Album Review

Here’s a link to an album review I did for Spill Magazine

http://spillmagazine.com/spill-album-review-trentemoller-obverse/

Tree Service -Copy Writing

Cryptocurrency - Blog Post

Simplesite - Copy Writing

Gifts For Gamers- Copy Writing

Make My Office - Copy Writing

Interior Design Tips - Content Writing

Website Hosting - Blog Post

Blogging, Marketing, and SEO - Blog Post

How Useful Is a Chromebook Offline - How-To Guide/Content Writing

Are your tree leaves looking yellow and brown? Here’s why and how to fix it!


There are multiple things that can be causing your trees to start looking like this. It’s always good to catch it early as it will minimize the damage on your tree. In a lot of these situations, tree pruning or tree trimming will be done. Yellow and brown leaves are signs of disease, illness or pests such as but not limited to -


  • Chlorosis - Illness

                         - This happens when the leaves are lacking Chlorophyll, a common result from a lack of iron or manganese.

  • Aphids - Garden pests

                         - Tiny insects that feed on leaves in clusters.

  • Citrus Greening - Disease

                         - A disease spread by an insect that diminishes a tree's ability to take on nourishment.


It’s best to contact professional tree service companies such as L & M Tree Service, that will come by and take a look at your tree to determine the best course of action. They specialize in all sorts of areas such as Tree Trimming, Tree Pruning, Stump Grinding, Tree Removal, and more! Calling in a professional removes the risk of potentially damaging your tree even further or even yourself. 


Since in most cases tree trimming and or tree pruning will be required, you have to know where and how to make the cuts. Besides potentially harming the tree with a wrong cut, you can also potentially harm yourself or your property.


L & M Tree Service does what their work in the safest manner possible and professionally. You get to sit back and relax in the comfort of knowing that your tree is in good hands. Yellow and brown leaves are not nice visually or for the health for your tree. Consult a professional to know what would be the best actions to take.


The rise and fall of Cryptocurrency


How It Started

On the surface, it seemed as if cryptocurrency randomly appeared in 2017, peaked in December, crashed the following month, and disappeared. In reality, it goes way back to 2009 when the first cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, was created by an anonymous person or group going by the name Satoshi Nakamoto. Since then, bitcoin and cryptocurrency has been synonymous with one another.


Getting the Ball Rolling


The domain name Bitcoin.org was registered on August 18th, 2008, and a few months later the first Bitcoin transaction was made in 2009. The famous trade in 2010  happened when a bitcoin user traded 10,000 bitcoin for two pizza’s. In today’s value, that is exactly $99, 770,000.00. To be fair, no one imagined that a single bitcoin would go from being worth literally pennies, to almost $20,000 at it’s peak.


Other Cryptocurrencies Begin to Emerge


In 2011, other cryptocurrencies were surfacing while bitcoin kept surfacing bad publicity after bad publicity. In 2011, the Mt.Gox hack happened, in which an auditor's for Mt.Gox’s computer was compromised by hackers, and they gain access to clients wallets and fraudulently changed the price of bitcoin. Rumors to alleged exchanges to the “Dark Web” via bitcoin started to come up. Bitcoin’s price would rise and fall again while rival cryptocurrencies to hope to rise in their place.


Bumps In The Road


Slowly as the years go on, governments all around the world try to figure out how to deal with cryptocurrencies as it’s becoming more mainstream. Between being prohibited, not accepted as official currency, etc. countries go back and forth, trying to agree for the best solutions. In 2014, Mt.Gox suffered another hack which led to the disappearance of around $460 million dollars. To this day, new’s is still being uncovered about the event and creditors still waiting to receive the money they lost.  


Becoming More Mainstream


As the years go on, more cryptocurrencies start arising, more bitcoin ATM’s are being put in public, and becoming more accepted. The increasing popularity is ironically what many people would say led to the downfall. Bitcoin since it’s creation, relatively maintained a rising slope, however in 2017 is when it all kicked off.




The Peak


In 2017, an unexpected rise for bitcoin happened. At the start of the year, a bitcoin was worth around $1,000 and throughout it consistently went higher and higher in value. After all that it spiked even higher, going up by thousands as the months go on. Eventually it peaked at almost $20,000. To no one's surprise, the value quickly started to drop not too long after. 


The Fall


The talk of cryptocurrency started to fade as the bitcoin craze wasn’t as high anymore. The months that go by, the general public loses more and more interest. Bitcoin’s value proceeds to drop throughout the year and the average doesn’t seem to care about cryptocurrency anymore. Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on who you are, this can actually be a benefit.


