Dan Ubilla

Davis Square Flag

admin — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:10:32 +0000

I came across this project for Good magazine in which a collection of designers and illustrators were called upon to design flags for their respective neighborhoods. Some were beautiful in their simplicity, others appeared to be the product of designers trying to show of their skills rather than fit the creative limitations.

Needless to say, I went for the more simplistic route in designing a flag for my Boston-area neighborhood, Davis Square.

Have a design for your neighborhood you want to share? Critique of mine? Share them in the comments.

Maintenance Month

admin — Sat, 15 May 2010 19:38:59 +0000

Following Chris Coyier’s lead, I decided to go back and clean up some parts of the re-design I had neglected. It took some digging into pages and posts that I barely touched, and that have barely been seen, so I was glad to have the push.

Some fixes you’ll see:

Images from the Archives: After moving my site from /blog to the root of my domain, a few image links became broken. I was fearful that I’d have to dig into the meta data of the wordpress install to designate the new image folder, but I had actually linked the images on the site absolutely, a big no-no regardless. Simple fix, and finally implemented.
Archive, Post, and Page Layout: I wasn’t sure at the time about including the sidebar on all child pages, so I left these layouts in limbo, including the sidebar, but not doing it very well. The CSS was in place, so a bit more html markup completed the changes.
Post Navigation: The post navigation had some float issues. Since every element in the post navigation div was floated, a clearing element needed to be introduced so that the subsequent html didn’t run right up into it. IE7 has a margin-bottom bug with floated elements, so instead of introducing a bottom margin on the post navigation, I merely threw a top margin on the post.

Have you started maintenance on your own site this month? Plan to begin in the coming weeks? Leave a comment.

Like a plane crash that never hits the ground

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 01:04:36 +0000

As a songwriter, I’ve always been amazed at what comes out depending on what’s going on in my life. When things were going well for me, my friend and bandmates would joke that things needed to get worse or the music would suffer. They were more right than they might have thought.

Matt Skiba on Alkaline Trio’s new album, This Addiction:

Yeah, I was pretty angst-y and heartbroken when I wrote all of those songs. And I think that has a lot to do with the tone of the record because I hadn’t been in that sort of mind frame for a while. I think a lot of people feel angry and heartbroken about whatever it is they might be going through—politics, relationships, friendships, a cat dying—whatever the case may be. And I had some things go on in my life that just brought me back to that very drunk, very angry and sad young man that I was ten years ago. I never went completely off the deep end but I had some dark times and therefore there is some darkness. Not spooky dark, just sad and angry shit.

The rest of the interview can be found here.

Preparing DanUbilla.com 2.0

admin — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 22:58:24 +0000

When I threw together the design you see on this very blog, I did it haphazardly and quickly just to get a bit of presentation to frame my entries. It was always meant to be a dynamic frame, one that I could use as a training ground to various tips and tricks I picked up through my work, both professional and personal. Looking at the current layout and site hierarchy in more depth, I’ve decided to scratch most of what little you see here and strip down to the bare essentials. By re-focusing on the content before continuing on with exploring new design techniques, I’ll be able to re-imagine this web space to become not only the design and development playground that I originally intended it to be, but to be a proper gallery of my accomplishments and pursuits. In breaking things down, I plan on following three tenants and lines of thinking that I’ve come across in the past six months since introducing this site:

* Make Your Mockup in Markup – a fantastic argument to ditch Photoshop and design straight in the browser by Meagan Fisher of Simplebits.
* Walls Come Tumbling Down – the original presentation by Andy Clarke of Stuff and Nonsense that inspired the preceeding article.
* This fabulous idea that allows me the exploration of cutting-edge technologies without forgetting the end user.

In addition to these inspirations, the new site will include a focus on typography and minimalism, both of which should provide a new spotlight on content.

What you’ll see as a visitor will be a constantly changing design as I will be working in the browser, and, for the most part, pushing updates to the live site as quickly as possible. While this is not the most professional approach, I will consider this site an academic case study and web development playground for the next few months. For those interested in design and coding, I will be posting periodic updates on the what, why, and how of the developing site. For those interested in areas of the site, I would ask you to not mind the mess, but the idea is that no proverbial under construction sign is needed, that the site will be functional and accessible at every stage.

Thanks for staying tuned and for your general interest.

