My Photography Exposure

Once in a great while I do receive request from different websites to use my pictures. This one caught my attention.

www.nowpublic.com/node/81530

Web 2.0 websites

I am amazed coming accross so many new websites that have sprung up under the web 2.0 new world. There are many innovative uses of many wiki's/APIs.

A large contributor has been google maps and the many ingenious ways to make use of them in various websites. Take for example a beta site I came across randomly while following some photography links - Frappr! - allows it's users to create their own (google) maps, mapping people of different interest. When I clicked on the about us link in their footer it seems that their purpose has grown further than the initial plan of mapping where college friends had moved to. A very short snippet from their about us link reads...

Frappr was created by Brian, Kun and James at Rising Concepts, who wanted to see where all their high school and college friends went after they graduated.
Frappr (Friend Mapper) lets you see the zip code where your friends live or work, letting you find out who works in the office building next door and who lives in the apartment complex across the street.

Current users have created maps for such things as their myspace friends, tv show fan locations, band tour gigs. I can't wait to see what's next.

Kazaa settles suits with more than $100 million

The music industry has reached a legal settlement with veteran antagonist Kazaa, one of the world's best known file-sharing networks and a longtime source of illicit music and movie downloads.
Under the terms of the deal, Kazaa owner Sharman Networks will pay the world's four major music companies--Universal Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, EMI Group and Warner Music--more than $100 million and commit to immediately going legal, the international recording industry organization IFPI said.
'There are very substantial damages being paid--in excess of $100 million--and Kazaa will go legal immediately. They've had time to prepare for this,' IFPI Chairman and Chief Executive John Kennedy said.
The music industry has pursued an aggressive legal strategy in its attempts to curb Internet piracy, filing lawsuits against file-sharing companies like Kazaa and Grokster, as well as individual users who uploaded copyrighted material.
Meanwhile, legitimate music services like Apple Computer's iTunes have become wildly popular, offering legal alternatives to illicit file sharing.
In June 2005, file-sharing services such as Grokster and StreamCast were dealt a major setback when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that they could be held liable for copyright piracy taking place over their networks. | source: Tech News on ZDNet

Otro Dia Mas?

Todo me es trivial. La muerte de mi querido tío me da ánimos de mejorar mí vida…pero a la vez me quita las ganas de todo. Hoy tuve en frente de mí un gran numero de correos electrónicos que leer para el trabajo, pero no conteste ni uno. Las preguntas quedan sin contestar. Me digo, ¿que conozen ellos realmente de la importancia?

Mañana empieza otro dia de regreso a la normalidad, unicamente que ya nada sera como antes. Almenos esos son mis pensamientos de ahora. Veo todo con una diferente luz. Mis prioridades han cambiado un poco. Al ver todas las amistades de mi tío y el dolor en tantos rostros, me eh dado cuenta de la realidad del tiempo. La vida no dura para siempre y para algunos se les acaba mas pronto inesperadamente.

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez Bid for Governor of California

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) has created a gubernatorial committee: People for Loretta 2010, contemplating an unprecedented bid for California governor in 2010.
Best of luck for what could be
THE FIRST LATINA GOVERNOR IN THE U.S.The Chicago Latino Network is hosting a celebration for this historic event.
Host Committee (In Formation)
Joseph DeLaGarza, Martha-Victoria Diaz, Diego Estrella, Luz Adriana Giraldo, Jessica Jaramillo-Habeck, Irma Martinez-Snopek, Juan Ochoa, Veronica Resa, Christopher Sala, Manuel "Manny" Sanchez, Dan Shomon, Rodrigo Sierra, Maya Solis, Homero Tristan, Jaime Viteri, Maria Wantuck-Pedroza, Claudia Zuno

FRIDAY, JULY 28, 2006
VIP 5:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
General 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
IMCE Gallery
702 N. Wells
Chicago, IL

Individual: $40 (includes two complimentary cocktails and appetizers)
VIP: $300 (private reception with Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez)
If interested in attending please RSVP to RSVP@ChicagoLatinoNetwork.com

YouTube - Evolution of Dance

Rather funy clip - enjoy!

