Drew's Nugget of the Month

The Chronicles of Wunch; Continued

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 07:29:00 +0000

Alas, we abandoned our illustrious Wunch Weader today.
She did not, however, wain from her calling. Below, Angie recalls her account of Wunching alone.
As you know it was raining today when I wunched alone. The highlights: A soggy sock in the rain gutter floating, the waterfall at the civic center that I didn’t know existed, and some really huge trees. I made it to 11th again, the return trip was made on the opposite side of the street. All in all not too shabby. Oh, yes and I took many fantastic photos but only remembered to save the first one. Doh.
(Revised 1.27.09 - Found additional photos. That's what Wunch is all about.)
-Angie Scobby, January 13, 2009

First Installment of the Peppershock Wunch Travels

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:22:00 +0000

Actually it's the third Wunch adventure...we're just now getting around to blogging about it.

If you haven't heard, "Wunch" at Peppershock is Wednesday Walking Lunch, cleverly crafted by our own Art Director, Angie Scobby. Each Wednesday at precisely 12:30pm-ish anyone with a numb butt is welcome to join us on our trek across the lands of Nampa. We start out in a different direction each time, not really knowing where we'll end up.
Week 1 of Wunch we (Drew, Mark & Angie) found a dried up bouncy ball which on about the third thwump into the asphalt shattered in two. (I meant to take pictures but didn't have the camera.)
Week 2 was fit for snowshoing or cross country skiing, but alas, we all forgot to bring our equipment. We still made the journey on foot though...all the way to 11th Ave. by Brick 29. Mmmm...Bristol Bacon.

Now that you're up to speed on Wunch, we arrive at week three. First time Wunchables Cheri and Rhea joined Angie and I this week as we traveled to the exotic land of Mickey D's. We were drawn there because of the free Honey Mustard Chicken Wrap coupons we received from a friend via email. (Thanks Dave!) Frugal and healthy...both at the same time...and from McDonald's none-the-less!

And so the adventures continue. Chronicling the Wunchables as they briskly bound across the streets of Nampa in search of truths unknown, questions, answers and most importantly, more bouncy balls and Chicken Wrap coupons.

Boise State Football - Cameraman vs. Ref Video

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 21:05:00 +0000

Yes, I was the cameraman.

Mark and I were just shootin' some footage on the sidelines...minding our own business...

The Dude (& Volkswagen) Abide.

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:41:00 +0000

When I became a Dudeist Priest I knew that Dudeism would be a big thing...now it's validated!

Age Old Dilemma: What's for Dinner?

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 16:06:00 +0000

As one of the basic functions in daily life, people eat. And typically the most challenging meal of the day is dinner. Whether you're a single dude living in a high rise condo in downtown or a family of six living in the world of suburbia, the age old dilemma is always present...What's for Dinner?
Rhea and I are constantly in this bind. Busy, working, kids...who has time to plan for that kind of stuff?

Answer: Thank you eBooks and iTunes App Store.

This eBook, Menu in a Box - 100 Day Meal Planning Kit, is stellar! It's like putting that portion of life on auto-pilot. Now if only it would do the shopping for you too!

Another great find for the iPhone is an app called Mi-Meals - Meal Planner. While the app doesn't necessarily do everything for you, it is a great way to keep track of what's coming up for the day, week, etc. It's also got a tab for a grocery list. Wonder around the store in style as you consult your phone for the staples as well as those pesky extras you always seem to forget.

Without these tools, we'd be having Mac Cheese at least three times a week and Ramen Noodles the rest. :)

I highly suggest looking into these options to maintain balance...and sanity.

Travis Romine - A Legend in Paradise

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:10:00 +0000

So there we were, Anna Chen's Intro to Video class, Seattle, WA, 2002. Assignment; get into groups, go out and create. From that day forth, people envied us. We made cool videos. We were awesome. People also had a few other "funny" ideas about us...what with all the time we spent together and our matching attire...but that aside, we became good friends and cranked out some pretty fun projects.

I don't say this much in public, but, Travis Romine, owner and operator of Paradise Fibers, is a good friend of mine and I gotta say...this guy is quite the entrepreneur. Music, video, floss, yarn...he's done it all.

Travis comes from a very hard working family. His Dad, Bill, not only ran a machine shop for many years in the same location that Paradise Fibers now resides, he actually started Paradise Fibers with Mom, Laurel, before Travis came on board. Or is it Sacklunch Productions in that location? Or is it both? Before heading over to Seattle for schooling in video production, Travis was an audio engineer, musician, event coordinator...pretty much a Renaissance Man.