Enabling cURL in XAMPP

admin — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 21:04:22 +0000

Implementing cURL in an XAMPP environment for the first time can cause a quick, early headache. The most common error seen is a simple curl_init() can not be found. Luckily, the solution is most likely simple. cURL comes included with Apache but not installed, so you have to go in and turn it on yourself.

Open up your php.ini located under the /php directory. The line that needs editing will read: ;extension=php_curl.dll. Simply remove the semi-colon to uncomment the line. Then restart Apache to finish the change!

Going Back

admin — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 21:08:26 +0000

The ambiguity of the narrator on this Post Secret really struck a chord. The possibilities of all three roles are endless and striking. Why did the male lead leave? What is the female lead doing in the meanwhile? We do know the male character is coming back; it’s simply a matter of when. How is the narrator related to either of the main characters? And what to make of the starry, dreamy night sky backdrop?

It works because the reader has enough information to create their own version of the story. What’s your version?

Sleeping Off The Hangover

admin — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 03:52:57 +0000

Going Down

“Really? You haven’t seen it yet?” I heard these words uttered early last week, mere days after The Hangover came out. How had a movie ripped through the 18-34 demographic so quickly and earnestly? For an age group that responds best to star power or word-of-mouth when it comes to its comedies, an ensemble cast starring, frankly, nobody managed to beat the Will Ferrell vehicle, Land of the Lost, $43.3 to $19.5 million. The answer isn’t in the marketing, which was neither ubiquitous nor varied by any considerable degree. yet the very reason for the film’s initial success is the same that will stifle the movie’s longevity. The Hangover attracts two separate sects of young moviegoers, and neither faction loved the movie for reasons that will hold their attention in six months time.

A cameo by a young Tyson just seems fresher

At it’s core, The Hangover was a family movie for friends. The economic success of family films are generally guaranteed because, well, kids can’t go to the movies alone. An animated movie that culls one member of a family of four, sells tickets to all four members. Likewise, The Hangover was meant for a group of friends. Chances are if one of your friends wanted to see the movie, all of your friends got together. It became a miniature event of sorts. And just like animated movies are marketed specifically to kids, The Hangover was marketed point blank at your friends that laugh at lowest common denominator humor. If you’re questioning this, the smoking gun was Mike Tyson, and you’re precisely the friends that convinced the group to head to the theatre. This is not a bad thing. In fact, it’s a great thing. You brought people together. This will not happen with the DVD release.

Before I go any further, I must confess. I loved the movie. The humor is blatant and ridiculous; the type of story that is exaggerated with each telling. The characters weren’t as empathetic as has come to be expected with the influx of Apatow-produced comedies of the past few years, and the change was surprisingly refreshing. It all fit the testosterone-fueled cinematic adventure expected out of a movie called The Hangover. Kudos to Todd Phillips.

As much as I enjoyed the movie, it will always look better in retrospect. In the exact way that the movie built its success on group viewing, it will never find its success on any medium that won’t create a memory. Just like nobody likes drinking alone, the movie simply won’t work without a group atmosphere. Of course, the movie’s greatest reason for long-term failure is that, like a good night out, it simply won’t be quite as good when you go back to remember it.

The reasons are two-fold. The most memorable comedies, in particular of the past decade, have relied on quotability. Memorable quotes infuse a movie into our culture, give it life and personality even when the movie’s not even playing. The Hangover had none. People walked out of Old School saying, “I’ll do one”; they left Anchorman saying, “I’m kind of a big deal.” Audiences left The Hangover saying, “Wasn’t that one part funny?” Yes, yes it past-tense-was funny.

No, Matthew, I don't know who I want to punch more

Speaking of Old School and Anchorman, the movies of the Frat Pack sound like a passage from the Bible. Old School begat Anchorman and Wedding Crashers. Anchorman begat Talladega Nights and The Forty-Year Old Virgin. Virgin begat Knocked Up, ad nauseum. There is no heirarchy, no mentorship in the cast of The Hangover. Sure, Todd Phillips directed both The Hangover and Old School. Yes, Zach Galifianakis steals the spotlight, and he’s nothing more than a poor man’s Will Ferrell. Ed Helms simply doesn’t have the star power his predecessor, Steve Carrell, has, and if Bradley Cooper is destined for any career in films, it’s more Matthew McConaughey than Vince Vaughn. The Hangover is Cooper’s own Dazed and Confused, the best movie he’ll put out, but Cooper can’t even pull it off with the sort of iconic line that McConaughey pulled off.

