Kyle J. Archer's Blog

The U.S. House Transit Bill (HR7) funded by new energy initiatives...

2012-01-27T09:18:00.000-06:00

According to multiple sources, the House transportation bill – called the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act – reauthorizes highway and transit programs for five years at around $52 billion per year, for a total of $260 billion. It seems likely that the bill would use revenue from oil and gas drilling fees.

http://www.slideshare.net/ptpblog/summary-of-american-energy-and-infrastructure-jobs-act

http://www.speaker.gov/Blog/?postid=269320

The Jo, Day 4

2012-01-26T08:29:00.001-06:00

Figured out you can put $10 bucks in the farebox and get a changecard, thanks Mary!

Hipmunk for Travel!

2012-01-25T11:50:00.003-06:00

Hipmunk is the coolest new travel site I found for Chrome! I love the Gantt view...

The Jo, Day 3

2012-01-25T08:07:00.001-06:00

Finally back on the bus! It is just a nice way to start your day. I don't worry about traffic, I just sit, talk, think and blog. Gonna be a great day at EnGraph today!

Delta Reroutes Planes Following Massive Solar Eruption | Fox News

2012-01-24T14:42:00.000-06:00

Delta Reroutes Planes Following Massive Solar Eruption | Fox News

The Jo, Day 2

2012-01-18T07:55:00.001-06:00

Had to scrape my car but made it to park n ride at 60th & Lamar just in time for my bus. I am the lone rider this morn.

Day 1 Public Transit Ride Home

2012-01-17T16:27:00.001-06:00

I have to say this is really nice and relaxing after work. There were 5 on this morn and now 6 this afternoon.

The Jo, Day 1

2012-01-17T08:24:00.001-06:00

Missed the 7:22, but made the 7:52 on Route D 546.
Driver said he calls this The Joke, not The Jo. He says they are tryin to make this a transit system, but they don't know how and they dont care about the poor people tryin to work at mcdonalds. He said its a commuter system for the OP affluent.
This guy on the bus keeps asking me for the time at each stop :)

Every star in our Milky Way galaxy has at least 1 planet

2012-01-12T11:05:00.002-06:00

Every star in our galaxy has at least one planet orbiting it, according to a new study, which suggests that alien planets are far more common than we thought.

The data suggests that each star hosts at least 1.6 planets. There are at least 100 billion stars in our galaxy, according to Space.com, which means that we probably share it with more than 160 billion alien planets.

That estimate is a massive increase on the 700 planets astronomers have so far identified outside our solar system.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/business-tech/science/120112/every-star-milky-way-galaxy-has-alien-planet

What's an Entrepreneur?

2012-01-11T09:35:00.000-06:00

"Entrepreneurship is the pursuit of opportunity without regard to resources currently controlled." - Howard Stevenson, Harvard Business School, Book: Breakthrough Entrepreneurship

What's an Entrepreneur? The Best Answer Ever | LinkedIn

Elijah Johnson is Too Strong - YouTube

2012-01-03T11:17:00.000-06:00

Elijah Johnson is Too Strong - YouTube

Nail it! - This little app rocks

2011-12-28T10:16:00.000-06:00

My Mary got me this PC Mag for Christmas and it reviewed many cool Win7 apps and I love this one!

It allows you to 'nail' any window so that it is always on top :)

Nail it! - Free software downloads and software reviews - CNET Download.com

Transit Ridership up 2%!

2011-12-20T13:41:00.000-06:00

More people rode public transportation in the first nine months of this year than last, a sign that more people are working and looking for cheaper options to get around.

With gasoline prices surging, many commuters around the country are leaving their cars at home, opting for buses and trains.

Ridership on public buses and trains increased 2% — from 7.63 billion rides to 7.76 billion, according to the American Public Transportation Association.

Emerging Vehicle-to-Vehicle Technology Will Greatly Improve Safety

2011-12-14T09:35:00.000-06:00

Emerging Vehicle-to-Vehicle Technology Will Greatly Improve Safety

What Makes a Neighborhood Walkable

2011-12-08T09:44:00.000-06:00

This site is cool...

What Makes a Neighborhood Walkable

Smart Para-Transit + Car Sharing = No Reason to Own a Car

2011-12-07T14:31:00.000-06:00

Smart Para-Transit + Car Sharing = No Reason to Own a Car

Bus Lane in KC!

2011-12-05T13:43:00.001-06:00

Drivers learning how to run buses on shoulder of I-35

If you see a bus on the shoulder of Interstate 35 in Johnson County this week, don't worry that it might be disabled. It's really supposed to be there.

The county will be training drivers how to navigate the shoulder of the interstate as part of a new technique to move buses faster between the suburbs and downtown.

The new bus-on-shoulder service will start Jan. 3, but drivers will begin their on-road training Thursday. Drivers will be in training every day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. until Dec. 8. The Kansas Highway Patrol will be on hand to escort the buses.

The bus-on-shoulder service is an outgrowth of a study that examined the feasibility of running commuter trains parallel to I-35 between the Kansas suburbs and downtown. The county spent 15 years studying commuter rail before concluding in 2007 that expanded bus service was the way to go.

The new service allows buses to run on the shoulder on eight miles of I-35 from 95th Street to Lamar Avenue. Buses can run on the shoulder only when traffic slows to less than 35 mph. They can run only 10 mph faster than traffic, but no faster than 35 mph.

Planners believe the new service will cut three to five minutes off a bus trip from Olathe to downtown.

In the next two weeks, highway crews will be wrapping up $157,000 worth of highway improvements to make the interstate suitable for the new bus service. Drivers will see new signs denoting the bus service, plus new guardrails and highway pavement markings.

