Donald Cook's page

About me

With more than 30 years in marketing, telecommunications and computing, Donald Cook will soon be the CEO of "EXTREME NEXUS", a revolutionary new business that is destined to become an Internet Mega-portal!

His Café Xpress shop is one of many internet projects that will be combined to form a "nexus" (a connection or link between things, persons, or events). All of these projects have an "X" in their name. Café Xpress shop will be one of many "spokes" in the hub of "EXTREME NEXUS".

Don is a self-proclaimed "technophile" (one who has a love of or enthusiasm for technology, especially computers and high technology).

His interest in Art started when he was 4 years old when others discovered his natural abilities. His interest in Electronics started in High School.

In High School, Don was President of the Art Club, the Chess Club, and the Amatuer Radio Club. He was also a member of the Student Council (Advertising Manager), the SMILE Club (Science Club), the French Club, the NHS (National Honor Society), the Drama Club, the FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), and the Yearbook Club. In High School, he took his first course in Photography (using Pentax SLRs), and graduated from a course in Electronics Technology (from ICS). He built his own "ham" transmitter (a TX-1 "Apache") from a Heathkit, and helped many others with their ham radio projects (including building unidirectional and omnidirectional antennas). He took courses in Graphic Arts Production in his 3rd and 4th year, and was Yearbook Editor during his Senior year. He graduated from High School on the "All Star Honor Roll", with a GPA of 4.0.



His interest in computers came from his love of the game of Chess. While President of the Chess Club (in High School), he built an analog computer (the EC-1) from a Heathkit. He programed this primitive computer to play chess, and as a result of what he learned from programing and playing with this computer, he won many Chess competitions (including a Regional contest in Portland, Oregon).



After High School, he graduated at the top of his class (Honor Student) from Air Force Technical School (Keesler AFB). At the tender age of 19, he was awarded the "Master Technician" status (unprecedented) sufficiently assuring a livelihood beyond separation from military service. He then received a Top Secret Security Clearance and became a member of SAC (Strategic Air Command) and was placed on the "World Wide Mobility Team". As a member of this team, he went to Iran to test the "Rubber Duckie" (an inflatable, air-conditioned tent containing communications equipment).



While serving in South Korea, Don worked in an "Atom Bomb proof" bunker located inside of a mountain. His job required constant communication with the F4 (Phantom) pilots while they were on training missions. Over time he developed friendships with these pilots and was invited to fly with them. Don has been hooked on flying ever since. He received his pilots license in 1976. His blog photo shows a Piper Warrior (the first plane he has ever flown) in the background.



After the Air Force, Don used the G.I. Bill to help pay for college. Over the years, Mr. Cook has earned multiple degrees, including an Associate Degree in Electronics Engineering from De Anza College (1974). De Anza College occupies a 112-acre site in Cupertino in the heart of Silicon Valley. Cupertino is also home to Apple, Compaq, Sun, Hewlett-Packard, and many other high-technology firms.



Don also earned an Associate of Arts Degree in Business Administration from Linn-Benton Community College (LBCC). LBCC's 104-acre Albany campus is just two miles south of Albany, Oregon, and 11 miles east of Corvallis. The campus houses a learning resource center, bookstore, 500-seat theater, library, conference facility, and student lounge/recreation rooms. Dining facilities include a cafeteria, a cafe and a restaurant operated by students in the Culinary Arts program. The original 13 contemporary brick buildings are now connected by covered walkways that encircle a landscaped courtyard. Additional buildings include the Family Resources Center, the Workforce Education Building, physical education and sports facilities, and a greenhouse.

In 1991, Don also earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration and Accounting from the University of Phoenix. A combination of work experience, self study, online training, writing, and passing tests, allowed Don to earn an MBA (with a concentration in E-Commerce) from Keller Graduate School of Management in late 2002. Some of these courses generated a strong interest in E-Commerce, motivating Mr. Cook to enroll in an online course from Penn State University and earn a Webmaster Certificate (2004). His interest in art has led him to become an Adobe Photoshop Certified Expert.



As a dyed-in-the-wool advocate of "form follows function", Don spent the late '70's in the advertising design scene. His high IQ (Imagination Quotient) and Marketing skills allowed him to obtain and maintain contented A+ Clients (including a BMW dealership and a Fiat dealership, among many others) for the Advertising Agency that he managed for 4 years (Target Advertising Group). He became a master of combining sales psychology with the often subtle power of graphic design to present quantitative information in qualitative ways.