In a few years, what seemed like a highly memorable movie will fade from our memory like all those crazy nights that seemed so important the next day. “Remember that one time?” “Oh yeah!” In the end, there’s nothing wrong with that. A string of nights, or movies like this, and a cognizant memory is formed, friendships created and strengthened. In the end, like any hangover, it will only fade with time.

Where Unexpected Matchups Happen

admin — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:38:16 +0000

Can Howard Thwart Kobe's Last Shot?

Let’s face it. It’s time to put the puppets away. Kobe Bryant and LeBron James will not be meeting in the 2009 NBA Finals. For the casual fan, this might be a deal-breaker, but it shouldn’t be. The sub-plots run deep. With a solid Finals, the rejuvenation of the NBA that first broke with the 2008-2009 could build up just enough momentum to carry the league through to the summer of 2010. As P Diddy would say, “Let’s Go!!1!”

Before we jump ahead to the positives of a Lakers/Magic Finals, let’s quickly put our ghosts to rest on what was not meant to be. A Cavaliers/Lakers match-up would have been an ABC executives’ wet dream. Nike already had their hands up the the teams’ superstars’ asses. The average fans would have gathered at water coolers discussing the highlights they caught on SportsCenter in the morning. Progress would have been made for all of four to seven games, and at the end of it, not one would be able to name more than three players on either team.

The 2008 NBA Finals was special because it put a solid bookmark on the mid-00s era. It’s no stretch to say the Spurs and Pistons played a boring brand of basketball, one that wasn’t good for the game itself or the legacy of the league. With the Lakers and the Celtics came a storied history, a renewed rivalry. This year gives us two teams with startling differences. It shouldn’t be hard for each non-affiliated fan to pick the team they want to root for.

The Kobe Scowl BigHead: Coming Soon

The Lakers represent the machine. They are the Empire. The venerable Coach Phil Jackson is aiming for what would be a record 10th Championship win, the vilified superstar still looking to get out of the shadow of a friend and teammate turned enemy, the right-hand-man, Pau Gasol, who plays the X factor in the post, and well-put together supporting cast that realize a loss this year could send any one of them packing. Despite being from the fun-loving, sports-semi-caring city of LA, it’s the Lakers who bring the scowl, the fight, the sheer desire to win. This is not always a good thing.

Rooting for the Lakers, in many ways, is rooting for history. Years from now, the league will be better for Kobe having gotten his ring on his own. Right now, Kobe has yet to win a championship as the best player on his own team. How many other players whose greatness has been argued so vehemently has found themselves in the same position? None. Chances are, Bryant’s not going to get his six to match Jordan, but with the way the game has changed over the past ten years, four would give the great debate a fantastic bit of legitimacy.

The Magic are everything the Lakers are not. Led by young, fresh, baby-faced Dwight Howard, the Magic seem to always be smiling and always hitting their jumpers. After Howard at the 5 spot, any one of Orlando’s 1-4 can hit a J from anywhere on the court. It’s this match-up problem that led to the Cavaliers early exit, and Orlando’s fun-loving spirit unseated the King before he could take his throne. It’s the classic last cup in beer pong question: do you embrace the pressure and understand one good shot keeps you in the game, or do you pretend it’s any other shot, aware that any pressure could ruin your flow. The Lakers want to embrace the pressure. I’m not even sure the Magic know what the word means.

Before Dwight Howard Became Superman

It’s debatable how many Magic fans rode out the years since their last championship run, but the organization has given little for fans to talk about. The original era of the Orlando Magic ended in the summer of 1996 when Shaquille O’Neal left the squad after just three years as the anchor of O-Town’s post game. You know where he left for: the bright lights and cameras of LA. When Shaq inevitably makes it to Springfield, there’ll no doubt be a Lakers jersey hanging by his name. Any legitimate sports fan should still hold a grudge for Los Angeles. While any signs making mention of the move would be more than just a little petty, that spite should still fill the crowd in Amway Arena.

With a successful Finals, the NBA will build a smaller fanbase, but one that will last much longer than the alternative, seemingly destined match-up. The LA market will pull it’s share, but it will fans outside of Orlando to care about the team. If any coming-of-age star can win people over, it’s Dwight. Now it’s just a matter of getting those fans ready to be won over.

Ultramarathon Man

admin — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 02:55:45 +0000

A few weeks ago, I finished up “Ultramarathon Man” by Dean Karnazes. It’s an excellent memoir by a regular guy who picked up and fell in love with beating the hell out of his body through endurance running. I highly recommend it to anyone who’s looking for inspiration for their workouts.

