More Thoughts on Owning Content & Where It’s Hosted

[Sci Tech Watch]

More Thoughts on Owning Content & Where It’s Hosted

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• More Thoughts on Owning Content & Where It’s Hosted
• PR's Mandate in 2013
• Make It a Priority {31 Days to Your Goal}
• “You have to decide what you believe.”
• What In The Dorian Gray Hell?
• Yasutomo Cuben Wallet
• 10 Ways to Make Life Good Again
• The Internet of Things Has Arrived — And So Have Massive Security Issues
• Video Recap of Weekly Search Buzz :: January 11, 2013
• MAKE at CES 2013: Hands on with Playsurface, the Open Source Touch Table
• Geez Louise – Book stuff is distracting!
• Tech tools to help with your New Year’s resolutions
• Claim Google Authorship for Your WordPress Website in 3 Easy Steps
• Tell Gov. Deval Patrick to Appoint Barney Frank to Senate
• Dynamic Search Ads: A Slow and Painful Journey
• Another Reason I Use the Tools I Do
• What I learned at NASA
• Zero Clutter
• Reality is too real until it's not real enough
• 5 Attitudes In The Workplace To Get You Ahead
• SPONSOR MESSAGE: Top 10 Ways to Improve Digital Experiences
• Breaking: Shooting at Taft High School in California - Update: School Had Armed Deputy on Duty
• Newsletter #919: The “Be There for Them” Issue
• A Mysterious Division of Animals: What’s Your Favorite Category?
• Padma Lakshmi Speaks Out on Abuse of Women in India

More Thoughts on Owning Content & Where It’s Hosted Posted: 11 Jan 2013 08:01 AM PST More Thoughts on Owning Content & Where It’s Hosted More Thoughts on Owning Content & Where It’s Hosted Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:25 AM PST Countless times I’ve made the point that blogging and content is best done on your own site and domain because you own it. And, unlike posting on a platform or domain that you don’t own, you make the rules and no one can take that content away from you. Thomas Baekdal recently offered some more detailed and nuanced thoughts on the topic of owning vs. renting content on social channels. He goes into video, blogging, blog comments and more. On the subject of blogging, he makes the same point I’ve made before, when he says this about free services like Blogger or WordPress.com: It’s the same problem with the free services. While they do technically provide the tools needed, they don’t provide the longevity. When creating long term content, you have to be able to rely on the platform. That means owning the platform (and the domain). But he goes on to talk about Adidas, the shoe company, which isn’t focused so much on creating long-term content as it is on “quick chunks of ‘inspiration’ about their products.” So the social element is more important and it makes sense for Adidas to use Tumblr (in addition to having its own “owned” blog). The main point he makes is this: “… your strategy of where you should be depends on what you create, and the purpose of that content.” As much as I believe in content ownership, I do agree with that point — sometimes the type of content and goal is more appropriate for non-owned channels. But for long-term success, which is the main concern is just about everything I write about, you still need to own the content and platform/channel. Anyway, Thomas’ article is really good and well worth the time to read: Rented or Owned: Where To Focus Your Brand Content. This is a post from Matt McGee's blog, Small Business Search Marketing. More Thoughts on Owning Content & Where It’s Hosted Web Designers, Agencies, & Marketing Firms: Work with us to deliver the best local search results for your clients and earn commissions. Expert, accurate, U.S.-based team will claim, verify and enhance your client's business listings and more. http://localsearchoptimization.com You are subscribed to email updates from Small Business Search Marketing To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

PR's Mandate in 2013 Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:59 AM PST PR's Mandate in 2013 PR's Mandate in 2013 Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:54 AM PST In a previous post, I referenced the abundance of year-end predictions in the PR, marketing and media spheres. Rather than jump onto that bandwagon alongside our industry's many pundits and prognosticators, I decided instead to share some thoughts on what I believe has been a short-sightedness by PR firms in embracing new media schemes to advance their clients' communications goals and business interests. That post seemed to have struck a nerve considering the amount of social currency it generated. Yet, many of the likes and retweets somehow missed my main message. They assumed I was talking about the lack, or siloed state of social know-how within the ranks-and-file of many agencies, i.e., strategies to promulgate Likes, Shares, Pins, +'s and Retweets of client content in the social channels du jour. While this meme remains valid, in a 2009'ish kind of way, my post purposely didn't dwell on PR agencies' social media acumen, or lack thereof. Instead, I was referring to paid media, and in particular, the growing trend among digital media properties to accept new hybrid or native schemes that mix earned/paid and owned/paid content into their main news holes. Yes, PR people (as I make the sign of the cross), the time has arrived for the industry to consider buying (or sponsoring) its clients' way into the media outlets they covet. Trust me, these outlets, faced with decimated display ad revenue streams and lower CPMs, will be all too happy to accommodate good storytellers...at bargain digital prices. (Who ever said that ad agencies had a lock on paying for placement?) Here's a quip from GigaOm's Mathew Ingram writing for paidContent on the fortunes of BusinessInsider: "This is the same dilemma that almost every media entity is facing, from traditional players such as the New York Times to newer stars like BuzzFeed and The Huffington Post. Some of the newer entrants like BuzzFeed — and even the more entrepreneurial of the old guard, such as The Atlantic and Forbes — are trying to use more "native" advertising formats such as sponsored posts and marketing-related content to combat this problem." If a client's communications goal continues to be the appearance and propagation of its branded message in the media -- one that changes a POV, produces a business result or enhances a reputation -- the days of relying exclusively on a news or feature story to achieve these ends are dwindling. First of all, most journalists at highly sought-after media properties receive hundreds of PR come-ons daily, making the odds of your email being opened very slim indeed. Secondly, when was the last time you successfully "placed" a story in which the reporter got it 100% right? Even with the most arduous pre-interview prep -- on both sides of the reporting equation -- there is always some information that gets misreported requiring a request for a correction. Finally, and perhaps most significantly, the increasingly fragmented way in which the public consumes its news and information no longer guarantees that a boffo piece in the Wall Street Journal will set tongues-a-waggin for any meaningful duration of time. News coverage is just too damn ephemeral. (Even the unthinkable tragedy at Newtown has now mostly faded from the public consciousness.) It is for these reasons that PR professionals should be striving to grab some market share from their pay-for-play brethren on the other side of the marketing aisle. If Buzzfeed, Mashable and The Atlantic are opening their doors for sponsored (owned/paid) content to appear in their news holes --- some even written by their editorial staffs -- then PR pros need to muster the temerity to ask their clients to pony up the cash to let them make it happen. (And I'm not even talking about promoted Tweets or sponsored stories on a Facebook fan page.) My old friend and B-M colleague Pete Judice used to say that "there are many windows and doors into a media outlet." He was referring to a news outlet's many different editorial sections and gatekeepers. Today that piece of wisdom can be extended to include those in-house sales teams working with marketers and content creators to help their "paid" messages gets heard in a non-commercial (quasi-editorial) way. Is media relations dead? Hardly. In a future post, I will address this resilient (and still lucrative) PR deliverable with a look at new ways to enhance prospects for engagement in today's impossibly competitive (and reporter-hostile) environment. Stay tuned. You are subscribed to email updates from The Flack To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Make It a Priority {31 Days to Your Goal} Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:47 AM PST Make It a Priority {31 Days to Your Goal} Make It a Priority {31 Days to Your Goal} Children’s Miracle Network Tissue Box Design Contest {And What CMN Means to Our Family} Organize Papers of All Shapes and Sizes with the DuoBinder! Work-at-Home Success: How to Start the Year Right Ambiance {iOS App of the Week} Make It a Priority {31 Days to Your Goal} Posted: 11 Jan 2013 05:01 AM PST If you’re just joining us, be sure to start at the beginning of the 31 Days to Your Goal series! The thing about making goals is that we’ll never get any closer to the finish line if we don’t make each of them a priority. That’s why the goals we make because we think we should make them are so hard to keep and why most resolutions fail. However, when we make a goal that we’re excited about or convinced is the best for us — whether it’s something fun like weekly date nights, something hard like completing the Insanity workout program or something big like launching a new business — it’s much easier to make the time for it because it truly is a priority for us. At the end of the day, the way we spend our time is a reflection of our true priorities, not the ones we list on paper but the ones we hold in our hearts. We have to choose to make pursuing our goals a priority, and that means carving out time in our schedule to make it happen. If you’re having trouble finding the time in your schedule, here are a few ideas: Get up 15 or 30 minutes earlier. Give up evening TV time. Swap childcare with a friend or neighbor to give each of you a child-free morning or afternoon. Institute an afternoon quiet time for kids who no longer nap. Look for ways to streamline or delegate chores. Practice saying no. Do it first thing, before the day gets in the way. Eliminate time wasters. If you truly want to achieve your goal, you must make it a priority. There’s no other way to make it happen! Does your schedule reflect your priorities? Have you made your goal a priority this month? Mandi Ehman is the founder and publisher behind Life Your Way and the co-author of All in Good Time, as well as a wife and the homeschooling mom to four beautiful girls. She lives with her family on a little slice of heaven in wild, wonderful West Virginia and loves coffee, chocolate, easy meals, beautiful things and minimalist spaces. Make It a Priority {31 Days to Your Goal} is a post from Life Your Way © 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Work Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to con...@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks. Children’s Miracle Network Tissue Box Design Contest {And What CMN Means to Our Family} Posted: 11 Jan 2013 04:01 AM PST This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of White Cloud for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine. source: Mandi Ehman Four years ago, our family walked through a truly terrifying experience. Just a few days before Christmas, our third daughter — who was 15 months old at the time — began to develop unexplainable bruises all over her body, including a huge, ugly bruise on her face after bumping it on the kitchen table. At first, we debated whether these were normal “toddler bruises” or the sign of something more serious, but it quickly became obvious that it was not normal, and in addition to heavy bruising, she also developed petichiae on her legs. Our immediate fear was some type of leukemia. We made an appointment at our doctor’s office, and the pediatrician we saw that day (who we’d never seen before but who has since become precious to our family) immediately sent us to the hospital for blood tests, with STAT written across our order. As I carried our daughter through the hospital, my heart raced. We sat through a rather painful blood draw and then headed back to the pediatrician’s office — well after regular office hours — to wait. Despite the panic of those few hours, the answer that came back was perhaps the best one we could have hoped for but hadn’t ever heard of before that moment. Our doctor described a blood disorder called idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP), which literally means an unexplained drop in your platelet count. The numbers from the hospital showed that her platelets were somewhere around 12,000 per liter, less than 10% of what you’d find in a healthy person. Our pediatrician scheduled an appointment for us at Children’s National Medical Center, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, for the next morning to discuss treatment options, and we headed to my parent’s house for the night so that they could accompany us the next day. While I am beyond thankful for the quality of care offered by our local hospital, we were truly blown away by every aspect of our visit to Children’s. The bright colored walls, the toys and gifts, the play areas and — most importantly to us at the time — the painless blood draws all made a terrifying experience a lot less traumatic. Thankfully, her ITP required no treatment, and while we worried about her head banging habit for a few months afterwards because of the potential for internal bleeding, her platelets quickly recovered and within about 4 months she had surpassed the normal, healthy levels that we were anxiously watching for. Because of that experience, Children’s Miracle Network has become one of our family’s favorite charities, and we are so thankful for the work they do to help children’s hospitals provide treatment and comfort to children across the country. White Cloud & Children’s Miracle Network This month, White Cloud has partnered with Children's Miracle Network, asking kids from member hospitals to put their creativity and imaginations to work to illustrate a template for a new White Cloud Facial Tissue box design! The designs have been collected and narrowed down to the top 10 finalists, and fans can now vote for their favorite designs, 3 of which will be chosen and printed on special edition White Cloud Facial Tissue boxes to be exclusively sold in Walmart stores starting in May. Find a store near you! In addition, White Cloud will make a generous donation to each of the CMN hospitals that submitted the winning designs. There’s also a chance for you to win! Vote for your favorite design and be entered to win one of three $25 Walmart gift cards or a one-year supply of White Cloud products. Log on to the Voting App today and vote for your favorite design to “make miracles happen”! Abbreviated Contest Rules: No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. The Children's Miracle Network Contest and Sweepstakes are sponsored by Kruger Products (USA), Inc. The Contest is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, between the ages of 4 and 14, who are eligible patients at one of the 168 participating Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. The entry period for the Contest begins on November 29, 2012 and ends on December 28, 2012. The Voter Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, 18 years of age or older. The Voter Sweepstakes begin at 6:00 p.m.ET on January 3, 2013 and end at 11:59 p.m. ET on January 30, 2013. For official rules, visit the contest site. Children’s Miracle Network Tissue Box Design Contest {And What CMN Means to Our Family} is a post from Life Your Way © 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Family Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to con...@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks. Organize Papers of All Shapes and Sizes with the DuoBinder! Posted: 10 Jan 2013 04:08 PM PST For many people, paper clutter is the number one organizing issue in their life, and the most frustrating part for me is that even when I have a good organizing system in place, I inevitably end up with pieces of paper that don’t fit the system. Speaking of paper clutter, have you entered to win a spot in the Organize Your Paper Clutter online workshop from Simplify 101? For instance, I use binders to hold all of the girls’ school work, and then an art project comes along on a piece of paper that is too big for the binder or can’t be hole punched. Or I’m organizing my business records and there are so many different size pieces of paper that I can’t seem to decide between a binder and an accordion file. That’s where the DuoBinder comes in! This innovative binder is both a regular 1″ binder and a 7-pocket accordion file, all in one: Whether you’re organizing school papers, bookkeeping records or your home management notebook, the DuoBinder makes it easy to organize paper of all shapes and sizes. For example, you could put your home management printables in the binder and use the accordion pockets to hold monthly receipts, take out menus, bills to be paid, various correspondence and more! The DuoBinder features: a 7-pocket accordion file with customizable tabs 1-inch 3-ring binder elastic bands to hold the binder closed a variety of colors to choose from Click here to get yours today! This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are 100% mine, and I really do think these are a nifty solution for organizing paper! Organize Papers of All Shapes and Sizes with the DuoBinder! is a post from Life Your Way © 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Home Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to con...@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks. Work-at-Home Success: How to Start the Year Right Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST The following post is from Prerna of The Mom Writes: source: stockimages/freedigitalphotos January is here and you're looking at a clean slate, a fresh start, a blank calendar. Now is the time to make sure you set yourself up for work-at-home success. It isn't tough or complicated. It isn't hard to do. It does however, require commitment and focus. Ready? Here's how to set yourself up for work-at-home success right from the start: Kickstart productivity for yourself. Don't let the start of the year be the time when you're dragging your butt and not kicking ass. Make productivity a priority and get productive now. Simple things like, using the time before breakfast to get things done  or turning routines into rituals can help you set the pace for the year ahead and start developing good time management habits right now. Make time for learning. It is easy to get comfortable where you are and just do what you know. However, the real challenge is in moving forward, learning and growing. Work-at-home success is not about just working from home and making a living. It is all about evolving as an entrepreneur or freelancer and you can do that only when you make time for learning. So, sit down with your planner or calendar and factor in time every day for at least 20 minutes of dedicated learning. Better still, make a list of 10 things you want to learn in 2013 and then, schedule the learning for them right now. Start to smarten up your strategies. For  business and work to grow, you need to get smart about being productive and profitable. From choosing ways to build your business on a budget to outsourcing your stress points, look at how you can include these in your work-at-home plans for the year. Set realistic goals and track them. Finally, set goals that are realistic and set up a way of measuring your progress on them. Whether it is landing a certain number of clients every month or it is growing the number of subscribers on your blog, set your goals, create an action plan to achieve them and track them diligently. What would YOU be doing first to set yourself up for success in 2013?  Prerna Malik is a mom, a wife, a writer and woman who believes in being postively productive, parenting with love and creating a home that invites you to put your feet up and relax. Find her sharing her journey and experiences with productivity and parenting at The Mom Writes. Work-at-Home Success: How to Start the Year Right is a post from Life Your Way © 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Work Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to con...@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks. Ambiance {iOS App of the Week} Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:30 AM PST This week’s app has been one of my favorite since we got our iPad two years ago. Whether you’re looking for background noise while you work, write, exercise or sleep, Ambiance is the best I’ve found, with over 2,500 high-quality sounds to choose from! Ambiance lets you: Download only the sounds you want to save memory space on your device. Play your sounds in the background while you use other apps. Set a timer to fade out the sound once you’re asleep. Layer sounds over each other. Cycle through different sounds. We use this app as background noise at night when traveling, when trying to focus on a project or just for light background noise as we go about our day. When our youngest was a toddler, we’d turn on jungle sounds to soothe her back to sleep. Download for your iPhone, iPod or iPad: Ambiance Lite (FREE) or Ambiance ($2.99) P.S. This app is available for Android or your computer as well! Ambiance {iOS App of the Week} is a post from Life Your Way © 2010-2013 Purple Martin Press, LLC | All rights reserved - This feed is provided for the convenience of Tech Your Way subscribers. Any reproduction of the content within this feed is strictly prohibited. If you are reading this content elsewhere, please send an email to con...@yourway.net to let us know. Thanks. You are subscribed to email updates from Life Your Way {Full} To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

“You have to decide what you believe.” Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:45 AM PST “You have to decide what you believe.” “You have to decide what you believe.” Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:22 AM PST "Everyone should write a blog because it makes it harder to be a hypocrite. You have to decide what you believe." Seth Godin Everybody should start a business for that very same reason… You are subscribed to email updates from gapingvoid To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

