Maximo Mena

Hosting a Static Site on GitHub Pages

Fri, 20 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

I believe in solutions that are tailored to a client’s needs, and since small businesses often do not need to have a blog, process data or update content on a regular basis, a brochure site or a landing page is sufficent to meet a marketing requirement. In short, not every small business needs a WordPress site or a CMS for that matter.

Below I explain in 8 steps how to host a static website on GitHub Pages using a custom domain name. Did I mention it’s free of charge?

###Create a static website locally Build a Bootstrap site or hand code a site from scratch on your computer.
###Create a GitHub account Go to GitHub.com and create an account
###Create an Organization (optional) While this step is not required, if you’re going to delegate the site maintenance to an employee or a freelancer, it is recommended to create an Organization with your company’s name. This is to avoid sharing your GitHub credentials with other people.
###Create a repository Create a repository with your GitHub account and name it [account-name].github.io. If you created an Organization, name the account [organization-name.github.io]. You can also create a team and grant this team write-access to your new repository. This will allow you to add other people to this team, who will be able to update your site.
###Commit and push your website files to the organization’s repository Download the GitHub app (available for Mac and Windows) or use the command line to push your website files to your GitHub repository.
###Add CNAME file to repository Additionally, create a file that includes your custom domain name prefixed with ‘www.’ (i.e. www.example.com). Name this file ‘CNAME’ and push to repository.
###Configure custom domain’s DNS settings to point to GitHub servers Go to your domain name provider’s control panel and open the DNS configuration page for your custom domain. Add a CNAME record for a ‘wwww’ subdomain and 2 A records pointing at 192.30.252.153 and 192.30.252.154 respectivelly.
###Visit your new site. It may take a few hours for the DNS configuration changes to propagate, but soon you will be able to see your static site on your custom domain. Below is an example of DNS configuration for GitHub Pages using Google Domains.

Note: Following the configuration above will make your bare domain (i.e. example.com) redirecit to your www domain (www.example.com).

If you live in Phoenix, Arizona, and you’re interested in learning more about hosting your site on GitHub Pages, check out the Phoenix GitHub Pages Meetup.

Ice Breaker Speech

Mon, 02 Feb 2015 00:00:00 +0000

The above video is from my first speech at Old Town Toastmasters. I must say I can’t thank Kyle enough for recording the weekly meetings. The video of the speeches along with the written evaluations make the best feedback one can possible get.

For those of you who are not in the know, Toastmasters International is a leadership factory. There are more than 8 thousand Toastmasters clubs in the United States, and Old Town Toastmasters is the one I belong to.

If you would like to improve your public speaking skills and get better at running meetings, I highly recommend that you find a club in your city and become a member. I find the support of my peers and their feedback invaluable in my journey to become a better communicator.

Juggling Three Balls

Mon, 19 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

I strongly belief most skills (if not all) can be learned with practice and with patience. Good mentorship is highly encouraged to kick-start the learning process. However, there is times when one should venture oneself to figure things out on one’s own.

For example, I recently taught myself the basics of juggling three balls. I figured out on my own that first I had to start with one ball, then two, then three. I also realized I had to train both hands to do the following:

Throw the ball and make it follow the same path consistently, and
Catch the ball even when I’m not watching.

To train my hands I had to come up with numerous drills; some of them involved closing my eyes. After a few hours of pracice I was juggling three balls for up to 7 seconds. Then I decided it was time to see how others did it, so I did research on Wikipedia and YouTube. Now my technique is stronger, and I can do it comfortably.

Thanks to the countless instructional YouTube videos, I learned that there are many different ways to juggle three balls. Now, I shall take my juggling to the next level.

Pucaranca, Peru

Fri, 02 Jan 2015 00:00:00 +0000

I spent New Year’s eve in Tapacocha, my dad’s hometown. Tapacocha is a small town in the country side of Peru and has an elevation of 10,000 feet. On January 2nd, my dad took me for a hike to his parents’s farms in Pucaranca.

To get to Pucaranca from Tapacocha, one has to go up and down a mountain. The top of this mountain is called Huanquin. From there, one can see Pucaranca’s farms and its beautiful landscape.

We started hiking at 4:30am, so it was dark and cold. I was struggling to keep up with my dad because of my inexperience hiking at this altitude. Fortunately, a close friend of my dad caught up to us and brought a donkey with him. My dad and his friend suggested that I rode the donkey to Huanquin because after Huanquin the hike is mostly downhill.

Riding on the donkey was much needed help. I was happy I was on my way to the land where my dad spent his childhood as a farmer. He also showed me the remainings of my grandparents house. For someone like me who always lived in a city, being in Pucaranca felt like a magical experience.

I should return soon.

Stand Up Comedy Class in Phoenix

Tue, 15 Jul 2014 00:00:00 +0000

Last month I found out on meetup.com about a Stand Up Comedy class offered through the Tempe Center for the Arts. After completing the beginners class, I can safely recommend this class to anybody I care about.

I don’t think Tony, the instructor, knows this, but he is one of the best motivational speakers I’ve ever seen. Not only is he a great comedian but also an outstanding mentor and coach.

In class, you will do drills and partner work to help you develop the acting aspects of stand up. You will also learn the formula to write a bullet proof joke, with tag included. Through his teachings, he will empower you to become a sketch writer and a stand up comic. He’ll help you find the comedian within you.

Classes start every month. For more information visit Tony’s website (link updated on January 2015).

Note: I’m not affiliated to Tony’s Comedy School or Tempe Center for the Arts. I’m sharing this because this is worth sharing