The post In Greek mythology, Hades appeared first on Got help?.

It alluded to the Once-lers, who basically used natural resources once and then never bothered to recycle or repurpose anything until the whole world was a left in utter ruins. And while the lesson of that Dr. Seuss tale is more evident and prescient today when it comes to natural resources than it was when it was introduced decades ago, many people still struggle with how EXACTLY to reuse all kinds of stuff (small and large) in a way that is practical and useful. And although our customers are not conglomerates chopping down entire rainforests, they do run into scenarios whereby they end up with something that appears useful but may be puzzling to actually reuse. That’s where Hal comes to the rescue!

This particular dialog was with a person who, each time she bought new shoes or sneakers, had a question that many people have but rarely bother to ask: what are those little packets that feel like sand doing in the shoes and can I repurpose them for anything that will actually be helpful?

As it turns out, they can be very useful and extremely multi-purpose items to keep and collect! They are called Silica Gel Packets and the texts we shared back and forth got really interesting when the customer asked about them and their potential reuse. It went something like this:

Hal (aka Me): “Just a sec…I’m here…how can I help you?”

Customer: “Hey Hal! I buy a LOT of shoes (don’t ask!) but every time I open the box I see these little packets that have like beads or sand in them. I know that they must be useful for shipping or something, so I just kept them all for some weird reason because I wanted to get around to asking someone what I could do with them. So..what can I do with them, since I def don’t keep them in my shoes any more, once I take them out of the box?”

Hal: “Great question! Actually, these little packets are Silica Gel or Silica Beads and they have LOTS of uses well beyond keeping shoes dry in transport. Let’s dive into a few other uses that you may find helpful! First off, if you decide to open up two of those little packets and put them all into a Ziploc bag for reuse, you can use a small amount of beads with your dish soap to clean out stubborn stains in hard to reach places like inside bottles (or glassware that has a long neck) — any areas that you basically cannot stick your hand into but needs a scrubbing. It’s a miracle to see how it unearths ANY stuff left behind when you just add the beads, water, and dish soap and give it a few shakes. Poof! Everything inside that glassware is completely stain free in no time!”

Hal: “Secondly, have you ever mistakenly “over-watered” an indoor plant and had the water leak out of the bottom and onto your table or counter? Well, now you can open about 5–6 of those little packets and sprinkle the beads into the soil of any plant/flower pot you have indoors, like those on a kitchen counter or a tabletop. Next time you water those plants/herbs/flowers, any excess water you add will be immediately absorbed by the Silica Gel crystals and prevent the water from spilling all over the table or countertop out from the bottom of the planter. No more mess even if you are a little too generous with the water!”

Customer: “I actually have a tiny herb garden for basil and stuff so that would be cool! What else?”

Hal: Third, if you leave your disposable razors in the shower or near the sink, you usually see little rust spots show up fairly quickly. Next time, just place a little packet near the metal portion of the razor and it will prevent the rust from forming on the blades to you can get some additional life out of that disposable razor! If you really want it to work faster, stick the razors into a small Tupperware container, drop in the Silica Gel packets & close the lid. That will accelerate the process for you.

Hal: Fourth, you can open a bunch of Silica Gel packets into a cup and if you spill your coffee or beverage of any kind onto a notebook or paper that you are writing on, just sprinkle a healthy amount of Silica Gel beads over the whole spill on the notebook, place a napkin or folded paper towel over it and press down gently. Let it sit for about 5 minutes and presto — -the paper is complete clean and the color of the liquid is completely absorbed into the crystals…and your paperwork is now pristine to write on once again — no more redoing that homework all over again or re-writing that letter!

Customer: Wow…that’s awesome! I journal a lot and this would be IDEAL for that!

Hal: But wait…there’s more! Since these magic little beads absorb moisture and prevent humidity from ruining things, you can stick a couple packets into a toolbox to remove rust from any of your tools! This also works with knives that may have little rust spots as well.

Hal: Another great use is that you can put a bunch of Silica Gel packets into an extra large Ziploc bag along with smaller clothing items & seal it — and then use it for packing clothes in your suitcase to keep them fresh…or stick the slightly open, small Ziploc bag and put that inside your sneakers to absorb all the sweat and keep them dry for the next trip to the gym. Some ppl even put the crystals into those “sachet” bags that have very tiny little holes in them and make them into sachet bags for their sneakers as well.