What In The Dorian Gray Hell? Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:44 AM PST What In The Dorian Gray Hell? What In The Dorian Gray Hell? The CAPTION THIS Contest WINNER For January 10th! Hot Slut Of The Day! Birthday Sluts Harry Styles Dumped Taylor Swift For Being A Chaste Flower Who Is Obsessed With Antiques Demi "Topper" Moore Is Still Living The Life Afternoon Crumbs Lindsay Lohan Really Is The Neely O'Hara Of Our Time Open Post: Hosted By The Cyrus Family Beyonce Is A Hoarder Of All Things Beyonce What In The Dorian Gray Hell? Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:23 AM PST Here's the official royal portrait of the Duchess of Cambridge by artist Paul Emsley and it was supposed to hang inside the National Portrait Gallery in London, but since it looks like she's slurping up your soul, they're going to hang it inside the Haunted Mansion Ride at Disneyland instead. Looking like Jacqueline Smith circa 1982, a knocked up Kate Middleton showed up for the unveiling of her official portrait at the National Portrait Gallery this morning and after she swallowed ten loads of barf, she put on a manufactured smile and said that it was "brilliant." Yes, brilliantly haggard. Kate might've pretended like she was into that beat, jank mess of a portrait, but the critics aren't pretending like they love it. They are dragging it. They've called it "rotten" and "dour." "Rotten" and "dour" is proper British talk for "fuckinguglyasfuck" and "raggedy piece of crap." Duchess Kate told Paul that she wanted to look natural and he tried to capture her "sparkling green eyes" and "charm." Well, Paul, you tried, but there's nothing charming or sparkling about this wreck. He made Kate look like a 70-year-old evil stepmother who is about to lock you in the attic, because the Prince is coming to look for the owner of the glass slipper and she knows your foot will fit it. Kate sat for Paul before she got pregnant, but they could've fooled me. By the way her lips are pursing, it looks like she's desperately trying to stop herself from vomming up half of her insides. It's like she just licked some dirty ass. You know what, though? It can totally be fixed and there's no need to send Paul to the square to be flogged publicly. Cecilia Gimenez, work your magic, girl! via @m4tt Just stamp an Olan Mills logo on it and it's a masterpiece! And when the Daily Mail asked Morrissey for a comment on the first official portrait, he said, "Loves it!" The CAPTION THIS Contest WINNER For January 10th! Posted: 11 Jan 2013 06:22 AM PST Turns out that the conspiracy theorists were wrong: Ferris' day off wasn't Cameron's day dream: it was Sarah Jessica's. - fuzzy_wuzzy Runners-up: As Kim Cattrall did in the movie Mannequin, Justin Theroux comes to life at night. In the meantime, Jennifer waits patiently. - PeggyOlson It took four years, but evidence finally surfaced that Rob and Kristen do sleep together. - frenchflies In this captured private moment, Tori and Dean show us how they keep the magic alive. - carpediva via PIU Hot Slut Of The Day! Posted: 11 Jan 2013 06:12 AM PST If you weren't in Southern California (or parts of the Midwest, I think) during the 70s, 80s or 90s, then your brain is probably burping up a giant, smoky question mark when looking at this picture. Lady Lee was the generic store brand of choice when I grew up. If you couldn't afford Coke, your ass bought Lady Lee cola. If you didn't want to spend all your coins on Lay's potato chips, you bought Lady Lee chips. If Crisco was too expensive and you really wanted an ass lube you could count on, you bought Lady Lee shortening. I loved it when I was a kid, because I thought the name Lady Lee sounded all regal and shit. I think Lady Lee is now dead, but Sandra Lee should resurrect the brand and come out with a line of Lady Lee  vodka that triples as face astringent and counter cleaner. And if you don't know what Lady Lee was, this is your cue to shout at me, "Michael, you dim bitch, the hottest generic store brand of all time is [insert the name of your local generic store brand here]!" Birthday Sluts Posted: 11 Jan 2013 05:46 AM PST Mary J. Blige (42) Cody Simpson (16) Jason Wahler (26) Jamelia (32) Nadia Turner (36) Rockmond Dunbar (40) Amanda Peet (41) Marc Blucas (41) Tom Rowlands of The Chemicals Brothers (42) Kyle Richards (44) Kim Coles (51) Vicki Peterson (55) Naomi Judd (67) Alfonso Arau (81) Mary Rodgers (82) Harry Styles Dumped Taylor Swift For Being A Chaste Flower Who Is Obsessed With Antiques Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:04 PM PST Radar is trying to make us believe that Taylor Swift and Harry Styles didn't break up, because the expiration date on their contract read: January 5, 2013. Radar says that they broke up, because he's a man whore-in-training and she's prude whose idea of a hot Saturday night is watching Antiques Roadshow while knitting her cat a poncho (Note: If you replaced "knitting her cat a poncho" with "playing patty cake with his dog," that's pretty much me on a Saturday night too. Maybe I should date Taylor Swift). In a piece that reads like fanfic co-written by Taylor's publicist and a nosy neighbor from the 1950s, Radar says that Harry left Taylor with a broken heart, because she just wouldn't give up the panty enough. A "friend" of Taylor's said this: "Taylor is so concerned that the public will think she's a whore because she dates around, that she doesn't put out. What she doesn't get is that the guys keep dumping her because she's being a prude. Harry found Taylor a little sexually uninterested. While it was clear she obviously had a thing for Harry, Taylor didn't want to put out as often as he would've liked. Harry is a young boy, with ladies throwing themselves at him and has had a string of relationships with older women. It's no secret he's sexually active and is enjoying his fame at the moment. But Taylor just wasn't up for it as much as he is. They were sexually incompatible. Having a clean and wholesome reputation is super important to Taylor. She puts herself in these stupid situations but then honestly can't understand why she's getting such a shabby reputation. Harry wants to go out to fancy bars and clubs and enjoy being young – but Taylor's more of a homebody and all she would talk about was antiques! It drove him crazy, so he gave her the elbow!" It's funny that they said "gave her the elbow," because "getting the elbow" means something completely different in my world. And yes, I meant to give an image of elbow sex.  Oh, to have Taylor's problems. Taylor picks up a young piece, gets dumped for not putting out, writes a #1 song about it and then picks up another young piece to start the cycle all over again. I used to get repeatedly dumped for putting out TOO fast and I have no #1 song to show for it. And speaking of #1 revenge songs, Taylor tweeted this today.... It begins! Demi "Topper" Moore Is Still Living The Life Posted: 10 Jan 2013 04:29 PM PST While Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis shuffled around like two miserable blobs in sweatpants, Demi Moore shook her ass to "Buss It Wide Open" on top of a rattan ottoman next to a pool at a resort in Tulum, Mexico! While Ashton and Mila stared at each other across the eating table while slowly chewing their dinner of rubbery fish, Demi shook a can of Corona, opened it up and then sprayed beer all over her tits for the boys! While Ashton and Mila had missionary sex during commercial breaks for Nightline, Demi wore out her cougar coochie by hopping on young dick after young dick. Yes, Demi is getting it and how! Some source tells Star (via Radar) that Demi spent Christmas week at a weight-loss bootcamp in Tulum, Mexico. The source says that the bootcamp was held at a fancy resort and usually successful women in their 30s and 40s go there to get spiritual and shit, but Demi went there to get some peen. One guest said that Demi brought many a young dude back to her room and woke up the entire resort with her loud cougar cries of ecstasy. "Demi was clearly after younger men on this trip; they were all about 28 to 33. There were three or four older guys staying at the resort, fifty-plus, and I don't think she talked to them at all." Demi is obviously just following Mexico's official country motto: "Don't Drink The Water, But Do Ride The Young Dick." The source (who is probably a 50-plus dude) also said that Demi wanted everybody to call her "Topper." "Demi wanted to be addressed by the name 'Topper,' an esoteric reference to a 1937 Cary Grant film in which a man lives his life to the fullest. Demi almost came across as, I wouldn't go as far as to say bipolar, but up and down. Her back-and-forth behavior just kind of killed the mood." Topper didn't come from a Cary Grant movie. Topper is what Ashton used to call Demi whenever he wanted her to peg him. And this source sounds bitter. The source shouldn't hate Demi just because they were on a weight-loss vacation and she was on a dick-gain fuckation. They should know that it's always spring break in Demi's world. Afternoon Crumbs Posted: 10 Jan 2013 02:42 PM PST Gabourey Sidibe and her fugged up, open-toed boot shoes stomped on all the hos at the Girls premiere last night - Popsugar George Clooney and Cindy Crawford's husband are making tequila together, because they'll make millions just from Jennifer Aniston alone - Lainey Gossip So is E.L. James a writer for Star Magazine now? - Celebitchy AJ McCarron is mad that his hot girlfriend is more famous than his artistically beautiful chest tattoo - The Superficial  There's really only way for David Beckham to prove The Daily Mail wrong... My eyes are ready - Towleroad FYI: The paparazzi still show up when Ashley Tisdale calls them - Hollywood Tuna  Kim Kardashian is only letting calorie-free piss touch her body, thankyouverymuch! - ICYDK Cindy Crawford's still got it - Drunken Stepfather Will Ferrell uses his big knife to cut Ryan Gosling's warm butter - The Berry  In case you wanted Jack Osbourne's wife's opinion on Taylor Swift's non-stop carousel of a love life - IDLYITW Elton John and David Furnish won't announce the birth of their second kid until UsWeekly shows them that big money - I'm Not Obsessed Jessica Chastain looks sleepy in InStyle - Cityrag Jamie Chung's look is very Contempo Casuals clearance rack chic - Moe Jackson  Reese Witherspoon and I have the same yoga mat...except I haven't used mine in at least 8 years - Popoholic Jennifer Aniston needs to stop listening to Justin Theroux and step far away from the black leather for a while - Just Jared Willow Smith is getting deep now - OMG Blog Omarosa will probably rip Detective La Toya's face off on Celebrity Apprentice, but it's a good thing La Toya always keeps a spare one in her handbag - Crunk + Disorderly Brad Paisley's ode to Honey Boo Boo is obviously missing a verse about Mama June's Forklift Foot - SOW Lindsay Lohan Really Is The Neely O'Hara Of Our Time Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:36 PM PST Stephen Rodrick was on the set of The Canyons almost every day during filming for a New York Times Magazine profile piece about the movie and he somehow made it out alive. That's saying a lot, because at one point, Stephen was in the same car as Lindsay Lohan. Stephen's piece is at least forty thousand words long, but it's worth it, because shit is fascinating. LiLo comes off as a narcissistic, self-entitled ball of delusion who lives on a different planet where time doesn't exist. It has everything you could ever want from a forty thousand word piece, so pop the crackcorn and put your eyes on it. Here's a few highlights from it: Paul Schrader, the director of The Canyons, cast Lindsay Lohan even though the movie's writer Bret Easton Ellis told him she was wrong for the part. Paul told LiLo that she would only get $100 a day (plus profits) and had to shoot a four-way sex scene. LiLo agreed to that and was okay with having no say in making decisions. But a quick minute into production, LiLo was fired after she didn't show up to rehearse with her co-star James Deen. The producer Braxton Pope let LiLo know that she was fired and the crazy bitch showed up to Paul's hotel, banged on his door and gave the performance of her life! This truly is some Neely O'Hara shit: Pope finally reached Lohan, telling her she was done. Lohan began to cry and begged for another chance. Pope told her that Schrader had made up his mind. Lohan headed for the Orlando. She pounded on doors until she found Schrader's room. As she banged on his door, she texted him manically. Schrader could hear her crying but wouldn't let her in. He texted her instead. "Lindsay, go home." The hotel manager rang up to ask if he should call the cops. Schrader told him no and sat down on his bed. Lohan stayed out in the hall sobbing for another 90 minutes before she finally left. Paul gave her another chance when he watched her screen test again. Paul told her that if she fucked up again, he'd drop her ass off at the back of the unemployment line. Of course, she screwed up again. One day when they broke for lunch, LiLo said she wanted to go to a restaurant with her assistants and this made Paul and Braxton Pope nervous. So they made a co-producer drive LiLo and her group of messes to lunch. Since it's kind of weird snorting lines of vodka in front of your co-producer during lunch time, LiLo pulled this hot move: A few hours later, the production broke for lunch. Lohan announced she wanted to grab a bite somewhere on the Pacific Coast Highway. This concerned Pope and Schrader — they could monitor her only as long as they could see her — so they dispatched the co-producer, Ricky Horne Jr., to chauffeur Honig, Lohan and her assistants to wherever they wanted to go. Horne drove them down the hill, pausing at a security gate. That's when his passengers did a jailbreak, jumping out of his car. Honig frantically pushed buttons until the gate opened and the four of them dashed for Lohan's assistant's car. Horne sat, baffled for a moment, before heading back up the hill and briefing Schrader. The director was furious. "O.K., she's lost the privilege of leaving for lunch. She stays here." Lohan returned, only 15 minutes late, emerging from makeup to an angry Schrader. After James and LiLo shot a scene where he grabbed her, tripped her and then body-slammed her to the floor, someone complimented her on how good she was at acting terrified and she gave all the credit to Michael Lohan. You should definitely play "Confessions of a Broken Heart" while reading this: Deen came to life; throwing the negligée-wearing Lohan hard to the ground and pounding his fist into a wall with such fury I wondered if he had broken his hand. Lohan lay slumped on the floor, her hands guarding her face, shoulders shaking, tears pouring down her cheeks. Between takes, she listened to Ryan Adams's cover of "Wonderwall." After three shots, Schrader said he was satisfied, and Lohan fumbled for a cigarette. She headed downstairs, and someone complimented her work. "Well, I've got a lot of experience with that from my dad." She didn't elaborate, and no one asked. And after LiLo shot that four-way sex scene with James Deen and two other porn stars, which she really didn't want to do, she drove from the set drunk. YAY! A few minutes later, Schrader yelled cut. The crew packed up. Pope went to check on Lohan. He noticed that she and Gavin had been drinking, which was understandable for a young woman shooting a sex scene with three porn stars. Quietly, Pope told Lohan that he could get her a driver to take her home. But she refused, jumped into her Porsche and headed down the dark, narrow road toward the P.C.H. They all hoped they would still have a lead actress in the morning. It goes on and on and on and you should really read the whole thing. After reading all 500,000 words of this masterpiece, I only have one question: FOR WHY DIDN'T THEY TURN THIS INTO A REALITY SHOW?!!! Open Post: Hosted By The Cyrus Family Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:08 PM PST It seems like it was just yesterday when a 9-year-old Noah Cyrus was posing on a stripper pole with her friends and now here she is walking into her 13th birthday party at a Hollywood nightclub wearing an outfit that Heather definitely wore on Rock of Love at one point or another. Noah Cyrus is rich, bitch, and I'm sure her little friends are too, so she could ask for a thousand gift certificates from Wilson's Leather and Ed Hardy to buy more outfits like this, but she didn't do that. Instead of gifts, Noah asked her friends, family and fans (????) to donate to a charity that is trying to end the carriage horse industry in NYC: In celebration of her 13th birthday and love for horses, Noah Cyrus would like to urge fans and friends to take the "TWEET 13" PLEDGE & donate $13 or more to NYCLASS (New Yorkers for Livable and Safe Streets). ​ NYCLASS is devoted to raising funds & awareness to end the practice of the carriage horse industry and promote a clean and safe alternative to this inhumane and outdated tradition. Noah has come a long way, because 9-year-old Noah was asking for this for her birthday and 13-year-old Noah is asking her fans (????) to donate to a charity that helps her brother's kind. Noah is growing up good! Beyonce Is A Hoarder Of All Things Beyonce Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:29 AM PST Before you are granted the right to interview the permanent president of the Beyonce fan club, Beyonce herself, you have to agree to become a part of the Beyonce archives forever. GQ's Amy Wallace writes in a cover story about Beyonce that anybody who interviews her is taped and that footage goes directly into a massive vault of all things her. Beyonce claims to have a picture of every picture taken during her career and she keeps it all in a museum to herself. So you know that picture your second cousin took from the 900th row at the Beyonce concert and then posted it on Facebook? One of Beyonce's minions (Basement Baby or a forgotten child of Destiny) found that picture, printed it out and stuck it in a file for possible future reference. Bitch keeps better records than the government. Beyonce stars in her own unaired reality show about herself, because she has a full-time "visual director" (aka an ego tracker) who documents her every waking moment. Correction: The visual director also documents her non-waking moments, because while some simple hos talk in their sleep, Beyonce sings new, original and unique material in her sleep. Beyonce used just some of the millions of hours of footage for an HBO documentary about her, starring her, produced by her and directed by her. As always, Beyonce kept it humble during the interview and said that as far as she knows she's the hardest-working human in the music industry and she's earned her place as the queen of everything. Beyonce ended the interview by burping up this organic humble pie crumb: "I now know that, yes, I am powerful. I'm more powerful than my mind can even digest and understand." HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That quote is so powerful and it's more powerful than my mind can even digest and understand. Even GOOPY Paltrow is like, "Calm down, ho." In other Beyonce news, she announced on Facebook today that she has fulfilled her charitable contributions for the year by recording a new Destiny's Child song with the lessers known as Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. You are subscribed to email updates from Dlisted - Be Very Afraid To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Yasutomo Cuben Wallet Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:44 AM PST Yasutomo Cuben Wallet Yasutomo Cuben Wallet Posted: 11 Jan 2013 12:16 AM PST In that disconnected time between Christmas and New Years, a famous person in my tweetstream recommended a "Secure front-pocket-carry sciatica-preventing über-light wallet". The pointer was to yasutomo2020.picharpak.com/wallet.htm; here's the intro page with some background. The website was lo-rent but still charmed me. I couldn't make out the color choices so tweeted back "What color is the 'STD' version?" and the f.p. said "Colorless, translucent, sort of like if NASA made waxed paper." He's talking about the Cuben Fiber the "Wa-ben" wallet is made of, which I expect never to become intimate with since I'm a motorboater. But the price was modest and there wasn't anything about shipping charges; generous since it comes from Hong Kong, but maybe not so much because it's light as a feather. Well, my old black cowhide was getting ragged so what the hell, I hit the "buy" button. Next day, I got a your-order-acknowledged email from Jason in HK, with a question: "May I know how you hear about the wallet?" I thought he deserved an answer, so I explained about his famous fan. The wallet showed up from Hong Kong in an elegant little bag; there are photos of wallets on Facebook, and here are mine of mine. I mean, it's just a wallet. But it kinda surprises my hand every time I grab it; that's good. Life online; dig it. You are subscribed to email updates from ongoing by Tim Bray To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

