Mash it up! Your site a friends site, blog site, myspace, or any URL your little XMash heart desires. Upload your face to become 1 of 4 XMashers. And get your mash on at www.merryxmash.com
It has arrived, the third, in a trilogy of three, Christmas promos that started back in 2006. But this year we decided to throw out all the stops. Make a smash hit! Our goal was to do something that had never been done before. Not by us, or anyone else for that matter. READ MORE
Music to Design, Develop, and Market by? Maybe. All I know is that the goal was to create a killer mix, Alex’s Best of 2k8, comprised entirely of songs that came out this year. Everybody’s doing it. NME, Rolling Stone Singles and Albums (i especially like that that last url is “…albums_of_the_yea”), Spin Magazine… even Dave Brown at Holiday Matinee made a mixtape for Sanctuary143. Well, this one is mine. READ MORE
Yes, I mostly wanted to blog this because of the praise it brought, but if patting your own back after someone else pats it, on a Thursday afternoon, is wrong, then I … I just don’t know. Anyways, the above image shouldn’t have white space inside the non-white, in theory, but it does. And you should have seen it before we got the images working!
I’ve always dug industrial design. From the furniture of Charles and Ray Eames, to the Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright, to the automotive design of Ferdinand Porsche, and to the great stuff presently being done by Frog Design and others. I recently came across this firm: http://www.suissacomputers.com/ Unbelievable synthesis of art and science… Functionality and form… Use of contrasting materials and textures. Love it. Just thought I’d share it.
Wordpress 2.7 has been released today, nicknamed “Coltrane”. And in case that means nothing to you, where should I begin? Wordpress is a most awesome open source blogging system that has been expanded to really become a fully-functional Content Management System. With plugins to allow everything from image galleries (check out Wordpress’ creator Matt Mullenweg’s nice setup) to fully customizable Meta-data on every page and post you create (check out what Ron is doing over at the SDInteractive blog), there is something for everyone.
I strongly recommend “The Painted Veil” as a must see piece of art. This movie is both beautiful and heart wrenching. Wonderfully filmed. Masterfully art directed. Ed Norton and Naomi Watts play their characters brilliantly. If you haven’t seen it, go rent it. You won’t be disappointed. Watch the trailer:
For my final BLOG, in this “Basics of Racing” series, I thought I’d simply share a couple of quotes, from two men who have influenced my life. Two men who were passionate about life and about being fast. And, I’ve included a YouTube movie clip for each. My two heroes come from two very different backgrounds. And from two different points in time. But they both do a pretty good job articulating my personal views on life, business, and racing. The first man is Eric Liddell. My Great Grandfather, Karl Vingren, a missionary from Sweden, worked with him in China. Most of the world got to know him in the movie “Chariots of Fire”. Known as “The Flying Scotsman”, because of his incredible speed, he made his name as a runner and Scottish Rugby Union star. He went on to win the gold medal, for England, in the Men’s 400 Meter at the 1924 Olympic games in Paris. But his heart and his long-term goals belonged to God. Immediately after the Olympics he went on to realize his true calling of being a Christian Missionary. He served in China for 20 years and died there, in 1945, at the age of 43, from a combination of malnutrition and a brain tumor. On life, spirituality, and running the race, he said: “It’s hard. Requires concentration of will. Energy of soul… I have no formula for winning the race. Everyone runs in their own way… So, where does the power come from to see the race to its end? From within.” See video below.
Eric Liddell (“Chariots of Fire”) Watch the segment from 00:37 to 2:28
My other hero is Steve McQueen. In his day he was one of Hollywood’s top actors with many brilliantly played rolls in movies like “The Thomas Crown Affair”, “The great Escape”, and “Papillion”. He was also a world-class, and very competitive, racecar driver. His movie “Lemans”, which he wrote, directed, and produced, is probably the best racing movie ever made. On life, business, and driving fast, he said: “When I believe in something, I fight like hell for it”… “A lot of people go through life doing things badly. Racing is important to men who do it well… Racing is life. Anything before, or after, is just waiting.” See video below.