Highway crews, however, will be leaving the rumble strips on the side of the highway in place. A highway department spokeswoman said tests have indicated that the rumble strips were hardly detectable on the bus.

Bus-on-shoulder services have been around nationally for close to 40 years. They are used in Seattle, Minneapolis, Miami and a couple of other places nationally. Engineering studies have found the services to be safe.

R. E. "Tuck" Duncan, Executive Director
Kansas Public Transit Association

Facebook's IPO

2011-11-29T07:38:00.000-06:00

Zuck's take this summer ~$24B

Today in Tech: Facebook's IPO - Fortune Tech

Thinking Outside the Bus - NYTimes.com

2011-11-28T13:09:00.000-06:00

Thinking Outside the Bus - NYTimes.com

Midway rocks!

2011-11-11T06:30:00.001-06:00

I love this airport, it just makes sense. Southwest runs it right. Lines for every type of situation, easy access, great big comfy chairs, plug-ins everywhere...its just perfect.

Sprint Samsung Galaxy IIS Review

2011-11-11T06:27:00.001-06:00

I had the Evo and loved it, but this phone is better in every way except one...GPS. Battery life, speed, screen and usability all far superior to Evo but locking onto my location takes some time whereas the Evo was immediate. I'll be searching around about this :)

Great News for Transit! MAP-21 Passes!

2011-11-10T14:41:00.001-06:00

Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW) Advances Bipartisan Two-Year Highway Reauthorization

On Wednesday, November 9, 2011 the EPW Committee voted unanimously 18-0 to advance S.1813, "Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century" (MAP-21) a two-year authorization of federal highway programs at current levels, adjusted for inflation. A manager's amendment containing amendments approved by the EPW Committee leaders was agreed to by voice vote. Several senators spoke in favor of additional amendments, though none were voted on as Chairman Barbara Boxer (D-CA) warned senators that the bipartisan committee leadership including herself, Ranking Member James Inhofe (R-OK), Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), and Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) would not support any amendments that were not contained in the manager's package.

The funding level in MAP-21 is $109 billion over two years for highway and transit funding, however the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over the financing title, is continuing its work to identify an offset for the $12 billion funding shortfall between current Highway Trust Fund (HTF) revenues and the proposal's authorized levels.

Transportation For America » Asking the right questions about seniors’ access to transit

2011-10-31T16:59:00.000-05:00

Transportation For America » Asking the right questions about seniors’ access to transit

KC Transit Needs help…

2011-10-31T16:44:00.001-05:00

http://voices.kansascity.com/entries/dump-pump-not-easily-kc/

More Transit...more jobs

2011-10-31T16:10:00.001-05:00

Leaders Must Realize that Transit and Jobs are Linked

Great post on being 'carfree'...

2011-10-31T15:46:00.001-05:00

Not keeping a car on the road is a great way to save money and boost the local economy. Check out this graphic on how reducing the number of cars in a household not only saves $ for that family, but the more people that reduce car ownership in a community, the more dollars stay in the local economy!

Read Author’s Post

KU Hoops is coming!

2011-10-01T10:05:00.001-05:00

Coach Dooley at the airport!

They found Tattooine!!!

2011-09-16T09:09:00.001-05:00

Tittle

2011-09-15T09:06:00.001-05:00

The dot over the letters 'i' and 'j' is called a tittle.

Black Dog Coffee

2011-09-15T08:33:00.001-05:00

Self-serve $1 great coffee. Honor system every morn!!!

87th & Rosehill

New NASA Rocket!

2011-09-14T13:54:00.001-05:00

from iGoogle: New Rocket!!!

Insightly Android App coming soon!

2011-09-14T10:02:00.001-05:00

http://blog.insight.ly/2011/01/looking-back-on-2010-hello-2011.html

An odd sign I came across today…

2011-09-09T22:35:00.001-05:00

Posting this everywhere…

2011-07-29T11:19:00.001-05:00

Be Customer-Obsessed!

2011-07-28T15:09:00.001-05:00

"The successful companies will be customer-obsessed. Those that master the customer data flow and improve frontline customer staff will have the edge." -Josh Bernoff article

Some cool new music

2011-07-26T09:45:00.001-05:00

Broken Bells
-Broken Bells

Thank You Happy Birthday
-Cage The Elephant (rec from my mary)

Passive Me, Aggressive You
-The Naked And Famous

Megalithic Symphony
-AWOLNATION

Yes to Google+

2011-07-15T08:12:00.001-05:00

My buddy Keith just invited me to Google+...so take that Tim!

Google, it would be nice if…

2011-07-01T13:34:00.001-05:00

You could put the collections a document belongs to up near the title when the doc is open…

Oops!

2011-07-01T13:32:00.001-05:00

Why technology is so cool…

2011-03-14T12:38:00.001-05:00

I just received my coupon for a free foursome (golf and cart) at Falcon Lakes GC here in north KC. How did I get this? Well…

My good buddy Brad Axon was in town from San Fran for the Kansas City Golf Show. He works for the Golf Channel and they had a booth there. We communicated via fb and text, to get me a free pass to the show and I met him there. Once at the golf show, I ‘checked-in’ using fb on my Evo. Andy Mahlandt saw that I was at the show on fb and happened to be listening to 810 sports and they announced that…”the first person at our booth here at the golf show gets a free foursome”!

So Andy texted me and told me to run to the 810 booth, so I did and I won! Winner!

2011-01-14T17:02:00.000-06:00

Congrats to Tim and Chelsea, proud parents of Adalyn Mae Hibbard born today!

I still post

2010-08-24T16:53:00.001-05:00

I am wearing contacts right now for the first time ever and…. I got an Evo!