10 Ways to Make Life Good Again Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:43 AM PST 10 Ways to Make Life Good Again 10 Ways to Make Life Good Again Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:13 PM PST Surely you remember the good old days – those fun-loving pastimes when the whole world seemed a bit brighter.  Let's travel back in time.  Shall we? Here's how to get back to good… Reminder: We just released our new ebook 1,000+ Little Things Happy, Successful People Do Differently. It makes a perfect starter kit for the new year. Click here to find out more. 1.  Accept reality so you can change it. To move forward in life you must first accept the reality of what it is.  This acceptance provides you with an important starting point from which you can move in any direction you choose.  To deny this reality or to fight against the past will merely waste your time and energy.  To wish that things were different, or to pretend that they are, gets you nowhere. Instead, visualize the possibilities and the path forward with a calm, collected mind.  Then determine the next logical step that will take you in the direction of your vision and step forward.  Read The Road Less Traveled. 2.  Tap into the abundant resources around you. When you adopt an attitude that life owes you something you set yourself up for frustration and unhappiness.  Realize instead that life has already provided you with a world filled with abundance, and that creating meaningful value out of (more…) You are subscribed to email updates from Marc and Angel Hack Life To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

The Internet of Things Has Arrived — And So Have Massive Security Issues Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:36 AM PST The Internet of Things Has Arrived &mdash; And So Have Massive Security Issues The Internet of Things Has Arrived &mdash; And So Have Massive Security Issues Canadian Tax Collectors Solve Mystery of Open Source Government Wikipedia Takes On Travel Industry With Wikivoyage CES 2013: Land of the Dongle, Year of the Little Guy California Decides App Crime Is a Serious Problem CES Day 5: Mind-Controlled Copters, 4K TVs, and Touchscreens Made of Mist U.S. Now Targeting Mexican Drug Lord's Family, Too The Few, The Proud, The Supertall: 2012's Largest Skyscrapers Warner Bros. Wins Superman Copyright Battle Using Facebook Case As Precedent Live at CES &mdash; Day 6 A Google-a-Day Puzzle for Jan. 11 Top U.S. General Says Stopping a Syrian Chemical Attack Is 'Almost Unachievable' Hands-On: Nvidia's Project Shield Is Impressive, But Not Perfect Google, Apple, South Koreans Challenge IBM for Patent Crown Brown-Eyed Men May Look More Trustworthy Pressure-Sensitive Stylus Gives Starving iPad Artists Incredible Control Somali Pirate Kingpin Calls It Quits as Hijackings Plummet U.S. Cities Relying on Precog Software to Predict Murder <em>Portal: No Escape</em> Director Snags <em>Y: The Last Man</em> Movie Unblinking Baby Telescopes Will Hunt Exoplanets for Cheap New Social Turf Lets Fans Talk Sports and Bash Rivals Wired Oscars: Share Your Picks for the 2013 Academy Award Nominees Polio Eradication: The Bad News Continues U.S. Drones Pound Pakistan, Which Responds by Doing Exactly Nothing Take Responsive Design Beyond Media Queries Drug Helps Deafened Mice Hear Again Why Are LEGO Sets Expensive? The Internet of Things Has Arrived &mdash; And So Have Massive Security Issues Posted: 11 Jan 2013 06:30 AM PST Internet. Things. Add the ?Of? and suddenly these three simple words become a magic meme -- the theme we?ve been hearing all week at CES, the oft-heralded prediction that may have finally arrived in 2013. But ? with great opportunity comes great responsibility. Along with its conveniences, the IoT will unveil unprecedented security challenges. Canadian Tax Collectors Solve Mystery of Open Source Government Posted: 11 Jan 2013 03:30 AM PST When you think of hotbeds of open-source innovation, Canada's Treasury Board typically doesn't make the cut. But over the past three years, coders at this slightly obscure Canadian tax-collecting agency have produced something that's pretty rare in government: a hit open-source project. Wikipedia Takes On Travel Industry With Wikivoyage Posted: 11 Jan 2013 03:30 AM PST Jimmy Wales and the Wikipedia gang are getting into the crowded travel industry with a new travel-focused wiki that aims to offer in-depth travel information that's updated as quickly as the Internet. CES 2013: Land of the Dongle, Year of the Little Guy Posted: 11 Jan 2013 03:30 AM PST Most of the 3,000 or so vendors here at CES completely failed to dazzle us, which actually worked out for the smaller vendors who weren't upstaged by the usual subjects. A look at CES from 30,000 feet, and the far corners of South Hall. California Decides App Crime Is a Serious Problem Posted: 11 Jan 2013 03:30 AM PST The California attorney general issued guidlines for app makers just as Apple instituted a crackdown of its own. CES Day 5: Mind-Controlled Copters, 4K TVs, and Touchscreens Made of Mist Posted: 11 Jan 2013 03:30 AM PST Sure, there's plenty of buzz about 4K televisions, but the real fun of CES is dipping into the non-stop stream of inventive, conceptual, crazy -- and crazy-expensive -- products on the showroom floor. Here's today's greatest hits. U.S. Now Targeting Mexican Drug Lord's Family, Too Posted: 11 Jan 2013 03:30 AM PST If there's one rule to running the mob, it's to keep your family close. For the head of Sinaloa Cartel, that family is now being targeted by the U.S. government. The Few, The Proud, The Supertall: 2012's Largest Skyscrapers Posted: 11 Jan 2013 03:30 AM PST The tallest buildings built in 2012 can tell us a lot about the state of the world. Warner Bros. Wins Superman Copyright Battle Using Facebook Case As Precedent Posted: 11 Jan 2013 03:00 AM PST Warner Bros. has scored a huge victory in the long-running and byzantine legal battle over the copyright to Superman, thanks to a ruling by 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that cements the studio's control over the lucrative superhero character and opens the door for more Superman projects. Live at CES &mdash; Day 6 Posted: 11 Jan 2013 12:00 AM PST [HTML1] Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 A Google-a-Day Puzzle for Jan. 11 Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:01 PM PST Google's daily brainteaser helps hone your search skills. Top U.S. General Says Stopping a Syrian Chemical Attack Is 'Almost Unachievable' Posted: 10 Jan 2013 02:43 PM PST Chances are the U.S. military can't stop Syria from using chemical weapons, nor will it send troops into the chaos of Syrian violence to prevent their proliferation. Gulp. Hands-On: Nvidia's Project Shield Is Impressive, But Not Perfect Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:15 PM PST Nvidia's Project Shield is one of the coolest gadgets I've seen at the Consumer Electronics Show this year. As a gamer, I can't help but be wowed by it. But, after getting to use the Android-powered portable gaming console/controller/mini-tablet hybrid device, there are some potential pitfalls here. Google, Apple, South Koreans Challenge IBM for Patent Crown Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:57 PM PST The United States Patent and Trademark Office issued 253,155 patents during 2012, according to patent research firm IFI Claims. That's more patents than it turned out in any previous year -- and a 13 percent increase over 2011. Brown-Eyed Men May Look More Trustworthy Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:13 PM PST Brown-eyed people may have more trustworthy faces than blue-eyed people, suggests a new study that comes with caveats but also raises fascinating questions about recent human evolution. It wasn't eye color itself that proved more- or less-trustworthy in the study. Rather, it was particular facial features, such as chin shape and mouth position, that happened to cluster with eye color. Pressure-Sensitive Stylus Gives Starving iPad Artists Incredible Control Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:05 PM PST Designers have been waiting for a good pressure-sensitive stylus since the debut of the iPad. The Pogo Connect, on display at CES, looks to let them draw circles around the competition with hundreds of levels of sensitivity. Somali Pirate Kingpin Calls It Quits as Hijackings Plummet Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:57 AM PST The dread Somali pirate Mohamed Abdi Hassan called a press conference Thursday to announce his retirement. He picked a good time to get out of the game: piracy is way, way down. U.S. Cities Relying on Precog Software to Predict Murder Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:47 AM PST Who needs precogs when you can use an algorithm to predict crime? Authorities in two states and D.C. are using software created by a University of Penn professor to predict the likelihood that parolees will commit murder, in order to set the terms of their supervision. <em>Portal: No Escape</em> Director Snags <em>Y: The Last Man</em> Movie Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:43 AM PST [HTML1] Dan Trachtenberg pulled in 11.5 million views with his moody seven-minute fan film?Portal: No Escape (above), based on the popular puzzle platforming game by Valve, a project that has springboarded the new director to much bigger things: He's now been tapped by New Line Cinema to direct the long-gestating movie adaptation of graphic novel Y: ... Unblinking Baby Telescopes Will Hunt Exoplanets for Cheap Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:28 AM PST LONG BEACH, California -- A new ground-based telescope project named Minerva will be dedicated to uncovering extrasolar planets in our nearby stellar neighborhood. Given its small size and relatively low cost, it could represent a way for astronomers to produce top-notch science at a time when money is scarce. New Social Turf Lets Fans Talk Sports and Bash Rivals Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:46 AM PST During this year?s NFL playoff season, SportStream, a San Francisco-based startup, will sift through the Twitter and Facebook noise that typically clogs social streams to create a single web destination that provides everything a plugged-in fan could need: team news, conversation, real-time player stats, Fantasy football updates -- even a play-by-play ball marker showing the ... Wired Oscars: Share Your Picks for the 2013 Academy Award Nominees Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST The 2013 Oscar nominees have been announced, and Wired wants your input on which films deserved to win -- and whether the Academy dropped the ball. Polio Eradication: The Bad News Continues Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:58 AM PST On New Year's Day, seven polio vaccinators ? six female health workers and a male doctor ? were ambushed and shot to death in Pakistan. The violence there is a response to an admitted-to ruse by the CIA. Now, the deans of 12 public-health schools in the United States have sent an open appeal to President Obama excoriating the CIA attempt and asking that it never happen again. U.S. Drones Pound Pakistan, Which Responds by Doing Exactly Nothing Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:45 AM PST Seven U.S. drone strikes in 10 days isn't enough to get Pakistani officials to raise their objections about an intensifying drone war. Take Responsive Design Beyond Media Queries Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:24 AM PST Fluid Grids, flexible media and CSS media queries are the foundations of responsive design, but that's not the end of the story. In fact, developer Brad Frost argues that going beyond the basics will give responsive design the power to "reshape what the web is, what it can do, where it can go and who it can reach." Drug Helps Deafened Mice Hear Again Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:15 AM PST All you graying, half-deaf Def Leppard fans, listen up. A drug applied to the ears of mice deafened by noise can restore some hearing in the animals. By blocking a key protein, the drug allows sound-sensing cells that are damaged by noise to regrow. The treatment isn't anywhere near ready for use in humans, but the advance at least raises the prospect of restoring hearing to some deafened people. Why Are LEGO Sets Expensive? Posted: 10 Jan 2013 05:29 AM PST Why are Lego sets expensive? Wired Science blogger Rhett Allain explains why even if a set had no pieces in it, the set would still cost $6. You are subscribed to email updates from Wired Top Stories To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. 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Video Recap of Weekly Search Buzz :: January 11, 2013 Posted: 11 Jan 2013 07:35 AM PST Video Recap of Weekly Search Buzz :: January 11, 2013 Video Recap of Weekly Search Buzz :: January 11, 2013 Google's New Advanced Power Searching Class My Google Rankings Dropped Due To Bounce Rate Attacks! Real Google Goggles Daily Search Forum Recap: January 10, 2013 Video Recap of Weekly Search Buzz :: January 11, 2013 Posted: I am still in Israel but my next video, I will be back in New York and the quality should get better. As a side note, I hit 5 million video views on my channel. This week I posted the January 2013 Google Webmaster Report. Twitter... Google's New Advanced Power Searching Class Posted: Google has been offering a power searching class for some time now. Heck, I even have a power searching certificate. But now Google is offering an advanced version called Advanced Power Searching. The course is also taught by Google's Dan Russell... My Google Rankings Dropped Due To Bounce Rate Attacks! Posted: I love these myths that come up from places deep inside the paranoid SEO mind. A Google Webmaster Help thread has one webmaster claiming his rankings dropped in Google because his site was hit by a "bounce rate attack... Real Google Goggles Posted: Daily Search Forum Recap: January 10, 2013 Posted: Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today... You are subscribed to email updates from Search Engine Roundtable To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

