tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80566094989072727202024-02-19T08:45:37.312-08:00Chris Havrenek's BlogChris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-36288789065178833182013-05-22T19:48:00.000-07:002013-05-22T20:33:21.001-07:00Gravel, Rivers and Hills: My Almanzo 100 Experience<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgG3B8Lp6dTrFG7ynnk060okZIVfk0i0JPlBaDL97VK15HJiR6H53tkIsnOvJ8NLXscRRIEF0ixRJhMxEIqQW0MtaBiGYHWTaMZmxze0_UFtoMpi0vcVGh2Te9G7JIDhdYm6O4PFKQVsQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-05-22+at+8.19.16+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgG3B8Lp6dTrFG7ynnk060okZIVfk0i0JPlBaDL97VK15HJiR6H53tkIsnOvJ8NLXscRRIEF0ixRJhMxEIqQW0MtaBiGYHWTaMZmxze0_UFtoMpi0vcVGh2Te9G7JIDhdYm6O4PFKQVsQ/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-05-22+at+8.19.16+PM.png" width="633" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We trucked down to Rochester the night before with bikes in tow.</td></tr>
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This past weekend I rode in the <a href="http://almanzo.com/" target="_blank">Almanzo 100</a> in Spring Valley, MN. All that was required was a postcard and the commitment that I'd show up. This is a completely free and unsupported Minnesota homegrown bike race. It was one of the hardest rides I've done, but by far the most rewarding. 1,300 riders and I peddled through 100 miles of gravel, dirt and hills. The conditions couldn't have been better for a ride for the books. I might have only drove down with a handful of friends, but you can't help but notice the bond between yourself and every other rider brave enough to saddle up that Saturday morning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQW8TIe7EBFk53EMe2DJWCxwZK5mL8qMChjnOsN43761I9x_CjvaI1iOz1_8QQr8ce28wWDCMgoz5MbWAtyG6swtyxTWlw7B5yBBF-L1kKADRFFEc6zsP2xKWsttHh_SJmn4zgpRqby4/s1600/945290_10151694109481340_165349674_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNQW8TIe7EBFk53EMe2DJWCxwZK5mL8qMChjnOsN43761I9x_CjvaI1iOz1_8QQr8ce28wWDCMgoz5MbWAtyG6swtyxTWlw7B5yBBF-L1kKADRFFEc6zsP2xKWsttHh_SJmn4zgpRqby4/s640/945290_10151694109481340_165349674_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande Regular', 'Lucida Grande', Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 23px;">Chris Skogen, the mastermind behind Almanzo, kicks off the ride; photo © </span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/craiglindner/with/8760848684/" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #313029; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande Regular', 'Lucida Grande', Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Craig Lindner</a></td></tr>
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Having minimal experience with gravel, it took me a couple miles to get my legs used to the unique qualities of the crushed rocks. Reaching upwards of 38 miles an hour down hills that occasionally feel more like small mountains takes a couple times to get comfortable with. Starting off, I was feathering my brakes, but by the end of it the brakes were only reserved for corning.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip35mcsa52QAFU0naXmrlTTdLiag2G7RElnsGCvuyQSpHYlt61MfIzlA78xvwb4kG_MRVml3t55oytVCKTUIe3LIBidpqpCjrZ4HFsL65xlns-ZYLHtSA1QpRv9bJ75NFU7J0BfuGxMKU/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-05-22+at+8.18.54+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip35mcsa52QAFU0naXmrlTTdLiag2G7RElnsGCvuyQSpHYlt61MfIzlA78xvwb4kG_MRVml3t55oytVCKTUIe3LIBidpqpCjrZ4HFsL65xlns-ZYLHtSA1QpRv9bJ75NFU7J0BfuGxMKU/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-05-22+at+8.18.54+PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The scenery was a very welcome bonus.</td></tr>
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With all the rain in the days and weeks beforehand there were two welcome (for some, maybe not) obstacles — river crossings. Unfortunately, I only had the chance to navigate the first one as the second was deemed too hazardous after the first riders barely made it.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="281" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/66600629" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://vimeo.com/66600629">Root River Crossing</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/freewheelbike">Freewheel Bike</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Between mile 86 and the finish line there were two hills I couldn't conquer. At first it was defeating, but it was comforting knowing I was part of a large majority making this slow trek. My goal for next year and every year after that: crush those hills!<br />
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Well, time to start making my postcard for 2014!<br />
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<i>*Note* As a reminder, I'm riding the the MS 150. <span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Donate to the cause by visiting</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"> </span><a href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/MNMBikeEvents?px=9301557&pg=personal&fr_id=19263" style="background-color: white; color: #00ae45; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">my fundraising page</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">or spread the word by sharing the link,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"> </span><a href="http://bit.ly/chrisms150" style="background-color: white; color: #00ae45; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">http://bit.ly/chrisms150</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, serif; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">.</span></i><br />
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Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-40687331675762837552013-05-07T06:58:00.001-07:002013-05-07T06:58:07.210-07:00Winter Can't Stop Me: Prepping for the 2013 MS 150 Ride<div style="text-align: left;">
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This spring I rode through rain, wind, and yes, even snow. Fingers crossed it doesn't snow a couple of inches in May again, but even if it does I'm confident I have the wherewithal to handle it. This year I've been training on my new <a href="http://allcitycycles.com/bikes/big_block" target="_blank">All-City Big Block</a> during my daily commutes to and from work. I've also snuck in some longer rides with the Minnesota Ironman Bicycle Ride in Stillwater this year and the ever-present drive to bike further and harder with my Minnesota comrades. Tara has also stepped up her game with the introduction of her first geared bike, so there are bound to be plenty of Stillwater rides to indulge in the deliciousness that is <a href="http://www.leosgrill.com/" target="_blank">Leo's Grill and Malt Shop</a>!<br />
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Once again, all this biking has a very rewarding goal in mind — fundraising for the fight against <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">multiple sclerosis by biking 150 miles in the </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">annual Bike MS: C.H. Robinson Worldwide MS 150 Ride</span></span>. This year I took the fight one step further and decided to recruit a team of individuals with a common goal. I've setup a team of 15 biking enthusiasts and those who are simply interested in doing some good at my new job, <a href="http://periscope.com/" target="_blank">Periscope</a>.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Biking is only half the battle, and I'll need everyone else's help for the rest. Donating to help my efforts won't go unnoticed as you will be helping the more than 2.1 million people dealing with MS. I hope you will also make your mark against MS by </span><a data-mce-href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/MNMBikeEvents?px=9301557&pg=personal&fr_id=19263" href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/MNMBikeEvents?px=9301557&pg=personal&fr_id=19263" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">supporting my fundraising efforts</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">If you’d like to keep up to date on my progress and ride updates please feel free to follow me on </span><a data-mce-href="http://instagram.com/chrishavranek" href="http://instagram.com/chrishavranek" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Instagram</a><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">, </span><a data-mce-href="https://twitter.com/ChrisHavranek" href="https://twitter.com/ChrisHavranek" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Twitter</a>, or this blog.