Mike Mulligan and his Steam Shovel, and every Dr. Seuss book ever written. I grew up with these stories ringing in my head, guiding me through life. Some were weird, and they taught me how to laugh. Others were more serious, and they helped shape the basis for right and wrong.

I’ve always wondered if I could write a children’s book, one that could someday make a child happy, or thoughtful, or sleepy. Maybe one day I will. For now, I’ll stick with stories about dying pets, injured birds of prey, and grieving spouses. I’m good at writing those.

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The only way I could get some of my life is –good to go– with a cold one, is for a while and then you will have a good day. I have to! Do you think you are doing great in that area of expertise? And, knowledge of how to get a new thread in a while, back to me that I can do to get a new thread– for the delay! I had a good time for a while, and then you will have a good day-to-day life, and the staff of “A” set-up the car and the other one of my friends. Are you going on with my family? Is “in a while” back to me? The only way I could not find any info would help us with your company.

This has been the laziest blog post. Thank you. Thank you. Good night, and good luck.

The post The Computers are Taking Over appeared first on Of Psychology and Psychosomatics.

But designing and building a website for a company, especially one with a pretty established brand identity, is a way bigger task. This probably deserves a longer post, but between procrastinating and trying to finish the other stories and posts I’ve already started writing, it will have to wait for another day.

The post Corporate Identity appeared first on Of Psychology and Psychosomatics.

The last time I wrote about Apple computers and PCs, it was 2010, and the world was a different place. Smart phones were still relatively new, Windows 7 was everyone’s favorite operating system, and my worst third semester in a row of forced iMac use was just coming to an end. My question was “what do you need it for?” Well, I can safely answer that question now in a variety of ways, and with even more questions.

Macs are starting to fade

It’s been a while since it could be said, but Macs aren’t as cool as they were a few years ago. I think everyone assumes they’ll remain awesome because, well, duh, but I think they were awesome in the first place because of Steve Jobs. And now that he’s gone, they’re right back where they started, except with a lot more money. (This is probably another discussion.) This means less regular mind-blowing updates, slower innovation, boring design, and a growing product line with nothing to set it apart from the rest of the crowd. Sound familiar?

So while a super-powered Macbook Pro with 16GB of RAM and an Intel i7 processor sounds pretty nice, the brand itself is no longer enough to guarantee a good purchase.

I still like Windows, especially Windows 10

It’s true, this operating system is so well-made, I don’t want to leave it. Applications run smoothly, it handles processor-intensive tasks without stuttering and unexpected errors.

I’m going to start heavily editing video soon, and a laptop that stays cool, quiet, and fast is essential. Apple? Sure, the 15″ Macbook with all the best features can satisfy that requirement. Window? Eh, that’s another story. I don’t like the heavy-duty machines that HP and Dell put out. Ugly, loud monsters that require a cooling station to stay on and weigh 30 pounds.

Then there’s Surface Book.

Have you seen this thing? I love it. I need to touch it. I need to own it. I don’t even need half the stuff it does, and it’s still the same price fully tricked out as the MacBook. Detachable screen/tablet? Awesome! “Sleep of Death”? Fixable! Both halves don’t fully meet when closed? Don’t care! Have you SEEN this thing?

Back to square one

Anyway, that’s kind of my dilemma now. It’s not “PC or Mac”, it’s “MacBook or Surface Book”. Both products are due for a refresh this winter, and I can’t wait that long.

Internets…what do?

P.S. For the sake of argument, I’m purposefully leaving out the fact that Macs are capable of booting Windows through Boot Camp.

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Anyway, my latest truth comes in the form of content. Specifically, the necessity to create it. Content creators will always rule over all, but there are ways to rule wisely, successfully, and with great power. Namely, by creating new content each day that tells a story. I struggle to do this properly, often making excuses or choosing to procrastinate, but it’s really a necessity in my field of interest, and I should follow through each day. Blog posts, social media, and videos are my forte, and as time goes on I hope to increase this selection.

For now, my friends, stay hungry, keep creating, and do it every day.

The post Make Something Every Day appeared first on Of Psychology and Psychosomatics.

I first noticed it in the new Liam robot announcement video in yesterday’s keynote. Okay, so it’s really not super important– just a little design choice that helps give a visual representation of the company’s intentions….oh. Okay. I guess that’s kinda, just…a logo?

This itty bitty green color fill on the iconic Apple logo’s leaf tells an amazing story, and instantly brands Apple as an environmentally-friendly company. They didn’t add red to the rest, or make the leaf bigger, or spell out “Save Mother Gaia” underneath it. All they did was color the leaf green. Boom. Instant branding.

They can use this logo variant in print, film (see above), web, and basically anywhere they’re trying to advertise the company’s dedication to recycling. It’s a genius graphic design decision, one that may seem obvious now, but was probably fraught with meetings and executive decisions. I approve of this choice, and hope that my future designs include similar, clever branding.

