by Mark Smiley | May 27, 2014 | Feature Story Middle Left
The best job I’ve ever had and ever will have is being a dad. I can insert hardest, most rewarding, most fun, exciting, before the word “job” in the previous sentence. We’re lucky. Our two sons are healthy, energetic (OK toddler app is energetic, baby app is only two-months-old) and very loving. Yet, there are moments each day that I wonder, “What is going through your head? It was not a good idea to kick the soccer ball off my French doors in the office! Why are you upset all of a sudden? Six hours of Disney Channel is more than enough.” I’m certain I’m not alone. We use as much positive reinforcement as possible. We reference Kiddie, an app based on positive parenting. More importantly, it gives us some ideas to encourage good behavior. It provides ideas around with being sweet, better eating habits and going to bed nicely for our three-year-old. Holy cow! Toddler App’s going to bed routine is an hour long coronation. We love our kiddos, but we’re always open to soaking up ideas around positive parenting. I just hope to keep ahead of my children because I’m certain there will be a day, in the not so distant future, they’ll find an app that will teach them how to drive us nuts.
Of course, we finished our tax return in the 11th hour. Typical procrastinator. Part of the delay was due to the recreation of 2013 data, such as mileage. Luckily, our friend Keith Hollingsworth suggested that we use an app to track our mileage. What? There’s an app for mileage? Genius, Keith! I should’ve known better. One may even call it, eating my own dog food. There is an app, Mileage Log+, which appears to be the most favorable based on features and reviews. I haven’t tried it, because I’m frugal and the app is $9.99. There are free mileage log apps, such as MileIQ, TripLog and Track My Mileage. I like the MileIQ app because it’ll run in the background based on actual mileage. No need to enter miles by trip. Thanks for the suggestion, Keith. My CPA will appreciate my preparedness on April 15, 2015.
Now that baseball is in full swing (yes, that is a bad cliché), I like to have the schedule built into my calendar. In the past, I would download the schedule into my Outlook calendar. It wasn’t ideal, because the download often recreated reminders that would annoy me by July. UpTo is a refreshing way to have the best of both worlds. It is a calendar app that syncs your calendar of choice (i.e. Outlook, Google) with your interests. You are able to add in your favorite television shows, sports teams or topics. At a daily glance, you can view your personal and work calendar along with that evening’s shows, the Red Sox (ok, Rockies) game and any relevant topic (i.e. movie or music releases, this day in history, etc.). Now, you’ll know what you’re up to at a quick view.
A smart practice prior to an initial meeting is to research the individual, learn about their background and find a commonality to break the ice. This requires some time to search each individual. Refresh is an app that syncs with your calendar. There are some similarities between Refresh and UpTo, however Refresh provides the background of your meeting attendees. This app parses multiple social media sites, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, Twitter and then summarizes their history. Quickly, you can view their hometown, college, work history, interests, recent tweets and LinkedIn posts, your last meeting and mutual connections. I used this app during a phone call to drop a Boston reference knowing that person attended a Boston university. This broke the ice and our conversation around business flowed easily. Lastly, it provides a key tool that many miss, which is the follow up. The app can schedule follow up reminders with notes and list the follow up reminders.
A friend noticed the amount of junk mail on my desk. He suggested PaperKarma to reduce this pile. Thanks Jeremy Tasky! Take a picture of the junk mail address label using the app, and your contact information should be removed from that list. It will not work on labels addressed to “our friends or neighborhood.” I won’t miss the yellow pages. I’m glad Jeremy noticed the pile on the desk and not the pile of laundry outside the office.