More From OneNote

2010-05-28T10:47:00.001-05:00

OneNote 2010 has a Back button and I can add links to other OneNote Pages! I used OneNote Mobile at CTAA as well.

Confused About Microsoft Online Services

2010-05-14T12:00:00.002-05:00

Now that I am running Office 2010, it has the ability to save documents to their new WebApps online service. You can manage your files with your SkyDrive, you get 25 GB free with your Microsoft Live account. This has led me to dive a little deeper into their online services and I am just getting confused about everything they provide.

For instance, is it...

Live SkyDrive or Office Live Workspace Documents?

Office Web Apps and/or Live Office?

or even now Office 2010 (Save to Web)?

Live Photos and/or Flickr?

Live Network, Groups, Contacts and now People?

Live Profile or is it Live Spaces? wtf?

As I have adapted Google Docs (now that I found Google Drawings) I will keep posting and comparing the 2 here.

Sorry Zoho and Office Live

2010-04-12T10:15:00.002-05:00

I just switched to Google Docs because you guys are too slow.

I am back and Microsoft OneNote rocks!

2010-04-09T10:22:00.003-05:00

While working on our new website, I have found that I have started to get disorganized with my potential thoughts, pics and content. I had many random text files of content I created, stuff I copied from old sites/brochures, powerpoint slides and photos strewn about several folders. This became difficult to manage...so I recently tried out MS OneNote again and it is PERFECT!

You set up a workbook like a canvas, then you add folders and pages to those folders. This is just how my brain works, but I needed a nice neat way to store it visually and this is perfect. You can drag files, photos and type random thoughts wherever you want. If you think in random spurts like me - you should try out OneNote!

New EnGraph Website Coming Soon!

2010-04-09T10:16:00.002-05:00

Tim has got me cranking on a new web presence for EnGraph Software. We have posted a preview screenshot on our company facebook page and twitpic. We also decided to put the estimated prices of our software products on our website.

Happy New Year For EnGraph!

2010-01-07T07:12:00.004-06:00

It's been a while since I have posted, but Tim and I are in Fayetteville, AR at Razorback Transit. Where we just installed our latest version of ParaPlan.

Shown above are Jay and Barrett using ParaPlan 4.0.

On another note, EnGraph Software is now solely owned by myself and Tim. He has assumed the roles of CEO/CTO/CFO, whereas I have assumed the role of sales, marketing, support and business development. We are currently overloaded and looking for help on the software development front. For more information, please read Tim's post here:

http://geekswithblogs.net/thibbard/archive/2009/12/30/engraph-is-hiring-ndash-asp.net-kansas-city.aspx

I missed October 2009

2009-11-29T22:53:00.001-06:00

Its been a tough late few months for me as I have moved away from what I thought was my mentor. I am doing well and so is EnGraph. I will be posting very soon!

Vista Transit

2009-09-15T19:01:00.001-05:00

EnGraph just installed its first deviated fixed route and curb-to-curb combined ParaPlan solution! I have learned a ton here this week in Sierra Vista, AZ and how they run their unique transit operation.

I’d like to thank Rex, Nacho, Steve and Helen for a great install/update!

NW Olathe is Blowin’ up!

2009-09-01T19:01:00.001-05:00

New stuff coming to my hood…

119th & K-10 – Salty Iguana, Goodcents and Johnny's Tavern
95th & K-7 – SMC Emergency Room and Outpatient Care
College & K-7 – Kansas State University Olathe Innovation Campus
College & Lone Elm – Subway, Brusco's New York Pizza
College & K-7 – Olathe Medical Center Plaza
Harold & K-7 – New strip mall *no tenants yet…structural by ASB!
Santa Fe & K-7 – BK, CVS, Panda Express, Jimmy Johns, Sport Clips
College & Ridgeview – New Ridgeview Corporate Center

The Ole Village Greens Golf Course

2009-08-26T18:05:00.001-05:00

Peez took me out to one of our old college favorites 2 weekends ago. The course is called THE VILLAGE GREENS and it resides in lovely Ozawkie, KS near Perry Lake. We played this course quite a bit in our later days in college because it was cheap and fun. All we had was Alvamar when we were at KU and she’s a little pricey for college kids. Anyway, it was humid and hot but good times. After, we stopped in Oskaloosa to watch the final round of the PGA at some local ‘downtown’ bar called Angie’s?

At client site in Sheridan, WY

2009-07-13T19:49:00.001-05:00

I am here at Sheridan Minibus and Misty took me out around town a bit after picking me up from the airport.

This first pic is for Timmay!

Then here are a few pics from the site…

Very odd weather here in Wyoming :) That is my hotel and it looks like it is on fire.

Royals/Cards GNO

2009-06-21T11:23:00.001-05:00

The old school Burns & Mac boys try and go to the Royals/Cards game every year for our ‘Guys Night Out’. We had a blast in the rain this year and even saw the Woods at Coach’s after!

Andy, John Von LaFron & Rohe

bRalls, Crash and Mahlandt

The Royals lost 7-1 btw…get ‘em next time?!?

Funny Tiger pic and caption at the U.S. Open

2009-06-21T11:17:00.001-05:00

Saw this pic today on the official US Open website…

Perfect.

Stone Canyon by Greg Norman

2009-05-19T12:47:00.001-05:00

Playin here at this awesome new KC course on Sunday!

http://www.stonecanyongolfclub.com

Nice.

Even my daughter is blogging!

2009-05-04T15:37:00.001-05:00

http://sophielorene.blogspot.com/

My Treo Pro is coming soon!

2009-04-21T18:19:00.001-05:00

I can't wait 2-3 business days for this bad boy! Tim was proud I finally pulled the trigger.

Now I can play Soduku in the dark late at night with Soph Nugget!

