Talking To Teens

February 12, 2017 by cryan.com

The Dreaded Drunk Driving Discussion

Talking to your young ones and teens can sometimes be a challenge. Initiating conversations related to things like drunk driving, distracted driving, and even the typical talks about growing up through puberty can sometimes be obstacles that we drag out. It's never a topic anyone wants to discuss, but in order to parent our young ones into successful, positive thinking individuals, we have to have these types of conversations.

Drunk driving can be one of the hardest to talk about because it's a gray area where some teens don't seriously think about. Most of the time, the teenage mindset automatically thinks it's is invincible. It's easy for them to think that a drunk driving accident could never, and will never affect them. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. That's why it's extremely important that parents take the proper steps to talk about the dangers early on.

There are a few ways that parents can start the conversation and make strides to develop a meaningful lesson.

Give Them Examples

Depending on where your live might determine how many examples you can actually provide. For families in more urban areas, it's nearly impossible that a news story has not taken the headlines of your local network, covering a story on distracted driving. Share these stories with your teens, and every time an accident makes the headlines, make sure you are reinforcing this with your teen.

Another great way would be to share personal stories or eyewitness accounts you have had with drunk driving. Share an experience you may have had growing up, or explain any accidents you may have witnessed. Provide details and locations for the occurrences.

Give Them Statistics

Give Them Support

Your Duties As A Parent

PicMonkey Collage

February 5, 2017 by cryan.com

I use PicMonkey all the time to create a daily photo collage. It's really easy to use and there are some basic graphics tools that make it easy.

Blurry Collage

One thing I notice recently is that photos that I upload from my computer are slightly blurry. I notice that this only happens in the College Editor. Photos that I upload to clean up don't appear blurry.

Whenever I save a Collage, the final product is blurry, whereas the original files were perfectly fine. No matter how I played around with the settings, the images always appeared blurry.

Simple Workaround

If I create collages from DropBox or from Pic Monkey's Hub the Collage doesn't appear to be blurry.

If your using PicMonkey, you should plan on uploading images from Dropbox or using the new PicMonkey Hub.

Credit Card Charges

January 22, 2017 by cryan.com

Here's a recent post on Reddit on why it's very important to keep an eye on your finances:

This is not an isolated story. Many people don't pay attention to their credit card bills.

I know first hand because I used to work in the billing department at an online customer support center. I would get calls from very angry customers complaining about a charge appearing on their credit cards. They usually would request refunds for many months back.

Unfortunately we could not credit back charges that were more than 6 months old. We would tell customers that it's their responsibility to monitor their credit cards. At the time, Credit Cards companies agreed with this policy and would not credit back charges of more than 6 months. They would remind cardholders that they are responsible for their charges.

The key lesson here is to monitor your credit card, especially the debit card - where small re-occurring charges could be hidden between typical charges.

You may think your finances are in control, but the lesson of MPTPWz1026 father cost him $3,600.

Big Mistakes in Business

January 7, 2017 by cryan.com

What were the biggest mistakes high-tech leaders made in the past year? Here's what they said at Silicon Summit II:

• Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos: "Investing in Living.com, which isn't, and Pets.com, which is a dog."
• Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer: "Not always taking the patience we need on certain innovations."
• Michael Bloomberg: "We didn't hire enough people."
• Darien Dash, DME Interactive Holdings CEO: "We were impatient last year and we didn't just focus on getting our products out."
• Sony CEO Howard Stringer: "We should have had 2 million more PlayStation 2's available before Christmas."
• AOL Time Warner VP Bob Pittman: "Speed. ... We don't move quickly enough."
• Yahoo! founder Jerry Yang: "Focus on the long term. I think people got reactive in this marketplace trying to see too much that wasn't there."
• Gateway CEO Ted Waitt: "Trying to do too many different things and losing sight of the core basics it takes to make our customers happy."
• Nancy Peretsman, Allen & Co.: "Not acting on what we knew to be true."
• USA Networks CEO Barry Diller: "Not selling all the companies short represented here today, other than our own."

Silicon Summit II was held on March 11, 2001.

Nine Predictions for 2009

December 31, 2016 by cryan.com

In 2009, Tom Askacker put together a document for "Nine Predictions for 2009."

This is a parody document of typical outrageous things that people predict that will never happen. Oddly enough all the predictions will hold true for 2017!

Click on image to download the PDF document..

Tom Asacker writes, teaches, and speaks about radically new practices and ideas for success in chaotic times. He is an independent brand adviser and author of critically acclaimed books including A Clear Eye for Branding and Sandbox Wisdom, and his latest, A Little Less Conversation. Visit www.tomasacker.com to learn more.

His website has lots of interesting news and views on world events and how you can be inspired to do great things...

Quality Assurance Testing Graphics

November 27, 2016 by cryan.com

Here are some additional quotes/images that I have collected over the years. Most times I'll send these in Slack as the movement seems appropriate.

