+1 (347) 829-7769
oddlyzen
Bit pimpin' since 1975
Updates
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Photo: Just visiting. http://tumblr.com/xhagipb0y17 days ago from Tumblr
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Photo: John Lennon portrait outside Solo Bar, Brooklyn, NY http://tumblr.com/xhag9oooj20 days ago from Tumblr
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Photo: I wanna bounce http://tumblr.com/xhag9ok1e20 days ago from Tumblr
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Getting my tonsils looked at. Hurts to swallow even hot or cold beverages... :-/ (@ Dr. Nemon) http://4sq.com/96VbP02 weeks ago from foursquare
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Misty day in the gardens. (@ Brooklyn Botanic Garden w/ 9 others) http://4sq.com/7SvKC12 weeks ago from foursquare
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Photo: Argyle Road, Brooklyn, NY, sunrise http://tumblr.com/xhaftoxah2 weeks ago from Tumblr
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Photo: Magic 8 Ball Art http://tumblr.com/xhaftosia2 weeks ago from Tumblr
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Working Families Party - We’re fighting to hold politicians accountable to working people, and make sure... http://tumblr.com/xhaek3bf08 weeks ago from Tumblr
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"Real questions frame things in a way that creates a restless tension, by highlighting the potentially..." http://tumblr.com/xhaei1pw19 weeks ago from Tumblr
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"Already the subways are dirtier, and starting today many will be slower in coming. They’ll also be more..." http://tumblr.com/xhaehs92y9 weeks ago from Tumblr
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Photo: Enough said, I think. http://tumblr.com/xhaeheiuh9 weeks ago from Tumblr
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Language and Culture - Pretty interesting article in the WSJ today. Basically says that language profoundly... http://tumblr.com/xhae95vdj9 weeks ago from Tumblr
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Boulders, Giants, and rock-scrambling. Too much fun! (@ Mohonk Giant's Workshop) http://4sq.com/aCqhku10 weeks ago from foursquare
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Headed to Mohonk for the night. (@ Port Authority Bus Terminal) http://4sq.com/2iBXsT10 weeks ago from foursquare
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Protecting my mayorship. And basking in the glory, of course. (@ Tír Na Nog) http://4sq.com/cC6vkz10 weeks ago from foursquare
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Photo: ‘Neil Armstrong’s Historic First Words On Moon: Holy Living Fuck.” Classic. Holy Shit Man Walks On... http://tumblr.com/xhadwltgv10 weeks ago from Tumblr
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"Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time." -Terry Pratchett http://bit.ly/5uPygz10 weeks ago from Goodreads
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"We’ve all heard the scare stories about North Korea: the homemade nuclear arsenal built while their..." http://tumblr.com/xhadruhzu10 weeks ago from Tumblr
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Chainsaw? Check. Shotgun? Check. Deepwoods Zombie Repellant Spray in-a-can? Check. Adult diaper? Depends. http://4sq.com/d29VyL10 weeks ago from foursquare
Posts
- August 23, 01:33 PM
- August 20, 03:54 PM
- August 20, 03:52 PM
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August 16, 06:08 PM
Getting my tonsils looked at. Hurts to swallow even hot or cold beverages… :-/ (@ Dr. Nemon) http://4sq.com/96VbP0
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August 15, 06:06 PM
Misty day in the gardens. (@ Brooklyn Botanic Garden w/ 9 others) http://4sq.com/7SvKC1
- August 15, 06:10 AM
- August 15, 06:08 AM
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July 30, 12:39 PM
Working Families Party
We’re fighting to hold politicians accountable to working people, and make sure government works for all of us—not just the wealthy and the well-connected.
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July 29, 06:03 PM
“Real questions frame things in a way that creates a restless tension, by highlighting the potentially important stuff that you don’t know. You cannot frame a painting without knowing its dimensions. You cannot frame a problem without knowing something about it. Frames must contain situational information.”
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July 29, 04:00 PM
“Already the subways are dirtier, and starting today many will be slower in coming. They’ll also be more crowded - as will many buses - at least on those routes on which service has not been eliminated. This is an outrage. Its perpetrators are the officials who have held sway in Albany, spending ever more billions of dollars yet never properly attending to the delivery of basic, vital services. Mass transit is the very lifeblood of New York. It should be among the last of the services chosen for sacrifice in tough times - not the very first. Yet Gov. Paterson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senate Democratic Conference chief John Sampson, Senate Republican Minority Leader Dean Skelos and overwhelming majorities in both houses put subway, bus and commuter rail service at the head of the line for chopping. That New York is in tough times is no excuse.”
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July 29, 01:02 PM
loveyourchaos : blua : Political rally - U.S.A
I must say I agree.
- July 29, 12:51 PM
- July 28, 08:32 PM
- July 28, 08:32 PM
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July 28, 08:32 PM
Captain Quinn's Brooklyn Fitness Boot Camp to Have Fun, Get Fit, and Get Hot
Ready to Meet the Healthier, Happier, Hotter You?
