Category archive: Random

A Standard Day with Fire at the Spangler Office

A typical day at the Spangler office will usually include fire or an explosion of some sort. I managed to whip out my iPhone in time to capture this video of today’s fire extravaganza…

- Posted from my iPhone

Automatic Parking Tennis Ball – Convenient Garage Invention

This is a really great idea for your garage.  Usually you see the tennis ball hanging from a string and it just gets in the way when you are walking around an empty garage. Plus, it just looks tacky.  With this set-up, the parking ball is moved out of the way for your convenience.

Video shot with my iPhone 3GS

Just cut the string to an appropriate length.  Mount one end to the top of your garage door.  Use an eyelet to hang the ball from the needed spot in your garage.  Pretty simple… You can totally do it yourself…

Make Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Cardboard Box?

I went camping with my wife and some friends… It was my job to make desert.  So, I wanted to make chocolate chip cookies.  Despite the criticism and disbelief from my peers, I did successfully bake cookies while camping.  Here’s how I did it:

1. 1. Get the supplies:
   1. 1. Cardboard box
   2. 2. Tape
   3. 3. Tinfoil
   4. 4. Coat hanger
   5. 5. Old crappy cast iron pan
   6. 6. Coal
   7. 7. Cookie dough
2. 2. Fold and tape the bottom of the cardboard box closed.
3. 3. Cut two opposite flaps off of the top of the box (so the two remaining flaps act as double doors).
4. 4. Line the inside of your box, and flaps, with tinfoil (I used two layers of foil).
5. 5. Straighten out your coat hangers and poke them through a little bit above the middle of the box creating an oven rack.
6. 6. Take the two flaps that you cut off in step 3 and wrap them in foil… Now you have cookie sheets.
7. 7. Heat up the coal so its white ish and glowing.
8. 8. In this process, each individual coal is roughly equivalent to 50 degrees.  So, 350 degrees you need about 7 coals.
9. 9. Use an old cast iron pan and fill it with the appropriate amount of briquettes.
10. 10. Let the coal heat up the oven for 5 to 10 min or so.
11. 11. Pop the cookies in your cardboard box oven using your make shift cookie sheets.
12. 12. Check on your cookies often (I have found that they cook a little faster than normal).
13. 13. Bam! You have it! Chocolate chip cookies made in a cardboard box oven.

Team “M” – MS Walk – 2009

This morning Team “M” took part in the MS Walk in Denver, Colorado.  As a team, we raised over a thousand dollars and set a good goal to beat for next year.  Check out the video…

My beautiful wife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) just a few months ago. We have taken this head on and we are not going to let it get the best of us! It was awesome to have Team “M” support us in the walk, not just because we needed support in the walk but, because their support today was an example of the support we will have in the struggles to come.

Statistics say that 1 in 540 Coloradans have MS, and  2 in 3 are women.  It’s a serious deal.  Denver has one of the highest concentrations of MS diagnosis in the world.  Crazy!  I am so thankful that we found an awesome doctor for Meghan and received a diagnosis early in this battle because, I hear, most find out later in life.  The MS Walk is a powerful movement and I am proud to be a part of the fight!  We are all still new to this but I want to be involved as much as possible so that I can be the best support to my wife that I can be.  I have a lot to learn and the Walk for Multiple Sclerosis was a great stepping stone in the journey to come.  One of the volunteers Meghan and I talked to today said, “MS is not who you are.  You are not MS, you are yourself with MS.”

You Tube, iPhones, & the first 48 hours…

I learned something interesting today. (I’m sure the details are in some fine text somewhere, but no where I looked) In the first 48 hours, after signing up for a new account, YouTube will not allow your videos to be available for mobile devices. Interesting, and could have been useful to know ahead of time! It appears that multiple functions are placed on hold for the first 48 hours, including the ability to upload a profile pic. Needless to say, my acoustic show video is available on iPhones now!

Here We Go!

It’s about time I got myself a blog!  I read blogs on a daily basis, keeping up on all the graphic design tutorials and SEO tips.  So, I feel like it is time for me to start pitching in a few cents of my own.  I’m excited to get this going and I hope I don’t bore the crap out of you.  This blog is going to be about graphic/web design, music, nonsense, and a touch of personal stuff!  The code and design of this blog will probably change on a daily basis since I came down with the “Design ADD Syndrome”.  I’m sure you can relate.  This concludes post 1… Here We Go!