Hal: As if that isn’t enough, I will leave you with two other cool things about those little packets you’ve been saving: the first is that you can REUSE them constantly by putting them in a microwave on the DEFROST cycle for about 9–12 minutes for every 10 packets, and all the moisture they collected (after a month or so) will be “cooked out” of the packets — and now they are ready to be re-used all over again. It’s an endlessly renewable little packet of magic!

Hal: And if you see all this value but you aren’t willing to buy more shoes just to get more Silica Beads (LOL) — or you just aren’t sure WHEN to put them in the microwave, you can buy a color changing set of Silica Beads on Amazon for around $10.00. Once the color changes from orange to dark green, it means the crystals need to be put in the oven so they can do their job for you all over again. The color change takes the guesswork out of when to take them out of use and put them in the oven to ‘recycle’ them for reuse once again. It’s a very inexpensive option if you find yourself using them more often for more applications.

Customer: Ok Hal …you have officially blown my mind and made me VERY happy that I saved all these little packets for the last few months! This is great stuff. I will be putting them to use all over the house now, thanks to you. And it is kinda cool that I’m being environmentally friendly by reusing them instead of just dumping them into the garbage. Total win/win! Thanks Hal!

MAVRick

Image: https://superrare.com/artwork-v2/stuck-in-the-routine-37285

The post Ok Hal …you have officially blown my mind appeared first on Got help?.

And when Hal first started out over two years ago, who knew that the advice that was shared that long ago would yield an evolutionary solution for a person who asked a simple question? If it sounds confusing, allow me to simplify it for you with this cool story about some truly interesting advice that worked out much better than any Hal could have hoped for!

It was 2108 and as the Hal app was getting started, I had the privilege of being a Hal. The text I got was really a different kind of request, but being a bit of a geek and a curator of newer apps, the timing of this request, as it turns out, could not have been better.

The intro came up to which I responded, as all Hals do, with “How can I help you today?”

I texted the customer initially about how unique and cool their name was, since the app is encrypted and that is really the only data point we Hals have to build a rapport with (unless the customer offers up more info about themselves or their location for a specific request. The Hal app puts privacy first above all else).

After sharing some texts back and forth, it turns out that this customer just wanted a forum to experiment with in an attempt at becoming a radio personality or possibly a future podcaster. Although they certainly could have used their voice memos app to practice with, it was clear that this customer wanted something “new and cool” and ideally provided less of a one-way experience. The request came across the app about how “…someone who was only 17 years old could find an app to practice and have fun with audio stuff to become a radio jock or a podcaster someday”. As it happened, they got me as a Hal — and I had what I thought was just the thing!

Backstory: Although AnchorFM was a relatively unknown app when it emerged in 2015, I loved their novel approach, so of course, I was all in and just watched to see what the company might do to either add functionality, create a new market or — like the HBO show, Silicon Valley states — “Pivot!” This little app, which was only starting to gain traction by early 2017, was actually designed to focus on your smartphone’s microphone. The app let users record up to two minutes of audio, then publish it. And then users could reply to posts with their own audio messages. It was considered similar to SoundCloud, but nothing can be pre-recorded, no recording can be longer than two minutes and it really didn’t feature music, per se.

The story goes that one of the founders felt that starting a podcast was rather difficult on a couple of fronts, since you need to build an audience and you need really good sound quality to accomplish that, at a minimum. So he and his co-founder set out to change that whole idea and create AnchorFM. Unlike traditional radio, AnchorFM is multi-directional. It’s not a one-way broadcast. When you listen to the radio, there’s no way to interact with it. On AnchorFM, you could reply to everything you hear to start a real discussion. And so a new market was born!

OK..back to our tale: This app ended up being ideal for this would-be future radio/podcast star. They loved the idea because they were literally ‘practicing’ to either become a radio on air personality and/or start a podcast “when they had enough practice online”. AnchorFM was the perfect app to give them a new interactive audience and help them to use the app’s ability to enhance the recording quality to practice their craft. Further, it was “new and cool” and also allowed them to build an audience or at least experiment with how to do so over time.

Since they were amazed that an app like AnchorFM even existed, I was happy that another Hal customer was very satisfied with the recommendation they got from the Hal app…and I thought that would be the end of it.

But wait…there’s more.

