We know some truly amazing people.
We're less than two weeks away from our planned opening (and still on track) and more and more friends are popping out of the woodwork to help us!
There's a guy we know who is going beyond the call of duty to help us change the look of the bar itself to something that's going to be really, really cool. (We think.) And it'll make the background of our website make a little more sense, too.
There're others who are helping just do "whatever we need". Yesterday, our ceiling got painted by one such of these. Our fence has been strengthened. A toilet was fixed (it was broken by one of two of our contractors but everybody denies it was them. Patches have been made for stucco. There are many, many examples; these are just a couple that I can think of right now.
Frankly, we could not even think about meeting our June 20 deadline without these people.
Now, back to work. The electrical and A/C guys are at the bar today finishing their work and should be done by early afternoon. Our refrigeration guy is coming tomorrow and he'll be done with his stuff tomorrow. Then, we think we're ready for our final building inspection on Friday.
(We did have a vandalism "issue" again this past Thursday night/Friday morning and again Monday night/Tuesday morning. Some donkey--and by donkey, I mean jackass--broke into the back yard and destroyed the old walk-in refrigeration roof unit as it was waiting to be put onto the roof. It should be covered by insurance (adjuster arriving this morning to check into it) but it has caused a bit of a delay; and that delay shouldn't be too bad.)
Showing posts with label Web Site. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Web Site. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Chugging Along
Wow....
I just updated the status page on our website. I was struck by how damn close we are to finishing up everything that's required of us. We're nearly done!
It's been an unusual time for both Karl and me. Periods of massive stress followed by periods of major relief. Whatta rollercoaster this has been!
I just updated the status page on our website. I was struck by how damn close we are to finishing up everything that's required of us. We're nearly done!
It's been an unusual time for both Karl and me. Periods of massive stress followed by periods of major relief. Whatta rollercoaster this has been!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
"What a Dump!"
This morning, I'm updating our Building Status page with updated info. (Why would I update it with outdated info??) I do it somewhat irregularly but mostly consistantly after certain items are completed. I made the list months ago when I still had this nice rosy idea of what the process would be like. Step 1 would be followed neatly by Step 2 and then closely by Step 3 and so on.
And, well, that's not quite the way it worked out and the previously nicely ordered list is now a jumbled mess. Kinda like the bar in this picture:
If I thought the Status Page would be used much beyond June XX (Oops! Almost accidently announced our expected open date!) I'd go back and reorganize it to make more sense now that opening day is only about X weeks away (Oops! Almost did it again; it's a number less than 6 but more than 1). After that time, the list becomes obsolete for evey purpose other than academics.
(Yes, I'm a tease....)
And, well, that's not quite the way it worked out and the previously nicely ordered list is now a jumbled mess. Kinda like the bar in this picture:
It almost looks like a bar!
If I thought the Status Page would be used much beyond June XX (Oops! Almost accidently announced our expected open date!) I'd go back and reorganize it to make more sense now that opening day is only about X weeks away (Oops! Almost did it again; it's a number less than 6 but more than 1). After that time, the list becomes obsolete for evey purpose other than academics.
(Yes, I'm a tease....)
Monday, March 21, 2011
Mobile Site Working as Intended
Well, that didn't take nearly as long as I thought it might.
The much, much lighter and faster version of our website is up and running on http://m.fresnophoenix.com/ . It took some unusual (to me, anyway) file location gymnastics but doing it this way was fairly easy. If not tedious.
Ok, it was very tedious. Very, very tedious.
It's not terribly pretty and there are still a few small things to add (like a map) but at least it's working for ya!
Ok, maybe having a map on your mobile device to find us isn't so small. I do have to investigate how to integrate it well with the map apps folks may already have. It would be nice for folks to use an app they're familiar with for directions on the go.
The much, much lighter and faster version of our website is up and running on http://m.fresnophoenix.com/ . It took some unusual (to me, anyway) file location gymnastics but doing it this way was fairly easy. If not tedious.
Ok, it was very tedious. Very, very tedious.
It's not terribly pretty and there are still a few small things to add (like a map) but at least it's working for ya!