More Sophie!

2009-04-14T19:04:00.001-05:00

Conlin, Craig, Sophs and KJ2

Introducing Sophie...

2009-04-04T21:47:00.001-05:00

Sophie Lorene Archer
April 2, 2009 10:22 PM
4 lbs 13 ounces, 17.75 inches

Posting from a pull-out couch watching hoops while my wife Allie and new daughter sleep soundly. Very nice.

ParaPlan Install at Transpo in South Bend

2009-03-31T21:23:00.001-05:00

I spent 7 days in South Bend implementing ParaPlan Pro at Transpo. Moving into a new software package is always a challenge, but we all worked many long hours to make it work! I made many great friends when I was there...especially Reece and Jeannette who worked late into the evening with me setting up their system. Here are some pics from my trip...

Touchdown Jesus on campus at Notre Dame. Nice

Seymour Prentis

2009-03-31T21:16:00.001-05:00

Matt and Nicole just got a new Bernese and named him Seymour of course!

Allie's Acer Netbook

2009-03-31T21:13:00.001-05:00

We pulled the trigger a while back and bought Allie this little laptop that she just adores!

Babymoon at the Lodge

2009-01-27T00:26:00.001-06:00

Allie and I are getting ready to be parents. We took a weekend vacation down to the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. We had a perfect room at the Lodge of the Four Seasons. We had breakfast in bed and read our baby books...

*name the movie

We then had a duet massage/spa and an incredible dinner...

I wonder if my daughter will someday read this post. Hmmm...we are so excited for you to join us!

Listening To Obama

2009-01-20T11:21:00.001-06:00

This is simply a personal timestamp...I am at the office in Lenexa listening to Barack's inauguration speech on NPR.com. Going to watch it tonight with Allie and BabyA on the way!

Software Support Standard

2009-01-05T18:59:00.001-06:00

As the novelty of software development has worn off and many users now depend on your software, I have realized the following and needed to make a note of it...

When users describe something that is happening with the software you developed/support...it is always explained in a way you never expected thus leading to more questions. I am not saying that an end-user's explanation is wrong, it is just not how you would have personally described it as a developer. All I know is that there is always something wrong/unexpected in their experience and it requires attention.

ParaPlan 4.0 Beta Unleashed!

2008-12-18T12:51:00.001-06:00

I will soon be installing our newest version of ParaPlan at Kendal-Crosslands today (www.kcc.kendal.org). Steve Cooper is the transportation director at KCC and will be our first beta tester of ParaPlan 4.0. Steve provided numerous requests and comments during the development of ParaPlan 2/3 and he will be a great resource for us as we roll out the new version. Steve will be testing it on a copy of his ParaPlan 3.8x data.

PP 4.0 is in written in C# .NET 3.5...Tim has been working on it for quite some time and we are excited about beginning its release cycle!

This new version is no longer dependent on Microsoft Access which has always caused us various issues.

Stay tuned!

KU vs Kent State

2008-12-03T21:20:00.001-06:00

Allie and I decided late to go to the game in Lawrence and a couple cool things happened at the game last Monday.

#1 With just 0.2 seconds left in the 1st half, KU had an inboud alley-oop to Cole to end the half and we all went nutz of course. Then as the teams left the court for halftime, they put the following clip on the jumbotron...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4STTYu-wkU

Then right after Farley says, "That was awesome!", they replayed Cole's dunk several times. Kinda sweet.

#2 During a 2nd half timeout... they played the now infamous 4th&7 play by KU vs Mizzou at the 08 Arrowhead game. After the crowd went crazy, they zoomed the jumbotron to Todd Reesing who was in attendance and we all gave him a standing O for a couple minutes. Kinda sweeter.

Coldplay in KC 08

2008-11-14T09:55:00.001-06:00

The show was truly amazing for me and Allie.

Me, Allie, Crash and BC hit the Sprint Center for Coldplay 08! They put on a great show across the board, but a sweet moment occurred when they ran up into the croud just 6 rows from me and Allie.... they played 'The Scientist'...which was our first dance at our wedding. It was so so cool...

Sorry about the pic quality...but whatever.

Obama Wins!

2008-11-05T10:31:00.001-06:00

Here is a cool Google Map mashup of Barack's life:

http://www.mibazaar.com/obama_igoogle.html

Election 2008...Obama v. McCain

2008-11-04T13:33:00.001-06:00

I generally agree with every Republican philosophy, but I no longer have faith that they can properly deliver it to us. That is pretty much all I need to say on that. This election is historic and exciting...I voted early and here is a pic of the voter line in Johnson County, KS one day before the election...

A Moment To Post...

2008-11-04T13:15:00.001-06:00

I missed October somehow, but a lot has been going on. Allie is pregnant!... and I will have some sweet ultrasound pics in 3 weeks. We are due on April 16 09.

I also went to the Arkansas Transit trade show by myself for the first time in Little Rock, AR. It was an awesome experience for me because I was the only software vendor at the show and I am also good friends with the regulars. Here is a pic of me and Russ Parish of the ATA....

Russ and I became friends back in 2001, when Carl and I first attended the Arkansas Transit Show. Russ is a trainer for the ATA and drives his state daily to visit transit sites and train their clients on everything from drug and alcohol testing to wheelchair tie-down instruction. He received a national award from the FTA for his service this year too! very cool

We also had a ParaPlan Pro install at Sheridan MiniBus in Sheridan, WY!

UCATS ParaPlan Install

2008-09-30T11:27:00.001-05:00

On September 8-10, I visited UCATS in Marysville, OH to install ParaPlan Lite. The install and training went very well thanks to Mike Baird. UCATS was the first sale for Anne Richards, our fantastic new Sales & Marketing Director...