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See that snow and frozen waterfall in April? My bike doesn't care one bit.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsJC1sYpLsDhLQ-wstwppZ4MVjn_c1TvFvywq0My1hxqeSydteEcncXFk31ViEiA6z_4fYVBhlB8N5RqdDlpsAEwPmMDASa2aYB8gbYNGbvm42SDIFT68un7rOd_lKCsAWpjyqed_3Nc/s1600/IMG_4482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijsJC1sYpLsDhLQ-wstwppZ4MVjn_c1TvFvywq0My1hxqeSydteEcncXFk31ViEiA6z_4fYVBhlB8N5RqdDlpsAEwPmMDASa2aYB8gbYNGbvm42SDIFT68un7rOd_lKCsAWpjyqed_3Nc/s400/IMG_4482.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick, Tara, and myself with 50 miles down and another 30 to go!<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYIuhfGtY8bLkbctBdoPbM7CRoLHfG90CSSCCxbEzpm3grlTL_TXqfSEot7CFxnlVsaorW0QCHr2c2ghMZTaX468-VnhVjYBQdv4A2VHE95xnqYgskwQCwpN_yXMAuW3t3n2d7M5WfF0/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxYIuhfGtY8bLkbctBdoPbM7CRoLHfG90CSSCCxbEzpm3grlTL_TXqfSEot7CFxnlVsaorW0QCHr2c2ghMZTaX468-VnhVjYBQdv4A2VHE95xnqYgskwQCwpN_yXMAuW3t3n2d7M5WfF0/s400/photo.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The collection of bikes Tara and I own to handle any and all situations.</td></tr>
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Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-85537894358713964152012-06-25T20:27:00.000-07:002012-06-25T20:27:38.301-07:00MS 150 Recap: 2012After finally going through all the photographs taken during our journey up to and during the MS 150 I've narrowed it down to a handful to give a succinct overview. Below, you'll find pictures of my second year and Tara's first year participating in the MS 150 to help raise money in an effort to fight the fight against multiple sclerosis. I'm hoping to add to these images the same time next year, and I'll be sure to keep everyone updated with that goal. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2Lp-VUffKZLHbypMCTlGBmnhmMtO6RYCD8b-cDLC7vt9KoNhQa9lE-y6D-mrdNvzrQvuXjxhBdSkysPyHyKHgefe5V3UcMYd-d_Svxa6fBTVuP4VNGQ1rpGJXPO9Sm3dfsa6-b4eHCI/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR2Lp-VUffKZLHbypMCTlGBmnhmMtO6RYCD8b-cDLC7vt9KoNhQa9lE-y6D-mrdNvzrQvuXjxhBdSkysPyHyKHgefe5V3UcMYd-d_Svxa6fBTVuP4VNGQ1rpGJXPO9Sm3dfsa6-b4eHCI/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brand new Mr. Pink (bottom) for the MS 150 and making the long commute to work</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SgKg7TBdS78uBfukiwNF477D5CFVZtUbSOIFvqc5wCxgMHa1XUJVOVhuXIewZmltGCZ3xiHErzqrlUV_np8-PPB6Ii0FJu60BjSRb_DYE9n9_4Gephy7VjBpqnRMpEuhzKPObtAKV_A/s1600/IMG_1554.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1SgKg7TBdS78uBfukiwNF477D5CFVZtUbSOIFvqc5wCxgMHa1XUJVOVhuXIewZmltGCZ3xiHErzqrlUV_np8-PPB6Ii0FJu60BjSRb_DYE9n9_4Gephy7VjBpqnRMpEuhzKPObtAKV_A/s320/IMG_1554.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Camp is all setup for night #1. Thankfully no snow in Duluth.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTsw3iHfAw2e0J0OR1U2KaRSp10qI31zQkIB0xQ-oRp3GqOHLu8bXfRf6Iex24zoDz0_lncLM4vtdKKtvHb0aNZ6QkdNIIPkd6SlWXIIy1nN9Cf9dyhHANZ5tR_1tpPNfOM4NIBlCfCY/s1600/IMG_1557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpTsw3iHfAw2e0J0OR1U2KaRSp10qI31zQkIB0xQ-oRp3GqOHLu8bXfRf6Iex24zoDz0_lncLM4vtdKKtvHb0aNZ6QkdNIIPkd6SlWXIIy1nN9Cf9dyhHANZ5tR_1tpPNfOM4NIBlCfCY/s320/IMG_1557.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the early stops in day #1. Not too many tired people yet.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho34FjCBcjR3L68pWfLCJhEt10dkdVLqYF0T1po8qZBQ3-Nrgz2osJbO1gRYq7NfKFBPAMlobRCVvcXh27thfS4w6WVO-5IHp5t-naiawYSBNmxMXMW_GU3YRp6vEHRTf61lMp0h0eI0I/s1600/IMG_1570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho34FjCBcjR3L68pWfLCJhEt10dkdVLqYF0T1po8qZBQ3-Nrgz2osJbO1gRYq7NfKFBPAMlobRCVvcXh27thfS4w6WVO-5IHp5t-naiawYSBNmxMXMW_GU3YRp6vEHRTf61lMp0h0eI0I/s1600/IMG_1570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDEIjm3qHLjNSfiDpA6OO7jETp0j7nNxhtAbbF4rJ2OJNBWIM0LqEuVAXKP493oYr1qd3XXnbN4_AOvxP1bW9IhdSeNf5_BOT8hyxPk0mw6KdEy0pGMZGzcLSGAcYIrsGkUbKDmbpva4/s1600/IMG_1555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkDEIjm3qHLjNSfiDpA6OO7jETp0j7nNxhtAbbF4rJ2OJNBWIM0LqEuVAXKP493oYr1qd3XXnbN4_AOvxP1bW9IhdSeNf5_BOT8hyxPk0mw6KdEy0pGMZGzcLSGAcYIrsGkUbKDmbpva4/s320/IMG_1555.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's only a couple thousand bikes waiting to be 150 miles.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzQ5Ow4fd2OikQnSYvSealChzLPziEDYSFErx023iXO0Ip_cTpsgyMWFL1D-A88VLwbS3MZRoeFWCK7WedFRYht3sf8II92jTKJ82O0gtiurpXH_nE0QVGPKQR1nEQx4qyRWBLBecGW8/s1600/IMG_1566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSzQ5Ow4fd2OikQnSYvSealChzLPziEDYSFErx023iXO0Ip_cTpsgyMWFL1D-A88VLwbS3MZRoeFWCK7WedFRYht3sf8II92jTKJ82O0gtiurpXH_nE0QVGPKQR1nEQx4qyRWBLBecGW8/s320/IMG_1566.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Almost done with day #2 and still smiling!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVc2av4vsTz-qmXihDLIeRgkg2rb9XhbUmlf1yVdMi6ROCWjli7WlRBSTkoEOR3ovKZVioxCZxji2H-Zg325fz3g5L1XrjajcfWql1mvWw2uUUuvaPJRud6w12pet44sbIMhWueWzltzA/s1600/IMG_1560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVc2av4vsTz-qmXihDLIeRgkg2rb9XhbUmlf1yVdMi6ROCWjli7WlRBSTkoEOR3ovKZVioxCZxji2H-Zg325fz3g5L1XrjajcfWql1mvWw2uUUuvaPJRud6w12pet44sbIMhWueWzltzA/s320/IMG_1560.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lunch time — clearly a couple people are hungry.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho34FjCBcjR3L68pWfLCJhEt10dkdVLqYF0T1po8qZBQ3-Nrgz2osJbO1gRYq7NfKFBPAMlobRCVvcXh27thfS4w6WVO-5IHp5t-naiawYSBNmxMXMW_GU3YRp6vEHRTf61lMp0h0eI0I/s1600/IMG_1570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho34FjCBcjR3L68pWfLCJhEt10dkdVLqYF0T1po8qZBQ3-Nrgz2osJbO1gRYq7NfKFBPAMlobRCVvcXh27thfS4w6WVO-5IHp5t-naiawYSBNmxMXMW_GU3YRp6vEHRTf61lMp0h0eI0I/s320/IMG_1570.JPG" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What an incredible rush to make it to this point!</td></tr>
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<br />Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-51911103766898132192012-06-03T22:07:00.000-07:002012-06-03T22:07:34.220-07:00Highlights of Training for the MS 150Over the last two weeks Tara and I have biked over 240 miles in preparation for this next weekend's 150 mile bike ride to help fight multiple sclerosis. If you'd like to donate or spread the word visit my personal page <a href="http://bit.ly/ms150chris" target="_blank">here</a>. The MS 150 ride will be from Duluth to White Bear Lake, but these are some of the places we've seen when training:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDfwbl0JSvewFfbNgll96fseO1Zil-NEIJgsOEdmEhdgkC0EN5aLaaTqDeSKJFNabC8CmiuLfT_rFmTooAAvov8YnDN2fFjiuZnVq8ew6YzYC34plS9ZNOBrJTJdD4aGBa8R69X6xZtM/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirDfwbl0JSvewFfbNgll96fseO1Zil-NEIJgsOEdmEhdgkC0EN5aLaaTqDeSKJFNabC8CmiuLfT_rFmTooAAvov8YnDN2fFjiuZnVq8ew6YzYC34plS9ZNOBrJTJdD4aGBa8R69X6xZtM/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: x-small;">The bikes we used to get into town while vacationing in Belize. Much different than what we're used to.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvX-bfhvA3Q7Wn_ovLOHt5yK_VFALoIqOZRVOqiYxLy4wKNuYTGtvPtkdsSMWD7KrVZWMJdHDDPrQAR3KwENBN_aQlLqiIzkaGRmca99nKt1ts_s37kJJ5Oi2jx_noi9aP-aRKqTLLkU/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVvX-bfhvA3Q7Wn_ovLOHt5yK_VFALoIqOZRVOqiYxLy4wKNuYTGtvPtkdsSMWD7KrVZWMJdHDDPrQAR3KwENBN_aQlLqiIzkaGRmca99nKt1ts_s37kJJ5Oi2jx_noi9aP-aRKqTLLkU/s320/photo.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biking through St. Paul we managed to take a break between all the hills for a quick photo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJBiU-b79sQZTQ7S6N0qfzdOIhx3XyifiDu2DX8CO96yONhDf87dInCZuSS6Z1hvhjlOSpY269gIHkeDZWTVa9PDNiafkV1YponeIvdWVmndpSFfUvL8Ky9WfBfOysxTJXyFBFhIFoa4/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcJBiU-b79sQZTQ7S6N0qfzdOIhx3XyifiDu2DX8CO96yONhDf87dInCZuSS6Z1hvhjlOSpY269gIHkeDZWTVa9PDNiafkV1YponeIvdWVmndpSFfUvL8Ky9WfBfOysxTJXyFBFhIFoa4/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A delicious midpoint lunch on a ride to Stillwater and back (60 miles)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWQpxjSHBpQWwURYoK4ZMrfnbJGNfsGDxwY1L6yv5MAr-qbe9Atvc_i-kL2Vdh5QIKELJmI6Kq0LLQh5p9Zij-GW46IklfabMyPR5L-jAwTNhmpZyTHrVnS1cwHManrhGIxFlq-bb3rk/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWQpxjSHBpQWwURYoK4ZMrfnbJGNfsGDxwY1L6yv5MAr-qbe9Atvc_i-kL2Vdh5QIKELJmI6Kq0LLQh5p9Zij-GW46IklfabMyPR5L-jAwTNhmpZyTHrVnS1cwHManrhGIxFlq-bb3rk/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I finally had the opportunity to bike to work again — on a Saturday...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-8568078636713498592012-04-23T21:25:00.000-07:002012-04-23T21:25:47.857-07:00Spin Spin SpinTraining for this year's MS 150 ride in June has begun, and as expected it's hard work. 7 weeks before the ride Tara and I did 2 ten mile rides and an hour long spin class. For those of you who have never been in a spin class here is what you will usually encounter:<br />