Chicago up for the 2016 Olympics?

By the end of the week, Chicagoans may know if their city is considered a top U.S. contender to host the 2016 Olympics. ABC7 has learned the Olympic committee could drop several of the nominees pushing Chicago to the top of the list.
The U.S. Olympic Committee told Chicago committee leaders they expected to narrow the field of five cities competing for the games to two or possibly three by either the end of this week or early next week. Committee members are reluctant to talk about the bid publicly, but we are getting the first look at part of the presentation they used to try to sell Chicago.
...
Chicago is competing against Philadelpia, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco for the chance to bid on the 2016 games. And committee leaders believe Chicago stands a strong chance. | source:ABC7Chicago

How awesome would this be? It's hard to imagine what city I will be in 10 years from now, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this. Having the Olympics here will truly be good for the city of Chicago.

James Blunt Buys Mountain

Singer James Blunt is leaving Britain to live with donkeys in Spain. The star, who had a huge hit with ballad You're Beautiful, is escaping London's hustle and bustle to live the life of a mountain farmer. A relative revealed: He has bought this mountain and a beautiful old house. He wants to get away from it all. He wants to live the rural dream with only donkeys, chickens, pigs and ducks for company. | source:The Sun Online

Holy crap sing a catchy song and you can purchase a whole mountain. I can create a song with a catchy hook, if only I could carry a note. Any volunteers? Common I'll share my moutain with you.

Charlie

It's been several weeks that I haven't posted an update to Charlie. This summer Charlie is enjoying his short fur. I'm enjoying not having to comb him freaquemtly. It's been a month now since his trim and in another week or two I think he'll need a touch up. I had vowed the last time that I would not personally cut his fur, but I rolled up my sleeves and went for it again this time around. The main draw back from short fur on him is that he always looks 10 punds skinnier.

Tech Cocktail

Frank quiets down the crowd to give out the raffle prizes. Although a bit loud many happy participants get their goods.

The first ever TECH cocktail event was held this Thursday, July 6, 2006 at State restaurant cafe, located in the heart of Lincoln Park in Chicago. Fellow co-worker and host of the event Frank Gruber welcomed many tech enthusiast

Happy Independence Day

I'm off to see some fireworks with the family -

Where NOT When

The dates are set, vacation time here I come. The only thing now is finalizing where to go. I had planned going to my favorite city that I go to every year. The plan was (may still be) to fly in to NYC stay there a couple of days. Then rent a car and visit my friends in Philadelphia and Boston. If time permitted my friend and I would drive to Canada stay there a day or two and see Niagara Falls. So what has changed? We are now thinking Spain!!

Spain has been the target of my next travel aspiration, after that comes Greece. There is a 50/50 chance that we go to Europe instead. My finances are tied up a bit because of the refinance I am doing on my house. Hopefully that will be over within two weeks or so. UGH - that process has been frustrating, so much so that we've changed refinance companies. If all falls into plan perfectly I may end up going to Europe and New York. The good thing is that I have twelve days to work with, including weekends. The Spain package we are looking at is pretty sweet. It will take us to both Lisbon and Madrid through a course of seven days. That gives me some time to head over to see some friends the weekend before coming back to work.

Whatever the options I am excited to have the time off and enjoying these upcoming summer days. Time is ticking and wherever we go we will have to purchase our flight tickets in two weeks. I must say the dilemma of where to go is a nice problem to have instead of deciding if I can go at all. :)

Relaxing Weekend

A visit to the lake can do wonders for my spirit. I think it has been over a year when I visited the sandy beaches. Granted Chicago is not a tropical getaway city, nonetheless it has magnificent beach fronts. This weekend my family and I enjoyed a day of relaxation at one of my favorite spots - Oak street beach. The water was too cold to go into however I did enjoy the lake breeze and rubbing my feet through the sand. It was very refreshing and very much needed.