Portfolio: Assorted FB Apps

Posted on May 20, 2012 by

Love it or hate it, Facebook is big news for the foreseeable future.

As such, it’s a huuuge opportunity for non-profits, allowing them to build advocacy, receive donations, and improve the effectiveness of existing campaigns, or events. I’ve done dozens of Facebook apps in the past, but this Longer Road post is about two sets of apps, 4 each for two clients.

But wait, I can’t take full-credit! I helped design five of them, built-out seven, and did the fb dev work. My other team members at ZuriGroup and our great clients deserve the majority of credit!  Anyway, without further adieu, these are the two great organization’s pages: Lustgarten Foundation and World Neighbors (make sure to Like them!) Also, I included screenshots below, as eventually their campaigns/links might change.

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Quipdate

Posted on May 15, 2012 by

Whelp, it’s been over a week since the last post, been slacking. In honesty, just busy with work, warm weather, and updates to AAB (which is off to the printer). Also happy mama day, love ya ma!

I’ll be posting a few things in the next couple o’ days. Here’s a cool shelf to enjoy in the meantime.

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Portfolio: SteelLife

Posted on May 4, 2012 by

 

Got a new website to add to the ole’ portfolio. This was a fun one, a project I wrapped up over the weekend for my friend here in town, the same gal behind BD-Landscapes.com. For this site, I built out a custom mini-site for their new line of products, with a lightweight and simple look, but a lot of fancy css and javascript behind the scenes. Check out the site, and make sure to also follow them on Facebook.

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reverse skylight

Posted on May 3, 2012 by

A cool web-find. Here’s someone who built their bathroom above an old cistern or well shaft. Personally, I think it’s really cool, but for some people…well, ‘scaring the shit out of you’ could be argued as the architectural motivation.

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All’roundBend

Posted on April 28, 2012 by

Finally, All Around Bend 4th Edition is close to completion. Hoping to send it off to the printer early next week! It’ll be hitting shelves around Memorial Day if all goes well.

 

Made a number of changes, especially a revamp of the layout and formatting. Changed up fonts, header boxes, and all sorts of other styling. Not a ton was added as far as content, though some sections got heavy updates, such as breweries and events. This edition also features some guest photography, as well as updates on existing attractions and new ‘achievements’ at the end. I’ll keep posting as the sell-date approaches.

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Pair ‘o Brews

Posted on April 27, 2012 by

Recently celebrated my glorious day of birth, and – among the various mathoms – I received a pair of interesting brews.

Up first is E.S Bam from Jolly Pumpkin. I seemed to recognize this one, and sure enough, I found a review I did on BeerAdvocate (back when I was active) on 12-16-2008. I gave it a good review, here included in its original un-spellchecked wonder:

Had this and Bam Bier 750's back to back over 2 evenings. I actually think I liked the Bam Bier a bit better. This one just seemed a bit less complex, and a bit more unrefined. Poured a dark amber into my Church BrewWorks tulip glass. Craggly white head sits aloft. Immediatly getting a big ole yeasty farmhouse brett funk, which I definitely dig. Some other earthy grassy aromas in there too as the hops show up. I totally love the open fermentation and the tasty saison funk, but this just didnt meet my apparently high expectations.
It;s basically funly yeast with some hops dumped in. It's just kind of flat...not carbonation wise...but flavor wise, compared to other JP brews ive had.

So with this bit of 4-year old nostalgia revealed, We’ll be cracking this beer open tomorrow…look for the exciting update!

 

The second brew was by Upright Brewing, a very excellent brewery in Portland. This one’s a “strong lager” and inspired/tribute to The Clash (and/or punk rock in general).This brew poured with very tenacious carbonation, tart and crisp like champagne. The taste was more tart, also a bit peppery and floral. The carbonation added a lot of effervescence to the mouthfeel, and also brings out a bit of boozy heat (though it’s fairly tame at 6.75%). Overall a really cool style and very good brew. If you can find a bottle (limited release), grab one uppp!