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#1: Never build a custom theme from scratch

Holy crap, I should have known this, but I only figured it out five weeks in and now I know better. WordPress builds a new theme each year (for instance, the latest one is called “Twenty Sixteen“), and each theme has every element required by WordPress best practices. It’s a simple theme with limited customizability, which is why I was confused at first about the posts I was reading.

Turns out, that whole “child theme” isn’t just for small tweaks and modifications. I can style an entire theme however I want, and Twenty Sixteen can serve as my template, legally and for time-reasons. I spent six weeks doing everything wrong all the time when I could have spent two and styled my template with ease.

#2: WordPress is not for beginners

Yeah yeah, I know CSS (some) and I can modify code when I see it (usually) and that’s basically all I need, right? Haha! No!

If you’re building a WordPress site from scratch (again, you should not do this), you’ll need an intermediate knowledge of PHP at least, then an understanding of WordPress’s changes and recommended procedures, and THEN you need to spend a whole lot of time tinkering until you get used to the system.

So really, for the first time building a theme, that six weeks of torment was well-spent. Now the next one I make will be quicker, more efficient, and hopefully better.

#3: WordPress.org is actually helpful

You know how, when you want to find great material and peer help on CSS, you check StackOverflow. Well, I’ve found that the majority of the answers to my theme questions were found directly on their site. When it wasn’t part of the official codex, it was a workaround developed by other users and buried in a SO-themed thread. The amount of content and help available for WordPress developers in magnificent.

My next few website builds will definitely be WordPress, and I’m looking forward to continued experimentation with child themes, e-commerce plugins, and the fantastic group of people who continue to help make this platform amazing.

The post WordPress for Idiots appeared first on Of Psychology and Psychosomatics.

So, what’s the solution? There are some good ones, and I’ll explain my favorites.

Setting up two-step authentication is important

This involves using your mobile device to verify a one-use password each time you log into a website. The security factor is a great way to prevent just anyone watching or recording you enter a password and replicating it later.

Using different passwords for everything

Sure, “BeesGnees23” or “supermike” are funny and totally unique, but you need to change them up, for everything, and every so often. You know how every few months, one of your Facebook buddies starts posting random, unsolicited ads for deodorant or spray tans? That’s because he hasn’t changed his account password for 6 years and someone got in. Don’t be dumb. Reset your passwords regularly.

Your password should be impossible for anyone to guess

I know, I know, you like to convince yourself that if someone truly loves you, they be able to dig into the darkest corners of their soul and guess your password after you pass away. (No? No one else? Just me, huh?) Well, if one person can guess your password, then anyone can. It shouldn’t be your name. It shouldn’t be your pet’s name. It shouldn’t be your children’s ages divided by your age, followed by “family”. It shouldn’t be anything. Your password should be a 12- to 16-digit string of randomized upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. And if you’re just about fooling the computers, studies have shown that five or side random words stuck together make some of the best software-defeating passwords.

Sure, but howwwww

I hear you, Big Chief Flying Eagle, and here’s what the whole article was about in the first place: Get a password manager. Here are my personal suggestions.
• 1Password – saves/syncs to iCloud and Dropbox, huge, responsive list of templates and a great feature set. Costs $10 for full-featured phone app, $50 for computer program
• LastPass – everything is stored on their servers, which isn’t my favorite, but it’s still secure and cross-platform. Unlike 1Password, using LastPass as a single user is free everywhere

These applications allow you to store every password you have in a single, secure, customizable environment, and access them swiftly and safely when you need them, through browser plugins, desktop and mobile devices, and now directly inside other apps.

With the latest phones and devices, signing into Twitter involves clicking a button on the browser window, typing “Twi“, hitting enter, and then hitting enter again. Bam. Everything is pre-filled. You didn’t even need to copy-paste. And when you’re ready to reset the passwords (every 60-90 days is best), you can edit the password and select “Generate”, and your perfect uncrackable password is automatically made.

Just make sure you keep your backup codes somewhere safe. Forgetting the one important password you actually do need (your Master password for 1Password or LastPass), you could become just as helpless as if you were actually hacked. Be careful, remember well, and don’t lose anything important!

I could go on, but I’ll leave you to figure out how to set up two-factor authentication. (Hint: It’s hard.)

The post Why You Should Use a Password Manager appeared first on Of Psychology and Psychosomatics.

I’ve written before about my issues with Macs and PCs, hardware vs software, Windows Phones and Androids and iPhones. It’s a huge ecosystem of personal computing that doesn’t seem relevant until you own one of them, and suddenly you’re on a team you never cared about.

However, in light of my recent experience, I can describe my latest OS of choice conclusively.

I’m still not sure.

So, to me, I still believe it’s a matter of opinion. Most businesses swear by Windows 7, and good luck getting them to upgrade or switch to anything else. Macs dominate the art industry, and design companies benefit from the powerful insides, sturdy aluminum casings, and simple operating system user interface. So what would influence your decision? Here are some questions:

How will you use your computer?