Fast forward two years later: I get a request from a customer whose name was so unique I had to look twice: it was the same teenager from two years earlier, since the spelling of the name was unmistakable! I was stoked because the odds of any Hal getting the same customer more than once are kind of like being struck by lightning…but in this case, it was the real deal. Of course, once I confirmed the request from two years ago regarding AnchorFM, it was clear that I was speaking with the same customer over 24 months later!

I shared that I was “that Hal” that shared AnchorFM with them, which they were quite amazed to learn, since they also knew how rare it would be get the same “Hal” on any given session. I immediately asked about their aspirations to become an on air radio personality or future podcast star, and the reply I got blew me away:

Customer: “Hal …you won’t believe this one…it’s almost like a movie! When you turned me onto AnchorFM, I loved it right away and really got into it. And I stuck with it, which was fortunate, because then it pivoted from AnchorFM to Anchor, which gave me even more of a platform to grow an audience. From there, over the next 15 months or so, my little “radio station” started to grow into an actual following of more than 10,000 followers over time and quickly morphed into a podcast since the “new” Anchor app focused on creating podcasts. And is if that wasn’t enough, then Anchor started adding things like intros, outros, sound effects of all kinds and a means to create asynchronous communication with the audience I had built. Before my eyes, I was a full fledge podcaster!”

Hal (aka Me): “Wow, so what happened from that point? Did your following continue to grow once Anchor pivoted directly into the podcast market?”

Customer: “It actually got even BETTER because Anchor cut a deal with certain larger advertisers to help small time guys like me monetize their podcasts with actual sponsors who paid a little bit of money for the production. But since I started with 10,000 followers, the advertisers would pay a little more if the following continued to grow, since they would be reaching a larger audience. It also upped the overall ‘swagger’ of my podcast to have advertisers, since the really popular podcasts ALL have a sponsor. So, I got two sponsors right away at first, and then my audience tripled, which meant bigger advertisers came along and would be willing to give me even MORE money to do what I loved. It went from a hobby to a side hustle and now the money actually rivals what I make at work!

Hal (aka Me): “Are you thinking about quitting your job at this point?”

Customer: “I’m a little too timid to do that just yet, but I do have some good news: Spotify acquired Anchor in February of last year and now I am on their list on the Spotify app with exposure to literally millions of new ears! If my growth spikes enough, and it is moving in the right direction, my goal is to quit my job. And it’s all thanks to your recommendation way back when…BEFORE Anchor was the powerhouse it is today and aligned with a market leader like Spotify. You really called that one, Hal. You really called it!”

And with that, I learned how one piece of good advice to help a teenager carve out his passion in this world became a solution that yielded a force to reckon with in the podcasting industry…all because he asked Hal a single, focused question.

Although I cannot promise EVERY recommendation will turn you into a rock star in the podcasting space or give you a side hustle that will challenge your full time job in terms of income generation, I will certainly give you my best effort to complete your request, as every Hal does.

So…”How can I help you today?”

MAVRick

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClyDFKasLZL/

The post “It’s almost like a movie!” appeared first on Got help?.

Our most valuable intelligence isn’t artificial.

Web3 arrived and we embraced it, developing tools and projects around it to make us understand the technology, the people and the advantages of what we had before. So we decided to use the benefits of web 3 for Hal.

There will be 2 types of services Hal will provide:

• Free for everyone with an invite code. It is not a dedicated or instant service. The Hals handle requests without a reward, but they will receive a rating after each session they take to improve their profile.

• Paid service will be provided solely by Hal+ and will be an instant and dedicated service that develops a customer profile for a constantly improving service to match the user and the Hal with similar tastes.
  

The idea of using blockchain and Web3 to build Hal is to create a fully decentralized company, which can function on its own without the intervention of a centralized structure. Yes, a DAO, but not owned by us, but by Hal’s, created for users and creating value for human knowledge.

Once we have all of this in place, we will slowly start inviting users and Hal’s into the ecosystem. There will be 1,000 Hal’s for the first generation, serving early adopters around the world.

Each Hal will go through a process before being approved and users will be able to join only through an invite code that we will use until we decide to fully open the service. Each Hal has a trust level. This information, along with rating and sessions, helps them receive more sessions.

All subscribed users will have a unique NFT that will function as their Identity. This NFT will evolve as you do as a person and it will constantly change. The more you use Hal, the more Hal will be able to add pattern and behavior information to that unique NFT ID.