I am a heavy user of the app Prezi. As a refresher, Prezi is a creative way to present material instead of using PowerPoint. One of my challenges with Prezi was the inability to advance the presentation without being at my laptop. This affects me because during a live presentation, I need to walk to the laptop to advance the presentation. I have used my iPad with a connection to the projector, however most conference rooms are not set up with an accessible cable. Apptui turns your mobile device into a remote and mouse. Connect your laptop and mobile device to the same wifi network and they’ll connect to each other. This allows me to advance the Prezi presentation from the device without walking back to the laptop. It also eliminates the need of the presentation volunteer that advances the slide for you based on a secret code, “hey, every time I touch my ear, advance the slide.” There are other applications for this app. Since your device is now a remote computer, anything streaming to your laptop can be controlled through the device. You can control Netflix, Vimeo or surf the web from the device.
Do you have a favorite app you’d like to share? Contact Brian at brian@brianzabro ski.com, on Twitter @BrianZab or LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brianzab.
Brian has focused on helping technology companies grow their businesses for nearly 20 years. He currently serves as the Director of Channel Management for a cloud-based software business, which specializes in network monitoring, phone system usage analytics and mobile device analytics. Simply put, if your business’ network, phone system and corporate cell phones are slow, have issues and are expensive, then his software reduces and eliminates these challenges. The software is resold through an international channel of technology partners. He travels across North America educating technology companies how they can increase their business value nearly five-fold through his hybrid managed service selling technique.
by Valley Gadfly | May 27, 2014 | Valley Gadfly
This may be coming from left field but then this is the time of year when we like to march to the beat of a different drum. With warm weather finally upon us our thoughts turn to creatures that symbolize the sights and sounds of summer including those creepy-crawly June bugs that come out in late spring that we find on our doorsteps.
Maybe you haven’t seen them yet but you are sure to recognize June bugs because they are the size of a Volkswagen with a hyperactive personality and really sticky legs.
Here are our choices for shopping, dining and entertainment to create fair and pleasant summer days without being bugged by mosquitoes, bees and other June critters.
3 A sure sign that summer salad days are here is the opening of the Cherry Creek Fresh Market, May 31-Oct. 25. More than 100 growers and other vendors sell their produce and other products at 1st Ave. and University on Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
3 Summer tabletop settings, a delectable tea, plus a garden and herb sale await those attending this year’s Tea & Treasurers event, June 5-7. The Assistance League of Denver event is at the Bosworth House, 10 a.m-3 p.m. Information: 303-322-5205.
3 Enjoy the great outdoors while sampling wine during the Colorado Urban Winefest at the Infinity Park Festival Plaza June 7, noon-5 p.m. Information: 970-464-0111.
3 Nothing makes a bigger summer splash than a coat of paint and Ireland’s Finest is again giving the lucky winner a free exterior painting of their home. To nominate someone deserving, go to the contest website: www.irelandsfinestinc.com.
3 June brings a special treat to art lovers, the Art Student League’s annual Summer Art Market on Grant St. around the school, June 7-8, 10 a.m. Information: 303-778-6990.
3 See classic cars, enjoy music as you sail into summer at the Cruzin’ Havana Car Show & Poker Run on Havana, June 14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Information: 303-360-7505.
3 Make the Inn at Cherry Creek your beer, bluegrass and grub hub this summer. Enjoy free entry with just $5 food and drink tickets as stars entertain on the hotel’s Rooftop Terrace June 27, July 25 and Aug. 22, from 5 to 9 p.m. Information: 303-377-8577.
3 Be smart and do as so many other Cherry Creek Valley families do and plan your Independence Day celebrations around the City of Glendale’s mega fireworks show. The powerful display of pyrotechnics will flicker across the skies on July 3rd at dusk. Gather at eateries, bars, patios and porches to view the dazzling aerial display, one of the Valley’s oldest and largest. Information: 303-759-1513.
The June bug, of course, is a type of beetle. Scientists have described more than 350,000 species, with many more undoubtedly undiscovered. They are about 40 percent of known insect species with the most diversity of any animal on earth. While they don’t serenade us like crickets, June beetles will squeal when you pick them up.
Some of the largest June bugs can be found in populated Southwest cities like Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and a bit surprisingly in Denver and the Cherry Creek Valley.
