Asymptomatic

There must be intelligent life down here

Developer Portfolio
December 16, 2013
development design portfolio lament

You see portfolio sites all over the web from web designers showcasing the sites that they've designed.  And now and then you see web developers posting a portfolio including a few sites they've managed the HTML coding for.  But you never see a portfolio of a developer showing the site architecture that they've rocked.

Here's a weird paradox:  I want to showcase the work I've done for clients.  The work I do is primarily writing site-specific code to enable a certain unique feature on a site, or assembling the parts to produce that feature.  But often I can't realistically use a screenshot of the site to characterize that work, since the screenshot is of the graphic design, which is something I had nothing to do with.

Space Derby
November 19, 2013
Riley scouts rocket derby space

Recently, Riley and I completed the Cub Scouts' Pack 32 Space Derby. Months ago, I told Riley's den leader that I was enthusiastic to help with the derby, since it is one of my favorite scouting events. After a handful of emails, I found myself volunteering for a number of things related to the event, in addition to helping Riley with his rocket.

The derby itself is a race of propeller-driven rockets, flying down a length of taught fishing line. The rocket is made of two halves of balsa wood, hollowed out and glued together, then shaved and sanded to a rocket shape. A hanger is attached to the top of the rocket that allows it to slip into a cradle that hangs from the fishing line track. Rubber bands inside the rocket attach to the propeller in front and a small stationary dowel in the back. The propeller is wound, tightening the rubber bands, and when it is attached to the cradle and released, the rocket flies down the track!

Fluxmob Bolt Review
November 13, 2013
review power Fluxmob Bolt device UDB

Back in June, I noticed a Kickstarter project for the FluxFluxmob Boltmob Bolt, and decided that it would be worth a pledge. The Bolt is a combination wall charger and battery backup for USB devices.  

The first thing you would notice about the Bolt is that it is very small and attractive-looking. It comes in multiple colors, of which I chose blue. The finish of the device has a nice quality tacky/rubbery feeling, not the slick plastic of similar devices.

Family Fridge Calendar
November 12, 2013
calendar Google fridge refrigerator

Fride CalWe use shared Google Calendars for our family calendaring. Each of us has his/her own calendar, and we have a shared calendar for stuff that we all participate in. But when we're sitting in the kitchen with the kids at meals, particularly while getting ready for school in the morning, it would be nice not to have to fish out the phones and cross-reference, and blah blah blah.

I set out to find a solution to this issue. The obvious solution is a traditional calendar. Berta bought one and added October's events to it, but it had some of the traditional problems.