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hackstability

Posted on April 24, 2012 by

Fun little essay, give it a read.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2012/04/24/151269428/can-hackstability-save-civilization?sc=fb&cc=fp

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Mathy Funtimes

Posted on April 23, 2012 by

While I usually do a bit of JS and PHP on occasion, I sometimes get thrown a doozy. In this case, it was coding up a custom form field that validates a unique checksum-verified airmile member card number. This was … Continue reading →

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Portfolio: ChildFund/Nokero

Posted on April 21, 2012 by

Yet another cool site here to add to the portfolio. This one is a standalone landing page for ChildFund International and Nokero, a company that makes affordable solar lights and specializing in developing countries. For this project, I did all the design work, full site codeup, JS thermometer, and more. The campaign just started, so go donate a few bucks if you’re feeling charitable :)

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Netflix: Revisited

Posted on April 18, 2012 by

So, I actually managed to cancel Netflix at long last. It was a process that I ranted about previously, and finally – just the other day – was able to achieve. I just wanted to share a funny feedback/poll that Netflix presented me after I successfully cancelled. It included a detailed and perfectly valid list of why they suck, conveniently aggregated by themselves, to share with outgoing customers. The first questions ask why I cancelled, pointing directly at their own shortcomings in an ironically apt list.

 

The final question basically introduces and recommends varied alternatives to their very own product, encouragingly so. Also, as an aside, I am rather amused that among the list of alternatives/competitors that they are providing, are a list of illegal torrent sites like torrentz, tvlinks and the infamous PirateBay, as well as a option for ‘Bootleg DVD’s’ and direct competitors like Hulu, Amazon OnDemand, iTunes, etc.

So yeah, if you still have Netflix, cancel and they will happily provide a list of better alternatives to themselves ;)

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IPApril

Posted on April 14, 2012 by

Cruised up to Sisters Oregon, for their IPA tap-takeover, dubbed IPApril. The lineup was 10 Oregon IPA’s, and Three Creeks Brewing presented them as a nice sampler, with a scoring-sheet and all.

  • Caldera IPA
  • Ft. George Vortex IPA
  • Boneyard RPM IPA
  • Lompoc Valley of the Hops
  • Double Mountain Hop Lava
  • Laurelwood Gearhead IPA
  • Three Creeks Hoodoo Voodoo
  • 10 Barrel Apocalypse IPA
  • Terminal Gravity IPA
  • Beer Valley Delta 9

My favorite was the Double Mountain, but between the wife and I, the standouts included: Boneyard RPM, Caldera, DoubleMountain, and the Laurelwood. The Beer Valley and Terminal Gravity were disappointing. The rest were great but not world class.

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Chestnut roasting

Posted on April 10, 2012 by

I mentioned our wood fireplace in a previous post, but we only used it once or twice in the last month due to a lack of firewood. I am delighted to now say that that will no longer be a problem:

firewood bend oregon

We now have enough wood to heat us through the chilly evenings (since spring has refused to visit Bend yet), as well as a goodly supply for a summer of camping trips.

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Scootin’

Posted on April 4, 2012 by

Warmer weather is a nice thing. The grass turns green, the flowers pop up, kids fill the playgrounds, picnickers hit the parks…and my moped can come out of hibernation.

 

Drove it to work for the first time this season, and aside from chilly hands and cheeks, it was a lovely ride. Couple things I need to remember for next year though:

 

1. detach the battery so it doesn’t drain dead

2. don’t leave the tank full of stale gas

3. wear gloves if it’s even slightly chilly, because at 25mph there’s some serious windchill!

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Hungry Hungry Games

Posted on April 2, 2012 by

Hunger Games is an interesting but well-trodden story. I do wonder if the general message has been a bit thinned in the movie-version, where it seems to focus more on battles and struggles, as opposed to morals and character developments. Either way, it was a decent movie, I’d give it 3 out of 4 stars and certainly suggest the books as a quick fun read.

 


As far as politics, you can get anything out of it, really. Whatever your beliefs, the story can align itself to you without much difficulty. The ‘President’, played by Donald Sutherland, and his government are designed to be ostracized by pretty-much any camp. One one hand, it’s a staunchly conservative, 1percenter oligarchy. On the other hand, a decadent and liberally elite regime. The reason why this works so well, is that the government is displayed as exceptionally cruel for effect. While there’s some questionable acts, there’s also a bevy of universally detestable ones, such as slavery, severe class hierarchy, poverty, corporal punishment, etc. At the same time, our hero Katniss embodies sacrifice and hope, the same themes that make countless other stories, such as the Bible, resonate so strongly.