The AI will be added as a layer for some events where we can improve the user experience by understanding the limitations of this tool.

If you are already Hal or want to be part of this project, add yourself here: https://halisback.com/staff

If you have questions or feedback, please write us.

Thanks,
Alex

The post Hal & Web3 appeared first on Got help?.

This customer was trying to take the long pause that life force fed all of us during this unusual situation and use it not only for self-improvement — but to also educate their teenage children in a way that school could not: to raise awareness around the systemic influence of racism in America.

When the customer texted me, they shared that they wanted to take the downtime that was afforded them during the shelter in place and use it to help their children understand the impact of racism and make sense of what the kids were seeing on TV regarding current events around George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many, many others. They asked what they could do to raise that awareness in a way that could be both educational and helpful, since they were unaware of what resources may be available or best suited to share with their teenagers to convey the importance of these issues — and some of the origins of racism itself.

Fortunately, there are many such resources — but because they don’t get the same amount of press, the customer needed some help in locating them. I started by sharing that there is a Netflix documentary (featured for free on YouTube) called 13th that was produced by Ava DuVernay. That powerful documentary talks about the link between systemic racism and the prolific imprisonment of blacks in America.

I also shared that there is a great series of videos on YouTube by renowned black Stanford social psychologist, Jennifer Eberhardt, which introduces her book “Biased”. It is a deep dive into the genesis of racism and how it infects both black and white communities and traces the origins of some of the deep rooted issues that plague the American historical landscape. It also examines the collateral damage that racism has done and continues to do in America. It is a journey that unveils to us all just how universal this problem is and it is narrated by the author herself.

I later uncovered that this customer also has a subscription to Hulu. As fate would have it, Hulu is featuring several shows and documentaries to help raise awareness in this area as well. Those shows include Say Her Name: The Life and Death of Sandra Bland,16 Shots, Roots,Whose Streets?, The Rape of Recy Taylor, and Your Attention Please. Some of these premium HBO or Showtime features or documentaries are actually available for free into late June or into the month of July to allow ALL viewers to see these shows. Many are powerful gripping stories ripped from the pages of buried news stories that speak to the deep rooted injustices against blacks or historical accounts of how black people suffered under white supremacists in America for decades. Hulu also features an entire platform of shows that are featured by black creators of television and drama as well.

The added bonus in all of this was providing the Skillshare website because it actually helped in two ways: it provided the customer a means for continuing education on their own — and also another platform to help educate their children about the importance of Juneteenth!

Skillshare has a number of both free and paid coursework that anyone can enroll in for ahost of skills they want to acquire to include writing, photography, business skills, artistic endeavors, and so much more. Beyond that, this month there were three artists who were showcased on Skillshare to help raise awareness around Juneteenth. It was a perfect opportunity to help the customer educate their children around this important date and its significance relative to racism. Although Juneteenth is still not recognized as a federal holiday in America, the fact that awareness is getting raised and companies like Google and other major tech companies are bringing it to the forefront, it is now becoming an area that is slowly becoming more widely recognized and hopefully will shed light on the impact of racism in the United States.

Needless to say, the customer was thrilled that there were so many areas that they could explore to help engage their teenagers and raise awareness around how to recognize and prevent racism. It was also refreshing to see both dramatic and educational resources that they could utilize to provide a well rounded picture of the historical injustice and what could be done better or differently to help move the cause of racial justice and equality forward.

So there you have it! A plethora of resources that adults and teens can learn from — from cautionary tales, to a sordid historical past, to a hopeful future. This is just one more reason why being a Hal is so very rewarding and serves other people with a type of “social intelligence” that is far from artificial. (Sorry — Not Sorry, Siri!)

MAVRick

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cd919Yijdnt/

The post Sorry — Not Sorry, Siri! appeared first on Got help?.

And for lack of a better word, it’s not exactly skin-deep.

My day with Hal involved a medical question. Since I was 11, I have had bumpy skin on my arms, and it’s really annoying. Every time I Googled “bumpy skin” on arms, it would give me a list of probable causes, but I never received a conclusive answer.

Of course, the bumps themselves wouldn’t have been visible. However, once my stress found something to pick at, it was very difficult to stop. What started as a bad habit snowballed into a full-fledged addiction. I hated these bumps on my skin and would do anything to get the source of the problem removed. But what if the source of the problem is unremovable?

