JellyBeen Their

Hello, jellybeen their!

To my unknown searcher I would like to extend a hearty, Hello!

I often find it interesting to see the various search terms and phrases that lead readers to my blog(s) and this one has always piqued my curiosity. I would be most interested in knowing why you chose this phrase?  Perhaps it is not a person, but a group.  I would be thrilled to hear from you (all of you). Next time you are here, I would appreciate you leaving me a comment, it would be so nice to meet you.

Have you ever seen a search term that struck you as odd?  How about leaving a comment with your oddest referral link to your URL.

B-Live Share Link

Let’s see how this all works … it’s free and the music is a bit different for my tastes, but still intersting.

Just follow this link to get your free legal download of a Groove Armada MP3.

Widgets Are Good

WordPress widgets are not considered new. They have been around for several iterations of WordPress, since version 2.3, with a rumored revamp coming in WordPress 2.8, the next major version.

Now that I am just starting to embrace their uses and realizing the potential that can be opened up by using them I am looking forward to the possible improvements that generally are found with a version upgrade by the good folk at Automattic.

The use of a well coded widget in a well coded theme makes blog management from a layout and design perspective quite easy. The real potential is released by the Text widget. I wanted to add a link to Technorati that would be more or less static, but given that this particular blog is currently hosted on WordPress.com it required a little more investigation and some simple HTML copy and pasting.

First, I had to change all the existing sidebar elements into their corresponding widgets. Done. Working as before? Check. Next, add the Text widget. Done. Next copy and paste the HTML code from Technorati. All done. Working as expected? Yes.

Am I happy with widgets? For the most part I am. Do I see room for improvements with the management of widgets? Yes, but I am willing to wait to see when, or if, the rumors of a revamp in 2.8 are true. I may re-visit my thoughts on what could (or should) be addressed in widgets then, in the meantime I will say, widgets are good.

What are your impressions of widgets? Do you use them? Leave a comment with your most unique standard widget usage.

WordPress MU 2.7 is Live

Of course it was yesterday that Donncha O Caoimh posted on his blog that WordPress Mu (2.7) was available.  It was all I was waiting for to update two MU installations.

A quick review and some brief observations:

The combined time to update both WordPress Mu installations was slightly less than 25 minutes, five of which was fixing the “home” theme on the first install because I was too distracted to remember not to over-write it,  I’m just thankful I have a complete theme backup.

The general layout is very similar to a single user version of WordPress 2.7, with the exception of the newly included Admin bar by Viper007Bond at the top of the Dashboard screen.  A nice touch that I expect to be easily put to good use.

To other WordPress MU managers, share a comment about your upgrading.

Snow – Revisited!

Back a little while ago I wrote a little post as a reminder and a thank you to WordPress for their Snow extra.  I think this is a great visual effect for a blog, and I appreciate the automatic nature of its display for the Christmas season.

I am also thinking that this whole Snow thing should be revisited. Where I live we have been having a great deal of snow falling this winter, and I think it would only be appropriate if we could have snow falling on our blogs for longer than the current settings allow.

I propose the Snow effect start with the same day, but extend for the entire winter season; and, Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

What do you think? Let’s have a show of comments.

Chess with Friends

Review: Chess with Friends (an iPod app)

To me, this is one of the best iPod applications I have used so far.  I use it on my iPod Touch, and imagine there would be even more functionality available with an iPhone. If you like Chess, then this is truly a program to look into using.

Chess with Friends by Newtoy Inc. is essentially a modernized version of the old idea of “Chess by mail” (read: snail-mail, email, etc.) The benefit, and the near addictiveness, of this application is that it is always in your hand and only a tap or two away. For me, the pace of the games are near perfect, although I must admit, I will often check several times before my “random” opponent moves, but that adds to the excitement of the game.

Yes, I said excitement, but then again I feel like a Chess geek at times. Play it, you will enjoy yourself. Choose someone from your iPhone / iPod Touch contact list; or, choose a random opponent.

I’ve seen completely unexpected successes with the games I have played, the one downfall is there currently is no re-match feature. The developers do have plans for one, as they stated in a reply back (very quickly, I might add) to a feedback email I sent them. This application, and its developers, are something I will definitely follow.

For my past opponents: Darrell, Jay59, Umpuck, Vail67, Jamn, gekko, and Kratos69 - rematches are in order.

Have you tried Chess with Friends? What did you think? Comment with your comparisons.

Time Machines

I just came across a great quote while catching up in my social networks.

We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they’re called memories. Some take us forward, they’re called dreams.
~~ Jeremy Irons

This is one of those small world items, too. I just started reading the classic novella The Time Machine by H.G.Wells using the Stanza iPod app. Although I have only just finished Chapter 1 it has been something I have been meaning to read for some time and I am looking forward to finally getting to it for two reasons. The first, it’s a classic and intersting; the second, it’s a good way to give Stanza by Lexcycle a decent test run.

Paid by Passion

Volunteer work can be rewarding and frustrating, and sometimes it can be both at the same time.

It can consume your every moment or simply be something you do in passing.

You might wonder is it all worth it? What am I doing working for free? Why is this important?

It suddenly occurred to me as I was driving down the road for lunch: it is worth it; I am not really working for free; I am being paid by passion for the work being done. In much the same way a person can simply have a passion for the truth, a volunteer’s passion for the goals before them is the payment they receive.

Attaining those goals is important. The journey is worth every step along the way.

Are you a volunteer? Comment on your paid by passion work.

Carbon Grove

My tree at Carbon Grove

Twit or Tweet

I’m not sure I understand this phenomenon known as Twitter. Sure, I have an account. Yes, I’ve made a few tweets, and I even have a few followers, but I am still mystified by its apparent popularity. I admit it is almost addictive.

I have visited the twitter.com web site and tried to follow the Everybody timeline just to realize there are many, too many people tweeting to try to follow anything I randomly pick.

I actually find it easier to follow the public timeline using twitterific from the iconfactory on my iPod Touch.  At least I feel I am keeping pace with the myriad of tweets being made. It may be a false sense of security that the small display is giving, but I actually prefer it to the main twitter web site.

Will I continue to follow along on twitter? Perhaps, it can be interesting trying to decipher some of the tweets and replies. I add tweets and replies myself from time to time, though admittedly not many, yet.

Do you tweet? or, do you feel like a twit?! Share a comment.