MAKE at CES 2013: Hands on with Playsurface, the Open Source Touch Table Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:50 PM PST MAKE at CES 2013: Hands on with Playsurface, the Open Source Touch Table MAKE at CES 2013: Hands on with Playsurface, the Open Source Touch Table Printrbot Super Z Extension Kit How-To: Guitar or Bass Headless Conversion Learn a New Skill in the New Year – Getting Started with Raspberry Pi Open Hardware Pinoccio Is A Wireless, Web-Ready Microcontroller Raspberry Pi Security Cam With Pan and Tilt Mindstorms Axle Sorter 3D Printed Sculpture of Atlas from Portal 2 Meet a Shenzhen Maker MAKE at CES 2013: Sifteo Cubes MAKE at CES 2013: Hands on with Playsurface, the Open Source Touch Table Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:10 PM PST When we first posted about Templeman Automation’s Playsurface, the team was still looking for Kickstarter backers for their open source touch table. Since then, the Playsurface has been fully funded and they’re getting ready to ship to their supporters. They’re set up in the Eureka Park section of CES which [...] Read the full article on MAKE Printrbot Super Z Extension Kit Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:58 PM PST The Printrbot 3D printer website has a live webcam feature pointed at their workshop. While we were peeping the action today, we noticed what looked like a super tall 3D printer, the likes of which we hadn’t seen. Upon investigation, we realized it’s the new Super Z height-extension kit for [...] Read the full article on MAKE How-To: Guitar or Bass Headless Conversion Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST Learn how to take a guitar or bass with a broken headstock and flip it around. Build a headless guitar! Read the full article on MAKE Learn a New Skill in the New Year – Getting Started with Raspberry Pi Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST The Raspberry Pi is a multifaceted device that can use a host of skills. While this single board computer was made with education in mind, it is not what I would call "easy to use" and can challenge even the most savvy maker. Fortunately, with a thriving online community and the Getting Started with Raspberry Pi Kit and book, help isn't hard to find. Read the full article on MAKE Open Hardware Pinoccio Is A Wireless, Web-Ready Microcontroller Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:38 AM PST I met Eric Jennings at the Hardware Innovation Workshop last May where he was showing off plans for a new wireless Arduino-compatible mircocontroller board. After going through nine prototypes since then, he and co-founder Sally Carson launched the Pinoccio this week. Here’s how Eric describes the platform: Pinoccio is a [...] Read the full article on MAKE Raspberry Pi Security Cam With Pan and Tilt Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:30 AM PST Christian Bianchini of Switzerland, now living in London, built this web-connected camera for his home. It consists of a webcam enclosed in a PVC pipe, with two servos controlling pan and tilt. A temperature sensor and motion sensor also provide data. The whole system is managed by a Raspberry Pi, [...] Mindstorms Axle Sorter Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:30 AM PST Japanese Lego builder akiyuky has been featured on the MAKE blog numerous times, including his great ball contraption (and another) as well as his monster 5-axis robotic arm. This time he’s built a large robot the sole purpose of which is to sort his Lego cross axles by length. This [...] Read the full article on MAKE 3D Printed Sculpture of Atlas from Portal 2 Posted: 10 Jan 2013 04:47 AM PST PsychoBob recently completed part two of his sculpture of Atlas from Portal 2, with an entirely 3D printed 'big red button' base upon which Atlas rests, and an embedded LED circuit powered over USB. Read the full article on MAKE Meet a Shenzhen Maker Posted: 09 Jan 2013 05:19 PM PST Since leaving MakerBot, company co-founder Zach "Hoeken" Smith now calls Shenzhen, China home where he says he loves the maker culture and the city's easy access to electronics and expertise. The weather is a lot better than Brooklyn, too. Zach recently met a local maker named Mr. Chen whom he says has achieved the life many makers are working toward: "self sufficiency, low volume in-house manufacturing, and sustainable living." Read the full article on MAKE MAKE at CES 2013: Sifteo Cubes Posted: 09 Jan 2013 04:45 PM PST For the upcoming MAKE Volume 33, David Merrill contributed an article called Going Pro, about how makers are turning hand-soldered prototypes into real consumer electronics. He’s here in the Gaming Showcase section at CES showing off Sifteo Cubes, an interactive gaming platform that uses small cubes with embedded sensors and [...] Read the full article on MAKE You are subscribed to email updates from MAKE To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Geez Louise – Book stuff is distracting! Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:44 PM PST Geez Louise – Book stuff is distracting! Geez Louise – Book stuff is distracting! Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:22 AM PST Ill tell you what writing a book is distracting as hell!!!!!!!   Honestly when I published it I just wanted to get it out there and be like done…  But course thats not how I am wired. So we blew it out and both the Paperback version AND digital version have been #1 best sellers and continue to jump around the top 5. The digital version maintained the #1 rank for over 24 hours so its now showing its badge in search listings! PS get your ShoeMoney Book here if you have not already!  Trust me you will want to have the paperback version in your hands cause we are going to be doing some very fun contests and promotions for those that have it! Honestly writing a book,  publishing paperback, and kindle,  after you go through the enourmous pain of learning how to do it is drop dead easy.  My 2nd I had for free on amazon – the email conversion guide and its been top in all of “web marketing” and “marketing” since I uploaded it with over 45,000 downloads!  Now I want to do something else.  But I need to stop . Course the branding is sweet and I will have it for the rest of my life. Ok on another note: My friend Russell Brunson and I will be doing a webinar tomorrow.  Russell and I connect on many levels.  Like me he is a former wrestler (although much more accomplished then me).  Russell is one of the smartest marketers out there and I have learned a lot from him over the years. here is the link to register: https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/635481489 I believe we will be taking live questions so don’t miss it! Next week: I will be at Affiliate Summit West Saturday through next Wednesday  then home for one day and then in Hawaii for 8 days with my wife.  I haven’t taken a vacation with just my wife (no kids) in over a year so that is exciting.  The blog may or may not have posts =P.  Sometimes I get super inspired after listening to a audiobook on the plane and whip out like 10 posts or sometimes I sleep. If you are going to be at Affiliate Summit West please stop by the Max Bounty booth and pick up a FREE copy of my book (with donation of any amount to the Avon Foundation) and I will sign it at the Max bounty Booth (#515) the last 2 hours of the first days expo hall. After I get back: I have a TON to share on the frustrations of publishing your own book,  how I promoted it and the results of it,  my big mistakes, things I figured out, etc etc.  I learned so much about it but at the same time just how EASY it is to do if you can get through the dip of figuring it all out.   I also have a lot to share about the highly debated KDP select program,  what my experience was,  if I would do it again, etc etc. You are subscribed to email updates from ShoeMoney Internet Marketing Blog To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Tech tools to help with your New Year’s resolutions Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:34 PM PST Tech tools to help with your New Year’s resolutions Tech tools to help with your New Year’s resolutions Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:00 AM PST This past December, we shared some advice on Unclutterer about creating New Year's resolutions. When deciding on a resolution(s) for the new year, keep three things in mind: acknowledge your feelings, have a plan, and take your time. As we mentioned, your plan don’t need to be rock solid by January 1. Once you've decided on goals to work toward, you can focus on these five tips for success: Stay positive Lean on a support team Choose goals wisely Take on one goal at a time Focus on more ambitious goals over the long term Today, I'll share some software that will help you realize your annual goals, focusing on the most common resolutions, according to USA.gov: Drink less alcohol Eat healthy food Get a better education Get a better job Get fit Lose weight Manage debt Manage stress Quit smoking Reduce, reuse and recycle Save money Take a trip Volunteer to help others Many of these are similar, and I've combined those to create this master list: Get healthy Earn more money Become a better citizen Travel Here are some examples of hardware and software to help you achieve each of those goals. Get Healthy Every January, millions of people vow to improve their health by either losing weight, adopting a healthier diet, or exercising regularly. It's a great goal, as a heathy body and mind often means a longer, more enjoyable life. The health and fitness market is full of gadgets. Here are a few to get you started. Bodyweight Training: You Are Your Own Gym for iPhone and iPad ($2.99). This app is remarkable in how comprehensive it is. It features over 200 videos demonstrating exercises that can all be performed with equipment you already have at home. There's no need to buy an expensive gym membership. You'll find guided exercise programs for all fitness levels, as well as timers to keep you on track. It's great for when your traveling, too. Nike+ Fuel Band ($149). The Nike+ line of fitness products are all connected to the Internet, for easy tracking of your performance and sharing with your friends. The Fuel Band is a bracelet with an accelerometer that tracks the number of steps you take and calories you burn each day. Set a goal and see how close you come. You can track and share your progress with friends via a browser or the optional iPhone app. There are even fun challenges to aim for, called "Missions," presented as a sort of game. MyFitnessPal (Free) MyFitnessPal offers a free calorie counter for the iPhone, iPad, Android smartphones, Blackberrys and Windows phone. It's got a massive database of foods and drinks that let you track exactly how many calories you take in per day. You can also network with friends who are using the program, which helps to provide you with a community of support. Plus, it looks good. Earn More Money I can't start this section without thinking of those Sally Struthers ads from the ’90s. "Do you want to make more money? Sure, we all do." Here's some software to help you stay on top of your finances. iTunes U (Free). When I was young I was taught that the key to a good-paying, enjoyable job was education. Now, Apple lets me take a course on almost anything right from iTunes. iTunes U is a collection of educational resources put out by some of the nation's top schools. You'll find courses on a huge variety of subjects, from business to cooking to the arts and literature, law, math and science. Download any to your iPad and get learning. Mint.com (Free) Mint is a fantastic finance and budget management suite of software. It's available for the iPhone, iPad, Android tablets and Mac. It also works right in your browser, so Windows users can use it, too. Mint helps you track spending, follow a budget, set financial goals and more. Connect it to your bank and add any account you have, loans, retirement savings and more. Plus, it's beautiful and generates nice-looking reports. Become a Better Citizen This often gets overlooked, but it's great for your community and sense of self-satisfaction. Here are a couple of solutions to help you create and track all sorts of goals. Everest for iPhone (Free) "Everyone's got their Everest. Climb yours." That's a great slogan for a clever app. Everest lets you create goals and, more importantly, break them down into a series of small, achievable steps. Each goal, or "dream" as the app calls them, features an inspirational image. There are many to choose from, and you can even upload your own. Lifetick (Free or $20 per year for the premium service) This app is different in that it starts by helping you identify your core values. Next, you create goals that are in line with each one. It's an interesting way to approach goal setting. From there you create tasks for each goal and a timeline to keep track of all of them. Plus the web app is really beautiful. Travel Kayak Hands down my favorite travel app. It's is as close to a portable travel agent as you're going to get. It handles everything, from finding a flight to hotels, car rentals, attractions, things to do, and much more. Kayak polls several top travel sites and airlines for flights that match your criteria. The results can be filtered by airline, number of stops, airport, price and duration. You can also sort by cost, duration and departure time (leaving soonest). There's an app for the iPhone, iPad, Android phones, Windows phone and Kindle Fire. There you have it. I hope there's something here to inspire you to an exciting, fulfilling 2013. Good luck! Need help getting organized? Buy the DRM-free audiobook version of Erin Rooney Doland's Unclutter Your Life in One Week today for only $8.99. You are subscribed to email updates from Unclutterer To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Claim Google Authorship for Your WordPress Website in 3 Easy Steps Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:32 PM PST Claim Google Authorship for Your WordPress Website in 3 Easy Steps Claim Google Authorship for Your WordPress Website in 3 Easy Steps Posted: 10 Jan 2013 03:00 AM PST Hopefully you’ve already caught the importance of Google Authorship, the mechanism by which Google’s search engine rankings can be influenced by Author Rank. If you haven’t, Google Authorship basically amounts to the biggest shakeup in search since the link. It’s Google’s way of identifying the author of a piece of content to factor it as a signal of content quality. We realize that most writers and online publishers don't have tons of time to sift through excessively geeky posts involving underlying website code (rel= “author” or rel=”me” anyone?). Also, the process up until this point has been confusing, to say the least. Now, that tedious code and confusion is not necessary. With our release of the newest version of the Genesis Framework for WordPress this week, we've made it very simple for you to take advantage of Author Rank in just three easy steps. So, if you want to quickly connect your Google+ profile to all of your online content to reap the benefits of this landmark change for online writers, read on. Easily Claim Google Authorship with the Genesis Framework for WordPress It's a truly exciting time for online writers because high-value content that attracts, entertains, informs, and engages enhances the author’s authority, instead of only page or site authority. This in turn will kick in the Author Rank effect, which are search signals that are directly associated with you. If you're using WordPress, you're hopefully already running the newest version (3.5) on your site. Our StudioPress division just released a new version of the Genesis Framework for WordPress with a similarly streamlined feel. Now, with the beautiful designs, SEO benefits, and added security of Genesis also comes an effortless connection to Google Authorship. We’ve made it very easy to get Google to associate your content with your Google+ profile. Here’s how. How to Setup Google Authorship in 3 Easy Steps … NOTE: Make sure that you backup your site before updating to either WordPress 3.5 or the latest version of the Genesis framework. Also, you must have a Google+ profile to claim authorship, which Google has pretty much made mandatory anyway. 1. Add Your Google+ Profile Link Go to the edit user screen (and to your profile, if you have multiple authors) in your WordPress dashboard and scroll down until you see the option box for your Google+ profile link. Copy your Google+ profile link and paste it into the Google+ option box. Here’s my Google+ profile link, to give you the right idea: https://plus.google.com/u/0/109450535379570250650/posts Here's what it should look like when you’re done: To confirm, you can simply view the source of an individual post or page and look for the highlighted code: Important: Because Genesis allows you to modify authorship for each and every writer on your site, every writer gets to claim authorship of their content. This will be incredibly important going forward, as the best guest writers will absolutely require this of any site they contribute to. And it’s good for you, because for each post they contribute, you also get the benefit of their Author Rank. 2. Add a Google+ Contributor Link Now you'll need to add a reciprocal link back from your Google+ profile to the site(s) you just updated. You can do this by going to your Google+ profile page, and editing the “Contributor To” section. In the dialog that appears, click “Add custom link”, and then enter your website URL. Here's what that looks like: 3. Test Your Google Authorship Connection Finally, you'll want to test that you accomplished the first two steps properly. Thankfully, Google has provided a Structured Data Testing Tool to do the checking for you. Here's an example of a blog post where Google Authorship has been properly set up and a screenshot to show you the result: Once you’ve got everything set up you’ll see your profile headshot and name next to all your posts in search results, along with the number of Google+ Circles you appear in. Having your smiling face show up next to your content in Google’s search results can vastly improve click through rates. Nice, huh? Give Google a day or two to register the changes to your website. Often, the search engine result aspects of Google Authorship don’t immediately appear. StudioPress Removes the Guesswork There’s no doubt, Google Authorship is incredibly important for online writers and publishers. Of course, this is only one feature of all the flexibility, security, and support you get with a Genesis-powered WordPress site. With the many of the innovations, threats, and opportunities that constantly arrive for online writers and publishers, you can spend your time keeping up with it all yourself. But why not rely on us to do a lot of that heavy lifting for you? Check out Genesis 1.9 and our 44 Genesis-powered designs today, and we’ll keep working to maintain and enhance your online presence today, tomorrow, and beyond. About the Author: Brian Gardner is a founding partner and Chief Product Officer of Copyblogger Media. Starbucks Addict. Sarah McLachlan Fan. Nomad Theorist. Future Ironman. Aspiring Blogger. Get more from Brian on Twitter and Google+. Tweet Related Stories The Best of Copyblogger in 2012 How to Transform Yourself from an Underpaid Copywriter into an Authoritative Content Producer How to Become an Influential Writer in the Age of AuthorRank You are subscribed to email updates from Copyblogger To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Tell Gov. Deval Patrick to Appoint Barney Frank to Senate Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:26 PM PST Tell Gov. Deval Patrick to Appoint Barney Frank to Senate Tell Gov. Deval Patrick to Appoint Barney Frank to Senate Rep. Paul Ryan Co-Sponsors Fetal Rights Bill -- Again! KBR Wants Taxpayers to Foot Bill After Being Found Guilty of Poisoning Soldiers in Iraq Unhinged Tactical Response CEO Threatens to 'Start Killing People' Over Obama's Gun Control Australia Is The Canary In The Global Warming Coal Mine S.E. Cupp Can't Answer Howard Fineman When Asked Why Civilians Need Assault Rifles Tony Perkins Gets His Knickers In A Twist Over Military Yoga Conservative Group Targets McConnell Mike's Blog Round Up Open Thread Tell Gov. Deval Patrick to Appoint Barney Frank to Senate Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:00 PM PST I can't tell you the Tweety-like tingles I get at the thought of Elizabeth Warren and Barney Frank in the Senate together. It thrills my liberal heart to imagine to strong, stalwart progressives unafraid to speak out for the American people. So it is with great glee that I offer you a link to a petition now widely being circulated by the PCCC and MoveOn to let Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to support the nomination of Barney Frank as interim senator until a special election. If you want to see Barney Frank in the Senate, please go to AppointBarneyFrank.com and sign the petition. Now if we could just get Barney Frank to consider running permanently for the seat... This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now Rep. Paul Ryan Co-Sponsors Fetal Rights Bill -- Again! Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST It didn't take long for grandma killer Paul Ryan's anti-choice views to rear their ugly head again so soon after a bitter defeat in November. You may remember that Paulie Muscles was virtually joined at the hip with Republican crank Todd Aiken over fetuses even after he tried to distance himself from Aiken---which caused Romney much grief. And to set the record straight, Ryan still stood by his virulent anti-abortion record in Congress at the same time as he tried to say "rape is rape," in his interview in PA. It's two months after the 2012 election and Ryan is back to his old tricks, trying to pass legislation that gives full legal rights to human zygotes from the moment of fertilization. Despite the deep unpopularity of fetal personhood bills in 2012, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has again decided to cosponsorthe Sanctity of Human Life Act, a bill that gives full legal rights to human zygotes from the moment of fertilization. Ryan, who reportedly has 2016 presidential ambitions, had to de-emphasize his opposition to abortion without exceptions during the 2012 election to align his position with presidential candidate Mitt Romney. But this year, Ryan has been tapped as a keynote speaker for the anti-abortion group Susan B. Anthony List's sixth annual Campaign for Life Gala, and he is re-upping his support for the most extreme anti-abortion legislation in the country. The personhood bill, first introduced in 2011 by Rep. Paul Broun (R-Ga.) and reintroduced by Broun last week, specifies that a "one-celled human embryo," even before it implants in the uterus to create a pregnancy, should be granted "all the legal and constitutional attributes and privileges of personhood." Similar legislation has been rejected by voters in multiple states, including the socially conservative Mississippi, because legal experts have pointed out that it could outlaw some forms of birth control and in vitro fertilization as well as criminalize abortion at all stages This must be a very deep-seated belief in Rep. Ryan's psyche, since it failed in 2011 and it shows he's not afraid to keep attacking women and their female parts -- even as he makes his plans to run for the Oval Office in 2014. The bill died in the House of Representatives in 2011, when a record number of anti-abortion bills were being passed, and it is equally unlikely to advance this year. The Oklahoma Supreme Court struck down a state personhood initiative in 2012, deeming it "clearly unconstitutional" because it blocks a woman's legal right to have an abortion. This bill is so far out there that Oklahoma called it unconstitutional and a non-starter. You'd have to be a committed pro-life zealot to continue on this path and Paul Ryan really stepped up big in that area. KBR Wants Taxpayers to Foot Bill After Being Found Guilty of Poisoning Soldiers in Iraq Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST Click here to view this media This story is just disgusting. There ought to be criminal charges against this contractor for doing this, instead of them trying to dump their liabilities onto the taxpayers: KBR, Guilty In Iraq Negligence, Wants Taxpayers To Foot The Bill: Sodium dichromate is an orange-yellowish substance containing hexavalent chromium, an anti-corrosion chemical. To Lt. Col. James Gentry of the Indiana National Guard, who was stationed at the Qarmat Ali water treatment center in Iraq just after the 2003 U.S. invasion, it was "just different-colored sand." In their first few months at the base, soldiers were told by KBR contractors running the facility the substance was no worse than a mild irritant. Gentry was one of approximately 830 service members, including active-duty soldiers and members of the National Guard and reserve units from Indiana, South Carolina, West Virginia and Oregon, assigned to secure the water treatment plant, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. Sodium dichromate is not a mild irritant. It is an extreme carcinogen. In November 2009, at age 52, Gentry died of cancer. The VA affirmed two months later that his death was service-related. In November, a jury found KBR, the military's largest contractor, guilty of negligence in the poisoning of a dozen soldiers, and ordered the company to pay $85 million in damages. Jurors found KBR knew both of the presence and toxicity of the chemical. Other lawsuits against KBR are pending. KBR, however, says taxpayers should be on the hook for the verdict, as well as more than $15 million the company has spent in its failed legal defense, according to court documents and attorneys involved with the case. KBR's contract with the U.S. to rebuild Iraq's oil infrastructure after the 2003 invasion includes an indemnity agreement protecting the company from legal liability, KBR claims in court filings. That agreement, KBR insists, means the federal government must pay the company's legal expenses plus the verdict won by 12 members of the Oregon National Guard who were exposed to the toxin at the Qarmat Ali water treatment plant. The military disagrees. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers contracting officer told KBR in November 2011 that litigation costs "are not covered by the indemnity agreement." The public doesn't know what the indemnity agreement actually says because the military considers it classified. Until recently, the veterans exposed to the toxin couldn't know either, nor could attorneys at the Department of Justice, who were left battling the contract in the dark, according to a source there. Michael Doyle, a Houston-based lawyer who helped the successful suit against KBR, told The Huffington Post the military declassified the indemnification agreement on Dec. 21 and gave it to him under a protective order that banned him from sharing the language to parties not involved in the case. John A. Elolf, a spokesman for KBR, confirmed the declassification of the agreement and said the contractor also was prevented from providing a copy. HuffPost has requested the document under the Freedom of Information Act from the Corps of Engineers. Read on... Unhinged Tactical Response CEO Threatens to 'Start Killing People' Over Obama's Gun Control Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:00 AM PST Click here to view this media Warning: Language NSFW. The CEO of a Tennessee company that specializes in weapons and tactical training is threatening to "start killing people" if President Barack Obama moves forward with gun control measures. In a video posted to YouTube and Facebook on Wednesday, Tactical Response CEO James Yeager went ballistic over reports that the president could take executive action with minor gun control measures after the mass shooting of 20 school children in Connecticut last month. After the Drudge Report likened Obama to Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin on Wednesday, pro-gun conservatives expressed outrage over the idea that the White House could act without Congress. "Vice President [Joe] Biden is asking the president to bypass Congress and use executive privilege, executive order to ban assault rifles and to impose stricter gun control," Yeager explained in his video message. "Fuck that." "I'm telling you that if that happens, it's going to spark a civil war, and I'll be glad to fire the first shot. I'm not putting up with it. You shouldn't put up with it. And I need all you patriots to start thinking about what you're going to do, load your damn mags, make sure your rifle's clean, pack a backpack with some food in it and get ready to fight." The CEO concluded: "I'm not fucking putting up with this. I'm not letting my country be ruled by a dictator. I'm not letting anybody take my guns! If it goes one inch further, I'm going to start killing people." As The Atlantic noted on Wednesday, gun advocates can stop "freaking out" because Obama cannot ban assault weapons or close the gun show loophole without Congress. The president, however, can take small steps like modernizing the background check system and limiting importation of assault rifles. By Thursday morning, the video promising violence in response to gun control measures had been removed from Yeager's YouTube page, but the link had not been removed from Facebook. Calls to Yeager and Tactical Response were not returned by the time of publication. Australia Is The Canary In The Global Warming Coal Mine Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:00 AM PST Rolling Stone has been covering Australia's global warming extremes for two years, and they've stepped up their coverage in light of the continent's current extreme heat emergency: Though Australia's existing heat record, set in 1960, still stands for the moment, officials believe it may soon be surpassed. The nation's Bureau of Meteorology has been open about the impact that rising greenhouse gases are already having there: The agency's website declares that Australia is "experiencing rapid climate change," including more frequent heat waves and changing rainfall patterns. The current heat wave has produced above-average temperatures for 80 percent of the country – the nationwide average on Monday was 104 degrees Fahrenheit – and scores of wildfires. The state of New South Wales, home to Australia's most populous city, Sydney, is facing its greatest fire danger ever, officials say. In some areas of the state, the official fire danger rating is "catastrophic. "Nor are heat waves and wildfires Australia's only climate woes. Decades of drought are causing the salination of groundwater in the nation's prime agricultural region; warming and acidifying oceans are killing the Great Barrier Reef; and extreme storms are increasing. As Rolling Stone's Jeff Goodell reported in 2011, the tendency of climate change to "amplify existing climate signals" means that already extreme places like Australia will be the first to experience the kind of major impacts that could be in store for the rest of the world. "Australia is the canary in the coal mine," said David Karoly, a climate researcher at the University of Melbourne, in that story. "What is happening in Australia now is similar to what we can expect to see in other places in the future." S.E. Cupp Can't Answer Howard Fineman When Asked Why Civilians Need Assault Rifles Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST Click here to view this media While discussing the White House commission on gun violence meeting this week, which the NRA has been invited to attend, along with Vice President Joe Biden's remarks that an executive order is on the table as part of a solution to curb the gun violence in the United States, Howard Fineman did his best to pin down MSNBC's The Cycle co-host S.E. Cupp and get an answer as to why any civilian out there needs an assault weapon or a high capacity magazine. To on one's surprise, she couldn't give him an answer. Rather than answering his question, she started playing games with semantics on what the definition of an assault rifle, or high capacity, or rapid fire was and claimed that there were reasons someone would want them outside of the military or specialized police forces. When Fineman asked her to give one example, she punted and said she didn't want to take up the time allotted to the other hosts. I still don't know why MSNBC hired Cupp. She's as thick as a brick and takes great pride in just being as annoying as humanly possible rather than bringing a bit of intellectual honesty to single debate. This is just the latest example of what she does on a daily basis to make sure this stinker of a show stays exactly that. Tony Perkins Gets His Knickers In A Twist Over Military Yoga Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:00 AM PST Tony Perkins should just go away. No one pays any attention to anything he says except those who are as extreme as he is -- which is to say, not many. Apparently the severe problems associated with seeing active service are a reflection of having a poor relationship with Jesus, and not the many traumas to which soldiers are exposed: With a temporary ceasefire declared in the war over Christmas, fundamentalist Christian conservatives are looking for other places that religion may be under attack — and one radical thinks that that place may be the military.Tony Perkins, the head of the Family Research Council, a right-wing Christian think tank that has been classified as a hate group, has flipped out over a "wacky" new initiative being tested in U.S. military training programs. No, it's not the end of "don't ask, don't tell" — it's yoga and meditation classes. A new Mind Fitness Training program being tested in the U.S. military has integrated yoga, breathing classes and meditation alongside other more traditional training regimes to keep soldiers calm and mentally fit and to reduce depression and use of alcohol and drugs. To Perkins, however, this new initiative is a stand-in for one's personal relationship with God. When he heard about the goals of the program — that yoga promotes relaxation, mental calm, productivity and restraint from substances— he exploded: "What a coincidence–so does faith! Unfortunately, the military seems intent on driving religion out and replacing it with wacky substitutes," he said on his morning radio program. "They've added atheist chaplains, Wiccan worship centers, and now, meditation classes. But none of them are as effective or as constructive as a personal relationship with God. Unfortunately, though, it's mind over what matters–and that's faith." Perhaps one shouldn't tell Perkins this, but faith hasn't really been keeping up its end of the bargain lately — at least as far as the mental health of service members goes. The suicide rate of active service members has skyrocketed in the last few years. In 2012, the U.S. military averaged one suicide every single day, with service members were — shockingly — more likely to commit suicide than be killed on the battlefield. Meanwhile, there is already a disturbing pattern of aggressive Christian proselytizing and accusations of government-sponsored prayer in major military institutions, including at West Point and the US Air Force Academy, which some say is more divisive than healing. A Yale Divinity School study voiced "concern that the overwhelmingly evangelical tone of general Protestant worship encouraged religious divisions rather than fostering understanding among basic cadets." When you think of the numerous stories about military members being targeted and harassed for their lack of belief, or passed over for promotions, you know what a shameless hack Perkins is. Why, oh why, is he ever invited onto "news" channels? Conservative Group Targets McConnell Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:00 AM PST A conservative advocacy group has targeted Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, running ads in his home state of Kentucky highlighting his key role in negotiating a deal to avert the fiscal cliff. Brent Bozell, the president of For America, the group pushing the ads, called them a "statement to make it emphatically clear that what the minority leader did was 100 percent unacceptable. Conservatives are going to hold him responsible for this." McConnell negotiated with Democrats to create a deal to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff, although many Republicans felt betrayed by the ultimate deal, which allowed for tax increases. The ads read, "Mitch McConnell: Whose side are you on?" with the image of a morose McConnell wedged between pictures of a smiling Vice President Joe Biden and smirking President Barack Obama.The ads will be distributed through Google display ads and will also run on conservative websites such as the Drudge Report and the Daily Caller. Mike's Blog Round Up Posted: 10 Jan 2013 05:00 AM PST The Immoral Minority: Kyrsten Sinema sets a patriotic precedent at her swearing-in. Smartypants: Obamacare's insurance exchanges could bring about real change. Desert Beacon: Debt-ceiling brinkmanship is nonsensical, even from the viewpoint of deficit reduction. Damned Already: Nuttiest conspiratards ever -- people who believe that the Sandy Hook shooting was a staged event with actors. Blog round-up by Infidel753. Tips to mbru [at] crooksandliars [dot] com. Open Thread Posted: 09 Jan 2013 08:30 PM PST h/t Nicole Belle. Don't miss this 15 year old's vocal performance. So good! Open Thread below.... You are subscribed to email updates from Crooks and Liars To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Dynamic Search Ads: A Slow and Painful Journey Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:23 PM PST Dynamic Search Ads: A Slow and Painful Journey Dynamic Search Ads: A Slow and Painful Journey Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:00 AM PST Armed once again with intern Tim and a few dollars from Portent's pocketbook, I decided to take Dynamic Search Ads (DSAs) for a spin using our small business PPC Essentials management package as a test case. I made up my mind pretty quickly and an informal poll of my massive follower list (massive being a relative number) showed the Twitterverse agreed. The consensus was: DSAs are "more trouble to maintain and 'optimize' than they're worth." Let me explain why. First off, DSAs have a laundry list of contingencies that are enough to make any PPC strategist who's worked in an SEO agency environment (read: seen/heard a lot about SEO problems over the years) cringe. For example: DSAs generate the headline dynamically based on page content DSAs generate the landing page dynamically based on crawl index Google specifically states that sites that sell customizable products, comparison shopping, daily deals and "certain small websites" will most likely not see a benefit from DSAs. Guh. The amount of times a developer has said they can't fix something, claimed they knew SEO or were just "too busy" to edit that robots.txt file that was blocking googlebot from seeing half the site is just the tip of the iceberg on how messy this can get. Begin the DSA test Using Portent as my guinea pig once again (and as a result, I can show all my wonderful data), I tried DSAs, refining a little bit each time to see how much I would have to change to the auto targets, how often and the kind of impact the changes might bring. Portent isn't "perfect" SEO-wise, but it's far from a hot mess. We're fast, 10,000-ish pages, good robots.txt, sitemaps, keyword rich this and that, solid navigation, you get the idea. My first DSA campaign auto target was to focus on "ppc" and exclude "seo." Because DSAs can't tell you what categories are available to choose from until you start running (it's literally a blank slate), you might have to spend a few dollars to find out how Google thinks your site is organized. When I added a second campaign with a different extension for a sister site (www.analytics-review.com), the category field auto-populated with portent.com suggestions instead, for example. What I did not try, but would recommend, is the "create and wait" method. Start a DSA campaign and DO NOT enter any categories or targets. Then let it "stew" to see if your category list will populate with suggestions after a couple of days. Back to our original DSA story… after adding the auto-target of "page_content contains ppc" and excluding "page_title contains seo," here's what it my category list looked like after 5 days: So what search queries did Google show my ads for based on my category of "contains PPC" target? Ick. And ick. But this is science. Now that I knew what Google thought was a category and what terms it considered relevant to that category, I refined my list further. I added exclusions to the keyword list (april fools, glue gun, jokes, to name a few) and in the URL and page_title areas because the sample of pages (see below) that were being shown with my ads were largely PPC-related but really, not what I had in mind. The ad copy You can see the headline and landing page that Google "awarded" me based on the initial criteria I set. Here is the body copy that I created to run with DSAs for the duration of the experiment: I thought this was pretty straightforward. Nothing about glue guns or pranks here. DSAs: new and improved! I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle at this point. For example, here's what the category list looked like after 20 days: More Google-suggested categories! Relevant? Not so much. As flattered as I am, I don't consider myself to be a category.  And social media and tools are now showing as categories. I'm not really sure how they ended up that way because the website coverage metric is showing me 0% of pages are indexed. To further refine the auto targets, I added several of these newfound categories as exclusions. This process is far from intuitive and I am guessing a lot, so I'm not sure I'm getting the best possible results. The DSA Conclusion Forty-two days after starting the test, we've spent $27.20 on DSAs, had one conversion (which turned out to be a dead lead) 74 clicks, 18,467 impressions and a .40% CTR at .37CPC. While I like the impression rate and CPC, that CTR says that Google didn't do a great job at choosing my headline. In all that time I spent trying to teach Google how to write a great headline for me, I most certainly could have written a better one myself. Here's the headline/landing page list after 40 days with 3 sets of refinements in negative keywords, negative categories, URLs and page titles: I circled some of the more amusing items in red. The blue circles represent actual categories of "PPC." What I might have done differently is not use the auto target of "page_content contains PPC" and instead go more granular with "URL contains." I could have also changed to the category of PPC once it became available, but I was curious to see what would happen if Google was left to its own devices. I stand by my earlier statement; DSAs are more trouble than they are worth. I'm sure there are some great case studies out there from people who are loving them. But the poor click-through rate combined with the upfront cost of finding out what Google thinks is relevant and the tweaking thereafter make for a negative ROI. DSAs are a "meh" experience for me. You are subscribed to email updates from Conversation Marketing from Portent, Inc: Internet Marketing with a Twist of Lemon To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Another Reason I Use the Tools I Do Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:22 PM PST Another Reason I Use the Tools I Do Another Reason I Use the Tools I Do Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:27 AM PST I have another reason why I love using the Genesis WordPress framework (affiliate link): they just made it really easy to claim authorship of my blog in Google (the search engine) by linking it to Google+ (the social backplane service). Click Here For Instructions And the other tool I’m glad I use is Google+. Between the live video Hangouts features and the new Communities features, I’m thrilled that I have a place to interact with my community, and also find new prospects via search. Content marketing is a strong part of how I do business and how I cultivate relationships with potential buyers. My blog has brought me the lion’s share of my business over the past many years. By being able to link up my authorship of this blog very easily using the Genesis setting, it means that I’ll be getting even more yummy search value for my work here at [chrisbrogan.com], and that’s a benefit. Plus, I just love the themes. But lots of people have pretty themes. I like that mine is mobile dynamic, that it has all these added SEO benefits built in, and that it’s a framework and not just a pretty face. Have you claimed authorship for your blog yet? Sponsored Post – Realtor.com Has a Cool New Mobile App Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:00 AM PST This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Realtor.com for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine. The following is a sponsored post I did with SocialSpark on behalf of Realtor.com. The opinions are 100% mine.   When I was asked to check out the Realtor.com App for iOS, I had to put on the hat of "what does it feel like to be a home buyer?" Before I clicked on the app, I thought that what I'd want would be a way to sort houses by features, like cost, and maybe number of bedrooms, and that sort of thing. This app does that, but I can't wait to talk about the feature I liked the most.  The app is for iOS right now, and has retina support for iPhone5 and the new iPad, but I have a 4S and it looks plenty fine on that. (As it's primarily a map-type app, I'm not sure what the difference is, but I don't have a 5, so maybe I'm missing all the coolness. Looked great to me.)  So, not only do you look by price, but you can look by whether you want to see foreclosures or not, new listings only, etc. I liked how narrow I could make the search if I really wanted it to go that way.  If I were selling or buying, some of the search features I saw in there looked pretty useful, because I could parse by "recently sold," and thus, what if I saw a neighborhood where there were a lot of homes recently sold? If I were selling, I might have to think on how to work with my Realtor to ensure mine gets sold, too, or as a buyer, it might be a question I'd have.  The map feature was pretty cool. If I clicked on various pins, property would come up and then I could drill down, and drill down some more. And then I saw the big "ask question" button when I drilled down even more, and I got this screen:  What I really liked was that it gave me the option of calling this guy directly or sending an email. That was a neat feature, indeed. But not my favorite.  I went back to the map and I saw the word "draw," and I thought, "What? Like draw a smiley face on the map?" Well, no.  So I drew this rough circle around a lake, and POW, a bunch of listings came up in the circle. Thus, if I maybe didn't even know what I wanted to seach by, criteria-wise, but I knew I wanted to live somewhere around that lake, pow. I've got it.  I did not expect that feature. And it might seem simple, but think about how useful that is when house hunting.  I didn't push every single button on the app, but I liked that I could search for apartments and I could pick condos or whatever else I wanted. Oh, and as you would likely expect of an app like this, it's free.  Some of the features I didn't yet mention are that this thing lets you search by current location. Have you ever driven through a neighborhood and thought, "well, this would be a cool place to live?" Push one button and you're searching for property. Heck, I was driving through a ritzy part of Connecticut last week, and if I had had this app, I'd have just wanted to see how much all the gorgeous homes around us cost. A ton more than my budget, but fun to dream, right?  One last feature that I imagine would be really useful if you're hunting over a period of time. You can save searches, so you don't have to go back and do it over and over again.  All in all, a pretty cool app, and if you're in the market to buy or sell a place, this seems like a cool tool. It was fun to try it out on some towns and areas I like.  You are subscribed to email updates from chrisbrogan.com To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