Although I had done my fair share of research on the issue, it was still a splinter in my brain. Seeing as I had already consulted numerous resources on this problem, I figured it was time to give Hal a go.

Me: Hi Hal.

Hal: Just a sec…I’m here. How may I help ya?

Me: So I have a thing called keratosis pilaris, or chicken skin, and it’s really annoying. How do I get rid of the bumpy skin on my arms?

Hal: I am not a dermatologist, so I would recommend going to one for professional help. I believe that, just like eczema, keratosis pilaris never goes away.

Me: Okay. Do most health insurance plans cover dermatology?

Hal: There most likely will be a co-pay. Check in with your primary care doctor.

Me: Okay, thanks! I also tend to pick at my skin when I get stressed. What are some good ways to avoid that?

Hal: Count numbers, read a book, or draw. Just make sure to keep your hands busy.

Me: How do you deal with stress?

Hal: Talk to others. Share your problems and how you’re feeling and coping with a parent, friend, counselor, doctor, or pastor.

Me: Okay. How do you personally deal with stress? (If you don’t mind me asking.)

Hal: Oh! Well, I take a bike ride along the beach or go hiking by myself, usually while listening to some upbeat music.

Me: Awesome.

Hal: You should try it, K.

Me: Will do. What kind of music takes your mind off things?

Hal: Well, any music really. But it has to not have words, just beats with rhythm.

Me: Good to know…thanks!

Hal: Anything else I may help you with, K?

Me: That’s all for now. Thanks!

Hal: Okay, I will now close the session. Have a good night, K.

The tips I learned from Hal helped me immediately. In fact, even while I’m typing this, my hand wandered up to my face to find some “fault to fix”. Realizing what I was doing, I took Hal’s advice. After successfully resisting the temptation of several time-wasting (albeit entertaining) YouTube videos, I typed “relaxing lo-fi beats” into the search bar. Lo-fi music is my go-to genre for when I’m feeling a little worked up. After returning to one of my favorite music sets, I realized my muscles and mind relaxed. Not totally, of course — but it was a definite start.

Now you might think “Okay…but listening to music for stress relief isn’t world news. Why did you need the Hal app for this?” But that’s the thing — your brain doesn’t always provide common solutions to stress. If anything, my brain just tells me to avoid it by getting the thing done that’s stressing me out — i.e., “if your blog post is stressing you out just finish the blog post so you’re not stressed out.” Unfortunately this tactic isn’t always effective.

But this is also what Hal is good for. Hal can remind you of basic stress-relief tactics, therefore increasing your trust in your own self-regulating instincts. You know when you’re stressed, so reach out to a friend, and they tell you something common like “why don’t you try taking deep breaths”? But for some reason, it sounds more valid when it comes from an outside source? We don’t always take great care of ourselves, so sometimes we need a little reminder that our own instincts are trustworthy.

If you or someone you know has Googled “bumpy skin on arms”, or they think they might have keratosis pilaris, there is nothing to fear. The condition itself does not lead to any other health problems (unless you pick at the bumps, of course). However, if you do find yourself futsing with the bumps without being able to stop, there are tons of useful resources at your disposal.

Obsessive Skin Pickers Anonymous, or OSPA, is a great place to start. This group is similar in structure to Alcoholics Anonymous, just with a different kind of addiction at the center of their work. If you’d like to learn more about this organization, feel free to check out their website at osparecovery.org.

If the white bumps on your arm are itchy or look inflamed in any way, it would be a good idea to contact your primary doctor or dermatologist. But I know how difficult it can be — it sucks to have bumpy skin on your arms that looks like pimples, especially if you already take very good care of your skin. It can feel helpless when there’s nothing you can specifically do to get rid of them.

When in doubt, lotion is your friend. Your skin is a lot harder to pick at when it’s slippery, plus moisturization helps to heal the skin from any absent-minded scratching you may be engaging in. And if you find yourself picking your skin a lot more while working on the computer or scrolling through your phone, full conductivity gloves are clutch. Although it might feel weird wearing gloves indoors, these are super helpful in stopping subconscious habits. The five-finger conductivity also allows for full use of any electronic device with a touch screen.

Anywho, I hope this post leaves you slightly calmer than you were before. You deserve to have a mind at peace

Kyleigh Hoye

Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CB5tQS7CoxB/

The post When It’s More Than Skin-Deep appeared first on Got help?.