Latest ParaPlan Install

2008-08-03T09:49:00.001-05:00

We just got back from a week long install of ParaPlan Pro at KART (Kingman Area Regional Transit). They operate 6 fixed routes and deviate from those routes for paratransit service. I added a new layer to ParaPlan to support this requirement. This process did of course grant me 4 hrs of sleep per night, but it was well worth it and they are happy with the results. They will be going live with the system this week.

To get to Kingman, we fly into Vegas and drive down over the Hoover Dam on Hwy93. They are building this awesome new arch bridge over the whole thing to improve traffice flow and for national security concerns...

AutoNumber Reset in SQL 2005

2008-07-13T10:54:00.001-05:00

This post is pretty much just a note for myself, but it might help someone too. When appending rows from an Access Database table to a SQL Server table of the same structure, sometimes SQL will not retain the ID's for AutoNumber fields. This can be a big problem for our ParaPlan application. In Access you can compact and repair to reset your autonumber fields back to 0 or 1 obviously. However, I never really figured out how to do that in SQL 05 until now.

To clear a table's records and reset the autonumber in SQL 05, just use the following syntax in a query on SQL db:

"truncate table dbo.drivers"

Pandora Sidebar Gadget for Vista

2008-07-11T11:51:00.001-05:00

I just love it...

click here to download

Interior Painting Gets Started!

2008-06-12T14:05:00.001-05:00

Allie and I are so far very pleased with our paint color and the work being done here by JB Paint Company. We are using Benjamin Moore Paint from Gragg's and Frank (Allie's Dad) got us a nice deal on top of the internet special. The color we (i mean Allie) chose for pretty much everything is Monroe Bisque. We had several other options but went with this after Allie and I compared them by actually painting samples on our walls. Here are a couple pics of how it looks!

The previous owners were K-State'ers so the lavendar you see in the dining room will soon be replaced by this awesome Blue Spruce.

The color is this basic nice soft yellow-tan and we really like it! and yes...i am a tool.

Kansas Rush Summer Soccer

2008-06-11T17:51:00.001-05:00

I am gonna play outdoor men's soccer this summer with my good buddy Patrick. I just gotta get my butt off the couch :) http://www.kansasrush.com

The RockBand Video Game

2008-06-03T16:09:00.001-05:00

For us 30-'somethings'...this thing rocks for parties...

Burgers/Dogs and RockBand in Lenexa Kansas last weekend....

All girls killin' it at Jodi's birthday party...

Tim Shroba (aka Tommy Lee)

Brian, Tim and I had a somewhat video-worthy version of...
Weezer's 'Buddy Holly'...whatever

EnGraph On The Road Again

2008-05-20T22:56:00.001-05:00

I just arrived in Kennett Square, PA where I will be upgrading Kendal-Crosslands Communities from ParaPlan Lite Access to ParaPlan Lite SQL. I am excited to finally meet Steve Cooper, the director of KCC, because he has been a ParaPlan user since 2004. His recommendations and testing of our system has been invaluable to me. I am really looking forward to the two of us bouncing around ParaPlan ideas this week.

Carl and Anne are currently in Oberlin, OH training new ParaPlan clients as well.

ParaPlan is growing and the future is very bright!

Simulating A Right-Click From The Keyboard

2008-05-19T10:26:00.001-05:00

I have been doing quite a bit of LogMeIn (IT Reach and Rescue) lately and sometimes my mouse right-click does not work to get context menus. Therefore, if you ever have this issue, just select the icon or item you need and press [Shift] [F10]. I am sure Tim could have told me this, but he wasn't here :)

The New Google Earth 4.3 StreetView is Ridiculous

2008-05-03T13:24:00.001-05:00

I just installed the new Google Earth and it now features enhanced StreetView, which exists in Google Maps, but it is now even more high-res and wonderful. Once you turn on StreetView in Google Maps, then drill down tight, you will see the following shiny balls to click and enjoy :) ha ha

Once you click one of these, you get an impressive and dynamic view of the street you are now standing on. (e.g. 1428 Grand in KCMO)...

Download Google Earth 4.3 here: http://earth.google.com/

acrosstheboard blog and twitter

2008-05-03T11:36:00.001-05:00

Last night at the Kentucky Derby Casino benefit for visually impaired children in Kansas City, I met Ramsey Mohsen. Ramsey is a KU grad who writes my all-time favorite blog: http://acrosstheboard.blogspot.com/

I subscribe to him on http://feedblitz.com so that his multiple daily posts just flow into my inbox every morning and I can start my day with a nice chuckle. His blog is obviously geared towards men in their 20's and 30's...so beware.

I felt like a I had met a famous person and he is a very cool guy, here is a pic from last night:

On another note, Tim thinks twitter is fun and set me up on it.
Tim says it is 'like shouting into the crowd':

You can follow me here: *i may start using this more i think!
http://twitter.com/kylejarcher

You can follow Tim here:
http://twitter.com/timhibbard

You can follow Ramsey here:
http://twitter.com/ramseym

The Jayhawks Are NCAA Champs!

2008-04-29T20:59:00.001-05:00

I don't really know how to write about the past season of college hoops, but I will try my best to put it into perspective for those who are part of the Jayhawk fanhood and those who are not. It has been 3 weeks since KU won it all and now I think I can put my thoughts to paper.