Steve McQueen (“Lemans”) Watch the segment from 00:49 to 2:12
I’ve enjoyed writing this series on the fundamentals of racecar driving. I’ve enjoyed sharing my experience with you. And I’ve enjoyed using racing as a metaphor for branding online businesses. In closing I would just say to you… Go get ‘em. Run your business, and your life, with skill and passion. And, absolutely, have fun. In racing we say “Drive it like you stole it!”.
Cheers.
I’m Larry. On the weekends I’m either driving a race car or teaching someone else how. During the week I’m the Creative Director at Ninthlink. Flag us down. Let us help you find your your correct position in the market place. And get you on a winning track with your online business. Call to action: Let’s get you moving. Email me at: larry@ninthlink.com.
Ninthlink is proud to present the redesign of Strom Commercial’s stromcommercial.com website! Now I don’t want to pat myself on the back, but then, I didn’t design it, so, big ups to Travis for that. I’ll see if I can find a screengrab of what the old site looked like, so you too can appreciate the upgrade. And, to pat myself on the back a bit, I think there were some nice improvements on the development end as well…
The problem was, that the swatch of Cobalt color on the spa picker, and the little icon for it, and the actual color it changed your desired spa to, and the other thumbnail image of it on the Features pages, did not all match up. Oh yea, this is for the good of our friends over at Jacuzzi Hot Tubs. Russell and Travis had tried to make it work, but it took me, the color-blind web developer, to get it done. Let it never be said that Ninthlink is not an equal-opportunity employer.
WARNING: Don’t Use This to go Get Groceries. But, it’s Standard on the Track.
I’m very thankful, and so is my family, that I participate in a sport that, while it is inherently very dangerous, places a ton of emphasis on safety. In this sport “Go Fast” is trumped only by the safety of the drivers, crews, and spectators. There ate 2 aspects to “driver prep and safety”. First: A driver must be physically, mentally, and experientially prepared. We will not cover this aspect here, but suffice it to say that it is profoundly important. Secondly: A driver must be prepared with the latest in safety technology. Please refer to the chart above. A helmet (A) is probably the single most important piece of safety gear in the arsenal. Helmets are high-tech, highly researched and developed, and can easily cost in the $800. to $2,000. range. The Hans Device (B) is relatively new to auto sports and is required by most sanctioning bodies. It protects the driver’s head and neck in the event of a rapid deceleration (crash). A proper, fire-resistant driving suit (C) protects the driver in case of an on-board fire. Gloves (D) and shoes (E) provide grip and additional fire protection. Drivers also wear fire-resistant underwear, including a balaclava (F), a long-sleeved shirt (G), and pants (H). Some additional items include things like Cool Shirts (I) and cold air blowers (J) to keep the driver cooled down. Last year, at Willow Springs Raceway, I saw track temperatures at around 120 degrees and in-car temperatures as high as 130 degrees. A quick release device (K) allows for the quick removal of the steering wheel. Communication between the driver (L) and his crew (M) is critical to safety, as track conditions, or accidents, can be communicated in real time. In-car camera systems (N) can provide great post-race debriefing material. It can also supply great, recorded information about any incidents on the track. Finally, gear bags (O) are a good way to keep everything together and in good, clean working condition. Next time - My final BLOG in this 10 part series - Basics 10: “Racing is Life”.
It’s important that your online business is fast, nimble, aggressive, well prepared, competitive, and constantly winning. But, safety trumps all of that. How do you win and be safe at the same time? Just like in racing it’s a matter of being physically, mentally, and experientially prepared, and… Having the right “equipment”. Ninthlink can design, build, and supply the exact type of equipment you need.
I’m Larry. On the weekends I’m either driving a race car or teaching someone else how. During the week I’m the Creative Director at Ninthlink. Flag us down. Let us help you find your your correct position in the market place. And get you on a winning track with your online business. Call to action: Let’s get you moving. Email me at: larry@ninthlink.com.
Are You Safe?
Do not attempt. Professional branders on a closed course.
Ninthlink is an interactive agency in San Diego that produces measurable results for clients by promoting and growing them through online design, development, and marketing strategies.