<ol>
<li> Notice you are 1 of 3 guys</li>
<li>Sweat a lot</li>
<li>Decide whether you should pass out or hope the bike will hold you</li>
<li>Wring your shirt out as you walk home</li>
</ol>
If you haven't guessed it's tough, but the endorphin rush makes up for the exhaustion.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnAF8s2G1uQ3Ze8aj5u5I8sJ4Gk389eByZPWgrsxaLOrRlktwUb881PwFTjFgNsh-mfIeUvg7CyWmla7RqofjHtAakPrwt3y5yrtt78grnKZeeHIPiLRpWAyBTMmReubAHvyuu-OZ06k/s1600/IMG_1391.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOnAF8s2G1uQ3Ze8aj5u5I8sJ4Gk389eByZPWgrsxaLOrRlktwUb881PwFTjFgNsh-mfIeUvg7CyWmla7RqofjHtAakPrwt3y5yrtt78grnKZeeHIPiLRpWAyBTMmReubAHvyuu-OZ06k/s320/IMG_1391.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1 hour and 21 miles later.</td></tr>
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<br />Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-85219849383019051222011-07-28T09:29:00.000-07:002011-07-28T09:31:49.015-07:00NFC Won't Bridge the Physical and Digital Gap (Completely)Right now everyone is looking at mobile to bring the physical and digital worlds together. While it seems that all the recent hype about Near Field Communications (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_field_communication" target="_blank">NFC</a>) technology makes it out to be a child prodigy in regards to linking these two worlds, I'm not quite sold. Yes, it brings us one step closer to replacing our wallet with our phone, but there is a glaring pitfall to solely relying on NFC for everything else. NFC is extremely limited in distance; a phone has to be within four inches for NFC to successfully work.<br /><br />As long as the QR code is large enough, you could theoretically have it on anything static. Imagine trying to scan a NFC tag on a Zynga billboard in Time Square for an exclusive purple cow in Farmville. QR codes are great when used correctly and now that awareness has become somewhat mainstream it's not time to drop them. On the other hand, QR codes are notoriously being used incorrectly: none of us could scan a QR code on a billboard directly across from our office let alone in our cars at the busy intersection.<br /><br />I implore everyone not to forget a currently working technology, QR codes, even with its flaws. Let NFC handle mobile payments and hyper-location specific tasks, but we still need the tech that isn't so reliant on proximity. Feel free to completely neglect QR codes when Google Goggles becomes fully functional.<br /><br />While Asia is a whole other story as far as QR code adoption goes, this is an amazing campaign none the less.<br /><br /><iframe width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/h7HnR02kJxY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-76645023931806680972011-04-05T08:05:00.000-07:002011-04-05T10:29:25.398-07:00Spring Fever and MS 150 Benefit RideIt finally feels like spring again and the weather is beautiful. So naturally, I decide to get back on the blog horse. My Twitter account (<a href="http://twitter.com/ChrisHavranek">@ChrisHavranek</a>) has been my social outlet of choice in the last couple of months with time being less than plentiful. I'm not suffering from delusions of grander this time, so I won't be promising one blog post a day.<br /><br />Along with a rejuvenated blogger ambition, I also signed up for participating in the <a href="http://bikemnm.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?pg=entry&fr_id=15041">MS 150 Ride</a> this summer. I'll be biking 150 miles over one weekend in June to raise money for researching multiple sclerosis. I started a simple blog, <a href="http://freshridemsp.blogspot.com/">Fresh Ride Minneapolis</a>, to keep family and friends updated with my training and progress to my donation goal. It's going to be a purely hobby blog so I don't expect it to last past this fall, but who knows how it'll turn out.<br /><br />Part of participating in the MS 150 Ride I need to raise at least $300 to fight multiple sclerosis. Surprisingly, my first donation was in a matter of hours and from a grade school friend I haven't spoken to in over 13 years. If you'd like to help me reach my goal please feel free to donate $5, $10, $50, or $100,000. The easiest way to do so is through my <a href="http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/MNMBikeEvents?px=9301557&pg=personal&fr_id=15041">MS 150 donation page</a>.<br /><br />I also have a new love who will be joining me for the MS 150 Ride:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6JdOvtngPHVpYU752QZmiKQqbpaOvnQhkO8Jrz0E3AuRPboDbHTXyWl7TpELivt6smIIQhR8m0ZtVM0YbLySxrYMKxCqYYezy6zChQmWIfl7guGN6SiObMkRMGNYw6mBvd2JweVOeCw/s1600/all_city_nature_boy.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR6JdOvtngPHVpYU752QZmiKQqbpaOvnQhkO8Jrz0E3AuRPboDbHTXyWl7TpELivt6smIIQhR8m0ZtVM0YbLySxrYMKxCqYYezy6zChQmWIfl7guGN6SiObMkRMGNYw6mBvd2JweVOeCw/s400/all_city_nature_boy.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592152346818824114" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;">She's my new All-City Nature Boy<br /></span></div>Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-34774055550436290822010-12-05T18:54:00.000-08:002010-12-05T20:23:13.550-08:00Kickstarter: Its an easy 600k<iframe frameborder="0" height="410px" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1104350651/tiktok-lunatik-multi-touch-watch-kits/widget/video.html" width="480px"></iframe><br />Recently, <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/edwardboches">Edward Boches</a> sent out a tweet that boosted my confidence in my future endeavors. He mentioned the New York Time's article, "<a href="http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/03/an-ipod-watch-project-explodes-online/">An iPod Watch Project Explodes Online</a>". To sum it up, Scott Wilson and his company, <a href="http://www.mnml.com/">MINIMAL</a>, are funding their peripheral to turn iPod Nanos into multi-touch watches through <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1104350651/tiktok-lunatik-multi-touch-watch-kits">Kickstarter</a>.<br /><br />This is especially relevant to me because my girlfriend has enlisted my help to get her own Kickstarter project off the ground. After reading the article from the NYT and comments on Wilson's Kickstarter page, I noticed several contributing factors that helped give this project such a boost.<br /><ol><li>The video and brief walks you through the project very fluidly — its not just speaking to techies.</li><li>He has a background in working on products that people like — Nike Presto Watch and Xbox Kinect.</li><li>Everyone who donates over $25 gets a watch — Not just a 4x6 print.<br /></li><li>Bonus: Its using an Apple product.</li><li>Bonus: Going viral always helps.<br /></li></ol>Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-16323891548944812402010-09-14T21:18:00.000-07:002010-09-14T22:48:16.530-07:00Blogs Have Personalities Too! Why Can't I Search for Them?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTniMY1RXchKGiwREYOqaIZXstqEFgHUx1WzeOOucIonIxVpC3YLbl0RWWR2iUFQMEsayeiYuxB5qoN7ZzttzzS_JumfvOv3noRkcubrq8StRQG52j5KzdASh6jv3fvlRJBdHiECgDytc/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-09-14+at+11.05.36+PM.png"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 317px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTniMY1RXchKGiwREYOqaIZXstqEFgHUx1WzeOOucIonIxVpC3YLbl0RWWR2iUFQMEsayeiYuxB5qoN7ZzttzzS_JumfvOv3noRkcubrq8StRQG52j5KzdASh6jv3fvlRJBdHiECgDytc/s400/Screen+shot+2010-09-14+at+11.05.36+PM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517012685514603826" /></a><br />Recently, I've found myself bored with my RSS and letting it grow to the point of having three or four hundred, then going through and saving articles that looked interesting. I'd end up rinsing and repeating, eventually needing to delete even the ones I found interesting.