If you attend Captain Quinn’s Fitness Boot Camp and give it your best…
- You’ll have fun
- You’ll gain strength, stamina, and energy
- You’ll… -
July 28, 01:10 PM
Concurrency and the AASM Gem | Engine Yard Ruby on Rails Blog
Concurrency is a staple term when talking about hosting infrastructure, but it is too often brushed aside when discussing actual code bases. This attitude is especially prevalent in the Ruby on Rails…
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July 28, 01:10 PM
About National Novel Writing Month « Scribbles
National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an exciting and insane approach to novel-writing. The program is free thanks to private donations and corporate sponsors.
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July 28, 01:10 PM
7 Rules for Writing Clojure Programs « Two Guys Arguing
Over the past 5 months, Iâve had the incredible opportunity at Revelytix to write Clojure every day and get paid for it. 5 months is an incredibly short time to pretend to have learned anything,…
- July 28, 01:10 PM
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July 28, 01:10 PM
Everything You Need to Know About Unicorn | Engine Yard Ruby on Rails Blog
Unicornâs been a topic Iâve been interested in learning about for a while now; numerous Engine Yard customers and developer friends use it, love it, and recommend it. Thankfully, the opportunity…
- July 28, 01:10 PM
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July 26, 12:47 PM
Language and Culture
Pretty interesting article in the WSJ today. Basically says that language profoundly influences how we see the world. Some examples:
- Russian speakers who have more words for light and dark blues are better able to visually discriminate shades of blue.
- An aboriginal community in Australia doesn’t use terms like “left” and “right”, and instead uses north, south, east and west for directions. As a result they have greater spatial orientation.
- People who speak languages that drop the agent of causality, for example “the vase broke itself” versus “John broke the vase,” don’t often associate blame for events.
- One group who uses the words “few” and “many” in favor of actual number words have difficulty keeping track of exact quantities.
- English speakers see time on a horizontal plane, with the best years ahead and the past behind us. Whereas Mandarin speakers see new events emerging like a spring of water, with the past above and the future below.
Here’s a bit more on the research. Pretty interesting! (via dihard)
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July 21, 10:07 AM
“Neil Armstrong’s Historic First Words On Moon: Holy Living Fuck.” Classic.
Holy Shit Man Walks On Fucking Moon (via Onion Store > Holy Shit Man Walks On Fucking Moon and Juliana)
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July 20, 10:57 AM
RT @snarkmeat: RT @geekami: World?s First Pirate ISP Launches In Sweden #geek http://bit.ly/920FTo
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July 20, 10:57 AM
“Real stupidity beats artificial intelligence every time.” -Terry Pratchett http://bit.ly/5uPygz
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July 19, 02:13 PM
“We’ve all heard the scare stories about North Korea: the homemade nuclear arsenal built while their people starve and then aimed imprecisely at the rest of the world, a leader so deluded he makes L Ron Hubbard look like a man excessively overburdened with self-doubt and their deep-seated belief that foreign capitalists will invade at any moment and steal all their bauxite.”
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July 18, 12:34 AM
Chainsaw? Check. Shotgun? Check. Deepwoods Zombie Repellant Spray in-a-can? Check. Adult diaper? Depends. http://4sq.com/d29VyL
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July 18, 12:34 AM
Iced coffee, no sugar. Warm night, no breeze. (@ Southside Coffee) http://4sq.com/1nrnUr
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July 16, 01:52 PM
RT @jnunemaker: Gitx saved me twice this week. So easy to find stuff that is hidden deep in git. http://github.com/brotherbard/gitx/down …
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July 16, 01:52 PM
Everyone indoors? It’s sweaty out here! (@ Heatpocalypse NYC 2010 w/ 3 others) http://4sq.com/bukUCZ
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July 14, 04:18 PM
Late lunch with my friends. (@ Tír Na Nog) http://4sq.com/cC6vkz
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July 13, 04:52 PM
Chili at an Irish pub? Yes. And it’s good. Go figger… (@ Twins) http://4sq.com/ckvbUV
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July 13, 04:52 PM
I just unlocked the “Super Mayor” badge on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/aEXXgf
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July 13, 04:52 PM
I just ousted Bryan H. as the mayor of Twins on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/ckvbUV
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July 10, 06:38 PM
“Cider is a fully managed development environment for open source hacking on Mac OSX. It’s powered by rvm, homebrew and chef. You only need Xcode to get started. Cider builds everything up in ~/Developer. It won’t stomp on any of your current installations so you don’t have to commit your entire machine immediately. It’s simple to rollback if you really want to.”
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July 10, 10:46 AM
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July 10, 09:30 AM
Remind me not to do that again.
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July 10, 04:07 AM
Drinks at Quarter on me. But you’re not here… Ha!