We interrupt our June bugs tribute for this special reminder: The Cartoon Network ran its first 48-hour marathon of Bugs Bunny’s June bug cartoons in 1993. They aired again last year on June 22-23. Shishkabugs: Now you likely recall that when you cross an insect with a rabbit you got the animated antics of Bugs Bunny!
— Glen Richardson
The Valley Gadfly can be reached at newspaper@glendalecherrycreek.com.
by Mark Smiley | May 27, 2014 | Feature Story Bottom Left
The sun is out, the laundry is coming off and hormones are flowing like a spring runoff from the glorious Rockies. In my last column, “Secret Fishing Holes,” I wrote about places where you can find single women who are ready to be reeled in by the guy who is aware of how to use an effective approach. So to sum it up, the last article was all about the catch and this one is to help ensure you don’t end up with a dead fish by night’s end (if you are sensitive because I used a fishing analogy as a dating comparison, you may want to discontinue reading any further).
Dating season is a very important time of year if you’re single. But it can be as depressing as waiting in line at the DMV for what seems like days only to be turned away because you failed to bring all of your documents, forcing you to repeat the process. Date like you’re going to the DMV — be ready and be patient.
It breaks my heart when I hear from guys who tell me stories how “the big one got away,” meaning a woman they were really in to but she slipped through their fingers because they weren’t equipped with the proper technique. Yes, I said technique.
I hope the following dating techniques prove to be helpful to you, leaving your pond stocked for you to enjoy all summer long.
- Get your poop in a group. Personally, if you’ve read my column long enough you would know #1 should go without saying. But just like the DMV the smallest overlooked detail can send you packing. So for the sake of review make sure you are date worthy. Do what you can to be attractive and be aware of what attracts women. Get a haircut and get some color on your skin, it’s June for crying out loud, if you’re still pasty you scream inactive. Freshen up your summer gear and make sure the clothes you choose are geared toward the type of women you’re looking to attract. If you’re looking for an earthy stoner then buy some Birkenstocks and get a tie-dye. You get the picture. Obviously, not everyone can still have a body of a 21-year-old but do what you can to be healthy and feel good enough about the effort you put in, and that will translate into how you carry yourself. Women can sniff out an unconfident man in one-half of one second.
- Have options. Don’t have all your eggs in one basket. Speaking of confidence, I can’t impress upon you enough what confidence does to a woman. It’s a God-given aphrodisiac and it should be used to your full advantage. The key is building real confidence and keeping it while you’re battling all of the other fellow date warriors in this survival of the fittest world. You may say, “How do I build and sustain such confidence?” You’re good, that’s right, have options and lots of them, you’re dating after all. Don’t shoot the messenger but guess what, women like guys that other women want as well. Again, I didn’t write the book of nature, I’m just telling the story. I know it seems twisted and hard to wrap your mind around, but ladies don’t want “relationship guy” right off the bat. Unlike being in a relationship with a woman, when you’re dating she doesn’t want to feel like you need her. A needy guy who she knows will do anything for her at a drop of a dime is what she wants down the road, but not while she’s dating. Remember resistance causes attraction and women love a good chase. They can become more ferocious than men when they have their eye on the prize. Bottom line is having other options creates value and kills the needy bug in you. Remember this tactic only works if you are an open, honest gentleman. Word of warning, when you find a woman who is into you as much as you’re into her, you better start eliminating your rotation, quickly.
- Stay even. In other words, keep your cool. Here’s the deal: you will be tested whether it be by her or yourself. Remember guys, this is dating. This isn’t business where you can conduct yourself and make decisions in a logical, clear, fact-based thought process. Welcome to Emotionville, a town scarier to a man than living in New York, in the classic movie Escape From New York. First off, I say it time and time again; girls just want to have fun. Your biggest challenge while navigating the rough dating waters is to not let your emotions keep you from being upbeat or having a fun and even demeanor. These emotional obstacles could be as simple as having a bad day, perceived rejection, being shy, jealousy, non-ideal surroundings, the list goes on but you get the idea. She is going to test you as well, maybe not consciously, but your emotional limits and stability will be tested. A woman wants to know who she’s dealing with. She ultimately is looking for certain qualities in a man. They want to figure out if you can be strong in adverse situations as well as gauge your patience meter. A man that can take control of a situation with finesse and style wins every time.