What The Future May Hold


Now, I know I have mainly been talking about bitcoin, and for good reason. It’s been consistently the most popular cryptocurrency at least to the average person, and even though it dropped at the beginning of 2018, it is now worth around $10,000 for a single bitcoin. Bitcoin is reaching those high numbers again, and it’s not really heard of in the public news anymore. In theory, we can get ahead of the curve before either bitcoin or another potential cryptocurrency picks up traction. As history has shown that while cryptocurrency may be unpredictable at times, it’s been consistently gaining traction and value over the years. Who’s to say there won’t be another spike in cryptocurrency.


SimpleSite. It’s simple yet has a decent amount of creative freedom. They also provide hosting for your website. This means that someone with little to no experience with coding, or domain/website hosting, won’t have to worry about the extra hurdles of building a website. No pun intended, it’s simple, yet effective in giving someone a taste of what it’s like to have their own website or even turn it into a business. 


Their most basic plan is FREE. Now because it’s free, it does have limitations however this is great for someone who is unsure if they want to commit financially. They get a feel for what it’s like without losing anything. That’s especially great for someone that’s considering making their own business.


Their premium membership is roughly $10 or 11$ a month, and that gives you access to all of their fully customizable templates. Even without their membership, you can have your website up and running in less than a day. It’s very beginner friendly and SimpleSite support’s mobile customizing. So if you don’t have a laptop or computer, that’s no problem because SimpleSite is mobile friendly. SimpleSite has made it truly simple for everyone.

Gift for Gamers


Nintendo Controller Hat

A hat to hit you with a flashback of your childhood. When you just got out of school, got home, started up your NES and started playing the classics that we’ve grown to love like Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, Metroid, Duck Hunt and so many more. A reminder of the good old days that could potentially bring a smile to the faces of the gamers in our lives. It’s always the little things that makes us smile.

Nintendo NES Controller Lanyard

Lanyards are always helpful. Doesn’t matter if they’re for work, personal use, etc. It’s nice to have that easy access to your keys and if your job has a uniform requirement, this is a nice way to change it up. Many people have fond memories of playing the NES growing up, and this is a way for the gamer in your life to carry that with them. With something as simple as this, you can make them happy while giving them some they can also use in their everyday life.

Laptop Cooler

I remember when I would be gaming on my laptop, getting in the heat of the game, then the overheating notification would come up, and I would get frustrated that I had to stop so that I wouldn’t damage my laptop. Eventually though, impatience got the better of me and about 3 batteries later I finally learned. Check to make sure this adapter is compatible with the laptop of the gamer you want to get this for and if it is, I’m sure they’ll very much appreciate not having to stop and continue having fun.

Gameboy Bank

An alternative to storing loose change in a more unique way. No, there isn’t wrong with that old jar you’re reusing for change or the normal piggy bank. However, imagining getting your change together, walking towards the Gamboy Bank, and right as you put in your change, you see Mario collecting coins. Noone will blame you if you hear the noise we all know when Mario collects a coin, in your head. Let’s be honest, it would probably be weird if you didn’t.


These are just some of the many gifts that can be given to that gamer in your life. It’ll let them know that you acknowledge their hobby, passion, and favorite pastime. 

Make My Office


Make My Office(MMO) specializes in payroll software, however that doesn’t mean they don’t have more to bring to the table. They can do - 

  • Attendance Management

  • Leave Requests Management

  • Tax Information

  • Mobile App for Employees

And more!

MMO provides a complete service for your business needs. All of the software that MMO provides is easy to use and navigate, so there is no need to be tech savvy. MMO stores all of your information for you and keeps it secured for you so there is no need for piles and piles of files and paperwork. This includes HR, MMO provides a service to simply HR Fundamentals that keeps everything safe and organized for you.

Whether you’re a big business, small, service provider, etc. MMO can work for you. The paperless system that MMO provides can deal with scenarios that might not even cross your mind such as rapid growth. If your business is growing faster than you expected, imagine all the paperwork that comes with more business, new employees, payroll, etc.

There is Quick Analysis, that allows you to track a specific project or employee to see how it or they are performing.

The mobile app provided for employees allows for a lot of transparency between management and employees that everyone will appreciate. 

All In All 

This is good for anyone, big corporations, mom and pop shop, etc. you name it. It will be refreshing for all of your files and paperwork to be this organized. Easily accessible, and if your employees wanted to check something on their account, they have the freedom to do that. An easy way for them to check payroll and ask for leave.

Make My Office, is a great investment to consider, it’s hard to compete with the convenience and ease of use that it offers.

Interior Design Tips For Living Room Rugs

When picking out a rug for your living, there are a few things you should take into account before buying one. While some of these may seem simple, they are very important and can change the whole view of your living room. Now, the things you need to keep in mind are -

  • Color

  • Size

  • Pattern/Style

  • Comfort

Like I said, these may all seem like common sense however they can be overlooked for the very same reason, they’re simple. However, while being simple, it can change the feel of your whole living room if any of these are off. Some of them are more forgiving then others and we’ll get to that right now.