His current operation, a hybrid of sorts (web/retail location) based out of Spokane, Washington, has been quite the success. Paradise Fibers, everything for spinning, knitting and weaving. And when they say everything, they mean it! Rhea and I recently visited Travis and as we were touring around the shop he kept saying, "Have you been back here yet?" And as we wound through the halls and through the spindles of exotic Alpaka yarn, we would stumble into yet another room full of fluffy, comfy goodness. As we neared the back of the building, through the storage closet and out the back door, Travis revealed his "secret garden." Peppers, tomatoes and various other vegetables that I imagine became ingredients in one of Travis' famous homemade recipes; bruschetta, eggs or my all time favorite, barbecued.
Regardless of what people say, Travis is a good guy.

So whether you're looking for yarn, needles, looms, patterns, project ideas or Buffalo Gold socks, Paradise Fibers has it and they all make great Christmas gifts.

Be sure to drop Trav a line and tell him Don sent you...he'll know what it means.

Dudeism is the Preferred Nomenclature

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:40:00 +0000

As an officially ordained Dudeist priest, I feel it is necessary to spread the good word. First, The Dudespaper...a lifestyle magazine for the deeply casual. The Dudespaper is the official publication of The Church of the Latter-Day Dude, a religion better known as "Dudeism."
Dudeism is a belief system that teaches us that the universe wants us to take it easy.
It’s basically Taoism meets The Big Lebowski, plus a big scoop of Humanism and a sprinkling of Buddhism.

And that's it. If I spent much more time on this I'd be going against everything Dude.
Browse around those two sites, glean what you can and most importantly... Take it easy.

Peppershock's i48 Sci-Fi Adventure

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:14:00 +0000

Sci-fi!
Sci-fi?
Sci-Fi...
We had mixed emotions when we were given our genre this year.
It's a tough one. Most people think sci-fi and instantly cliches starting popping into mind. Space, aliens, fantasy lands, etc.
We chose to go with a mix of space, alternate reality and folklore.
Congrats and many thanks to those that participated with the Peppershock team this year...your names appear in the credits...probably multiple times. :)
One credit we missed was Mark Spear - Original Custom Music.

Below is what we came up with.
Enjoy.

This is the short film Peppershock produced for the 2009 i48 Film Festival and Contest. The Genre was Science Fiction.

Peppershock Recruiting for i48 2009 Film Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:06:00 +0000

Peppershock is looking for actors, crew, fire eaters, snake charmers, executive producers, etc.

May 29-31, 2009

48 hours of short film product-o-rama fun!
drew@peppershock.com

preview peppershock i48 films of years past @ http://www.youtube.com/user/peppershock

Remember that scene in The Incredibles?

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 21:47:00 +0000

Like a scene right out of the movie...
Army Reloads on Sticky Foam Weaponry

Photo courtesy Wired.com

Quickie Way to Search ALL Craigslist Sites at Once

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:45:00 +0000

I came across this a while back and recently had the need to use it again...so I thought I'd share it.
www.searchallcraigs.com is a site that searches within the confines of all the Craigslist sites across the country. Rather than having to select a certain city each time you're looking for something on Craigslist, you can simply use www.searchallcraigs.com to do the dirty work for you.

Here's an article on cnet that discusses this a bit more.

A Quick Note on Social Networking

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 10:56:00 +0000

The essence of this blog is fun new gadgets, technology and "nuggets of wholesome goodness" that I run across.
Fa cebook isn't necessarily new...but it definitely qualifies under the "nugget of wholesome goodness" category (or the "addictive social media" category).

If you're familiar with Facebook, or perhaps even have a Facebook account, you already know some of the great benefits to this social phenom. To me it's been a great place to connect with other community members that I already see and work with on a regular basis as well as reconnect with people I haven't talked to in years. (and load photos remotely from my Blackberry of Rhea and I rockin' out at the Nine Inch Nails show and our two little boys passed out after an exhausting Costco run.)

I like to think of Facebook as the "business casual" or "Jeans Friday" version of social networking. It's a place where members conduct business, gain new insights, get referrals, etc. It's also a place to learn a little bit about these business colleagues on a more personal level.
Share books, movies, music...create groups for people with like-minded interests like, "People in My Cupboards."

If you don't have a Facebook account already, I highly suggest it. There are also groups available for families to setup. Keep in touch across the world by posting articles, photos, videos etc. while keeping it private within your family.

Only pet peeve with FB...people who CONSTANTLY update their status with useless information. Shelly is driving to work. Dave is washing his hair. Jon is robbing a bank. Shouldn't we be focused on living our lives more-so than sharing with the world what we're doing at every moment in our day? It can be a bit excessive...and Shelly, shouldn't you be watching the road instead of one finger typing on your smart phone? Just an observation.