<br /><br />Tonight, I forced myself to sit down and read a few articles. I stumbled upon Robert Scoble's article, <span style="font-style:italic;"><a href="http://scobleizer.com/2010/09/13/reboot-rss-readers-sorry-that-train-has-left-the-station/">Reboot RSS redears? Sorry, that train has left the station</a></span>. He discusses the flaws of RSS feeds, and how Twitter and Facebook have in some cases begun to replace the need for a feed (sorry, I just had to rhyme). He gives five insights into what he thinks will be the future of RSS:<br /><div><ol><li>Tracking and filtering</li><li>Client innovation</li><li>Content optimization systems</li><li>New advertising systems</li><li>Curation tools</li></ol><div>After reading the article, not only did I agree on his thoughts on using RSS as a brand, but I could use a few of these improvements on my end as well. I especially like the curation tools coming out as of recent. Too often curation tools rely heavily on subject matter rather than what makes a blog truly worth reading.. I want to find similar blogs based on the blogs and articles I read using subject matter <i>and </i>traits.</div><div><br /></div><div>I love each blog in my RSS for different reasons.</div></div><div><ol><li><a href="http://www.psfk.com/">PSFK</a> for it's concise writing style and innovative subjects</li><li><a href="http://www.thedieline.com/">The Dieline</a> because package design is a budding interest of mine</li><li><a href="http://liveanduncensored.com/">Live and Uncensored</a> and <a href="http://makethelogobigger.blogspot.com/">Make the Logo Bigger</a> for their snarky attitudes and combined awesomeness on their podcast, <a href="http://advervecast.blogspot.com/">Adverve</a></li></ol><div>Why can't I use Google Reader to find blogs that are: concise, innovative, design minded, has attitude, and possibly with a podcast that supplements the blog? There's <a href="http://technorati.com/">Technorati</a> or Google Blog search, but I want something that goes deeper, and searches blogs for their "inner being".</div></div>Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-9037589709430840342010-08-03T19:24:00.000-07:002010-08-04T09:41:48.956-07:00Since When is the Internet Free of Embarrassment?In the not so distant past I read an article on <a href="http://www.psfk.com/">PSFK</a> about how Professor Patti Valkenburg at the University of Amsterdam published a report on how <a href="http://www.psfk.com/2010/07/mediating-sociability-in-the-post-millennial-friendspace.html">social media is a positive influence on adolescence</a> who want to find themselves. In the excerpt on PSFK Valkenburg goes on to say that texting, IMs, and social networks allow adolescence to experiment with different identities without the accompanying embarrassment that occasionally follows in the real world.<br /><br />Now I agree with that to a small extent, but unless she singles out the social networks that are completely anonymous then I don't see how she finds it any less cruel than the real world. A recent viral hit on YouTube shows how Valkenburg's conclusions are at least partly flawed. Kerligirl13 had multiple blog posts and videos promoting herself as the end all be all of cool and as expected: the trolls came running. Packs of anonymous users originating from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4chan">4chan.org</a> decided to take it to the next level and tormented her relentlessly to the point of <a href="http://gawker.com/5590166/11+year+old-viral-video-star-placed-under-police-protection-after-death-threats">police and child protective services getting involved</a>. <br /><br />The internet <span style="font-style: italic;">can</span> be accessible and welcoming to all kinds of people, but given the nature of the beast it can be so much worse than "real life". Instead of getting teased by a handful of schoolmates, you'll be ridiculed by possibly thousands of people online.<br /><br />Here is one of the last videos posted by Kerligirl13 before her channel was deleted along with her Tumblr and Myspace accounts.<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2VKYYbwyWtQ&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2VKYYbwyWtQ&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-31105725088071415942010-07-15T12:50:00.000-07:002010-07-15T20:27:55.848-07:00Ugly Buildings Can Get Makeovers Too<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRzoQx8UIfvHfDdDIns8d4AUYlnPlXfZ_oVMNAIjrc7MfGwgHo9VG8p-SoR_qT1z2CRmFuX2nqLyMvrYo9zvLAGDeAlYXt6p72TWiGAWHouIhdJ6aNR4aKxWH-hOmCxvS3tC4o45cxek/s1600/IMG_0468.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRzoQx8UIfvHfDdDIns8d4AUYlnPlXfZ_oVMNAIjrc7MfGwgHo9VG8p-SoR_qT1z2CRmFuX2nqLyMvrYo9zvLAGDeAlYXt6p72TWiGAWHouIhdJ6aNR4aKxWH-hOmCxvS3tC4o45cxek/s400/IMG_0468.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494229762476080578" border="0" /></a><br />Just because <a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-20010031-261.html">Hollywood Video has all but disappeared</a> doesn't mean you have to leave an ugly building behind. Until someone else finds a use for this storefront there are some who decided to take it upon themselves to make this as little of an eyesore as possible. Whoever is behind <a href="mailto:%20muralmonsters@yahoo.com">muralmonsters@yahoo.com</a> created this mural along the side of an old Hollywood Video on Hennepin & 22nd here in Minneapolis.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdySgZL-hctCtQUy-qfYo1p4RAyCA1A1evYHTAxaHccc-7hN8dKiEgDn38fFvHbs2aL0zjB62Fx2IB_8f_8wwbCYyO_ii5t0_qwJRXr-dQxYEwAGyTUn6M8FJiWgaHdmrIlXbAxOyRgo/s1600/IMG_0469.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdySgZL-hctCtQUy-qfYo1p4RAyCA1A1evYHTAxaHccc-7hN8dKiEgDn38fFvHbs2aL0zjB62Fx2IB_8f_8wwbCYyO_ii5t0_qwJRXr-dQxYEwAGyTUn6M8FJiWgaHdmrIlXbAxOyRgo/s400/IMG_0469.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494229640070979538" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNEZtn7wcsDSXUTpwH3LG3Q0FaQfJpetGNGoemB3RYTzguCeETCBwfXgxZggkA9tPzWSTe7o44ZtK4C3h9SQIb-zEDSQ1pjlums_3vNFKhmq4_Q0t-cYVPQRWlTMCEBYfTYNNzIi_Od5Y/s1600/IMG_0469.JPG"><br /></a>The beautification of abandoned buildings and closed shops has been increasing ever since our economy took a bit of a dive. Using posters in windows created by local artists has a much better effect rather than newspapers that have coffee and mildew stains. Another example of this urban cleanup in Minneapolis is <a href="http://whittierstorefrontproject.tumblr.com/">The Whittier Storefront Project</a>, developed by students and faculty at <a href="http://www.mcad.edu/">Minneapolis College of Art and Design</a>, which even had a block party to celebrate it's big reveal a couple of months ago.<br /><br />See, just because its old and nobody wants it anymore doesn't mean it can't be pretty.Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-66532607804553137792010-07-12T20:25:00.000-07:002010-07-13T07:32:26.604-07:00Dropping the Ball with Toy Story 3<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVnkSeRkVB_N1VVwmjS5m4SpBdcFqMuFFtsRQg54HSkuUEtvylSgBo4swrPZqOXkIxFvdm_I6f4jN9jdC1kJTBH76ChGJDUPSgygHbo9vPhqdHG2Undulrq23VtRYjj7BiBuYHKSi3G4/s1600/toy_story_donate.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSVnkSeRkVB_N1VVwmjS5m4SpBdcFqMuFFtsRQg54HSkuUEtvylSgBo4swrPZqOXkIxFvdm_I6f4jN9jdC1kJTBH76ChGJDUPSgygHbo9vPhqdHG2Undulrq23VtRYjj7BiBuYHKSi3G4/s400/toy_story_donate.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493227062979404834" border="0" /></a><br />I'm very much a fan of movies and I can honestly say I was pleasantly surprised on how satisfied I was after watching Toy Story 3. It had all the subtleties and jokes that kids get and adults get that much more while still keeping that Toy Story charm. I hope Pixar really does keep this "the end" rather than pumping out one or two more like so many other Disney Movies have.<br /><br />I couldn't help but notice a gaping hole that was left in the possibilities for Toy Story 3 though. They harped on the "donate your old toys" heart strings, but didn't push it like it could have. Think of the easy possibilities there are with this message and very nature of the movie. Given our economic times they could have easily satisfied both ends of the spectrum. Kids who have plenty of toys still have parents who wouldn't mind saving a buck or two, and the youngsters who don't have toys can use them more than ever.