What I learned at NASA Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:14 PM PST What I learned at NASA What I learned at NASA Posted: 09 Jan 2013 02:29 PM PST Well, I learned a bunch of stuff, but I’ll only mention two. First, NASA is as totally awesome as you think it is. I went to the Langley centerfor a one day visit, and got a morning tour, and it is a nerd-heaven work space, with no Star Wars white plastic, but lots and lots of dented workbenches covered with sprays of components. And it adds up to our species looking down on our planet. Ultra ultra cool. Second, I got a tour of the National Transonic Facility by Bill Bisset, who manages the place. They test models in the world’s most sophisticated wind tunnel — they fill it with liquid nitrogen (which they make themselves) that’s blown in by the world’s most powerful horizontally-mounted electrical motor (that consumes an eighth of the output of a local nuclear generator), and they measure up to 5,000 different parameters. So, naturally, I ran an urban myth past Bill, because that’s an excellent use of his time. I had been told by someone sometime that those little upturned wing tips you sometimes see on planes were discovered more than invented: Someone tried them out, and they turned out to increase the efficiency of the plane, but no one knew why. Nope, nope, and nope. They’re called winglets. Here’s the story, from a NASA page: The concept of winglets originated with a British aerodynamicist in the late 1800s, but the idea remained on the drawing board until rekindled in the early 1970s by Dr. Richard Whitcomb when the price of aviation fuel started spiraling upward. Bill explained that winglets work by altering the vortex that forms when air rushes over a wing. “Winglets…produce a forward thrust inside the circulation field of the vortices and reduce their strength,” as the NASA page says. They increase efficiency by 6-9%. Bill said they also effectively increase the wingspan of the plane, but without extending the wings horizontally, which matters to airlines because they pay airports based upon the horizontal length of the wings. So,yes, everything I’d heard was wrong. And, yes, it was in Wikipedia all along. (And yes, I learned a whole lot more. It was for me a wonderful day.) You are subscribed to email updates from Joho the Blog To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Zero Clutter Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:12 PM PST Zero Clutter Zero Clutter Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:30 AM PST By Leo Babauta Now is as good a time as any to clear out your clutter — sweep it out in one go, or take bite-sized chunks each day over the course of a month. Either method works. Today I’m going to introduce you to a method I call Zero Clutter. It’s about only having the essential things in your life, and clearing out the rest. It’s about developing the habits that keep your life clutter-free, and learning to put things where they belong every time, so that clutter doesn’t accumulate. It’s not something you can implement overnight. It takes a little time to clear out the non-essential things from your life, and even more time to develop the clutter-free habits. But you can start today. The Zero Clutter Method Here’s how it works: The Zero Clutter Zone. Zero Clutter starts with picking one area of your home or work space, and choosing that as your Zero Clutter space. That space will expand to your entire home or office. Let’s say you pick your kitchen counter, or your home entryway, or your desk, as your Zero Clutter Zone. Remember, you’re just starting here. Clear out the zone. Look at everything in your Zero Clutter Zone. What here is absolutely essential? What do you love and use on a regular basis? These are your essential items — take everything else out of the zone, put it in an outbox or trash it. The outbox is for donations or giving away. Put the outbox near your door or somewhere you’ll remember to take to drop off at a charity or give to other people — out of your house. Have homes for everything. The Zero Clutter Zone should now be clear of everything but the essential. These essential things need to have “homes” — spots that you designate for them. If they’re not things you need to look at, put the essential things out of sight — in a drawer, cabinet, closet. Don’t just throw them in there — have a space for them. Develop the Zero Clutter habit. Now remember the homes you create for things, and always put them back in those spots. This is a habit that takes a little time to develop, but become aware when you’re about to toss something where it doesn’t belong — you’re procrastinating on putting it back where it belongs. Take the extra 10 seconds to put it back in its home. If it doesn’t have a home yet, create one. Work on this habit consciously — it can take a few weeks to develop. Keep your zone clutter free. Now that you have a clear space, don’t allow any clutter to come into it. Zero. Be vigilant! This is your zone, and you won’t let any sneaky clutter mess up your hard work. Expand the zone. If you chose your kitchen counter, expand to other countertops, or your dining table, or the floor of your kitchen. Get it clear! It only takes 5-10 minutes to clear a small space, so you can do this a little in the morning and again in the late afternoon/evening, and you’ll quickly expand the zone so it gets bigger and bigger. Clear it out, give things homes, put the non-essential in the trash/recycling or outbox, keep it clear. Be vigilant about keeping it clear! And expand some more, and more, until your entire house or office is a Zero Clutter Zone. It’s a fairly simple method, but it takes a little time to implement. If you are busy, carve out 10-minute chunks twice a day and keep the ball rolling once you get it going. If you have more time, feel free to spend half a day or more clearing out a huge Zero Clutter Zone. It’s hugely satisfying. Read more about decluttering from Courtney Carver: How to Get Rid of Clutter Hotspots. 4-Week Clutterfree Course Courtney and I teamed up last year to create a course on how to live a clutter-free life. Today we’re making it available as a self-study course that you can do at your own pace. In these four weeks, you’ll enjoy a self paced course to uncover your clutter and get rid of it for good including: Weekly modules that include articles, instructive PDFs, video & audio presentations and interviews and homework assignments Audio interviews with experts Weekly recorded video webinars Access to the Clutterfree Forum for questions and discussion In the course, we’ll focus on four areas: Clutter-free Emotion: Examining why we hold onto stuff, how to let go, how to figure out what’s important in your life, dealing with the emotions of shopping and gifts and keeping up with the Joneses. Clutter-free Action: How to get started decluttering, how to tackle your closets, kitchen, workspace and more; how to deal with kids’ stuff; how to give your stuff away; and more. Staying Clutter-Free: How to enjoy the space and not feel compelled to fill it up; Recognizing enough; Maintaining your clutter-free status; Gift giving and receiving; and an important question: If you had less and wanted less, could you work less and make less? Clutter-Free Time: Obligations; To-Do Lists; Focus; UnProcrastination; and Morning Routines As a course member, you’ll also receive the Clutterfree Digital Package. The Clutterfree Digital Package includes: The Clutterfree book with 23 chapters in digital format including pdf, epub and mobi versions so you can read on your computer, iPad, iPhone or Kindle. Audio interviews with clutter free experts Tammy Strobel & Joshua Becker Video from Leo Babauta (me) Learn more at The Clutterfree Course. You are subscribed to email updates from zenhabits To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Reality is too real until it's not real enough Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:06 PM PST Reality is too real until it's not real enough Reality is too real until it's not real enough Best movie posters of 2012 Junior Seau had brain damage Even if it's fake (medicine), it's real Updates on previous entries for Jan 9, 2013* Tolkien family not impressed with Peter Jackson Reality is too real until it's not real enough Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:11 PM PST Kevin Kelly on the realism of the 48 frames/second version of The Hobbit. What's going on here? I really struggled to figure out what was happening to my own eyes and my perception that something as simple as changing a frame rate would trigger such drastic re-evaluations of cinema? I researched on the web without much satisfaction, since few people had actually seen 48HFR. I asked a few friends in the advance cinema industry and got unsatisfactory answers. Then I was at a party with a friend from Pixar and asked him my question: why does HFR change the appearance of the lighting? He also could not tell me, but the man next to him could. He was John Knoll, the co-creator of Photoshop and the Oscar-winning Visual Effects Director for a string of technically innovative Hollywood blockbusters as long as my arm. He knew. I saw The Hobbit at 48fps and it was a unique experience. At times, it was amazing, like you were in the movie, tromping around Middle Earth. At other times, the effect was laughably bad, like having a bunch of cosplaying dwarves in bad makeup standing around in your fluorescently lit living room. Dwalin, son of Fundin, I can see your skin cap. Tags: Kevin Kelly   movies   The Hobbit Best movie posters of 2012 Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:58 AM PST From MUBI Notebook's Adrian Curry, a round-up of the best movie posters of 2012. Tags: Adrian Curry   best of   best of 2012   design   movies Junior Seau had brain damage Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:36 AM PST Recent analysis by specialists shows that Junior Seau, the former stand-out NFL linebacker who committed suicide last year, suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of his death. CTE is associated with repeated trauma to the head and has been found in many ex-NFL players, including a few that have committed suicide. "I think it's important for everyone to know that Junior did indeed suffer from CTE," Gina Seau said. "It's important that we take steps to help these players. We certainly don't want to see anything like this happen again to any of our athletes." She said the family was told that Seau's disease resulted from "a lot of head-to-head collisions over the course of 20 years of playing in the NFL. And that it gradually, you know, developed the deterioration of his brain and his ability to think logically." Experts caution that correlation is not causation, but as these incidents mount, the NFL is going to come under increasing pressure to act, causation or no. Tags: football   Junior Seau   medicine   NFL   sports   suicide Even if it's fake (medicine), it's real Posted: 10 Jan 2013 06:55 AM PST Studies have long shown evidence of placebos doing something to help ill patients. Harvard Medical School's Ted Kaptchuk is studying this effect to determine how and why it works. Two weeks into Ted Kaptchuk's first randomized clinical drug trial, nearly a third of his 270 subjects complained of awful side effects. All the patients had joined the study hoping to alleviate severe arm pain: carpal tunnel, tendinitis, chronic pain in the elbow, shoulder, wrist. In one part of the study, half the subjects received pain-reducing pills; the others were offered acupuncture treatments. And in both cases, people began to call in, saying they couldn't get out of bed. The pills were making them sluggish, the needles caused swelling and redness; some patients' pain ballooned to nightmarish levels. "The side effects were simply amazing," Kaptchuk explains; curiously, they were exactly what patients had been warned their treatment might produce. But even more astounding, most of the other patients reported real relief, and those who received acupuncture felt even better than those on the anti-pain pill. These were exceptional findings: no one had ever proven that acupuncture worked better than painkillers. But Kaptchuk's study didn't prove it, either. The pills his team had given patients were actually made of cornstarch; the "acupuncture" needles were retractable shams that never pierced the skin. The study wasn't aimed at comparing two treatments. It was designed to compare two fakes. Tags: medicine   science   Ted Kaptchuk Updates on previous entries for Jan 9, 2013* Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:11 PM PST What to do about the swine flu? orig. from Sep 15, 2009 How the H1N1 vaccine is made orig. from Nov 24, 2009 * Q: Wha? A: These previously published entries have been updated with new information in the last 24 hours. You can find past updates here. Tags: post updates Tolkien family not impressed with Peter Jackson Posted: 09 Jan 2013 06:00 PM PST In a profile this summer from Le Monde, Christopher Tolkien, the 88 year-old son of J.R.R. Tolkien blasted Peter Jackson and The Lord of the Rings / The Hobbit movies. (If you can't speak French, you should see the translation of the profile.) Tolkien, who drew the maps for the Lord of the Rings books, has spent most of his life protecting the legacy of his father's works, and the movies are, apparently, a bridge too far. Invited to meet Peter Jackson, the Tolkien family preferred not to. Why? "They eviscerated the book by making it an action movie for young people aged 15 to 25," Christopher says regretfully. "And it seems that The Hobbit will be the same kind of film." This divorce has been systematically driven by the logic of Hollywood. "Tolkien has become a monster, devoured by his own popularity and absorbed into the absurdity of our time," Christopher Tolkien observes sadly. "The chasm between the beauty and seriousness of the work, and what it has become, has overwhelmed me. The commercialization has reduced the aesthetic and philosophical impact of the creation to nothing. There is only one solution for me: to turn my head away." (via ★Stellar) Tags: books   Christopher Tolkien   JRR Tolkien   movies   Peter Jackson   The Hobbit   The Lord of the Rings You are subscribed to email updates from kottke.org To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