Ok, maybe having a map on your mobile device to find us isn't so small. I do have to investigate how to integrate it well with the map apps folks may already have. It would be nice for folks to use an app they're familiar with for directions on the go.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Mobile Site Not Working as Intended
Well, crap.
I thought our mobile website was "working as intended" (and it is on some mobile devices and on certain browsers like Opera Mini) but with my new smartphone I got I see it is not working as intended at all.
Frankly, it looks like shit.
On top of that, it's too damn large. We use too much of your data plan to get show you things you'd like to know. So, I'm going through and redesigning the structure of the web site to be more phone phriendly. Should take about a week or two, I think. Maybe three...
I thought our mobile website was "working as intended" (and it is on some mobile devices and on certain browsers like Opera Mini) but with my new smartphone I got I see it is not working as intended at all.
Frankly, it looks like shit.
On top of that, it's too damn large. We use too much of your data plan to get show you things you'd like to know. So, I'm going through and redesigning the structure of the web site to be more phone phriendly. Should take about a week or two, I think. Maybe three...
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Status Update
Earlier this week, I quietly put up a new page on our web site sort of giving a rough-to-detailed outline of where we are in the process. It gives a quick look into the current state of affairs as well as what needs to happen before we open and what has already happened.
It's the Building Status page. Give it a look-see.
(There has been a lot that has already been completed. Since I made that list at the end of February, I'm certain I forgot things that had to be done but have been completed. The "Not Yet Begun" parts should be fairly complete, though.)
It's the Building Status page. Give it a look-see.
(There has been a lot that has already been completed. Since I made that list at the end of February, I'm certain I forgot things that had to be done but have been completed. The "Not Yet Begun" parts should be fairly complete, though.)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Slogan Slingin'
One of the things I had wanted to have for the bar was a good slogan that pretty much encompassed the feeling we want the bar to have. We didn't really wanna take The Den's slogan ("Fresno's Bear and Leather Bar") because that seems (at best) a little rude.
Over the past several weeks, you may have noticed the slogan we use on our website change. We tried out several.
But, I think we've settled it with "Conveniently Infamous™" even if we don't even quite know what it means. (And how can we be infamous before we even open? And what's so covenient about the place anyway? The Cedar off-ramp is bizarre and getting to the bar from 168 is an exercise in map-reading and using a sextant!!)
Karl had a few of his own slogans that were summarily rejected by committee:
Over the past several weeks, you may have noticed the slogan we use on our website change. We tried out several.
But, I think we've settled it with "Conveniently Infamous™" even if we don't even quite know what it means. (And how can we be infamous before we even open? And what's so covenient about the place anyway? The Cedar off-ramp is bizarre and getting to the bar from 168 is an exercise in map-reading and using a sextant!!)
Karl had a few of his own slogans that were summarily rejected by committee:
- In The Phoenix No One Can Hear You Scream
- Hooker-free Since 2010
- $4.50 Drinks for $4.50 People
- Now in Senseround!
- Smells Like Fish; Tastes Like Chicken
- Home of the Meal-Replacement Cocktail!
- Solves that Not-So-Fresh Feeling
- Friends, Fun and Flexible Phallus
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Logo Rising
Have you happened to notice the logo now on our web site? It's smack dab in the middle of the header. In addition to using it on the website, we have some rather neat plans for the logo. (Some of 'em may cost us a pretty penny so they may have to wait until we have income.)
But there it is! What d'ya think?
But there it is! What d'ya think?
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Error!! Page Found!
One of the things that makes a website well-rounded is styled error pages. You've seen the ugly ones. They say "404: File not found" on a white background and that's about it. (There are a lot of other error types, by the way.) And let's face it. They're ugly. They serve their purpose, of course, but, Damn! They be UGG LEE!
So, I like to make 'em at least match the rest of the site. (But not too much, otherwise it's not obvious you're on an error page.) And, given the opportunity, I'll toss some humor into 'em, too.
All of this is to say that I've gone and completed the major HTTP Error Status pages I think we'll need for the site. Big deal, eh? Sorta like patting myself on the back for not spiling water out of my sippy cup.