This is obviously a monster post...so look out!
***I have many fun pics about the final four etc down below***

I was in high school in Olathe when KU won in 1988. I liked the Jayhawks, but I never truly appreciated that win because my brother Craig was currently at KU, my Dad graduated from KU in 1964 and my Uncle before him.. At the time, I remember it being 'their' championship, not mine... if that makes any sense. I was flooded with KU my entire life and for some reason I fought that a little bit (stupidly, btw). I visited several Kansas universities my senior year in high school except KU: (Wichita State, K-State and Washburn). I think I was excited about WSU and just wanted to be different until 2 things happened:

1. I received a scholarship to 'study' abroad in Greece for the summer.
2. I visited KU without my Dad nor my older brother.

I went up to Lawrence with some high school friends for the first time and went to some rush parties. I just loved it and immediately signed up. I was also under the gun to make a decision because I was leaving the country for the entire summer.

I was at KU from 1990-1997 and during that time I went to pretty much every KU basketball game I could...I freakin loved it all. I was one of those nerds who grouped up with either my fraternity brothers or engineering buddies and literally camped out at the field house for the big games. Players I got to see all the time while in school: Adonis, 'Downtown' Terry Brown, Woodberry, Walters, Jacque, LaFrentz, Pierce, Haase and dunkmaster Darrin Hancock.

When I was a young student, Allen Field House was like a sacred temple that I felt only students should worship. I remember wondering why the whole place wasn't filled with just students. It is so funny to me now that I feel like the current students have no idea how much the field house experience will mean to them later in life :)

To this day...there is NOTHING like being a student at KU, camping out, saving seats, sitting in the student section, ripping up the UDK like a madman and then going crazy. I am not sure which year it was, but I had Mom, Dad and Craig come up for a Texas game and I got them seated almost behind/near the bench in the student section somehow and it was incredible.

In 1991 and 1993 we had Final Four runs, but no championship. Campus was crazy both times and I was immersed in all of it. My fraternity (Delta Chi) rented a 20' screen and had a monster lot party for the 1991 Championship vs. Duke. We lost that game, but it was still an incredible run to experience as a freshman.

On a side note: During my masters at KU I started to appreciate the football team more and I am glad I had my Dad up for most home games. We had a blast and I can see now how much that meant to him and me. Basketball games also became more special in my 'older' age with Park, Prentis, Coleman, Cloughley and Spoada.

Eventually I left Lawrence in 1997 and became just a normal alumni fan. In 2003 I met my Allie, who went to KU just after me. She is a 4th-generation Jayhawk and obviously has more ties than even me. Thanks to her Grandpa Lloyd and my pops-in-law Frank, we have access to season tickets at the field house. Since 2003 we (Allie, Dad, Frank, etc.)have been going to many games together as alumni. We have been soaking in all the excitement and occasional pain. (e.g. Bucknell and sadly Bradley) I actually watched KU's championship loss to Syracuse in '03 with Mark Connolly (our company sales director and major KU fan/alumnus) at a hotel in lovely Atlantic City. Mark left the room in disgust and then Peez drunk-dialed me from NYC in a daze...that was the worst feeling ever and Carmelo can suck it!

Anyway, every season of Jayhawk basketball is always special to us fans because we are somehow always near the top of the Big 12 and rarely miss the NCAA Tournament. When I was at Burns & Mac, getting monster alumni groups together to watch big games was my staple.

And finally I get to start making my actual post below...

***NOW THE KU HOOPS 2007-2008 SEASON:
(my attempt to recreate what we all felt)

The start of this season did not launch with the normal *POP* that it usually does because the KU football team was so incredible this year. At work, Tim and I were freaking out about KU football and KU hoops at the same time and we didn't really know what to do. It was too funny!

In lieu of the KU football insanity, I recall the basketball team was awesome and 20-0 until it lost @KSU. Brandon Rush was back and on the mend, but Collins was hurt...still the Big 12 Season was in full swing. We were pretty deep and only lost 2 more games: @TX and @OSU. Allie and I were at the rematch victory vs KSU at Allen and it was probably the loudest game ever for me. I think after the OSU loss, the press kind of wrote us off a bit and we became an underdog to Texas and others nationally. But then the Big 12 Tourney started in KC at the new Sprint Center and we rolled...

I heard that the Big 12 Tournament Championship Game (KU vs Texas) was probably the best NCAA basketball game thus far all year, but I missed that because Carl booked our flight to take off right at tip.

And now the madness finally begins...KU, UNC, UCLA and Memphis all earn #1 seeds and I immediately saw this on my Yahoo! Sports homepage on March 17, 2008:

RUSH, LOVE, HANSBROUGH and ROSE (nice) >>

We were a #1 seed and the pressure was on, but we had only 3 losses on the year and our biggest loss was like 9 pts on the road.

Tourney action started on Thursday (03-20-2008) and I saw this pic on the start of my main Yahoo! homepage: *so i snagged it! >>
---little did Yahoo! know that Mario would eventually...

KU played good through the first 2 games and then really shined in the Sweet 16 matchup vs Villanova. Allie was such a trooper reserving tables at key locations throughout the games...wow. After the Nova win, giant-killer Davidson who beat Gonzaga, Georgetown and Wisconsin were up next. They shut us down and were awesome (especially Curry) but luckily we survived that game to make the Final Four >>

KU had made its first Final Four since 2003 and it was also Coach Self's first in his career. We were now in uncharted territory as the KU fan's dream had come to fruition >>

PLAYING NORTH CAROLINA IN THE FINAL FOUR vs COACH ROY!!

The hype before this game was almost too much to bear. All the past stories of Roy, KU and UNC etc. Roy almost leaving then staying for two years, then leaving...blah blah blah.

Allie, Tim, Peez, Craig, Frank, Dad and I were going crazy sharing articles, newspapers, blogs etc. It was nutz. The irony became so thick because OSU (Self's alma-mater) had just fired head coach Sean Sutton and were apparently courting Bill Self, just as UNC had with Roy before the KU '03 Final Four. It got crazy and the press ran with it until the tip on Saturday, April 5, 2008...