Size

Figure out where you want to put the rug and then measure the length and width that you’ll need. Whether if that’s right beneath a coffee table or beneath the whole living room set, you need to know size so it can look proportional to the area you want. Too short and it will be noticeable from a mile away, too long and may look like a runway. Eliminate that risk by getting the measurements you need.

Color

This is just as important as size. Imagine having grey tone walls, black couches, hard black wood coffee table, and a bright yellow rug. It doesn’t sound appealing huh. You will want something that is complementary to the general atmosphere and look you have. Such as accent colors to really bring everything together and look more visually appealing.

Pattern/Style

Out of the whole list, this one is most forgiving. As long as the color are meshing well with the surrounding furniture, the patterns on the rug won’t really impact the appearence. However, it can add to the atmosphere rather than take away. If you are looking for a modern look, then a bear skin rug won’t do. The same go for the other way around, if you want a cabin/home feel, a thin black or grey toned rug with pinstrips won’t look right either. Style can be forgiving, however not that forgiving.




Comfort

Everyone wants to be comfortable. You get home, kick your shoes off and feel that nice soft rug beneath your feet after a long and stressful day. If you’re not comfortable with your rug, then you need a new rug, it’s that simple. Once you find the texture and material you like, then you can move on to the other steps. Noone wants a nice looking rug that feels like sand paper beneath their feet.


These steps will make choosing the right rug for you much easier. Which is great since the process itself isn’t an easy one. It’s like picking the right color paint for a room, you want the right one, and you want to feel good everytime you look at it for picking the right one. Hopefully these steps will help you in your decision and give you a new perspective on how to look for a new rug to begin with!

Website Hosting


When making a website, there are a few things that need to be taken into account. Registering the domain, find a provider that can host your website, then figure out the content you will be putting on your website. Notice that content is third on the list. Without a domain name and a good web hosting company, you won’t be able to build your website.


Website Hosting Packages

There are many services out there that will provide an all in package of picking out a domain and provide web hosting. It’s important to find a company that is reputable and to your style. 


  • Squarespace

  • A company like Squarespace makes the process very simple, you can register your domain with them, and have them be your web host. While that’s all good, the website creator can be limiting or rigid. It’s very beginner friendly however for someone who is more experienced in building a website, it can be frustrating when you can do exactly what you want to do.

  • Wix

  • Unlike Squarespace, Wix gives almost complete freedom of customization, although the servers are said to be not as reliable or as smooth as Squarespace. A web designer that knows their way around would probably pick Wix for freedom. While a beginner would more than likely get discouraged. 


Summary

I mention these two specifically because these are generally well known companies that provide packages to make the process simple. There are many others out there that may provide things that these companies don’t. This part of making a website is just as important as the website itself, you need to pick something that will suit you and what you want to do. While web hosting packages do make it simple, since if there is an issue, you only have to talk to one company, it’s important to do your research.

Blogging, Marketing and SEO

When making a successful blog, good marketing is key. It won’t matter if you are the best writer around if no one knows how to find your work. That being said, there are many ways you can market or advertise. SEO is one way you can better market yourself.

SEO

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is when you use keywords in your blogs, articles, etc. in an attempt to try to drive more traffic to your website. Google’s search engine is dependent on Machine Learning. That is when there is mini AI that receives information from searches, the words used in searches and the words used in articles that most relate that to search. It’s just a technical way of saying “Here’s what you searched, here are pages that have words you searched.”

It is common for websites to use SEO in their articles to get more readers. An example can be something along the lines of this; if you’re about dentistry, words like “dentist” “crown” might be keywords you can use. There are a lot of services out there that can provide tools to make it easier to find these keywords. It can also depend on the type of blog you are trying to write and the needs that it will require. The tone should fit the purpose.

Marketing

This is just as important as SEO. They may seem like the same thing, however, marketing is more broad. There are many ways to market, social media being the most prevalent. Snapchat, instagram, Facebook, etc. all kinds of social media can be used to market yourself, along with the SEO that you’re doing. If the marketing is done right, you might even be able to slack on the SEO a bit since if you’re marketing yourself, people will see it. Make posts, cold emails, interact with readers. These are some things you can do to leave a bigger digital footprint that someone can follow back to your website, and read your articles, your blogs, your content.

Reader interaction can be key to maintaining the following that can come with the traffic. People want to be heard, communicate and be human. By ignoring that side of it, then like SEO, it won’t matter how good you are at marketing yourself since no one is going to want to stay for more content. However, interact with them, whether if that’s in the comments or in the next post, and they’ll feel acknowledged, like “Wow, this person doesn’t even know me, but they care about what I have to say.” Building that connection is what will make people want to come.