5 Attitudes In The Workplace To Get You Ahead Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:03 PM PST 5 Attitudes In The Workplace To Get You Ahead 5 Attitudes In The Workplace To Get You Ahead Be Productive: Start Your Day Early 4 Steps For Taking Your Networking To The Next Level How To Prep For Your Big Job Interview 5 Cover Letter Techniques = Spellbound Hiring Managers 5 Ways To Get A Job 5 Tips On Getting Into A Graduate Degree Program How To Start Your Own Business In The Retail World How To Ask For LinkedIn Recommendations 4 Reasons Why You Need A Social Resume 5 Attitudes In The Workplace To Get You Ahead Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:45 PM PST You are looking for attitudes in the workplace to become your career booster. You are possibly past your first year mark at work. You have somewhat learned the ropes of your position but you feel you are slowing down. So, what are some of the attitudes in the workplace that can help you get ahead at work? There are many positive attitudes that can help you do that. In fact, the value of these attitudes is they make you more motivated and hence, give you a career boost. 1. Enthusiastic I know, how can you ever feel enthusiastic about work especially when you already feel sluggish with the same work after a few years? It is precisely this reason I ask you to be enthusiastic. To be enthusiastic at work is about a mental state. You need to make the decision to be enthusiastic. Start by saying, “I will be an eager participant in this project or task.” Attack your task with energy. Do not drag your feet. The more you tell yourself, "This is so boring," or whatever the excuse maybe the worse you will feel. Get interested in the work and the energy will come naturally. Then decide to be eagerly involved. Being enthusiastic and energetic are attitudes in the workplace that can get you ahead. You cannot get ahead without energy. 2. Efficient Strive to be the most efficient worker in your team. According to Webster's Universal College Dictionary, to be efficient means "performing or functioning effectively with the least waste of time and effort." When you are effective, you are producing the intended result. When you are efficient you do it with the least waste of time and effort. That means you are capable and competent. If you carry with you the attitude in the workplace of constantly striving to be the most efficient worker, then you will sooner or later get ahead in your career. You will get a career boost because you are the most capable and competent on the team. 3. Excellence Of the five attitudes in the workplace, this one probably calls for you to give yourself some pressure. A little pressure is good since it makes you push yourself harder. Strive for excellence in everything you do. Do not be contented with good. Go for great. Exceed expectations by knowing good is sometimes not good enough. Give everything your utmost best. You will naturally see how this becomes your career booster. When you strive for excellence in everything you do, you quite naturally surpass others in your work. That gets you ahead. 4. Early Have you ever thought about being early as an attitude in the workplace that can get you ahead? Yes, especially when your workplace practices flexi time. Many people take flexi time for granted. They stroll in and out at their own pace, not knowing they have probably wasted productive time. Start early at work. Some of my most productive days are those I start early before the phone rings and before my staff walks in with questions. Clear your e-mails from last night, craft that important e-mail when there are no disturbances. 5. Easy Make every effort to be the easiest to work with in the office. Now, I am not saying compromise on your need for excellence. For example, this means not to complain and grumble each time there is a team meet. No one likes to work with someone who nags all the time. When you are easy to work with, you make working enjoyable for the rest too. Such attitudes in the workplace is welcomed everywhere and you make yourself a competitive edge of any team. This competitive edge is your career booster. There is no need for complicated plans to get a career boost. Simple steps with these attitudes in the workplace can get you ahead in your career. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post 5 Attitudes In The Workplace To Get You Ahead appeared first on CAREEREALISM. Be Productive: Start Your Day Early Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:30 PM PST Want to be productive at work? Then start your day early. You are probably thinking, "I don’t get enough rest as it’s, how can I afford to wake up early?" I had the same thoughts before. After a while you will realize you cannot be productive unless you rise early. Time is finite. Each of us has only 24 hours. Each of us has finite energy. How well you balance both will be how productive you can be – at work or at home. I have three young kids and my own business to run. Trying to balance how much work I put into my business, how much time I spend with my family and yet have time for my hobbies is all about how I can be productive with my time. You want to be productive at work or at home? Here’s what you should do. 1. Cut Off Television I used to tell myself, I need the break. So, when the kids sleep I turn on the cable and watch whatever programs that catches my fancy. Often, I find myself not watching, just channel surfing. And I don’t end up watching a full program. I decided one day to just give up on TV as it makes me sleep late and wake up tired. If you want to be productive, cut off TV. You are better off reading a book. Without TV, I have managed to finish many books that I bought but never read. 2. Limit Internet Use The other big distraction that can make you sleep late is the internet. Probably because you will be checking your e-mails, updating your blog, Facebook, watching YouTube, etc. Try limiting the use of it at home, or switch it to the morning session. Nowadays, I check all my personal e-mails early in the morning. When I get into work, I find myself less tempted to check personal e-mails and such. 3. Know Your Priorities Really, it’s all about the choice you make and the priorities you have. If you know it’s competitive out there in the corporate world, how can you be a better worker than the person who is also aiming for the position above you? How can you do more whether to impress or to get the relevant person's attention? 4. Is it Always Fun, Fun, Fun? People who oppose to rising early typically have these excuses. I need personal time. I need to catch up with my friends, I need to know what is going on in the world. But really, most of these are just excuses for having some fun. Not that there is anything wrong with it. I’m not saying giving it up. I’m saying, there is a proper time and place for everything. Each activity has a price tag on it. Do one and you can't do the other. The choice is yours. Whether it’s catching up with friends till late night or falling behind in your work. 5. Rest Early, Rise Early You want to be productive? Rise early, read more books, have more energy, be more focused and set standards for others to catch up. It's as simple as that. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post Be Productive: Start Your Day Early appeared first on CAREEREALISM. 4 Steps For Taking Your Networking To The Next Level Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:00 PM PST While being on the job search is a daunting task for most, it’s important to enjoy the process. After all, having a positive attitude can make a world of difference! But how can you maintain a positive attitude during a long, frustrating job search? Good networking! Instead of spending all your time and energy on mainstream job boards, get off your bottom and meet new people! While I don't recommend giving up on job boards altogether, I definitely feel networking is the best way to use your time wisely during your job search. For example, one great analogy I love to use is the person who goes to the gym for an hour but doesn't even break a sweat. This isn't working out. Sure, you drove to the gym and stayed there for an hour, but did you truly leverage your abilities? Similarly, when on the job hunt, it's important "sweat" a little – work hard and use your time strategically to obtain your dream job. The key to networking is to create mutually beneficial relationships by expand your professional contacts. These contacts may provide industry advice, other contacts or the key to your future job. The following steps will without doubt get you on your way to be a networking expert. Pre-Networking Check-List: Figure out what you want to be "when you grow up" and make a list of your target organizations and key people within those organizations. Have a defined unique selling proposition (USP) that describes what value you would bring to the organization. Perfect your "elevator pitch." Those first 60 seconds with your contact are crucial. Make sure you are prepared and make an extraordinary impression. Step 1: Value-Added Networking Give VALUE to your contacts. I cannot stress this enough. This means you must listen, listen, and listen before you ask about questions regarding your own self interests. Listening will not only present you as polite and professional (remember, be cognizant of your personal brand), but also it will allow you to find out your contacts' needs. By listening and figuring out the missing elements, you may paint a mosaic in the minds of your contacts of your transferable skills that will match their needs or the needs of someone they know. Step 2: Staying In Touch After Your Initial Contact After initially meeting, make sure your regularly stay in touch with your contacts. I recommend every four to six weeks you find a reason to e-mail them. Stay abreast of industry news (read a lot), and hopefully you took copious notes on the back of your contacts' business cards. If you don't' already this, make sure you start! Taking copious notes on everything from jargon to business will help you create a more personalized and tailored follow-up e-mail. A great idea would be to leverage your digital technology skills in these e-mail correspondences. For example, if you find an article, podcast, or video you think might interest your contacts, make sure you send it their way. This is a great opportunity to keep yourself fresh in their minds, and again, you will be adding value to the relationship! Step 3: Leveraging The Relationship You can gain wonderful insight from your contacts, but make sure you also show an interest in them! For example, people love talking about themselves and one icebreaker is to ask how the individual got started in their career. Also, do some thorough research on your contact's personal and/or professional blog, Twitter feed, and LinkedIn profile so you can ask tailored questions about their career, interests and specialties. Demonstrating research with pertinent and customized questions will impress your contact because you went through such lengths to learn about him or her. This gesture will reflect well on your part, and will almost certainly persuade your contact to continue building the relationship. Step 4: Using Call-To-Action Eventually, once you have built a relationship with this contact and you feel like you have added value, it’s time for you to ask for a call to action. You may ask the person if they know of anyone from your target list of organizations to work for, or even better, if they can refer you to a key decision maker. Ask the person if they are willing to refer you to other contacts and thus, the process continues. Repeat steps two through four with this new contact. The goal is to build as many contacts as possible to eventually land a job. Important Reminders: Repetition and dedication are important. Success does not come easily and people who are truly serious about networking and finding their dream jobs will, in the end, differentiate themselves. It's important to repeat effective strategies and not lose hope in your job search. Stay positive! Please do not get discouraged or lose confidence in yourself or your abilities. This process will be unbearable if you do not enjoy meeting new people, learning industry insights from them, and more. Trust me — your hard work will pay off, and you WILL find a job. Of course, this may take some time due to the economic climate, but soon the day will come when you have three different organizations calling you to come in for an interview! Remember, don't sweat the small stuff. Networking is a process and if you are willing to put your time, energy and mind into strategies that are effective, you will see a HUGE return on your investment. Remember your manners. Always say "please" and "thank you." Best of luck to you all! Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post 4 Steps For Taking Your Networking To The Next Level appeared first on CAREEREALISM. How To Prep For Your Big Job Interview Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:45 PM PST It may seem surprising, but candidates who don't carefully prepare for a job interview, and thereby sabotage their chances of being hired often amaze hiring managers. Don’t let this happen to you! While you can never anticipate every question that will be posed, there is much that you should do to anticipate what will be discussed. In my latest article published by U.S. News & World Report, I discuss the specific things that you can do to proactively prepare for a job interview and get yourself into the right frame of mind to succeed. Learn the importance of doing effective research and how to do it. Other keys to success are taking the time to prepare responses to foreseeable questions, practicing speaking about your strengths and weaknesses, and figuring out how to deal with the pesky compensation question when it comes up early in the interview process. Read the full article to learn more. Read Full Article Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post How To Prep For Your Big Job Interview appeared first on CAREEREALISM. 5 Cover Letter Techniques = Spellbound Hiring Managers Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:15 PM PST Bottom-line is, the purpose of a cover letter is to lure the reader to, well, read your resume and call you for an interview. Now you may be dying to ask me, “Then why can't I only submit my resume?” My answer is, you can—but how do you know your competition didn’t submit a persuasive cover letter that just about nudged you off the top spot? Hmm? Worst-case scenario, they can set your cover letter aside but it's available if they need more convincing. So, how do you create cover letter that is not tossed? I'm glad you asked… Cover Letter Techniques That Work Here are five cover letter techniques that will get you noticed by hiring managers. 1. Break A Leg With Your Opening Act Don't begin cover letters with an ordinary and boring statement. You really want to “have them at hello.” (Sorry. Couldn't help it.) Really, captivate with the very first sentence. Exude sincerity, offer specific value, spin it, and make sure it's employer-oriented. Here is one of my favorite openings: Dear Mr. Bradley, Offering to drive pharmaceutical sales growth by generating qualified leads, penetrating territories, and closing the toughest sales, consistently! Please allow me to introduce myself… 2. Make A Personal Connection You can tell a personal story that further positions you as the best candidate. You can provide statistical insight, reinforcing your industry knowledge. You may opt to walk your employer through your process. In other words, you can communicate more personally than you would on your resume and leverage that “ace in your pocket.” See an example I used in a cover letter: I am an avid golfer (with a pretty good handicap) and golf at least twice per week—I have closed many sales on the golf course over a weekend. Clients consider me a trusted friend and have even helped me form golf teams for charity events, which is an excellent way to network and gain new business… Do you think I would have been able to add this golf example in the resume for my client –- no. Now, let's say candidate #1 is a stellar sales person and candidate #2 (my client) is also an outstanding revenue producer–this example is helping my client promote an added value. This “sign-on benefit” clues the hiring manager my client initiates and develops fruitful relationships through personal networking strategies that will be advantageous to the company. Besides, it's memorable. In a pile of hundreds of resumes and cover letters – memorable is a winner! 3. Become A Tease Foreshadow what will be listed on the resume; what they will discover when they read your resume–but don't repeat. Piqué interest! Save some fresh content for your cover letter. This is a strategic career marketing plan, part of which what goes on your resume or cover letter is determined–a real choreography! Example: Please refer to my resume which summarizes more than 15 years of experience increasing revenue for top corporations such as IBM. I have aggressively launched unique sales strategies that have produced up to $8M annually. You will find a full account of my projected sales plans and exceeded goals by percentage per year. Now we have asked the hiring manager to review the resume and we have provided a bit of information to spark interest. It is important to add quantifiable information and be specific, as you don't want to seem vague. However, there is no need to provide all the details in the cover letter, especially if it will be on the resume. While I urge you to tease – the teasing must be done with actual facts and specific references not generalities that mean nothing. 4. Mesmerize Them There is a physiological connection that goes on when you get a person to think or say yes. So, when you craft your cover letter try to envision the reader nodding their head in agreement with your statements. In order to do this you must validate their needs. You can cast this spell through reinforcing statements or questions. Take it easy on the questions though—you don't want to come across too sales-driven. (The art of career marketing is a delicate balance.) 5. Ask For The Interview In sales, they always direct you to ask for the sale. Well, ask for the interview. Just ask for it! The point here is that your cover letter is a supporting influencing tool. It must be unique, inviting, compelling– a prelude to a well crafted resume in order to provoke action. Your cover letter is part of a marketing package and so merely writing it as you would any other communication letter is not going to generate the interviews you seek. True story: I had a client tell me that when they were interviewed they were told the cover letter clinched the interview and the resume was used as a guide for an interesting interview. Here is a beginning part of that cover letter: Music and entertainment is my passion. I am lucky to have realized so early what I was born to do! I have known I wanted to work in the entertainment industry since I was 11 years old. At age four, I already had an affinity for music and entertainment… I loved to perform, watch all the award shows on TV, memorize the choreography to music videos, and I always wanted to know how it all worked behind the scenes. Client landed a job with Universal Music Distribution. There you have it. Market yourself as the ideal candidate via a purposefully created cover letter. The cover letter techniques above will help augment the resume, convincing the employer you’ve got what they need… in a very special way. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post 5 Cover Letter Techniques = Spellbound Hiring Managers appeared first on CAREEREALISM. 5 Ways To Get A Job Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:10 PM PST There are plenty of ways to get a job, but are you taking the right approach to your unique job search? Recently, when explaining to a client that it was important to vary his approach to finding and applying to jobs, I stumbled upon the “Five Fingers of Job Search.” In general, you are going to have the best results by spreading out your "hand" and tapping into more jobs. Certainly other ways to get a job, but if you follow these recommendations, you are bound to be successful. Ways To Get A Job To find the most jobs, you will want your fingers to spread over the following job search resources: 1. Online postings – You can find hundreds of jobs online, but so can everyone else! Most employers are requiring this, so you will have to comply in order to be considered. Follow up is especially crucial when submitting your applications online. Just because you have applied, doesn't mean it was received! Some popular job search sites are: CareerBuilder.com, Indeed.com, and Monster.com. 2. Community agencies – Your local job service or Career One Stop office, libraries, and many other municipal or public agencies may offer not only job search assistance, but computer and other training. 3. Staffing agencies – These used to be thought of as temporary agencies, but increasingly are placing folks in permanent positions. They can be an invaluable source of jobs. Try to develop a relationship with a specific recruiter at each agency in your area and follow up with them regularly. 4. Newspapers (actual printed ones) – Many of my clients find jobs they eventually receive offers from via small, pennysaver type local papers. Don't disregard these as a source for potential job leads. 5. Employers – Many employers advertise only on their internal job boards and/or websites. Identify employers in your area for whom you would like to work and check their career pages regularly. Likewise, when applying for jobs you want to vary your approach to increase your chances of obtaining an interview and job offer: 1. In person – Occasionally, you may luck into a direct contact or interview with the hiring manager when you present in person with a resume or to complete an application. This is an excellent way to stand out from the other applicants who are sitting at home applying for jobs online. 2. Snail mail – A postcard with a brief note and, if pertinent, a link to your profile or resume or with your e-mail address can make all the difference. The employer doesn't even have to open an envelope! 3. E-mail – Many employers provide e-mail addresses for their staff or follow specific conventions that can allow you to "guess" an e-mail address. For example, firstname...@company.com is a common e-mail convention. 4. Online – Again, applying on line is a necessity these days, but so is follow up. Complete the online application, but you may want to follow up with another application method to insure your resume is received. 5. Database – Careerbuilder.com and Monster.com, as well as other job search websites, often provide the ability to post your resume online for employers to find. This is not a bad idea, but be aware that scammers can also see your resume and seek you out to sell their services to you. You can also use the ways to get a job concept to vary your approach to follow up as employers have different styles and preferences just like everyone else. When following up try each of the following: 1. In person – Many times someone not accessible by phone is very accessible in person. It is also harder to ignore or delay someone standing right in front of you versus a nameless person on the phone. A face with a name will go a long way toward making you stand out to an employer in general. 2. Snail mail – This method is often forgotten in today's electronic communication wave. But, employers still get mail and they will be more likely to get your resume if sent vial the post office with a quick follow up note. Or, the postcard mentioned above! 3. E-mail – If an employer is someone who likes e-mail, you can often obtain information about the hiring process or time line or to request an interview. I always like the reasoning behind offering: I am going to be in your area tomorrow and just thought I would see if it was possible to schedule a little time with you… 4. Phone – Pick up the good ole phone and call! Have a phone script ready to outline what you will say to the employer and have a clear goal in mind for the call. 5. Fax – Also kind of old fashion, but can be very effective. Most companies do not hesitate to publish their fax numbers. If you need to do a google search use the following in the search field: companyname, city, state, fax. If you are looking for work and looking for better ways to get a job, you will be more successful applying the above principles. In fact, you should notice results immediately. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post 5 Ways To Get A Job appeared first on CAREEREALISM. 5 Tips On Getting Into A Graduate Degree Program Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:00 PM PST Graduate school includes getting your master's or doctorate degree following an undergraduate degree program, such as after receiving your bachelor's degree. You will go through a variety of processes in order to get into a graduate degree program, including an application, entrance exam, letters and recommendations. Most, if not all, of these are required to be accepted as a graduate student for the degree program you choose. 1. Prepare Beforehand You should begin preparing for the application and interview process about six months before the application deadline. This gives you sufficient time to research the school you want to attend, perfect your application, work on your pitch, get proper letters and recommendations, work on personal statement and get a good score on the admission tests. 2. Motivate Yourself You should find the proper motivation for getting into graduate school by being clear about why you want a graduate degree. It isn't mandatory unless the career you want requires it, so make sure you have proper motivation not only to get into graduate school but to see it through to the end. When it is something you truly want, it will be easier to stick with and obtain. Knowing the answer to what motivates you is also going to help you during the interview process. 3. Get Recommendations One of the most important things to provide with your application to graduate school is recommendation. Some people to get them from are your college counselor, mentor, or professors at your undergraduate school, as well as employers and other people who know you more on a professional level. If you volunteered at an organization similar to the industry where you want your graduate degree, they can write a recommendation letter for you. Professors and school administration from your previous college is encouraged. 4. Do Your Research When you first begin looking for graduate degree programs and possible schools to attend, you should be doing heavy research. GO beyond the school's website and research them on your own, including their accreditation, reputation, if employers like degrees from their college, and what their alumni has gone on to do. Look closely at their degree programs and required coursework and visit the school you're going to attend at least once before attempting to enroll and apply for their graduate degree program. 5. Have A Good Pitch The enrollment advisers and interviewers will want to know why you want a graduate degree in a particular field and why you're a good fit at their college. This is where the six months of planning comes in; you should be preparing a perfect pitch that will impress them and give them a reason to approve your application. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post 5 Tips On Getting Into A Graduate Degree Program appeared first on CAREEREALISM. How To Start Your Own Business In The Retail World Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:45 PM PST Want to start your own business? In the retail world, this can seem like a scary endeavor. Each year, 500,000 new stores open across the United States. A portion of those stores are individually owned, retail operations. Many of those locations do, essentially, fail and do not turn a profit. There is, however, a market for these small retailers, so those who know, before they get involved, how to start a business stand to do well in the sector. How To Start Your Own Business In Retail Make a decision about what type of business you’d like to have and how you’d like to create it. Businesses can deal in specialty retail goods (such as replacement windows or carpet and flooring), or they can behave as “nonstore” retailers (online or television businesses). Many businesses do well as online merchants with giants like Paypal, eBay and Etsy backing them up. Before a business is even conceived market analysis is required. A business is only as strong as its location and for many small businesses “off-the-beaten-path” simply will not do. Stores that do not have the money for large-scale marketing campaigns must rely on foot traffic (or an online presence) to draw in patrons. A serious market analysis and the search for the perfect location are the first step for creating a successful retail business. After locations are found one needs to consider funding options. Liquid capital is necessary to get a business off the ground and many small businesses fail because they were underfunded from inception. Look into all the potential business loan options available to you and take on what you can afford to take on. Frankly, however, if you can’t fund the business yourself or get a sufficient business loan the entire idea belongs on the back burner. Once you start your business you’ll need to market it. Marketing is a way of letting people know about your business and it is the greatest thing a business can do for themselves. Online marketing, an online storefront, and Facebook pages for the business can all drive the customers right to a business. This needs to be done effectively. Thankfully, much can be learned about marketing through just a bit of research. Millions of Americans dream of being business owners. It is, after all, what the American dream is all about, but the idea can be scary. Thankfully, there are ways to help a business start off and grow substantially, even in a troubled economic climate. Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post How To Start Your Own Business In The Retail World appeared first on CAREEREALISM. How To Ask For LinkedIn Recommendations Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:30 PM PST In all of the conversations I've had with recruiters and hiring managers, I've never once heard that a weak recommendation cost a candidate consideration for an opening. It's not likely that a silly recommendation on your profile will damage you. However, when considering candidates, recruiters do say that they notice these three things about LinkedIn recommendations: 1. They count to make sure there is a strong ratio between the number of connections and the number or recommendations. A large network with few recommendations is a red flag. 2. An equal number of recommendations received to recommendations given is a red flag. It makes it look like the recommendations were mere reciprocity. 3. Recruiters look for quality (meaty) recommendations, and disregard flakey or fluffy ones as not credible. So, how can you increase your number of meaty recommendations? How To Ask For LinkedIn Recommendations In years past, you didn't really ask for recommendations, you wrote your own letter, presented it to your boss or mentor and asked them to make any changes to it and sign it. Back then, you needed only about three of these. So, it wasn't always obvious that you actually wrote all of them yourself! But with LinkedIn, you may end up with over 20 of these, and if you wrote all of them, it would be obvious. So, here is a way to ask for a freshly written rec without burdening your manager or mentor. Remind them that a LinkedIn recommendation isn't a full letter; it takes only about 10 minutes and doesn't need to be longer than three short paragraphs. Give them something specific to recommend about you. For example, "Would you mind talking about the ATT project we did together and the role I played?" Suggest three specific personality or professional traits you want them to mention. For example, "Would you mind mentioning my work ethic, ability to work in teams, and depth of experience working with large enterprise accounts?" The Anatomy Of A Good LinkedIn Recommendation Being specific in your request will help you avoid the "She's a good person" type of recommendation. But you might also suggest the following format to help them whip something up even faster Qualify your relationship with the person. "I've known Jane for five years, and during this time, we've worked on countless projects together." Show that you've already taken action to vouch for them. "When I became a manager in the department, I specifically requested that she join my new team." Describe a project they worked on that exemplifies a professional quality such as leadership or initiative. "On a project with ATT, we were in danger of delivering late. Jane stepped up and found three additional resources to share the work. Through her leadership, we saved the project and… " Close the recommendation with a call to action by re-emphasizing those professional qualities "If you are looking for a super organized, easy to get along with and tenacious project manager, Jane would be my first choice." Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post How To Ask For LinkedIn Recommendations appeared first on CAREEREALISM. 4 Reasons Why You Need A Social Resume Posted: 09 Jan 2013 09:15 PM PST Having a social resume is becoming very necessary in today’s job search. It’s a great way to promote your personal brand and get an employer’s attention. So, what’s a ‘social resume’ anyway? It’s basically an online version of your resume that appears on a social networking site like LinkedIn or on your own personal domain or website. “The goal is to use [your social resume] in conjunction with social media for maximum exposure,” says Kristin Johnson of Professional Direction. “This is a popular option for job seekers who are working to improve their online identity and personal brand.” Here’s an example of a social resume platform, Career Cloud: Cool, huh? But why are social resumes necessary in a job search? Here are four great reasons: 1. It Helps Employers Get To Know You Having a social resume is important because the people that are hiring want to know what you are like, according to Chris Russell of Career Cloud. “Your paper resume is what you did, but your social resume is who you are,” says Russell. ”Employers and recruiters are increasingly scanning candidates social profiles to evaluate them against company culture. They want to know if this person will be a ‘good fit’. The things you like on Facebook, your tweets, blog posts, and so on, are all clues for them to make this determination.” 2. It Makes You Stand Out “If you can present a clean, polished look with your knowledge, skills, and abilities online, it could set you apart from the competition,” says Amanda Haddaway, author of Destination Real World: Success After Graduation For New And Soon-To-Be College Graduates. ”It’s also practical to take a paper copy of your resume with you to an interview. In many interview situations, there won’t be a computer available to pull up your social resume, so it’s best to have old-fashioned paper.” 3. It Keeps You Relevant According to Kathy Ver Eecke of Working For Wonka,  if you’re applying for a job with a startup or small business, it’s in your best interest to have a social resume. “Entrepreneurs are more interested in what you can do for their company tomorrow than what you did for someone else’s company yesterday,” she says. She suggests focusing on getting all your information online (wording in a way that specifically speaks to the interests of the startup you’re targeting). Then, hitting ‘em from all sides – “like” them, tweet them links to your social resume, retweet their stuff, comment on their company blog. So, get social! 4. It Allows You To Show Off Social resumes also allow you to flaunt more of your accomplishments. With a regular resume, you’re only limited to 1-2 pages of tightly focused content. According to Ben Eubanks of Upstart HR, a LinkedIn profile, for example, you can utilize the space to elaborate on key project roles, accomplishments, and other information that wouldn’t squeeze into a resume. “It’s not going to make or break your job search,” Eubanks says, “but why not take the time to set it up for networking purposes and to entice potential employers down the line?” Photo Credit: Shutterstock The post 4 Reasons Why You Need A Social Resume appeared first on CAREEREALISM. You are subscribed to email updates from CAREEREALISM To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

