codecat » Uncategorized http://www.codecat.com Charles Swarts' Dark Matter Mon, 14 Jun 2010 19:30:23 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Old Stage Fire; A wind-driven Dragon returns http://www.codecat.com/2009/01/09/old-stage-fire-when-the-wind-brings-out-the-dragon/ http://www.codecat.com/2009/01/09/old-stage-fire-when-the-wind-brings-out-the-dragon/#comments Fri, 09 Jan 2009 21:34:13 +0000 codecat http://www.codecat.com/2009/01/09/old-stage-fire-when-the-wind-brings-out-the-dragon/ Old Stage Fire, Boulder, CO

Jan. 7th, 2009. It was very very very windy, hurricane-strong windy. Gusts of wind reported over 80mph. It was also very very dry out.
These were the same conditions that preceded the devastating Overland Fire from Oct 2003 (5000+ acres, Jamestown evacuated).
This fire started the same way the Overland Fire started; High winds resulting in blown down power-lines that explode across the landscape in high winds. This time I was at work and had to get my daughter from school. The fire was essentially between the school and home, but we were able to run up Left Hand Canyon and I was able to get her home safely. Jamestown VFD did not get toned out, but Matt, Rob, Tara and I think a few others took out the tanker, joined the forces fighting the fire and grappled first hand with the Dragon. Overall an amazing job by the Emergency Services and Firefighters to save property and protect lives. No serious injuries and no structures lost after the initial hours past and Firefighters were fully deployed.

]]> http://www.codecat.com/2009/01/09/old-stage-fire-when-the-wind-brings-out-the-dragon/feed/ 0 When translation services goes horribly wrong. http://www.codecat.com/2008/07/12/when-translation-services-goes-horribly-wrong/ http://www.codecat.com/2008/07/12/when-translation-services-goes-horribly-wrong/#comments Sat, 12 Jul 2008 16:11:24 +0000 codecat http://www.codecat.com/2008/08/12/when-translation-services-goes-horribly-wrong/ grab a bite at the old 404
Maybe it would have been a good idea to have an English speaker review this failed translation of the business name.
This reminds me of the time we saw “Fried Children” on a menu in Rājasthān…

]]> http://www.codecat.com/2008/07/12/when-translation-services-goes-horribly-wrong/feed/ 0 Location, Location, Location! http://www.codecat.com/2008/04/25/location-location-location/ http://www.codecat.com/2008/04/25/location-location-location/#comments Sat, 26 Apr 2008 05:22:54 +0000 codecat http://www.codecat.com/2008/05/02/location-location-location/ Location, Location, Location!
Its awesome when your interests syncs perfectly with opportunity. My previous work had moved to a slower more maintenance mode, complete with a fine commercial success. The real challenges, learning, and rewards had past. I was looking for something new without being rushed.

I am a GPS geek and worked up my own Google Android project. That effort and my professional associations lead to meeting with and ultimately taking a new position at a brand new GeoWeb startup that I am absolutely thrilled to join: PublicEarth. I would write more about what we are doing there, but you will just have to wait and see! Last day at Webroot, Friday April 25th. First Day at Public Earth, Monday April 28th.
Follow your passion and see where it leads you.

]]> http://www.codecat.com/2008/04/25/location-location-location/feed/ 0 Steamboat GPS tracks and Google Maps http://www.codecat.com/2008/03/30/steamboat-gps-tracks-and-google-maps/ http://www.codecat.com/2008/03/30/steamboat-gps-tracks-and-google-maps/#comments Sun, 30 Mar 2008 18:32:10 +0000 codecat http://www.codecat.com/2008/04/21/steamboat-gps-tracks-and-google-maps/
Part of my ongoing Tdroid project includes gathering GPS track data and being able to upload it to a webservice for either downloading to other GPS enabled devices or remote viewing. So going to Steamboat for a powder day becomes extra rewarding. Lots of Pow-Pow and good track data too. I think the Aspen tree-skiing at Steamboat is some of the best tree runnning available in Colorado.

]]> http://www.codecat.com/2008/03/30/steamboat-gps-tracks-and-google-maps/feed/ 0 Hello Tdroid! http://www.codecat.com/2008/02/28/hello-tdroid/ http://www.codecat.com/2008/02/28/hello-tdroid/#comments Fri, 29 Feb 2008 02:18:37 +0000 codecat http://www.codecat.com/2008/03/04/hello-tdroid/ Tdroid Android Application

Tdroid is an application and web service I am designing for the Android platform.

The Open Handset Alliance, a group of more than 30 technology and mobile companies including Google, is developing Android; the first complete, open, and free mobile platform. To help developers get started developing new applications, Google has provided developers an early look at the Android Software Development Kit.

I hope to submit a Tdroid prototype with accompanying webservice for the Android Developers challenge, which has a deadline of April 14th 2008. The basic premise being GPS location tracking, saving and sharing with 100% open source and no license fees!