<br /><br />Take a picture of your toys and tell "My Toy Story" on Facebook, toystory.com, or whatever other website they designate and save $2 on your ticket to go see Toy Story 3. This would make Toy Story's moral lesson become even more real for the whole family and it has the easily sold viral trait to it. Come on Pixar, lets see your influence go beyond the screen.Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-9348460693342969122010-06-24T09:54:00.000-07:002010-06-24T10:27:11.068-07:00Is There Room for Two TEDx Events in the Twin Cities?As promised early, I am writing a post on my experience with both TEDx Mill City and TEDx Twin Cities. Surprisingly, I'm also publishing this a bit earlier than expected which is very out of character given my recent blogging habits.<br /><br />At first I questioned the necessity of having two TEDx events nearly within a month of each other here in Minneapolis and St. Paul. TEDx Twin Cities was held in early May and TEDx Mill City was in mid June. Even as I arrived at the later I still wasn't so sure. By the time everyone was sipping on their Fat Tires and rum & cokes during the post event schmoozing I saw the merits for having both.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TEDx Twin Cities</span><br />This was the much larger and public of the two. With this one I helped with registration and guiding those of whom were lost. It was held at the Science Museum in St. Paul and had tickets for sale which sold out in about six hours I believe. It cost $20 or $10 depending on if you were in the live auditorium or satellite room, much less than the official TED conference. The turnout was in the mid hundreds meaning there were plenty of people to talk to about the speakers afterwards.<br /><br />Moving from last year's free ticket model to this year's paid ticket model was definitely a smart move. It helps pay for a better space, more food & drinks, and limits the amount of "no shows". There wasn't much PR before the event so it seemed like most people who showed up knew someone involved with the project directly or like me, a die hard TED fan. I'd like to see the ticket price doubled and really make a push for getting the word out there that TEDx Twin Cities is coming up. That way there's a much more diverse crowd in attendance and the price point will be high enough that you won't get people who are bored and happen to see tickets for sale. With a slightly higher ticket price the potential for a bigger space, higher attendance, and more drinks follows. I think that'll make everyone involved a happy person.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Lead Coordinator: <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/chadburn">Chadburn Blomquist</a></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Speakers: Art Rolnick, Terrie Rose, and Peter Benson</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TEDx Mill City</span><br />Mill City was an invite only event held at the Guthrie on the 9th floor. The Amber Box's view was incredible and definitely set a mood for the event. I had the opportunity to help with photographing the "X-Men" prior to everyone showing up. The reactions we garnered from anyone fortunate enough to stumble onto us was probably the best part of the photo shoot. Afterwards, I tweeted from the TEDx Mill City account with the occasional quote or thought bubble from our three presenters.<br /><br />This much smaller crowd and space was fantastic for being able to hold a good conversation before moving on. Because of this, I had the opportunity to speak with two of the presenters and find a couple acquaintances. I'm much more of a get together with a couple buddies at the bar and shoot the shit kind of guy, over going to a big party where you talk to everyone, but you don't make that same level of connection. Figuring out who to invite and who to pass on must have been a difficult task, especially in a city like Minneapolis where it seems as though everybody knows everyone. If done correctly, you'd have people who have the desire and means to make changes getting together with other like-minded people. Creating these connections comes much easier with this smaller crowd as well. On the other hand you could simply be paying for people to drink for free without anything coming from it. Measuring this event's success on that level would be a difficult chore, but if anyone if anyone figure out how I'd love to see the results.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Lead Coordinator: <a href="http://gestaltnow.com/">Gestalt Now</a></span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Speakers: Captain Dale Dye, Phil Equist, and Rick Valicenti</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">To Sum it All Up</span><br />I think these two styles of TED have reasons to coexist within the same general area. Both TEDs draw different kinds of people and offer benefits that are unique to one another. Although, ideally I'd like to see them spread out over the year rather than one right after the other. I know TEDx Twin Cities has plans to become a semi-annual event, but I'm not sure on the future plans for TEDx Mill City. If they could coordinate with one another and spread the events out over the course of the year there's the potential for it catching on in the Twin Cities and becoming a real source for innovative thinking on a local level.Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-47156631793179126742010-06-17T07:16:00.000-07:002010-06-22T10:22:43.631-07:00Two Times the TEDxI've always been a fan of TED talks and I've even been known to write a post on one or two; this is why I consider myself very fortunate enough to have the opportunity to work with two TEDx events in the past couple of months. In May I was involved with TEDx Twin Cities at the Science Museum and yesterday TEDx Mill City went off without a hitch. I don't have much time today to post my thoughts on each of them, but I do have enough spare time to share a couple pictures from the most recent one. I'm going to need time to make sure I don't start rambling on and on about them so tune in next Tuesdsay or so for a post on the comparison of the two.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Top: Minutes before the talks begin<br />Bottom: The infamous three "Xs" who could draw quite a crowd</span><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUjFgiCipyfAzeu5hmVc2iNaF4o7ZZ1eOLdyEmJo1kt6VMzY19zYEQpLx8R-4poX5uHCDS2O4hFX6Yf-1nfebvBN_meIJMHXlvV3coXP-zqKIHyMNF-dfpxbRqxQWf7RypjjxUELDI8c/s1600/IMG_0432.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkUjFgiCipyfAzeu5hmVc2iNaF4o7ZZ1eOLdyEmJo1kt6VMzY19zYEQpLx8R-4poX5uHCDS2O4hFX6Yf-1nfebvBN_meIJMHXlvV3coXP-zqKIHyMNF-dfpxbRqxQWf7RypjjxUELDI8c/s320/IMG_0432.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484460702794823906" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdwmMSG7utrp3e38HaNmpvrANMrwJhHI-h6aOpK1zS0vq8hlS0orp8WkEfziFtoevElM7c10gU-unnesazAa-gfg5mGTiJbc92Siqwh0G7mMeOuQGK75hyq5kVBG8RzMIl21y6fz_0S0/s1600/IMG_0418.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdwmMSG7utrp3e38HaNmpvrANMrwJhHI-h6aOpK1zS0vq8hlS0orp8WkEfziFtoevElM7c10gU-unnesazAa-gfg5mGTiJbc92Siqwh0G7mMeOuQGK75hyq5kVBG8RzMIl21y6fz_0S0/s320/IMG_0418.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484460711992005298" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-68602105505862780922010-05-25T17:21:00.000-07:002010-06-19T05:14:50.507-07:00Graduated: Officially a Real PersonWell, the time has come, about ten days ago I officially became a real boy (man?). I graduated from Minneapolis College of Art and Design with a Bachelor of Science degree in visualization. That probably sounds too vague for most of you, but you could say its in "branding, marketing, and PR".<br /><br />A huge bonus to all of this was that I won the Van Derlip grant given to one graduating student in each department. The grant is meant to be used for traveling which I fully plan on taking advantage of. The plans are tentatively for summer 2011. I'll be sure to post any and all updates as they come.