SPONSOR MESSAGE: Top 10 Ways to Improve Digital Experiences Posted: 10 Jan 2013 01:02 PM PST SPONSOR MESSAGE: Top 10 Ways to Improve Digital Experiences SPONSOR MESSAGE: Top 10 Ways to Improve Digital Experiences EU Antitrust Chief: Google “Diverting Traffic” & Will Be Forced To Change After Years Of Anti-Competitive Complaints Foundem Sues Google In UK Court SEMPO & ClickZ Look To See How Much Search Marketers Make With A Survey 28 Revealing Questions To Ask When Reviewing Last Year’s SEM Performance The New SEO Professional: Master Of Both Left & Right Brain Reports: Tablet Paid-Search Spend Surpasses Smartphones SearchCap: The Day In Search, January 9, 2013 SPONSOR MESSAGE: Top 10 Ways to Improve Digital Experiences Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:00 PM PST This white paper discusses: Why 77% of firms #1 goal is improving customer experiences How analytics and testing boost online relevance Download now » Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article. EU Antitrust Chief: Google “Diverting Traffic” & Will Be Forced To Change Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:12 AM PST While saying he’s “still investigating,” the head of the European Union’s antitrust regulatory body has told the Financial Times that he’s convinced Google is “diverting traffic” and that it will be forced to change its results. From the FT interview: "We... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article. After Years Of Anti-Competitive Complaints Foundem Sues Google In UK Court Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:54 AM PST Bloomberg reports Google is yet again being sued, this time by UK’s shopping search engine, for alleged anti-competitive practices. This comes a week after the FTC ruled that there is not enough evidence to prove search bias by Google in their search results. Foundem is seeking damages for... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article. SEMPO & ClickZ Look To See How Much Search Marketers Make With A Survey Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:35 AM PST SEMPO and ClickZ are partnering to find out how much money search marketers are earning. The Search Marketer Salary Survey 2013 can be accessed over here and is open for all agency or in-house search marketing professionals. This survey is an annual industry wide survey to assess the current state... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article. 28 Revealing Questions To Ask When Reviewing Last Year’s SEM Performance Posted: 10 Jan 2013 09:31 AM PST The smartest way to begin 2013 might well be to make a careful review of paid search performance and practices in 2012. If your company spends closer to 8 figures than 6 on paid search annually it is well worth the time of the CMO to take a deep dive here. Evaluating an enterprise paid-search... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article. The New SEO Professional: Master Of Both Left & Right Brain Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:38 AM PST Compared to its ultimate impact, the beginnings of an earthquake are actually quite small.   Likewise, in terms of scope, the Penguin algorithm update was relatively miniscule, affecting only 3.1% of queries. Its impact on the industry, however, was far greater, as the de-emphasis of thin content... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article. Reports: Tablet Paid-Search Spend Surpasses Smartphones Posted: 10 Jan 2013 07:55 AM PST Two reports out this morning from Marin Software and IgnitionOne capture a range of Q4 paid search ad spending data. For purposes of this article I’m going to focus only on the mobile component of the reports. Both show paid search spending on tablets surpassing smartphones. The IgnitionOne... Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article. SearchCap: The Day In Search, January 9, 2013 Posted: 09 Jan 2013 02:00 PM PST Below is what happened in search today, as reported on Search Engine Land and from other places across the web. From Search Engine Land: If Your Landing Page Could Talk, What Would It Say? I am a landing page. My job is to greet you when you click on ads, email links and social media [...] Please visit Search Engine Land for the full article. You are subscribed to email updates from Search Engine Land: News & Info About SEO, PPC, SEM, Search Engines & Search Marketing To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Breaking: Shooting at Taft High School in California - Update: School Had Armed Deputy on Duty Posted: 10 Jan 2013 12:02 PM PST Breaking: Shooting at Taft High School in California - Update: School Had Armed Deputy on Duty Breaking: Shooting at Taft High School in California - Update: School Had Armed Deputy on Duty Amazon Deal of the Day: Huge Savings on Panasonic HDTVs Religious Caveman Bryan Fischer Fantasizes About Spankings From God Drudge Lets the Mask Slip A Bit Further Pamela Geller Defends British Fascist Imprisoned for Entering the US Illegally "Scapegoat Hunter" - Jon Stewart's Brilliant Piece on the Cult of the Gun Breaking: Shooting at Taft High School in California - Update: School Had Armed Deputy on Duty Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:06 AM PST Not many details yet, but it looks like we have another school shooting: BREAKING NEWS: Reports of Shooting at Taft High School. At least two people were shot at Taft High School Thursday morning. It happened at about 9 a.m. and as of 9:30, students had been evacuated to the football field and there were reports one person was in custody. Details were still sketchy at 9:45 a.m. but the Sheriff's Department has confirmed a shooter is in custody and at least two people have been wounded. Hall Ambulance dispatched three ambulances and a medevac helicopter.  UPDATE at 1/10/13 10:37:11 am 10:15 A.m. UPDATE: Victim Airlifted From Taft High School | KGET TV 17 Sheriff's officials say two people have been shot at Taft High School. We are also told someone has been taken into custody. Kern County Fire officials say one victim received only minor injuries and refused treatment at the scene, the other person was airlifted to Kern Medical Center with unknown injuries. The reports started coming in at 9:00 a.m. Deputies are now on scene at the school. Earlier, they told 17 News they were doing a room-to-room search.They say the scene is still not secured. UPDATE at 1/10/13 11:10:33 am Confirmed. Taft High School does have a uniform deputy sheriff monitoring campus "before, during and after school" — Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) January 10, 2013 Amazon Deal of the Day: Huge Savings on Panasonic HDTVs Posted: 10 Jan 2013 10:03 AM PST Huge Savings on Select Panasonic HDTVs Watch the Super Bowl on the Big Screen. Take Advantage of Huge Savings on Select Panasonic HDTVs For a limited time, get huge savings on select Panasonic HDTVs. To take advantage of this offer, simply add a qualifying product from the list below to your Shopping Cart. The price in your cart already includes the manufacturer's instant rebate. Qualifying products must be purchased from Amazon.com; does not include purchases from other sellers on the Amazon.com website. Religious Caveman Bryan Fischer Fantasizes About Spankings From God Posted: 09 Jan 2013 05:37 PM PST American Family Association caveman Bryan Fischer spends a lot of time thinking about important subjects like spanking. Spanking by God, not by Bryan, of course. He never spanks his kids, except when he does, because they deserved it. Spanking, God, kids, religion. A moist layer cake of Freudian dysfunction. And oh yes, bears. Mr. Fischer has a weird obsession with bears; he really hates them, especially grizzlies. Not sure where that fits in. Related: Bryan Fischer Fantasizes About 'Stilettos, a Dress, and Dangly Earrings' Also see: Bryan Fischer: Get Rid of the 'Curse' That Is the Grizzly Bear Drudge Lets the Mask Slip A Bit Further Posted: 09 Jan 2013 03:09 PM PST You know who else got a splash on the Drudge Report? twitter.com/BuzzFeedAndrew... — Andrew Kaczynski (@BuzzFeedAndrew) January 9, 2013 Well, we have known for a long time that Matt Drudge has been scraping the bottom of the barrel. Whether it's catering to the Alex Jones conspiracy set with link after link to Infowars and similar conspiracy nut sites, or feeding links to white supremacists and racists, his promoted links have jumped the proverbial shark. So, it's not particularly surprising that he's decided to come out and directly compare President Obama's suggestion that he might use executive orders to move ahead with gun control (not gun confiscation) measures in the wake of a series of mass murders with the actions of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin. I'm rather surprised he left off Mao and Pol Pot from the trumped up nonsense. Never mind that the comparisons are specious and misleading. For starters, the gun lobby's favorite quip about Nazi Germany and confiscation of guns is pretty much wrong. It's reached the level of myth that the Nazis banned guns before undertaking the Second World War and Holocaust. Germans had no right to bear arms between the 1919 constitution and the 1928 Gun Law. That was in the aftermath of World War I. Hitler rose to power in 1933, and Hitler's government further revised gun regulations in 1938 to deregulate ownership and transfer of rifles and shotguns. Nazi Germany did restrict guns, but specifically directed the restrictions against Jews (along with the rest of the Nuremberg Laws that were designed to treat Jews as subhumans). Now, there are some on the right who are gleefully pointing out the irony that some on the left are dismayed by Drudge's comparison of Hitler to Obama when some on the left made the Bush=Hitler comparison. That's weak tea and meant to divert attention from the fact that Obama isn't doing anything even approaching what two of the worst tyrants of the 20th Century did. It's a further demonization of President Obama and meant to undermine the President's potential ability to shape the gun control debate. After all, the President and US Supreme Court (including most recently in Heller) have recognized the sanctity of the individual right to bear arms. The difference is that most Americans actually understand the need to regulate the right and to keep firearms out of those who should not be allowed near them. It means tightening up existing laws and regulations, improved enforcement, and working with lawful firearms owners to make sure that those weapons don't fall into the wrong hands. Gun control is not gun confiscation. Pamela Geller Defends British Fascist Imprisoned for Entering the US Illegally Posted: 09 Jan 2013 01:53 PM PST I hadn't looked at Pamela Geller's site in a while, but I just did, and wow. She's always been a swivel-eyed loon, but the hate is just off the charts now. Non-stop rage and bigotry. Really ugly stuff. One of her latest crazed posts defends the leader of the fascist English Defense League, calling him a "political prisoner:" POLITICAL IMPRISONMENT IN THE UK: EDL LEADER TOMMY ROBINSON JAILED FOR 10 MONTHS!!! It is stunning that the UK has degenerated to such depths. Freedom is no longer a reality, but a defeated idea undone by cowardice and capitulation of Islamic thuggery and violence. Tommy Robinson, my colleague and board member of SION, is a political prisoner in the UK, imprisoned for standing up for freedom and equality of rights under the law. I stand with Robinson. Tommy Robinson has been rotting in a UK jail under gruesome conditions awaiting trial for months. Actually, Robinson isn't his real name, and his prison sentence has nothing to do with standing up for anyone's freedom. Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (his real name, or possibly another alias) pleaded guilty to using someone else's passport to illegally enter the United States, in order to speak at one of Geller's anti-Muslim rallies. And he resorted to this ruse because he was previously barred from the US due to his violent criminal record. I wonder what Pamela would have to say about a Muslim who entered the US with someone else's passport? Also see: Bartholomew's Notes on Religion: Geller and Spencer OK With Passport Fraud "Scapegoat Hunter" - Jon Stewart's Brilliant Piece on the Cult of the Gun Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:57 AM PST (If you can't view the MP4 videos above, click below for Flash versions.) Daily Show Video Daily Show Video You are subscribed to email updates from Little Green Footballs To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Newsletter #919: The “Be There for Them” Issue Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:51 AM PST Newsletter #919: The “Be There for Them” Issue Newsletter #919: The “Be There for Them” Issue Posted: 10 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST [Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I'd Thought of That! newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.] People love to talk about moments when a company stepped up to be there for them through amazing customer service, random acts of kindness, or emergency relief. But you don’t have to have a huge budget or a huge cause to show customers your support. Here are some ways to be there for them: 1. When they’re stuck in traffic 2. When they need birthday ideas 3. When they need a ride 4. Check it out: The Scale of the Universe 1. When they’re stuck in traffic Surprise and delight are some of the most fun ways to spark word of mouth conversations. Some people do this with above-and-beyond customer service, giveaways, or random acts of kindness. Coca-Cola did it with great timing. In Bogota, Colombia, drivers spend an average of four hours per day in traffic (and you thought your commute was bad). Coke saw rush hour as an opportunity to make their drive better and to pull off a buzzworthy stunt: They turned a billboard into a drive-in movie screen on the side of the highway, took over an FM station for the audio, and handed out Coca-Cola and popcorn to commuters. The lesson: How can you turn a daily hassle into something surprising, delightful, and worth talking about? Learn more: Hispanically Speaking News 2. When they need birthday ideas Do you collect customer data? Stuff like emails, birthdays, and customer recommendations? Why not do something amazing with it? Adagio Teas, for example, knows how to put their data to work in remarkable ways. They send reminder emails to their customers when their friend’s birthday is coming up. They also include some tips for what teas they know the friend buys. That’s much more personal and helpful than a generic coupon, and since it’s already in an email, that customer can easily forward on the information to other friends who are also likely to buy for the birthday boy or girl. The lesson: What do you already know about your customers that could help you be there for them? 3. When they need a ride Sponsorships are much more remarkable when they make sense — and this one made sense: MillerCoors sponsored the Chicago Transit Authority’s Penny New Year’s Eve Rides. The timing here shows that MillerCoors actually cares about drunk driving prevention on one of the most likely nights. That takes their motto “Great beer, great responsibility,” a step further — and it’s something a whole train’s worth of passengers will be talking about. The lesson: How can you be there to show your customers you truly care about a cause? Learn more: Chicagoist 4. Check it out: The Scale of the Universe Zoom in and out from the size of the smallest of the small to the entire universe with this interactive scale. (Prepare to have your mind blown.) Check it out: The Scale of the Universe You are subscribed to email updates from Andy Sernovitz | Damn, I Wish I'd Thought of That! To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