What's strange about styled error pages and them fitting into a site is that, if all goes well, they'll never, ever been seen. (Like the SEO I talked about earlier.) It's kind of like a Van Gogh on the middle layer of 3 ply toilet paper. So, to show off 'em off (and it'll probably make 'em indexed by search engines; not terribly crazy about that) here they are:
400 Bad Request
403 Forbidden (Probably my favorite)
404 File not Found
500 Internal Server Error
So, I like to make 'em at least match the rest of the site. (But not too much, otherwise it's not obvious you're on an error page.) And, given the opportunity, I'll toss some humor into 'em, too.
All of this is to say that I've gone and completed the major HTTP Error Status pages I think we'll need for the site. Big deal, eh? Sorta like patting myself on the back for not spiling water out of my sippy cup.
What's strange about styled error pages and them fitting into a site is that, if all goes well, they'll never, ever been seen. (Like the SEO I talked about earlier.) It's kind of like a Van Gogh on the middle layer of 3 ply toilet paper. So, to show off 'em off (and it'll probably make 'em indexed by search engines; not terribly crazy about that) here they are:
400 Bad Request
403 Forbidden (Probably my favorite)
404 File not Found
500 Internal Server Error
Monday, January 17, 2011
Did We Choose A Bad Name?
Perhaps.
Both Karl and I rather like the name, "The Phoenix". Unfortunately, it's made finding us in Google (or other search engines) kinda difficult. A quick search of "The Phoenix Fresno" brings up a lot of airline information and plenty of information about both Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix and Fresno International. Not exactly what I'd hoped for. So, I gotta fix that.
That's called SEO or "Search Engine Optimization". It's the act of changing a web site so search engines like Google and Bing and Yahoo! (and others I can't remember) rank the site higher in their listings so the site appears closer to the top of the list. (For example, searching for "Den Fresno" in Google brings up The Den's website as the first listing.)
SEO is one of those things that, if done well, you don't notice. Much like the soundtrack to a movie.
We're in the databases (Searching for "Phoenix Fresno Gay Bar" we're mentioned on a GayFresno.com site and that's close.) I just have to re-work the site so our site is near the top. I have my work cut out for me here....
Both Karl and I rather like the name, "The Phoenix". Unfortunately, it's made finding us in Google (or other search engines) kinda difficult. A quick search of "The Phoenix Fresno" brings up a lot of airline information and plenty of information about both Sky Harbor Airport in Phoenix and Fresno International. Not exactly what I'd hoped for. So, I gotta fix that.
That's called SEO or "Search Engine Optimization". It's the act of changing a web site so search engines like Google and Bing and Yahoo! (and others I can't remember) rank the site higher in their listings so the site appears closer to the top of the list. (For example, searching for "Den Fresno" in Google brings up The Den's website as the first listing.)
SEO is one of those things that, if done well, you don't notice. Much like the soundtrack to a movie.
We're in the databases (Searching for "Phoenix Fresno Gay Bar" we're mentioned on a GayFresno.com site and that's close.) I just have to re-work the site so our site is near the top. I have my work cut out for me here....
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Are You an Artist or Cartoonist?
Wanna make some money?
I may be good at putting things together in a visually appealing way and making inanimate stuff but I'm not so skilled at the creation of characters. So, I want to see what y'all might have to offer.
If you (or someone you know) is an artist or cartoonist (or anything similar) and can create a mascot to use in ads, online, t-shirts, etc. I kinda wanna know. (A logo is forthcoming so we don't need that.) I'm looking for a style somewhere along the lines of the images below. (Not specifically and only these styles, mind you. These are from my clip-art collections.)
In general, muscular is better than soft. Doesn't have to be a bear but we are primarily a bear bar. A team mascot look or super hero look are nice places to start. And we are open to non-human ideas. (A dog? Something else? I'm not sure a phoenix or other bird would work for a mascot as it may contrast too much with a logo but we can see.)