….W-40?

Yup! Good ol’ WD-40.

It was a refrain from mom’s everywhere that is all too familiar: “My kid’s room is a mess!” In this case, the mess was rather specific: her son plays videos games in his room where he also manages to enjoy lots of burgers (with tons of ketchup!) and also has a habit of falling asleep with his favorite chewing gum in his mouth after a marathon of game play on Twitch. The latter issue has resulted in the chewed gum falling out of his mouth and onto the carpet, where it co-exists with way too many ketchup stains. Yikes!

Fortunately, the Hal app was ready for her concerns — and as her “designated Hal”, I took on the challenge of stubborn ketchup stains AND chewing gum stuck to the rug with one terrific idea: WD-40.

As it turns out, this little potion does a whole lot more than just fix squeaks on hinges or lubricate bicycle chains — it is a little cleaning miracle in a can as well. Since she happened to have a can hanging around the house, the implementation of my ideas were rather immediate and very well received. Here’s are the WD-40 tricks I shared to give her a few ‘life hacks’ and a way to re-purpose that can of WD-40:

First off, when it came to the gum, I told her that she should be sure and use the little red straw nozzle that comes with the WD-40, since it will allow her to efficiently spray around the gooey perimeter of the gum stuck onto the carpet. I shared that once she sprays around the edges, the majority of the gum will come right up. After that is removed easily, re-spray the more stubborn area that remains and the rest of the gum comes off seamlessly from the carpet fibers. Boom! The gum is completely gone literally in under a minute and no residue nor any discoloration to the areas of the carpet that once held the sticky substance.

Next, it was onto the ketchup stains in the bedroom rug. For this application, no nozzle needed — just spray a generous amount after wiping up the initial stain with a damp cloth. I shared that a microfiber cloth would work fine for the first one to two applications to remove the red stain. By the second application it went from red to pink, so that the final spritz did the trick and she could use a dry towel to fully dry off the area. She was THRILLED with the results!

But wait…there’s still more! I also shared that our little miracle in a can can also get rid of fingerprints on her stainless steel appliances and restore the luster on them all. I then shared that the same magic will also work on her stove to remove the baked in food that stubbornly remains (esp. when the kids try to cook eggs and too much of it ends up ON the stove instead of IN the frying pan).

Of course, there’s also the advantage of using WD-40 to easily remove those annoying bar code stickers that show up on everything from your new coffee mug to your new glassware. Just spray a small amount all around the glue that is still remaining on your item and with a little elbow grease, the glue is completely gone and your item has no ugly residue from the sticker!

If you happen to be a camper and love the great outdoors — but it doesn’t love you back and you get rained on — you can bring along some cotton balls and a can of WD-40 and start a fire that will light even in the pouring rain just by spraying the cotton balls in WD-40 first, then lighting them with your matches. If you managed to keep the wood dry prior to the downpour (or even during a light, steady rain), that should be enough to keep that fire burning!

And last but not least, you can use it for stubborn zippers to make zipping up that jacket or raincoat a whole lot easier — just remember to definitely use the little red straw nozzle for that type of application so the spray is targeted to a small area on the zipper itself.

So there you have it! Being a Hal means you get to solve problems in the coolest way possible each time a customer presents their particular request. It’s the unique value proposition that our community of Hals offers to each and every customer that needs assistance. And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

MAVRick

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZr7Kj5OZFD/

The post A Day in the Life of a Hal (Part IV) appeared first on Got help?.

I’ve Googled “how to start a podcast” on my iPhone, but given the amount of search results that popped up all at once (778 million, to be exact), I was promptly overwhelmed.

All that being said, I figured talking to Hal about it was my best option.

Me: Hi!

Hal: Just a sec…I’m here.

Me: I’m interested in starting a podcast. What’s the most effective way to promote a new podcast?

Hal: You can use social media!

Me: Okay, what else?

Hal: Consistency! You can put snippets of your podcast on IG TV for example.

Me: Consistency…you mean like posting once a week?

Hal: Yes, that works too. Focus on one social media site for now. Start with baby steps. But yes, consistency is key. You can also ask for collaborations.

Me: Awesome. I’ll take that into account. Thanks!

Hal: You’re welcome! Anything else I can help you with?