If you're in Quality Assurance testing, I am sure you'll find the right moment to use these images/saying:

Quality has Moved, see the next issue...

There's no turning back..

"Yes! You are Correct Sir!" - usually appropriate when an Engineer asks an obvious question, such as "Is Code freeze tonight?"

Poor Planning on YOUR part does not automatically constitute an emergency on our part.

List of Internet Graphic Site

November 6, 2016 by cryan.com

When you're looking for special discount deals on high-quality graphic/web design tools and resources, there are various site that should visit. Each site of these sites have some area of speciality to be considered when building up a graphic library.

I have come across many different libraries in my quest to find a good resource for vector images. Usually I am looking for some cool Isometic designs, or some cool website site objects. These are the sites that I most often visit.

Mighty Deals is one of the first site you should visit. Founded and managed by the team behind Webdesigner Depot (one of the top web design blogs in the industry), it has exactly the kind of deals creative professionals find appealing.

Inky Deals is another great platform to find high-quality deals on top design tools and resources. It's part of a network of websites and portals maintained by a team of passionate graphic designers, web developers, and creative marketing professionals. They usually run some good combo deals where you can get various designs for a low price.

Deal Fuel -- another great platform for web developers, graphic designers, and creative professionals to find regularly updated discount deals and bundles related to the most sought after design tools and resources.

freepik - They are currently creating hundreds of free vectors daily. Discover our exclusive content! Find dozens of free vector graphics every day, all designed by Freepik. They have some free graphics, as long as you promise to attribute the source of the graphic on your website/flyer. Monthly subscription is $9.99 a month for access to 152,300 vectors.

VectorStock - "Millions of Royalty Free Vector Images. VectorStock is the world's Premier Vector-only Image Marketplace." You can find all sorts of quality vector graphics here. $50 gives you the right to download 50 images.

Stock Unlimited - 600,000+ Visuals for Businesses & Professionals. Affordable Stock Photos, Vector Graphics & Cliparts are available. $9 a month access or $69 for a years access to all their photo and vector images.

CreativeMarket - great collection of Graphics and photos. They have a group of special designers who come up with very creative designs. This is a great place to get flyers and website graphics. They have all sorts of Fonts and package deals that are worth looking into. Prices are per deal. Awesome Isometric collection

Graphic River - Part of the envatomarket family, they have 530,181 Fonts, logos, icons and more. Discover their huge collection of hand-reviewed graphic assets from our community of designers. Currently running at $29/month to access all their files - including Codes, Videos, Audio, Photos, 3D Ocean.

CG Vector - Good selection of free vectors. This is a good place to start with some basic vector graphics. Download files are in stored in RAW format. Macintosh users should use The Unarchiver to uncompress the files.

Medialoot Unlimited - Lots of good files. They don't have any Isometric images. Member is now $14 a month. Their selection appears to be smaller than others, but they still have a unique collection that other graphic sites don't have.

Disease: When It Strikes & How You Can Help Others

October 15, 2016 by cryan.com

Perhaps a close family member or friend of yours has recently visited their family doctor, and returned with a rather concerned look on his or her face. Going to the doctor can sometimes be an experience that is rather frightening for some, because of the unexpected results that can come from discussions from your doctor. Just remember, it is your doctor's obligatory duty to prepare and inform you of the worst possible situation for any type of condition you may be experiencing.

Because of this, many avoid going to the doctor all together. Some may feel as though they are already juggling enough in their daily lives, and do not want to concern themselves with negative results their doctor may provide. For others, a lack of time or concern is another reason they may not visit the doctor. Your health is your number one backbone, and without it, you would not be able to function properly. Taking time out of your day, to go visit your doctor and receive regular checkups is vital for your routine maintenance for your body.

How You Can Help When Bad News Strikes

It may have started off as a regular checkup. A woman goes and visits her primary care facility, and finds that she has an irregular lump under her skin. The doctor may have scared her into believing that there is a high risk that the area is cancerous, and she should keep immediate care from a cancer facility.

Whether or not the bump is cancerous will only be able to be determined by a specialist who deals with cancer and tumors. A primary care doctor can only provide advice on what they may think the cause of the raised area is from, but they cannot properly diagnose the situation without receiving a body scan.

As a friend or family member to the individual dealing with such circumstances, there are plenty of things that you can do to assist with the process. Depending on how the individual reacts to news will determine how you need to treat the situation. Some people may become easily devastated, and shut down. In this situation, you need to act as the support structure that helps them to get through the situation. Do some research, and help them get to their next step in the process. Research cancer facilities and help them locate the best possible care facility in their area. Extensively research doctors and review their ratings and what others have to say about their level of treatment.