UNC was the overall #1 seed and we were the bottom #1 seed among the first-ever all-#1 seed Final Four! Tyler Hansbrough was the MAN and most TV commentators didn't think we had a solution for him nor UNC in general.

April 5, 2008: National Semi-Final (North Carolina vs. Kansas)

Then the game started with perhaps the best single KU run in history:
KU JUMPED TO A 40-12 LEAD! We were incredible that 1st half >>

^ Swatting Tyler 1 ^

^ Swatting Tyler 2 ^

We smothered Tyler & UNC and won huge (84-66). We watched this game at Johnny's in Olathe near our home with Peez, Niko, Patrick and his buddy Raj. Raj was from India and studying at KU with Patrick. He had never experienced this before and he got even more crazy than us die-hard fans. He was high-fivin' everyone and their mom! It was great. Here is a pic of proud Peez and the tv's we were watching that night >>

This win over UNC w/Roy was so sweet for fans because we love KU so much (almost too much) and can't fathom why anyone would love another school more. But we all failed to realize that Roy felt the same way about UNC and stuck with KU because it almost felt like home to him.

I still like and love Roy (always have), but so proud we beat his team that he left KU for...and that we did it on the biggest stage when UNC was favored to win...ahhh so nice regardless :)

For me...that win was my championship for some reason. I felt so proud yet I had nothing to do with the win except run up a bar tab and party with my friends:) It was so emotional and so incredible that anything else would be just gravy.

We now had to play Memphis who were the AP #1 most of the season. They had just clobbered UCLA who beat us in the Elite 8 last year. Their style was even more crazy than ours. I watched a few Memphis highlights during the year on ESPN and these guys dunked like the freakin NBA. Memphis also bullied Texas on their way in...
so that was nice? and here we go >>

April 7, 2008: Championship Game (Memphis vs. Kansas)

Pic taken by Sam Stuckey (Allie's Uncle) who took his entire family to San Antonio for the Final Four.

Monday was a work day so Allie couldn't save seats at a hotspot. Tim invited all of us to come to Lawrence to watch the game and then hit Mass St. if we won. Peez could not make it to ltown unfortunately. Anyway, we met Tim, Chelsea, Matt and Lesha at their house to watch the game. The whole event was so surreal, I can't even describe watching the game.

KU looked solid early but got beat late in the game. We were down like 13 points with 2 minutes and kept fouling and somehow had a chance to tie with 11 seconds left and then this happened >>

All you can hear is Jim Nantz saying, "Kansas has made only two 3's on the night and they must make one here to extend the game.
Collins driving... almost lost the handle...Chalmers for the tie!"
*then just screaming :)

>> and that was perhaps the best thing i have ever seen.

We then went to OT and played great on a foul-troubled Memphis team.

We beat Memphis in OT and won the NCAA National Championship >>

This is what accomplishment looks like.

Then we went to Mass St. with 40,000 people >>

^ Allie and I driving to Mass St after the win ^

^ Allie, Chelsea and Tim after the huge win! ^

That is pretty much it. Chalmers shot will be remembered forever. People keep asking me how it feels and my only description is the video above...IT IS AMAZING!

Here is a link to more great video captures of the Final Four >>
http://phogblog.com/2008/04/12/top-ten-you-tube-videos-of-2008-jayhawk-national-championship/

KJ OUT - see ya next year! *with our all freshman team!

P.S. Coach Self stayed at KU btw :)

Recent Client Visits

2008-04-28T21:18:00.001-05:00

I went to Society for Equal Access (SEA) in New Philadelphia, OH to give them some advanced ParaPlan training:

Carl and I also had a pre-install meeting at Kingman Area Regional Transit (KART) in Kingman, AZ. They operate 5 fixed routes that deviate up to 3/4 mi for Paratransit service. Carl and I rode the YELLOW route to see this in action!

Birthday Parties

2008-04-28T20:58:00.001-05:00

Peez turned 34 this month:

Spoada met me, P and Patrick in Lawrence for some old school fun!
*RED LYON

Tauni B turned 30 this month!

Lindsey and BC getting their party on in OPP!
*FOX N HOUND

2008 Royals Home Opener

2008-04-15T12:09:00.001-05:00

Cold and wet, but the new scoreboard at The K is ridiculous! We made it here after partying in Lawrence after the amazing Jayhawk National Championship win!

The opener is an old Burns & Mac tradition and even some out-of-towners showed up!

Allie, Stacy and Margie (April 8, 2008)

New ParaPlan Pro Install

2008-03-16T11:16:00.001-05:00

Carl and I are headed to Cincinnati, OH today for a ParaPlan Pro install at Inclusive Solutions. Visit their website here.

My beloved Jayhawks play for the Big 12 Tourney title at 2pm today. Carl booked our flights and we take off at 2:05 pm today :( I guess we know who is the true fan. Ha ha. GO HAWKS!

Stay tuned for more information on our week-long business trip.

Introducing Tim & Chelsea Hibbard!

2008-03-15T19:39:00.001-05:00

They actually did it! They tied the knot at the Isle of Palms in South Carolina last weekend. Allie and I had a wonderful time with them, their families and friends. They had a few obstacles pop up while pulling this thing off, but all worked without a hitch and they had a beautiful wedding.

The wedding party: Matt, Allen, KJ, Tim, Chelsea, Rachel, Jody and Robin

More pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kjtothea

...and more coming soon!

Tim Joins The Rest of Us

2008-03-05T21:56:00.001-06:00

Allie and I are flying to Charleston, SC tomorrow for Tim and Chelsea's wonderful wedding on the beach! We are fired up and so happy for them. I am so proud to be his Best Man. Here is their wedding website: http://www.timhibbard.com/wedding/

Pics coming soon!