Me: Not right now

Hal: Gotcha! Best of luck starting up your podcast!

Me: Thanks!

Hal: (Insert adorable emoji wearing party hat here).

So I had my work set out for me. Although I already had the gist of what Hal told me, sometimes it’s nice to talk about the more abstract details of a creative project (especially in the beginning stages).

You may assume that my main reason behind starting a podcast was financial, a.k.a. starting a podcast to make money. However, my intentions were a little different this time around.

I’ve talked about this in reference to Hal before, but this app helps me as an external processor. Some people are able to work out decisions, even the simplest ones, in their head. I, however, have to either talk it out or draw it out. I need to have the full picture in front of me so I actually “zoom out” mentally.

The situation in particular that encouraged me to start this project was the murder of Breonna Taylor. Although the facts are pretty clear with what happened during her untimely death, I realized I was not familiar with the exact details of the conflict. But the more I learned, the more angry I became.

That being said, I knew I had to compile the information I learned into a new medium, one less chaotic and unorganized as my head. I’m glad that Hal was able to help me out with my original idea…and it certainly won’t be the last time I use the Hal app to overcome a creative rut.

Me: Hi!

Hal: Just a sec…I’m here…Hello K. How’s everything going?

Me: How do you tell an unbiased story? I’m trying to do a podcast about the death of Breonna Taylor, but I want to make sure the sources are reputable.

Hal: I would try to stick with reliable sources such as scholarly journals, cases about her death, reports, and etc. Other online sources and news organizations could be biased.

Me: Okay. Is there a good website that judges whether or not a site is reputable?

Hal: Unfortunately I don’t think there is but here are some good techniques to keep in mind while searching for information:

1. Identify biases

2. Are the stated sources reliable

3. Check information is used by multiple sources

4. Steer away from commercial sites

4. Look at the published date

5. Check links

Me: Okay. Thank you!

And with that, I began my search — but I was already beginning to get off track. The facts of Breonna Taylor’s death, no matter what perspective you choose, are absolutely horrible and unjust. It made my narrative voice erratic, angry, and unprofessional — all of which are the natural human reactions to such an atrocity. However, I could see it impacting my ability to empathize with those who were just starting to learn about the movement. I couldn’t separate the anger I felt for the oppressors from the anger I felt for the not-yet-informed. And I knew one thing — if I could not collect my thoughts before starting a podcast about this subject, I could not do the story justice.

But that’s another thing Hal helps you with. You know how a therapist is this third-party, completely unbiased observer who can tell you things straight because they’re not overly worried about losing you as a friend? Although Hal is certainly no replacement for an actual mental health professional, some additional guidance is definitely helpful.

Me: Hey Hal.

Hal: Just a sec…I’m here. Hal at your service, how may I help you?

Me: How do I balance being informed about the Black Lives Matter movement and managing my anxiety? I know it’s good to be uncomfortable when learning uncomfortable information, but I can’t seem to find the balance between informing myself and taking care of my mental health.

Hal: You know, maybe my opinion may not be a good one…but I’ll try. Why don’t you make a positive change in your life…maybe you can help someone in need to show that kindness still exists, you know? And about mental health, I learned from Lady Gaga that it’s okay to say “I don’t have this” while still loving to the fullest because everyone’s got imperfections.

Hal then attached a link to the one and only Lady Gaga describing how being kind can address our inner anxieties…or at least, that’s what I got from it. It was beautiful.

Me: Wow this is great. Thanks for the advice — I donated to a theater that did a Zoom performance I really enjoyed. (Shoutout to Marin Summer Theater’s performance of Actually by Anna Ziegler, starring Maya Sherer and Kevin Minor).

Hal: I’d like to share one more thing.

Me: Share away

Hal: This is a quote I wrote from stealing another quote and changing it a bit:

“You are the artist of your own life you paint the next step and if you are stuck at a dilemma you paint a way around“

And frankly, I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Kyleigh Hoye

Photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CY1en_oLgPR/  

The post I’ve Googled “how to start a podcast” appeared first on Got help?.

When I heard that familiar noise on my iPhone indicating an inbound customer request, I admit I did not expect the texts that followed. However, I immediately understood why it is important to respond quickly to any incoming requests!