<br /><br /><div style="width:477px" id="__ss_4543251"><strong style="display:block;margin:12px 0 4px"><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/chrishavranek/van-derlip-application-preview" title="Van Derlip Application Preview">Van Derlip Application Preview</a></strong><object id="__sse4543251" width="477" height="510"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/doc_player.swf?doc=vanderlippreview-100619071115-phpapp01&stripped_title=van-derlip-application-preview" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed name="__sse4543251" src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/doc_player.swf?doc=vanderlippreview-100619071115-phpapp01&stripped_title=van-derlip-application-preview" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="477" height="510"></embed></object><div style="padding:5px 0 12px">View more <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/">documents</a> from <a href="http://www.slideshare.net/chrishavranek">Chris HAvranek</a>.</div></div><br /><br />This summer will be about finding that job and beginning to pay those loans. I'll try to squeeze in some blog posts and fun in there, but we'll see.<br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span style="font-size:85%;">Edit: I added a PDF of a portion of the application.</span></span>Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-60880580030235092672010-05-17T03:47:00.000-07:002010-06-19T04:18:17.108-07:00Extendr: Wait, Where Can I Find You?If you're like many people who read advertising and marketing blogs, chances are you have quite a few places people can find you online. The good is that you could be found in any number of places. The bad is trying to fit your LinkedIn, Twitter, Blog, Facebook, and whatnot onto that 3.75" x 2.25" business card you worked so hard on. The paper stock is premium and the kerning is just right, but how the hell are you going to fit everything on their now?<br /><br />This is where <a href="http://www.extendr.com/">Extendr</a> comes into play. Don't worry, this isn't just another profile you'll need to keep updated with new content and bio info. Instead, Extendr will aggregate all of your online portals onto one page so you can cut that list of twenty something links down to one. <a href="http://www.josephrueter.com/">Joseph Rueter</a>, one of Extendr's co-creators, was one of my professors who turned me onto this choice tool. Grab one for free or pay the premium price ($12 / yr) to get a fully customizable page and analytics.<br /><br />Unfortunately, I recently ordered new business cards so I'll be waiting until I can get rid of these current ones to add <a href="http://chrishavranek.extendr.com/">http://chrishavranek.extendr.com/</a> to my card.Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-91418790372055142582010-05-01T10:28:00.000-07:002010-06-19T04:53:19.559-07:00Getting a Bit Extra Out of My Business Card<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZyPUC1nShty_i7_SZ5z6hiSceE-ODRAGIvGGyDfvSfRtkYWVYiDqyiXu9h14diGUETYZz_K5DvhIQhfvy4fO7bkq2RkV6RMOjJ-UwRoP0mt33hS0bRaR11R2SZOYun9OEzBvDB5drv8/s1600/qr+code+card"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZyPUC1nShty_i7_SZ5z6hiSceE-ODRAGIvGGyDfvSfRtkYWVYiDqyiXu9h14diGUETYZz_K5DvhIQhfvy4fO7bkq2RkV6RMOjJ-UwRoP0mt33hS0bRaR11R2SZOYun9OEzBvDB5drv8/s320/qr+code+card" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484451579961968882" border="0" /></a><br />In trying to figure out what to do with my business card to get people more involved I thought back to Japan. QR codes were everywhere and they were perfect for giving out information in a limited amount of space. They haven't caught on here in the states as much, but as long as I don't make it mandatory I don't see any harm. Chances are if someone does have a smart phone (which marketers and tech geeks seem to have) you'll want to use it when you have the opportunity.<br /><br />I had the option of creating a QR code that simply has text, leads to a URL or sends a SMS. Knowing this probably won't get read weeks down the road I'll go ahead and spoil it. I chose a URL because the opportunity to change the content it leads to without buying new business cards. The QR code leads to a page with my portfolio, resume, and potentially any number of other treats. Of course you can get all of those simply by following the link printed on the back, but I'm hoping making my business card less passive will make it more memorable.<br /><br />Now I just need to find all those potential employers out there...Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-86335476183717913162010-04-27T11:09:00.000-07:002010-06-19T04:34:02.865-07:00The Legal Kind of Graffiti<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQq7BPqjEJsyDyN9SEgpDQmzNGe0shHNxfHNCyHaafp6jk8UFVQGbwDv6B7NpZaCc5KbmSg5pM7_UV4eZ_1cWxfjz3_ZemV5eEyDX67lH2BzjLqIHSlq3_UFiTaVKGb2m-t31igDBpvZQ/s1600/kenda_moss.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQq7BPqjEJsyDyN9SEgpDQmzNGe0shHNxfHNCyHaafp6jk8UFVQGbwDv6B7NpZaCc5KbmSg5pM7_UV4eZ_1cWxfjz3_ZemV5eEyDX67lH2BzjLqIHSlq3_UFiTaVKGb2m-t31igDBpvZQ/s320/kenda_moss.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484445816038506578" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://jakeaszymanski.com/">Jake Szymanski</a>, <a href="http://nicholasdahl.tumblr.com/">Nick Dahl</a> and I have been working on a project to focus <a href="http://www.kendatiresusa.com/bicycle/bicycle.html">Kenda</a> bike tires on marketing to the amateur racers a little more. One concept we've been playing with is moss graffiti. We're hoping to start some living graffiti with ingredients as simple as: moss, beer, and sugar. This could be placed on trails that Kenda sponsors giving them presence where the riders are without ruining their ride with intrusive signage.<br /><br />As long as we keep it moist we should have a healthy patch in the upcoming weeks. However, knowing Minneapolis we'll most likely have a couple freezes by then.Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-62889227593329526642010-04-15T22:36:00.000-07:002010-04-15T23:39:02.423-07:00TED: How a 12 Year Old Girl Inspired Me<object height="326" width="446"><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"> <param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/AdoraSvitak_2010-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/AdoraSvitak-2010.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=815&introDuration=16500&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=2000&adKeys=talk=adora_svitak;year=2010;theme=new_on_ted_com;theme=how_we_learn;theme=ted_under_30;theme=the_creative_spark;theme=unconventional_explanations;event=TED2010;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;"><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" pluginspace="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" bgcolor="#ffffff" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/AdoraSvitak_2010-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/AdoraSvitak-2010.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=815&introDuration=16500&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=2000&adKeys=talk=adora_svitak;year=2010;theme=new_on_ted_com;theme=how_we_learn;theme=ted_under_30;theme=the_creative_spark;theme=unconventional_explanations;event=TED2010;" height="326" width="446"></embed></object><br /><br />This video has made its way around the internet pleanty, but its not a reason for me to abstain from commenting on it now. This was originally brought to my attention from a former professor of mine who has turned me on not only to fascinating TED talks, but equally as important music as well. Oh, and this is purely coincidental in timing with what I'm hoping to be a wonderful opportunity tomorrow. <br /><br />I don't want to critique her talk seeing as I'm already taken by how well a middle school student can hold the attention of an entire room of TED attendees, but with as little rambling as possible I'd like to give you a hint at how this short video has both reinforced and changed my thinking.<br /><br />I've always had an intense desire to constantly learn new things even after entering "adulthood" and look to the old and new for ideas. I don't like to limit where I draw new perspectives from, especially after attending MCAD and living in Tokyo where I was the anomaly for a change. Given this girl seems to have done more in the 12 years than I have in 23 I feel like we both share those traits. However, I have limited myself because of "realities of the situation" to some extent and I'd like to change this. I can't go to the purely child like thinking of doing anything I think immediately without risking losing the financial means to do so, but I've decided to adopt that model a little more than I already have.