Facebook; another nugget of wholesome goodness...shared with you.

iMakeDecisions is the premium iPhone decision making tool.

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:17:00 +0000

The latest and greatest application for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

A blurb from the site....

iMakeDecisions is the premium iPhone decision making tool. No longer will you have the stress of making decisions.

Let iMakeDecisions help you choose where to dine, decide when your product should launch, pick the color of your bridesmaids’ dresses, determine who should pick up the tab, select the name for your child, choose which movie to watch, pick your mood for the day, determine the value of your house, accept or reject the job offer, turn left or right, pick a new hairstyle, determine if a country has weapons of mass destruction, choose your college major, create your stock portfolio, pick your vice presidential running mate, determine guilt or innocence, select who to fire or hire, clarify your love life and/or select a candidate. iMakeDecisions can make all those decisions and more! Imagine having a decision-free life both personally and professionally.

Zombie Pumpkins!

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:39:00 +0000

It's only late August. I know.
But I love Halloween and this cool
weather we're having is very reminiscent of late October
...and Jack-O-Lanterns.

About 5 years ago I ran across this site.... zombiepumpkins.com
Awesome jack-o-lantern patterns...updated throughout the year with new designs.
The designer's name is Ryan Wickstrand and I've been praising his name for years.
If you're not a big fan of pumpkin guts and later, the rotting pumpkin on your front step, perhaps now is the time to rethink your feelings.
With Ryan's designs there's no more triangle eyes, jagged teeth, plug in a candle and call it good. No, with Ryan's designs every pumpkin turns into a piece of art.

Karma called...she'll be over in a few.

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:20:00 +0000

The nugget of the month for August is not a new piece of technology or podcast. No, this month I thought I'd write about a term that gets tossed around a lot...sprinkled on for flavor...but isn't really an essential part of many people's lives' anymore.

Integrity.

It means many things. It means working hard for the right reasons. It means taking care of people, service. It means the golden rule. It basically means, Karma.

When I left a past employer to start out full time with Peppershock, a client of that past employer requested that Peppershock take over their account. They really liked me and the work I did for them. I politely refused, explaining that I wasn't comfortable burning bridges. I also took into account the respect that I have for my past employer and the people that work there. At my going away party I was asked by the GM to stand and to be recognized for the integrity I showed in handling that situation. I still have a great relationship with and many friends in that organization because I acted with integrity.

Acting with integrity isn't always about business either. It's the way in which you handle yourself on a day to day basis. It's about your thought process and decision making. Should I or should I not do this thing...will it benefit me but screw a bunch of people in the process? Will Karma be standing at my door, waiting?
And it's not about doing the right thing out of fear of Karma. It's about doing the right thing because you want to. Karma is just that "beware of dog" sign posted on the fence. Keep your distance and everthing will be fine.

I could go on and on forever...ranting and raving about how many people I encounter each day that don't act with integrity. I guess my point for writing this was just to get whoever reads it to think about their actions. Think a bit more before you decide. Yes it may be more difficult, take you more time, benefit you a little less...but more than likely it will be the right thing to do.
Don't steal, don't be lazy, don't cheat...cause Karma just called...she'll be waiting at your door. One of these days...she'll be there.

A little something to leave you with...
My best friend since I was 5 years old told me once, "Do what you say you're gonna do."
It's been my motto...a great rule to live by.

Adobe Media Player Comparable to iTunes

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 18:01:00 +0000

Tagline from Adobe Media Player site, "Watch what you want, when you want."

The Adobe Media Player acts similarly to iTunes whereas viewers are able to subscribe to and automatically download content to their library. Whether the content is a TV episode produced by a large network, a video podcast or personal videos, viewers can manage as well as publish their own content.
Participating networks include Blip.tv, CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, MTV and more.

The most interesting aspect to this player in my opinion is the ability to play .flv videos.
.flv stands for Flash Video. It's a high quality, small file size video format that is being widely adopted as the standard for web video. Many HD web videos are delivered in this format. As video producers, we're excited about this player because it allows us to deliver our High Def video to businesses and consumers alike without losing much quality and without the file being incredibly huge.

Hooray for Adobe Media Player! <--Link to download Adobe Media Player

BYP Lounge Series_006 Featuring Tim White, Ph.D., President, University of Idaho

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 16:27:00 +0000

Audio adjustments until about 1 min :30 secs...then it cleans up and sounds fine.

Death Grip with a Vengeance - an i48 Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 16:32:00 +0000

Peppershock and Associates participated in i48 for the 5th year in a row...and we finally won something! ...Best Use of Dialogue in the Open Category.
Congrats to everyone that helped out this year...you can stop by the office and admire our wonderful little trophy.
In case you missed our masterpiece...it's posted below.