 

The movie and book seem to conciously avoid making any sort of political statement, despite the prominence therein. Instead, it focuses more at a personal level, dealing with issues of trust, friendship, overcoming hardship, etc. Despite no partisan message, there’s basic themes we can get from the movie/books, if we assume Hunger Games was written with allegorical or prophetic intention:

1. Things aren’t going well

2. Government is not trusted (except to privileged few)

3. Ubiquitous Surveillance

4. Violence as entertainment/passivization

 

These seem to be the four general themes that pervade Panem, but allegorically they are also wider themes that many Americans feel or worry about. Honestly these have been issues to civilizations going back in time. The Romans are the closest example of this sort of dystopian Panem scenario, but a lot of literature has touched on these themes, from the Númenóreans in Tolkien, to the Empire in Lucas’ Star Wars.

 

I’m not quite decided as to whether this movie is good for young-teens, who might be a bit confused about the messages. It makes me wonder if the authors message is being told properly. If indeed Suzanne is trying to get a younger generation to think about government oppression, severe poverty, and myriad personal struggles, this is a good thing. I worry whether something like action-figures or games based on the series will have kids reenacting the violence instead…completely missing the message.

 

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A bit of a run-in

Posted on March 30, 2012 by

Spent the last few evenings writing again! Perhaps it’s just being back in Oregon that gets me in the literary mood? Also I started reading The Hunger Games last week, and it’s been a good while since I’ve read anything. Since both my Applachia book and Hunger Games are set in a dystopian future, I felt the urge to work on this project, instead of…say All Around Bend…which I ‘should’ be working on instead, being an actual book that I’ve been hounded to print more of and people are holding actual cash to my face over. I guess that’s just how writing goes though, and I’m happy to just be back in the mood, can’t risk being picky about the project itself!

 

On the subject of Hunger Games, I want to make it clear that my book has very few similarities, upon finally reading HG. Sure, it’s a bleak future, but the premises, plot, and characters are all so wildly different. I don’t plan for this to be a young adult book either… but to be honest, if someone who’s 16 reads Hunger Games first, I feel like my book could become a very satisfying, and mature followup for a roughly similar genre. So yeah, anyone know a bigshot movie producer I can pitch this too?! :P

Here’s a sampling from Appalachia, not written recently, but something from early in chapter 1-2ish that I did some small revisions to yesterday:

 

 

“Say, that’s a nice weapon you have there, looks familiar.”

“Oh yeah, it’s a beautiful shotgun, best purchase I ever made,” Theo lied, but the old well-dressed man seemed to not be fooled.

“That’s a funny thing,” he laughed grimly, before pausing to cough into a handkerchief. “Because I just got word on the radio that my cousin is dead…and you know what’s even funnier?”
Theo’s stomach knotted, he didn’t like where this was going.
“What’s even funnier is that you have my cousin’s identification card right there in your hand.”
Theo didn’t need the man to tell him that, because mid-sentence he looked down towards his left hand, which was grasping the forestock of the shotgun. And sure enough, an ID card was squeezed between two white knuckles. Theo knew that a small image of a man’s face, in his mid-3o’s…cocky, wife-beating smirk and all…was looking back at them.

Without another word, one of the large men took a step forward, reaching out, taking the shotgun barrel in his hand and forcing it up into the air with little effort.

Theo couldn’t have shot if he wanted too. Not only was he looking down a gunbarrel himself, he did not have the time to react, or even the willpower to do it. Even if had been determined to stand his ground, the gun was a late model – it didn’t recognize his grip – the trigger was locked.

He was apparently going for a ride with these men, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. The other hulking man turned towards the rusty passenger door, opening it…

 

 

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Portfolio: Friends Without a Border

Posted on March 26, 2012 by

Type: Full Solution

About: Friends Without a Border is a wonderful foundation that raises funds for the Angkor Children’s Hospital in Cambodia. For this client, the goal was to do away with their old static html site and redesign from scratch in Blackbaud’s NetCommunity CMS. I designed, managed, and coded up this site, as well as assisting with content migration. Make sure to visit fwab.org and consider donating to their great cause!

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Relocationating

Posted on March 25, 2012 by

Whew! Back in Bend, back to work, and back to bloggin. I’ll make this quick, since I’ve got my hands full for the next few days, but thanks to everyone who helped us move and helping make our transition back to Oregon go so smooth.

 

Our new place is on a quite street, a block from the river, and has some nice features such as a wood-burning fireplace (—>).

 

Well, I said it would be short! Back to unpacking!

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Grunions vs Scunions

Posted on March 12, 2012 by

Wanted to share a nice little trick that the wife found online and had me try. Basically this:

Green onions (scallions) will thrive in a glass of water.