<br /><br />Going to Tokyo for a couple months was an opportunity of a lifetime, college loans will be arriving in the mail within the next couple of months and there's that pressure to get entrenched in the marketing world now that I'm a soon to be graduate, but I won't allow these to put me in a stagnant state. I'll work with what I have and evolve my career around my plans rather than the other way around<br /><br />I will:<br /><ul><li>Put family before work (combine the two on occasion)<br /></li><li>Focus on traveling over possessions<br /></li><li>Give back to those who have helped me</li><li>Never give up on pushing to learn more<br /></li></ul>Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-50275657026044317512010-04-09T14:52:00.000-07:002010-04-09T14:58:21.539-07:00Planting Season Has ArrivedLooks like the cucumber is the winner for the plant race. That guy there was the first one to pop up and show potential for feeding me throughout the summer. Makes me even more anxious for these next 4 weeks to be over. I'll have plenty of time to get outside rather than constantly having to work on something involving the laptop. Don't get be wrong, I love my "portal to the world", but I've been craving that "real world"!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ccprnE8cLm8MZvCrR-NAILMH2mtuy0To8VHGKkyaeSsE4_n3fzUZt7Mv5HMsGeIDk9G7b1pOSlGzOB6RsxrJsvOZ8YZd5vSYgWL1KEMv5vXQzCbtKtu5XplpR8mJKw0Z9W8w56AkId4/s1600/DSC_0075.JPG"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1ccprnE8cLm8MZvCrR-NAILMH2mtuy0To8VHGKkyaeSsE4_n3fzUZt7Mv5HMsGeIDk9G7b1pOSlGzOB6RsxrJsvOZ8YZd5vSYgWL1KEMv5vXQzCbtKtu5XplpR8mJKw0Z9W8w56AkId4/s320/DSC_0075.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458259563895136802" border="0" /></a>Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-57046100739048081262010-04-06T13:42:00.000-07:002010-04-06T14:22:50.821-07:00Who Said Impulsive Consuming Can't Be a Positive?Everyone has those moments when they see something and the first thing that comes to mind is, "I wish I could have thought of that!" Even worse is when you did think of it, but you failed to execute on the idea. I swear I thought of Ebay when the internet was first blooming and I was a young(er) one exploring the exciting world of AOL 1.0. You always find cool things at garage sales, why not put it online where you can go to garage sales around the world? Simple enough right???<br /><br />Anyways, my recent "I wish I thought of that" moment occurred when I found one of these beauties:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZD2rreYR8r7F6BwMRL16Bw0KltJqUvtjdEA5mNggDkaNAKiISgKppN14O-9udpYncfD4_B-fCY-TuxdHyfQ3s74dOXL4YNRfV5v7Jn7VOpis9-UULqoWfLJZz0U93ZbnfKRK1UzO_6I/s1600/7_gaspread1.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 288px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFZD2rreYR8r7F6BwMRL16Bw0KltJqUvtjdEA5mNggDkaNAKiISgKppN14O-9udpYncfD4_B-fCY-TuxdHyfQ3s74dOXL4YNRfV5v7Jn7VOpis9-UULqoWfLJZz0U93ZbnfKRK1UzO_6I/s400/7_gaspread1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5457131556459607970" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://thecommonstudio.com/index.php?/project/greenaid/">Project GreenAid</a> has commandeered candy machines and turned them into seed machines. Put some change in and get an egg like ball with compost, seeds and clay in return. Otherwise known as seedbombs, these interesting looking devices allow guerrilla gardening to become even more easy. Use the change in your pocket on the way home from work to brighten the path for you and everyone else with various flowers and plants springing up wherever you leave these seedbombs.<br /><br />The wheels are turning for my senior show!<br /><br />Credit given to <a href="http://www.psfk.com/2010/03/using-candy-machines-to-encourage-guerrilla-gardening.html">PSFK</a> for turning me on to this.Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-41278087858053517662010-03-14T23:31:00.001-07:002010-03-14T23:31:58.556-07:00Faris Yakob's MCAD Discussioneeing Faris's talk at MCAD was an interesting one. Rather than a prim and proper business man coming in to talk about how amazing he is working in NYC with all these important people, we get someone who is a little bit more down to earth. While this isn't a completely unheard of at MCAD it is a welcome change from what you normally hear about in the advertising world.<br /><br />One common trait I see in Faris along with many individuals we talk about at MCAD is the ability to make a name for himself. This wasn't someone who picked a role and excelled in it. Instead, he decided none of the rolls fit what he wanted to do so he found something that seemed to be lacking and made a role to fit it. Now that consumers have the ability to nearly be everywhere at the same time Faris figured he should help plan out where exactly the brand should choose to live.<br /><br />Its not as easy as coming up with one of these anymore:<br /><br /><object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/lUKenR9k238&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/lUKenR9k238&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />On the down side you can't just throw money at the TV and know people will see it. Instead people have DVRs, Hulu and various other "channels" of media they choose to spend their time on. You can't guarantee anyone will be on any given platform at any given time anymore(exceptions being the Super Bowl and such).<br /><br />On the plus side the ever increasing amount of platforms brands and consumers choose to shout from give benefits as well. Once a new medium has been thoroughly tested and rules have been put in place it can turn into new opportunities. Faris used the example of Nikon using Twitter, Ashton Kutcher and user submitted short films they were able to create a extraordinarily cheap campaign considering how much attention it received. This increase in platforms splinters audiences, but it also gives opportunities to reach consumers in new ways.<br /><br />Now you can argue for every Nikon story there are 10,000 automated Twitter bots that do little other than ruin the experience for others. There was the UK company, Moonfruit, who topped Twitter's trending charts for days until being taken off by Twitter simply by offering Macbook Pros to anyone who tweeted #moonfruit. While it was incredibly successful for Moonfruit, it cheapened Twitter for many users. Being a poor college student I'll be the first to admit that I indulged in the #moonfruit, but I'm certain those who follow were less than thrilled to read nonsense in their feed.<br /><br />As a brand I think the most important thing to do is to realize you can't be everywhere and to choose carefully where to go. You need to manage your online and offline presence more than ever now, because if you don't consumers will come up with an identity for you and its rarely a positive one. Brands need to realize that the consumer is more in control than ever before now that there is 0 latncy for content delivery whether its reviews, opinions or the ability to move on to the next new thing. All brands can do now is do their best to cater to their consumer's desires and have a function that makes them truly unique and desired. You can't simply exist and have an advertising budget anymore; become relevant or you run the risk of simply disappearing.<br /><br />Oh and I'll close with this little Gem Dr. Pepper thought would be soooooooo cool to do. I believe this is the epitome of doing something simply for the sake of trying to fit in. Don't just have something because everyone else does, make sure there is at least some context for doing so. <br /><br /><object width="640" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q5JDrrzTF2o&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Q5JDrrzTF2o&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="640" height="385"></embed></object>Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-76405401260366897392010-03-09T08:11:00.000-08:002010-03-09T09:14:23.884-08:00Rebranding Me: Word GamesOne of the first things I do when I'm in the process of redoing anything whether its websites, brands or the layout of our living room is to break it down to it's most basic form. Making sure I start from the beginning with the words I want to describe my project helps to keep me on track through the whole process. I can look back to the five or so base words I decide to work with to check whether or not each element I delve into fits within them. If not, I step back and take a look at what needs to be adjusted to keep my core message intact.