My Perfect Day
I’m a pretty laid back guy. I don’t ask for much. Most days are very good to me. Occasionally there’s a crap day in the mix. And every now and then I have a perfect day. The kind of day that ends leaving me totally exhausted, but wishing every day could be that much fun. That day usually isn’t too far from home, and any day has the potential to be a perfect day.
My perfect day begins with an early morning surf. Head high, clean waves in warm water with the sun rising behind me. A good surf session is more than a fun experience. It’s more than proving to myself that I can ride a wave with some hint of grace and skill. It’s a meditative state that clears my mind, sets the pace for the rest of the day and keeps me the laid back, sane person that I am. I wish I could surf everyday. Mother nature and other obligations won’t permit that. However, it is a vital part of my lifestyle and who I am.
Approaching Theme Design Presentation
Here’s my first real speech in front of a large crowd since D.A.R.E. To Keep Kids Off Drugs when I was like 12-years-old. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the presentation was filmed. Just a head’s up, that’s not me speaking for the first minute.
Jeff and I presented our topic of Approaching Theme Design to the WordCamp Phoenix crowd this past January. Almost as exciting as our speech, is the controversy that was stirred up in the comments of the WP Candy post on our speech here.
I was stoked to be presenting at such a large WordPress conference.
Kapalua
I bought a new camera on Black Friday. I should have been buying presents for other people, but I couldn’t resist this sweet deal at Costco. As cameras go, it’s nothing special. It’s a Fuji FinePix. I’m no photographer either. That’s Jana’s job. The thing is, hauling around Jana’s expensive photography equipment is risky — and a lot of work. I just wanted a piece of crap, point and shoot camera to photograph fun stuff we’re doing on a daily basis. Stuff that we can share with our family, and eventually our kids.
The camera is waterproof and durable — exactly what I need. On our first outing with the camera we went jogging near Kapalua. That’s northwest Maui to those unfamiliar with the area. After jogging, I jumped off some cliffs in to the ocean. A sea turtle greeted me right after entering the water. Good thing I had my sweet waterproof camera! Too bad I had my contact lenses on and no goggles though, or the pictures might have been better. But that’s the kind of stuff I want to share. So, expect this blog to have more of my crappy photos in the future.
Brand Naming Tips
Whether you’re naming a baby or a brand, it’s not a task to be taken lightly. Like a baby named Jack, a bad brand name can negatively effect the life of a business. Naming a brand is a deceivingly difficult process — particularly if your brand has an online presence.
The value is still in the dot com. Sure, other domain extensions such as .net, .org, .me, .us, etc. have their place, are well known or can be used creatively. However, there is no substitute for dot com. Like a great brand, “.com” is imprinted in the psyche of any fool that has ever browsed the internets. When .com meets the naming of a new brand or company, difficulty ensues. Every real, and almost every fake word has already been registered as a .com domain. You really have to get the creative juices flowing to find that perfect name, and I have a few suggestions:
- Keep it to only 3 syllables per word — max. Preferably 2.
- Make up a word. Get hooked on phonics and define your company without defining it. Examples are Hulu, Zappos, Acura.
- Combine 2 short words.
- Use a thesaurus.
- Make sure it “rolls off the tongue” like Google or Twitter.
- Make sure there’s no hidden negative or pornographic meaning. People’s minds wander to dark places, don’t make it any easier for them.
- Don’t get caught up in the SEO of the name. SEO isn’t worth sacrificing the integrity of the brand. What’s more popular, Zappos or ShoesOnline.com?
- If it’s just you, use your name if you can. Unfortunately for me, there’s thousands and thousands of David Morgan’s.
- Run it by your friends and family. They’ll let you know if it sounds stupid.
- If it doesn’t have a meaning, make one up. Muku has several meanings — purity, the crest of a wave, the New Moon phase in Hawaiian…