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July 09, 10:36 PM
What’s this? (@ Celebrate Brooklyn! Prospect Park Bandshell w/ 100 others) http://4sq.com/5n69F9
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July 09, 10:36 PM
Here with my homies… (@ The Fifth Estate) http://4sq.com/bKiJFK
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July 09, 05:00 PM
Just walked 2 miles and I’m still alive. (@ Heatpocalypse NYC w/ 41 others) http://4sq.com/bukUCZ
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July 09, 05:00 PM
Back to the grind. (@ ZepFrog) http://4sq.com/baWpiO
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July 09, 12:16 AM
So many choices… (@ The Farm on Adderley) http://4sq.com/7ApbQx
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July 09, 12:16 AM
I just unlocked the “Superstar” badge on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/95cZFi
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July 08, 05:56 PM
RT @paidContent: Publishers Need Popcorn, Not Paywalls http://cnt.to/kQo
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July 08, 05:56 PM
Burning up. This. Heat. Is. Epic. (@ Heatpocalypse 2010 w/ 161 others) http://4sq.com/bukUCZ
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July 08, 05:56 PM
Heading back out. Cover me! (@ Heatpocalypse 2010 w/ 168 others) http://4sq.com/bukUCZ
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July 08, 05:56 PM
I just unlocked the “Swarm” badge on @foursquare! http://4sq.com/atUyrR
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July 08, 03:15 PM
“Instead of asking how much more money they can get for the content, companies should be focusing on how that content can help create new revenue streams. It’s a small but crucial difference. The value in a media business lies in its dialogue with consumers. And if a paywall removes 90% of your audience (as Sunday Times editor John Witherow has suggested — and even that may be an underestimate), the challenge becomes even harder. Focusing on the sale of content is missing a trick: Media companies are not actually in the content business; they are in the audience business.”
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July 08, 12:11 PM
“The “psychic” creature has correctly predicted all six of Germany’s matches and, amid excruciating drama broadcast live on national television on Tuesday, plumped for Spain, causing anguish across the country.”
Updates
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"In a free society a large degree of human activity is none of the government's business. We should make criminal what's going to hurt other people and other than that we should leave it to people to make their own choices." ~Barney FrankPosted 6 days ago
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The MTA wants $130 for a monthly pass... Just say no (more)! http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=TF4zFBT6uLmMe3RDaYBYlbi0rCxEpi8mPosted 14 days ago
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is updating his resume this weekend.Posted 20 days ago
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is feeling a little bit better today. Thanks for the well-wishing!Posted 20 days ago
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has the official diagnosis: Strep! Yuck. It's the bad kind, too. Good that I went to the doc... with 103 degree fever! Chicken noodle soup and rest are in my future.Posted 2 weeks ago
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"Ahead through the glass stand our woods going bare--pine needles, dappled ground, color smearing the air." ~excerpt from "Viewished" by Patricia ClarkPosted 2 weeks ago
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thinks America needs an enema. Now we return to your regularly scheduled program. (Obey)Posted 2 weeks ago
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is alive and well.Posted 2 weeks ago
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is seeing quite a few bugs in Facebook today. :-/Posted 9 weeks ago
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"I felt a lot better when I gave up hope." ~Woody AllenPosted 9 weeks ago
Profile
Summary
Mark Coates is Chief Architect for ZepFrog Corp., where he guides the development and technical vision of ZepFrog's Premium Content Management Framework. He is active in the Ruby community (a core contributor to the Ruby on Rails web framework) and is an Editor for Rails Magazine, the first crowdsourced publication all about Ruby and Rails. He lives in Park Slope, in the heart of Brooklyn, and wouldn't trade it for the World. Originally from Oklahoma, Mark spent his early career writing software tools for various Department of Defense agencies and contractors--most notably the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base, the Marine Corps. in Georgia, and at the Pentagon. Though he cut his teeth on defense-related utilities, he prefers the fast-paced, bleeding-edge start-up life. He's been a key part of several successful startups, including the video messaging company Blurr and The Prosser Group, contractor for Consolidated Edison, the company that powers the Big Apple.
Specialties: team leadership, mentoring junior developers, software development, systems architecture, ruby, rails, mobile application development (iPhone and Android), product design and strategy
Experience
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Mar 2010 - Present
CTO / ZepFrog
My passion and raison d'etre in content management and delivery. -
Apr 2009 - Present
Editor / Rails Magazine
Editor at Rails Magazine -
May 2009 - Feb 2010
Senior Software Lead / The Prosser Group
Working on the Smart Grid with ConEdison, the company that powers New York City. -
Aug 2008 - Jun 2009
Lead Software Engineer / ZepFrog Corp.
Building a platform for premium content aggregation, marketing, and delivery in Ruby on Rails (and other Ruby web frameworks). -
Oct 2007 - Aug 2008
Technical Director / Bernard Design, Inc. (BiNC)
Lead software development on a custom content management framework written in Ruby on Rails. -
Jul 2006 - Mar 2007
Technical Team Lead / CIBER
Led ASP.net development on several projects. -
2006 - 2007
Lead Developer/Co-principal / 42squared
Education
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2001 - 2004
University of Oklahoma
MS/CS in Computer Science -
1996 - 2000
Cameron University
BA in English and PhilosophyActivities: Sigma Tau Delta
Additional information
Interests:
artificial intelligence, lisp, robotics, green technology, physics, writing, filmmaking, software development, golf, movies