Managing an Ad Agency was a lot of work, but it had its fun moments like being able to drive brand new BMWs, working inside Television Studios, shooting TV "spots", and being able to crawl around inside of a Leer Jet.



In the '80's, as a Marketing Manager for Telcom, he was using computers to do "Information Design" long before the term was coined. He considered himself to be a "Visual Engineer", and was always experimenting with new technologies based on the gestalt of design.



Over the years, Don's favorite sports became Tennis, Scuba Diving, Water Skiing, Snow Skiing, Deep Sea Fishing, Running and Racquetball (at one time, Don was a B+ player). Above is a photo of his Reinell B247 Cabin Cruiser. This boat was used for diving off of, for deep sea fishing, for crabbing, and yes (because it had a big motor), one skier could ski behind it.



One of Don's favorite "toys" was the Farallon Mark 8, a DPV (Diver Propulsion Vehicle) which has a range of 3.2 miles, cruises at 2.8 knots, and has been rated to a depth of 400 feet in sea water (there is no other commercially available device rated at this depth)! The Mark 8 uses advanced battery technology, and probably has the longest burn time of any diver propulsion vehicle in the world! A key advantage to this vehicle is its variable speed control, which lets a diver set the speed of the vehicle. (Divers may want to travel slowly or quickly, depending on what they're looking at.) When you take advantage of the technology available to scuba divers like pneumatically balanced regulators with orthodontic mouthpiece tabs, "comfort" suits, BCDs (Bouyancy Control Devices), wireless air integrated technology, and dive computers, scuba diving is a safe and comfortable sport.



Don learned how to Snow Ski on the slopes of Mount Bachelor, and Mount Hood, Oregon. When he moved to California, he put together a twelve member Ski Team, called the "Extreme Team", mostly composed of Marine Officers from Camp Pendleton and their spouses. The "Extreme Team" did exhibitions of stunts that most people believed to be "extreme" (impossible), such as summersaults off of the "roof tops" while the whole team was holding hands, and elaborate "ballets" on short skis, and choreographed dances at night with lights attached to their poles and skis.



Don entered the first LA (Los Angeles) Marathon (in 1986) after five years of training. This photo was taken at the 24 mile mark (one marathon = 26.21875 miles). Don "hit the wall" at mile 20, and finished the foot race on pure will power. There where 11,000 people that started this Marathon. Only 4,000 finished. Don crossed the finish line at number 1,000 (exactly).

When it comes to computers, Don is multi-lingual. Over the years, Don has learned several computer "languages", including OBERON, HASKEL, HTML, XML, CGI, JAVA, PYTHON, REBOL, PHP, VISUAL BASIC, LISP & ABEL. He is currently learning SQL and FLASH SCRIPTING.



One of Don's favorite hobbies is Alternate Energy. This is a photo of him working on a PV (Photo Voltaic) system in Mexico about 200 miles south of the International Border. These types of solar powered systems are complicated and require knowledge of Charge Controllers, PV Panels, Inverters and Batteries. (Right up Don's alley!)



Another one of Don's favorite hobbies is cooking. In the photo above, Don is making a classic Mexican dish called "Pazole". He learned this dish while living in Guadalaraja, Mexico.

In 1981, Don became a student of "Classical French Cooking Theory", and has been learning ever since. Over the years, he has learned the basic skills, techniques, concepts and theory involved in professional cooking, including the principals of Escoffier, such as advanced soups, stock making, and a great variety of modern and traditional derivative sauces. Learning about safety and sanitation included earning a "ServSafe" certification. Knife and Garde Manger skills have also been mastered. He has also learned about a variety of charcuterie and forcemeats including sausages, patés and galantines. One of the techniques he treasures the most is the essential knowledge of "mise en place" (everything in its place), a way of streamlining the food preparation and cooking process.