]]> http://www.codecat.com/2008/02/28/hello-tdroid/feed/ 0 Powder Days and Like-Minds http://www.codecat.com/2008/01/21/powder-days-and-like-minds/ http://www.codecat.com/2008/01/21/powder-days-and-like-minds/#comments Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:36:54 +0000 codecat http://www.codecat.com/2008/01/21/powder-days-and-like-minds/ THIS must be the SPOT
Spent a great day a Keystone snowboarding through some fresh powder. My friend said he had found “this awesome shelter in the unpatrolled tress of North Mountain, we should try to find it again”. Seemed like a good idea, see if he could replay his inner GPS. I brought a Garmin GPS to get the position if we found it for real.
The first run we missed it by a mere 50 yards, it took a few tries but we were in fact able to locate this lean-to. We broke out our foods and stuff inside around mid-day. It was hilarious the two groups who came by, obviously knew of the spot, obviously of-the-same-mind. It should not be surprising to meet folks like yourself when you share likes, dislikes, personality disorders, or whatever. Check out the spot in Google Earth here.

]]> http://www.codecat.com/2008/01/21/powder-days-and-like-minds/feed/ 0 Air Taxi to the Wrangells Awaits! http://www.codecat.com/2007/12/14/my-air-taxi-to-the-wrangells-awaits/ http://www.codecat.com/2007/12/14/my-air-taxi-to-the-wrangells-awaits/#comments Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:55:57 +0000 codecat http://www.codecat.com/2008/01/14/my-air-taxi-to-the-wrangells-awaits/ Landing in the Wrangells
Sometimes your lucky enough to really enjoy your work. I really have enjoyed building out the website and working with the folks at Copper Valley Air. I love the mountains and these folks fly people around and down to them, landing people and or supplies to remote fly-in locations in the Wrangell St. Elias Wilderness in Alaska. I fully intend on checking this out for myself being I have an open invitation to a window seat, its just a matter of schedule, getting to Anchorage, and fitting in the time off.

If you yourself might be interested in Flight seeing in Alaska, Remote Fly-In Adventures, Air Taxi, or Air Charter Services from Anchorage into the wilds of Alaska, check these guys out!

]]> http://www.codecat.com/2007/12/14/my-air-taxi-to-the-wrangells-awaits/feed/ 0 New Website: coppervalleyair.com http://www.codecat.com/2007/06/04/new-website-coppervalleyaircom/ http://www.codecat.com/2007/06/04/new-website-coppervalleyaircom/#comments Mon, 04 Jun 2007 18:42:21 +0000 codecat http://www.codecat.com/2007/06/04/new-website-coppervalleyaircom/ New website for coppervalley air

Copper Valley Air
- a new website I put together in a few weeks for the fine folks who run it out of Gulkana Alaska. They provide their customers with Flightseeing tours, Fishing, Hunting, Backpacking, and Mountaineering Air Taxi and Charter Services within Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, the Copper River Basin, the Chugach Mountains, and the McCarthy – Kennicott areas of Alaska.
I hope to one day get out there myself and use their services to get to some remote mountaineering routes.
They contacted me with their needs for a new site and I jumped at it for I love what they do and were very open to ideas on how to turn their site for them quickly and effeciently. We used a very simple process to get this out the door in three weeks by organizing their content, moving them to a better hosting plan, using the LAMP platform, designing a few templates and and cutting me loose for a little Flash work. Check out the site!

]]> http://www.codecat.com/2007/06/04/new-website-coppervalleyaircom/feed/ 0 New Website: Cinegistics.com http://www.codecat.com/2007/04/19/new-website-cinegisticscom/ http://www.codecat.com/2007/04/19/new-website-cinegisticscom/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2007 16:54:02 +0000 codecat http://www.codecat.com/2007/04/19/new-website-cinegisticscom/ Cinegistics.comI enjoy being able to do the whole thing for a client who needs a new website and is starting from scratch. By the “whole thing” I mean, setting up the hosting, designing the website, building the templates, setting up and building out the database, forms, forums, email, shell, ftp accounts, webservices, reports and analytics using open source zero-dollar LAMP and Google technologies. Yeah, its like solo climbing, you depend on yourself and in the end it’s super rewarding.
Cinegistics.com was built out for some folks I have worked with before who have built a very cool innovative software application (CineShot™) for Video Professionals, that ensures a videographer will achieve appropriate and consistent focus, exposure, color and sound levels for live video shots.
If you’re into Video and Video Software, you really should check this out.

]]> http://www.codecat.com/2007/04/19/new-website-cinegisticscom/feed/ 0 About http://www.codecat.com/2006/09/11/about/ http://www.codecat.com/2006/09/11/about/#comments Mon, 11 Sep 2006 17:30:07 +0000 codecat Codecat.com is the personal website of Charles Swarts.

Who is Charles Swarts?

He is a husband, father, artist, designer, web developer, explorer, musician, firefighter, mountaineer, angler, teacher, sportsman, alchemist, scientist, and craftsman living in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains outside Boulder CO. ]]> http://www.codecat.com/2006/09/11/about/feed/ 0