I'd like to be able to ask the selected artist to "Put the mascot in a boat; happy and waving" or "Peeking out from behind a wall with just his head and a confused look" (or similar requests) and within a reasonable amount of time (two weeks?) receive said image with any requested revisions. Such requests would be infrequent (maybe once a month).
I'd prefer to receive the image as a vector, but I'm sure we can make raster images like .jpg, .png, .tiff, etc. work as well. I'm pretty darn certain we can even work with pencil and/or ink sketches on white paper; the darker the lines the better (not unlike a comic book). Scratch board would work too, but who wants to send a scratch board through the mail?
If you're interested, send me (Bryan) a note on our Contact page or leave a comment on this blog post with a link to your portfolio. (Free advertising for yourself!) I will want to see samples of previous work (paid and/or published is nice but not necessary). I'll also want to know whether or not you'd charge by the hour or by the piece and about what your rate would be for such a job.
You do *not* need to create me a mascot to be considered; that will come after being hired. All I'm interested in now is seeing what you've done before and whether you can do again in the future.
This would be an ongoing paid gig. Copyright ownership is negotiable. Usage rights are negotiable as well.
Please share, pass along, and spread the word.
I may be good at putting things together in a visually appealing way and making inanimate stuff but I'm not so skilled at the creation of characters. So, I want to see what y'all might have to offer.
If you (or someone you know) is an artist or cartoonist (or anything similar) and can create a mascot to use in ads, online, t-shirts, etc. I kinda wanna know. (A logo is forthcoming so we don't need that.) I'm looking for a style somewhere along the lines of the images below. (Not specifically and only these styles, mind you. These are from my clip-art collections.)
In general, muscular is better than soft. Doesn't have to be a bear but we are primarily a bear bar. A team mascot look or super hero look are nice places to start. And we are open to non-human ideas. (A dog? Something else? I'm not sure a phoenix or other bird would work for a mascot as it may contrast too much with a logo but we can see.)
I'd like to be able to ask the selected artist to "Put the mascot in a boat; happy and waving" or "Peeking out from behind a wall with just his head and a confused look" (or similar requests) and within a reasonable amount of time (two weeks?) receive said image with any requested revisions. Such requests would be infrequent (maybe once a month).
I'd prefer to receive the image as a vector, but I'm sure we can make raster images like .jpg, .png, .tiff, etc. work as well. I'm pretty darn certain we can even work with pencil and/or ink sketches on white paper; the darker the lines the better (not unlike a comic book). Scratch board would work too, but who wants to send a scratch board through the mail?
If you're interested, send me (Bryan) a note on our Contact page or leave a comment on this blog post with a link to your portfolio. (Free advertising for yourself!) I will want to see samples of previous work (paid and/or published is nice but not necessary). I'll also want to know whether or not you'd charge by the hour or by the piece and about what your rate would be for such a job.
You do *not* need to create me a mascot to be considered; that will come after being hired. All I'm interested in now is seeing what you've done before and whether you can do again in the future.
This would be an ongoing paid gig. Copyright ownership is negotiable. Usage rights are negotiable as well.
Please share, pass along, and spread the word.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Our Mobile Website Is Working!!
Mostly. Kinda.
Just put the first iteration of our mobile-friendly website together yesterday! There are still some issues with it but at least it works right on any mobile device that identifies itself as a "handheld" device to the .css file. (Well, it should anyway. At least the horizontal scrolling is has been minimized.)
There are still a few things to address (the forms are sometimes way too wide, for example) but, for the most part, it's good to go. (I think. I've only tested it on an iPhone simulator-like thing and on my Treo.)
I think it might be time to throw money at an iPhone. Or maybe an Android...
Just put the first iteration of our mobile-friendly website together yesterday! There are still some issues with it but at least it works right on any mobile device that identifies itself as a "handheld" device to the .css file. (Well, it should anyway. At least the horizontal scrolling is has been minimized.)
There are still a few things to address (the forms are sometimes way too wide, for example) but, for the most part, it's good to go. (I think. I've only tested it on an iPhone simulator-like thing and on my Treo.)
I think it might be time to throw money at an iPhone. Or maybe an Android...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)