French cooking is all about intensifying flavor (and to some extent, preserving food). Techniques for intensifying flavor include using fresh herbs (such as "bouquet garni", "herbs du provence", and "herbs du midi"), fresh garlic, "epices" (spices, such as freshly ground black peppercorns, milled sea salt, and vanilla pods), mustards ("Dijon", "Bordeaux", and "Meaux"), flavored oils, flavored water (from the blossom of the Seville or Bigarade orange), goose fat ("graisse d'oie"), nut oils, "saindoux" (rendered hard back pork fat), pork rinds ("couennes de porc), wild mushrooms ("cepes"), truffles, diced vegetables ("mirepoix"), flavored vinegars, tomato purée, reductions (stock, sauce and wine), and wonderful "fromages" (cheeses, over 400 varieties).

These techniques have served as a foundation for the other styles of cooking that Don has focused on. He learned Italian cooking from a friend who owned a Restaurant in Del Mar, California, called "Pasta, Pasta, Pasta". He learned "French Country" styles of cooking from a School in San Diego, California, called "Piret's Perfect Pan School of Cooking" (operated by George and Piret Munger). He also took a course called "Food As Art" from American River College in Sacramento, California, where he learned how to make elaborate decorations with food.

Don has learned three different styles of Asian Cooking, so far: 1) Southwest style that includes cuisines from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Burma (the emphasis is on the use of hot peppers, black pepper, cloves, and other strong spices, along with ghee, a butter oil), and 2) northeast style, comprising China, Korea, and Japan (the emphasis is on using fats, oils, and sauces, including Soy Sauce), and 3) southeast style, which includes Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei (the emphasis is on aromatic and lightly-prepared foods, using a delicate balance of quick stir-frying, steaming, and/or boiling, supplemented with discrete spices and seasonings, including citrus juices and herbs such as basil, cilantro, and mint. Instead of Soy Sauce, many cultures in the southeast substitute fish sauce, along with galangal, lemon grass, and tamarind for additional flavor).

He has also been a student of grill techniques (using both dry and wet rubs). Currently he is learning Mexican styles of cooking! Don has used his French cooking techniques to win the regional Clam and Chili Cook-offs at Cielito Lindo Ranch, in Baja California, Mexico, and to come in Second Place at the 2002 International Chili Cook-off in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico!

Don also studied "Food Science and Nutrition" at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), San Luis Obispo, California, for three semesters.



Over the past 4 years, Don has been involved in numerous humanitarian projects for that "Third-World Country" South of the United States, known as Mexico. He helped to build a water purification plant and soup kitchens (these soup kitchens now feed hundreds of kids a day) in Guadalajara, and has helped countless orphans and poor people by delivering food, clothing, blankets and toys. Don has also helped Hospitals and Clinics in Mexico by delivering donations of furniture, medical supplies, and equipment (including an X-ray machine and an Ultra-sound machine). The photo above was taken of a family that lost their home and their father in a fire.

Because of his humanitarian efforts, Don has become a student of the Mexican language and a student of the rich culture and heritage of the Mexican people.

Mr. Cook is a "Raster Master" (Digital Artist), a "Vector Director" (Illustrator), and a "Word Herder", among other things. Over the years he has learned Digital Prepress, Page Layout and Design, Typography, Web Design, Copy Writing and Color Management.

He is also an IT pro, and has learned Mac/PC integration and both the front and back-end of web design. His desire for a multi-disciplinary approach has led to the creation of the Digital Café, where the hard edge of graphic design will be combined with technology to create a revolutionary new Internet Mega-portal to be known as "EXTREME NEXUS".



Recently, Don had an opportunity to meet with Jon S. von Tetzchner (CEO and Co-founder of Opera Software, ASA). Jon and his beautiful family visited "Rancho Pan de Vida", a 10 acre Ranch in Southern California, where Don Cook's Digital Café is located. In the photo above, Don Cook's Digital Café is in the background. At that time, Don agreed to partner with Opera Software, ASA, by offering unique and original designs featuring the Opera Logo in two sections on his Shop, Café Xpress: One devoted to Opera, and one devoted to "Geeks & Gearheads". Currently, Don is doing market research by designing Opera Wallpapers and studying the download statistics. The most popular designs will eventually end up on his shop.

Don is a graduate of the Success Motivation Institute (SMI) and of the Realtors Institute (GRI). He also has an International Scuba Diving Certificate. Mr. Cook has been working with computers since 1984 and his interest in computers has led to the obtainment of an A+ certification (computer technician), but please do not ask him to work on your computer!

My work

You can view some of my digital stock photos here: http://sxc.hu/browse.phtml?f=profile&l=pixelbase