Here are a few quotes I jotted down from the book.

“If it felt good,” [my coach] said, squinting like Clint Eastwood, “you didn’t push hard enough. It’s supposed to hurt like hell.”

“Go out there and run to the best of your ability,” he replied. “Don’t run with your legs. Run with your heart.”

“This was an exploration into the possibilities of self.”

“Throeau once said that a man’s riches are based on what he can do without.”

“Most dreams die a slow death. They’re conceived in a moment of passion, with the prospect of endless possibility, but often languish and are not pursued with the same heartfelt intensity as when first born. Slowly, subtly, a dream becomes elusive and ephemeral.”

“What [the supporters] cared about was that a person had taken the time to train, and sacrifice, and dedicate himself wholeheartedly to the pursuit of a dream. It was a powerful message; I was just the host.”

“Yes, I had failed – but it had actually been a sepctacular failure, gloriously disintegrating every aspect of my body and soul until I literally fell over in the dirt.”

“People think I’m crazy to put myself through such torture, though I would argue otherwise. Somewhere along the line we seem to have confused comfort with happiness.”

“You only live once, but if you work it right, once is enough.”

The Final Frontier

admin — Fri, 29 May 2009 03:38:04 +0000

The following is spoiler intense for both the new Star Trek movie and the season finale of LOST. Consider yourself warned.

A readers’ appreciation for literature has always been rooted in their relation for the characters involved. For some, this means a detachment from their personal lives. Middle-aged housewives might prefer a romance novel about twenty-somethings; a young boy’s favorite story could be about pirates. Others enjoy stories because they see themselves as the leading men and women.

The most prevalent complaint in Hollywood in recent years has been of the lack of originality in new content. Sequels and remakes litter television and movie theatres while viewers wonder slightly less rhetorically with each passing summer: has every story been told? Hope in the infinity of creativity has ekpt me from giving up, and after endless drivel has been presented for mine and everyone’s consumption, there may be a master storyteller ready to reflect life and mimic art in an amazingly innovative and entertaining way. JJ Abrams wants us to rethink the facet of life we understand the least to begin with: time.
Time has been at the center of countless, fantastic works, but never has it presented and turned so many themes on their heads as it has in Abrams’ LOST and Star Trek.

In LOST, the end of Season 5 asks us if the failure is always worth the lesson. Jack risks everything at the chance to erase the past three years (and five seasons). Erasing the misery would regress the growth. This is something Lock understands as he tells Sawyer earlier this season that opening the hatch was painful, but ultimately made him the strong, confident leader he became. The dichotomy of pleasure and pain is often debated, but Jack is given the ultimate choice in trading in his pain. What will he receive? The entire concept is reminiscent of Aldous Huxley’s “Brave New World”, where a Utopian society is created through use of a drug that numbs all feeling and emotion making its citizens autonomous creatures. The LOST season ends in a cliffhanger for the ages, and we’ll have to wait until 2010 to discover what themes Abrams wishes to present. In the meanwhile, we’re lucky to be stuck in a limbo, to decide for ourselves what we’d like to see. I’m personally pulling for the plane to crash regardless, and the season to open with Jack and company approaching the foot of the statue.

Star Trek, a holy tenet of the science fiction zeitgeist, was built up to be another retread, another reboot a la “Casino Royale” and “Batman Begins”. Instead, JJ Abrams surprised everyone by using time travel to create a thinkpiece on missed chances, redemption, and, of course, destiny. LOST studies these themes to varying degrees of depth, with destiny as the starring theme, but while the characters of LOST question changing their present from the past, Star Trek takes a different angle. In the movie, Jimmy Kirk’s destiny is taken off-course when the past is changed and his father is killed in an act of heroism. Despite this detour in his life, enough events transpire to course-correct, another popular topic in the fifth season of LOST, and Kirk eventually takes the captain’s chair. Redemption is usually seen in action movies when the superhero considers taking off the mask and retiring, or the cop begins to question if he’s making a sincere difference. With time travel pushing the plot along, these rules have changed. In his experiences, Kirk has lost nothing, so how do you redeem yourself from actions that have never happened? Another hypothetical courtesy of time twisting.

Time travel as a motif and plot device has a strength greater than most. Even if this new trend will leak out of the Bad Robot camp, it’s hard to say whether the general public will accept it. If it’s able to make the jump from niche towards genre, there will be some great stories to tell.