<br /><br />With "rebranding me" I started by grabbing a big pad of paper, markers and another brain to bounce ideas off of. My girlfriend (I know, not the most unbiased, but she still helps!) and I started by talking about what kind of vibe I wanted in my blog, portfolio and website. From there we wrote down anything that came to mind within a five or ten minute window so as not to dwell on it too long.<br /><br />If you knew us, you'd know I'm the more organized and structured thinker while she is the artist side. Guess which brainstorm belongs to who:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1PbudGb_s2TAP6jX5Pm5LOkoueW_6266XFVSflpSdk3dYHrEFmNQTXkD2FWBmre9Jt3Pf6-ScI8YP_b27BazyGVKXnQq4sIrdB2TkCU8m9e7f11tZf428FL8Md4JB2_uBrlia61s5ss/s1600-h/rebrandingme_words.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw1PbudGb_s2TAP6jX5Pm5LOkoueW_6266XFVSflpSdk3dYHrEFmNQTXkD2FWBmre9Jt3Pf6-ScI8YP_b27BazyGVKXnQq4sIrdB2TkCU8m9e7f11tZf428FL8Md4JB2_uBrlia61s5ss/s400/rebrandingme_words.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446683536695396882" border="0" /></a><br />What kind of results did I get from all this? I've come to the conclusion that I want to focus on brand storytelling, interactive, social and appropriate for the audience (meaning everyone doesn't need a twitter feed, especially if their core audience is 75+ women who live on a remote island off of Thailand).<br /><br />Next on the list, putting those traits into a cohesive message. Look for that before the end of the week.Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-77963041701212427712010-03-08T08:03:00.000-08:002010-03-08T08:15:24.993-08:00Predicting Faris Yakob<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zmymyLXwZYI9I49EeXkAeib0lcGeIrc3dq9tTx5cUWiSEcUKJUrbcWh4igHCWBG5PpmxxEiXjptzalZtrArZFDy8O6akAevKTCMoYvPo4_8kW4iy4n6QXATDc-BNpKzU4a9LQe3lLx0/s1600-h/faris_yakob.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 127px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zmymyLXwZYI9I49EeXkAeib0lcGeIrc3dq9tTx5cUWiSEcUKJUrbcWh4igHCWBG5PpmxxEiXjptzalZtrArZFDy8O6akAevKTCMoYvPo4_8kW4iy4n6QXATDc-BNpKzU4a9LQe3lLx0/s320/faris_yakob.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5446297254376024690" border="0" /></a><br /><p>I was digging through <a href="http://farisyakob.typepad.com/">Faris Yakob</a>'s blog looking for one specific post that really jumped out at me. Not limiting myself to recent posts or even thoroughly reading them in chronological order. In doing so I ended up with a post of his from December 2009 entitled, "<a href="http://farisyakob.typepad.com/blog/2009/12/no-rational-content.html">No Rational Content</a>". In this post he sums up various other sources that point us in the direction of irrationality.</p><br /><div></div><br /><div>His first source comes from the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: underline;">Journal of Advertising Research</span>, in which they ask the simple question of, "What do we KNOW about advertising?" It sounds like a rather simple question, but when you get deep down into the question its anything but simple. Hundreds of elements, techniques, failures and successes that both support and contradict each other come into mind. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>He goes on to discuss the findings of Les Binet and Peter Fields who researched the findings of papers that won the <a href="http://www.ipaeffectivenessawards.co.uk/Home">IPA Effectiveness Awards </a>. These awards focus on the business results of advertising rather than the creative side. To sum up Yakob's summation of the findings, they come to the conclusion of:</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>"The most effective advertisements of all are those with little or no rational content."</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I had to think about this one for a while, finally coming to a conclusion that seemed to fit Yakob's overall attitude. Rationality in a branding message isn't what people want to see when they're busily walking from their car to their cubicle or killing time online during when nobody else is looking. They want to be distracted, the last thing they want to be is sold on. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>One person that came to mind after reading the above quote on the effectiveness of irrationality was Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. He gave a presentation at TED in 2004 about happiness and how people find it. One thing he points out is that humans can generally take in 110 bits of information a second. If we can somehow consume a majority of those 110 bits, we can escape from reality because we don't have enough bits leftover to notice reality. Forgetting boredom, money issues, problems at home or whatever else that bogs us down. Escaping reality, even if for only a few seconds is something everyone wants. Now while this may seem irrelevant to Yakob's post, I see a connection on at least some level.<object height="326" width="446"><br /><param name="movie" value="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf"><br /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><br /><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><br /><param name="bgColor" value="#ffffff"><br /><param name="flashvars" value="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/MihalyCsikszentmihalyi_2004-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/MihalyCsikszentmihalyi-2004.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=366&introDuration=16500&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=2000&adKeys=talk=mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow;year=2004;theme=the_creative_spark;theme=unconventional_explanations;theme=how_the_mind_works;event=TED2004;&preAdTag=tconf.ted/embed;tile=1;sz=512x288;"><embed src="http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" flashvars="vu=http://video.ted.com/talks/dynamic/MihalyCsikszentmihalyi_2004-medium.flv&su=http://images.ted.com/images/ted/tedindex/embed-posters/MihalyCsikszentmihalyi-2004.embed_thumbnail.jpg&vw=432&vh=240&ap=0&ti=366&introDuration=16500&adDuration=4000&postAdDuration=2000&adKeys=talk=mihaly_csikszentmihalyi_on_flow;year=2004;theme=the_creative_spark;theme=unconventional_explanations;theme=how_the_mind_works;event=TED2004;" height="326" width="446"></embed><br /></object><br /></div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Combining Yakob's post discussing irrationality and Csikszentmihalyi's talk on happiness I come to the conclusion that if when we're focusing on any given advertisement its lack of rationality only lends to our ability to escape for that moment. With rational messages its easier to see the "advertising" in advertising, but with irrational ones its more about the story telling or entertainment value at that moment. This invites the individual to use more of their 110 bits and create that much more happiness. </div>Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8056609498907272720.post-65425761397379750972010-02-26T18:27:00.000-08:002010-03-09T09:14:51.931-08:00T Minus 78 Days 3 Hours 31 Minutes 23 SecondsUntil I plan on having an established self brand. I've made claims similar to this previously, but this time I have a plan to follow. After I was informed that I have a job secured for post graduation I knew it was time to take this goal of mine seriously. Getting serious with this project after finding out about the job is definitely ass backwards, but hey, better late than never.<br /><br />I'd like to thank <a href="http://www.taylorsnyder.com/">Taylor Snyder</a> and his blog post <a href="http://imanad.blogspot.com/2010/02/need-to-brand-yourself.html">The Need to Brand Yourself</a> for being a part of my motivation for this. Check him out, he graduated from <a href="http://www.mcad.edu/">MCAD</a> last year and has since moved on to bigger and better things.Chris Havranekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07159835316904499673noreply@blogger.com0