 

Not like scallions are expensive, merely $1 (or I believe $.69 here at Hy-Vee) for a bunch, so allow me share some great reasons to try this yourself:

 

Scallion in water

  • Leaving them in a glass of water will keep them fresh perpetually. Scallions only last a couple weeks in the fridge before getting wilted and slimy. You can start now! Cut off the nasty parts and submerge the roots, it’ll come back to life. I’ve been growing the same bunch for over a month now.

 

  • They will re-grow, fast! You can cut from the plant often, and it will send up new green shoots if given lots of sun. I’ve noticed a couple inches of growth in a day for some of the larger stalks. They grow taller than you see at the stores too, have a few getting close to three-feet tall!

 

  • They’re clean and organic. No soil, no bugs, no chemicals. Even if they were not organic when you bought at store, i’d assume they will become ‘organic’ – free of chemicals – after a few weeks.  (though some may argue otherwise). I don’t even wash them…except a good rinse before the ‘planting’.

 

  • Scallions make great houseplants. They are a vivid spring-green, are incredibly easy to care for (just add water), and look stylish in a mason jar or vase. They are perfect in a kitchen window or table – being food themed – but honestly look good anywhere from an office cube to a patio. Also, they’re cheap.

 

Couple quick tips:

-Change the water at least once a week.

-Only keep an inch or two of water.

-Peel away any dead pieces or husk.

-I’d recommend filtered water if you’ve got highly chlorinated tap water.

-Sometimes the stalks fill with goo, just like aloe vera. Squeeze-out before visiting the cuttingboard.

-Most people, me included, prefer to the green parts of the plant… more flavor, color, texture (in my opinion). If you primarily eat the white end first, chopping off the root nub will likely kill the plant and not re-grow the roots.

 

Oh, also please feel free to vote for either Grunion vs Scunion in the comments, ha.

 

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Moseying

Posted on March 6, 2012 by

Apologies for the scant blog postings. You see, we’re moving again…packing up our worldly possessions and relocating to the fourth place in just over six months. Heading back to Oregon specifically, which is the sort of move that both the wife and I are quite looking forward to. Each of the moves had their own important purposes however. The first was to be close to family, the second to get out of a terrible apartment… I wonder if in years from now, what our thoughts will be of this Omaha move. We’ve certainly made friends here, and it was nice to be near family…but what exactly will we take away from the experience?

We found a nice 3bedroom house in Bend, a couple blocks from the river, so that’s the plan. Bear with me if you don’t see all those awesome posts you’ve come to expect here at LongerRoad ;)

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The iThneed

Posted on February 28, 2012 by

There’s a new cgi movie coming out soon, based on The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. I assume hope that it sticks close enough to the deeper message, being a story about protecting the environment, preserving nature for the next generation, discouraging excess, and so forth. Yet recently I saw a commercial for The Lorax…well actually it was a Mazda commercial; a co-branded advert for a small SUV. The commercial can be seen here (if mazda doesn’t take it down due to all the complaints) and features their vehicle driving through a happy countryside of truffula trees, with cheery music and bright colors.

Also, the Lorax totally looks like Wilford Brimley

The real fact though, is that this is a new SUV, made on a huge assembly line, from 20000 parts, all of which require fossil fuels to refine and fabricate; metal, plastic, glass, rubber. At which point, it is shipped across the country/world, and begins its decade of consuming gas at 30MPG, barrels of oil and lubricants, new tires, batteries, and not to mention the air pollution, roads and infrastructure.

 

This is what we call greenwashing, friends. The commercial even makes reference to being “Certified Truffula Tree Friendly” an “Truffala Tree Seal of Approval” and something called “SkyActive Technology”. There is no intention or nod to being sarcastic, they actually and cheerfully tout these fictitious awards with the same authority as JDPower and Motortrend.

As an adult – and with an eye for marketing –  I can recognize this blatant branding ploy.The fact that the commercial is so bright, so colorful, so cartoony, makes me wonder how kids view these sorts of commercials…whether they will see the movie and this commercial…and question things, or whether they just nod, not knowing corporations can hide truth.

 

My general disposition would be to not pay to watch the movie. The Lorax is tied into several other products as well, over 70 ‘launch partners’ as they’re called. And I certainly I have no plans of owning or recommending a Mazda. But, at what point should people, common folks like you or I, take a further step…signing a petition, participating in a boycott? Am I upset enough about this unholy Mazda/Lorax affair that I want to do anything about it?

Perhaps the fact that I wrote up this blog is a step itself :)

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