Furthermore, you may have an individual who takes the situation lightly, and does not concern him/herself with the seriousness of what the doctor may have determined. In this situation, you need to be the leader that discusses the importance of the situation, and offers aid and assistance for them. You need to be persuasive with your actions, and develop a plan where you can quickly inform them of the seriousness of the issues at hand, and how they should proceed. Though the doctor may have stressed this during his/her initial visit, reinforcement from friends and family members will help to reiterate the consequences of avoiding treatment for the issues at hand.

Why It's Important To Show Support

As an individual who may have recently received bad news from their doctor, it's easy to feel down upon yourself, and become frustrated. For the individual dealing with the situation, there may be outside events taking place in his/her life that are already stressful enough, and they may feel as though they cannot handle any additional negative news or events. Furthermore, the individual may feel as though they are already unlucky, and when devastation may strike, they may give up easily.

As a family member or friend, it's always important to be there for those whom you care for. Just put yourself in the shoes of your peers, and think about how you would seek their support when they are in need of assistance.

Rodney Dangerfield

October 2, 2016 by cryan.com

Rodney Dangerfield was a brilliant comedian. He is well known for his "I don't get no respect!" routines.His comedy career peak was in the 1980's with several sold out shows and movie appearances such as Back to School, Caddyshack and Easy Money.

I saw his comedy act in Las Vegas in 1998. At the time he had a personal website and was selling a lot of Rodney Dangerfield items. He would mention the website on various Tonight Show appearances. Since I was a big fan, I decided to order some things; an autograph picture and his autograph on his trademark red tie. I don't remember how much I paid for each, but I do recall the tie being a bit expensive.

A few days later a big box showed up at my door in San Jose, California. It was from Dangerfield Entertainment. When I turned the box over I was surprised, it was the picture of Rodney Dangerfield created with a solder iron and solder. I have never gotten a box like this and have kept it. 18 years later, after 3 moves, including a cross-country move, I still have that box sitting in my attic.

The red tie is a classic, I am not sure it's worth anything, but to me it's priceless. It's really cool to have a trademark Rodney Dangerfield tie.

The only thing missing from the package was the autograph picture. I sent an email to Dangerfield Entertainment to let them know that I never got the picture, and a few days later I got a Photo Mailer with a personalized autograph picture from Rodney Dangerfield. I know it's authentic because it's similar to other autographs that I see online. I have kept that picture in the photo mailer that it came in.

Prepping For Fall- How to Evaluate Your Cars Safety

September 17, 2016 by cryan.com

As summer winds down, the air becomes less humid, kids go back to school, and family vacations begin to dwindle down. Fall is a great season to enter into, but there are many things that must be done to allow us to get back into the swing of our routines. You might think of the typical things- like developing a schedule for your children, and discussing carpooling with neighbors to coordinate your busy schedules. Or, figuring out what teacher your child has, and what activities they will become involved in during the school year.

But, we should also stop to think about the things that we rely on all year long. One of the most important factors for families is the ability to transport their children, as well as themselves to various destinations like work, school, and leisurely activities. Without a safe mode of transportation, many families may find it difficult to coordinate a busy schedule.

There are a few things that you should keep in mind before jumping full-force into your schedule this coming Fall. Make sure your car is prepared for the numerous amounts of times you will rely on it.

Pressure

Tire pressure in family automobiles is overlooked many times. As the air becomes cooler, it's good practice to ensure your tires all contain the same amount of air pressure. As the temperature decreases, your tire pressure usually follows the same pattern. Subsequently, as the temperature rises your tires tend to increase in pressure as well.

Check with your car's operating manual for the suggested tire pressure within your car. Adjust your pressure accordingly to ensure you are keeping your family safe while commuting this Fall. Tire pressures can easily become imbalanced, leading to less traction on one side of your vehicle in comparison to another.

Wipers

The Fall tends to bring much more precipitation to various areas of the country. When is the last time you checked your wiper blades to ensure they were clearing your windshield properly? For most, this may have been over a year ago. In fact, most drivers completely forget to change out their wiper blades until they experience reduced visibility when traveling in a heavy rainstorm. As a result, driving within torrential rainstorms with faulty wipers can lead to a unsafe conditions for you and your family.

It's recommended to change your wiper blades every few months. Double check your car and make sure you aren't stuck in a rainstorm with wipers that will not clear your windshield.

Oil

When's the last time you visited Midas or Jiffy Lube to get your oil changed? Even though these businesses place reminder stickers on customers windshields, many motorists overlook the reminder and continue to drive with oil that should have been changed many miles ago. The effects of having clean oil in your car cannot visibly be seen, however, the impact it can make on your motor and internal parts can be more drastic than it appears to the naked eye. In fact, many motorists travel with dirty oil, much longer than suggested by the manufacturer.

Before you jump back into your full routines this fall, make sure you are well-equipped for your busy schedule. Ensuring the family car is safe, and ready to transport you and your family will allow you a piece of mind when it comes to protecting the safety of yourself, as well as your family. Schedule a car tune up in the next few weeks to avoid any uncertainties down the road this Fall season.