The dire request showed up around 11:30 PM EST. And the customer just cut to the chase as to what they needed:

Customer: “Hey Hal! This is REALLY urgent! I am at my new girlfriend’s house and I clogged her toilet — but there is NO plunger anywhere! She’s asleep but I need to find a way to unclog this toilet without a plunger. I need help here. This is really embarrassing. Any ideas?”

Hal (aka Me): “You’ve come to the right place! Give me just a moment to curate a couple of ideas for you that use household items to get the job done.”

Customer: “Please hurry! I really don’t want her to see this! We’ve only been dating for two weeks and it’s going really great, so I don’t want this to screw up our momentum, ya know? It’s just too embarrassing!”

Within seconds I was scouring the Internet for a DIY solution that the customer could act on quickly and that didn’t require specialty or oddball items to get the job done. I found what I thought may be ideal for this situation, so I went to work:

Hal: “Can you find some liquid dish soap (the more the better!) and can you heat up some water in her microwave? It doesn’t need to be boiling hot so you can quietly carry it to the toilet, but the hotter, the better. And if she is one of those people who uses a bath bomb in her bath, that could also assist the effort, but it’s not necessary to have. We’re using these to lubricate the bowl and the pipes.”

Customer: “Yes! She has both of those things and I can turn off the microwave before it chirps to make sure I can heat up the water quietly.”

Hal: “OK. Perfect. First dump about HALF of a bottle of liquid dish soap, like Dawn, into the toilet. If you can find a ‘bath bomb’, drop that in if you have it. Next, if the super gross flood water in the bowl is low enough now, heat up a large container of water in the microwave next while the liquid soap does its job.”

Customer: “Yes! OK. I put in a ton of the liquid soap. But I can’t find a bath bomb. When do I add the hot water?”

Hal: “Let’s add it now, since the next step is that we will need to wait 15 minutes for this to work.”

Customer: “OK, Hal. Now we wait. Don’t go anywhere on me. I REALLY need this to work!!”

Fifteen minutes pass and now we’re at the critical point in this dilemma:

Hal: “Let me know if you see the water level going down, since that would be a good sign.”

Customer: “Yes, Hal. It’s WAY down now. It’s almost like there’s very little water in the bowl at this point.”

Hal: “Perfect! Let’s flush it now and see how it worked.”

Customer: “Hal! You did it! I can’t believe this worked! And she’s still fast asleep! You really saved my night here. This is awesome!!”

Hal: “Perfect! Great to hear! And to top it all off, I have another cool suggestion that you can use for next time — wherever you are. Check out Amazon or eBay for what’s called a Pongtu Toilet Plunger Sticker. It’s completely portable and folds up in a backpack easily. If this happens again, you just pull the sticker out, cover the entire open area of the toilet under the lid, and the pressure it creates, like a soft balloon, will allow you to push down on the sticker covering the bowl. After about 3–5 gentle pushes, the toilet will flush! You can find them here: https://amzn.to/30cGzuw and they aren’t too expensive to buy either. It also beats buying a plunger and trying to stash it somewhere she won’t see it!”

Customer: “You are a genius! I love that idea, since it can travel with me without the embarrassment of the whole “plunger” thing. Hal, you have def earned my ongoing business on this one. Cheers!”

And so, as night falls and our hero in this story cuddles with his new girlfriend after a successful DIY process to keep her toilet clean of any backup, he now has another solution that he can use ‘on the fly’ if the situation were to ever recur.

I must admit, when I discovered those cool Japanese plunger stickers, I was amazed at how easily and how well they worked once I bought a set myself. Their YouTube video link really sold me on how efficient and disposable the whole sticker idea was — and it prevents having to clean a grody looking plunger with all that bacteria teeming all over it.

What can I say? Life as a “Hal” is prone to all kinds of requests. But when life hits you with a new problem to solve, don’t panic — Just reach for the Hal Personal Assistant app and let Hal do the work for you!

MAVRick

Image: https://www.instagram.com/p/BtybHPxFoWU/

The post Getting Into A “Flow” State — Hal Style appeared first on Got help?.

of what the internet used to feel like back in the early 2000s, before SEO ruined everything. Future Hal might feel and operate like a polished, condensed version of the old forums and chat rooms of Internet’s past. Hal’s platform provides the safety of anonymity with the comfort of human connection, a combination that is hard to find these days. Hal’s future in 5 years seems pretty bright.“

The post “I see future Hal becoming a version appeared first on Got help?.