Blogging

This one is a little self explanatory. You have the audience now, give them something worth reading. Treating them like people is important, however if you’re content is on the meh side, they will eventually lose interest and go somewhere else. We don’t want that, we want them to stay right where they are. As simple as it seems, you have to have decent content, not even good. If you have a personality, and have decent content, people will stay. Have good content with a personality, and more people will stay. Just the way it works, it’s simple but it’s not.

Your blogs/articles should also have a general theme or niche if you’re trying to have a specific type of audience. Writing about gardening one day and robots the next can confuse them and those who just want one general or specific might end up leaving. Keep it consistent, that way you can better know your audience and what they’re into.

Summary

It may seem simple on the surface however this will all require work and a lot of it. There are a lot of websites to choose from, and there are more being made everyday. Simply being there won’t cut it, you have to give them a reason to want to stay and keep up with everything you’re posting. Find your way of doing it and be unique, stand apart from the rest. Hopefully this has helped give you a little bit of insight from an outside perspective and lead you in the right direction.

How Useful Is a Chromebook Offline?

Chromebooks are seen as useless because a lot of their features do depend on being online. However, that is not entirely true. Much like a normal desktop setup or notebook, they can’t do much either offline if the user isn’t prepared for it.

I’m sure you have been in a situation where you were using your desktop, your internet goes out, and if you didn’t have programs that didn’t rely on the internet, it became a big paperweight. Chromebooks aren’t too different in that regard. If you prepare your chromebook ahead of time, then it can still be useful to you.

How To Prepare Your Chromebook?

Fortunately, Google saw this is a potential problem from Chromebook users so apps such as Google Drive/Sheets/Slides and Gmail can be set to be usable offline. 

For those of you that use your Chromebook for work, that can really come in handy. It is as simple as -

  • For Gmail, locate the Gear Icon that can usually be found on the Top Right Hand Corner of your screen.

    • Click that icon, a Pop Up Menu should come up, from there, you Click on “Settings”.

    • That will pull up a page that will initially show you general information linked to your email. 

    • At the Top of all the information, you will see a word that says “Settings”, underneath that you will also see a “Navigation” tab, look for the “Offline” tab and Click it.

    • From there you will be asked if you would like to “Enable Offline Email”, click the box next to it. That will enable it.

    • Lastly, there will be more options beneath it that will appear, from there you will just have to click on the boxes that are according to what you desire. Once you’ve selected the options that best fit your needs, Click on the “Save Changes” box that will be located beneath the options.

  • For Google Drive, a very similar process minus some steps. Find the Gear Icon that is usually located on the “Top Right Hand” of your screen.

    • Click that icon, and a similar menu will appear as the Gmail one.

    • Click on “Settings”, and that will bring up a menu.

    • A list of information will appear. Now rather than looking through the navigation tab on the left hand side, you will see a block of information next to the word “Offline”.

    • Click the Box that is next to the information that says “Create, open and edit your recent Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides files on this Device while offline.”

    • You’re now ready to use Google Drive, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. There isn’t a Save Changes box to click on, once you see that the box has a check in it. It saved automatically.

For files that you have already created in your Google Drive that you would like to access while offline. 

  • Make sure you’re on the Homepage of Google Drive, where you see the list of files that you have made.

  • Move your Cursor Over the desired file

  • Right Click the file. A menu will pop up.

  • Find the option that says “Available Offline” and Click it.

  • You are now able to use that file while offline.

This is just one aspect of preparing your Chromebook for offline use. There are other alternatives such as going to the Google Play store. In the store, you can look for Apps that will still be usable while offline. Doing this will allow you to be able to substitute a need for you, that previously required the internet.

By utilizing Apps on your chromebook, it will help you make the most of your chromebook. Making up in the areas that it is lacking, compared to other devices. There are many services out there such as Netflix and Youtube to name a couple, that offer offline services. Such as being able to download movies and shows from Netflix, and videos from Youtube.

Chromebooks may be simple and admittedly limiting, however there are workarounds to these issues that can turn a potential cheap product into a useful one.

What Do You Think?

There’s a lot of ways that a Chromebook can be utilized while offline, contrary to what many believe. It is not necessary to have a high powered, expensive, and complex piece of technology, to have something useful. These are just a few examples on how they can be used. Chromebooks having access to the Google Play store, opens the door to let them be useful for many things. Things like, graphic design, reading, video games, etc. Obviously you’ll have to take the steps necessary for some apps like graphic design, and already have the pics you need. Or making the games you downloaded can be played without the internet, etc. You get the point, so I’ll leave you with the question. What do you think?