, waiting and looking. After over three months, we have accepted an offer on house and the offer we made on the house we want has been accepted. Now, to say the deal is done doesn't mean it is all said and done, but the hard part is finally over. I would love to say that the stress of the house hunt was over, but alas it isn't quite yet. We still have to close, and the appraisal hasn't yet been done on this house yet. I still have a few repairs to have done on this house, and we will need to review the house we are buying to insure nothing needs to be done there before we move in to the house. Of course, there is the move itself, along with getting all the various services switched over or turned on. For example, I don't know what rooms have coaxial connections already for TV and I will have to create a wireless network that will cover 3000 sq. feet of house. With all that being said, Tracy, Courtney and myself are all very excited about the new house. It will give us all the space we need, and then some; as well as being a great place for Tracy and I to entertain family and friends. Tracy gets the space she needs for her stamping business and Courtney will have plenty of space to hide from us as teenagers like to do. Yes, even I get my own little space in the house. The fine step before moving... THE CLOSING! Just the words alone can put fear in the hearts of home buyers. STAY TUNED, THE EXCITING SAGA IS FAR FROM OVER. See Photos of the House