A Mysterious Division of Animals: What’s Your Favorite Category? Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:50 AM PST A Mysterious Division of Animals: What’s Your Favorite Category? A Mysterious Division of Animals: What’s Your Favorite Category? Posted: 09 Jan 2013 02:54 PM PST Every Wednesday is List Day, or Tip Day, or Quiz Day. This Wednesday: time for something completely different. This is a list that appears in an essay by Jorge Luis Borges, “The Analytical Language of John Wilkins,” in Borges: Selected Non-Fictions. I have no idea why I love this passage so much, but I do. These ambiguities, redundancies and deficiencies recall those attributed by Dr. Franz Kuhn attributes to a certain Chinese encyclopedia entitled Heavenly Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge. In its distant pages it is written that animals are divided into:   (a) those belonging to the emperor; (b) embalmed ones; (c) those that are trained; (d) suckling pigs; (e) mermaids; (f) fabulous ones; (g) stray dogs; (h) those that are included in this classification; (i) those that tremble as if they were mad; (j) innumerable ones; (k) those drawn with a very fine camel’s-hair brush; (l) etcetera; (m) those that have just broken the watcher pitcher; (n) those that at a distance resemble flies. How I love this list. My favorite: “those that are included in this classification.” Also “mermaids.” What do you think…do you find this list thought-provoking, intriguing, or nonsensical? Thinking about this passage and this list is making me want to go re-read Borges. Where’s my copy of Labyrinths?   You are subscribed to email updates from The Happiness Project To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Padma Lakshmi Speaks Out on Abuse of Women in India Posted: 10 Jan 2013 11:45 AM PST Padma Lakshmi Speaks Out on Abuse of Women in India Padma Lakshmi Speaks Out on Abuse of Women in India Oprah Winfrey to Interview Lance Armstrong on January 17 This is 40 Deleted Scene: Maude Apatow Discusses the Kardashian Sisters Padma Lakshmi Speaks Out on Abuse of Women in India Posted: 09 Jan 2013 08:00 AM PST In light of the horrific gang rape in India, the world is focusing its attention on India's miserable treatment of its women. Padma Lakshmi, who was born in India, spoke with CNN about the treatment of women in India and how it much change for India to be respected on the world stage. Padma says as a teenager she hated riding the bus to school in Delhi because she would be pinched and groped. She said she and her cousin would go to the market to buy cilantro and they would be harassed in a very scary way. She says there is no word for "rape" in India. There is only a related word that indicates a woman has lost her honor. Padma says that it is intrinsic to Indian culture. She says when half of the population does not feel safe on the streets, it is not a true democracy. Padma moved to the U.S. when she was very young and grew up here with her mother after her parents divorced. She says she began modeling after college to pay off her college loans. In India, modeling is just a step up from prostitution. Living in the U.S. women have so much more freedom, she says. She says India cannot be respected as a world power they must tackle this tradition of sexual abuse and discrimination against women. Take a look: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest Oprah Winfrey to Interview Lance Armstrong on January 17 Posted: 08 Jan 2013 07:00 PM PST Oprah Winfrey has landed an exclusive interview with Lance Armstrong. The interview will air on Oprah's Next Chapter on Thursday, January 17 (9:00 - 10:30 p.m. ET/PT) on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. In the interview, Winfrey speaks with Armstrong at his home in Austin, Texas. Oprah says Armstrong will address the alleged doping scandal, accusations of cheating, and charges of lying about the use of performance-enhancing drugs during his career. A New York Times story earlier this month said Lance has been considering publicly admitting to using the drugs. CNN says that under the World Anti-Doping Agency rules an athlete who admits to using performance-enhancing drugs may be eligible for a reinstatement. Photo: Harpo, Inc. Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest This is 40 Deleted Scene: Maude Apatow Discusses the Kardashian Sisters Posted: 08 Jan 2013 06:33 PM PST In this deleted scene from Judd Apatow's comedy This is 40, Judd and Leslie Mann's daughter Maude Apatow discusses her favorite Kardashian sister with a friend via computer. The scene may have been cut from the movie, but it lives on through Funny or Die. Maude nails Kloe, Kourtney's and Kim's voices -- and their personalities. Maude is a scream. Take a look: Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest You are subscribed to email updates from ShoppingBlog.com To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Email delivery powered by Google Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

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