Games? Photoshop? Word documents? Facebook? The programs you run and the power you need to run them will determine your price range and specs. Games are big; you’ll want powerful graphics, a super processor, and a fantastic display. Graphics processing and 4K video editing will drain RAM and processing power. Just browsing the webbernets? Why are you buying a computer? Seriously, just use your smartphone. It’s not worth a full-sized machine anymore.

What’s your price range?

If you say “under a thousand”, this conversation is over. Go to Best Buy, find the thinnest laptop with the most plastic and spinnable screen, and then throw yourself through the safety glass window. You’ll never be happy with a computer under $1,200, and for the bigger stuff, be prepared to spend $2,000, easy. Remember, this is an investment. Also, now that Windows 10 is here, needing to purchase a brand new machine just for the OS every other year is a thing of the past. If you buy a well-made computer with advanced specs, it can last you for the next five years before needing replacement (and yes, that’s a long time in computer years).

What are you used to?

Did you grow up with an operating system of choice? I know tons of folks whose families owned nothing but Macs, and they can’t use a PC without showing extreme frustration and outbursts of hipster anger (flinging their iced mocha lattes and riding off in a haze of cigarette smoke and cuffed plaid on their 10-speed). The same goes for any certified neckbeard who doesn’t understand the command button and wants to punch a Gap employee anytime he hears “Retina Display” used in a sentence with “better than anything.” Use what you’re used to, but don’t be afraid to learn. Both have pros and cons, which I may get into at a later time.

All in all, I think we’ve covered a lot of ground today. Questions? Comments? Stories about your first computers or OS experiences? Comment below!

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My name is Matt, and today’s topic will be on

Setting Goals Everywhere

My official position is a Marketing Specialist in the Marketing Department at Dakno Marketing.

I used to build PDF forms for NASA.

But after achieving my biggest goal three months ago (marriage), I realized I hadn’t set a new one to run after. It was marriage, and then….?

Working at Dakno has really helped me to start thinking ahead on a regular basis. My clients need plans for their business, and my job is to provide a solution.

Suddenly, I’m regularly creating strategy outlines for clients, planning six months in the future and setting deadlines for dates that haven’t yet passed.

It’s a strange feeling. Sometimes I don’t even know what’s happening in the next 15 minutes.

But this routine thinking has started to influence my life outside of work. Now I’m sitting down with my wife and I are sitting down and talking about our plans for the future and the steps we need to take in order to achieve them.

This doesn’t mean I have everything planned out, month by month, for the rest of my life.

Actually, I believe that’s a terrible way to live. Let me show you the benefits of macro-managed goals.

Purpose

Once I have a goal to achieve, every decision I make should be influenced by that goal, and ultimately result in reaching that goal.

The time is coming up for Brad to sit down with us and go over our goals, personal, professional, and long-term achievements.

I recommend approaching that meeting with the following objectives in mind:

I should have a goal for my life

This is an Ultimate Goal, the biggest clam in the Bucket List.

Let’s assume I want to be a space astronaut.

Or a pizza delivery driver.

Maybe I want to be a pizza delivery astronaut in space.

Whatever you choose, make it the biggest, most amazing thing possible.

It should be almost unattainable, highly uncomfortable, and undeniably awesome.

Think of the things you’ll need to do in order to accomplish that thing

It will probably involve creating smaller goals. Mine would be “Become an Astronaut” and “Learn to Drive”. Then lay them out in a roadmap. Maybe while learning to drive to Houston, I can start reading some books about space travel.

This will save time and also increase my multitasking skillset.

Make decisions to help you reach your goals

If my dream is to be Shuttle Commander Papa John, working at a retail job probably won’t help me get to Andromeda 6.

The choices I make now need to get me to my smaller goals, and eventually to the big one.

Passion

Living this way involves thinking weeks, months, and years ahead. But it also requires your own personal desires from your life.

Why would I make zero-gravity pie portage my life’s goal if I wasn’t 100% sure it’s something I want to do?

Here’s another question:

What if you don’t have a Life Goal, and can’t think of something that makes you passionate enough to work for?

My answer is to find something you love, and milk it dry. If I love distributing deepdish, I should keep doing it until I’m the best there is. I don’t believe there’s only one thing in this world that anyone is good at doing, nor that we only have one interesting subject to capture our attention.

That’s my own personal opinion, however, and I’d love to hear from anyone who has different experience in setting goals for their own life.

Pizza

Finally, while we’re on the subject of round food in outer space, I’d like to posit a weak metaphor:

If the rounded shape and radiating cuts show a focused goal in our life, then the crust would be…

And the pepperoni…would…and the cheese melted…

Never mind.

Look, I know it’s hard. Achieving big goals is hard. Being really happy is hard. But we have to start somewhere.

Start big. Your life will thank you later.

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