My Civic Makes Google Maps

2008-02-14T16:10:00.001-06:00

I just looked up my boyhood home on Google Maps and saw my car parked out front in their StreetView. They must have been by this summer. Too cool. -click here-

Blogging From Florida

2008-01-28T08:09:00.001-06:00

I am in Naples with my Dad, brother Craig and Uncle Ross right now. My Uncle has an amazing condo on the 11th floor on the beach here in Naples, FL. We played golf yesterday at the Golf Club at Del Webb, which is a brand new course in this incredible Catholic community called Ave Maria. Here is a pic of the course:

I have not played since November when Peez beat me at Adam's Pointe, but I played fairly well and shot an 86. Craig and I lost by 1 stroke to Dad and Ross....boo hoo. Here were the rules: Craig and I played best ball from the back tees and they played a scramble from the middle tees. We also gave them 9 strokes and 8 mulligans.

Here is a pic from the condo:

Today we are playing the Mustang Club at the Lely Resort and then we come home tomorrow. Rock Chalk!

My Fun New Mobile Music Devices

2008-01-06T08:07:00.001-06:00

I have been talking about HD radio for a long time, but never pulled the trigger. Tim (who is now engaged! btw) got me this perfect new DUAL HD car radio for Christmas...*probably so I would shut up about it all :)

It is perfect for me because it does everything I want: supports HD radio, displays song info on HD stations, plays CD-R/RW CD's, plays MP3/WMA CD's, has a front USB connection to play MP3's from a mass storage device and it is Bluetooth capable. Nice!

I had it installed at Best Buy and bought myself some nice new Alpine speakers too! Anyway, the ability to plug in a thumb drive and play music is awesome. However, I wanted an MP3 player that i could plug into my computer in a USB port, then transfer files easily using Windows Media Player, then take it with me when i go 'run', then also plug it into my new car stereo...and so Tim help me find the SanDisk Sansa Express 2GB MP3 Player for just $50 on amazon...

All this in time for my long drive to Jonesboro, AR to visit our clients at the East Arkansas Area Agency on Aging!

Everything with this setup is perfect except for the fact that I have to turn my MP3 player on and off again after I use it in my car stereo. Not that big a deal, but if I figure it out...I just might blog about it!

New ParaPlan Install Using LogMeIn Rescue!

2007-12-11T11:50:00.001-06:00

Carl is at Summit Stage in Frisco, CO this week training our newest ParaPlan clients! I performed the install using our FTP site set up by Tim and with LogMeIn Rescue. This new remote support tool allows us to easily take control of any computer with a unique code and their permission. There is no software to install on either end and we have now used it at over 10 sites with various client computer configurations and networks. We are very pleased to announce this new tool that allows us to provide even better support to our clients.

If immediate remote support is ever needed, just contact EnGraph for your 6-digit support code and goto http://engraph.com/support

New Sales Position Available at EnGraph

2007-11-14T16:20:00.001-06:00

EnGraph is offering a unique marketing and sales position to someone who desires working for a small software company that has been growing steadily since 1999. We are looking for someone to dive in head first, become proficient with our products, study our market, then architect our new corporate sales position for years to come.

Position Overview
------------------------
EnGraph is actively looking for a motivated sales professional to market and proudly sell EnGraph Software products. Since 1999, we have been helping organizations streamline their transportation services. Our product line is targeted towards city and county agencies that provide curb-to-curb transportation service for elderly and handicapped persons in their communities. As the need for these services increases each year, EnGraph wishes to hire a motivated person to help lead our market growth in this industry.

Please click this link for more information.

MapInfo Special Event

2007-11-07T07:03:00.001-06:00

EnGraph was one of the first partners with MapInfo and we have been using their mapping products with our software since the early 90's. Even though we are considering other mapping products, I am going to a 1-day MapInfo conference to hopefully get a good update of where they are headed.

EnGraph Visits Indiana

2007-10-28T21:32:00.001-05:00

Carl and I are in Warsaw, IN to install ParaPlan this week at KABS. Carl and I are driving this lovely Dodge Caliber from Enterprise. This is the start of a bright future for EnGraph in Indiana.

Heading to the Arkansas Transit Show

2007-10-14T11:48:00.001-05:00

Carl and I are leaving soon to go the Arkansas Public Transit Conference in lovely Hot Springs, AR. We will be taking Where's Tim?, so you can track our journey online...click here.

Wish us luck!

EnGraph Launches New Website & Logo!

2007-10-06T07:53:00.001-05:00

I am pleased to present our new logo and website for EnGraph Software. Our old site used frames and desperately needed updating to make it simpler for everyone to find information about EnGraph. Tim wrote about it too! I am very excited to present the fresh and new...

www.engraph.com

We also have updated our logo to make it simpler for reproduction on signs, shirts, swag, etc. Here it is!

Selling Our First House

2007-09-21T17:55:00.001-05:00

Allie and I put our house on the market today! We are very proud of it and excited to take our next step. We'd like to thank Debbie and Frank for their amazing help getting it ready. Thanks to Matt Prentis for his landscaping expertise and hooking us up with the best realtor in KC, Damon Earnshaw & Company (Reece & Nichols).

Thanks to my Dad who helped with our house and who put us up in the interim. Much thanks to Tim who created my finished basement with limited help from me :) More thanks to Jonas Heter who rocked my electrical system!

Our house was just listed an hour ago on heartland MLS (link). It will soon be on the Reece & Nichols website after they do this 360 degree video shoot.

MLS# 1429885 << link

Here is a collage of how fantastic our house looks!