Boise Young Professionals Mayor Bieter Unplugged

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 07:14:00 +0000

Boise Young Professionals Mayor Bieter Unplugged

Lounging Series with Steve Hanks, Former CEO, Washington Division of URS

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:29:00 +0000

Click here to download .mp3

Steve Hanks, former CEO of the Washington Division of URS. In the summer of 1978, Steve became a corporate attorney at international engineering and construction company Morrison Knudsen Corporation, Boise . Following a stream of promotions in the legal department, he was named senior vice president and general counsel in 1992. In 1999, he led the acquisition of the government services business of CBS’s Westinghouse Electric Company, a move that doubled Morrison Knudsen’s size and greatly expanded its market reach in nuclear services and environmental remediation. Steve was named president of Morrison Knudsen in 2000, the year it acquired Raytheon Engineers & Constructors. He led the integration of Morrison Knudsen, Westinghouse Government Services and Raytheon Engineers & Constructors into a much larger engineering, construction and management company named Washington Group International. In 2001, he became chief executive officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Washington Group International. In addition to the positive impact Steve made for Washington Group and the engineering and construction industry, he also has made a difference through community service. His past service includes being president and director of the Boise Public Schools Education Foundation and the Discovery Center of Idaho, a hands-on learning center for youth. He currently is president and a board member of the Western Region Boy Scouts of America and serves on the National Board of the Boy Scouts of America, the Danny Thompson Memorial Leukemia Foundation, Inc., and the Business Roundtable. He also is a director of Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc., a global designer and manufacturer of welding and cutting products.

BYP Lounge Series_004 Featuring Steve Appleton_CEO of Micron

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 22:44:00 +0000

We were having technical difficulties periodically throughout this recording. We apologize for the obnoxious static.

For the Love of Politics - BYP Event Podcast

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:09:00 +0000

March 18 - For the Love of Politics Six young, politically involved panelists discuss how they got into politics and how young professionals can get involved. The focus is on involvement in politics, rather than debating specific political issues.

BYP Lounge Series_002 Featuring Linda Copple Trout - Former Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:42:00 +0000

This is only a short excerpt from the full discussion.

BYP Lounge Series_003 Featuring Mark Rivers - Developer of BoDo

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Fri, 07 Mar 2008 15:38:00 +0000

If You Love Graphic Tees and Great Design, You'll Love Threadless.com

noreply@blogger.com (Drew Allen) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:35:00 +0000

A great business model...create a community of t-shirt lovers, graphic designers, allow them to vote, mix in some cash rewards and you've got yourself an automated machine.
Threadless.com is a site that allows users to upload their t-shirt designs for other users to vote on. The designs with the most votes are the ones that get printed and sold. You can find a design to fit any personality.

Drew's Nugget of the Month

The Chronicles of Wunch; Continued

First Installment of the Peppershock Wunch Travels

Boise State Football - Cameraman vs. Ref Video

The Dude (& Volkswagen) Abide.

Age Old Dilemma: What's for Dinner?

Travis Romine - A Legend in Paradise

Dudeism is the Preferred Nomenclature

Peppershock's i48 Sci-Fi Adventure

Peppershock Recruiting for i48 2009 Film Festival

Peppershock is looking for actors, crew, fire eaters, snake charmers, executive producers, etc.

May 29-31, 2009

48 hours of short film product-o-rama fun!drew@peppershock.compreview peppershock i48 films of years past @ http://www.youtube.com/user/peppershock

Remember that scene in The Incredibles?

Quickie Way to Search ALL Craigslist Sites at Once

A Quick Note on Social Networking

iMakeDecisions is the premium iPhone decision making tool.

Zombie Pumpkins!

Karma called...she'll be over in a few.

Adobe Media Player Comparable to iTunes

BYP Lounge Series_006 Featuring Tim White, Ph.D., President, University of Idaho

Death Grip with a Vengeance - an i48 Winner!

Boise Young Professionals Mayor Bieter Unplugged

Lounging Series with Steve Hanks, Former CEO, Washington Division of URS

BYP Lounge Series_004 Featuring Steve Appleton_CEO of Micron

For the Love of Politics - BYP Event Podcast

BYP Lounge Series_002 Featuring Linda Copple Trout - Former Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice

BYP Lounge Series_003 Featuring Mark Rivers - Developer of BoDo

If You Love Graphic Tees and Great Design, You'll Love Threadless.com

48 hours of short film product-o-rama fun!
drew@peppershock.com

preview peppershock i48 films of years past @ http://www.youtube.com/user/peppershock