If you can manage to go out there in datingland and arm yourself with those three techniques, you might just have yourself a fruitful summer and go into nesting season with quite a catch — no pun intended. If you get your poop in a group you will have more options allowing you to stay even so you can go have fun. Fun is the key boys, fun.
Shameless plug: If you want to read more of my musings or hear the podcast of my dating show “The Modern Dater,” which airs live Saturday nights live at 7 p.m. on 630 KHOW, visit www.themoderndater .com. Have fun and keep it classy!
— Sheik
by Valley Gadfly | May 27, 2014 | Glendale City News
by Glen Richardson
When the Glendale Raptors and San Francisco Golden Gate went toe to toe in the deciding clash of the inaugural Pacific Rugby Premiership season at Infinity Park May 17, it produced a match the likes of which even the best script writers couldn’t conjure up. Accompanying incredibly good rugby was a stack of subplots together with a controversial referee call that kept the huge crowd on the edge of their seats until
the final whistle.
There have been some monumental rugby games here — the Collegiate All-Stars, two Churchill Cups, and the North American Four among others — but none that have created more excitement and drama highlighted by bruising hits and jaw dropping tries. There were five lead changes during the 80-minute contest, but despite an up-and-under try by Glendale Center Chad London in the waning minutes, the Raptors came up one point short, 39-38.
Making the game all the more remarkable is that the Raptors were ranked at the bottom of the Pacific League’s power rankings at the start of the season. Going into the playoff, however, the Raptors were ranked number one with an 11-1 record, two games ahead of San Francisco. In their previous match-ups during the season they were tied with a win apiece.
Seesaw Action Game
Despite San Francisco’s early domination, Glendale moved surreptitiously back into the game with two quick bang-bang scores due to Golden Gate penalties. Fullback Dustin Croy scored first compliments of convincing decoy runs from Centers Landon and Justin Pauga. Then Pauga scored again after bouncing off a Golden Gate player at the try line and the Raptors had erased SF’s lead. Just as San Francisco threatened to score again, flanker Spencer Scott poached the ball and passed off to wing Bret Willis who scampered down field to score. With the conversion good, Glendale had a 24-15 halftime lead.
A nifty scramble by Golden Gate had them within inches of the try line to open the second period. On the next play San Francisco scored but the conversion was missed leaving the Raptors up 24-20. A penalty on the Raptors followed by big SF runs plus an easy conversion put them up 27-24. Kicking the restart deep Golden Gate cleared its lines with a boot. Glendale’s Croy committed two defenders and passed to Preston Bryant who moved downfield and passed to London. Following broken tackles and a ruck, Scot took the ball untouched for anther Glendale score. Graham converted and the Raptors were back on top 31-27 with 30 minutes remaining. Golden Gate hit back within minutes with a quick try to get revenge and back into the game. The conversion was missed, but they had reclaimed the lead 32-31.
Just as quickly Glendale’s Croy dotted down in touch. Believing Glendale had gone ahead for good, players and fans went delirious with excitement. After watching two video reviews, however, the points were wiped off the scoreboard as referees ruled that while Croy did dot down, he was touched before he could do so. With five minutes to go Glendale was caught playing the ball in a ruck. SF kicked the penalty to the corner and took a lineout. With a short plunge and conversion they were up 39-31. Down eight points with less than five minutes to play, Mike Graham chipped a kick over the defense and reserve wing Max Statler gathered the ball and passed to London who raced in for a Glendale score. With a penalty following the kickoff, the Raptors kicked for a lineout inside SF’s 22. Glendale won the set piece but Graham opted to grubber down one point and San Francisco scooped up the ball and kicked it to touch to end the game.
